Who wrote War and Peace author. Bishop of Yegoryevsk Tikhon (Shevkunov): Who wrote “War and Peace”? The main characters of the novel

Ten thousand handwritten pages(these are 6-7 copies of the Bible folded one on top of the other), another volume of 60 pages of typewritten text of rough drafts and unpublished passages, described in complex detail historical period, spanning 15 years, over 500 characters, most of which are drawn in great detail…. And all this in six years of continuous painstaking work. This is how it was born brilliant work Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy's book "War and Peace".

The work was not written in one go. The author rewrote the novel by hand eight times. And scattered episodes were reworked more than a dozen times. And although Tolstoy himself was not too fond of his brainchild, “War and Peace” is a novel that received global recognition soon after its publication. And to date it has been translated into 40 languages.

Who wrote "War and Peace"?

In this regard, one very curious fact cannot be ignored - the influence of Tolstoy’s work on the young Mohandas Gandhi, who later became the inspirer and leader of the movement for Indian independence from Tolstoy’s position regarding the inappropriateness of fighting evil with violence found a response in the heart of the young Indian. And years later he was able to bring this idea into reality.

Lev Nikolaevich was a very gambling player. The one who wrote “War and Peace,” where there is a memorable scene in which Nikolai Rostov loses a lot of money at cards, once lost the main building of his estate. Moreover new owner He was not too lazy to dismantle the building and take it to his estate.

Tolstoy also founded his own religion. His followers actively tried to bring it to the masses common people. The main tenets of the teachings were forgiveness, renunciation of any kind of war (even renunciation of military service) and moral improvement.

Count Tolstoy himself actually tried to lead simple life. He renounced copyright (this is the first time in history), did not accept Nobel Prize and generally stated that he hated money. And indeed, in the photographs that have survived to this day, one can see rather the image of a simple Russian peasant, and not at all a sophisticated representative of the nobility.

The birth of the concept for the famous work

It all started small. Just three years before the birth of the one who wrote “War and Peace,” an outstanding thing happened. Lev Nikolaevich, who came from a noble family, literally grew up on stories about these events.

Years passed. Some participants in the failed coup were allowed to return to their homes. And Tolstoy plans to write a story about the return of the Decembrist family from exile. According to his plan, these were supposed to be Pierre and Natasha Bezukhov. Today they are well known to us as the heroes of the novel War and Peace.

However, thoughts about the fate of the Decembrists increasingly take the writer into the times of the uprising itself. And at the same time, many questions arise: what prompted young people to such a desperate decision? What were the prerequisites for the coup in public life? How was the character of the future Decembrists formed?

Moving along these threads, Tolstoy becomes more and more immersed in history and dwells on the period of the war between Russia and Napoleon.

Working on a novel

The historical canvas that Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy drew stitch by stitch on the pages of his novel truly deserves admiration. It is by no means some kind of blurry background against which the play of the main characters develops. characters. Rather, historical events carry away the heroes with their powerful flow, forcing them to act in one way or another.

Penetration into the development of the characters of his characters is what L. Tolstoy wanted to achieve. “War and Peace” is a description of a large-scale historical anvil, under the blows of which weak characters break, but the strong gain new uniform and purpose.

Pierre Bezukhov

The author worked especially carefully on this character. Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" fully reveals the formation of the character of the future Decembrist. He goes through many trials, especially difficult ones emotionally, and faces betrayal and injustice. However, what was most important for the writer is that he does not lose faith in the possibility of changing the existing order.

Appearing in the first chapters as a clumsy youth, he later appears as a person too easily susceptible to any influence. At first, it’s even surprising what connects such a person with Andrei Bolkonsky.

Then the reader begins to involuntarily sympathize with the sincerity of this young man. As the plot of the novel develops, we become more and more attached to Pierre and begin to empathize with him. From a narrow-minded bumpkin, he turns into a man with strong principles. And although he continues to look for his place in life, he can no longer be called easily influenced.

The idyllic end of Pierre Bezukhov's ordeal even looks somewhat unusual for the always pessimistic Tolstoy. However, we should not forget that the author intended to bring the story to the uprising, exile and subsequent return. In addition, the novel “War and Peace” was written by Tolstoy during a happy period in the writer’s family life. And his mood could not help but be reflected in the book itself.

Natasha Rostova

Young Natasha is the focus of positive energy uncontrollably flowing straight from the depths of her heart. She is cheerful and spontaneous. And often we observe moments when, it would seem, it would be more decent to cover up this spontaneity with appropriate manners. However, youth tends to go to extremes, and the heroes of the novel “War and Peace” appear before us so real and alive because we see their real emotions.

However, later frivolity played a cruel joke on her when, being the bride of the once so desired Prince Bolkonsky, Natasha accepts the courtship of Anatoly Kuragin and agrees to flee the country with him. But this same sincerity allows Natasha Rostova to maintain true purity of soul throughout her life. It motivates her to be compassionate and help others. Moreover, class does not matter to Natasha. The episode when she, without hesitation, gives away carts to transport the wounded is a clear confirmation of this.

Andrey Bolkonsky

This character is the embodiment of calm and prudence. Perhaps he seems boring to some, but he inner world no less rich than that of the same Pierre Bezukhov.

Andrey is balanced and purposeful. Yes, like others goodies of this work, its goals change throughout the narrative. However, every time, having decided on his desires and priorities, he acts decisively and specifically.

The young Prince Bolkonsky is very restrained in expressing his feelings. However, if you remember the character of his father, it becomes clear that he simply could not be otherwise. And the one who wrote “War and Peace” knew this very well. After all, the prototype of Prince Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky was Leo Tolstoy’s own grandfather. And he understood perfectly well the conditions in which his hero grew up. In childhood, adolescence, and even in mature age Andrei, driven by respect for his father, had to remain silent and keep his emotions deep inside. Although this did not stop him from having his own opinion.

At first we see Andrei Bolkonsky as a very ambitious officer. However, after the memorable battle near Austerlitz, his system of values changes radically. Andrei strives to return to his family and catch up on lost time, but life takes a different course - his wife dies during childbirth.

The next serious turn in his life was his meeting with Natasha Rostova. He saw in her what was hidden inside - not just external naivety and spontaneity, but the original purity of a kind and sympathetic heart. All the more terrible for him was the blow that his bride’s infidelity dealt him.

True to his philosophy of forgiveness, Tolstoy invests this virtue in Andrei, who is dying. His forgiveness is not just a tribute to church dogma. The author describes it, rather, as the enlightenment of the soul. This is a sincere and all-consuming feeling that gives real peace.

Nikolay Rostov

Another positive character. He is simple and open, loyal and honest. And this is far from a complete description of him. “War and Peace” is a novel in which Tolstoy tried to reflect all classes of society. And Nikolai Rostov in this context is a representative of the best that the author saw in officers and ordinary soldiers.

Sonya

A girl who was initially pushed into the shadows both by her position in society and by the plot of the novel. However, if we take the trouble to look at it more closely, then instead of a modest little gray mouse we will see a real strong nature, unable to betray the trust of people close to her for the sake of personal happiness.

"War and Peace" - a novel worth reading

Tolstoy's War and Peace has been filmed several times. The film was first released in 1913. Talented directors took on this work, and world-famous stars took part in the films. Admittedly, the results were impressive.

The last film adaptation appeared in 2007. This collaboration a team that included representatives from Italy, France, Germany, Russia and Poland. The director really managed to convey both the spirit of that era and the characters.

However, if you want to truly touch this masterpiece of world literature, pick up the book and immerse yourself in a world accessible only to the reader.

Before you read this essay, please watch this video:

It seems, as they say, “both laughter and tears”... But after laughing, those to whom I happened to show these interviews usually became noticeably sadder. And it’s true: if this is the case everywhere, there is nothing to laugh about: “The connection of times has been broken,” no more and no less than a Shakespearean theme.

Every year we accept new students to Sretensky Theological Seminary. More than half are yesterday's schoolchildren, the rest are young people with higher education. The level of their humanitarian training is simply appalling. Although many graduated from school with excellent grades. I hear the same thing from rectors and teachers of secular higher educational institutions.

To rectify the situation, we teach a course in Russian literature for three years as a bachelor, as they say, from scratch, and four years for history. To be fair, it should be said that in each course there are one or two well-prepared students, but there are only a few of them. An average Soviet graduate from some 1975-1980 is a luminary compared to the excellent students of the Unified State Exam 2016.

The interviews you saw were, at our request, conducted by two well-known television companies, “Red Square” and “Workshop,” whose correspondents interviewed university students and young people with higher education. Many young people refused, saying that they were not ready to answer questions of a humanitarian nature. What is presented is by no means a selection of the worst answers: this was our condition, the fulfillment of which was assured to us by the employees of the television companies.

When preparing this video for publication, we initially wanted to hide the faces of young people. But then they decided to leave everything as it was. Firstly, the young people answering our questions are surprisingly lively, attractive, resourceful and smart (this is not irony). And secondly, in my opinion, it is not their fault that they are practically not even familiar with the literature, art and culture of Russia - the great heritage not only of our country, but of all humanity. But this property belongs primarily to these young people - by birthright, by the right of their native language. It is really not they who are to blame for the current situation, but those who did not pass on their rightful spiritual inheritance to them. These are none other than us - people of the middle and older generations. We are to blame.

