The original plot of the novel is war and peace. The history of the creation of the novel War and Peace - abstract

“War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy is not just a classic novel, but a real heroic epic, the literary value of which is incomparable to any other work. The writer himself considered it a poem in which a person’s private life is inseparable from the history of an entire country.

It took Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy seven years to perfect his novel. Back in 1863, the writer more than once discussed plans to create a large-scale literary canvas with his father-in-law A.E. Bersom. In September of the same year, the father of Tolstoy’s wife sent a letter from Moscow, where he mentioned the writer’s idea. Historians consider this date to be the official beginning of work on the epic. A month later, Tolstoy writes to his relative that all his time and attention is occupied by a new novel, which he thinks about as never before.

History of creation

The writer's original idea was to create a work about the Decembrists, who spent 30 years in exile and returned home. The starting point described in the novel was supposed to be 1856. But then Tolstoy changed his plans, deciding to depict everything from the beginning of the Decembrist uprising of 1825. And this was not destined to come true: the writer’s third idea was the desire to describe the hero’s young years, which coincided with large-scale historical events: the War of 1812. The final version was the period from 1805. The circle of heroes was also expanded: the events in the novel cover the history of many individuals who went through all the hardships of different historical periods in the life of the country.

The title of the novel had several variations. “Workers” was the name “Three Times”: the youth of the Decembrists during the Patriotic War of 1812; The Decembrist uprising of 1825 and the 50s of the 19th century, when several important events occurred in the history of Russia at once - the Crimean War, the passing of Nicholas I, the return of amnestied Decembrists from Siberia. In the final version, the writer decided to focus on the first stage, since writing a novel, even on such a scale, required a lot of effort and time. So, instead of an ordinary work, a whole epic was born, which has no analogues in world literature.

Tolstoy devoted the entire autumn and early winter of 1856 to writing the beginning of War and Peace. Already at this time, he tried more than once to quit his job, because in his opinion it was impossible to convey the entire plan on paper. Historians say that in the writer’s archive there were fifteen versions of the beginning of the epic. In the process of his work, Lev Nikolaevich tried to find answers for himself to questions about the role of man in history. He had to study many chronicles, documents, materials describing the events of 1812. The confusion in the writer’s head was caused by the fact that all information sources gave different assessments of both Napoleon and Alexander I. Then Tolstoy decided to move away from the subjective statements of strangers and display in the novel his own assessment of events, based on true facts. From diverse sources he borrowed documentary materials, notes from contemporaries, newspaper and magazine articles, letters from generals, and archival documents of the Rumyantsev Museum.

(Prince Rostov and Akhrosimova Marya Dmitrievna)

Considering it necessary to visit the scene of events, Tolstoy spent two days in Borodino. It was important for him to personally travel around the place where large-scale and tragic events unfolded. He even personally made sketches of the sun on the field during different periods of the day.

The trip gave the writer the opportunity to experience the spirit of history in a new way; became a kind of inspiration for further work. For seven years, the work proceeded with elation and “burning.” The manuscripts consisted of more than 5,200 sheets. Therefore, War and Peace is easy to read even after a century and a half.

Analysis of the novel

Description

(Napoleon is thoughtful before the battle)

The novel “War and Peace” touches on a sixteen-year period in Russian history. The starting date is 1805, the final date is 1821. The work contains more than 500 characters. These are both real-life people and those fictitious by the writer to add color to the description.

(Kutuzov, before the Battle of Borodino, considers a plan)

The novel intertwines two main storylines: historical events in Russia and the personal lives of the characters. Real historical figures are mentioned in the description of the Austerlitz, Shengraben, Borodino battles; capture of Smolensk and surrender of Moscow. More than 20 chapters are devoted specifically to the Battle of Borodino, as the main decisive event of 1812.

(The illustration shows an episode of Natasha Rostova's Ball from their film "War and Peace" 1967.)

In opposition to “wartime,” the writer describes the personal world of people and everything that surrounds them. Heroes fall in love, quarrel, make peace, hate, suffer... Through the confrontation between different characters, Tolstoy shows the difference in the moral principles of individuals. The writer is trying to tell that various events can change one’s worldview. One complete picture of the work consists of three hundred thirty-three chapters of 4 volumes and another twenty-eight chapters located in the epilogue.

