Attributed to Leo Tolstoy
«"But the peasants… how do the peasants die?" (presented as his last words).»
Misattributed
Verdict
It is not in Leo Tolstoy's work
They do not appear in the account of his son Sergei, an eyewitness, nor in the testimonies of Makovický and Chertkov consulted through the literature; their origin has not been traced.
Source: Толстой, С. Л. «В Астапове» (1923), en Очерки былого, 3.ª ed., Tula, 1966. Texto en Викитека.
What they did say
Verified words of Leo Tolstoy
«All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.»
Anna Karénina, parte I, cap. 1 (texto ruso en Wikisource)
«The hero of my tale, whom I love with all the strength of my soul, whom I have tried to portray in all his beauty and who has always been, is and will be beautiful, is the truth.»
Sebastopol en mayo (1855), párrafo final
«For us, with the measure of good and evil given us by Christ, there is nothing immeasurable. And there is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth.»
Guerra y paz, t. IV, parte 3, final del cap. 18