Our parents and grandfathers, in the difficult, to put it mildly, conditions of the 20th century, were able to pass on to us an invaluable treasure - the great Russian culture: literature and art, instilling taste and love for them. We, in turn, had to do the same for the next generations. But they failed to fulfill their duty.

There are many reasons for what happened - from the influence of the Internet, the lack of professionalism and negligence of government reformers, to the machinations of liberals and the machinations of the West. It is possible to explain very convincingly why everything happened exactly this way. But this will not change the essence of the matter: our generation, quite obviously, has not fulfilled its duty towards those to whom we will hand Russia over, these guys from the screen.

Having dealt with our first traditional and sacramental question, “Who is to blame?”, Let’s move on to the second traditional question: “What to do?”

Last year the Society of Russian Literature was formed, it was headed by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. One of the society's projects will be the Pushkin Union association, whose task, so to speak, is the return of Russian classics and - more broadly - national culture, literature and art in the field of spiritual and intellectual life younger generation. Members of the Society of Russian Literature, Ministers of Culture and Education V. R. Medinsky and O. Yu. Vasilyeva, Rector of Moscow State University V. A. Sadovnichy, rectors of many other universities, heads creative unions, cultural figures have already met twice to discuss and develop a program of action.

It was obvious to everyone: the worst thing that can be done in the current situation is to begin to force people to love the classics with all the power of the state, the Church and society. In fact, the real and most important thing is to convey to young people who have already left school at least the basics of our cultural heritage, which neither school nor family were able to introduce them to. Instill a taste for Russian literature and art. For current and future schoolchildren and students, through joint efforts, instead of the current simulacrum of humanitarian education, it is necessary to create an effective and holistic educational system with living teaching methods. This is what many departments are doing now and public associations with the general coordination of the Society of Russian Literature. By the way, a similar and positive experience already exists: the activities of the Russian Historical Society.

What was great about the Soviet education system, if we leave aside its ideological component? After all, by the mid-1970s, communist ideology, even without any restructuring, remained outside the lessons of most thinking teachers. The phenomenon of Soviet education was based on two extraordinary and brilliant achievements. The first is the Teacher. Secondly, the unique system of schooling and education.

A good and even outstanding teacher was not an exception, but an excellent, but also familiar norm. I remember my regular Moscow school. All our teachers, from a human point of view, were extremely interesting personalities. From the point of view of their specialty, they are outstanding professionals.

It’s not for me to judge how things are now. But looking at the system of so-called practice-oriented education currently existing in pedagogical universities, one is at least amazed at the courage of its creators. I remember the Soviet five-year pedagogical education of the then students. Prepared for university by that school at that level, students were allowed to practice in the classroom, starting only from the penultimate year. Now undergraduate students (four years of study) are removed from lectures and sent for practical work in schools from the first year. The teachers I have talked to on this topic are horrified by this system.

And now about the system. Soviet education was built and streamlined in such a way that even a teacher of average abilities interested students in a humanitarian subject, conveyed and made clear and relatable the values that ours carried. great literature. In addition, endless essays (let me remind you: school essays, canceled by our reformers, returned to schools only by direct order of the President just three years ago), surveys, control of RONO, subordinate to the Ministry of Education, excluded for the majority cultural amnesia and large-scale illiteracy as a phenomenon.

Today, schools are not under the Ministry of Education. Their superiors are regional and municipal authorities. This is the same as if local garrisons in the army were subordinate not to the Ministry of Defense, but to the governors.

The comparison of the educational sphere with the army is not accidental. I remember the significant words of the Leipzig geography professor Oskar Peschel, spoken by him after the victory of the Prussian army over the Austrians in 1866: “Public education plays decisive role in war. When the Prussians beat the Austrians, it was a victory of the Prussian teacher over the Austrian schoolteacher.” These words hit the mark so much that their authorship is still attributed to the unshakable authority in state and national construction, Otto von Bismarck.

The current education system, its reforms and programs have been criticized so often that there is no point in taking up this matter again. At the first congress of the Society of Russian Literature, President V.V. Putin set very specific tasks, the main ones being the formation of a state language policy and a “golden” list of works required to be studied in schools. Let me remind you that today it depends on the teacher (a classmate of those guys whom we just saw on the screen) whether his class will study such masterpieces as “I loved you: love is still, perhaps...”, “I erected a monument to myself not made by hands...” A. S. Pushkin, “Motherland”, “I go out alone on the road...” M. Yu. Lermontov. Or the teacher will replace them with works that are much more “perfect” from his point of view. This is the right of today's teacher.

“Alternative”, that is, essentially not mandatory for study, is, in addition to the works already cited, also, for example, “War and Peace”. At school, we didn’t read this novel in full either, missing the author’s historiosophical reflections, but most of Tolstoy’s masterpiece, accessible to a teenager, shaped the worldview of generations. “Crime and Punishment” is also from the list of variable, read, optional works for studying. Even Mumu, where we learned compassion and mercy, is from the same group. “Young people won’t read this!” With energy worthy of better use, we are persuaded and forced to accept this “advanced” point of view.

But, firstly, young people, if they are truly introduced to the world of domestic and world literature and art, discover an amazing interest in them. And they only wonder why until now they have been excommunicated from all this treasure. And secondly, the alternative to turning to the best examples of culture created by previous generations is completely obvious. A. S. Pushkin clearly reminds us of what a deliberate and snobbish disregard for the classics leads to: “Respect for the past is the trait that distinguishes education from savagery.”

Of course, let the professionals judge all this in the end. But we, the humble recipients of their students and pupils in society as a whole and in higher school in particular, we cannot help but ask questions.

In fact, the Society of Russian Literature was created as a platform for such discussions. Of course, no one is going to force young people to delve only into the classics and force them to completely forget about modern culture. This is how one can interpret public concern about the decline of liberal arts education only if one looks at the problem through the eyes of malevolent partiality. I am writing this because there are many who want to discredit the cause of the return of Russian classics.

I'll give you the last one, but illustrative example. Recently, Minister of Culture V.R. Medinsky gathered the most popular video bloggers to discuss exactly the issues we are talking about today. The audience of these bloggers is millions of subscribers, representatives of exactly the generation we are talking about. It is a well-known fact: many young people hardly read. They don't watch TV. Therefore, even if plans for new productions of classics in TV series are implemented, these young people simply will not see such films. With rare exceptions, they do not attend popular, let alone scientific, lectures. The cultural figures beloved by older generations are not convincing to them and are absolutely not interesting. The new generation spends a significant part of their lives online. Representatives of their culture, who have enormous influence on them, are completely unknown to us. Or they cause us approximately the same rejection that a current student with an earring in his nose experiences towards people of art of the last century who are significant to us. Sometimes it seems that we are becoming more and more aliens to each other.

The bloggers turned out to be very interesting interlocutors and thoughtful people. At a meeting with the minister, they made several important proposals, among which was the idea of attracting the attention of young people to the classics through those whom the young people themselves are ready to hear. We suggested thinking about whether it is possible for modern performers who gather huge youth audiences to unite to hold special concerts on the best works Russian poetry and music. Such performers, like no one else in our situation, could help the common cause. This idea, it seemed to me, was unanimously supported by all our young interlocutors.

And if, they added, these singers also read excerpts from their favorite poetic and prose works classics and encourage listeners to seek and find the beauty of the best creations of Russian poets, then, without a doubt, they will be heard. Moreover, some of the most popular performers today give video lectures, for example, on issues of culture and art of the early twentieth century. All these were working moments of the discussion. Everyone understood that final decisions were still far away.

The bloggers, despite their youth, turned out to be professional and - most importantly - noble interlocutors: nothing from the preliminary discussion was “thrown” into the network by them. But the correspondent of one of the presenters present at the meeting news agencies taught them a lesson in “professionalism”: taking several phrases out of the context of the discussion and without explaining any details, she published sensational news in her agency that the Patriarchal Council for Culture had made a proposal to popularize the classics with the help of foul-mouthed Shnur and rapper Timati. This was, of course, quite strange, but for me the most important thing in this story was the decency and professionalism of our young interlocutors. And there will still be plenty of people who want to discredit the planned work. Sometimes from the most unexpected areas. And you need to be prepared for this.

“What does the Church have to do with it?” - they will ask us a question from the church community. (From the secular environment we expect tougher questions, but let’s leave them aside for now.) So, what is the point for the Church to participate in the solution of, of course, an important, but purely secular problem? The Church’s interest in humanitarian education was best expressed by one of the most famous elders of the 20th century, St. Silouan of Athos: “In recent times, educated people will find the way to salvation.”

I have no doubt that, despite all the complexity, the problem we raised today will be solved. The key to this is the common concern of parents and teachers, secular and church people, government officials and cultural figures. Losses cannot be avoided, but in general many real steps have been outlined by our ministries and creative and public communities.

But there is another factor that gives hope.

“Uncle, without looking at anyone, blew off the dust, tapped the lid of the guitar with his bony fingers, tuned it and adjusted himself in the chair. He took (with a somewhat theatrical gesture, placing the elbow of his left hand) the guitar above the neck and, winking at Anisya Fedorovna, began not to Barynya, but took one sonorous, clean chord and measuredly, calmly, but firmly began to finish at a very quiet pace famous song“Along the u-li-i-itsa pavement.” At once, in time with that sedate joy (the same that breathed through Anisya Fedorovna’s entire being), the motive of the song began to sing in the souls of Nikolai and Natasha. Anisya Fedorovna blushed and, covering herself with a handkerchief, left the room laughing...

