Essay by Nikolai Rostov in the novel War and Peace (Image and Characteristics). Nikolai Rostov Nikolai war and peace characteristics
Count Nikolai Rostov is the brother of Natasha Rostova. At the beginning of the novel he is only 20 years old. A student, he is short, slender, curly hair, an open, kind face with gray eyes. He is youthfully handsome and charming. She dances well, plays the piano, and sings. He enjoys hunting and breeding horses. An enviable groom.
A kind, honest, sincere guy, an optimist. Same as his father. He combines cheerfulness and prudence at the same time. Smart and serious beyond his years. Tolstoy says about him that he is a “twenty-year old man.” He knows how to observe and draw conclusions. This skill often helps him out in sticky situations.
Due to his character, he does not know how to lie. Only over time does he understand that he needs to know when to tell the truth. Sometimes it is better to remain tactfully silent. Because in the wrong place and at the wrong time, the truth spoken will bring trouble to both him and those around him.
He is a patriot of his country. He interrupts his studies at a prestigious university and goes to military service in a cavalry regiment. It turned out that this was precisely his calling - to serve Russia. He begins his military career from the lowest rank.
His military career subsequently developed successfully. He likes to serve. He serves diligently, is distinguished by courage and fearlessness, but without fanaticism. In his heart he is still afraid of death. But he doesn’t hide behind the backs of his comrades. He doesn’t betray them, he treats them humanely. He is respected by both officers and ordinary hussars. He rises to the rank of first lieutenant, and then captain.
Mother insists that Nikolai leave military service. She lost one son and does not want to lose the second. His rationality tells him that, as a military man, he may die at a young age. Just as his brother died, Prince Andrei Bolkonsky died.
After the death of his father, Nikolai inherits only debts. A marriage of convenience to the rich Marya Bolkonskaya would immediately solve all financial problems. But Nikolai does not want such love, such a marriage. He approaches marriage seriously and thoroughly.
Therefore, he cannot immediately marry Princess Marya, because he ran away to marry Sonya. A relative who is being brought up in the Rostov house. Only when Sonya lets Nikolai go and removes this promise from him, then he marries Princess Marya. Marries for love, not for convenience. Moreover, as it turned out, Princess Marya also loves him. He is a faithful, loving, caring husband, a wonderful father of three tomboys.
A successful marriage improved Nikolai Rostov’s financial situation. By the age of thirty-five he acquired a large estate. The peasants respect him. He does not oppress or mock them, as other landowners do. He wants to leave a legacy to his children of a strong farm that will allow them to lead a comfortable life.
Essay 2
The most famous novel called “War and Peace” was written by the Russian writer Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy. He had a positive influence on the development of world literature.
The novel has a huge number of main characters. Each of them is entrusted with some important role, which he plays with responsibility and does an excellent job. One such distinctive figure is Nikolai Rostov.
Nikolai Rostov - the hero of the work of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy - is a kind of “ideal”, exemplary hero. He is a reference. Even if the reader tries to find some kind of flaw or flaw in him, it will not be possible to do this because Nikolai is too good-looking. Lev Nikolaevich did his best.
In general, the image of this hero does not have any distinctive characteristics. He is short. Hair is curly. And the face is childish and this is very attractive. His facial features are correct and he has kind eyes.
Nikolai has a slender figure and moves very gracefully. At the same time, he is very charming and flirts because of his youth.
As for the characteristics of Nikolai’s specific qualities, he is similar in many ways to his father. Nikolai has a cheerful disposition, almost never loses heart or falls into melancholy. He is sanguine.
This Rostov does not know how to hide his feelings. That's how he characterizes himself. Of course, from his childish, sweet face, or from an open book, one can easily read the inner emotions and feelings of its owner.
Despite the fact that Nikolai is quite young (he is about twenty), he is characterized by prudence. It is filled with nobility, real youth, which is a rare occurrence to meet.
Lev Nikolaevich endowed this hero with a musical gift. He plays and sings a musical instrument very well. She often demonstrates such skills with her sister Natalya.
At balls she does not create the image of a quiet person, but dances quite well, which evokes completely different emotions on the part of observers.
This young man also has two hobbies that he devotes himself to with special passion and interest - hunting and horses. He learned his love of hunting from his father. He is also very interested in horses.
Nikolai always tells the truth. Lying is against his principles. He believes that truthful information that is hidden can cause harm if said at the wrong time.
ROSTOV NIKOLAI ILYICH - hero of the novel by L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace".
The character of the epic novel L.N. Tolstoy's "War and Peace", the count, the son of the wealthy Moscow Count Ilya Andreevich Rostov and Countess Natalya, who lived in a "large, well-known house throughout Moscow... on Povarskaya", the younger brother of Vera and the older brother of Natasha and Petya Rostov. We first meet him at a dinner at the Rostov house on the occasion of the name day of the countesses mother and daughter. It is a beautiful " short, curly-haired young man with an open expression on his face ", on which " expressed impetuosity and enthusiasm " He is a student, but dreams of a military career, to which “ feels a calling", and therefore left the university and went into military service when Napoleon's war against Austria and Russia began in 1805. His friend Boris Drubetskoy, thanks to the efforts of his influential relatives, enters the army as a guard officer, and Nikolai, for whom “there is no one to bother,” becomes a cadet. Nikolai is full of patriotic feelings. " I am convinced “,” he says at dinner with the Rostovs, “ h then the Russians must die, die or win ».
Nikolai is in love with his second cousin Sonya, who lives in the Rostovs’ house. " Sonya! I don't need the whole world! You alone are everything to me “, he warmly confesses to his beloved. Nikolai “rewrites for her the poems he composed for the first time.” From the description of dinner at the Rostovs', we learn about Nikolai's musicality. “At the request of the guests,” he sang the “Key” quartet with Natasha, Vera and Sonya, which everyone really liked; then Nikolai sang the song he had learned again: “On a pleasant night, in the moonlight...”
