Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy
WAR AND PEACE
PART ONE
In St. Petersburg at this time, in the highest circles, with greater fervor than ever, there was a complex struggle between the parties of Rumyantsev, the French, Maria Feodorovna, the Tsarevich and others, drowned out, as always, by the trumpeting of the court drones. But calm, luxurious, concerned only with ghosts, reflections of life, St. Petersburg life went on as before; and because of the course of this life, it was necessary to make great efforts to recognize the danger and the difficult situation in which the Russian people found themselves. There were the same exits, balls, the same French theater, the same interests of the courts, the same interests of service and intrigue. Only in the highest circles were efforts made to recall the difficulty of the present situation. It was told in whispers how the two empresses acted opposite to each other in such difficult circumstances. Empress Maria Feodorovna, concerned about the welfare of the charitable and educational institutions under her jurisdiction, made an order to send all institutions to Kazan, and the things of these institutions were already packed. Empress Elizaveta Alekseevna, when asked what orders she wanted to make, with her characteristic Russian patriotism, deigned to answer that she could not make orders about state institutions, since this concerned the sovereign; about the same thing that personally depends on her, she deigned to say that she will be the last to leave St. Petersburg.
Anna Pavlovna had an evening on August 26, the very day of the Battle of Borodino, the flower of which was to be the reading of the letter from the Eminence, written when sending the image of the venerable saint Sergius to the sovereign. This letter was revered as an example of patriotic spiritual eloquence. It was to be read by Prince Vasily himself, famous for his art of reading. (He also read for the Empress.) The art of reading was considered to consist in pouring out words loudly, melodiously, between a desperate howl and a gentle murmur, completely regardless of their meaning, so that, quite by chance, a howl would fall on one word, and a murmur on others. This reading, like all Anna Pavlovna’s evenings, had political significance. At this evening there were to be several important persons who had to be shamed for their trips to the French theater and encouraged into a patriotic mood. Quite a lot of people had already gathered, but Anna Pavlovna had not yet seen all the people she needed in the living room, and therefore, without starting to read yet, she started general conversations.
The news of the day that day in St. Petersburg was the illness of Countess Bezukhova. The Countess unexpectedly fell ill a few days ago, missed several meetings of which she was an adornment, and it was heard that she did not see anyone and that instead of the famous St. Petersburg doctors who usually treated her, she entrusted herself to some Italian doctor who treated her for some reason. in a new and unusual way.
Everyone knew very well that the illness of the lovely countess was due to the inconvenience of marrying two husbands at once and that the Italian’s treatment consisted of eliminating this inconvenience; but in the presence of Anna Pavlovna, not only did no one dare to think about it, but it was as if no one knew it.
On dit que la pauvre comtesse est tr
L"angine? Oh, c"est une maladie terrible! [Chest disease? Oh, this is a terrible disease!]
On dit que les rivaux se sont reconcili
The word angine was repeated with great pleasure.
Le vieux comte est touchant
Oh, ce serait une perte terrible. C"est une femme ravissante. [Oh, that would be a great loss. Such a lovely woman.]
“Vous parlez de la pauvre comtesse,” said Anna Pavlovna, approaching. - J"ai envoy
Believing that with these words Anna Pavlovna was slightly lifting the veil of secrecy over the countess’s illness, one careless young man allowed himself to express surprise that famous doctors were not called in, but that the countess was being treated by a charlatan who could give dangerous remedies.
Vos informations peuvent
Je trouve que c"est charmant! [I find it charming!] - he said about the diplomatic paper with which the Austrian banners taken by Wittgenstein were sent to Vienna, le h
How, how is this? - Anna Pavlovna turned to him, arousing silence to hear the mot, which she already knew.
And Bilibin repeated the following original words of the diplomatic dispatch he compiled:
“Empereur renvoie les drapeaux Autrichiens,” said Bilibin, “drapeaux amis et
Charmant, charmant, [Lovely, charming,] - said Prince Vasily.
C"est la route de Varsovie peut-
Most gracious Emperor! - Prince Vasily declared sternly and looked around the audience, as if asking if anyone had anything to say against this. But no one said anything. - “The Mother See of Moscow, the New Jerusalem, receives Christ his, - suddenly he struck on the word his, - like a mother into the arms of her zealous sons, and through the emerging darkness, seeing the brilliant glory of your power, she sings in delight: “Hosanna, blessed is he who comes!” - Prince Vasily said these last words in a crying voice.
Bilibin examined his nails carefully, and many, apparently, were timid, as if asking what was their fault? Anna Pavlovna repeated in a whisper forward, like an old woman praying for communion: “Let the impudent and insolent Goliath…” she whispered.
Prince Vasily continued:
- “Let the daring and insolent Goliath from the borders of France carry deadly horrors to the edges of Russia; meek faith, this sling of the Russian David, will suddenly strike down the head of his bloodthirsty pride. This image of St. Sergius, the ancient zealot for the good of our fatherland, is brought to your imperial majesty. I am sick because my weakening strength prevents me from enjoying your most kind contemplation. I send warm prayers to heaven, that the Almighty may magnify the race of the righteous and fulfill your Majesty’s good wishes.”
Quelle force! Quel style! [What power! What a syllable!] - praise was heard for the reader and writer. Inspired by this speech, Anna Pavlovna’s guests talked for a long time about the situation of the fatherland and made various assumptions about the outcome of the battle, which was to be fought the other day.
Vous verrez, [You will see.] - said Anna Pavlovna, - that tomorrow, on the sovereign’s birthday, we will receive news. I have a good feeling.
Anna Pavlovna's premonition really came true. The next day, during a prayer service in the palace on the occasion of the sovereign's birthday, Prince Volkonsky was called from the church and received an envelope from Prince Kutuzov. This was a report from Kutuzov, written on the day of the battle from Tatarinova. Kutuzov wrote that the Russians did not retreat a single step, that the French lost much more than we did, that he was reporting in a hurry from the battlefield, without having yet managed to collect the latest information. Therefore, it was a victory. And immediately, without leaving the temple, gratitude was given to the creator for his help and for the victory.
Anna Pavlovna's premonition was justified, and a joyful and festive mood reigned in the city all morning. Everyone recognized the victory as complete, and some were already talking about the capture of Napoleon himself, his deposition and the election of a new head for France.
Far from business and among the conditions of court life, it is very difficult for events to be reflected in all their fullness and force. Involuntarily, general events are grouped around one particular case. So now the main joy of the courtiers was as much in the fact that we had won as in the fact that the news of this victory fell precisely on the sovereign’s birthday. It was like a successful surprise. Kutuzov’s news also spoke about Russian losses, and Tuchkov, Bagration, and Kutaisov were named among them. Also, the sad side of the event involuntarily in the local St. Petersburg world was grouped around one event - the death of Kutaisov. Everyone knew him, the sovereign loved him, he was young and interesting. On this day everyone met with the words:
How amazing it happened. At the very prayer service. And what a loss for the Kutais! Oh, what a pity!
What did I tell you about Kutuzov? - Prince Vasily now spoke with the pride of a prophet. - I always said that he alone is capable of defeating Napoleon.
But the next day there was no news from the army, and the general voice became alarming. The courtiers suffered for the suffering of the unknown in which the sovereign was.
