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Why was Leo Tolstoy’s story “Sevastopol in December” praised by the tsar?

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Portrait of Leo Tolstoy with a long white beard, wearing a dark shirt and looking slightly to the side. — Leo Tolstoy Russian writer Leo Tolstoy is widely regarded as one of the world's greatest novelists. His masterpieces are *War and Peace* (1865–69) and *Anna Karenina* (1875–77).

Leo Tolstoy’s story "Sevastopol in December" was praised by the tsar because it highlighted the courage of simple soldiers during the Siege of Sevastopol in the Crimean War.1