Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace. Leo Tolstoy and his war and peace

A.E. In 1863, Bersom wrote to his friend, Count Tolstoy, a letter in which he reported on a fascinating conversation between young people about the events of 1812. Then Lev Nikolaevich decided to write a grandiose work about that heroic time. Already in October 1863, the writer wrote in one of his letters to a relative that he had never felt such creative powers in himself, new job, he says, will be unlike anything he’s done before.

Initially, the main character of the work should be the Decembrist, returning from exile in 1856. Next, Tolstoy moved the beginning of the novel to the day of the uprising in 1825, but then artistic time moved to 1812. Apparently, the count was afraid that the novel would not be released for political reasons, since Nicholas the First tightened censorship, fearing a repeat of the riot. Since the Patriotic War directly depends on the events of 1805, it was this period that in the final version became the foundation for the beginning of the book.

“Three Pores” - that’s what Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy called his work. It was planned that the first part or time would tell about the young Decembrists, participants in the war; in the second - a direct description of the Decembrist uprising; in the third – second half of the 19th century, sudden death Nicholas 1, the defeat of the Russian army in the Crimean War, an amnesty for members of the opposition movement who, returning from exile, expect changes.

It should be noted that the writer rejected all the works of historians, basing many episodes of War and Peace on the memoirs of participants and witnesses of the war. Materials from newspapers and magazines also served as excellent informants. In the Rumyantsev Museum, the author read unpublished documents, letters from ladies-in-waiting and generals. Tolstoy spent several days in Borodino, and in letters to his wife he enthusiastically wrote that if God grants health, he will describe battle of Borodino in a way that no one had ever described before.

The author spent 7 years of his life creating War and Peace. There are 15 variations of the beginning of the novel; the writer repeatedly abandoned and started his book again. Tolstoy foresaw the global scope of his descriptions, wanted to create something innovative and created an epic novel worthy of representing the literature of our country on the world stage.

Themes of War and Peace

1. Family theme. It is the family that determines the upbringing, psychology, views and moral principles of a person, and therefore naturally occupies one of the central places in the novel. The forge of morals shapes the characters' characters and influences the dialectic of their souls throughout the entire narrative. The description of the Bolkonsky, Bezukhov, Rostov and Kuragin families reveals the author’s thoughts about house building and the importance he attaches to family values.
2. The theme of the people. The glory for a won war always belongs to the commander or emperor, and the people, without whom this glory would not have appeared, remain in the shadows. It is this problem that the author raises, showing the vanity of the vanity of military officials and elevating ordinary soldiers. became the topic of one of our essays.
3. Theme of war. Descriptions of military operations exist relatively separately from the novel, independently. It is here that phenomenal Russian patriotism is revealed, which became the key to victory, the boundless courage and fortitude of a soldier who goes to any length to save his homeland. The author introduces us to war scenes through the eyes of one or another hero, plunging the reader into the depths of the bloodshed taking place. Large-scale battles echo the mental anguish of the heroes. Being at the crossroads of life and death reveals the truth to them.
4. Theme of life and death. Tolstoy's characters are divided into “living” and “dead”. The first include Pierre, Andrey, Natasha, Marya, Nikolai, and the second include old Bezukhov, Helen, Prince Vasily Kuragin and his son Anatole. The “living” are constantly in motion, and not so much physical as internal, dialectical (their souls come to harmony through a series of trials), while the “dead” hide behind masks and come to tragedy and internal split. Death in “War and Peace” is presented in 3 forms: bodily or physical death, moral death, and awakening through death. Life is comparable to the burning of a candle, someone's light is small, with flashes bright light(Pierre), for some it burns tirelessly (Natasha Rostova), Masha’s wavering light. There are also 2 hypostases: physical life, like that of “dead” characters, whose immorality deprives the world of the necessary harmony within, and the life of the “soul”, this is about the heroes of the first type, they will be remembered even after death.