- Lovely, lovely, uncle! more more! - Natasha screamed as soon as he finished. She jumped up from her seat, hugged her uncle and kissed him. - Nikolenka, Nikolenka! - she said, looking back at her brother and as if asking him: what is this?

...Natasha threw off the scarf that was draped over her, ran ahead of her uncle and, putting her hands on her hips, moved her shoulders and stood.

Where, how, when did this countess, raised by a French emigrant, suck into herself from the Russian air that she breathed, this spirit, where did she get these techniques that pas de châle should have long ago been supplanted? But these spirits and techniques were the very same, inimitable, unstudied, Russian ones that her uncle expected from her. As soon as she stood up and smiled solemnly, proudly and slyly and cheerfully, the first fear that gripped Nikolai and everyone present, the fear that she would do the wrong thing, passed, and they were already admiring her.

She did the same thing and did it so precisely, so completely accurately that Anisya Fedorovna, who immediately handed her the scarf she needed for her business, burst into tears through laughter, looking at this thin, graceful, so alien to her, well-bred countess in silk and velvet. “, who knew how to understand everything that was in Anisya, and in Anisya’s father, and in her aunt, and in her mother, and in every Russian person.” - L.N. Tolstoy “War and Peace.”

Bishop of Yegorievsk Tikhon (Shevkunov),
Executive Secretary of the Society of Russian Literature
March 17, 2017

Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy is one of the world's greatest novelists, thinker and philosopher. His main works are known to everyone. "Anna Karenina" and "War and Peace" are the pearls of Russian literature. Today we will discuss the three-volume work "War and Peace". How was the novel created, what interesting facts does history know about it?

When was the novel "War and Peace" written? In the period from 1863 to 1869, the writer worked on the novel for many years, giving it all his creative forces. Tolstoy himself later admitted: if he had known that his work would be admired by many generations, he would have devoted not only seven years to its creation, but his entire life. Officially, the date of creation of “War and Peace” is considered to be 1863-1869.

The main idea of the novel

When the novel "War and Peace" was written, Lev Nikolaevich became the founder of a new genre, which after him gained wide popularity in Russian literature. This is an epic novel that incorporates several stylistic genres and tells the world the half-century history of Russia. Problems of a political, spiritual and moral nature are intertwined here.

As the writer himself wrote, he wanted to show the Russian people with their courage, dedication, and desire for peace even during the war. Tolstoy exalts the Russian people, who draw the will to victory from goodness, love and faith. The French were defeated because they did not believe in the rightness of their cause.

The main idea of the novel is philosophical and religious. Over the entire kaleidoscope of events that Lev Nikolaevich describes, one can feel an invisible force, Providence. And everything happens exactly as it should happen. Both understanding and accepting this is the highest good for humanity.

This idea is reflected in Pierre's reflections:

“Previously, the terrible question that destroyed all his mental structures was: why? did not exist for him now. Now to this question - why? a simple answer was always ready in his soul: because there is God, that God, without whose will a hair will not fall from a man’s head.”

Beginning of work

The idea of writing a book about the Decembrists arose from Tolstoy after a meeting with the Decembrist, who returned to Moscow after thirty years of exile. On September 5, 1863, Tolstoy's father-in-law, A.E. Bers, sent a letter from Moscow to Yasnaya Polyana. It read:

“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 is considered the first evidence dating the beginning of the writer’s work on the novel. In October of the same year, Tolstoy wrote to his relative that he had never felt his mental and moral forces so free and ready to work. He wrote with incredible creative intensity. And this is what made it a worldwide bestseller. Never before, Lev Nikolaevich himself admitted in the same letter, did he feel like “a writer with all the strength of his soul.” The date of writing the novel "War and Peace" became significant in the writer's career.

Time period of the novel

Initially, the novel was supposed to tell the story of one hero living in 1856, shortly before the abolition of serfdom. However later writer revised his plan because he could not understand his hero. He decided to change the time of the story to 1825 - the period of the Decembrist uprising. But he could not fully understand his hero, so he moved on to his young years, the period of formation of his personality - 1812. This time coincided with the war between Russia and France. And it was inextricably linked with 1805, a period of pain and hardship. The writer decided to show the tragic pages of Russian history. He explained this by saying that he was ashamed to write about the triumph of the Russians without telling about their failures. Therefore, the writing of the novel "War and Peace" stretched over years.

Heroes of the book "War and Peace"

Tolstoy originally intended to write about one main character, Pierre Bezukhov, a Decembrist who returned to Moscow after thirty years of exile in Siberia. However, his novel later expanded to include hundreds of characters. Tolstoy, as a true perfectionist, sought to show the story of not one, but many heroes who live in troubled times for Russia. In addition to the well-known main characters, the plot contains many secondary characters, who give the story a special charm.

When the novel "War and Peace" was written, researchers of the writer's work counted the number of characters in the work. It contains 599 characters, 200 of which are historical figures. Many of the remaining ones have real prototypes. For example, Vasily Denisov, a friend of Nikolai Rostov, was partially based on the famous partisan Denis Davydov. Researchers of Tolstoy’s work consider the writer’s mother, Maria Nikolaevna Volkonskaya, to be the prototype of Princess Maria Bolkonskaya. Lev Nikolaevich did not remember her, since she died when he was not yet two years old. However, all my life I worshiped her image.

Surnames of heroes

The writer had to put a lot of effort into giving each character a last name. Lev Nikolaevich acted in several ways - he used or modified real names or invented new ones.

Most of the main characters have modified, but quite recognizable surnames. The writer did this so that the reader would not associate them with real people, from whom he borrowed only some character traits and appearance.

"Peace and War"

The novel "War and Peace" is based on opposition, which is already evident in the title. All characters are divided into two categories - The first key personality of the “war” is Napoleon, who is ready to do anything to achieve his own goal.

He is opposed by Kutuzov, who strives for peace. The remaining characters, smaller ones, also fall into one of two categories. This may not be apparent to the casual reader. But internally they are focused on the behavior model of either Kutuzov or Napoleon. There are also undecided characters who, in the process of self-development, choose one of two camps. These, in particular, include Andrei and Pierre, who as a result choose “peace”.

... "get confused, make mistakes, start and quit again..."

This is an excerpt from one of the famous quotes from the novel, which perfectly characterizes the writer’s creative search. The period of writing War and Peace was long and grueling. In the writer’s archive you can find more than 5,000 written small print double-sided pages. It was truly a colossal job. Tolstoy rewrote the novel by hand 8 times. He improved some chapters up to 26 times. The beginning of the novel was especially difficult for the writer, which he rewrote 15 times.

When was the original version of the novel "War and Peace" written? In 1866. In the archive of Lev Nikolaevich you can find the first, earliest version of the novel. It was this book that Tolstoy brought to the publisher Mikhail Katkov in 1866. However, he failed to publish the novel. It was economically profitable for Katkov to publish the novel in parts in the Russian Messenger (before this, Tolstoy had already published several parts of the novel under the title Three Times). Other publishers found the novel too long and irrelevant. Therefore, Tolstoy returned to Yasnaya Polyana and extended work on the novel for another two years.

Meanwhile, the first version of the novel has been preserved in the writer’s archive. Many consider it much better than the final result. It contains fewer philosophical digressions, is shorter and more eventful.

Verbose rubbish...

Tolstoy devoted a lot of mental and physical strength to his brainchild; the period of writing War and Peace was long and grueling. However, after a while his ardor faded and his opinion about the novel he wrote changed. Being a stern and irreconcilable person, Lev Nikolaevich treated most of his works with a grain of skepticism. He considered his completely different books to be more significant.

In January 1871, Tolstoy admitted in his letter to Fet:

“How happy I am... that I will never write verbose rubbish like “War” again.”

A similar attitude towards “War and Peace” also appeared in his diaries, which he kept since childhood. Tolstoy considered his main works to be trifles that for some reason seem important to people. However, the years of writing the novel “War and Peace” indicate that the writer himself initially treated his brainchild with trepidation and love.

Before you read this essay, please watch this video:

To rectify the situation, we teach a course in Russian literature for three years as a bachelor, as they say, from scratch, and four years for history. To be fair, it should be said that in each course there are one or two well-prepared students, but there are only a few of them. An average Soviet graduate from some 1975–1980 is a luminary compared to the excellent students of the Unified State Exam 2016.

Our parents and grandfathers, in the difficult, to put it mildly, conditions of the 20th century, were able to pass on to us a priceless treasure - the great Russian culture: literature and art, instilling taste and love for them. We, in turn, had to do the same for the next generations. But they failed to fulfill their duty.

Many reasons can be found for what happened - from the influence of the Internet, unprofessionalism and negligence of reformer officials to the machinations of liberals and the machinations of the West. It is possible to explain very convincingly why everything happened exactly this way. But this will not change the essence of the matter: our generation, quite obviously, has not fulfilled its duty towards those to whom we will hand Russia over, these guys from the screen.

Having dealt with our first traditional and sacramental question, “Who is to blame?”, Let’s move on to the second traditional question: “What to do?”

Last year, the Society of Russian Literature was formed, headed by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. One of the society’s projects will be the Pushkin Union association, whose task, so to speak, is the return of Russian classics and, more broadly, Russian culture, literature and art into the field of spiritual and intellectual life of the younger generation. Members of the Society of Russian Literature, Ministers of Culture and Education V.R. Medinsky and O.Yu. Vasilyeva, Rector of Moscow State University V.A. Sadovnichy, rectors of many other universities, heads of creative unions, and cultural figures have already met twice to discuss and develop a program of action.