What is the position of the sovereign! - said the courtiers and no longer praised him as the day before, but now condemned Kutuzov, who was the cause of the sovereign’s anxiety. Prince Vasily on this day no longer boasted of his prot
The general conversation centered around three sad events: the unknown of the sovereign, the death of Kutaisov and the death of Helen.
On the third day after Kutuzov’s report, a landowner from Moscow arrived in St. Petersburg, and news of the surrender of Moscow to the French spread throughout the city. It was terrible! What was the position of the sovereign! Kutuzov was a traitor, and Prince Vasily during the visites de condol
I only wonder how it was possible to entrust the fate of Russia to such a person.
While this news was still unofficial, one could still doubt it, but the next day the following report came from Count Rostopchin:
“The adjutant of Prince Kutuzov brought me a letter in which he demands from me police officers to accompany the army to the Ryazan road. He says that he is leaving Moscow with regret. Sovereign! Kutuzov’s act decides the lot of the capital and your empire. Russia will shudder upon learning of the cession of the city where the greatness of Russia is concentrated, where the ashes of your ancestors are. I will follow the army. I took everything away, I can only cry about the fate of my fatherland.”
Having received this report, the sovereign sent the following rescript to Kutuzov with Prince Volkonsky:
“Prince Mikhail Ilarionovich! Since August 29 I have not had any reports from you. Meanwhile, on September 1st, through Yaroslavl, from the Moscow commander-in-chief, I received the sad news that you had decided to leave Moscow with the army. You yourself can imagine the effect this news had on me, and your silence aggravates my surprise. I am sending with this the adjutant general, Prince Volkonsky, in order to find out from you about the situation of the army and about the reasons that prompted you to such sad determination.”
Nine days after leaving Moscow, a messenger from Kutuzov arrived in St. Petersburg with official news of the abandonment of Moscow. This messenger was the Frenchman Michaud, who did not speak Russian, but quoique
The Emperor immediately received the messenger in his office, in the palace of Kamenny Island. Michaud, who had never seen Moscow before the campaign and who did not speak Russian, still felt moved when he appeared before notre tr
Although the source of M. Michaud's chagrin [grief] must have been different from that from which flowed the grief of the Russian people, Michaud had such a sad face when he was brought into the Tsar's office that the Tsar immediately asked him:
M"apportez vous de tristes nouvelles, colonel? [What news did you bring me? Bad, Colonel?]
Bien tristes, sire,” answered Michaud, lowering his eyes with a sigh, “l"abandon de Moscou. [Very bad, Your Majesty, abandonment of Moscow.]
Aurait on livr
Michaud respectfully conveyed what he was ordered to convey from Kutuzov - namely, that it was not possible to fight near Moscow and that, since there was only one choice left - to lose the army and Moscow or Moscow alone, the field marshal had to choose the latter.
The Emperor listened in silence, without looking at Michaud.
L"ennemi est-il en ville? [Has the enemy entered the city?] - he asked.
Oui, sire, et elle est en cendres
But this lasted only one minute. The Emperor suddenly frowned, as if condemning himself for his weakness. And, raising his head, he addressed Michaud in a firm voice.
“Je vois, colonel, par tout ce qui nous arrive,” he said, “que la providence exige de grands sacrifices de nous... Je suis pr
Seeing the tranquility of his tr
Sire, me permettrez-vous de vous parler franchement en loyal militaire? [Sir, will you allow me to speak frankly, as befits a real warrior?] - he said to gain time.
Colonel, je l "exige toujours," said the sovereign. "Ne me cachez rien, je veux savoir absolument ce qu"il en est. [Colonel, I always demand this... Don’t hide anything, I definitely want to know the whole truth.]
Sire! - said Michaud with a thin, barely noticeable smile on his lips, having managed to prepare his answer in the form of a light and respectful jeu de mots [play on words]. - Sire! j"ai laiss
This was just what Michaud was waiting for to insert his play on words.
Sire,” he said with a respectful playfulness of expression, “ils craignent seulement que Votre Majest
Ah! - the sovereign said calmly and with a gentle sparkle in his eyes, hitting Michaud on the shoulder. - Vous me tranquillisez, colonel. [A! You reassure me, Colonel.]
The Emperor, with his head down, was silent for some time.
Eh bien, retournez
Colonel Michaud, n "oubliez pas que je vous dis ici; peut-
Sire! - he said. - Votre Majest
The Emperor bowed his head and released Michaud.
While Russia was half conquered, and the inhabitants of Moscow fled to distant provinces, and militia after militia rose to defend the fatherland, it involuntarily seems to us, who did not live at that time, that all Russian people, young and old, were busy only with to sacrifice oneself, save the fatherland or cry over its destruction. Stories and descriptions of that time, without exception, speak only of self-sacrifice, love of the fatherland, despair, grief and heroism of the Russians. In reality this was not the case. It seems to us that this is so only because we see from the past one common historical interest of that time and do not see all those personal, human interests that the people of that time had. Meanwhile, in reality, those personal interests of the present are so much more significant than general interests that because of them, a general interest is never felt (not even noticeable at all). Most people of that time did not pay any attention to the general course of affairs, but were guided only by the personal interests of the present. And these people were the most useful figures of that time.
Those who tried to understand the general course of affairs and wanted to participate in it with self-sacrifice and heroism were the most useless members of society; they saw everything inside out, and everything they did for the benefit turned out to be useless nonsense, like the regiments of Pierre, Mamonov, plundering Russian villages, like lint plucked by the ladies and never reaching the wounded, etc. Even those who, loving to be clever and express their feelings, they talked about the present situation in Russia, involuntarily bearing in their speeches the imprint of either pretense and lies, or useless condemnation and anger at people accused of something for which no one could be guilty. In historical events, the most obvious is the prohibition of eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Only unconscious activity bears fruit, and the person who plays a role in a historical event never understands its significance. If he tries to understand it, he is struck by its futility.
The significance of the event that was taking place in Russia at that time was all the more unnoticeable, the closer human participation was in it. In St. Petersburg and provincial cities distant from Moscow, ladies and men in militia uniforms mourned Russia and the capital and talked about self-sacrifice, etc.; but in the army that was retreating beyond Moscow, they almost didn’t talk or think about Moscow, and, looking at its conflagration, no one swore revenge on the French, but thought about the next third of their salary, about the next stop, about the Matryoshka doll and the like...
Nikolai Rostov, without any goal of self-sacrifice, but by chance, since the war found him in the service, took a close and long-term part in the defense of the fatherland and therefore, without despair and gloomy conclusions, looked at what was happening in Russia at that time. If they had asked him what he thought about the current situation in Russia, he would have said that he had nothing to think about, that Kutuzov and others were there for that, and that he had heard that the regiments were being recruited, and that they would probably fight for a long time , and that under the current circumstances it would not be surprising for him to receive a regiment in two years.
Because he looked at the matter this way, he not only accepted the news of his appointment on a business trip for repairs for the division in Voronezh without regret that he would be deprived of participation in the last struggle, but also with the greatest pleasure, which he did not hide and which his comrades understood very well.
A few days before the Battle of Borodino, Nikolai received money and papers and, sending the hussars ahead, went to Voronezh by mail.
