Progressive transformations in Bolkonsky's estates. Life path of Andrei Bolkonsky
Throughout the entire novel by Leo Tolstoy “War and Peace” we meet different characters. Some just appear and immediately leave, while others spend their whole lives before our eyes. And we, together with them, rejoice at their successes, worry about failures, worry and think about what to do next. It is no coincidence that L.N. Tolstoy shows us in his novel “War and Peace” the path of Andrei Bolkonsky’s quest. We see a certain rebirth of man, a rethinking of the values of life, a moral ascent to human ideals of life.
Andrei Bolkonsky is one of Leo Tolstoy’s most beloved heroes. We can look at his entire life path in the novel “War and Peace”, the path of personality formation, the path of searching for the soul.
Andrey's ideals
Andrei Bolkonsky, whom we meet at the beginning of the novel, is different from Andrei Bolkonsky, with whom we part at the beginning of the fourth volume of the work. We see him at a social evening in Anna Scherer's salon, proud, arrogant, unwilling to participate in the life of society, considering it unworthy for himself. His ideals include the image of the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. In Bald Mountains, in a conversation with his father, Bolkonsky says: “... how can you judge Bonaparte like that. Laugh as you wish, but Bonaparte is still a great commander!
»He treated his wife Lisa unkindly, with visible superiority. Leaving for war, leaving his pregnant wife in the care of the old prince, he asked his father: “If they kill me and if I have a son, do not let him go from you... so that he can grow up with you... please.” Andrei considers his wife incapable of raising a worthy son.
Bolkonsky feels sincere feelings of friendship and love for Pierre Bezukhov, his only devoted friend. “You are dear to me, especially because you are the only living person among our entire world,” he told him.
Bolkonsky's military life is very eventful. He becomes Kutuzov's adjutant, helps decide the outcome of the Battle of Shengraben, protects Timokhin, goes to see Emperor Franz with the good news of the Russian victory (so it seems to him), and participates in the Battle of Austerlitz. Then he takes a significant break from the military campaign - at this time a rethinking of his life takes place. Then a return to military service, a passion for Speransky, the Borodino field, injury and death.
Bolkonsky's disappointments
The first disappointment came to Bolkonsky when he lay under the Austerlitz sky and thought about death. Seeing his idol, Napoleon, standing next to him, Bolkonsky for some reason did not experience from his presence the greatness that he had previously considered possible. “At that moment all the interests that occupied Napoleon seemed so insignificant to him, his hero himself seemed so petty, with this petty vanity and joy of victory, in comparison with that high, fair and kind sky that he saw and understood,” that’s what Bolkonsky was now occupied.
Returning home after being wounded, Bolkonsky finds his wife Lisa in labor. After her death, he realizes that he is partly to blame for what happened, in his attitude towards Lisa. He was too proud, too arrogant, too distant from her, and this brings him suffering.
After everything, Bolkonsky promises himself not to fight anymore. Bezukhov tries to revive him to life, talks about Freemasonry, talks about saving the soul in serving people, but Bolkonsky responds to all this: “I know only two real misfortunes in life: remorse and illness. And happiness is only the absence of these two evils.”
Preparing for the Battle of Borodino, Prince Andrei painfully went through all the events of his life that had happened to him. Tolstoy describes the state of his hero: “The three main sorrows of his life in particular stopped his attention. His love for a woman, the death of his father and the French invasion that captured half of Russia.” Bolkonsky calls “false” images the glory that once worried him so much, the love that he once did not take seriously, the fatherland that was now under threat. Previously, it seemed to him that all this was great, divine, unattainable, filled with deep meaning. And now it turned out to be so “simple, pale and rude.”
Love for Natasha Rostova
True insight into life came to Bolkonsky after meeting Natasha Rostova. Due to the nature of his activity, Andrei needed to meet with the district leader, who was Count Ilya Andreevich Rostov. On the way to Rostov, Andrei saw a huge old oak tree with broken branches. Everything around was fragrant and enjoying the breath of spring, only this oak, apparently, did not want to obey the laws of nature. The oak tree seemed gloomy and gloomy to Bolkonsky: “Yes, he is right, this oak tree is right a thousand times, let others, young people, succumb to this deception again, but we know life - our life is over!” This is exactly what Prince Andrei thought.