It was obvious to everyone: the worst thing that can be done in the current situation is to begin to force people to love the classics with all the power of the state, the Church and society. In fact, the real and most important thing is to convey to young people who have already left school at least the basics of our cultural heritage, with which neither school nor family were able to introduce them. Instill a taste for Russian literature and art. For current and future schoolchildren and students, through joint efforts, instead of the current simulacrum of humanitarian education, it is necessary to create an effective and holistic educational system with living teaching methods. This is what many departments and public associations are now doing, with the general coordination of the Society of Russian Literature. By the way, a similar and positive experience already exists: the activities of the Russian Historical Society.

What was great about the Soviet education system, if we leave aside its ideological component? After all, by the mid-1970s, communist ideology, even without any restructuring, remained outside the lessons of most thinking teachers. The phenomenon of Soviet education was based on two extraordinary and brilliant achievements. The first is the Teacher. The second is a unique system of schooling and education.

And now about the system. Soviet education was structured and streamlined in such a way that even a teacher of average abilities interested students in a humanitarian subject, conveyed and made clear and relatable the values that our great literature carried. In addition, endless essays (let me remind you: school essays, abolished by our reformers, were returned to schools only by direct order of the President just three years ago), surveys, control of RONO, subordinate to the Ministry of Education, excluded for the majority cultural amnesia and large-scale illiteracy as a phenomenon.

The comparison of the educational sphere with the army is not accidental. I remember the significant words of the Leipzig geography professor Oskar Peschel, spoken by him after the victory of the Prussian army over the Austrians in 1866: “Public education plays a decisive role in war. When the Prussians beat the Austrians, it was a victory of the Prussian teacher over the Austrian schoolteacher.” These words hit the mark so much that their authorship is still attributed to the unshakable authority in state and national construction, Otto von Bismarck.

The current education system, its reforms and programs have been criticized so often that there is no point in taking up this matter again. At the first congress of the Society of Russian Literature, President V.V. Putin has set very specific tasks, the main ones being the formation of a state language policy and a “golden” list of works required to be studied in schools. Let me remind you that today it depends on the teacher (a classmate of those guys whom we just saw on the screen) whether his class will study such masterpieces as “I loved you: love is still, perhaps...”, “I erected a monument to myself not made by hands...” A.S. Pushkin, “Motherland”, “I go out alone on the road...” M.Yu. Lermontov. Or the teacher will replace them with works that are much more “perfect” from his point of view. This is the right of today's teacher.

“Alternative”, that is, essentially not mandatory for study, is, in addition to the works already cited, also, for example, “War and Peace”. At school, we didn’t read this novel in full either, missing the author’s historiosophical reflections, but most of Tolstoy’s masterpiece, accessible to a teenager, shaped the worldview of generations. “Crime and Punishment” is also from the list of variable, read, optional works for studying. Even “Mumu”, where we learned compassion and mercy, is from the same group. “Young people won’t read this!” With energy worthy of better use, we are persuaded and forced to accept this “advanced” point of view.

But, firstly, young people, if they are truly introduced to the world of domestic and world literature and art, discover an amazing interest in them. And they only wonder why until now they have been excommunicated from all this treasure. And secondly, the alternative to turning to the best examples of culture created by previous generations is completely obvious. A. S. Pushkin clearly reminds us of what a deliberate and snobbish disregard for the classics leads to: “Respect for the past is the feature that distinguishes education from savagery.”

Of course, let the professionals judge all this in the end. But we, the humble recipients of their students and pupils in society in general and in higher education in particular, cannot help but ask questions.

Let me give you one last but illustrative example. Recently, Minister of Culture V.R. Medinsky gathered the most popular video bloggers to discuss exactly the issues we are talking about today. The audience of these bloggers is millions of subscribers, representatives of exactly the generation we are talking about. It is a well-known fact: many young people hardly read. They don't watch TV. Therefore, even if plans for new productions of classics in TV series are implemented, these young people simply will not see such films. With rare exceptions, they do not attend popular, let alone scientific, lectures. The cultural figures beloved by older generations are not convincing to them and are absolutely not interesting. The new generation spends a significant part of their lives online. Representatives of their culture, who have enormous influence on them, are completely unknown to us. Or they cause us approximately the same rejection that a current student with an earring in his nose experiences towards people of art of the last century who are significant to us. Sometimes it seems that we are becoming more and more aliens to each other.

The bloggers turned out to be very interesting interlocutors and thoughtful people. At a meeting with the minister, they made several important proposals, among which was the idea of attracting the attention of young people to the classics through those whom the young people themselves are ready to hear. We proposed to think about whether it is possible for modern performers, who gather huge youth audiences, to unite to hold special concerts based on the best works of Russian poetry and music. Such performers, like no one else in our situation, could help the common cause. This idea, it seemed to me, was unanimously supported by all our young interlocutors.

And if, they added, these singers also read excerpts from their favorite poetic and prose classics and urge listeners to seek and find the beauty of the best works of Russian poets, then, without a doubt, they will be heard. Moreover, some of the most popular performers today give video lectures, for example, on issues of culture and art of the early twentieth century. All these were working moments of the discussion. Everyone understood that final decisions were still far away.

The bloggers, despite their youth, turned out to be professional and - most importantly - noble interlocutors: nothing from the preliminary discussion was “thrown” into the network by them. But a correspondent from one of the leading news agencies present at the meeting taught them a lesson in “professionalism”: having taken several phrases out of the context of the discussion and without explaining any details, she published sensational news in her agency that the Patriarchal Council for Culture had made a proposal to popularize the classics with with the help of swearer Shnur and rapper Timati. This was, of course, quite strange, but for me the most important thing in this story was the decency and professionalism of our young interlocutors. And there will still be plenty of people who want to discredit the planned work. Sometimes from the most unexpected areas. And you need to be prepared for this.

“What does the Church have to do with it?” - they will ask us a question from the church environment. (From the secular environment we expect tougher questions, but let’s leave them aside for now.) So, what is the point for the Church to participate in the solution of, of course, an important, but purely secular problem? The Church’s interest in humanitarian education was best expressed by one of the most famous elders of the 20th century, St. Silouan of Athos: “In recent times, educated people will find the way to salvation.”

But there is another factor that gives hope.

“Uncle, without looking at anyone, blew off the dust, tapped the lid of the guitar with his bony fingers, tuned it and adjusted himself in the chair. He took (with a somewhat theatrical gesture, placing the elbow of his left hand) the guitar above the neck and, winking at Anisya Fedorovna, began not to Baryn, but took one sonorous, clean chord and measuredly, calmly, but firmly began to finish the famous song “By the Way” at a very quiet pace. li-i-itse pavement.” At once, in time with that sedate joy (the same that breathed through Anisya Fedorovna’s entire being), the motive of the song began to sing in the souls of Nikolai and Natasha. Anisya Fedorovna blushed and, covering herself with a handkerchief, left the room laughing...

Lovely, lovely, uncle! more more! - Natasha screamed as soon as he finished. She jumped up from her seat, hugged her uncle and kissed him. - Nikolenka, Nikolenka! - she said, looking back at her brother and as if asking him: what is this?

...Natasha threw off the scarf that was draped over her, ran ahead of her uncle and, putting her hands on her hips, moved her shoulders and stood.

Returning with his family to Russia. Involuntarily I moved from the present to 1825... But even in 1825 my hero was already mature, family man. To understand him, I needed to be transported to his youth, and his youth coincided with... the era of 1812... If the reason for our triumph was not accidental, but 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 failures and defeats..." So Tolstoy gradually came to the need to begin the story in 1805.

The main theme is the historical fate of the Russian people in the Patriotic War of 1812. The novel features more than 550 characters, both fictional and historical. Tolstoy portrays his best heroes in all their spiritual complexity, in a continuous search for truth, in the pursuit of self-improvement. These are Prince Andrei, Pierre, Natasha, and Princess Marya. Negative heroes lack development, dynamics, and movements of the soul: Helen, Anatole.

Of greatest importance in the novel are philosophical views writer. Journalistic chapters introduce and explain artistic description events. Tolstoy's fatalism is associated with his understanding of the spontaneity of history as “unconscious, general, swarm life humanity." The main idea of the novel, according to Tolstoy himself, is “the thought of the people.” The people, in Tolstoy's understanding, are the main driving force of history, the bearer of the best human qualities. The main characters go on their way to the people (Pierre on the Borodino field; “our prince” - the soldiers called Bolkonsky). Tolstoy's ideal is embodied in the image of Platon Karataev. The female ideal is in the image of Natasha Rostova. Kutuzov and Napoleon are the moral poles of the novel: “There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth.” “What does it take to be happy? Quiet family life... with the opportunity to do good to people” (L.N. Tolstoy).

Tolstoy returned to work on the story several times. At the beginning of 1861, he read chapters from the novel “The Decembrists,” written in November 1860 - early 1861, to Turgenev and reported work on the novel to Alexander Herzen. However, the work was postponed several times, until in 1863-1869. The novel War and Peace was not written. For some time, Tolstoy perceived the epic novel as part of a narrative that was supposed to end with the return of Pierre and Natasha from Siberian exile in 1856 (this is what is discussed in the 3 surviving chapters of the novel “The Decembrists”). Attempts to work on this plan were made by Tolstoy for the last time in the late 1870s, after the end of Anna Karenina.