Tolstoy constantly emphasizes the best spiritual qualities of Nikolai. So, in Julie’s letter to Princess Maria Bolkonskaya it is said about him: “ In the young man... there is so much nobility, true youth, which you see so rarely in our age among our twenty-year-olds! He especially has so much candor and heart. It is so pure and full of poetry... »
In the Pavlograd Hussar Regiment, where Nikolai joined as a cadet, he was completely happy. " Friend of the heart», « buddy“he turns to the messenger with a request to lead the horse out, “with that brotherly, cheerful tenderness with which good young people treat everyone when they are happy.” He has the same relationship with the owner of the house where Nikolai is billeted. Here is how Tolstoy writes about their fleeting meeting: “Although there was no reason for particular joy either for the German, who was cleaning out his barn, or for Rostov, who was going with a platoon for hay, both these people looked at each other with happy delight and brotherly love, shook their heads as a sign of mutual love and, smiling, went their separate ways - the German to the cowshed, and Rostov to the hut that he and Denisov occupied.”
And yet, the harsh reality of life into which Nikolai plunged violates the harmony of cloudless happiness created by the romantic ideas of a young man who grew up in an atmosphere of prosperity, mutual friendship and respect that reigned in the Rostov family. He exposes officer Telyanin, who stole Denisov’s wallet with money, and with disgust throws him the wallet he had taken away (“If you need it, take it...”).
This conflict continues. The straightforward Nikolai accused the thief officer publicly. The regiment commander, caring about the prestige of the unit, accused Nikolai of lying. According to the law of noble ethics, Nicholas challenged the commander to a duel. “...Yes, I’m not a diplomat. Then I joined the hussars, I thought that there was no need for subtleties, but he tells me that I’m lying...” he explains to the regiment officers, persuading Nikolai to apologize to the commander. Having understood the truth of the officers, Nikolai tearfully admits his “guilt”, but categorically refuses to apologize. “Gentlemen, I’ll do everything, no one will hear a word from me... but I can’t apologize, by God, I can’t, whatever you want! How am I going to apologize, like a little kid, asking for forgiveness?”
Finding himself in battle for the first time, Nikolai " had the happy look of a student summoned before a large audience for an exam in which he was confident that he would excel. He looked clearly and brightly at everyone, as if asking them to pay attention to how calmly he stood under bullets." In response to the approving shout and smile of squadron commander Denisov, Nikolai “ felt completely happy" Participating in the squadron’s execution of the order to light the bridge, “he was afraid... lest he might fall behind... he ran, trying only to be ahead of everyone... right at the bridge... tripped and fell on his hands.” On the bridge, Nikolai stopped in confusion, “not knowing what to do. There was no one to chop down, and he also could not help in lighting the bridge, because he did not take with him, like other soldiers, a bundle of straw. He stood and looked around." The enemy began to fire at the hussars with grapeshot.
The wounded fell groaning. At this moment of mortal danger, Nikolai saw the surrounding beautiful nature, the water of the Danube, the sky, the monastery, gorges, pine forests, where it was “quiet, happy.” “I wouldn’t want anything, nothing... if only I were there,” thought Rostov. – There is so much happiness in me alone and in this sun, and here... groans, suffering, fear and this obscurity, this haste... Here again they shout something, and again everyone runs somewhere back, and I run with them, and here it is, here it is, death, above me, around me... A moment - and I will never see this sun, this water, this gorge...." “Lord God! Whoever is there in this sky, save, forgive and protect me!” - Rostov whispered to himself.
When the danger has passed, he worries about his condition (“...I’m a coward, yes, I’m a coward”) and is glad that “no one noticed.” “Indeed, no one noticed anything, because everyone was familiar with the feeling that an unfired cadet experienced for the first time.”
Soon Nikolai again takes part in the battle and here he hopes to “experience the pleasure of attack, about which he heard so much from his fellow hussars.” “Oh, how I chop... Now whoever it is, get caught,” he thinks. But reality turned out to be simpler, more mundane and more dramatic than the dream. Near Nicholas, a horse was killed in an attack, he was wounded in the left arm, French soldiers were approaching him to capture or kill him. All this seems like a bad dream to the young man, almost a boy. "Who are they? Why are they running? Really to me? Are they really running towards me? And for what? Kill me? Me, whom everyone loves so much? Nikolai saved himself by “grabbing a pistol... and throwing it at the Frenchman and running towards the bushes as best he could... with the feeling of a hare running away from dogs.”
After some time, the enthusiastic young man is transformed into a pale hussar cadet, with one hand supporting the other, wounded. During the army's retreat, Nikolai asks Captain Tushin to put him on a gun. “For God's sake, I can't go. For God's sake!" Nikolai “more than once asked to sit somewhere and was refused everywhere.” And only Captain Tushin ordered the wounded cadet to be placed on the gun from which the dead officer was laid down. “Feverish trembling from pain, cold and dampness shook his whole body. Sleep was overwhelming him, but he could not fall asleep because of the excruciating pain in his arm that ached and could not find a position,” this is how Tolstoy describes Nikolai’s condition. Having not received medical care, experiencing severe physical suffering at the night halt, a feeling of uselessness and loneliness, remembering his loving mother, family care, warm home, he thought: “Why did I come here!”
However, everything ended well. In the middle of winter, the Rostovs received a letter from Nikolai. “The letter briefly described the campaign and two battles... promotion to officer...” The letter aroused the admiration of the mother: “Nothing about myself!.. About some Denisov... He writes nothing about his sufferings. What a heart!.. And how I remembered everyone! I haven’t forgotten anyone.” Nikolai was already awarded the soldier's St. George Cross.
Tolstoy constantly compares Nikolai with his peer and friend Boris, and this comparison is always in favor of Nikolai. If, when he meets Boris, he talks “about his hussar revelry and military life,” then Boris talks “about the pleasures and benefits of serving under the command of high-ranking officials.” Nikolai throws under the table a “letter of recommendation to Prince Bagration” sent by the old princess to her son so that he can use it. He does not want to become an adjutant to anyone, calling this position a lackey, while Boris, in his words, “would like, very much, to become an adjutant, and not remain at the front,” because, “having already followed a military career service, we must try to make, if possible, a brilliant career.”