But upon returning home, Bolkonsky noticed with surprise that “the old oak tree, completely transformed... No gnarled fingers, no sores, no old grief and mistrust - nothing was visible...” stood in the same place. “No, life is not over at thirty-one,” Bolkonsky decided. The impression that Natasha made on him was so strong that he himself did not yet understand what really happened. Rostova awakened in him all his former desires and joys of life, joy from spring, from loved ones, from tender feelings, from love, from life.
Death of Bolkonsky
Many readers wonder why L. Tolstoy prepared such a fate for his beloved hero? Some consider the death of Bolkonsky in the novel “War and Peace” to be a feature of the plot. Yes, L.N. Tolstoy loved his hero very much. Bolkonsky's life was not easy. He went through a difficult path of moral quest until he found eternal truth. The search for peace of mind, spiritual purity, true love - these are now Bolkonsky’s ideals. Andrei lived a worthy life and accepted a worthy death. Dying in the arms of his beloved woman, next to his sister and son, having comprehended all the charm of life, he knew that he would soon die, he felt the breath of death, but the desire to live was great in him. “Natasha, I love you too much. “More than anything else,” he said to Rostova, and a smile shone on his face at that time. He died a happy man.
Having written an essay on the topic “The path of Andrei Bolkonsky’s quest in the novel “War and Peace,” I saw how a person changes under the influence of life’s experiences, events, circumstances, and the destinies of other people. Everyone can find the truth of life by going through a difficult path, as Tolstoy’s hero did.
Work test
Project on the topic: “The life path of Andrei Bolkonsky.” Completed by 10th grade student: Shumikhina Ekaterina Supervisor: Litvinova E.V.
Purpose of the work: 1. To see and analyze the life path of Andrei Bolkonsky. 2. Analyze the relationships in the Bolkonsky family. 3. Get acquainted with the principles of Andrei Nikolaevich Bolkonsky 3. See how the Battle of Austerlitz and the death of his wife affect Bolkonsky’s internal state. 4. Analyze the relationship between Natasha Rostova and Andrei Bolkonsky. 5. Consider how love changes people’s hearts, and what significance nature has in the life of one of the heroes of the novel “War and Peace.” 6. Consider the episode of Bolkonsky’s death.
I chose this job because I was interested in the life path of Andrei Bolkonsky. I was interested in how a person is changed by what happens around him. It was very interesting for me to watch how his life positions and outlook on life changed.
Andrei Bolkonsky Andrei Bolkonsky is the son of Prince Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky. His father was one of those people who served the Fatherland, and were not served. Andrei respects his father very much and is proud of him. However, he himself dreams of becoming famous, not serving. He is looking for a path to glory and honor through military feats, and dreams of his Toulon.
Salon of Anna Pavlovna Sherer For the first time, L.N. Tolstoy introduces us to Prince Bolkonsky in the salon of Anna Pavlovna Sherer. “Prince Bolkonsky was small in stature, a very handsome young man with definite and dry features. Everything about his figure, from his tired, bored look to his quiet, measured step, presented the sharpest contrast with his little, lively wife. He, apparently, not only knew everyone in the living room, but was so tired of him that looking at them and listening to them was very boring for him. Of all the faces that bored him, the face of his pretty wife seemed to bore him the most. With a grimace marring his handsome face, he turned away from her...”
The Bolkonsky estate The estate of General Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky is bald mountains. The Bolkonsky family adheres to very strict rules, where the father raises and teaches his daughter, and with his son he is cold and reserved. Pride, high moral character and devotion to the fatherland become important. Although the father seems so proud and cruel, he still worries about his son. “I’m writing to Kutuzov not to keep you as an adjutant for long—it’s a bad position.” And remember one thing, Prince Andrei... If they kill you, it will hurt me, an old man... And if I find out that you did not behave like the son of Nikolai Bolkonsky, I will be... ashamed! - But this, father, you might not have told me.
Bolkonsky in the war Prince Andrei committed a heroic act, he managed to raise the entire army behind him and go forward with a banner in his hand. But he felt nothing from this feat. As it turned out, he did not have an unusual impression or feeling; his thoughts during the feat were petty and fussy.
