Tolstoy Square

Tolstoy Square is a quiet, triangular intersection defined by the bronze bust of Leo Tolstoy that sits facing the street. Named for the Russian writer, it marks a rare pocket of Slavic heritage in the middle of the sixteenth arrondissement. While the author never lived here, the square was dedicated in nineteen sixty-eight to honor his influence on French literature. A local baker once complained that the statue’s bronze eyes seemed to watch his shop door, waiting for a customer who never arrives.