Only those who have experienced this, that is, have spent several months without ceasing in the atmosphere of military, combat life, can understand the pleasure that Nicholas experienced when he got out of the area that the troops reached with their forages, supplies, and hospitals; when he, without soldiers, wagons, dirty traces of the presence of the camp, saw villages with men and women, landowners' houses, fields with grazing cattle, station houses with fallen asleep caretakers. He felt such joy as if he had seen it all for the first time. In particular, what surprised and pleased him for a long time were women, young, healthy, each of whom had less than a dozen officers looking after her, and women who were glad and flattered that a passing officer was joking with them.
In the most cheerful mood, Nikolai arrived at the hotel in Voronezh at night, ordered himself everything that he had been deprived of for a long time in the army, and the next day, having shaved clean and putting on a dress uniform that had not been worn for a long time, he went to report to his superiors.
The head of the militia was a civil general, an old man who, apparently, was amused by his military rank and rank. He angrily (thinking that this was a military quality) received Nicholas and significantly, as if having the right to do so and as if discussing the general course of the matter, approving and disapproving, questioned him. Nikolai was so cheerful that it was just funny to him.
From the chief of the militia he went to the governor. The governor was a small, lively man, very affectionate and simple. He pointed out to Nikolai those factories where he could get horses, recommended to him a horse dealer in the city and a landowner twenty miles from the city who had the best horses, and promised all assistance.
Are you Count Ilya Andreevich's son? My wife was very friendly with your mother. On Thursdays they gather at my place; “Today is Thursday, you are welcome to come to me easily,” said the governor, dismissing him.
Directly from the governor, Nikolai took the saddlebag and, taking the sergeant with him, rode twenty miles to the landowner's factory. Everything during this first time of his stay in Voronezh was fun and easy for Nikolai, and everything, as happens when a person is well disposed, everything went well and went smoothly.
The landowner to whom Nikolai came was an old bachelor cavalryman, a horse expert, a hunter, the owner of a carpet, a hundred-year-old casserole, an old Hungarian and wonderful horses.
Nikolai, in two words, bought for six thousand and seventeen stallions for selection (as he said) for the horse-drawn end of his renovation. Having had lunch and drunk a little extra Hungarian, Rostov, having kissed the landowner, with whom he had already gotten on first name terms, along the disgusting road, in the most cheerful mood, galloped back, constantly chasing the coachman, in order to be in time for the evening with the governor.
Having changed clothes, perfumed himself and doused his head with cold milk, Nikolai, although somewhat late, but with a ready-made phrase: vaut mieux tard que jamais, [better late than never] came to the governor.
It was not a ball, and it was not said that there would be dancing; but everyone knew that Katerina Petrovna would play waltzes and ecosaises on the clavichord and that they would dance, and everyone, counting on this, gathered at the ballroom.
Provincial life in 1812 was exactly the same as always, with the only difference that the city was livelier on the occasion of the arrival of many wealthy families from Moscow and that, as in everything that happened at that time in Russia, it was noticeable some kind of special sweepingness - knee-deep sea, tryn-grass in life, and even in the fact that that vulgar conversation that is necessary between people and which was previously conducted about the weather and about mutual acquaintances, was now conducted about Moscow, about the army and Napoleon .
The society gathered from the governor was the best society in Voronezh.
There were a lot of ladies, there were several of Nikolai’s Moscow acquaintances; but there were no men who could in any way compete with the Cavalier of St. George, the hussar repairman and at the same time the good-natured and well-mannered Count Rostov. Among the men was one captured Italian - an officer of the French army, and Nikolai felt that the presence of this prisoner further elevated the importance of him - the Russian hero. It was like a trophy. Nikolai felt this, and it seemed to him that everyone was looking at the Italian in the same way, and Nikolai treated this officer with dignity and restraint.
As soon as Nicholas entered in his hussar uniform, spreading the smell of perfume and wine around him, he himself said and heard the words spoken to him several times: vaut mieux tard que jamais, they surrounded him; all eyes turned to him, and he immediately felt that he had entered into the position of everyone’s favorite that was due to him in the province and was always pleasant, but now, after a long deprivation, the position of everyone’s favorite intoxicated him with pleasure. Not only at stations, inns and in the landowner’s carpet were there maidservants who were flattered by his attention; but here, at the governor’s evening, there was (as it seemed to Nikolai) an inexhaustible number of young ladies and pretty girls who were impatiently waiting for Nikolai to pay attention to them. Ladies and girls flirted with him, and from the first day the old women were already busy trying to get this young rake of a hussar married and settled down. Among these latter was the governor’s wife herself, who accepted Rostov as a close relative and called him “Nicolas” and “you.”
Katerina Petrovna really began to play waltzes and ecosaises, and dances began, in which Nikolai even more captivated the entire provincial society with his dexterity. He surprised even everyone with his special, cheeky style of dancing. Nikolai himself was somewhat surprised by his manner of dancing that evening. He had never danced like that in Moscow and would even have considered such an overly cheeky manner of dancing indecent and mauvais genre [bad taste]; but here he felt the need to surprise them all with something unusual, something that they should have accepted as ordinary in the capitals, but still unknown to them in the provinces.
Throughout the evening, Nikolai paid most of his attention to the blue-eyed, plump and pretty blonde, the wife of one of the provincial officials. With that naive conviction of cheerful young people that other people's wives were created for them, Rostov did not leave this lady and treated her husband in a friendly, somewhat conspiratorial manner, as if they, although they did not say it, knew how nicely they would get together - then there is Nikolai and this husband’s wife. The husband, however, did not seem to share this conviction and tried to treat Rostov gloomily. But Nikolai’s good-natured naivety was so boundless that sometimes the husband involuntarily succumbed to Nikolai’s cheerful mood of spirit. Towards the end of the evening, however, as the wife's face became more ruddy and livelier, her husband's face became sadder and paler, as if the share of animation was the same in both, and as it increased in the wife, it decreased in the husband .
Nikolai, with a never-ending smile on his face, sat slightly bent in his chair, leaning close over the blonde and telling her mythological compliments.
Briskly changing the position of his legs in tight leggings, spreading the smell of perfume from himself and admiring his lady, himself, and the beautiful shapes of his legs under the tight kichkirs, Nikolai told the blonde that he wanted to kidnap a lady here in Voronezh.
Which one?
Lovely, divine. Her eyes (Nikolai looked at his interlocutor) are blue, her mouth is coral, white... - he looked at her shoulders, - Diana's figure...
The husband approached them and gloomily asked his wife what she was talking about.
A! Nikita Ivanovich,” said Nikolai, standing up politely. And, as if wanting Nikita Ivanovich to take part in his jokes, he began to tell him his intention to kidnap a certain blonde.
The husband smiled gloomily, the wife cheerfully. The good governor's wife approached them with a disapproving look.
Anna Ignatievna wants to see you, Nicolas,” she said, pronouncing the words in such a voice: Anna Ignatievna, that it has now become clear to Rostov that Anna Ignatievna is a very important lady. - Let's go, Nicholas. After all, you allowed me to call you that?
Oh yes, ma tante. Who is this?
Anna Ignatievna Malvintseva. She heard about you from her niece, how you saved her... Can you guess?..
You never know I saved them there! - said Nikolai.
Her niece, Princess Bolkonskaya. She is here in Voronezh with her aunt. Wow! how he blushed! What, or?..