The novel "War and Peace" had big success. An excerpt from the novel entitled “1805” appeared in Russky Vestnik in 1865. In 1868, three of its parts were published, which were soon followed by the remaining two (four volumes in total).

Recognized by critics around the world as the greatest epic work of the new European literature, “War and Peace” amazes from a purely technical point of view with the size of its fictional canvas. Only in painting can one find some parallel in the huge paintings of Paolo Veronese in the Venetian Doge's Palace, where hundreds of faces are also painted with amazing clarity and individual expression. In Tolstoy's novel all classes of society are represented, from emperors and kings to the last soldier, all ages, all temperaments and throughout the entire reign of Alexander I. What further enhances its dignity as an epic is the psychology of the Russian people it gives. With amazing insight, Tolstoy depicted the moods of the crowd, both the highest and the most base and brutal (for example, in the famous scene of the murder of Vereshchagin).

Everywhere Tolstoy tries to capture the spontaneous, unconscious beginning human life. The whole philosophy of the novel boils down to the fact that success and failure in historical life depend not on the will and talents of individual people, but on the extent to which they reflect the spontaneous lining in their activities historical events. Hence his loving attitude towards Kutuzov, who was strong, first of all, not in strategic knowledge and not in heroism, but in the fact that he understood that purely Russian, not spectacular and not bright, but the only true way in which it was possible to cope with Napoleon. Hence Tolstoy’s dislike for Napoleon, who so highly valued his personal talents; hence, finally, the elevation to the degree of the greatest sage of the humblest soldier Platon Karataev for the fact that he recognizes himself exclusively as a part of the whole, without the slightest claims to individual meaning. Philosophical or, rather, historiosophical thought of Tolstoy for the most part penetrates him great novel- and this is what makes him great - not in the form of reasoning, but in the brilliantly captured details and whole paintings, the true meaning of which is not difficult for any thoughtful reader to understand.

The first edition of War and Peace contained a long series of purely theoretical pages that interfered with its integrity. artistic impression; in later editions these discussions were highlighted and formed a special part. However, in “War and Peace” Tolstoy the thinker was far from being reflected in all of his aspects and not in his most characteristic aspects. There is nothing here that passes red thread through all of Tolstoy’s works, both those written before “War and Peace” and those later, there is no deeply pessimistic mood.

IN later works For Tolstoy, the transformation of the elegant, gracefully flirtatious, charming Natasha into a blurry, sloppily dressed landowner, completely absorbed in caring for the house and children, would have made a sad impression; but in the era of his pleasure family happiness Tolstoy elevated all this to the pearl of creation.

Tolstoy later became skeptical of his novels. In January 1871, Tolstoy sent a letter to Fet: “How happy I am... that I will never write verbose rubbish like “War” again.”

On December 6, 1908, Tolstoy wrote in his diary: “People love me for those trifles - “War and Peace”, etc., which seem very important to them.”

In the summer of 1909, one of the visitors to Yasnaya Polyana expressed his delight and gratitude for the creation of War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Tolstoy replied: “It’s the same as if someone came to Edison and said: “I respect you very much because you dance the mazurka well.” I attribute meaning to completely different books.”

However, it is unlikely that Tolstoy really denied the importance of his previous creations. To the question Japanese writer and the philosopher Tokutomi Rock (English) Russian in 1906, which of his works he loves most, the author answered: "Novel "War and Peace"". Thoughts based in the novel are also heard in Tolstoy’s later religious and philosophical works.

There were also different versions of the title of the novel: “1805” (an excerpt from the novel was published under this title), “All’s well that ends well” and “Three Times”. Tolstoy wrote the novel over the course of 6 years, from 1863 to 1869. According to historical information, he rewrote it by hand 8 times, and the writer rewrote individual episodes more than 26 times. Researcher E.E. Zaidenshnur counts 15 options for the beginning of the novel. There are 569 characters in the work.

The manuscript collection of the novel amounts to 5202 sheets.

Tolstoy's sources

Leo Tolstoy used the following scientific works when writing: academic history wars of Academician A. I. Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, history of M. I. Bogdanovich, “The Life of Count Speransky” by M. Korf, “Biography of Mikhail Semenovich Vorontsov” by M. P. Shcherbinin, about Freemasonry - Karl Hubert Lobreich von Plumenek, about Vereshchagin - Ivan Zhukov; from French historians - Thiers, A. Dumas Sr., Georges Chambray, Maximelin Foy, Pierre Lanfré. As well as a number of testimonies from contemporaries of the Patriotic War: Alexey Bestuzhev-Ryumin, Napoleon Bonaparte, Sergei Glinka, Fedor Glinka, Denis Davydov, Stepan Zhikharev, Alexey Ermolov, Ivan Liprandi, Fedor Korbeletsky, Krasnokutsky, Alexander Grigor evich, Vasily Perovsky, Ilya Radozhitsky, Ivan Skobelev , Mikhail Speransky, Alexander Shishkov; letters from A. Volkova to Lanskaya. From French memoirists - Bosset, Jean Rapp, Philippe de Segur, Auguste Marmont, “Memorial of Saint Helena” by Las Cases.

From fiction, Tolstoy was tangentially influenced by the Russian novels by R. Zotov “Leonid or Features from the Life of Napoleon I”, M. Zagoskin - “Roslavlev”. Also, British novels - William Thackeray's "Vanity Fair" and Mary Elizabeth Braddon's "Aurora Floyd" - according to the memoirs of T. A. Kuzminskaya, the writer directly indicated that the character of the main character of the latter resembles Natasha.

Central characters

Graph Pierre (Peter Kirillovich) Bezukhov.
Graph Nikolai Ilyich Rostov (Nicolas)- eldest son of Ilya Rostov.
Natasha Rostova (Natalie) - youngest daughter Rostov, married Countess Bezukhova, Pierre's second wife.
Sonya (Sofya Alexandrovna, Sophie)- niece of Count Rostov, brought up in the count's family.

Bolkonskaya Elizaveta (Liza, Lise)(nee Meinen), wife of Prince Andrei
Prince Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky- an old prince, according to the plot - a prominent figure in Catherine's era. The prototype is L. N. Tolstoy’s maternal grandfather, a representative ancient family Volkonskikh.
Prince Andrey Nikolaevich Bolkonsky(French André) - son of the old prince.
Princess Maria Nikolaevna(French Marie) - daughter of the old prince, sister of Prince Andrei, married Countess Rostova (wife of Nikolai Ilyich Rostov). The prototype can be called Maria Nikolaevna Volkonskaya (married Tolstoy), mother of L. N. Tolstoy
Prince Vasily Sergeevich Kuragin- a friend of Anna Pavlovna Sherer, spoke about children: “My children are a burden to my existence.” Kurakin, Alexey Borisovich - a probable prototype.
Elena Vasilievna Kuragina (Ellen)- daughter of Vasily Kuragin. The first, unfaithful wife of Pierre Bezukhov.
Anatol Kuragin - younger son Prince Vasily, a reveler and a libertine, tried to seduce Natasha Rostova and take her away, a “restless fool” in the words of Prince Vasily.
Dolokhova Marya Ivanovna, mother of Fyodor Dolokhov.
Dolokhov Fedor Ivanovich, her son, officer of the Semenovsky regiment I, 1, VI. at the beginning of the novel, he was an infantry officer of the Semenovsky Guards Regiment - a leader of revelries, later one of the leaders of the partisan movement. Its prototypes were the partisan Ivan Dorokhov, the duelist Fyodor Tolstoy the American and the partisan Alexander Figner.
Platon Karataev is a soldier of the Absheron regiment who met Pierre Bezukhov in captivity.
Captain Tushin- captain of the artillery corps, who distinguished himself during the Battle of Shengraben. Its prototype was artillery staff captain Ya. I. Sudakov.
Vasily Dmitrievich Denisov- friend of Nikolai Rostov. Denisov’s prototype was Denis Davydov.
Maria Dmitrievna Akhrosimova- a friend of the Rostov family. The prototype of Akhrosimova was the widow of Major General Ofrosimov Nastasya Dmitrievna. A. S. Griboyedov almost portraiturely portrayed her in his comedy “Woe from Wit.”

There are 559 characters in the novel. About 200 of them are historical figures.

Plot

The novel has an abundance of chapters and parts, most of which have plot completeness. Short chapters and many parts allow Tolstoy to move the narrative in time and space and thus fit hundreds of episodes into one novel.

Volume I

The actions of Volume I describe the events of the war in alliance with Austria against Napoleon in -1807.

1 part

The action begins with a reception at the close Empress Anna Pavlovna Scherer, where we see the entire high society of St. Petersburg. This technique is a kind of exposition: here we are introduced to many of the most important characters in the novel. On the other hand, the technique is a means of characterizing “high society,” comparable to “Famusov’s society” (A. S. Griboyedov “Woe from Wit”), immoral and deceitful. All those who come are looking for benefit for themselves in the useful contacts that they can make with Scherer. So, Prince Vasily is concerned about the fate of his children, for whom he is trying to arrange a profitable marriage, and Drubetskaya comes in order to persuade Prince Vasily to intercede for her son. An indicative feature is the ritual of greeting an unknown and unnecessary aunt (French: ma tante). None of the guests know who she is and don’t want to talk to her, but break the unwritten laws secular society They can not. Against the colorful background of Anna Scherer’s guests, two characters stand out: Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov. They are opposed to high society, just as Chatsky is opposed to “Famus society.” Most of the conversations at this ball are devoted to politics and the coming war with Napoleon, who is called the "Corsican monster." Moreover, most of the dialogues between guests are conducted in French.