First volume

The events of 1805 are described. The “peaceful” part touches on life in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The writer introduces the reader to the society of the main characters. The “military” part is the Battle of Austerlitz and Shengraben. Tolstoy concludes the first volume with a description of how military defeats affected the peaceful lives of the characters.

Second volume

(Natasha Rostova's first ball)

This is a completely “peaceful” part of the novel, which affected the lives of the heroes in the period 1806-1811: the birth of Andrei Bolkonsky’s love for Natasha Rostova; Freemasonry of Pierre Bezukhov, Karagin's kidnapping of Natasha Rostova, Bolkonsky's refusal to marry Natasha. The volume concludes with a description of a formidable omen: the appearance of a comet, which is a symbol of great upheaval.

Third volume

(The illustration shows an episode of Borodinsky's battle in the film "War and Peace" 1967.)

In this part of the epic, the writer turns to wartime: Napoleon's invasion, the surrender of Moscow, the Battle of Borodino. On the battlefield, the main male characters of the novel are forced to cross paths: Bolkonsky, Kuragin, Bezukhov, Dolokhov... The end of the volume is the capture of Pierre Bezukhov, who staged an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Napoleon.

Volume four

(After the battle, the wounded arrive in Moscow)

The “military” part is a description of the victory over Napoleon and the shameful retreat of the French army. The writer also touches on the period of partisan warfare after 1812. All this is intertwined with the “peaceful” destinies of the heroes: Andrei Bolkonsky and Helen pass away; love arises between Nikolai and Marya; Natasha Rostova and Pierre Bezukhov are thinking about living together. And the main character of the volume is the Russian soldier Platon Karataev, through whose words Tolstoy tries to convey all the wisdom of the common people.

Epilogue

This part is devoted to describing the changes in the lives of the heroes seven years after 1812. Natasha Rostova is married to Pierre Bezukhov; Nikolai and Marya found their happiness; Bolkonsky’s son Nikolenka has matured. In the epilogue, the author reflects on the role of individuals in the history of an entire country, and tries to show the historical relationships between events and human destinies.

The main characters of the novel

More than 500 characters are mentioned in the novel. The author tried to describe the most important of them as accurately as possible, endowing them with special features not only of character, but also of appearance:

Andrei Bolkonsky is a prince, the son of Nikolai Bolkonsky. Constantly searching for the meaning of life. Tolstoy describes him as handsome, reserved and with “dry” features. He has a strong will. Dies as a result of a wound received at Borodino.

Marya Bolkonskaya - princess, sister of Andrei Bolkonsky. Inconspicuous appearance and radiant eyes; piety and concern for relatives. In the novel, she marries Nikolai Rostov.

Natasha Rostova is the daughter of Count Rostov. In the first volume of the novel she is only 12 years old. Tolstoy describes her as a girl of not exactly beautiful appearance (black eyes, big mouth), but at the same time “alive.” Her inner beauty attracts men. Even Andrei Bolkonsky is ready to fight for your hand and heart. At the end of the novel she marries Pierre Bezukhov.

Sonya

Sonya is the niece of Count Rostov. In contrast to her cousin Natasha, she is beautiful in appearance, but much poorer mentally.

Pierre Bezukhov is the son of Count Kirill Bezukhov. An awkward, massive figure, kind and at the same time strong character. He can be stern, or he can become a child. He is interested in Freemasonry. Tries to change the lives of peasants and influence large-scale events. Initially married to Helen Kuragina. At the end of the novel he takes Natasha Rostova as his wife.

Helen Kuragina is the daughter of Prince Kuragin. A beauty, a prominent socialite. She married Pierre Bezukhov. Changeable, cold. Died as a result of an abortion.

Nikolai Rostov is the son of Count Rostov and Natasha's brother. Successor of the family and defender of the Fatherland. He took part in military campaigns. He married Marya Bolkonskaya.

Fyodor Dolokhov is an officer, a participant in the partisan movement, as well as a big reveler and lover of ladies.

Countess of Rostov

Countess Rostov - parents of Nikolai, Natasha, Vera, Petya. A revered married couple, an example to follow.

Nikolai Bolkonsky is a prince, the father of Marya and Andrei. In Catherine's time, a significant personality.

The author pays much attention to the description of Kutuzov and Napoleon. The commander appears before us as smart, unfeigned, kind and philosophical. Napoleon is described as a small, fat man with an unpleasantly fake smile. At the same time, it is somewhat mysterious and theatrical.