And I didn’t think, completeness, ma tante.
Okay, okay. ABOUT! what are you!
The governor's wife led him to a tall and very fat old woman in a blue cape, who had just finished her card game with the most important persons in the city. This was Malvintseva, Princess Marya's maternal aunt, a rich childless widow who always lived in Voronezh. She stood paying for the cards when Rostov approached her. She narrowed her eyes sternly and importantly, looked at him and continued to scold the general who had won against her.
“I’m very glad, my dear,” she said, holding out her hand to him. - You are welcome to me.
After talking about Princess Marya and her late father, whom Malvintseva apparently did not love, and asking about what Nikolai knew about Prince Andrei, who also apparently did not enjoy her favors, the important old woman let him go, repeating the invitation to be with her.
Nikolai promised and blushed again when he bowed to Malvintseva. At the mention of Princess Marya, Rostov experienced an incomprehensible feeling of shyness, even fear.
Leaving Malvintseva, Rostov wanted to return to dancing, but the little governor’s wife put her plump hand on Nikolai’s sleeve and, saying that she needed to talk to him, led him to the sofa, from which those who were there came out immediately, so as not to disturb the governor’s wife.
You know, mon cher,” said the governor’s wife with a serious expression on her kind little face, “this is definitely the match for you; Do you want me to marry you?
Who, ma tante? - Nikolai asked.
I'm wooing the princess. Katerina Petrovna says that Lily, but in my opinion, no, is a princess. Want? I'm sure your maman will thank you. Really, what a lovely girl! And she's not that bad at all.
“Not at all,” Nikolai said, as if offended. “I, ma tante, as a soldier should, do not ask for anything and do not refuse anything,” Rostov said before he had time to think about what he was saying.
So remember: this is not a joke.
What a joke!
“Yes, yes,” the governor’s wife said, as if speaking to herself. - Here's what else, mon cher, entre autres. Vous
“Oh, no, we’re friends,” Nikolai said in the simplicity of his soul: it never occurred to him that such a fun pastime for him could not be fun for anyone.
“What a stupid thing I said, however, to the governor’s wife! - Nikolai suddenly remembered at dinner. “She’ll definitely start wooing, and Sonya?..” And, saying goodbye to the governor’s wife, when she, smiling, once again told him: “Well, remember,” he took her aside:
But to tell you the truth, ma tante...
What, what, my friend; Let's go sit here.
Nikolai suddenly felt the desire and need to tell all his innermost thoughts (those that he would not have told his mother, sister, friend) to this almost stranger. Nikolai later, when he recalled this impulse of unprovoked, inexplicable frankness, which, however, had very important consequences for him, it seemed (as it always seems to people) that he had found a stupid verse; and yet this outburst of frankness, together with other minor events, had enormous consequences for him and for the whole family.
That's it, ma tante. Maman has long wanted to marry me to a rich woman, but the thought alone disgusts me, marrying for money.
“Oh yes, I understand,” said the governor’s wife.
But Princess Bolkonskaya, that’s another matter; firstly, I’ll tell you the truth, I really like her, she’s after my heart, and then, after I met her in this position, it’s so strange, it often occurred to me that this was fate. Think especially: maman has been thinking about this for a long time, but I had never met her before, somehow everything happened like this: we didn’t meet. And at a time when Natasha was her brother’s fiancée, because then I would not have been able to think about marrying her. It’s necessary that I met her exactly when Natasha’s wedding was upset, and then that’s it... Yes, that’s what. I haven't told this to anyone and I won't tell it. And only to you.
The governor's wife shook his elbow gratefully.
Do you know Sophie, cousin? I love her, I promised to marry her and I will marry her... Therefore, you see that this is out of the question,” Nikolai said awkwardly and blushing.
Mon cher, mon cher, how do you judge? But Sophie has nothing, and you yourself said that your dad’s affairs A very bad. And your maman? This will kill her, for one. Then Sophie, if she is a girl with a heart, what kind of life will she have? The mother is in despair, things are upset... No, mon cher, you and Sophie must understand this.
Nikolai was silent. He was pleased to hear these conclusions.
Still, ma tante, this can’t be,” he said with a sigh, after a short silence. - Will the princess still marry me? and again, she is now in mourning. Is it possible to think about this?
Do you really think that I will marry you now? Il y a mani
What a matchmaker you are, ma tante... - said Nicolas, kissing her plump hand.
Arriving in Moscow after her meeting with Rostov, Princess Marya found there her nephew with his tutor and a letter from Prince Andrei, who prescribed them their route to Voronezh, to Aunt Malvintseva.
Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy
WAR AND PEACE
PART ONE
I
In St. Petersburg at this time, in the highest circles, with greater fervor than ever, there was a complex struggle between the parties of Rumyantsev, the French, Maria Feodorovna, the Tsarevich and others, drowned out, as always, by the trumpeting of the court drones. But calm, luxurious, concerned only with ghosts, reflections of life, St. Petersburg life went on as before; and because of the course of this life, it was necessary to make great efforts to recognize the danger and the difficult situation in which the Russian people found themselves. There were the same exits, balls, the same French theater, the same interests of the courts, the same interests of service and intrigue. Only in the highest circles were efforts made to recall the difficulty of the present situation. It was told in whispers how the two empresses acted opposite to each other in such difficult circumstances. Empress Maria Feodorovna, concerned about the welfare of the charitable and educational institutions under her jurisdiction, made an order to send all institutions to Kazan, and the things of these institutions were already packed. Empress Elizaveta Alekseevna, when asked what orders she wanted to make, with her characteristic Russian patriotism, deigned to answer that she could not make orders about state institutions, since this concerned the sovereign; about the same thing that personally depends on her, she deigned to say that she will be the last to leave St. Petersburg.
Anna Pavlovna had an evening on August 26, the very day of the Battle of Borodino, the flower of which was to be the reading of the letter from the Eminence, written when sending the image of the venerable saint Sergius to the sovereign. This letter was revered as an example of patriotic spiritual eloquence. It was to be read by Prince Vasily himself, famous for his art of reading. (He also read for the Empress.) The art of reading was considered to consist in pouring out words loudly, melodiously, between a desperate howl and a gentle murmur, completely regardless of their meaning, so that, quite by chance, a howl would fall on one word, and a murmur on others. This reading, like all Anna Pavlovna’s evenings, had political significance. At this evening there were to be several important persons who had to be shamed for their trips to the French theater and encouraged into a patriotic mood. Quite a lot of people had already gathered, but Anna Pavlovna had not yet seen all the people she needed in the living room, and therefore, without starting to read yet, she started general conversations.
The news of the day that day in St. Petersburg was the illness of Countess Bezukhova. The Countess unexpectedly fell ill a few days ago, missed several meetings of which she was an adornment, and it was heard that she did not see anyone and that instead of the famous St. Petersburg doctors who usually treated her, she entrusted herself to some Italian doctor who treated her for some reason. in a new and unusual way.
Everyone knew very well that the illness of the lovely countess was due to the inconvenience of marrying two husbands at once and that the Italian’s treatment consisted of eliminating this inconvenience; but in the presence of Anna Pavlovna, not only did no one dare to think about it, but it was as if no one knew it.