The Austerlitz sky The prince, wounded during the battle, falls and the boundless sky opens to his eyes. And nothing, “except the sky, not clear...”, interests him anymore. “How quiet, calm and solemn, not at all like how I ran... how we ran... How come I haven’t seen this high sky before.” The prince understands that “... everything is empty, everything is deception, except this endless sky...” Now Bolkonsky does not need either fame or honor. And even admiration for Napoleon lost its former meaning. . . After the battle, Bolkonsky comes to the understanding that he must live for himself and for his loved ones.
Returning home and death of his wife Returning home after being wounded, Bolkonsky finds his wife Lisa in labor, after which she dies. He realizes that he is partly to blame for what happened. He was too proud, too arrogant, he did not pay enough attention to her and this brings him suffering. After the death of his wife, he feels an inner emptiness and thinks that his life is “over.”
Old oak Meeting with an oak tree is one of the main turning points in Andrei Bolkonsky’s life and the discovery of a new, joyful one, in unity with all the people. He met the oak as a gloomy tree that did not obey the rest of the (forest) world. Bolkonsky compares himself to this oak tree, because he is not interested in talking about Bonaparte, who was the center of discussions with Anna Pavlovna Scherer; he was bored in their company. But at their second meeting, Andrei finds the oak renewed, full of vitality and love for the world around him. A causeless spring feeling of joy and renewal suddenly came over him; he remembered all the best moments of his life. And Austerlitz with the high sky, and Pierre on the ferry, and a girl excited by the beauty of the night, and this night, and the moon. And he thought: “No, life is not over at thirty-one. . ." .
Love for Natasha Rostova After meeting Natasha Rostova in Otradnoye, Andrei Bolkonsky is convinced that he must live on, believe in his happiness. But his selfishness played a cruel joke on him. Obeying the will of his father, he does not think about the feelings of his bride and in the end he sees that Natasha is carried away by Anatoly Kuragin. He takes this as a betrayal and again loses the meaning of life.
The death of Bolkonsky and the realization of the true values of life After the Battle of Borodino, the mortally wounded Prince Andrei ends up in the hospital and there he suddenly recognizes one of the wounded as Anatoly Kuragin. Anatole, in fact, is already dead as a person, but Bolkonsky retained his spirituality. He plunged into memories “from the world of childhood, pure and love.” Lying on his deathbed, Prince Bolkonsky discovers the true values of life (love) and the awareness of the ease of transition to another world. He sees Natasha and he loves her, but now he loves her in a new way, he has truly pure and deep feelings for her. And now his love for Natasha forced him to color everything around him with this living feeling and forgive Anatoly Kuragin.
Andrei Bolkonsky, his spiritual quest, the evolution of his personality are described throughout the entire novel by L. N. Tolstoy. For the author, changes in the consciousness and attitude of the hero are important, because, in his opinion, this is what speaks about the moral health of the individual. Therefore, all the positive heroes of War and Peace go through the path of searching for the meaning of life, the dialectics of the soul, with all the disappointments, loss and gain of happiness. Tolstoy indicates the presence of a positive beginning in the character by the fact that, despite life’s troubles, the hero does not lose his dignity. These are Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov. The common and main thing in their quest is that the heroes come to the idea of unity with the people. Let us consider what the spiritual quest of Prince Andrei led to.
Focus on Napoleon's ideas
Prince Bolkonsky first appears before the reader at the very beginning of the epic, in the salon of Anna Scherer, the maid of honor. Before us is a short man, with somewhat dry features, and very handsome in appearance. Everything in his behavior speaks of complete disappointment with life, both spiritual and family. Having married a beautiful egoist, Lisa Meinen, Bolkonsky soon gets tired of her and completely changes his attitude towards marriage. He even begs his friend Pierre Bezukhov to never marry.
Prince Bolkonsky longs for something new; for him, constant going out into society and family life is a vicious circle from which the young man strives to break out. How? Leaving for the front. This is the uniqueness of the novel “War and Peace”: Andrei Bolkonsky, as well as other characters, their dialectics of the soul, are shown within a certain historical setting.
At the beginning of Tolstoy's epic, Andrei Bolkonsky is an ardent Bonapartist who admires Napoleon's military talent and is an adherent of his idea of gaining power through military feat. Bolkonsky wants to get “his Toulon.”