Analysis and conclusion

In the novel “War and Peace” the writer tries to convey to the reader “folk thought”. Its essence is that each positive hero has his own connection with the nation.

Tolstoy moved away from the principle of telling a novel in the first person. The assessment of characters and events occurs through monologues and author's digressions. At the same time, the writer leaves the right to the reader to evaluate what is happening. A striking example of this is the scene of the Battle of Borodino, shown both from the historical facts and the subjective opinion of the hero of the novel, Pierre Bezukhov. The writer does not forget about the bright historical figure - General Kutuzov.

The main idea of the novel lies not only in the disclosure of historical events, but also in the opportunity to understand that one must love, believe and live under any circumstances.

During our school years, each of us was fascinated by the story of the fate and love of the main characters of the brilliant creation of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy called “War and Peace.” Natasha Rostova and Andrei Bolkonsky, Pierre Bezukhov - we have known these names since childhood, because through these characters the author conveyed to us the problems of the nineteenth century and how people struggled with them. Let's trace the history of the creation of "War and Peace" together.

Tolstoy managed to create a work that became popular all over the world, which he created for many years by working hard. Many global events taking place in our country at the beginning of the nineteenth century prompted the writer to express his thoughts in this format. The uprisings of peasants and Decembrists, the abolition of serfdom, the victory in the Patriotic War with Napoleon, all this made it clear and understand how powerful and strong the unification of the entire people can be.

In each individual hero, in the depiction of the entire Russian people and in their character as a whole, which are indicated in the novel, we can catch the well-founded, thoughtful view of the writer and his conclusions that he made by studying the history of his homeland, visiting the places of battles described in his work. Tragic destinies, poignant love lines, and the experiences of the characters were able to convey the entire atmosphere that took place during that difficult period of time.

The main idea, the main plot line of the novel “War and Peace” briefly.

The work took a long time to be created; it is known that Tolstoy rewrote the first volume of his novel many times, the plot changed, and the main idea also changed. What did the author come to anyway?

"People's Thought". This favorite phrase of the author can characterize the work. He came to this idea based on studying history. What helped us defeat Napoleon in a terrible war? It is the unification of all people into a single whole, such a strong wall that is difficult for the enemy to break. But delving into all the events of that time, you can find a lot of interesting things in the fate and character of everyone who went through that war.

Reference. Initially, the idea was to tell about the fate of one brave Decembrist, but during the writing several more storylines were added. The Rostov family, Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov are the main characters, watching whom we delve into the beginning of the 19th century and can feel at least a small part of what they experienced. Using their example, we see that despite military operations and what is happening around us, we must always have faith, love and simply live. In addition to the personal lives of the heroes, there is a storyline of historical events.

The period of work on the novel.

The writer thought about writing a novel long before its publication. Back in 1856, he began work and only in 1861 he decided to read the first chapter to Turgenev. There were many different test titles, different plots. At first it was planned to describe completely different events, but soon Lev Nikolaevich abandoned his manuscripts and later began a completely different narrative, which was later recognized as brilliant and has survived to this day.

For six years Tolstoy worked on his legendary work. This lasted from 1863 to December 1869.

What sources were used to write the novel?

The author studied a huge amount of material, documents and chronicles that dated back to 1812. He was able to collect a large library of books describing the biography of both Alexander the Great and Napoleon. But all these sources only confused him and confused his thoughts. In view of this, Tolstoy began to develop his own opinion and attitude towards all historical figures and events. He decided to trust his inner voice and begin to independently collect historical facts that found their place in the novel.

For his work, he began to use the notes of his contemporaries, collected information in newspaper and magazine articles, and read letters from generals. I personally visited the place where the tragic events took place and lived for a couple of days in Borodino. The trip inspired me to continue my work and gave me a special mood and elation.

Tolstoy's thoughts and experiences during the period of writing

The epic novel is imbued with the thoughts, experiences, feelings and thoughts of the author. Through text, he was able to convey everything that was inside him, his entire worldview on the events of those years. Philosophical thoughts in the historical chapters form an integral part of the worldview that took shape in him in a difficult way and brought long-awaited peace and happiness.

