A Man of Science and Engineering in Troubled Times Wandering in the Late Qing Dynasty

The Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts is also located on Vasilievsky Island, which is indeed very close, within a ten-minute walk.

After it was renamed the Repin Academy of Fine Arts in later generations, it has become one of the four major art academies in the world. However, art is too expensive to learn. Even if the tuition fees in Russia are already very low, it is not affordable for ordinary families.

What's more, Li Yu's art level is only from watercolor brushes and sketches in elementary school art class, so he really doesn't know much about art.

However, just like science, the separation between various subjects is not as great as that of later generations. Some artists can have multiple abilities and cover a wider range of fields.

Those who are engaged in literature also want to learn art, those who are engaged in art also want to play with engineering design, and those who are engaged in music also want to play with quantum mechanics...

Moreover, art itself is very attractive, so apart from artists, there are many people who love it.

As a great writer in Russia, Tolstoy has many fans, and Repin himself is one of Tolstoy's fans.

Later generations can see many portraits of Toon, and many of them are from the hands of Repin.

In all, Repin painted 25 portraits, [-] sketches, [-] sketches of family members, [-] illustrations of the author's works, and [-] plaster casts of Tolstoy.

It can be seen that Repin respects and loves Toon.

The Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts is mainly a relatively large main building, and the overall campus area is not large, so after the request in the newspaper, they quickly found Repin who was painting for Toon in a studio.

Tolstoy is already a classic image with a beard, and there is his wife Sophia next to him.

Fortunately, the timing of Li Yu's arrival was quite coincidental. After a short wait, Repin put down his brush and wanted to rest for a while.

They noticed Li Yu and others outside the door.

"Students?" Repin thought they were students of the Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts.

Katz immediately said: "Sorry to interrupt, my name is Katz, on behalf of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Letters, I am here to nominate Mr. Tolstoy for the Nobel Prize in Literature."

Tolstoy was very calm after hearing this: "I know. It is always so painstaking to nominate, but it will not actually be awarded, and it does not mean anything."

He has already looked down on this matter. After all, he is a 75-year-old man and has experienced different treatment for several literary awards. The value of fame and fortune is not that important anymore.

Katz was a little embarrassed after hearing this: "The selection process was done by the Faculty of Arts, and I don't know what happened in it."

Tolstoy looked at Li Yu who was at the side again: "Are you... Japanese?"

Li Yu was also a little embarrassed, thinking that he was a little devil.

Li Yu had no choice but to explain: "Tuo Weng, I am from China."

"China?" Tolstoy has never been to China, but he still has a traditional impression of Chinese people, that is, some images of long braids that have appeared in Western cartoons.

Li Yu went on to say, "I cut the braid."

Katz also introduced him: "His name is Li Yu, he is..."

"Ah, I've heard of you!" Repin actually interrupted Katz, "You are the scientist who wrote "Star Wars"!"

Well, sure enough, science fiction is more popular.

Li Yu said with a smile: "That's right, but it's not just my credit. The polishing part was done by Ms. Bicheng next to me, and the translation of the English and French versions was done by another German from China. Ms. Ling."

Repin said to Tolstoy: "Have you read it? That science fiction novel is very interesting, and the imagination is too amazing, as if it came from a top artist."

Tolstoy said: "I have read it, and it is indeed a very good read. And I not only know the novel, but also know that you are a top-notch person in the field of science."

Li Yu said, "Tuo Weng is an honor."

Their communication can be in English.

As mentioned earlier, the typical feature of education in Europe today is the knowledge of multiple languages. In addition to his mother tongue, Tolstoy himself can speak at least English, French and German.

Most Russian aristocratic families spoke at least French, which they considered a noble language, and many families hired French teachers.

Tolstoy seems to be constantly on the news.There is no way not to pay attention, after all, some of Li Yu's research results are very influential, such as chaos theory and game theory, which have already begun to be studied in many industries.

In addition, the Swedish king personally awarded such a large amount of awards before, and it is still very famous in Europe.

Tolstoy said: "I often read daily, and I have also read a lot of science fiction. It is a kind of work that imagines the future, which is very different from my works that focus on the present. But I think everyone reads science fiction. It must have been more enjoyable."

Li Yu said with a smile: "I'm sure I can't write such a profound and realistic content of Tuo Weng."

Tolstoy's current level of thinking has been improving. Not only has he no longer believed in religion as mentioned before, but he has begun to think independently about some issues; he is no longer limited to criticizing society, and has even begun to criticize himself.

It is not easy for an old man in his 70s. After all, after living such an old age, most people's thinking framework has long been solidified.

The Tsar once wanted to imprison or exile Toon because of some of his later works, but fortunately he did not implement it.

One is because Dostoyevsky had a precedent. He was exiled by the tsarist government for so many years, which aroused social indignation; Ki was impoverished almost all his life; and Tolstoy had already become famous, and the tsar was afraid to touch him because of his reputation and public opinion.

Just because of his famous work "Resurrection", the tsarist government and the Orthodox Church criticized him for opposing God and not believing in the afterlife. In 1901, he was expelled from the Church in the name of the Holy Church.This decision aroused protests across Russia, but Tolstoy took it calmly, even though it caused him to miss the Nobel Prize for Literature to a large extent, he did not regret it.

Moreover, he immediately wrote an article criticizing the tsarist government's suppression of students; he also realized that the Russian serfdom system was serious, and wanted the tsarist to abolish private land ownership and give the land to farmers as much as possible.

Looking at it this way, Tolstoy is really easier to communicate.