Main characters

• Andrey Bolkonsky- a nobleman, disillusioned with the world and seeking glory. The hero is handsome, has dry features, short stature, but athletic build. Andrei dreams of being famous like Napoleon, and that’s why he goes to war. He is bored with high society; even his pregnant wife does not give him any relief. Bolkonsky changes his worldview when, wounded at the battle of Austerlitz, he encountered Napoleon, who seemed like a fly to him, along with all his glory. Further, the love that flared up for Natasha Rostova also changes the views of Andrei, who finds the strength to live again fully and happy life, after the death of his wife. He meets death on the Borodino field, because he does not find the strength in his heart to forgive people and not fight with them. The author shows the struggle in his soul, hinting that the prince is a man of war, he cannot get along in an atmosphere of peace. So, he forgives Natasha for betrayal only on his deathbed, and dies in harmony with himself. But achieving this harmony was possible only in this way - in last time. We wrote more about his character in the essay "".
• Natasha Rostova– a cheerful, sincere, eccentric girl. Knows how to love. He has a wonderful voice that will captivate the most picky music critics. In the work we see her for the first time 12 summer girl, on her name day. Throughout the entire work, we observe the growing up of a young girl: first love, first ball, Anatole’s betrayal, guilt before Prince Andrei, the search for her “I”, including in religion, the death of her lover (Andrei Bolkonsky). We analyzed her character in the essay "". In the epilogue, the wife of Pierre Bezukhov, his shadow, appears before us from a cocky lover of “Russian dances”.
• Pierre Bezukhov- a plump young man who was unexpectedly bequeathed a title and a large fortune. Pierre discovers himself through what is happening around him, from each event he learns a moral and a life lesson. His wedding with Helen gives him confidence; after being disappointed in her, he finds interest in Freemasonry, and in the end he gains warm feelings for Natasha Rostova. The Battle of Borodino and capture by the French taught him not to philosophize and find happiness in helping others. These conclusions were determined by acquaintance with Platon Karataev, a poor man who, while awaiting death in a cell without normal food and clothing, looked after the “little baron” Bezukhov and found the strength to support him. We've already looked at that too.
• Graph Ilya Andreevich Rostov- a loving family man, luxury was his weakness, which led to financial problems in the family. Softness and weakness of character, inability to adapt to life make him helpless and pitiful.
• Countess Natalya Rostova- the Count's wife, has oriental flavor, knows how to present himself correctly in society, loves his own children excessively. A calculating woman: she strives to upset the wedding of Nikolai and Sonya, since she was not rich. It was her cohabitation with a weak husband that made her so strong and firm.
• NickOlai Rostov– the eldest son is kind, open, with curly hair. Wasteful and weak in spirit, like his father. He squanders his family's fortune on cards. He longed for glory, but after participating in a number of battles he understands how useless and cruel war is. Family well-being and finds spiritual harmony in his marriage to Marya Bolkonskaya.
• Sonya Rostova– the count’s niece – small, thin, with a black braid. She had a reasonable character and good disposition. She has been devoted to one man all her life, but lets her beloved Nikolai go after learning about his love for Marya. Tolstoy exalts and appreciates her humility.
• Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky- Prince, has an analytical mind, but a heavy, categorical and unfriendly character. He is too strict, therefore he does not know how to show love, although he has warm feelings for children. Dies from the second blow in Bogucharovo.
• Marya Bolkonskaya– modest, loving her family, ready to sacrifice herself for the sake of her loved ones. L.N. Tolstoy especially emphasizes the beauty of her eyes and the ugliness of her face. In her image, the author shows that the charm of forms cannot replace spiritual wealth. are described in detail in the essay.
• Helen Kuragina – ex-wife Pierre - beautiful woman, socialite. She loves male company and knows how to get what she wants, although she is vicious and stupid.
• Anatol Kuragin- Helen's brother is handsome and belongs to high society. Immoral, absent moral principles, wanted to secretly get married to Natasha Rostova, although he already had a wife. Life punishes him with martyrdom on the battlefield.
• Fedor Dolokhov- officer and leader of the partisans, not tall, has light eyes. Successfully combines selfishness and care for loved ones. Vicious, passionate, but attached to his family.

Tolstoy's favorite hero

In the novel, the author's sympathy and antipathy for the characters is clearly felt. Concerning female images, the writer gives his love to Natasha Rostova and Marya Bolkonskaya. Tolstoy valued the real in girls feminine- devotion to the beloved, the ability to always remain blooming in the eyes of her husband, the knowledge of happy motherhood and caring. His heroines are ready for self-denial for the benefit of others.