Service and Austerlitz
With his arrival in the army, a new milestone in the quest of the young prince begins. The life path of Andrei Bolkonsky made a decisive turn in the direction of bold, courageous actions. The prince shows exceptional talent as an officer; he displays courage, valor and courage.
Even in the smallest details, Tolstoy emphasizes that Bolkonsky made the right choice: his face became different, stopped expressing fatigue from everything, feigned gestures and manners disappeared. The young man did not have time to think about how to behave correctly; he became real.
Kutuzov himself notes how talented Andrei Bolkonsky is as an adjutant: the great commander writes a letter to the young man’s father, noting that the prince is making exceptional progress. Andrei takes all victories and defeats to heart: he sincerely rejoices and experiences pain in his soul. He sees Bonaparte as an enemy, but at the same time continues to admire the genius of the commander. He still dreams of “his Toulon.” Andrei Bolkonsky in the novel “War and Peace” is an exponent of the author’s attitude towards outstanding personalities; it is from his lips that the reader learns about the most important battles.
The center of this stage of the prince’s life is the One who showed great heroism, seriously wounded, he lies on the battlefield and sees the bottomless sky. Then Andrey comes to the realization that he must reconsider his life priorities and turn to his wife, whom he despised and humiliated with his behavior. And his once idol, Napoleon, seems to him to be an insignificant little man. Bonaparte appreciated the young officer’s feat, but Bolkonsky didn’t care. He dreams only of quiet happiness and an impeccable family life. Andrei decides to end his military career and return home to his wife,
The decision to live for yourself and loved ones
Fate is preparing another heavy blow for Bolkonsky. His wife, Lisa, dies in childbirth. She leaves Andrey a son. The prince did not have time to ask for forgiveness, because he arrived too late, he is tormented by guilt. Andrei Bolkonsky's life path further is caring for his loved ones.
Raising his son, building an estate, helping his father form the ranks of the militia - these are his life priorities at this stage. Andrei Bolkonsky lives in solitude, which allows him to focus on his spiritual world and search for the meaning of life.
The progressive views of the young prince are manifested: he improves the life of his serfs (replaces corvée with quitrents), gives status to three hundred people. However, he is still far from accepting a sense of unity with the common people: every now and then thoughts of disdain for the peasantry and ordinary soldiers slip into his speech .
Fateful conversation with Pierre
The life path of Andrei Bolkonsky moves into another plane during the visit of Pierre Bezukhov. The reader immediately notices the kinship of the souls of the young people. Pierre, who is in a state of elation because of the reforms carried out on his estates, infects Andrei with enthusiasm.
Young people discuss for a long time the principles and meaning of changes in the life of the peasantry. Andrei does not agree with something; he does not accept Pierre’s most liberal views on serfs at all. However, practice has shown that, unlike Bezukhov, Bolkonsky was able to really make the life of his peasants easier. All thanks to his active nature and practical view of the serfdom.
Nevertheless, the meeting with Pierre helped Prince Andrei to delve well into his inner world and begin moving towards transformations of the soul.
Revival to a new life
A breath of fresh air and a change in outlook on life came from meeting Natasha Rostova, the main character of the novel “War and Peace.” Andrei Bolkonsky, on matters of acquiring land, visits the Rostov estate in Otradnoye. There he notices a calm, cozy atmosphere in the family. Natasha is so pure, spontaneous, real... She met him on a starry night during the first ball in her life and immediately captured the heart of the young prince.
Andrey seems to be born again: he understands what Pierre once told him: he needs to live not only for himself and his family, he needs to be useful to the whole society. That is why Bolkonsky goes to St. Petersburg to make his proposals to the military regulations.
Awareness of the meaninglessness of “state activity”
Unfortunately, Andrei did not manage to meet with the sovereign; he was sent to Arakcheev, an unprincipled and stupid man. Of course, he did not accept the young prince’s ideas. However, another meeting took place that influenced Bolkonsky’s worldview. We are talking about Speransky. He saw good potential for public service in the young man. As a result, Bolkonsky is appointed to a position related to the drafting of wartime laws. In addition, Andrei heads the commission for drafting wartime laws.
But soon Bolkonsky becomes disappointed with the service: the formal approach to work does not satisfy Andrei. He feels that he is doing unnecessary work here and that he will not provide real help to anyone. More and more often, Bolkonsky recalls life in the village, where he was truly useful.
