Critic Yuly Aykhenvald derided Tolstoy's insistence on continuing with his "nationalistic masquerade" and quoted Anton Chekhov as commenting: "has put the opera costume on and forgotten to take it off before leaving the theatre." According to Aykhenvald, Tolstoy failed to see that "the national values, when taken to the extreme, become alien-looking." For Aykhenvald, though, it was Tolstoy's humour that prevented him from turning into an "archeology worshipper". The critic saw Tolstoy's romanticism as universal and in a certain way religious (resulting in the fact that his most memorable character, Tsar Fyodor was "an epitome of Christian meekness and grace"). Yet, "[Tolstoy worshipped that kind of God who was devoid of stiffness... he was a free spirit and valued freedom most."