other ' s ▁garden " ▁( 1 8 7 8 ). ▁ ▁While ▁living ▁there ▁Lev it sky ▁would ▁meet ▁and ▁marry ▁Anna ▁Vas ile v na ▁O ls uf ev sky . ▁ ▁He ▁would ▁also ▁meet ▁Leo ▁Tol sto y ▁and ▁become ▁good ▁friends ▁with ▁the ▁world - f am ous ▁author ▁discuss ing ▁Tol sto y ' s ▁theories ▁on ▁art ▁and ▁his ▁personal ▁connection ▁to ▁the ▁art ▁and ▁artists ▁of ▁the ▁day . ▁ ▁Ult imately , ▁Lev it sky ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁would ▁paint ▁Tol sto y ' s ▁portrait . ▁ ▁Lev it sky ▁Polen ov ▁Cor respond ence ▁▁ ▁As ▁Raf ail ▁Serge ev ich ▁Lev it sky ▁lived ▁and ▁worked ▁in ▁Saint ▁Petersburg ▁we ▁are ▁given ▁insight ▁into ▁the ▁art ▁exhib itions ▁he ▁attended ▁and ▁wrote ▁about ▁in ▁letters ▁to ▁Vas ily ▁D mit rie v ich ▁Polen ov . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁letter ▁sent ▁to ▁Polen ov ▁in ▁Moscow , ▁Raf ail ▁writes ▁about ▁an ▁academic ▁exhibition ▁which ▁occurred ▁on ▁September , ▁ 1 8 th , ▁ 1 8 6 9 ▁about ▁the ▁sculpt or ▁O pe k ush in ▁Alexander ▁Mik h ail ov ich ▁( 1 8 3 8 – 1 9 2 3 ) ▁who ▁sculpt ed ▁a ▁b ust ▁of ▁the ▁artist ▁Mik h ail ▁Os ip ov ich ▁Mik es hin ▁( 1 8 3 5 – 1 8 9 6 ). ▁He ▁writes : ▁ ▁" The ▁exhibition ▁has ▁been ▁open ▁since ▁yesterday ,