On dit que la pauvre comtesse est très mal. Le médecin dit que c"est l"angine pectorale. [They say that the poor countess is very bad. The doctor said it was a chest disease.]
L"angine? Oh, c"est une maladie terrible! [Chest disease? Oh, this is a terrible disease!]
On dit que les rivaux se sont reconciliés grâce à l "angine... [They say that the rivals were reconciled thanks to this illness.]
The word angine was repeated with great pleasure.
Le vieux comte est touchant à ce qu"on dit. Il a pleuré comme un enfant quand le médecin lui a dit que le cas était dangereux. [The old count is very touching, they say. He cried like a child when the doctor said that the case dangerous.]
Oh, ce serait une perte terrible. C"est une femme ravissante. [Oh, that would be a great loss. Such a lovely woman.]
“Vous parlez de la pauvre comtesse,” said Anna Pavlovna, approaching. “J"ai envoyé savoir de ses nouvelles. On m"a dit qu"elle allait un peu mieux. Oh, sans doute, c"est la plus charmante femme du monde," said Anna Pavlovna with a smile at her enthusiasm. - Nous appartenons à des camps différents, mais cela ne m"empêche pas de l"estimer, comme elle le mérite. Elle est bien malheureuse, [You are talking about the poor countess... I sent to find out about her health. They told me she was feeling a little better. Oh, without a doubt, this is the loveliest woman in the world. We belong to different camps, but that doesn't stop me from respecting her on her merits. She is so unhappy.] - added Anna Pavlovna.
PART 1.
Chapter I. Petersburg. The struggle of political parties in the highest secular circles. Evening in the salon of A.P. Scherer on August 26 - the day of the Battle of Borodino. Talk about Helen's illness. Prince Vasily reading a letter from Metropolitan Plato to Alexander I
Chapter II. Receipt in St. Petersburg of Kutuzov's report on the Battle of Borodino, interpreted as a victory. Festive mood in the city. No further news. Discontent in court circles with Kutuzov. The sudden death of Helen Bezukhova. News of the surrender of Moscow to the French. Rastopchin's report on the abandonment of Moscow. Rescript from Alexander I to Kutuzov expressing dissatisfaction with his actions
Chapter III. Arrival in St. Petersburg of Colonel Michaud, sent from Kutuzov with official news of the abandonment of Moscow. Alexander I's conversation with Michaud and his words about the irreconcilable struggle with Napoleon to the end.
Chapter IV. The author's reasoning is that during critical periods experienced by the country, most people do not pay attention to the general course of affairs, but live a private life and are guided only by the personal interests of the present. The mood of Nikolai Rostov, who is sent from the army to Voronezh, is in the same mood. Nikolai successfully buys horses for his regiment. Evening at the governor's. The success of Rostov in provincial society
Chapter V. Nicholas's courtship of the blonde - the wife of a provincial official. Rostov meets Malvintseva, the aunt of Princess Marya Bolkonskaya. The governor's wife's conversation with Nikolai about Princess Marya and her proposal to marry him. Nicholas's consent
Chapter VI. Princess Marya and her nephew live with their aunt in Voronezh. The mood of Princess Marya. Her meeting with Rostov. Mutual interest and the beginning of a rapprochement between Nicholas and Princess Marya
Chapter VII. Princess Marya and Nikolai Rostov after receiving news in Voronezh about the Battle of Borodino, about the abandonment of Moscow and about the wounding of Prince Andrei. Nicholas's meeting with Princess Marya during a prayer service in the cathedral. Nicholas' thoughts about Princess Marya and Sonya. Mental confusion when remembering the promise given to Sonya. Rostov's prayer for a solution to Sonya. Nicholas unexpectedly receives letters from his relatives: from Sonya with the refusal of his promise to marry her, and from his mother with the news of the fire of Moscow, the destruction of their fortune and the health of Prince Andrei, who was traveling with them.
Chapter VIII. Circumstances that prompted Sonya's letter to Nikolai. The old countess tearfully asks Sonya to sever her ties with Nikolai. Sonya's life in the Rostov house. Natasha tells Sonya that everything is as before with the prince. Sonya's joyful feeling - if Natasha marries Prince Andrei, Nikolai will not be able to marry Princess Marya. Sonya sees the fulfillment of her Christmas fortune-telling about Prince Andrei. Sonya's letter
Chapter IX. The first days of Pierre's captivity. Interrogation by the commission. Awaiting the decision of Marshal Pierre, with 13 other accused, they are placed in a carriage house near the Crimean Ford
Chapter X. Pierre, along with other prisoners, is led to the Maiden Field. View of a Moscow fire. Pierre feels like an insignificant grain of sand caught in the wheels of a properly functioning machine. Interrogation of Pierre by Marshal Davout. Pierre is suspected of being a spy. The moment of Davout's human relationship with Pierre. Uncertainty for Pierre the result of his interrogation of Davout
Chapter XI. The prisoners are led to the place of execution. Execution scene. Pierre's experiences. Pierre does not immediately realize that he is saved
Chapter XII. Pierre in the prisoner of war barracks. Pierre's state of mind after the execution. Meeting between Pierre and Platon Karataev. First impression and conversation with him. Karataev's story about himself
Chapter XIII. Characteristics of Platon Karataev
Chapter XIV. Departure of Princess Marya from Voronezh to Yaroslavl to visit the wounded Prince Andrei. Princess Marya's feeling of love for Nikolai Rostov and the confidence that she is loved by him. Princess Marya's grief about her brother. Arrival in Yaroslavl and reception at the Rostovs. Meeting with Natasha. The instant rapprochement of Princess Marya and Natasha during their conversation about Prince Andrei
Chapter XV. Meeting of Princess Marya with her brother. Her difficult impression from this meeting. The general idea is that Prince Andrei is passing away. Nikolushka's date with his father and his mood after this date
Chapter XVI. Prince Andrei feels that he is dying. Consciousness of alienation from life. His love for Natasha. Prince Andrey's dream. Change in his physical condition. Death.