Despite his promises to Bolkonsky not to go to Kuragin, Pierre goes there immediately after Andrei’s departure. Anatol Kuragin is the son of Prince Vasily Kuragin, who causes him a lot of inconvenience by constantly leading a riotous life and spending his father’s money. After his return from abroad, Pierre constantly spends his time in the company of Kuragin along with Dolokhov and other officers. This life is completely unsuitable for Bezukhov, who has an exalted soul, kind hearted and the ability to become a truly influential person and benefit society. The next “adventures” of Anatole, Pierre and Dolokhov end with the fact that they got hold of a live bear somewhere, scared the young actresses with it, and when the police came to appease them, they “caught a policeman, tied him with his back to the bear and let the bear into the Moika; the bear is swimming, and the policeman is on it.” As a result, Pierre was sent to Moscow, Dolokhov was demoted to soldiery, and the matter with Anatole was somehow hushed up by his father.

From St. Petersburg the action moves to Moscow on the name day of Countess Rostova and her daughter Natasha. Here we meet the entire Rostov family: Countess Natalya Rostova, her husband Count Ilya Rostov, their children: Vera, Nikolai, Natasha and Petya, as well as the Countess’s niece Sonya. The situation in the Rostov family is contrasted with Scherer’s reception: everything here is simpler, sincere, kinder. Here two are tied love lines: Sonya and Nikolai Rostov, Natasha and Boris Drubetskoy.

Sonya and Nikolai are trying to hide their relationship from everyone, since their love cannot lead to anything good, because Sonya is Nikolai’s second cousin. But Nikolai goes to war, and Sonya cannot hold back her tears. She sincerely worries about him. Conversation between his second cousin and at the same time best friend with her brother, and Natasha Rostova sees their kiss. She also wants to love someone, so she asks for a frank conversation with Boris and kisses him. The holiday continues. It is also attended by Pierre Bezukhov, who here meets the very young Natasha Rostova. Marya Dmitrievna Akhrosimova arrives - a very influential and respected woman. Almost everyone present fears her for the courage and harshness of her judgments and statements. The holiday is in full swing. Count Rostov dances his favorite dance - “Danila Kupora” with Akhrosimova.

At this time, in Moscow, the old Count Bezukhov, the owner of a huge fortune and Pierre’s father, lies dying. Prince Vasily, being a relative of Bezukhov, begins to fight for the inheritance. In addition to him, the Mamontov princesses also lay claim to the inheritance, who, together with Prince Vasily Kuragin, are the count’s closest relatives. Princess Drubetskaya, Boris’s mother, also intervenes in the struggle. The matter is complicated by the fact that in his will the count writes to the emperor with a request to legitimize Pierre (Pierre is the illegitimate son of the count and without this procedure cannot receive an inheritance) and bequeaths everything to him. Prince Vasily's plan is to destroy the will and divide the entire inheritance between his family and the princesses. Drubetskaya's goal is to receive at least a small part of the inheritance in order to have money to outfit her son as he goes to war. As a result, a struggle unfolds for the “mosaic briefcase” in which the will is kept. Pierre, coming to his dying father, again feels like a stranger. He doesn't feel comfortable here. He feels both sad about his father's death and uneasy about a lot of attention chained to him.

The next morning, Napoleon, on the day of the anniversary of his coronation, in a happy mood, having examined the sites of the upcoming battle and waiting for the sun to finally emerge from the fog, gives the order to the marshals to begin business. Kutuzov, on the other hand, is in an exhausted and irritable mood that morning. He notices the confusion in the allied troops and waits for all the columns to gather. At this time, he hears shouts and cheers from his army behind him. He walked a couple of meters away and squinted to see who it was. It seemed to him that it was a whole squadron, in front of which were galloping two riders on a black and red anglicized horse. He realized that it was Emperor Alexander and Franz with his retinue. Alexander, who galloped up to Kutuzov, sharply asked the question: “Why aren’t you starting, Mikhail Larionovich?” After a short dialogue and disagreement from Kutuzov, it was decided to begin the operation.

Having driven about half a mile, Kutuzov stopped at an abandoned house, at the fork of two roads that went down the mountain. The fog lifted, and the French were visible two miles away. One Adjutant noticed a whole squadron of enemies below on the mountain. The enemy appears much closer than previously thought, and, hearing close shooting, Kutuzov’s retinue rushes to run back, where the troops had just passed by the emperors. Bolkonsky decides that the long-awaited moment has come, and the matter has come to him. Jumping off his horse, he rushes to the banner that had fallen from the ensign’s hands and, picking it up, runs forward shouting “Hurray!”, in the hope that the frustrated battalion will run after him. And, indeed, one after another the soldiers overtake him. Prince Andrei is wounded and, exhausted, falls on his back, where only the endless sky opens before him, and everything that was before becomes empty, insignificant and without any meaning. Bonaparte, after a victorious battle, circles the battlefield, giving the last orders and examining the remaining dead and wounded. Among the others, Napoleon sees Bolkonsky lying on his back and orders him to be taken to the dressing station.

The first volume of the novel ends with Prince Andrei, among other hopelessly wounded, surrendering to the care of the residents.

Volume II

The second volume can truly be called the only “peaceful” one in the entire novel. It depicts the lives of the characters between 1806 and 1812. Most of it is devoted to the personal relationships of the characters, the theme of love and the search for the meaning of life.

1 part

The second volume begins with Nikolai Rostov’s arrival home, where he is joyfully greeted by the entire Rostov family. His new military friend Denisov comes with him. Soon, a celebration was organized at the English Club in honor of the hero of the military campaign, Prince Bagration, which was attended by all the high society. Throughout the evening, toasts were heard glorifying Bagration, as well as the emperor. No one wanted to remember the recent defeat.

Pierre Bezukhov, who has changed a lot after his marriage, is also present at the celebration. In fact, he feels deeply unhappy, he began to understand the real face of Helen, who is in many ways similar to her brother, and he is also beginning to be tormented by suspicions about his wife’s betrayal with the young officer Dolokhov. By coincidence, Pierre and Dolokhov find themselves sitting opposite each other at the table. Dolokhov’s defiantly impudent behavior irritates Pierre, but the last straw is Dolokhov’s toast “to the health of beautiful women and their lovers.” All this was the reason that Pierre Bezukhov challenges Dolokhov to a duel. Nikolai Rostov becomes Dolokhov's second, and Nesvitsky becomes Bezukhov's second. The next day at 9 o'clock in the morning Pierre and his second arrive in Sokolniki and meet Dolokhov, Rostov and Denisov there. Bezukhov's second is trying to persuade the parties to reconcile, but the opponents are determined. Before the duel, it becomes clear that Bezukhov is unable to even hold a pistol properly, while Dolokhov is an excellent duelist. The opponents disperse and, on command, begin to move closer. Bezukhov shoots first, and the bullet hits Dolokhov in the stomach. Bezukhov and the audience want to interrupt the duel due to a wound, but Dolokhov prefers to continue and takes careful aim, but bleeds and shoots wide. Rostov and Denisov take away the wounded man. In response to Nikolai’s questions about Dolokhov’s well-being, he begs Rostov to go to his adored mother and prepare her. Having gone to carry out the assignment, Rostov learns that Dolokhov lives with his mother and sister in Moscow, and, despite his almost barbaric behavior in society, is a gentle son and brother.

Pierre's worry about his wife's relationship with Dolokhov continues. He reflects on the past duel and increasingly asks himself the question: “Who is right, who is wrong?” When Pierre finally sees Helen “face to face,” she begins to swear and laugh contemptuously at her husband, taking advantage of his naivety. Pierre says that it’s better for them to break up, and in response he hears a sarcastic agreement, “... if you give me a fortune.” Then for the first time the breed of his father is reflected in Pierre’s character: he feels the passion and charm of rage. Grabbing a marble board from the table, he swings at Helen, shouting “I’ll kill you!” She, frightened, runs out of the room. A week later, Pierre gives his wife power of attorney for most of his fortune and goes to St. Petersburg.

After receiving news of the death of Prince Andrei at the Battle of Austerlitz in Bald Mountains, the old prince receives a letter from Kutuzov, which states that it is actually unknown whether Andrei really died, because he was not named among the fallen officers found on the battlefield. From the very beginning, Liza, Andrei’s wife, is told absolutely nothing by her relatives, so as not to hurt her. On the night of the birth, the cured Prince Andrei unexpectedly arrives. Lisa cannot bear childbirth and dies. On her dead face Andrei reads a reproachful expression: “What have you done to me?”, which subsequently does not leave him for a very long time. The newborn son is given the name Nikolai.

During Dolokhov's recovery, Rostov became especially friendly with him. And he becomes a frequent guest in the Rostov family’s house. Dolokhov falls in love with Sonya and proposes to her, but she refuses him because she is still in love with Nikolai. Before leaving for the army, Fedor arranges a farewell party for his friends, where he not quite honestly beats Rostov for 43 thousand rubles, thus taking revenge on him for Sonya’s refusal.