The writer is fascinated by Natasha, the heroine finds the strength to live even after the death of Andrei, she directs love to her mother after the death of her brother Petya, seeing how hard it is for her. The heroine is reborn, realizing that life is not over as long as she has a bright feeling for her neighbor. Rostova shows patriotism, without a doubt helping the wounded.

Marya also finds happiness in helping others, in feeling needed by someone. Bolkonskaya becomes a mother for Nikolushka’s nephew, taking him under her “wing”. She worries about ordinary men who have nothing to eat, passing the problem through herself, and does not understand how the rich can not help the poor. IN final chapters books Tolstoy is fascinated by his heroines, who have matured and found female happiness.

Favorite male images Pierre and Andrei Bolkonsky became writers. Bezukhov first appears to the reader as a clumsy, plump, short young man who appears in Anna Scherer’s living room. Despite his ridiculous, ridiculous appearance, Pierre is smart, but the only person who accepts him for who he is is Bolkonsky. The prince is brave and stern, his courage and honor come in handy on the battlefield. Both men risk their lives to save their homeland. Both are rushing around in search of themselves.

Of course, L.N. Tolstoy brings his favorite heroes together, only in the case of Andrei and Natasha, happiness is short-lived, Bolkonsky dies young, and Natasha and Pierre find family happiness. Marya and Nikolai also found harmony in each other's company.

Genre of the work

“War and Peace” opens the genre of the epic novel in Russia. The features of any novels are successfully combined here: from family novels to memoirs. The prefix “epic” means that the events described in the novel cover a significant historical phenomenon and reveal its essence in all its diversity. Typically, a work of this genre has a lot of plot lines and characters, since the scale of the work is very large.

The epic nature of Tolstoy’s work lies in the fact that he not only invented a story about a famous historical event, but also enriched it with details gleaned from the memories of eyewitnesses. The author did a lot to ensure that the book was based on documentary sources.

The relationship between the Bolkonskys and the Rostovs was also not invented by the author: he depicted the history of his family, the merger of the Volkonsky and Tolstoy families.

Main problems

1. Search problem real life . Let's take Andrei Bolkonsky as an example. He dreamed of recognition and glory, and most the right way to earn authority and adoration are military exploits. Andrei made plans to save the army with his own hands. Bolkonsky constantly saw pictures of battles and victories, but he was wounded and went home. Here, in front of Andrei’s eyes, his wife dies, completely shaken inner world prince, then he realizes that there is no joy in the murders and suffering of the people. This career is not worth it. The search for oneself continues, because the original meaning of life has been lost. The problem is that it is difficult to find.
2. The problem of happiness. Take Pierre, who is torn away from the empty society of Helen and the war. He soon becomes disillusioned with a vicious woman; illusory happiness has deceived him. Bezukhov, like his friend Bolkonsky, tries to find a calling in the struggle and, like Andrei, abandons this search. Pierre was not born for the battlefield. As you can see, any attempts to find bliss and harmony result in the collapse of hopes. As a result, the hero returns to old life and finds himself in a quiet family haven, but only by making his way through thorns did he find his star.
3. The problem of the people and the great man. The epic novel clearly expresses the idea of ​​commanders-in-chief inseparable from the people. great person must share the opinion of his soldiers, live by the same principles and ideals. Not a single general or king would have received his glory if this glory had not been presented to him on a “platter” by the soldiers, in whom lies main strength. But many rulers do not cherish it, but despise it, and this should not happen, because injustice hurts people painfully, even more painfully than bullets. The People's War in the events of 1812 is shown on the side of the Russians. Kutuzov protects the soldiers and sacrifices Moscow for their sake. They sense this, mobilize the peasants and launch a guerrilla struggle that finishes off the enemy and finally drives him out.
4. The problem of true and false patriotism. Of course, patriotism is revealed through images of Russian soldiers, a description of the heroism of the people in the main battles. False patriotism in the novel is represented in the person of Count Rostopchin. He distributes ridiculous pieces of paper throughout Moscow, and then saves himself from the wrath of people by sending his son Vereshchagin to certain death. We have written an article on this topic, called “”.