At the same time, Nikolai is not idealized. So, telling his friends about the Shengraben case, he portrayed it “as it was more beautiful to tell,” but completely different from how it was. “Rostov was a truthful young man,” the author notes, “he would never deliberately tell a lie. He began to tell with the intention of telling everything exactly as it was, but unnoticed, involuntarily and inevitably for himself, he turned into a lie... Telling the truth is very difficult, and young people are rarely capable of this.” Moreover, the friends were waiting for just such a story and they would not have believed the truth.
Nikolai is endowed with both subtlety and emotional sensitivity. During a meeting with Andrei Bolkonsky and a quarrel with him, which almost ended in a challenge, in his soul, along with the embitterment of the combatant towards the adjutant, “respect for the calmness of this figure” arose. After the skirmish, he “felt with surprise that of all the people he knew, he would not have wanted anyone as much as his friend as this adjutant he hated.”
Obviously, Bolkonsky felt in Nikolai a person more meaningful and nobler than others, for he remained restrained and calm in the clash with him, not allowing a quarrel to flare up. At the review of Austrian and Russian troops, Nikolai, “ standing in the front ranks of Kutuzov’s army, to which the sovereign approached first, he felt... a feeling of self-forgetfulness, a proud consciousness of power and a passionate attraction to the one who was the reason for this triumph" When Alexander approached at a distance of twenty steps, “he experienced a feeling of tenderness and delight... Every feature, every movement seemed charming to him in the sovereign.” “If only the sovereign would turn to me! - thought Rostov. “I would die of happiness.” “How happy I would be if he told me to throw myself into the fire now.” It was at such a moment, seeing Andrei Bolkonsky in the emperor’s retinue, that Nicholas decided not to call him. “Is it worth thinking and talking about this at a moment like now? In a moment of such a feeling of love, delight and selflessness, what do all our quarrels and insults mean?! I love everyone, I forgive everyone now,” thought Rostov. This feeling of love for everyone is predominant in Nikolai’s character throughout the novel. Sometimes this feeling results in a paradoxical form. Rostov sees the emperor, who, “leaning to one side, with a graceful gesture holding a golden lorgnette to his eye, looked at the soldier lying face down, without a shako, with a bloody head. The wounded soldier was so unclean, rude and disgusting that Rostov was offended by his closeness to the sovereign.”
At a friendly feast, three days after the review, Nicholas proposes “a toast to the health of the sovereign, but not the sovereign emperor, as they say at official dinners... but to the health of the sovereign, a kind, charming and great man...” In response to a joke Denisov (“there was no one to fall in love with on the campaign, so he fell in love with the Tsar”) Nikolai shouted: “Denisov, don’t joke about this, this is such a high, such a wonderful feeling, such...”
“He really was in love with the Tsar, and with the glory of Russian weapons, and with the hope of future triumph... Nine-tenths of the people of the Russian army at that time were in love, although less enthusiastically, with their Tsar and with the glory of Russian weapons.” Nicholas's subsequent participation in the war reveals him to be an experienced warrior. He commands mounted reconnaissance, which Bagration himself volunteers for, and carries out it carefully, overcoming the temptation to take the safe route while being exposed to fire. Having reported the result of the reconnaissance to Bagration, he asks him to be seconded to the first squadron, since his squadron is “assigned to reserves.” Bagration leaves Nicholas with him as an orderly. For Nicholas, this appointment is by no means an opportunity to make a career, but a hope to participate in battle and, if lucky, demonstrate his devotion to the Tsar. “Tomorrow, perhaps, they will send some order to the sovereign,” he thought. - God bless!"
And so it happened. Bagration sends Nicholas with an order to the commander-in-chief or the sovereign. In the confusion of the defeat and flight of the Russian troops, he meets Alexander “in the middle of an empty field” in a pitiful state, not daring to jump over a ditch on a horse. Nicholas’s delicacy did not allow him to approach the sovereign at such a moment (“ I seem to be glad to take advantage of the fact that he is alone and despondent. An unknown face may seem unpleasant and difficult to him at this moment of sadness, and then what can I tell him now, when just looking at him my heart skips a beat and my mouth goes dry? - Nikolai thinks. - No, I definitely shouldn’t drive up to him, I shouldn’t disturb his reverie....»).
Another officer provided assistance to the sovereign, and Nicholas could only repent of his excessive scrupulosity.
At the beginning of 1806, Nikolai came home on vacation. “Sonya is already sixteen years old.” At home, Nikolai “was very happy with the love that was shown to him.” He defines his attitude towards Sonya for himself as follows: “I don’t take back my word on anything... And then, Sonya is so lovely, what kind of fool would give up his happiness?” And at the same time, he is not ready to marry her. “Now there are so many other joys and activities!.. We must remain free,” he decides. “During this short stay of Rostov in Moscow, before leaving for the army, he did not become close, but, on the contrary, separated from Sonya...
He was in that time of youth when there seems to be so much to do that there is no time to do it, and the young man is afraid to get involved - he values his freedom, which he needs for many other things.”
Having experienced mental turmoil, participation in battles, and injury, Nikolai did not lose the romantic and sentimental ideas of his youth. At a dinner at the English Club, hosted by Count Ilya Andreevich Rostov, “the enthusiastic voice of young Rostov,” shouting hurray after a toast to the health of the Emperor, “was heard from behind all three hundred voices. He almost cried."
The history of relations with Dolokhov testifies to Nikolai’s kind heart, capable of understanding and participation. “To his great surprise,” he learns after Dolokhov was wounded in a duel with Pierre, where Nikolai was Dolokhov’s second, that “this brawler, brawler... lived in Moscow with an old mother and a hunchbacked sister and was the most gentle son and brother.” Nikolai “became especially friendly with him during his recovery from injury.” He brought Dolokhov into his house, where “at that time there was some kind of special atmosphere of love” and where everyone liked him, “except Natasha,” who considered Dolokhov “evil and without feelings.” “You need to understand what kind of soul this Dolokhov has, you need to see him with his mother, this is such a heart!” - her brother objected to her. And Dolokhov mercilessly and deliberately beat him at cards for forty-three thousand and tried to trade Sonya with him. For Nikolai, this was the hardest life lesson. “After all, he knows,” he says to himself, “what this loss means for me. He can't want my death, can he? After all, he was my friend. After all, I loved him...”