The underlying idea is that historical moments in people's lives are governed by inexorable laws. Even the desire and will of individual outstanding personalities is not enough; they cannot influence the development of history. A person who sets goals for himself and goes to achieve them, directing all his strength, thinks that he is free in his actions. Not only is he not free, but he also does not always achieve the results he hopes to see. The historical process consists precisely of what a large number of people do, regardless of their personal goals and aspirations.

Tolstoy knew that in all grandiose historical events, the people's unification was the decisive part. This awareness of the role of the masses in history forms the basis of the story of the historical past that War and Peace gives us. Understanding this made it easier for the author to create an artistic image of that same national unity by depicting its participation in the war. Describing the war, the writer draws attention to the properties of the Russian people - they do not bend before the most terrible invasion of the enemy, about their will and patriotism, they are ready to die, but will never surrender to the one who attacks them. Tolstoy also shows us a more detailed image of Kutuzov as a historical figure of that era. It was his image that helped Lev Nikolaevich very deeply and clearly reveal the character that the people had during the Patriotic War of 1812. It shows us the army's trust in its commander and makes him a truly popular historical figure. This deep and very true thought guided the author when he created the image of Kutuzov in “War and Peace.”

In the digressions and chapters where Tolstoy expressed his philosophical thoughts, he often repeated that he thought that historical events happen only because they have to happen, and if we try to understand and explain these phenomena, then they immediately become even more incomprehensible.

The role of one person in the whole history is negligible. No matter how brilliant and outstanding a person is, he will still not be able to control the movement of history at will. History is created by all of humanity, by all the masses, and not by one person who put himself above others and took upon himself the right to control the course of events.

From all this it follows that Tolstoy did not deny the role of man in history and did not reduce it to zero. Anyone who participates in events, is gifted with intelligence and is able to delve into events, grasp the meaning of what is happening, who is close to the people, deserves the right to be called great and brilliant. There are very few of them, one of them is Kutuzov, but Napoleon is his complete opposite.

Conclusion

One of the greatest creations is rightfully called the epic novel “War and Peace.” This is Tolstoy’s most outstanding creation, which managed to occupy a special place in his work, as well as in the development of the artistic culture of all people on earth. This book brought him fame all over the world and gave reason to recognize him as one of the most brilliant realist writers.

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The history of the creation of the novel "War and Peace"

The novel "War and Peace" by L.N. Tolstoy devoted seven years of intense and persistent work. September 5, 1863 A.E. Bers, father of Sofia Andreevna, wife of L.N. Tolstoy, sent a letter from Moscow to Yasnaya Polyana with the following remark: “Yesterday we talked a lot about 1812 on the occasion of your intention to write a novel relating to this era.” It is this letter that researchers consider “the first accurate evidence” dating the beginning of L.N.’s work. Tolstoy's "War and Peace". In October of the same year, Tolstoy wrote to his relative: “I have never felt my mental and even all moral forces so free and so capable of work. And I have this work. This work is a novel from the time of the 1810s and 20s, which has occupied me completely since the fall... I am now a writer with all the strength of my soul, and I write and think about it as I have never written or thought about it before.” The manuscripts of “War and Peace” testify to how one of the world’s largest works was created: over 5,200 finely written sheets have been preserved in the writer’s archive. From them you can trace the entire history of the creation of the novel.

Initially, Tolstoy conceived a novel about a Decembrist who returned after a 30-year exile in Siberia. The novel began in 1856, shortly before the abolition of serfdom. But then the writer revised his plan and moved on to 1825 - the era of the Decembrist uprising. But soon the writer abandoned this beginning and decided to show the youth of his hero, which coincided with the formidable and glorious times of the Patriotic War of 1812. But Tolstoy did not stop there either, and since the war of 1812 was inextricably linked with 1805, he began his entire work from that time. Having moved the beginning of the action of his novel half a century into the depths of history, Tolstoy decided to take not one, but many heroes through the most important events for Russia.

Tolstoy called his plan - to capture in artistic form the half-century history of the country - “Three Times”. The first time is the beginning of the century, its first decade and a half, the time of youth of the first Decembrists who went through the Patriotic War of 1812. The second time is the 20s with their main event - the uprising of December 14, 1825. The third time is the 50s, the unsuccessful end of the Crimean War for the Russian army, the sudden death of Nicholas I, the amnesty of the Decembrists, their return from exile and the time of waiting for changes in the life of Russia. At different stages of work, the author presented his work as a broad epic canvas. By creating his “semi-fictional” and “fictional” heroes, Tolstoy, as he himself said, was writing the history of the people, looking for ways to artistically comprehend the “character of the Russian people.”