Having initially admired Speransky, Andrei now saw pretense and unnaturalness. More and more often, Bolkonsky is visited by thoughts about the idleness of St. Petersburg life and the absence of any meaning in his service to the country.
Breakup with Natasha
Natasha Rostova and Andrei Bolkonsky were a very beautiful couple, but they were not destined to get married. The girl gave him the desire to live, to do something for the good of the country, to dream of a happy future. She became Andrei's muse. Natasha compared favorably with other girls of St. Petersburg society: she was pure, sincere, her actions came from the heart, they were devoid of any calculation. The girl sincerely loved Bolkonsky, and did not just see him as a profitable match.
Bolkonsky makes a fatal mistake by postponing his wedding with Natasha for a whole year: this provoked her passion for Anatoly Kuragin. The young prince could not forgive the girl. Natasha Rostova and Andrei Bolkonsky break off their engagement. The blame for everything is the prince's excessive pride and unwillingness to hear and understand Natasha. He is again as self-centered as the reader observed Andrei at the beginning of the novel.
The final turning point in consciousness - Borodino
It is with such a heavy heart that Bolkonsky enters 1812, a turning point for the Fatherland. Initially, he thirsts for revenge: he dreams of meeting Anatoly Kuragin among the military and avenging his failed marriage by challenging him to a duel. But gradually the life path of Andrei Bolkonsky changes once again: the impetus for this was the vision of the tragedy of the people.
Kutuzov entrusts the command of the regiment to the young officer. The prince completely devotes himself to his service - now this is his life’s work, he has become so close to the soldiers that they call him “our prince.”
Finally, the day of the apotheosis of the Patriotic War and the quest of Andrei Bolkonsky comes - the Battle of Borodino. It is noteworthy that L. Tolstoy puts his vision of this great historical event and the absurdity of wars into the mouth of Prince Andrei. He reflects on the pointlessness of so many sacrifices for the sake of victory.
The reader sees here Bolkonsky, who has gone through a difficult life: disappointment, death of loved ones, betrayal, rapprochement with the common people. He feels that he now understands and realizes too much, one might say, foreshadows his death: “I see that I have begun to understand too much. But it is not fit for a man to eat of the tree of good and evil.”
Indeed, Bolkonsky is mortally wounded and, among other soldiers, ends up in the care of the Rostovs’ house.
The prince feels the approach of death, he thinks about Natasha for a long time, understands her, “sees her soul,” dreams of meeting his beloved and asking for forgiveness. He confesses his love to the girl and dies.
The image of Andrei Bolkonsky is an example of high honor, loyalty to duty to the Motherland and people.
Article menu:
L.N. Tolstoy never showed himself to be an unprincipled writer. Among the variety of his images, one can easily find those to which he had a positive attitude, with enthusiasm, and those to which he felt antipathy. One of the characters to which Tolstoy was clearly partial was the image of Andrei Bolkonsky.
Marriage to Lisa Meinen
For the first time we meet Bolkonsky in Anna Pavlovna Sherer. He appears here as a guest bored and tired of all the social society. In his internal state, he resembles a classic Byronic hero who does not see the meaning in secular life, but continues to live this life out of habit, while experiencing internal torment from moral dissatisfaction.
At the beginning of the novel, Bolkonsky appears before readers as a 27-year-old young man married to Kutuzov’s niece, Lisa Meinen. His wife is pregnant with their first child and is due to give birth soon. Apparently, family life did not bring happiness to Prince Andrei - he treats his wife rather coolly, and even tells Pierre Bezukhov that getting married is destructive for a person.
During this period, the reader sees the development of two different aspects of Bolkonsky’s life - secular, associated with the arrangement of family life and military - Prince Andrei is in military service and is an adjutant to General Kutuzov.
Battle of Austerlitz
Prince Andrei is full of desire to become a significant person in the military field; he places great hopes on the military events of 1805-1809. - according to Bolkonsky, this will help him lose the feeling of the meaninglessness of life. However, the very first wound significantly sobers him up - Bolkonsky reconsiders his priorities in life and comes to the conclusion that he will be able to fully realize himself in family life. Having fallen on the battlefield, Prince Andrei notices the beauty of the sky and wonders why he had never looked at the sky before and not noticed its uniqueness.