This dramatic episode revealed both the spiritual subtlety and spiritual wealth of Nicholas. Listening to Natasha’s beautiful singing in the evening after the loss, he enjoyed her voice. " Eh, our life is stupid ! - Nikolai thought. – All this, and misfortune, and money, and Dolokhov, and anger, and honor - all this is nonsense... but here it is real... “And he, “without noticing that he was singing... took the second in the third of a high note...” “Oh, how this third trembled and how something better that was in Rostov’s soul was touched. And this something was independent of everything in the world and above everything in the world. What losses are there, and the Dolokhovs, and honestly!.. It’s all nonsense!..”
Nikolai admitted to his father that he had lost, considering “himself a scoundrel, a scoundrel who, with his whole life, could not atone for his crime. He would like to kiss his father’s hands, on his knees to ask for his forgiveness, but he said in a careless and even rude tone that this happens to everyone.” When the father did not reproach his son with a word and “went out of the room,” “Daddy! Dad... hemp! - he shouted after him, sobbing, - forgive me! “And, grabbing his father’s hand, he pressed his lips to it and began to cry.” Returning from vacation to his Pavlograd regiment, Nikolai experienced joy and tranquility, similar to those that a tired person feels when he lies down to rest.” He now decided, “in order to make amends, serve well and be a completely excellent comrade and officer... that in five years he will pay... the debt to his parents,” taking only two of the “ten thousand a year” sent, and the rest "provide parents with
payment of debt."
The Pavlograd regiment was in serious condition. He stood for a long time “near an empty German village that had been destroyed to the ground” without provisions. The regiment lost almost half of its people from hunger and disease. “The general cause of the war was going badly.” One day Nikolai found in an abandoned village “the family of an old Pole and his daughter with an infant.” He brought them to his apartment and “kept them for several weeks...,” which caused ridicule from one of the officers and a quarrel with him, which almost led to a duel. “She’s like a sister to me...” Nikolai explained his relationship with the Polish woman to his commander and friend Denisov. Denisov “hit him on the shoulder and quickly began to walk around the room, without looking at Rostov, which he did in moments of emotional excitement. “What a stupid Rostov breed of yours,” he said, and Rostov noticed tears in Denisov’s eyes.”
In 1809, Nikolai already commanded a squadron in the Pavlograd regiment. He “became a hardened, kind fellow... was loved and respected by his comrades, subordinates and superiors and... was satisfied with his life.” Letters from home reported on the family’s financial troubles and the need for his arrival, which Nikolai kept postponing, although he felt that “sooner or later he would have to enter that whirlpool of life again with disorders and adjustments in affairs, with managers, quarrels, intrigues, with connections.” , with society, with Sonya’s love and promises to her.” Finally, he arrived, trying to put things in order at home, but he failed, and he “no longer intervened in business,” although he made one of the important and significant decisions for him. “One day the Countess... informed him that she had Anna Mikhailovna’s bill of exchange for two thousand and asked... what he thought to do with it. “That’s how it is,” answered Nikolai. “...I don’t like Anna Mikhailovna and I don’t like Boris, but they were friendly with us and poor...” - and he tore up the bill, and with this act he made the old countess cry with tears of joy.”
The only thing that truly captivates Nikolai in the village is hound hunting. Hunting helps him get closer to his sister. It is on the hunt that he experiences, perhaps, the greatest elation of his life. ““Only once in my life would I hunt down a seasoned wolf, I don’t want to do it again!” - he thought, straining his hearing and vision... He looked... to the right and saw something running across the deserted field towards him. “No, this can’t be!” - thought Rostov, sighing heavily, like a man sighs when he does something that he has been waiting for a long time. The greatest happiness happened - and so simply, without noise, without glitter, without commemoration.” After a whole day spent by Nikolai and Natasha with their uncle in his village, a cheerful evening with guitar, singing and dancing, when both felt like very happy people, they mentally described each other (“What a charm this Natasha is! Such a different friend I am not and never will be. Why should she get married? Everyone would go with her!" “What a charm this Nikolai is!” thought Natasha).
The financial situation of the Rostov house was getting worse. Old Count Ilya Andreevich is completely confused in his affairs. “The Countess, with a loving heart, felt that her children were going bankrupt... and looked for ways to help the cause. From her female point of view, only one remedy seemed possible - Nikolai’s marriage to a rich bride.” She found a suitable match for her son - Julie Karagina - and began to feel out her son what he thought about it. Nikolai’s answer did not reassure his mother: “... If I loved a girl without a fortune, would you really demand... that I sacrifice my feelings and honor for the fortune? " He reflects on this: " Because Sonya is poor, I cannot love her, I cannot respond to her faithful, devoted love?.. “It ended with Nikolai “announcing his love for Sonya and his firm decision to marry her to his mother.” His parents refused to bless him. In the end, through the efforts of Natasha, the family conflict was muffled by the fact that Nikolai “received a promise from his mother that Sonya would not be oppressed, and he himself made a promise that he would not do anything secretly from his parents.” He left for the regiment with the firm intention of retiring, “to come and marry Sonya.” In 1811, Nikolai received a letter from home about Natasha’s illness and her break with Prince Andrei. The letter asked him to resign and come home. But “the opening of the campaign delayed Rostov and prevented him from coming.”
He was promoted to captain and “devoted himself completely to the pleasures and interests of military service.” On July 13, the regiment “had to be in serious business.” “Now he did not experience the slightest sense of fear... He learned to control his soul in the face of danger. He was accustomed, when going into business, to think about everything, except for what seemed to be more interesting than anything else - about the upcoming danger.” At one point in the battle, Nikolai intuitively sensed the necessary time for an attack when it could be successful, and without a command from above, “jumped ahead of the squadron, and before he had time to command the movement, the entire squadron, which had experienced the same thing as he, set off after him " Pursuing the enemy, Nikolai, for the first time hitting a man with a saber, wounded a French officer. “The moment he did this, all the excitement in Rostov suddenly disappeared.” He “galloped... experiencing some unpleasant feeling that was squeezing his heart, something unclear, confusing, which he could not explain to himself, was revealed to him by the capture of this officer and the blow that he dealt him.” Both the flattering words of the boss and the promise of a reward did not eliminate this unpleasant feeling. He was “still embarrassed and somehow ashamed.” All that day and the next, Nikolai was “silent, thoughtful and focused... he drank reluctantly, tried to remain alone and kept thinking about something.” " So that’s all there is to what is called heroism? And did I do this for the fatherland? And what is he to blame for?.. And how scared he was!.. Why should I kill him? My hand trembled. And for me the St. George Cross...“- Nikolai reflects. But “the wheel of happiness in service... turned in his favor... He was pushed forward... they gave him a battalion of hussars and, when it was necessary to use a brave officer, they gave him instructions.”
