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Adding First Entry W/ Sources - done

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{{Short description|Road in Delhi}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2025}}

[[File:টলস্টয় মার্গ.jpg|thumb|alt=A Tolstoy Marg Signboard in Connaught Place|A Tolstoy Marg Signboard in Connaught Place]]
'''Tolstoy Marg''' ({{langx|hi|टॉलस्टॉय मार्ग|lit=Tolstoy Road}}) is a road in the [[Connaught Place, New Delhi]] area.

This road was named after famous Russian writer [[Leo Tolstoy]].

Tolstoy Marg links [[Barakhamba Road]] and Maharaja Ranjit Singh Marg intersection, to [[Sansad Marg]] intersection. Inside Connaught Place, the road connects to other important roads like Jantar Mantar Road, [[Janpath]], Atul Grove Road, and Kasturba Gandhi Marg.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tolstoy Marg, Google Maps |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tolstoy+Rd,+New+Delhi,+Delhi+110001/ |access-date=23 April 2024}}</ref> Tolstoy Marg houses many commercial offices and offices of some Public Sector Enterprises as well.

Tolstoy Marg is usually the focal point of protest marches and other political rallies in the city.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Choudhury |first1=Karan |title=Protests, Dharnas Give Cops Tough Time |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/protests-dharnas-give-cops-tough-time/story-uUwSBmOoTUTxubeZslTCoJ.html |access-date=26 April 2024 |publisher=Hindustan Times |date=25 February 2011}}</ref> Political rallies towards [[Ramlila Maidan]] in Delhi, often passes through Tolstoy Marg.<ref>{{cite news |title=Citizen's March to Parliament House |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WYhlAAAAIBAJ&dq=Tolstoy+Marg&pg=PA25 |access-date=24 April 2024 |publisher=Indian Express |date=5 December 1988}}</ref>

== History ==

[[File:Freemasons Hall Connaught Place New Delhi.jpg|thumb|alt=Freemasons Hall, Janpath.|Freemasons Hall, Janpath. ]]
Tolstoy Marg was constructed during the British era, when [[Robert Tor Russell]] was designing the [[Connaught Place, New Delhi|Connaught Place]]. In those days it was named as '''Keeling Road''', after Hugh Keeling, who was the Chief Engineer of Delhi.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |last1=Shukla |first1=Vivek |title=Delhi Mein Badalte Rehte Hain Sadkon Ke Naam (Names of Roads Keeps Changing in Delhi. Hindi) |url=https://www.bbc.com/hindi/india-59664508 |website=BBC Hindi |date=17 December 2021 |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=23 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Soofi |first1=Mayank Austen |title=Bye Bye Aurangzeb |url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/zKhIv4dMpjxYLvjFt3DrhK/Bye-bye-Aurangzeb.html |website=Mint Newspaper (Live Mint) |date=4 September 2015 |publisher=Hindustan Times Group |access-date=23 April 2024}}</ref>

During the [[Partition of India]] in 1947, several Muslim families who were residents of Keeling Road, had moved to [[Pakistan]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Qamar |first1=Irfan |title=If Ever I decide to Go Anywhere, I'll Go to Delhi |url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/opinion/if-ever-i-decide-to-go-anywhere-ill-go-to-delhi |website=Khaleej Times |access-date=24 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Puri |first1=Kavita |title=Partition voices: untold British stories |date=2019 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |location=London, UK |isbn=9781408899069 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=emCWDwAAQBAJ&dq=architect+of+keeling+road%2C+delhi&pg=PT116 |access-date=24 April 2024}}</ref> and likewise people coming to India from Pakistan had made Keeling road their new home.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pandya |first1=Haresh |title=Ved Vyas, Educator |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/society/ved-vyas-educator-news-294940 |website=Outlook India |date=28 July 2015 |access-date=24 April 2024}}</ref>

Prominent leader [[Deshbandhu Gupta]] also used to live in a big house on Keeling Road.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Geva |first1=Rotem |title=Delhi Reborn: Partition and Nation Building in India's Capital |date=August 2022 |publisher=Stanford University Press |isbn=9781503631199 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=131xEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Keeling+Road%22+Delhi&pg=PT356 |access-date=23 April 2024}}</ref> He was a resident of "5, Keeling Road".<ref>{{cite book |title=Who's Who 1950 |date=15 May 1950 |publisher=Parliament of India |location=New Delhi |page=36 |url=https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/782468/1/publication_whoswho_eng_pp_1950.pdf |access-date=24 April 2024}}</ref>

When the headquarters of [[Communist Party of India]] were shifted from Bombay to New Delhi in 1951, they were first housed on "4, Keeling Road".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dubey |first1=Radhe |title=Kahani Ek Naye Mazmoon Ki (Story of a New Idea. Hindi) |date=2006 |publisher=Lok Prakashan Griha |location=B-131, Sadatpur, Po. Gokalpuri, New Delhi - 110094 |page=28}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Party Letter (End Page Address) |date=30 January 1953 |publisher=Communist Party of India |location=4, Keeling Road, New Delhi |url=https://www.marxists.org/subject/india/cpi/party-letter-2-53.pdf |access-date=23 April 2024}}</ref>