Bolkonsky was not lucky - after being wounded, he became a prisoner of war of the French army, but then he has the opportunity to return to his homeland.
Having recovered from his wound, Bolkonsky goes to his father’s estate, where his pregnant wife is. Since there was no information about Prince Andrei, and everyone considered him dead, his appearance was a complete surprise. Bolkonsky arrives home just in time - he finds his wife giving birth and her death. The child managed to survive - it was a boy. Prince Andrei was depressed and saddened by this event - he regrets that he had a cool relationship with his wife. Until the end of his days, he remembered the frozen expression on her dead face, which seemed to ask: “Why did this happen to me?”
Life after wife's death
The sad consequences of the Battle of Austerlitz and the death of his wife were the reasons why Bolkonsky decided to refuse military service. While most of his compatriots were called up to the front, Bolkonsky specifically tried to make sure that he would not end up on the battlefield again. To this end, under the guidance of his father, he begins activities as a militia collector.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with the history of moral transformation.
At this moment there is a famous fragment of Bolkonsky’s vision of an oak tree, which, in contrast to the entire greening forest, argued the opposite - the blackened oak trunk suggested the finitude of life. In fact, the symbolic image of this oak embodied the internal state of Prince Andrei, who also looked devastated. After some time, Bolkonsky again had to drive along the same road, and he saw that his seemingly dead oak tree had found the strength to live. From this moment, Bolkonsky's moral restoration begins.
Dear readers! If you want to find out, we bring to your attention this publication.
He does not stay in the position of militia collector and soon receives a new appointment - work in the commission for drafting laws. Thanks to his acquaintance with Speransky and Arakcheev, he is appointed to the position of head of the department.
At first, this work captivates Bolkonsky, but gradually his interest is lost and he soon begins to miss life on the estate. His work on the commission seems to Bolkonsky to be idle nonsense. Prince Andrei increasingly catches himself thinking that this work is aimless and useless.
It is likely that during the same period, Bolkonsky’s internal torment led Prince Andrei to the Masonic lodge, but judging by the fact that Tolstoy did not develop this part of Bolkonsky’s relationship with society, the Masonic lodge did not spread and influence the path of life.
Meeting with Natasha Rostova
At the New Year's ball in 1811, he sees Natasha Rostova. After meeting the girl, Prince Andrei realizes that his life is not over and he should not dwell on Lisa’s death. Bolkonsky's heart is filled with love in Natalya. Prince Andrei feels natural in Natalya’s company - he can easily find a topic of conversation with her. When communicating with a girl, Bolkonsky behaves at ease, he likes the fact that Natalya accepts him for who he is, Andrey does not need to pretend or play along. Natalya was also captivated by Bolkonsky; she found him attractive both externally and internally.
Without thinking twice, Bolkonsky proposes to the girl. Since Bolkonsky’s position in society was impeccable, and besides, the financial situation was stable, the Rostovs agree to the marriage.
The only person who was extremely dissatisfied with the engagement was Prince Andrei's father - he persuades his son to go abroad for treatment and only then deal with the affairs of marriage.
Prince Andrei gives in and leaves. This event became fatal in Bolkonsky’s life - during his absence, Natalya fell in love with the rake Anatoly Kuragin and even attempted to escape with the rowdy.
He learns about this from a letter from Natalya herself. Such behavior unpleasantly struck Prince Andrei, and his engagement to Rostova was terminated. However, his feelings towards the girl did not fade away - he still continued to love her passionately until the end of his days.
Return to military service
To numb the pain and take revenge on Kuragin, Bolkonsky returns to the military field. General Kutuzov, who has always treated Bolkonsky favorably, invites Prince Andrei to go with him to Turkey. Bolkonsky accepts the offer, but Russian troops do not stay in the Moldavian direction for long - with the beginning of the military events of 1812, the transfer of troops to the Western Front begins, and Bolkonsky asks Kutuzov to send him to the front line.
Prince Andrei becomes commander of the Jaeger regiment. As a commander, Bolkonsky demonstrates himself at his best: he treats his subordinates with care and enjoys significant authority among them. His colleagues call him “our prince” and are very proud of him. Such changes in him were realized thanks to Bolkonsky’s refusal of individualism and his merging with the people.