However, in the process of working on the work, the writer narrowed the scope of his initial plan and focused on the first period, touching only on the beginning of the second period in the epilogue of the novel. But even in this form, the concept of the work remained global in scope and required the writer to exert all his strength. At the beginning of his work, Tolstoy realized that the usual framework of the novel and historical story would not be able to accommodate all the richness of the content he had planned, and began to persistently search for a new artistic form; he wanted to create a literary work of a completely unusual type. And he succeeded. "War and Peace", according to L.N. Tolstoy is not a novel, not a poem, not a historical chronicle, it is an epic novel, a new genre of prose, which after Tolstoy became widespread in Russian and world literature.

During the first year of work, Tolstoy worked hard on the beginning of the novel. The author still could not choose a title for the work: he abandoned the first option for the title of the novel - “Three Times”, since in this case the narrative was supposed to begin with the Patriotic War of 1812. Another option - "One thousand eight hundred and five" - also did not correspond to the author's intention. In 1866, a new title for the novel appeared: “All's well that ends well,” corresponding to the happy ending of the work. However, this option did not reflect the scale of the action in any way, and was also rejected by the author. According to Tolstoy himself, many times he started and gave up writing his book, losing and gaining hope of expressing in it everything that he wanted to express. Fifteen versions of the beginning of the novel have been preserved in the writer’s archive. The concept of the work was based on Tolstoy’s deep interest in history, philosophical and socio-political issues. The work was created in an atmosphere of boiling passions around the main issue of that era - the role of the people in the history of the country, about their destinies. While working on the novel, Tolstoy sought to find the answer to these questions. Contrary to the writer’s hopes for the speedy birth of his literary brainchild, the first chapters of the novel began to appear in print only in 1867. And for the next two years, work on it continued. They were not yet entitled “War and Peace”; moreover, they were subsequently subjected to cruel editing by the author.

In order to truthfully describe the events of the Patriotic War of 1812, the writer studied a huge amount of materials: books, historical documents, memoirs, letters. “When I write history,” Tolstoy pointed out in the article “A few words about the book “War and Peace,” “I like to be faithful to reality down to the smallest detail.” While working on the work, he collected a whole library of books about the events of 1812. In In the books of Russian and foreign historians, he found neither a truthful description of events nor a fair assessment of historical figures.Some of them uncontrollably praised Alexander I, considering him the winner of Napoleon, others exalted Napoleon, considering him invincible.

Having rejected all the works of historians who portrayed the war of 1812 as a war of two emperors, Tolstoy set himself the goal of truthfully covering the events of the great era and showed the liberation war waged by the Russian people against foreign invaders. From the books of Russian and foreign historians, Tolstoy borrowed only genuine historical documents: orders, instructions, dispositions, battle plans, letters, etc. He included in the text of the novel letters from Alexander I and Napoleon, which the Russian and French emperors exchanged before the start of the War of 1812 ; the disposition of the Battle of Austerlitz, as well as the disposition of the Battle of Borodino, compiled by Napoleon. The chapters of the work also include letters from Kutuzov, which serve as confirmation of the characteristics given to the field marshal by the author.

When creating the novel, Tolstoy used the memoirs of his contemporaries and participants in the Patriotic War of 1812. The writer borrowed materials for scenes depicting Moscow, and included in the work partisan important information about the actions of Russian troops during their campaigns abroad. Tolstoy discovered a lot of valuable information about the Russians being captured by the French and a description of Moscow life at that time. While working on the work, Tolstoy also used materials from newspapers and magazines from the era of the Patriotic War of 1812. He spent a lot of time in the manuscript department of the Rumyantsev Museum and in the archives of the palace department, where he carefully studied unpublished documents (orders and instructions, dispatches and reports, Masonic manuscripts and letters from historical figures). In letters not intended for publication, the writer found precious details depicting the life and characters of his contemporaries in 1812. Tolstoy Decembrist domestic link

Tolstoy stayed in Borodino for two days. Having traveled around the battlefield, he wrote to his wife: “I am very pleased, very pleased with my trip... If only God grants health and peace, and I will write a Battle of Borodino that has never happened before.” Between the manuscripts of “War and Peace” there is a piece of paper with notes made by Tolstoy while he was on the Borodino field. “The distance is visible for 25 miles,” he wrote down, sketching the horizon line and noting where the villages of Borodino, Gorki, Psarevo, Semenovskoye, Tatarinovo are located. On this sheet he noted the movement of the sun during the battle. While working on the work, Tolstoy developed these brief notes into unique pictures of the Borodino battle, full of movement, colors and sounds.