During the retreat of the Russian army into the interior of the country, when the Bolkonsky Bogucharovo estate was “between two enemy armies,” and the Bogucharovo men rebelled and did not let Princess Marya leave the estate, Nikolai, who happened to be here in search of provisions, freed the princess and helped her leave. In the short time of the romantic meeting, Princess Marya was able to see that “he was a man with a high and noble soul... His kind and honest eyes with tears appearing on them... did not leave her imagination.” Nikolai had a similar impression. Both managed to fall in love with each other. “The thought of marrying Princess Marya with a huge fortune came into his head more than once against his will... Marrying her would make the countess - his mother - happy, and would improve his father’s affairs; and even - Nikolai felt this - would have made Princess Marya happy.” But these thoughts were darkened by the word given to Sonya. Nicholas “without any goal of self-sacrifice, but by chance, since the war found him in the service, took a close and long-term part in the defense of the fatherland and therefore looked at what was happening without despair and gloomy conclusions.” " If they asked him what he thinks about the current situation in Russia, he would say that he has nothing to think about, that Kutuzov and others are there for that... and that they will probably be fighting for a long time... and it’s no wonder to him for a year in two you will receive a regiment».
A few days before the Battle of Borodino, Nikolai was sent to Voronezh to buy horses for the division. During his business trip, “everything went well and went smoothly.” In Voronezh, thanks to the efforts of society ladies, he again met Princess Marya, who lived with her aunt after leaving Bogucharovo. Nikolai " saw clearly, as if he knew her whole life, all her pure spiritual inner work... her suffering, the desire for good, humility, love, self-sacrifice" - everything that "now shone in those radiant eyes, in the thin smile, in every feature of her tender face" He was convinced that she was “a very special and extraordinary creature.” And at the same time, Nikolai did not express his feelings to Princess Marya, because this would, as he believed, be meanness towards Sonya. “And he knew that he would never do anything mean.” On his second meeting with Princess Marya in Voronezh, Nikolai “was struck by the special, moral beauty that he noticed in her this time.” This meeting “sank deeper into his heart than he wanted... For the first time he regretted: “ Why am I not free, why did I hurry up with Sonya? "He involuntarily began to compare both girls and saw" poverty in one and wealth in the other of those spiritual gifts that Nicholas did not have and which therefore he valued so highly " ““Yes, I don’t love her,” it suddenly dawned on him. - My God! get me out of this terrible, hopeless situation!” - he began... to pray.” And then, happily, “what he... prayed for... was fulfilled.” The letter he received from Sonya said that she renounced his promises and gave him complete freedom.
The death of Count Ilya Andreevich was the reason for Nikolai's resignation and his return home from Paris, where he was with his regiment. A month after the count’s death, it turned out that “the family had twice as much debt as the estate.” But Nicholas did not refuse the inheritance, for he saw in this “a reproach to his father’s sacred memory,” but accepted it “with the obligation to pay debts.” He had to sell the “estate under the hammer” for half the price, take thirty thousand from his son-in-law (Pierre Bezukhov) and, despite his “aversion to civil service,” take off his “beloved” military uniform and find a place in Moscow, settling with his mother and Sonya in a small apartment. With his salary, Nikolai had to “support himself, Sonya and his mother... and support his mother so that she would not notice that they were poor.”
“Nikolai’s situation got worse and worse.” It was not possible to save from his salary; he “owed on small things.” At the same time, “the thought of marrying a rich heiress... was disgusting to him.” That is why he restrained his feelings for his beloved girl. And yet loving people found ways to each other. A decisive explanation took place, the right words were found. “No, it’s not just this cheerful, kind and open look, it’s not just his beautiful appearance that I fell in love with,” Princess Marya told herself. “I guessed his noble, firm, selfless soul.”
In the fall of 1814, Nikolai married Princess Marya and with his wife, mother and Sonya moved to live in Bald Mountains - the Bolkonsky estate. He managed his household successfully, paid off all his debts and “negotiated the redemption of his father’s Otradny, which was his favorite dream.” Nikolai became addicted to housekeeping, and it “became his favorite and almost exclusive occupation.”
The “main tool” in farming for him was the peasant worker, who seemed to him “not only a tool, but also a goal and a judge.” Nikolai “learned from the peasants techniques, speeches, and judgments about what is good and what is bad. And only when he understood the tastes and aspirations of the peasant, learned to speak his speech and understand the secret meaning of his speech, when he felt himself akin to him, only then did he begin to boldly manage him, that is, to fulfill in relation to the peasant the very position whose fulfillment it was required of him. He “loved the people and their way of life with all the strength of his soul, and therefore he only understood and adopted for himself the only way and method of farming that brought good results.” “Everything he did was fruitful: his fortune quickly increased; neighboring men came to ask him to buy them, and long after his death the people kept a devout memory of his management.”
« He became closer and closer to his wife, discovering spiritual treasures in her every day " In his house there was an “inviolably correct life.”
Nikolai’s political position was also quite definite and firm, expressed by him in a dispute with his son-in-law Pierre Bezukhov: “... A secret society is ... hostile and harmful, which can only give rise to evil.” He proceeded from the ethical principle: “duty and oath are above all.” " You say... - he declares to Pierre, - that the oath is a conditional matter, and to this I will tell you: form a secret society, if you begin to oppose the government, whatever it may be, I know that it is my duty to obey it. And Arakcheev told me now to go at you with a squadron and cut down - I won’t think for a second and I’ll go. And then judge as you want" Princess Marya supported her husband, adding an important motive to his words. “...He forgets,” she says about Pierre, “that we have other responsibilities closer to us, which God himself showed us, and that we can risk ourselves, but not our children.” By 1820, Nicholas and Princess Marya already had two children: son Andrei and daughter Natasha. In addition, they are raising Nikolenka, the son of Andrei Bolkonsky. Time doesn't change their feelings. Princess Marya “felt submissive, tender love for this man, who would never understand everything that she understood, and as if this made her love him even more strongly, with a touch of passionate tenderness.” "My God! what will happen to us if she dies...” Nikolai was worried and prayed for his wife.