Bolkonsky's regiment became one of the military units that took part in military events against Napoleon, in particular during the Battle of Borodino.
Wounded in the Battle of Borodino and its consequences
During the battle, Bolkonsky is seriously wounded in the stomach. The injury received causes Bolkonsky to reassess and realize many of life’s dogmas. Colleagues bring their commander to the dressing station; on the nearby operating table he sees his enemy, Anatoly Kuragin, and finds the strength to forgive him. Kuragin looks very pitiful and depressed - the doctors amputated his leg. Looking at Anatole’s emotions and his pain, anger and desire for revenge, which has been devouring Bolkonsky all this time, recedes and is replaced by compassion - Prince Andrei feels sorry for Kuragin.
Then Bolkonsky falls into unconsciousness and remains in this state for 7 days. Bolkonsky regains consciousness already in the Rostovs’ house. Together with other wounded, he was evacuated from Moscow.
Natalya at this moment becomes his angel. During the same period, Bolkonsky’s relationship with Natasha Rostova also takes on a new meaning, but for Andrei it’s all too late - his wound leaves him no hope of recovery. However, this did not prevent them from finding short-term harmony and happiness. Rostova constantly cares for the wounded Bolkonsky, the girl realizes that she still loves Prince Andrei, because of this, her feeling of guilt towards Bolkonsky only intensifies. Prince Andrei, despite the severity of his wound, tries to look as usual - he jokes a lot and reads. Oddly enough, of all the possible books, Bolkonsky asked for the Gospel, probably because after the “meeting” with Kuragin at the dressing station, Bolkonsky began to realize Christian values and was able to love the people close to him with true love. Despite all efforts, Prince Andrei still dies. This event had a tragic impact on Rostova’s life - the girl often remembered Bolkonsky and went over in her memory all the moments spent with this man.
Thus, the life path of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky once again confirms Tolstoy’s position - the life of good people is always full of tragedy and quest.
Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy created the novel “War and Peace” from 1863 to 1869. It was originally conceived as a novel about the return of the Decembrist from exile in 1856, and the main character was to be Pyotr Ivanovich Lobadov. In the image of Lobadov, Tolstoy wanted to show the tragedy of the hero of the Decembrist uprising, whose era was in the past and who would no longer be able to find himself in a changed society. But in order to... in order to reliably recreate the events of 1825, Tolstoy had to return to the history of the Patriotic War (as one of the Decembrists wrote in his diary: “... we all emerged from the war of 1812...”). The first chapters of the novel were originally called “1805” and told about the origins of the war and the people who participated in it. This is how the main characters of the work appeared, including one of the author’s favorites, Andrei Bolkonsky.
It is important to note that Tolstoy’s positive heroes are always characterized by a difficult life path, full of wrong actions, mistakes, and painful searches for their purpose in life.
Let's try to trace the fate of Andrei Bolkonsky and the path of his moral quest in the novel.
So, for the first time we meet Prince Andrei, a man with a “tired, bored look,” in the social salon of Anna Pavlovna Scherer, where all the best representatives of high St. Petersburg society gather, people with whom the hero’s fate will subsequently intersect: “beautiful Helen” Kuragin and her brother Anatole, “the main reveler” of St. Petersburg, Pierre Bezukhov, the illegitimate son of Count Bezukhov, and others. Some appear here to show themselves in the world, others - to make a career for themselves, to advance in their careers. Having completed the ritual of greeting the “unknown... and unnecessary aunt,” the guests gather to start a casual small talk, and the hostess of the salon “presents” Abbe Moriot and Viscount Mortemar to her guests, “like roast beef on a hot platter.” Prince Andrei is indifferent to this society, he is tired of it, “having fallen into a vicious circle” from which he cannot escape, he decides to find his destiny in the military field, and, leaving his wife, whom he does not love (“... Never marry. .. - he says to Pierre, “don’t get married until... until you stop loving the woman you chose...”), goes to the war of 1805, hoping to find “his Toulon.” It is very important to note here that, on the one hand, being an enemy of Napoleon, Bolkonsky is at the same time captured by the ideas of Napoleonism: before the battle, he admits to himself that he is ready to sacrifice his father, sister, wife, is ready to shed the blood of other people for the sake of his personal victory, so that take Kutuzov’s place, and then - “it doesn’t matter what happens next...”.