Chapter II. The famous flank march of Russian troops. The author's reasoning about this march and the role of Kutuzov. Napoleon's letter to Kutuzov and Loriston's parcel. Kutuzov's answer. Change in the strength of the Russian and French troops
Chapter III. An attempt to control the Russian army from St. Petersburg: a plan for the entire war, sending new people, moving staff. A complex game of games in the army headquarters. Letter from Alexander I to Kutuzov demanding an offensive
Chapter IV. Bennigsen's note on the need for an offensive. Disposition of the Tarutino battle and its execution. General Kikin's ball, attended by all the important generals of the army
Chapter V. Kutuzov from Letashevka rides to the battlefield and along the way notices columns that were supposed to be in ambush. Kutuzov's outburst of anger over the failed movement
Chapter VI. The offensive of Russian troops the next day. Movement of columns. Orlov-Denisov's detachment and its successful attack on the French. A missed opportunity to capture Murat. Confusion during the movement of infantry columns that went to the wrong place. Skirmish between Tolya and Baggovut
Chapter VII. The movement of columns under the command of Kutuzov. The attitude of the commander-in-chief to the offensive. Awards for the Battle of Tarutino. The author's discussion of the results of the Tarutino battle
Chapter VIII. Analysis of Napoleon's activities since his entry into Moscow
Chapter IX. Napoleon's actions to restore order in the army and in Moscow. His appeal to the residents of Moscow
Chapter X. The futility of Napoleon's measures: the plan for a further campaign, diplomatic steps, administrative measures, the organization of trade, theaters, etc. The decline of discipline in the French army. Report from commanders about robberies and looting. The collapse and death of the French army during its stay in Moscow. Her flight from Moscow with looted goods after the Battle of Tarutino
Chapter XI. Pierre is in captivity. The French are preparing to leave Moscow. A friendly conversation between a French corporal and Pierre. Platon Karataev sews a shirt for a French soldier
Chapter XII. Description of the internal change in Pierre that happened to him in captivity. His calmness and agreement with himself, after the horror of death, deprivation, and understanding of Karataev he experienced. Attitude towards Pierre of the French and prisoners
Chapter XIII. Speech by the French from Moscow. Pierre again feels the action of a mysterious force. Party of prisoners. View of Moscow after the fire
Chapter XIV. Procession of a party of prisoners through the streets of Moscow. Movement of the advancing French troops. Crowding, crowding, disorder and confusion. Road scenes. The anger of the French. The first overnight stay for prisoners. Pierre's reflections
Chapter XV. Napoleon sending a new envoy to Kutuzov with a peace proposal and a secondary negative response from Kutuzov. Sending Dokhturov's detachment to Fominskoye for action against Broussier's division. Dokhturov stumbles upon the entire French army leaving Moscow and sends a report about this to the commander-in-chief.
Chapter XVI. Arrival of the officer sent by Dokhturov to the main headquarters of the Russian army. Conversation between Bolkhovitinov and Shcherbinin and Konovnitsyn. Characteristics of Konovnitsyn
Chapter XVII. Kutuzov at night during insomnia. His thoughts on the unresolved question of whether the wound inflicted on the French in Borodino was fatal or not. Tolya, Konovnitsyn and Bolkhovitinov came to him. Kutuzov's excitement and tears at the news of the French army's withdrawal from Moscow, which marked the turning point of the war
Chapter XVIII. Kutuzov’s activities aimed at preventing useless offensives of Russian troops against the dying enemy. Reasons for the death of Napoleon's army. At Maloyaroslavets, Napoleon almost gets captured by the Cossacks. Napoleon's order to retreat along the Smolensk road
Chapter XIX. The disorderly flight of the French army to Smolensk along the Smolensk road they had destroyed. Further disintegration of the French army. The desire of Russian military commanders to block the path of the fleeing French. Kutuzov and his plan - not to interfere with the disastrous escape of Napoleon’s army
Chapter II. Guerrilla warfare as one of the methods of waging a people's war. Reasoning about the strength of the army
Chapter III. Guerrilla war in 1812. The partisan detachments of Denisov and Dolokhov are preparing to attack a large French transport of cavalry equipment and Russian prisoners
Chapter IV. Denisov with his partisans. Arrival of Petya Rostov in Denisov’s detachment with a proposal from the German general to join him in an attack on French transport. A joyful meeting between Petya and Denisov. Petya remains in the squad
Chapter V. Denisov, Petya and the esaul go to look out for the French and meet Dolokhov. Scout Tikhon Shcherbaty. The French are shooting at him. Its characteristics
Chapter VI. Denisov's conversation with Tikhon about “language.” Tikhon's story of how he captured a Frenchman
Chapter VII. Petya Rostov's service as an officer. Sending him to Denisov's detachment. Lunch in the forest guardhouse. Petya's enthusiastic mood. Petit's interest in the captured French drummer boy
Chapter VIII. Arrival of Dolokhov. Denisov's conversation with Dolokhov about the upcoming case and the captured French. Dolokhov's intention to go to the French camp in disguise for reconnaissance. Petya, despite Denisov’s dissuasions, volunteers to go with Dolokhov
Chapter IX. Dolokhov with Petya in the French camp. Conversation between Dolokhov and French officers. Petya's excitement. Their safe return
Chapter X. Return of Petya Rostov to Denisov’s detachment. Petya does not sleep from excitement and starts a conversation with the Cossack, who is sharpening his saber. Petya half-asleep to the sound of a sharpening stone, which seemed to him like an orchestra of harmonious, solemn music. Dawn.
Chapter XI. Performance by Denisov's squad. Attack on the French depot and convoy. Petya rushes forward in self-forgetfulness. French volley. Death of Petya. Capture of transport and a batch of Russian prisoners; among the prisoners was Pierre Bezukhov
Chapter XII. Pierre with a party of prisoners during the French movement from Moscow to Smolensk. Platon Karataev falls ill with fever again. Experiences and mood of Pierre Bezukhov
Chapter XIII. Pierre recalls Karataev's story at the previous night's halt about a merchant who innocently ended up in Siberia and died there after his innocence was revealed
Chapter XIV. Driving past the depot and prisoners of the French marshal. Platon Karataev fell behind and was shot by the French
Chapter XV. Overnight for the depot, convoy and prisoners at Shamshev. Pierre's dream, in which the events of reality are combined with dreams: thoughts about life, a ball of living moving drops, Karataev. Release of Pierre from captivity
Chapter XVII. Analysis of the actions of Russian and French troops in the last period of the war. Flight of the French army
PART 4.
Chapter I. The mood of Natasha and Princess Marya after the death of Prince Andrei. Natasha's loneliness and her alienation from people and life. Thoughts about Prince Andrei
Chapter II. News of Petya's death. The Countess's grief. Natasha consoles her mother
Chapter III. Caring for her mother, Natasha returns to life. Natasha's close friendship with Princess Marya. Her departure with Princess Marya to Moscow to see doctors
Chapter IV. The movement of Russian troops behind the French. Kutuzov's activities aimed at facilitating the movement of his troops and at facilitating the escape of the French, and not stopping them. Opposite aspirations of other Russian generals. Krasnensky battles. Charges against Kutuzov, who allegedly interfered with the defeat of Napoleon
Chapter V. Assessment of the activities and historical significance of Kutuzov as the leader of the people's war
Chapter VI. Kutuzov near Krasnoye. His speech to the army with an unexpected ending
Chapter VII. Overnight for the Muskate Regiment in an open bivouac near Krasny. Soldiers drag a fence to the fire
Chapter VIII. Soldier scenes and conversations around the fire in the eighth company
Chapter IX. At the fire of the fifth company. The appearance of Rambal and his orderly from the forest. The kind treatment they received from Russian soldiers. Morel sings a song about Henry IV. Cheerful laughter of soldiers.
Chapter X. Berezina crossing. Failure of the St. Petersburg Berezinsky plan. Strengthening court and staff intrigues against Kutuzov. There was dissatisfaction with him at court and among the army commanders. Kutuzov sends Bennigsen out of the army. The arrival of Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich in the army shows Kutuzov that his role is over.