Li Yu still remembers the meeting between Einstein and Tagore in history, but the meeting between them was not pleasant.

Einstein is a top physicist, but Tagore is not only a poet, but also a devout Christian.

The dialogue between the two is basically the collision of idealism and materialism.

Judging from the dialogue records, Tagore has been preaching the role of consciousness and the fact that the world has no such things as truth and beauty without people.

As a scientist, Einstein certainly believed that the existence or non-existence of human beings cannot affect the correctness of the truth in this universe.

However, he didn't want to persuade Tagore, and judging from the results, he really couldn't persuade him, so he just expressed his insistence on his own.

Fortunately, Tolstoy no longer believed in God, so he could greatly free himself from the shackles of his mind, and he could also communicate with scientific people like Li Yu.

Otherwise, in the eyes of many people in this period, any problem can be interpreted as "God has designed it, but humans are too stupid to realize it."

Many scientists also admit that human cognition is not enough, but they do not think this is stupidity, but should work harder to explore, and scientists also have a so-called "God" in their hearts, but this God is nature and the universe itself.

In short, there is indeed too much difference in concepts, and it will become a chicken and a duck.

Tolstoy said: "Your works are also very profound, but I can't understand them."

Li Yu understood that what he was talking about was mathematical content.

Li Yudao: "There is an old saying in China that there are specialties in the arts."

Li Yu also said it in Chinese.

Tolstoy smiled and said, "It makes me feel even more regretful to say this. I have never studied Chinese, so I never thought there would be such a delicate and short proverb."

Li Yu sighed softly: "Chinese culture has a long history and is the culture that has survived and multiplied for the longest time in the world. It's just that it is now in a low period, and countries are not trying to understand it in depth."

As a Russian, Tolstoy felt a little bit about this: "Russia was also a backward country back then, and no one wanted to understand our culture. I only know that there are a few translations of ancient Chinese books, but after reading It's really difficult."

What he mentioned is obviously the "Analects of Confucius" once translated by Gu Hongming. It is impossible for a foreigner to understand it.

Li Yu said: "There are still many popular works in China, but they have not been translated into other languages."

Tolstoy said: "It's a pity, I don't know when I can see it. I really want to see how it will be different from our country's literature? I have always known that Chinese is a magical language without letters."

I am afraid that he will be in trouble for the rest of his life, so Li Yu can only say: "Literature is itself a difficult thing to judge. But literature is not the first, and martial arts is not the second. It is enough to have a group of people who appreciate it."

The speaker has no intention, but the listener has the intention, Tolstoy repeated in a flash in his mind: "Wen Wu is the first, Wu Wu is the second..."

He suddenly became enlightened, and said with a smile: "The Chinese language and culture have already penetrated into all the truths in the world. I immediately understood why I couldn't get a false name like the Nobel Prize in Literature."

Tolstoy couldn't help repeating it several times, and he became more and more fond of Chinese proverbs, "It turns out that this is the true meaning of literature."

Li Yu himself was a little confused. He didn't know why Tolstoy was in such a good mood all of a sudden.

Tolstoy went on to say to himself: "From this point of view, my knowledge is still too shallow. You are right, there is nothing first in literature, there is no distinction between high and low, good or bad, no matter whether it is Serious works or popular novels, there is no number one, but they can be number one in my heart. Today you really solved a huge doubt in my heart, I am so happy!"

Repin is a Toon fan, and I feel that this sentence can also be applied to his own art creation.

Repin said to Li Yu: "I never imagined that you, as a scientist, would have such views on art. I rarely see Tuo Weng like this."

Li Yu rubbed his head, he just said casually...

Tolstoy felt a burst of inspiration in his heart, and said to Repin: "I will go back to the apartment to write immediately, and I will temporarily put down today's portrait."

Repin said: "But the painting is almost finished..."

Tolstoy said: "I will come tomorrow."

He got up and was about to leave, but at the end he did not forget to say to Li Yu: "If you have a chance, please give me a book about Chinese proverbs."

Many people wanted to read it before, such as Mark Twain in the United States, but Li Yu didn’t have such a book, but seeing Tuo Weng’s firm eyes, he had to agree temporarily: “I will do my best.”

If you can still buy the Encyclopedia of Xiehouyu before time travelling, where can you find it at this time?

Seeing that Tolstoy was about to leave, Lu Bicheng plucked up his courage and asked, "Mr. Tolstoy, can you give me a book that you signed yourself?"

Tolstoy said: "Of course. But today I have to go back to work. If possible, you can buy a copy here tomorrow, and I will sign it for you."

Unexpectedly, he agreed, Lu Bicheng excitedly said: "Thank you sir!"

Tolstoy said with a smile: "I cannot refuse the request of a beautiful oriental woman."

After Tolstoy finished speaking, he hurried away with his wife.

Repin looked at the drawing board in front of him, and said helplessly: "It makes me feel that inspiration bursts out in my mind at this moment, but I don't know what to draw."

Li Yu smiled and said, "How about Dongfang's works?"

"It makes sense!" Repin continued, "You stand up quickly, and I will draw a portrait for you."

Li Yu was taken aback: "Us?"

Repin took a new drawing board: "It happens that there is nothing else to do today, so look in the mirror and sit down in front of me."

"Ah?" Lu Bicheng was a little stunned.

She knew that China has also had portraits since ancient times, but those who received this kind of treatment were from famous nobles or relatives of the emperor.

Fortunately, Li Yu immediately thought that the opportunity must not be missed. The other party was Repin, and he offered to draw a picture for you, which is simply wishful thinking.

He immediately pulled Lu Bicheng over: "Don't stand still!"