When the battle begins, Bolkonsky grabs the banner and, “dragging it along the ground,” runs ahead of the soldiers to become famous, but is wounded - “as if with a stick to the head.” Opening his eyes, Andrei sees “a high, endless sky”, besides which “there is nothing, there is nothing and... everything is empty, everything is a deception...”, and Napoleon seems just a small, insignificant man compared to eternity. From this moment, liberation from Napoleonic ideas begins in Bolkonsky’s soul.
Returning home, Prince Andrei dreams of starting a new life, no longer with a “little princess” with a “squirrel expression” on her face, but with a woman with whom he hopes to finally create a single family, but does not have time - his wife dies in childbirth, and the reproach that Andrei read on her face: “...what have you done to me?” - will always haunt him, making him feel guilty before her.
After the death of Princess Lisa, Bolkonsky lives on his estate in Bogucharovo, organizing the household and becoming disillusioned with life. Having met Pierre, full of new ideas and aspirations, who has entered the Masonic society and wants to show that he is “a different, better Pierre than he was before,” Prince Andrei treats his friend with irony, believing that “he must live out his life. .. without worrying and without wanting anything.” He feels like a person lost for life.
Having gone to Otradnoye to visit Count Rostov on business, Bolkonsky drove through a green forest and saw an oak tree, which, with its branches spread out, seemed to say: “Everything is the same, and everything is a deception!” There is no spring, no sun, no happiness...”
Having agreed to spend the night in Otradnoye, Bolkonsky, going to the window at night, heard the voice of Natasha Rostova, who, admiring the beauty of the night, wanted to “fly up” to the sky.
Returning back and driving through the forest, Prince Andrei looked for an oak tree and did not find it. The oak blossomed, became covered with greenery and seemed to admire itself. And at that moment Andrei decided that at 31, life was not only not over, but, on the contrary, it was just beginning. And the desire to make sure that the girl who wanted to fly into the sky, and Pierre, and everyone else knew about him and “so that they would not live so independently of his life, so that it would be reflected on everyone...”, overwhelmed him. Returning to St. Petersburg, Andrei entered the bureaucratic service and began creating bills, became friends with Speransky, but soon abandoned this service, realizing with horror that here, too, when dealing with state issues, people are guided solely by their personal interests.
Bolkonsky's love for Natasha Rostova, whom he met at a ball on the occasion of the advent of 1811, helped Bolkonsky to come back to life again. Without receiving his father's permission to marry, Prince Andrei went abroad.
The year 1812 came and the war began. Disappointed in Natasha's love after her betrayal with Kuragin, Bolkonsky went to war, despite his vow never to serve again. Unlike the war of 1805, now he did not seek glory for himself, but wanted to take revenge on the French, “his enemies,” for the death of his father, for the crippled destinies of many people. On the eve of the Battle of Borodino, Bolkonsky had no doubt about victory and believed in the spiritual strength of the Russian people, who rose to defend the Fatherland and Moscow. Now Andrei did not have the individualism that was there before; he felt himself to be part of the people. After the mortal wound he received on the battlefield, Andrei Bolkonsky finally found, according to Tolstoy, the highest truth that every person should come to - he came to the Christian worldview, understood the meaning of the fundamental laws of existence, which he could not comprehend before, and forgave his enemy: “Compassion, love for brothers, for those who love, love for those who hate us, love for enemies, yes, that love that God preached on earth... and which I did not understand.”
So, having comprehended the laws of higher, Christian love, Andrei Bolkonsky dies. He dies because he saw the possibility of eternal love, eternal life, and “to love everyone, to always sacrifice oneself for love meant not to love anyone, it meant not to live this earthly life...”.
The more Prince Andrei moved away from women, “the more the barrier between life and death was destroyed” and the path to a new, eternal life was opened for him. It seems to me that in the image of Andrei Bolkonsky, a contradictory man capable of making mistakes and correcting his mistakes, Tolstoy embodied his main idea about the meaning of moral quests in the life of any person: “To live honestly, you need to rush, get confused, fight, make mistakes... and the main thing is to fight. And calmness is spiritual meanness.”