In the novel by L.N. Tolstoy there are many characters and their images, which the author highlights in a special way and with skill. Despite the fact that Nikolai Rostov is not the main character, he also played a significant role in this work.
Nikolai was born into an ideal family, where everyone loves each other, is talented, friendly, and obeys the voice of feelings. His family consisted of his father, mother, Natasha, Vera and Sonya.
Nikolai was a short, handsome young man. Kind and honest eyes stood out on his face. It is known about his life that he abandoned his studies at the university to serve in the army, considering the military profession to be his calling, but partly this decision was made due to the fashion trends of those times. He is honest, decent, against arranged marriage. Rostov believes that you need to achieve everything in life yourself.
When he loses a considerable amount of money to Dolokhov at cards, he is very worried about this and is afraid to tell his father. Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy calls Rostov a twenty-year old man” for his prudence and wisdom.
During the Battle of Shengraben he was wounded, which changed his mind about the war. He begins to take this more seriously, realizing that this is a real danger and a threat to his life.
During the Patriotic War of 1812, Nikolai Rostov reached the capital of France with his army, but was forced to leave service at the request of his mother, since the Rostovs’ youngest son was killed, and Natalya simply would not have survived another loss.
During the offensive and the approach of the French to the village of Bogucharovo, where Marya Bolkonskaya was with her son Andrei, Nikolai Rostov accidentally ended up there. He helps the princess leave a dangerous place and learns that his feelings for her are mutual. So, the young people got married and moved together to Bald Mountains, to the Bolkonsky estate. Their marriage had a beneficial effect on both: Nikolai joined a quiet and peaceful family life, and Marya fulfilled her dream of family and love. She teaches him how to run a household, and Nikolai is attracted to sincerity and nobility in his wife. In addition, the wedding with Marya helped the Rostov family get out of their difficult situation.
Essay about Nikolai Rostov
The novel “War and Peace” by L.N. Tolstoy is a myriad of diversity of human destinies and characters, an entire historical era spread over a period of time saturated with grandiose events. By plunging into the novel, we discover a whole world created solely by the author’s creative imagination. Perhaps this is one of the few novels that can change the worldview of any reader, providing him with the opportunity to study dozens of unique psychologies.
Nikolai Rostov is the apotheosis of innocence and honesty.
Life, happy and good-natured, reigns in the Rostov house. It is here that we first meet Nikolai Rostov, “a short, curly-haired young man with an open expression on his face.”
The events of the novel develop in such a way that the next time we overtake Rostov in the Pavlodar Hussar Regiment, located in the village of Zalzenek. In a new world of complex professional and human relationships, the character relies on three main dogmas for him: honor, dignity and official duty. Therefore, the very fact of lying becomes impossible for Nikolai Rostov. During the service, the hero makes discoveries for himself in the psychological, moral and ethical fields. In particular, the growth and maturity of Rostov’s character was influenced by Velyatin’s act, thanks to which the hero realized that the honor and dignity of the regiment was much higher than personal honor. “I’m guilty, I’m guilty all around!” - Nikolai Rostov chants, maturing before our eyes.
The apogee of the development of the character's character occurs at the Battle of Shchengraben, when Rostov realizes the eventfulness of what is happening around. Murder and death are the end of everything, that’s what the hero understands. “It can’t be that they wanted to kill me,” Rostov reasons, running away from the French. He is overcome by a feeling of panic, in the impulse of which he, instead of shooting, throws the weapon at the enemy. His manifested fear is not horror of an armed enemy, but fear of such an early end to his life, which did not even have time to unfold all the joys of youth.
Neither the sharp mind with which Prince Andrei is endowed, nor the innate intuitive worldview and ability to empathize, characteristic of Pierre Bezukhov, are inherent in Nikolai Rostov. It is not for nothing that Bolkonsky notices in him a narrow-minded hussar officer. Rostov is “simple-minded,” notes Tolstoy. And, perhaps, it is this definition that briefly and aptly expresses the inner essence of the hero.
Having married, he remained an exemplary family man and owner, the same as he had once been an exemplary officer.
Lev Nikolaevich reluctantly breaks up with Rostov. Subsequently, his image became the foundation for the development of the characters of such characters as Levin from Anna Karenina, as well as Prince Nekhlyudov from Resurrection.
Option 3
Nikolai Rostov is one of the main characters in Leo Tolstoy's epic novel War and Peace. From the first pages we notice the young count; everyone in Moscow considers him a wonderful groom. Nikolai's gait is enviable, his movements are graceful. He is a slender, attractive figure.
The character was brought up in the best, in the opinion of the author, family. To the Rostov family. The atmosphere that reigned in the house helped the children grow up kind and sympathetic. Nikolai Rostov, a twenty-year-old young man, thanks to his wonderful parents, himself became the embodiment of love. Warm feelings always reigned in the Rostov house. They did not hide from society, they were always sincere. That is why Nikolai, having matured, became a wonderful person. And even his eyes are pure and naive. Children's joy never left Rostov. Throughout his entire life, he retained in his heart a true love for the world around him. That's what makes him so charming.
Nikolai Rostov, as a person brought up in a gentle family, never harbored envy in his heart. He is not mean at all, but an outspoken hero. His image is simple but attractive. He is honest and frank. That’s why Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy liked it!
A simple but very memorable truth lurks on the pages of the epic novel. And she says that “you have to live, you have to love, you have to believe.” And Nikolai unconditionally followed these simple but very important words. His sweet face is like an open and exciting book, childishly naive and kind.
Despite the fact that the character’s age is not great for experienced reflection on life, Nikolai Rostov, at twenty years old, is a rather reasonable and analytical person.
The hero is not deprived of musical talent. Together with his sister, Natasha Rostova, he sometimes sang and danced. This was the characters' favorite thing to do.