In 1962, to meet the increasing need of commercial space in Central part of Delhi, [[Delhi Development Authority]] (DDA) had decided to extend Connaught Place Commercial Area up to the Keeling Road. It was done under "Delhi Master Plan 1962".<ref>{{cite book |title=Delhi Master Plan 1962 |date=1 September 1962 |publisher=Delhi Development Authority (DDA) |page=10 |url=https://dda.gov.in/sites/default/files/inline-files/MPD-1962_text_report.pdf |access-date=24 April 2024}}</ref>

This road was renamed as Tolstoy Marg in 1968.<ref name="BBC" />

During Soviet era, Information Department of the USSR Embassy in India, was situated nearby on 25, Barakhamba Road of New Delhi.<ref>{{cite journal |editor1-last=Syomin |editor1-first=GA |title=Address of Publisher Section |journal=Soviet Review |date=26 February 1981 |volume=XVIII |issue=10 |url=https://archive.org/details/books-from-ussr-soviet-review-1981/page/n2/mode/1up |publisher=Information Department of USSR Embassy in India |location=25, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi}}</ref> Soviet Airlines [[Aeroflot]] had an office on Tolstoy Marg,<ref>{{cite web |title=Aeroflot Previous Office Address |url=https://city.webindia123.com/d-t/delhi/delhi/aeroflot-soviet-airlines/20520/ |website=Web Duniya |access-date=23 April 2024}}</ref> which is currently shifted to nearby Barakhamba Road.<ref>{{cite web |title=Aeroflot Present Office Address |url=https://www.aeroflot.ru/gb-de/offices/in/del |website=Aeroflot |access-date=23 April 2024}}</ref>

==Tolstoy statue and Tolstoy House==
[[File:Leo Tolstoy Statue Connaught Place New Delhi.jpg|thumb|alt=Statue of Leo Tolstoy on Tolstoy Marg|Statue of Leo Tolstoy on Tolstoy Marg]]
On the sidewalk of a road where Tolstoy Marg meets Janpath, there stands a black colored bronze statue of Leo Tolstoy, that was installed here in 1994.<ref name="Novosti" /> This statue was constructed in [[USSR]] in 1989. <ref name="Soviets">{{cite news |title=Soviet Fest to Wind Up with Grand Show |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-H9lAAAAIBAJ&dq=Tolstoy+Statue+India&pg=PA6&article_id=468,516563 |access-date=23 April 2024 |publisher=Indian Express |date=12 November 1988}}</ref><ref name="Soofi">{{cite web |last1=Soofi |first1=Mayank Austen |title=City Landmark, Tolstoy Statue Janpath |url=https://www.thedelhiwalla.com/2022/04/27/city-landmark-tolstoys-statue-janpath/ |website=Delhi Wallah |date=27 April 2022 |access-date=23 April 2024}}</ref> However it was only after the [[Dissolution of the Soviet Union]], that the statue was finally installed on the Tolstoy Marg. This statue was inaugurated by Russian Prime Minister [[Viktor Chernomyrdin]] in 1994 during his visit to India. <ref name="Novosti">{{cite web |title=Paamitniki Inastrantse Vy' Indeeski Staleetsaa (Foreign Monuments in the Indian Capital. Russian) |url=https://ria.ru/20110401/360022210.html |website=RIA Novosti |access-date=23 April 2024}}</ref>
This statue faces a heritage building "[[Freemasons]] Hall" which is situated opposite side, on the Janpath Road, and this building was constructed in the year 1936.<ref>{{cite web |title=Grand Masonic Lodge, Contact Us |url=https://grandlodgeofindia.in/contact/ |website=Grand Lodge of India |access-date=23 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Masonic Center of India – New Delhi. The Headquarters of the Grand Lodge of India |url=https://rglni.org/masonic-centres-of-northern-india/ |website=Regional Grand Lodge of Northern India |date=17 September 2020 }}</ref>

The Tolstoy Statue on this road often witnesses the gathering of the fans of Russian Literature, Leo Tolstoy, and [[Mahatma Gandhi]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rudakova |first1=Natalya |title=Expedition to Highlight Moral Values of Tolstoy, Gandhi |url=https://www.rbth.com/arts/culture/2016/11/16/expedition-to-highlight-moral-values-of-tolstoy-gandhi_648241 |website=Russia Beyond the Headlines |date=16 November 2016 |publisher=RBTH |access-date=23 April 2024}}</ref>

Presently a building called Tolstoy House is also situated on this road.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Soofi |first1=Mayank Austen |title=City Walk : Tolstoy's Country, Connaught Place |url=https://www.thedelhiwalla.com/2022/09/09/city-walk-tolstoys-country-connaught-place/ |website=Delhi Wallah |date=9 September 2022 |access-date=23 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Russian Visa Application Centre Delhi, Address |url= https://india.mid.ru/en/consular-affairs/visa-application-center/ |website=Embassy of Russian Federation in India |access-date=24 April 2024}}</ref>

== Notable establishments ==

Notable establishments on Tolstoy Marg include:

* [[State Trading Corporation]] of India (STC).<ref>{{cite web |title=State Trading Corporation, Contact Us |url=https://www.stclimited.co.in/contact-us/corporate-office |website=STC |access-date=23 April 2024}}</ref>

* [[Small Industries Development Bank of India]] (SIDBI).<ref>{{cite web |title=SIDBI, Contact Us |url=https://www.sidbi.in/contact-us.php |website=Small Industries Development Bank of India}}</ref>

== References ==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Roads in Delhi]]
[[Category:Leo Tolstoy]]

Tolstoy Marg - Revision history

MichaleYarbrough: Adding First Entry W/ Sources - done