"Leo Tolstoy & Bicycle" was inspired by a particularly curious hobby of the famous writer. In 1895, at the age of 67, Leo Tolstoy decided to learn to ride a bicycle. Soon he was not only able to cycle in the streets of Moscow, but also made bicycle trips from Moscow and Yasnaya Polyana to Tula. 

I was fascinated to find yet another reason to admire the strong, lively and curious personality of Leo Tolstoy, ruining stereotypes and proving that age and background cannot prevent you from exploring new things and living a full life. Today, this concept is widely acknowledged, but at the time, Leo Tolstoy was a pioneer, always in touch with the rapidly changing world.

The title of the second illustration, "Leo Tolstoy & Pegasus", speaks for itself. Pegasus is one of the best known creatures in Greek mythology, associated with artistic inspiration. The purpose of this illustration was to show that inspiration, however important, cannot help you achieve your artistic goals unless you pair it with hard work and persistance, as Leo Tolstoy did. 

During the research process i found actual photos of the writer with his bicycle. Then, i sketched out the compositions and characters and did some color tests, coming up with the style. I decided it would be a digital collage. I used parts from the original text of "War and Peace" for the backgrounds.

This project became the winner of the "Your Tolstoy" Illustration Competition hosted by Alpina Publisher and was featured as the special choice of the jury.

The illustrations became part of the limited postcard series, timed to the writer's birthday. 

An exhibition of selected artworks took place on the 13th of September 2022 in the famous “Rostov House” - the mansion in Povarskaya Street (Moscow), that apparently inspired the house of Natasha's family from "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy.

The illustrations are about to become a series of high-quality prints, as well as appear on other merchandise.

Helen Hrabrov is an award-winning artist, author and illustrator of children's books. At the age of 15 she wrote and illustrated her first book - "The Book of Flowers. Baby-Dandelion", which got published several years later and immediately became a bestseller. Helen's second picture book - "Verlaine" - brought its 18-year-old author wide recognition and positive press reviews. For this book Helen was awarded at the International Competition of Children's Book Illustration in 2022.

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