The attractive thing is that Rostov is truly a truthful person. He will never tell a lie in his life, the hero values every word, because in the entire history of his growing up he would never “tell a lie,” which is why it becomes clear that Nikolai is endowed with positive qualities that make him a wonderful character in the eyes of the reader.
Thus, the image of the central hero of the epic novel “War and Peace” - Nikolai Rostov - is ordinary, which is why it is remarkable! It was not for nothing that Lev Nikolaevich placed him in the Rostov family. Where there is harmony, where there is peace, where the soul rejoices!
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In literature, the presence of overly ideal characters is not an isolated phenomenon. Reading the work, you understand that with all the realistic depiction of the background of events, the historical basis and other characters, it is this hero who stands out sharply - with all the desire to find some kind of flaw in him, it becomes unthinkable. The image of Nikolai Rostov appears as such a hero in the novel “War and Peace” by L.N. Tolstoy.
Appearance of Nikolai Rostov
The image of Nikolai Rostov is devoid of any distinctive characteristics. “Nikolai was a short, curly-haired young man with an open expression on his face.” He has a childishly sweet, handsome face with regular facial features, on which “kind and honest eyes.”
He has a slender figure and graceful movements. He has the charm and coquetry of youth.
Characteristics of personal qualities
In many things, Nikolai resembles his father - he has a cheerful disposition, is sanguine by nature, despondency and spleen are alien to him.
“I don’t know how to hide what I feel,” he says about himself. And indeed, his sweet, childish face is an open book, on the pages of which you can read all his emotions and feelings.
He is quite reasonable, despite his young age - “a twenty-year old man.” His soul is full of nobility, true youth, which you see so rarely in our age.”
Nikolai is endowed with musical talent. He often sang and played with his younger sister Natalya.
He doesn’t sit back at balls either, but willingly showed himself as a “dexterous dancer,” causing bewilderment and admiration from the public.
With no less passion, Nikolai indulged in hunting, which was held in high esteem by his father. After marriage, he does not abandon his hobby, “going away for a month or two with his desire.”
Nikolai is well versed in horses; they arouse the same interest in him as hunting.
“Rostov was a truthful young man; he would never deliberately tell a lie.” A lie is contrary to his life principles. Over time, life taught him another principle - tactfulness. Rostov begins to understand that the truth must be told at the right time. Phrases said at the wrong time can cause many problems both for him personally and for those around him. For example, his truthfulness, spoken to the regimental commander after the Battle of Shengraben, dealt a significant blow to the reputation of the entire regiment.
Feelings of pride and independence are not alien to Rostov. He often rushes from one extreme to another and does not know the golden mean during disputes and discussions.
In general, Nikolai Ilyich is endowed with positive qualities - honest, respectable, sincere and kind.
Childhood and environment
From a biographical point of view, he is the most ordinary aristocrat. His parents also have aristocratic roots. His mother, Natalya, nee Shinshina, was a kind and sweet woman; she tried to be strict with her children, but often, out of the kindness of her heart, she gave them concessions. “The Countess was a woman with an oriental type of thin face, about forty-five years old, apparently exhausted by children, of whom she had twelve.” Despite the fact that many of her children did not survive, the Countess maintains a positive attitude; by the end of the novel, under the influence of military events, ruin and the death of her son, she has become noticeably despondent.
Nikolai's father, Ilya Andreevich Rostov, was a cheerful, sentimental and impressionable man. He, like his wife, does not know how to manage his fortune economically. It is likely that this was affected by the fact that both spouses were from wealthy families who never had to get out of financial difficulties. Deprived of such sad experience, they carelessly spend exorbitant amounts of money on improving their homes and helping their acquaintances and friends who find themselves in difficult situations.
In addition to Nikolai, the family brings up three more natural children of the Rostovs, an adopted daughter Sonya (who is a relative of the mother), as well as Boris and Mitya - boys from impoverished noble families, taken in by the Rostovs.
A good-natured, positive atmosphere has a beneficial effect on Nikolai. Thanks to his observation and ability to draw conclusions from various situations, Nikolai manages to avoid many unpleasant situations in his personal life - contrary to the generally accepted tendency, he prefers to learn from the mistakes of others rather than from his own.
Education and military career
Regardless of predisposition, physical characteristics and financial condition, at that time all young people sought to try on a military uniform. This was a fashion trend, a career in any other industry was approved only if there were no other options left (for example, the consequences of injuries could not allow the service). Despite the fact that a military career was generally accepted for aristocrats, “despite the aversion to civil service” of their son, the Rostovs send Nikolai to study at the university. At the age of 20, the young man abruptly changes his decision - the Russian-Austro-French War forces him to reconsider his views on duty and calling. To everyone’s horror, everyone’s favorite “Nikolushka” - “an impetuous, pure young man turns into a defender of the fatherland, bound to his comrades in arms by the corporate concept of honor.”
At first, everyone thinks that his action is justified by the desire to keep up with his friend Boris, who was hired as an officer, and Nikolai dissuades them: “I just feel a calling to military service.”
Nikolai prefers to start his service from the bottom - Rostov is far from the intricacies of military affairs, he does not want to burden himself with these difficulties: “then I joined the hussars, I thought that there was no need for subtleties here,” but as it turned out, this was not the case.
Over time, Nikolai becomes convinced that he made the right choice: “I know that I am not fit for anything except military service; I’m not a diplomat, not an official.”
During the Battle of Shengraben, Rostov received his first wound: “The hand was like someone else’s... Captain, for God’s sake, I’m shell-shocked in the arm,” he said timidly.”
The first wound was a turning point in Rostov’s consciousness - naturally, he understood the fact that on the battlefield he could be killed or seriously injured, but only now does he realize this. Nicholas waited a long time for the battle to begin so that he could “experience the pleasure of attack.” “Hurry up,” he thinks. However, finding himself in a difficult situation after being wounded, threatening to end in captivity, he flees.
Obtaining an officer rank
Nikolai’s zeal and efforts during two battles did not go unnoticed by the command - he was “designated as an officer.” In his letters home, Nikolai tries not to talk about the difficulties of military service or injuries - this would cause a lot of concern to his relatives. “A little wounded, but promoted to officer; he is healthy now, he writes himself” - but even positive news causes tears - his family worries about him.