Finally, at the end of 1867, the final title of the work, “War and Peace,” appeared. In the manuscript, the word "peace" was written with the letter "i". "Explanatory Dictionary of the Great Russian Language" V.I. Dalia broadly explains the word “world”: “The world is the universe; one of the lands of the universe; our land, the globe, the world; all people, the whole world, the human race; a community, a society of peasants; a gathering.” Without a doubt, Tolstoy had precisely this symbolic understanding of this word. Over the course of seven years of intense work, which the writing of “War and Peace” required, the writer was not left with elation and creative fire, and that is why the work has not lost its significance to this day. More than a century has passed since the first part of the novel appeared in print, and War and Peace is invariably read by people of all ages - from young men to old people. During the years of work on the epic novel, Tolstoy stated that “the artist’s goal is not to undeniably resolve the issue, but to make people love life in its countless, never-exhaustible manifestations.” Then he admitted: “If they told me that what I write would be read by today’s children in twenty years and would cry and laugh over it and love life, I would devote my whole life and all my strength to it.” Many such works were created by Tolstoy. “War and Peace,” dedicated to one of the bloodiest wars of the 19th century, but affirming the idea of the triumph of life over death, occupies an honorable place among them.

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Roman L.N. Tolstoy's War and Peace was not easy to write and required enormous effort from the creator. As noted in 1869 in drafts by L.N. Tolstoy, “painful and joyful persistence and excitement” accompanied him throughout the seven long years of writing the novel. During the years of work on the work, Tolstoy practically did not keep a diary, making only rare notes in notebooks, and was not distracted by other plans - all his energy and strength went into writing the novel “War and Peace.” Back in 1856, Lev Nikolaevich decided to write a grandiose work telling the story of a Decembrist who returns home from exile. In 1861, Tolstoy read to I.S. Turgenev the first chapters of this work.

However, the writer soon moves from a story about the fate of one hero to a story about a whole generation of people who lived during the period of historical events that influenced the worldview of the Decembrists. “In 1856, I began to write a story with a well-known direction, the hero, who was supposed to be a Decembrist returning with his family to Russia. Involuntarily, I moved from the present to 1825, the era of my hero’s delusions and misfortunes, and left what I started. (...) But the third time I stopped what I started... If the reason for our triumph was not accidental, but also lay in the essence of the character of the Russian people and troops, then this character should have been expressed even more clearly in the era of failures and defeats... My task is to describe life and clashes of certain persons during the period from 1805 to 1856." This is exactly how L.N. himself Tolstoy comments on his creative searches, which ultimately led him to the creation of War and Peace. The official year of birth of the novel is considered to be 1863.

In 1867, the first chapters of L.N.’s most important work appeared in print. Tolstoy. However, a year later the author subjected them to cruel editing. By that time, the novel did not yet have the title “War and Peace.” Tolstoy refuses the first version of “Three Times,” since then the novel would have opened directly with the events of 1812. The second version of the title of the novel, “One Thousand Eight Hundred and Five,” did not correspond to the intent of the work. In 1866, the third version of “All’s well that ends well” appears, but this title does not satisfy Tolstoy, since it does not reflect the scale of what is depicted in the work and the tragedy of the era. And only in 1867 Tolstoy settled on the title “War and Peace”.

The last three years of intense creative and exhausting work on the work (1867-1869) led to the fact that “War and Peace” becomes a historical novel, a large-scale canvas of “pictures of morals built on historical events,” and the original plan about the history of the fate of generations is embodied in an epic novel about the “history of the people.” Material from the site

Tolstoy's creative genius was in constant search for the best, the most optimal. There is a legend that the wife of the writer S.A. Tolstaya rewrote War and Peace seven times. It is reliably known that Tolstoy created 15 versions of the beginning (beginnings) of the work, and the exact number of its editions is difficult to calculate. Thus, in the first completed edition there is still no huge panorama of the Battle of Borodino, and the description of the battle takes only 7 pages. Later, Tolstoy adds to his novel numerous philosophical digressions and a detailed story about the partisan war, introducing the image of Platon Karataev and other characters.

