In 2027, the Literary Express will be launched to the places of Tolstoy near Tula

The Minister of Tourism of the Tula region Elena Martynova headed the subgroup that is engaged in the development of the all-Russian tourist route “Russia of Leo Tolstoy”. The decision was made on October 12 at a meeting in Moscow dedicated to the preparation for the 200th anniversary of the writer’s birth, the press service of the regional government told MK in Tula.

The meeting participants discussed the development of the route, prospects for obtaining the status of a national tourist, the restoration and museumification of Russian Railways facilities, the training of specialists and the creation of a digital infrastructure. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Presidential Administration of Russia, Russian Railways, Yandex, the Russian State University of Tourism and Service, as well as federal and regional departments.

Elena Martynova spoke about the agreements that the Tula region signed in 2026 with the regions participating in the project within the framework of the national project “Tourism and Hospitality”. Moscow, Moscow, Kaluga, Lipetsk, Orel and Ryazan regions joined the route.

The concept of “Russia of Leo Tolstoy” included the museum-estate of the writer in Khamovniki, the Anton Chekhov Museum-Reserve in Melikhov, the estate “Yasnaya Polyana”, Kochakovsky necropolis, the railway station “Kozlov Zaseka” and Tula.

Special attention was paid to training. The Russian State University of Tourism and Service has launched an advanced training program for industry specialists. It is dedicated to literary tourism and the creation of quality excursion programs.

The participants also proposed to form a single calendar of tourist events on the Travel.Russia portal, coordinate the plans of the regions to install navigation and promote the route, as well as work out its entry into foreign markets. “Yandex” announced a special project about “Russia of Leo Tolstoy” with seasonal activities. And Russian Railways plans to launch a new tourist train “Literary Express” in 2027.

Chairman of the working group, General Director of the State Museum of Leo Tolstoy Vladimir Tolstoy stressed that the preparation for the anniversary of the writer should unite the regions, federal structures and representatives of the cultural community. According to him, the anniversary can become the basis for long-term projects – new routes, updated expositions, books and educational programs.

Earlier, “MK in Tula” reported that the Governor Dmitry Milyaev discussed with “Yandex” digital projects for the 200th anniversary of Leo Tolstoy. The meeting was held at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The parties considered using digital services to develop tourism in the region, including the creation of themed routes and tools to help travelers plan their trips.