New military actions again become a cause of worry and suffering, and at the same time, pride for his family.
Nikolai takes part in the battle of Austerlitz. More successful this time. “Now he is a hussar lieutenant in a silver mentic, with a soldier’s George.”
In the future, Nikolai’s career advancement is still as rapid. In 1807 he was already a commander himself. Rostov notes that military service is pleasant for him, he enjoys being here. “The regiment was also a home, and the home was invariably sweet and dear, just like the parental home.”
Rostov managed to gain respect from his colleagues. He achieved this unintentionally - humanity and courage did much more than the desire to be the favorite of the soldiers. Rostov “was loved and respected by his comrades, subordinates and superiors.”
In 1812, Nicholas took an active part in the war with Napoleon. He receives the rank of captain. The battle of Ostrovno becomes significant for him: “Rostov kept thinking about this brilliant feat of his, which, to his surprise, bought him the St. George Cross and even made him a reputation as a brave man.”
With his army, Rostov managed to reach Paris. After the war, he was supposed to receive a promotion to commander, but this did not happen. Heartbroken by the loss of her youngest son, Countess Rostova opposes further service. This time Nikolai yields to his mother and, “having taken off his beloved uniform,” masters a new position as an official.
What is Nikolai Rostov afraid of?
Reading about military service and battles, one gets the impression that Nikolai Rostov is not afraid of anything. However, it is not. No matter how great his fearlessness and courage may be, Rostov still has a feeling of fear.
This is especially clearly expressed in the first battle. It is here that we can compare Rostov's military skills with the achievements of other characters in the novel.
Nikolai is significantly inferior in intelligence to Prince Andrei Bolkonsky; he lacks the compassionate skill of Pierre Bezukhov. Having lost his horse and been wounded, Rostov becomes timid in front of the crowd of French running towards him. At this moment, he realizes with horror that this running crowd wants to kill him, “the one whom everyone loves so much.” Fear “for his happy young life” takes over - Rostov forgets about everything in the world and instead of shooting at the approaching enemy, he throws his weapon at his opponents.
Perhaps this same fear was the reason why Nikolai yielded to his mother’s persuasion to change his military service to civilian service. He realizes that his luck on the battlefields cannot last forever; he has every chance of ending his life as sadly as Prince Andrei.
Nikolai and Maria Bolkonskaya
A marriage with Maria was unusually beneficial for the Rostov family - after ruin, this would be an excellent opportunity to restore the financial independence of the family, to lift it out of poverty. Nikolai feels a feeling of sympathy for the girl, but he is worried that those around him will perceive this event as a marriage of convenience: “The thought alone is disgusting to me, marrying for money.” Since marriage according to this principle is alien to Nikolai, he cares about his reputation, therefore, contrary to his feelings, he does not agree to his mother’s persuasion about marriage with Bolkonskaya.
The situation changes after Nikolai finds out that his feelings are mutual. “In the fall of 1814, Nikolai married Princess Marya and with his wife, mother and Sonya moved to live in Bald Mountains.”
Princess Marie was not distinguished by the beauty and plasticity of her movements; her movements were heavy, which was wild for a young girl. Therefore, the question of Nikolai’s love for Mary caused confusion for some time. Nikolai believes that his wife is a part of himself, like any part of his body. “Well, do I love my finger? I don’t love you, but try, cut it off,” he draws an analogy to explain his love for Mary.
Life with Maria, thanks to the kinship of their souls, became the cause of many happy moments for both spouses. They had three children in their marriage, Maria is expecting a fourth, but his birth is already hidden from the reader - the narrative of the novel ends before the birth of the child.
Nikolai Rostov becomes a landowner
At the age of 35, Nikolai Rostov becomes the owner of a successful estate. “Rare owners had fields so early and well sown and harvested and so much income as Nikolai.” He always treats his peasants with reverence, encouraging them to have large families, a sense of kindness and honesty, hard work, and condemning lies and laziness. His serfs love him and consider him the ideal of a landowner. Nikolai Ilyich believes that good results must be achieved by setting realistic goals and treating his subjects humanely - his main goal is to create a stable economy that would provide a happy and comfortable life for his children.
Thus, the personality of Nikolai Ilyich Rostov is multifaceted and unusual. He has talents in many matters and is able to do well any job that he takes on. Thanks to his ability to analyze, be kind, sincere and sympathetic, he gains authority in any environment, be it secular society, colleagues, or peasants.
Nikolai Rostov is the son of Count Ilya Ilyich Rostov, an officer, a man of honor. At the beginning of the novel, Nikolai leaves the university and enrolls in the Pavlograd Hussar Regiment. He was distinguished by courage and bravery, although in the Battle of Shengraben he, having no idea about war, rushed into the attack too bravely, so when he saw a Frenchman in front of him, he threw a weapon at him and rushed to run, as a result of which he was wounded in the arm. But this episode does not speak of his cowardice; simply, in the face of danger, Nikolai could not make a decision. In all further battles he showed himself heroically, for which he was awarded the Cross of St. George. The war strengthened him greatly and he became a real hussar, devoted to his country and remaining faithful to the sovereign.
Rostov was a noble and selfless man. Nicholas fell in love with Princess Marya, but could not break his word to Sonya that he would marry her, and although his parents were against it, because they wanted him to find a rich bride, he still decided to marry a dowry-free woman. But Sonya sends him a letter in which she releases him from his promises and gives him freedom. After the death of the count, Nicholas did not refuse the inheritance, but he only inherited debts. He believed that it was his duty to pay off the bills and take care of his mother and Sonya. The Rostovs became completely impoverished, they had to sell the estate and move to live in a small apartment, the countess hints to Nikolai that the way out of the predicament is a wedding with the princess. Nikolai does not even allow such a thought: he loves Marya, but if he marries her, then in society they will say that he married for convenience, and he considers this shameful. It’s good that Marya loved him too and they still got married. After the wedding, Nikolai became the best owner, his estate flourished and brought in huge income. Just as Nikolai had previously devoted himself wholeheartedly to serving the country, so now he devoted himself to serving his family and household.