* * Kutuzov in Vilna. The episode with Chichagov. Arrival of Alexander I in Vilna. The Tsar's dissatisfaction with the field marshal. Awarding Kutuzov Georgy 1st degree
Chapter XI. Lunch and ball at the Field Marshal's. The Tsar's dissatisfaction with Kutuzov despite external signs of mercy towards him. Kutuzov's inadequacy to the new tasks of the European war. His imperceptible removal from the leadership of the army. Death
Chapter XII. Pierre Bezukhov after his release from captivity. His long illness in Orel. Recovery. Joyful consciousness of freedom. The painful question about the purpose of life is replaced for Pierre by faith in God
Chapter XIII. Pierre feels a great internal change in himself. His new outlook on life and on people. Relation to the princess, servants, captive Italian officer, freemason Villarsky. Pierre's decision to go to Moscow to organize his affairs
Chapter XIV. Description of the revival of Moscow after the departure of the enemy and the fire
Chapter XV. Pierre's arrival in Moscow. His visit to Princess Marya. An unexpected meeting with Natasha, which he does not immediately recognize. Pierre's awakening of love for Natasha
Chapter XVI. Conversation between Princess Marya, Pierre and Natasha about Prince Andrei. Natasha's story about her meeting with the wounded Prince Andrei and her experiences during his illness and death
Chapter XVII. During the dinner. Pierre's story about his captivity. Growing intimacy between Pierre and Natasha. Conversation between Princess Marya and Natasha about Pierre
Chapter XVIII. Pierre's mood after his date with Natasha. Love for her and the decision to marry. Pierre postpones his trip to St. Petersburg and visits Princess Marya's house every day. Pierre tells the princess about his feelings for Natasha and asks for her mediation
Chapter XIX. Pierre's joyful mood after his explanation with Princess Marya and Natasha
Chapter XX. The change that occurred in Natasha after the appearance of Pierre. The power of life and hope for happiness awakened in her. Natasha's explanation with Princess Marya about Pierre's matchmaking
Chapter II. Reasoning about chance and genius
Chapter III. Reasoning about the reasons for the movement of European peoples from West to East and from East to West. About the accidental role of Napoleon in these movements
Chapter IV. On stopping the movement of peoples from West to East. The end of Napoleon's accidental role. Alexander I and his role in the movement of the masses from east to west. Thoughts on the role of the individual in serving common goals
Chapter V. The wedding of Pierre and Natasha. Death of the old Count Rostov: The Ruin of the Rostovs. Nikolai resigns, enters the civil service and has difficulty supporting his mother and Sonya.
Chapter VI. Arrival of Princess Marya in Moscow. Her visit to Rostov. Meeting with Nikolai. His estrangement from her. The chagrin of Princess Marya. Return visit from Nikolai. Explanation of Princess Marya and Nikolai
Chapter VII. Nicholas's marriage to Princess Marya and life in Bald Mountains. Nicholas' farm.
Chapter VIII. Nikolai's family life. An explanation with Princess Marya about the outburst and beating of the headman. Sonya's position in the house. Characteristics given to Sonya by Natasha
Chapter IX. The eve of the winter Nikolin day of 1820 in Bald Mountains. Nicholas and Princess Marya. Their quarrel and reconciliation. Children. The happiness of Princess Marya
Chapter X. Natasha is married. Her life with her husband is with her brother in the village. The change that took place in Natasha's appearance and character. Relationship with Pierre
Chapter XI. Natasha is waiting for Pierre's arrival from St. Petersburg. Pierre's arrival. Natasha's revival. Pierre and Natasha in the nursery
Chapter XII. Family interests of the inhabitants of the Lysogorsky house. Present. Old Countess of Rostov.
Chapter XIII. Pierre and his wife in the living room. A conversation between the family and the old countess about St. Petersburg news. Pierre among the children
Chapter XIV. Nikolenka Bolkonsky. Denisov. Conversations about public sentiment in St. Petersburg and the state of affairs in Russia. Outrage at the reaction and Arakcheevism. Pierre's thoughts about society. The views of Nikolai Rostov and his sharp objection to Pierre. Nikolenka Bolkonsky's excitement caused by an argument between adults
Chapter XV. Nicholas and Princess Marya. Diary of Princess Marya about children. Nikolai's admiration for his wife. Their conversation about the dispute in the office and Nikolenka
Chapter XVI. Natasha and Pierre. Their conversation is about children, about the dispute with Nikolai, about Platon Karataev. Internal relations of Pierre and Natasha. Nikolenka Bolkonsky's dream. Thoughts about father and Pierre
Chapter II. About the force that moves and controls nations. Controversy with historians who understand this power as the power inherent in heroes
Chapter III. Reasoning about the force that creates historical events. Controversy with historians writing histories of individuals
Chapter IV. Reasoning about the meaning of power. Power as the totality of the wills of the masses. Controversies among historians on the issue of power
Chapter VI. Reasoning about the relationship of orders to events and their dependence. The army, as a union of people for common activity, and the relationship between superiors and subordinates in it
Chapter VII. About the connection between historical figures and the masses and the coincidence of every event that has taken place with the desire of one or more people. Definition of power and force producing the movement of peoples
Chapter VIII. About free will. The dependence of a person’s will on his character and the motives acting on him
Chapter IX. Subject of history. The question of freedom and necessity
Chapter X. Freedom and Necessity
Chapter XI. History's definition of freedom by the laws of reason. The author's criticism of this definition. The subject of history is the search for the laws of movement of peoples
Chapter XII. About the struggle between the old and new views of history. The law of necessity in history. Recognition of the dependence of a historical figure on the external world, time and causes, as the basis for developing the laws of history
After the death of Prince Andrei, Natasha and Princess Marya became very close to each other. However, they spoke surprisingly little. “If they talked, it was about the most insignificant subjects. Both avoided mentioning anything related to the future.”
“But pure, complete sadness is just as impossible as pure and complete joy. Princess Marya, in her position as one independent mistress of her destiny, guardian and educator of her nephew, was the first to be called to life from the world of sadness in which she lived for the first two weeks. She received letters from relatives that had to be answered; the room in which Nikolenka was placed was damp, and he began to cough.” Many other matters arose, “the concerns of life required her participation, and she involuntarily surrendered to them.”
Princess Marya began making preparations for her departure to Moscow. Natasha refused to go.
She lived with memories of Prince Andrei. When the letter about Petya’s death arrived, Natasha forgot about herself and did not leave her mother, who was sobbing.
“Princess Marya postponed her departure. Sonya and the Count tried to replace Natasha, but they could not. They saw that she alone could keep her mother from insane despair. For three weeks Natasha lived hopelessly with her mother, slept in a chair in her room, gave her water, fed her and talked to her incessantly - she talked because her gentle, caressing voice alone calmed the countess.”
The mother's mental wound could not be healed. A month after the news of Petya’s death, which found her “a fresh, vigorous fifty-year-old woman,” she left her room “half-dead and an old woman not taking part in life.”
“But the same wound that half killed the Countess, this new wound brought Natasha to life.”
Natasha “thought that her life was over. But suddenly love for her mother showed her that the essence of her life - love - was still alive in her. Love woke up and life woke up.”
Princess Marya told Natasha everything about her childhood, about her mother, about her father, about her dreams. Natasha fell in love with Princess Marya and understood her better than anyone else.
“At the end of January, Princess Marya left for Moscow, and the Count insisted that Natasha go with her in order to consult with doctors.”
This was due to Natasha’s failing health.
“The rapid movement of the Russians after the French had an effect on the Russian army just as destructive as the flight of the French.”
