This article examines the work of Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy as a unique phenomenon in world literature, based on a profound synthesis of ethical and philosophical ideas and artistic mastery. It analyzes the writer's ideological foundations, the characteristics of his artistic method, his philosophy of history, and his moral quest in key works. Particular attention is given to the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, as well as Tolstoy's influence on the development of world literature and philosophical thought.