Vasily Denisov spends more time in the company of Natasha Rostova. Soon he proposes to her. Natasha doesn't know what to do. She runs to her mother, but she, having thanked Denisov for the honor, does not give consent, because she considers her daughter to be too young. Vasily apologizes to the countess, saying goodbye that he “adores” her daughter and their entire family, and the next day he leaves Moscow. Rostov himself, after his friend’s departure, stayed at home for another two weeks, waiting for money from the old count to pay all 43 thousand and receive a receipt from Dolokhov.

part 2

After his explanation with his wife, Pierre goes to St. Petersburg. In Torzhok at the station, while waiting for horses, he meets a Freemason who wants to help him. They start talking about God, but Pierre is an unbeliever. He talks about how much he hates his life. The Mason convinces him otherwise and persuades Pierre to join their ranks. Pierre, after much thought, is initiated into the Freemasons and after that he feels that he has changed. Prince Vasily comes to Pierre. They talk about Helen, the prince asks him to return to her. Pierre refuses and asks the prince to leave. Pierre leaves a lot of money for alms to the Masons. Pierre believed in uniting people, but later became completely disillusioned with it. At the end of 1806, a new war with Napoleon began. Scherer receives Boris. He took an advantageous position in the service. He doesn't want to remember the Rostovs. Helen shows interest in him and invites him to her place. Boris becomes a close person for the Bezukhov family. Princess Marya replaces Nikolka's mother. The child suddenly falls ill. Marya and Andrey argue about how to treat him. Bolkonsky writes them a letter about his supposed victory. The child is recovering. Pierre became involved in charity work. He agreed with the manager everywhere and began to take care of business. He began to live his old life. In the spring of 1807 Pierre went to St. Petersburg. He stopped by his estate - everything is fine there, everything is the same, but there is chaos all around. Pierre visits Prince Andrei, they begin to talk about the meaning of life and Freemasonry. Andrei says that he began to experience an internal revival. Rostov is tied to the regiment. The war resumes.

Part 3

Prince Bolkonsky, eager to take revenge on Anatole for his action, leaves to join the army with him. And although Anatole soon returned to Russia, Andrei remained at headquarters and only after some time returned to his homeland in order to see his father. A trip to Bald Mountains to see his father ends in a strong quarrel and Andrei's subsequent departure to the Western army. While in the Western army, Andrei was invited to the Tsar for a military council, at which each general, proving his one and only correct decision regarding military operations, entered into a tense dispute with the others, in which nothing was accepted except the need to send the Tsar to the capital , so that his presence would not interfere with the military campaign.

Meanwhile, Nikolai Rostov receives the rank of captain and, together with his squadron, as well as with the entire army, retreats. During the retreat, the squadron was forced to fight, where Nikolai showed particular courage, for which he was awarded the St. George Cross and received special encouragement from the army leadership. His sister Natasha, while in Moscow at that time, was very ill, and this illness, which almost killed her, is a mental illness: she worries very much and reproaches herself for betraying Andrei out of frivolity. On the advice of her aunt, she begins to go to church early in the morning and pray for atonement for her sins. At the same time, Pierre visits Natasha, which kindles in his heart a sincere love for Natasha, who also experiences certain feelings for him. The Rostov family receives a letter from Nikolai, where he writes about his award and the progress of the hostilities.

Nikolai's younger brother Petya, already 15 years old, has long been envious of his brother's successes, is going to enroll in military service, informing his parents that if he is not allowed in, he will leave on his own. With a similar intention, Petya goes to the Kremlin in order to get an audience with Emperor Alexander and personally convey to him his request for a desire to serve his fatherland. Although, however, he was never able to achieve a personal meeting with Alexander.

Representatives of wealthy families and various merchants gather in Moscow to discuss the current situation with Bonaparte and allocate funds to help fight him. Count Bezukhov is also present there. He, sincerely wanting to help, donates a thousand souls and their salaries to create a militia, the purpose of which was the entire meeting.

Part 2

At the beginning of the second part, various arguments are given about the reasons for Napoleon's defeat in the Russian campaign. The main idea was that the various kinds of events that accompanied this campaign were just a random coincidence of circumstances, where neither Napoleon nor Kutuzov, having no tactical plan for the war, left all events to their own devices. Everything happens as if by accident.

Old Prince Bolkonsky receives a letter from his son, Prince Andrei, in which he asks for his father's forgiveness and reports that it is unsafe to remain in the Bald Mountains since the Russian army is retreating, and advises him with Princess Marya and little Nikolenka to go inland. Having received this news, the servant of the old prince, Yakov Alpatych, was sent from the Bald Mountains to the nearest district town of Smolensk in order to find out the situation. In Smolensk, Alpatych meets Prince Andrei, who gives him a second letter to his sister with a similar content to the first. Meanwhile, in the salons of Helen and Anna Pavlovna in Moscow, the same sentiments remain and, as before, in the first of them glory and honor are exalted to Napoleon’s actions, while in the other there are patriotic sentiments. Kutuzov at that time was appointed commander-in-chief of the entire Russian army, which was necessary after the unification of its corps and conflicts between the commanders of individual divisions.

Returning to the story of the old prince, one cannot help but notice that he, neglecting his son’s letter, chose to stay on his estate, despite the advancing French, but he suffered a blow, after which he, together with his daughter, Princess Marya, set off towards Moscow . On the estate of Prince Andrei (Bogucharovo), the old prince was no longer destined to survive the second blow. After the death of the master, his servants and daughter - Princess Marya - became hostages of their own situation, finding themselves among the rebellious men of the estate who did not want to let them go to Moscow. Fortunately, Nikolai Rostov’s squadron was passing nearby, and in order to replenish the supplies of hay for the horses, Nikolai, accompanied by his servant and deputy, visited Bogucharovo, where Nikolai bravely defended the princess’s intentions and escorted her to the nearest road to Moscow. Afterwards, both Princess Marya and Nikolai recalled this incident with loving trepidation, and Nikolai even had the intention of marrying her later.

Prince Andrei, at Kutuzov’s headquarters, meets Lieutenant Colonel Denisov, who eagerly tells him about his plan for a partisan war. After asking permission personally from Kutuzov, Andrei is sent to the active army as a regiment commander. At the same time, Pierre also goes to the site of the future battle, meeting first Boris Drubetsky at the headquarters, and then Prince Andrei himself, not far from the position of his troops. During the conversation, the prince talks a lot about the gravity of war, that it succeeds not from the wisdom of the commander, but from the desire of the soldiers to stand to the last.

The final preparations for the battle are underway - Napoleon indicates the disposition and gives orders that, for one reason or another, will never be carried out.

Pierre, like everyone else, was raised in the morning by the cannonade heard on the left flank and, wanting to take a personal part in the battle, ends up at the Raevsky redoubt, where he spends his time indifferently and, by a fortunate coincidence, leaves him about ten minutes before his surrender to the French. Andrei's regiment stood in reserve during the battle. An artillery grenade falls not far from Andrei, but out of pride he does not fall to the ground like his colleague, and receives a severe wound in the stomach. The prince is taken to the hospital tent and placed on the operating table, where Andrei meets his long-time offender, Anatoly Kuragin. A shrapnel hit Kuragin in the leg, and the doctor was just busy cutting it off. Prince Andrei, remembering the words of Princess Marya and being himself on the verge of death, mentally forgave Kuragin.

The battle was over. Napoleon, having not achieved victory and having lost a fifth of his army (the Russians lost half of their army), was forced to give up his ambitions to continue to advance, since the Russians were fighting for life and death. For their part, the Russians also did not take any action, remaining on the lines they occupied (in Kutuzov’s plan an offensive was planned for the next day) and blocking the path to Moscow.

Part 3

Similar to the previous parts, the first and second chapters present the author’s philosophical reflections on the reasons for the creation of history and the actions of the Russian and French troops during the Patriotic War of 1812. At Kutuzov’s headquarters there are heated debates on the topic: should we defend Moscow or retreat? General Bennigsen advocates for the protection of the capital and, if this enterprise fails, he is ready to blame Kutuzov for everything. One way or another, the commander-in-chief, realizing that there is no longer any strength left to defend Moscow, decides to surrender it without a fight. But given that the decision was made only the other day, all of Moscow was already intuitively preparing for the arrival of the French army and the surrender of the capital. Rich landowners and merchants left the city, trying to take with them as much property as possible on carts, although this is the only thing the price of which did not fall, but increased in Moscow due to latest news. The poor burned and destroyed all their property so that the enemy would not get it. Moscow was engulfed in a stampede, which greatly displeased the Governor-General, Prince Rastopchin, whose orders were to convince the people not to leave Moscow.

Countess Bezukhova, upon returning from Vilna to St. Petersburg, having the direct intention of forming a new party for herself in the world, decides that it is necessary to settle the final formalities with Pierre, who, by the way, also felt burdened in his marriage to her. She writes a letter to Pierre in Moscow, where she asks for a divorce. This letter was delivered to the addressee on the day of the battle on the Borodino field. After the battle, Pierre himself wanders for a long time among the mutilated and exhausted soldiers. There he quickly fell asleep. The next day, upon returning to Moscow, Pierre was summoned by Prince Rostopchin, who, with his previous rhetoric, appeals to stay in Moscow, where Pierre learns that most of his fellow Masons have already been arrested, and they are suspected of distributing French proclamations. Upon returning to his home, Pierre receives news of Helene's request to give the go-ahead for the divorce and of the death of Prince Andrei. Pierre, trying to rid himself of these abominations of life, leaves the house through the back entrance and never appears at home again.