Many blamed Kutuzov for all the troubles. But Tolstoy says: “Meanwhile, it is difficult to imagine a historical person whose activity would be so invariably and constantly directed towards the same goal. It is difficult to imagine a goal more worthy and more consistent with the will of the entire people. It is even more difficult to find another example in history where the goal that a historical figure set for himself would be so completely achieved as the goal towards which all of Kutuzov’s activities were directed in 1812.”
On November 5, while touring the troops, Kutuzov made a solemn speech. He thanked the troops for their faithful service.
While in Vilna, Kutuzov restrained the troops in every possible way; he did not want to make a trip abroad. Kutuzov believed that his mission was completed, because he drove the enemies out of Russia. However, Alexander was unhappy that the old commander was so slow and did not want to go to Europe. Gradually Kutuzov lost power, it passed to the sovereign. Kutuzov died in April 1813.
After his release from captivity, Pierre was ill for three months. Then everyone noticed how much he had changed. Now he was listening to people attentively and interestedly. Pierre began to perceive God's will differently: “Everything is God, without whose will a hair will not fall from a person’s head.”
When the French left Moscow, local residents began to return.
“A week later there were already fifteen thousand inhabitants in Moscow, after two there were twenty-five thousand, etc.
Rising and rising, this number by the autumn of 1813 reached a figure exceeding the population of the 12th year.” Life in Moscow gradually improved.
St. Petersburg life, “concerned only with ghosts, reflections of life,” went on as before. Anna Pavlovna Scherer had an evening at which a letter from Metropolitan Plato to the sovereign was read and the illness of Helen Bezukhova was discussed. The next day, news was received about the abandonment of Moscow; after some time, Colonel Michaud arrived from Kutuzov with news of the abandonment and fire of Moscow; During a conversation with Michaud, Alexander said that he himself would stand at the head of his army, but would not sign peace. Meanwhile, Napoleon sends Loriston to Kutuzov with a peace proposal, but Kutuzov refuses “any deal.” The Tsar demands offensive action, and, despite Kutuzov’s reluctance, the Battle of Tarutino was given.
On an autumn night, Kutuzov receives news that the French have left Moscow. Until the very expulsion of the enemy from the borders of Russia, all of Kutuzov’s activities are aimed only at keeping troops from useless offensives and clashes with the dying enemy. The French army melts as it retreats; Kutuzov, on the way from Krasny to the main apartment, addresses the soldiers and officers: “While they were strong, we did not feel sorry for ourselves, but now we can feel sorry for them. They are people too." Intrigues against the commander-in-chief do not stop, and in Vilna the sovereign reprimands Kutuzov for his slowness and mistakes. Nevertheless, Kutuzov was awarded George I degree. But in the upcoming campaign - already outside Russia - Kutuzov is not needed. “The representative of the people's war had no choice but death. And he died."
Nikolai Rostov goes for repairs (to buy horses for the division) to Voronezh, where he meets Princess Marya; he again has thoughts about marrying her, but he is bound by the promise he made to Sonya. Unexpectedly, he receives a letter from Sonya, in which she returns his word to him (the letter was written at the insistence of the Countess). Princess Marya, having learned that her brother is in Yaroslavl, with the Rostovs, goes to see him. She sees Natasha, her grief and feels closeness between herself and Natasha. She finds her brother in a state where he already knows that he will die. Natasha understood the meaning of the turning point that occurred in Prince Andrei shortly before her sister’s arrival: she tells Princess Marya that Prince Andrei is “too good, he cannot live.” When Prince Andrei died, Natasha and Princess Marya felt “reverent tenderness” before the mystery of death.
The arrested Pierre is brought to the guardhouse, where he is kept along with other detainees; he is interrogated by French officers, then he is interrogated by Marshal Davout. Davout was known for his cruelty, but when Pierre and the French marshal exchanged glances, they both vaguely felt that they were brothers. This look saved Pierre. He, along with others, was taken to the place of execution, where the French shot five, and Pierre and the rest of the prisoners were taken to the barracks. The spectacle of the execution had a terrible effect on Bezukhov, in his soul “everything fell into a heap of meaningless rubbish.” A neighbor in the barracks (his name was Platon Karataev) fed Pierre and calmed him down with his gentle speech. Pierre forever remembered Karataev as the personification of everything “Russian good and round.” Plato sews shirts for the French and several times notices that among the French there are different people. A party of prisoners is taken out of Moscow, and together with the retreating army they walk along the Smolensk road. During one of the transitions, Karataev falls ill and is killed by the French. After this, Bezukhov, at a rest stop, has a dream in which he sees a ball, the surface of which consists of drops. Drops move, move; “Here he is, Karataev, spilled over and disappeared,” Pierre dreams. The next morning, a detachment of prisoners was repulsed by Russian partisans.
Denisov, the commander of a partisan detachment, is going to unite with a small detachment of Dolokhov to attack a large French transport with Russian prisoners. A messenger arrives from a German general, the head of a large detachment, with an offer to join for joint action against the French. This messenger was Petya Rostov, who remained for the day in Denisov’s detachment. Petya sees Tikhon Shcherbaty, a man who went to “take the language” and escaped pursuit, returning to the detachment. Dolokhov arrives and, together with Petya Rostov, goes on reconnaissance to the French. When Petya returns to the detachment, he asks the Cossack to sharpen his saber; he almost falls asleep and dreams of music. The next morning, the detachment attacks a French transport, and during a shootout Petya dies. Among the captured prisoners was Pierre.
After his release, Pierre is in Oryol - he is sick, the physical deprivations he experienced are taking their toll, but mentally he feels a freedom he has never experienced before. He learns about the death of his wife, that Prince Andrei was alive for another month after being wounded. Arriving in Moscow, Pierre goes to Princess Marya, where he meets Natasha. After the death of Prince Andrei, Natasha became isolated in her grief; She is brought out of this state by the news of Petya’s death. She does not leave her mother for three weeks, and only she can ease the countess’s grief. When Princess Marya leaves for Moscow, Natasha, at the insistence of her father, goes with her. Pierre discusses with Princess Marya the possibility of happiness with Natasha; Natasha also awakens in love for Pierre.
EPILOGUE
Seven years have passed. Natasha marries Pierre in 1813. The old Count Rostov dies. Nikolai retires, accepts the inheritance - there are twice as many debts as estates. He, along with his mother and Sonya, settles in Moscow, in a modest apartment. Having met Princess Marya, he tries to be reserved and dry with her (the thought of marrying a rich bride is unpleasant to him), but an explanation occurs between them, and in the fall of 1814 Rostov marries Princess Bolkonskaya. They move to Bald Mountains; Nikolai skillfully manages the household and soon pays off his debts. Sonya lives in his house; “she, like a cat, has taken root not with people, but with the house.”
In December 1820, Natasha and her children visited her brother. They are waiting for Pierre's arrival from St. Petersburg. Pierre arrives and brings gifts for everyone. In the office, a conversation takes place between Pierre, Denisov (he is also visiting the Rostovs) and Nikolai, Pierre is a member of a secret society; he talks about bad government and the need for change. Nikolai does not agree with Pierre and says that he cannot accept the secret society. During the conversation, Nikolenka Bolkonsky, the son of Prince Andrei, is present. At night he dreams that he and Uncle Pierre, wearing helmets, as in Plutarch’s book, are walking ahead of a huge army. Nikolenka wakes up with thoughts of her father and future glory.