In December 1869, the last volume of the epic War and Peace was published. In fact, 13 long years have passed since Lev Nikolaevich realized his plan.

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The work “War and Peace” was the result of an insane authorial effort, to which Tolstoy devoted almost seven years of his life. The novel was completely rewritten seven times (his household members, especially his wife, helped the classic in this), more than 5 thousand pages were preserved, written on both sides; researchers counted 34 variants of the beginning of the work. All this points to the titanic work, the enormous strength the writer devoted to his brainchild. And the result exceeded all expectations: I. Turgenev, the most popular prose writer at that time, admitted that with entering the literary

In the arena of the novel “War and Peace,” Tolstoy took an honorable first place among all modern writers. I. Goncharov made a pun in a letter to Turgenev like this: “He became a real literary lion.”
The idea for the novel arose in 1856 after Lev Nikolaevich met with the Decembrist S. Volkonsky and his wife, who returned from Siberian exile, this was the beginning of the story of the novel. The impression from communicating with these people was enormous, and Tolstoy decides to create a novel about the Decembrist who returned from exile and evaluates himself and his like-minded people in 1825 and the modern appearance of Russia. This is how the chapters of the novel called “The Decembrists” (1860) were created. However, the main character was not entirely clear to the writer himself: why does he have the right to pass judgment on the entire society and why can one trust him? Therefore, the duration of the work changes several times. First, Tolstoy turns to 1825 - the era of “misfortunes and delusions” of his main hero at that time. But even during this period the hero was not understandable to the author, since he was already a fully formed person. Only then does the writer move on to 1812 - the time when the characters and ideals of the Decembrists were formed. This is how sketches for the novel “Three Times” (1863) appear, indicating that the classic conceived a trilogy about the Decembrist, covering the years 1812, 1825 and 1856. But the personality of the main character receded into the background, the writer’s interest was attracted by other characters, the time frame and content of the work expanded again: “As for me, it was a shame to describe our triumph in the victorious struggle against Napoleonic France without indicating our failures. Having returned from 1856 to 1805, I intend from now on to take not just one, but many characters through the events of historical reality in 1805, 1812, 1856.” In 1864, the excerpt “From 1805 to 1814” was written and published. Novel by Count L.N. Tolstoy. 1805 Part 1. Chapter 1.” Here the main character was still the Decembrist and his family, although the author’s interest in the era of Napoleonic battles is clearly visible. In the Rumyantsev Archive, Tolstoy intensively studies historical documents, acts and manuscripts, Masonic books of the 1810s–1820s, memoirs of contemporaries, and family archives of the Tolstoys and Volkonskys. Real historical figures - Alexander I and Napoleon - are introduced into the novel, the genre structure of the work becomes more complicated, and it goes beyond the scope of a family chronicle. Since 1805, the title has become the working title of the work, under which, since 1865, the novel has appeared in print in parts. After the publication of the first two parts, the writer makes sketches of the subsequent parts of the work, calling it “All is well that ends well,” where there should be a happy ending, where Petya Rostov and Andrei Bolkonsky remained alive. But Tolstoy was interested in “popular thought” in the history of the War of 1812. The writer studies numerous sources, Russian and foreign, about the Patriotic War of 1812, meets with participants in the hostilities, himself visits the Borodino field in September 1867, and draws up a map of the battle. It was during this period that the current name of the work “War and Peace” arose, the novel itself received its final design, combining the features of many genres, and Borodino becomes its culmination.
The work was published in parts, as they were written, in the magazine “Russian Messenger” in 1865-1869. After its completion, Tolstoy prepared the novel for a separate publication and revised it again. The structure of the work is changing (instead of six volumes there will be four, some of the philosophical reflections will move to the epilogue). The author makes stylistic corrections: under the influence of criticism from N. Strakhov, V. Chertkov, I. Turgenev, he translates the French text into Russian (later he abandoned this change).
Since the novel aroused a colossal number of responses, Tolstoy wrote several articles about his brainchild: Sketches of the preface of the novel “War and Peace” (1868). In them, the writer explains some issues of the genre, structure, style of his work, and characterizes his characters.
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The history of the creation of the novel War and Peace