In the Rostov house, everything goes on as usual - the collection of things is sluggish, because the count is accustomed to putting everything off until later. Petya stops with them on his way, and as a military man, he retreats further beyond Moscow with the rest of the army. Meanwhile, Natasha, accidentally meeting a convoy with wounded on the street, invites them to stay at their house. One of these wounded turns out to be her ex-fiancé, Andrei (the message to Pierre was erroneous). Natasha insists on removing the property from the carts and loading them with the wounded. Already moving through the streets, the Rostov family with convoys of the wounded notices Pierre, who, in the clothes of a commoner, was thoughtfully walking down the street, accompanied by some old man. Natasha, already knowing by that moment that Prince Andrei was traveling in the wagon train, began to take care of him herself at every stop and rest stop, without leaving a single step from him. On the seventh day, Andrei felt better, but the doctor continued to assure those around him that if the prince did not die now, he would die later in even greater pain. Natasha asks Andrei for forgiveness for her frivolity and betrayal. By that time, Andrei had already forgiven her and assured her of his love.

By that time, Napoleon had already come close to Moscow and, looking around it, rejoices that this city submitted and fell at his feet. He mentally imagines how he will implant the idea of true civilization and make the boyars remember their conqueror with love. However, upon entering the city, he is very upset by the news that the capital has been abandoned by most of the inhabitants.

Depopulated Moscow plunged into unrest and theft (including from government officials). A crowd of dissatisfied people gathered in front of the city government. Mayor Rastopchin decided to distract her by handing over Vereshchagin, sentenced to hard labor, who was detained with Napoleonic proclamations and branded as a traitor and the main culprit in the abandonment of Moscow. By order of Rastopchin, the dragoon hit Vereshchagin with a broadsword, and the crowd joined in the massacre. Moscow at that time had already begun to fill with smoke and tongues of fire, like any abandoned wooden city, it had to burn.

Pierre comes to the conclusion that his entire existence was necessary only to kill Bonaparte. At the same time, he unwittingly saves the French officer Rambal from an old madman (the brother of his friend the Freemason), for which he was awarded the title of friend of the Frenchman and had a long conversation with him. The next morning, having slept, Pierre went to the western entrance to the city with the goal of killing Napoleon with a dagger, although he could not do this, since he was 5 hours late for his arrival! Frustrated, Pierre, wandering through the streets of the already lifeless city, came across the family of a minor official, whose daughter was supposedly locked in a burning house. Pierre, being not indifferent, went in search of the girl and after her successful rescue, he gave the girl to a woman who knew her parents (the official’s family had already left the place where Pierre met them in a desperate situation).

Inspired by his action and seeing French marauders on the street who were robbing a young Armenian woman and an elderly old man, he pounced on them and began to strangle one of them with frantic force, but was soon captured by a cavalry patrol and taken prisoner as a suspect in arson in Moscow.

Volume IV

Part 1

On August 26, the very day of the Battle of Borodino, Anna Pavlovna had an evening dedicated to reading the letter from the Right Reverend. The news of the day was the illness of Countess Bezukhova. There was talk in society that the Countess was very ill; the doctor said that it was a chest illness. The next day after the evening, an envelope was received from Kutuzov. Kutuzov wrote that the Russians did not retreat and the French lost much more than we did. By the evening of the next day, some terrible news happened. One of them was the news about the death of Countess Bezukhova. On the third day after Kutuzov’s report, news of the surrender of Moscow to the French spread. Ten days after leaving Moscow, the sovereign received the Frenchman Michaud (Russian at heart) sent to him. Michaud conveyed to him the news that Moscow had been abandoned and turned into a conflagration.

A few days before the Battle of Borodino, Nikolai Rostov was sent to Voronezh to buy horses. Provincial life in 1812 was the same as always. The society gathered at the governor's. No one in this society could compete with the Cavalier-Hussar of St. George. He had never danced in Moscow, and even there it would have been indecent for him, but here he felt the need to surprise. The whole evening Nikolai was busy with the blue-eyed blonde, the wife of one of provincial officials. Soon he was informed about the desire of one important lady, Anna Ignatievna Malvintseva, to meet the savior of her niece. Nikolai, when talking with Anna Ignatievna and mentioning Princess Marya, often blushes and experiences a feeling that is incomprehensible to him. The governor's wife confirms that Princess Marya is a profitable match for Nicholas and starts talking about matchmaking. Nikolai ponders her words, remembers Sonya. Nikolai tells the governor’s wife his heartfelt desires, says that he really likes Princess Bolkonskaya and that his mother has told him about her more than once, since she will be a profitable partner for paying off the Rostovs’ debts, but there is Sonya, with whom he is bound by promises. Rostov arrives at Anna Ignatievna’s house and meets Bolkonskaya there. When she looked at Nikolai, her face changed. Rostov saw this in her - her desire for good, humility, love, self-sacrifice. The conversation was the simplest and most insignificant between them. They meet shortly after the Battle of Borodino, in a church. The princess received news of her brother's injury. A conversation takes place between Nikolai and the princess, after which Nikolai realizes that the princess has settled deeper in his heart than he foresaw. Dreams about Sonya were fun, but dreams about Princess Marya were scary. Nikolai receives a letter from his mother and Sonya. In the first, the mother talks about the fatal wound of Andrei Bolkonsky and that Natasha and Sonya are caring for him. In the second, Sonya says that she refuses the promise and says that Nikolai is free. Nikolai informs the princess about Andrei’s condition and escorts her to Yaroslavl, and a few days later he leaves for the regiment. Sonya's letter to Nikolai was written from Trinity. Sonya hoped for the recovery of Andrei Bolkonsky and had the hope that if the prince survived, he would marry Natasha. Then Nikolai will not be able to marry Princess Marya.

Meanwhile, Pierre is captured. All the Russians who were with him were of the lowest rank. Pierre and 13 others were taken to the Crimean Ford. Until September 8, before the second interrogation, there were the most difficult days in Pierre’s life. Pierre was interrogated by Davout and was sentenced to death. The criminals were placed, Pierre stood sixth. The execution failed, Pierre was separated from the other defendants and left in the church. There Pierre meets Platon Karataev (about fifty years old, a pleasant and melodious voice, the peculiarity of his speech is spontaneity, he never thought about what he was talking about). He knew how to do everything, was always busy, sang songs. Often said the opposite of what he said before. He loved to talk and spoke well. For Pierre, Platon Karataev was the personification of simplicity and truth. Plato knew nothing by heart except his prayer.

Soon Princess Marya arrived in Yaroslavl. She is greeted by the sad news that two days ago Andrey became worse. Natasha and the princess get closer and spend last days near the dying Prince Andrei.

Part 2

Part 3

Petya Rostov, on behalf of the general, ends up in Denisov’s partisan detachment. Denisov's detachment, together with Dolokhov's detachment, organize an attack on the French detachment. In the battle, Petya Rostov dies, the French detachment is defeated, and Pierre Bezukhov is released among the Russian prisoners.

Part 4

Natasha and Maria are having a hard time with the death of Andrei Bolkonsky, on top of everything comes the news of the death of Petya Rostov, Countess Rostova falls into despair, from a fresh and cheerful fifty-year-old woman she turns into an old woman. Natasha constantly looks after her mother, which helps her find the meaning of life after the death of her lover, but at the same time she herself weakens both physically and mentally. A series of losses brings Natasha and Marya closer together, and eventually, at the insistence of Natasha’s father, they return to Moscow together.

Epilogue

Part 1

Seven years have passed since 1812. Tolstoy talks about the activities of Alexander I. He says that the goal was achieved even after last war 1815 Alexander is at the pinnacle of possible human power. Pierre Bezukhov marries Natasha Rostova in 1813, and thereby brings her out of depression, which was caused, in addition to the death of her brother and Andrei Bolkonsky, also by the death of her father.

After the death of his father, Nikolai Rostov becomes aware that the inheritance he received consists entirely of debts ten times greater than the most negative expectations. Relatives and friends asked Nikolai to renounce the inheritance. But he accepts the inheritance with all the debts; it was impossible to go to the army, because the mother was already holding on to her son. Nikolai's situation became worse and worse. At the beginning of winter, Princess Marya arrived in Moscow. The first meeting between the princess and Nicholas was dry. Therefore, she did not dare to visit the Rostovs again. Nikolai came to the princess only in the middle of winter. Both were silent, occasionally glancing at each other. The princess did not understand why Nikolai was doing this to her. She asks him: “Why, Count, why?” The princess begins to cry and leaves the room. Nikolai stops her... Nikolai marries Princess Marya Bolkonskaya in the fall of 1814, at the age of three he fully repays all debts to creditors by borrowing 30 thousand from Pierre Bezukhov and moving to Bald Mountains, where he became a good gentleman and owner; in the future, he tries to use all his strength to buy back his personal estate, which was sold immediately after his father’s death. In 1820, Natasha Rostova already had three daughters and one son. There was no longer that fire of revival in her face; only a strong, beautiful, fertile female was visible. Rostova did not like society and did not appear there. On December 5, 1820, everyone gathered at the Rostovs, including the Denisovs. Everyone was expecting Pierre's arrival. After his arrival, the author describes life in one and the second family, life is completely different worlds, conversations between husband and wife, communication with children and the dreams of the characters.

Who wrote War and Peace author. Bishop of Yegoryevsk Tikhon (Shevkunov): Who wrote “War and Peace”? The main characters of the novel