Leo Tolstoy then spent much of his time in Moscow, Tula and Saint Petersburg, leading a lax and leisurely lifestyle. He began writing during this period, including his first novel "Childhood", a fictitious account of his own youth, which was published in 1852. In 1851, after running up heavy gambling debts, he went with his older brother to the Caucasus and joined the army. Tolstoy served as a young artillery officer during the Crimean War and was in Sevastopol during the 11-month-long siege of Sevastopol in 1854–55, including the Battle of the Chernaya. During the war he was recognised for his bravery
Monument to Leo Tolstoy on Prechistenka Monument to Leo Tolstoy on Prechistenka The Monument to Leo Tolstoy on Prechistenka () was installed in Moscow in the courtyard of the State Museum of Leo Tolstoy (11, Prechistenka Street). Granite sculpture was made in 1913 by sculptor S. D. Merkurov. At the present place has been since 1972. In November 1910 the sculptor S. D. Merkurov removed the death mask from the face of Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy. After that, he began to create a monument to the writer, who ordered from him a Moscow patron N. A. Shakhov. In 1913, a sculpture carved from Finnish granite was ready.