What is the point of the book?

The writer himself speaks about the true meaning of the epic novel in the lines about greatness. Tolstoy believes that there is no greatness where there is no simplicity of soul, good intentions and a sense of justice.

L.N. Tolstoy expressed greatness through the people. In the images of battle paintings, an ordinary soldier shows unprecedented courage, which causes pride. Even the most fearful aroused in themselves a feeling of patriotism, which, like an unknown and frantic force, brought victory to the Russian army. The writer protests against false greatness. When the scales are placed (here you can find them comparative characteristics), the latter remains soaring: his fame is lightweight, since it has very flimsy foundations. The image of Kutuzov is “folk”; none of the commanders has ever been so close to the common people. Napoleon is only reaping the fruits of fame, it is not without reason that when Bolkonsky lies wounded on the field of Austerlitz, the author through his eyes shows Bonaparte like a fly in this huge world. Lev Nikolaevich sets a new trend of heroic character. He becomes the “people's choice”.

An open soul, patriotism and a sense of justice won not only in the War of 1812, but also in life: the heroes who were guided by moral principles and the voice of their hearts became happy.

Thought Family

L.N. Tolstoy was very sensitive to the topic of family. Thus, in his novel “War and Peace,” the writer shows that the state, like a clan, transmits values ​​and traditions from generation to generation, and good human qualities are also sprouts from roots going back to the forefathers.

Brief description of families in the novel “War and Peace”:

1. Of course, the beloved family of L.N. Tolstoy's were the Rostovs. Their family was famous for its cordiality and hospitality. It is in this family that the author’s values ​​of true home comfort and happiness are reflected. The writer considered the purpose of a woman to be motherhood, maintaining comfort in the home, devotion and the ability to self-sacrifice. This is how all the women of the Rostov family are depicted. There are 6 people in the family: Natasha, Sonya, Vera, Nikolai and parents.
2. Another family is the Bolkonskys. Restraint of feelings, the severity of Father Nikolai Andreevich, and canonicity reign here. Women here are more like “shadows” of their husbands. Andrei Bolkonsky will inherit best qualities, becoming worthy son her father, and Marya will learn patience and humility.
3. The Kuragin family is the best personification of the proverb “no oranges are born from aspen trees.” Helen, Anatole, Hippolyte are cynical, seek benefits in people, are stupid and not the least bit sincere in what they do and say. “A show of masks” is their lifestyle, and in this they completely took after their father, Prince Vasily. There are no friendly and warm relations in the family, which is reflected in all its members. L.N. Tolstoy especially dislikes Helen, who was incredibly beautiful on the outside, but completely empty on the inside.

People's thought

She is the central line of the novel. As we remember from what was written above, L.N. Tolstoy abandoned the generally accepted historical sources, basing “War and Peace” on memoirs, notes, letters from ladies-in-waiting and generals. The writer was not interested in the course of the war as a whole. Individual personalities, fragments – that’s what the author needed. Each person had his own place and meaning in this book, like puzzle pieces that, when assembled correctly, will reveal beautiful picture- the strength of national unity.

The Patriotic War changed something inside each of the characters in the novel, each made their own small contribution to the victory. Prince Andrei believes in the Russian army and fights with dignity, Pierre wants to destroy the French ranks from their very heart - by killing Napoleon, Natasha Rostova without hesitation gives carts to crippled soldiers, Petya fights bravely in partisan detachments.

The people's will to victory is clearly felt in the scenes of the Battle of Borodino, the battle for Smolensk, and the partisan battle with the French. The latter is especially memorable for the novel, because volunteers who came from the ordinary peasant class fought in the partisan movements - the detachments of Denisov and Dolokhov personified the movement of the entire nation, when “both old and young” stood up to defend their homeland. Later they would be called the “club of the people’s war.”

The War of 1812 in Tolstoy's novel

About the War of 1812, how turning point the lives of all the heroes of the novel “War and Peace” has been said several times above. It was also said that it was won by the people. Let's look at the issue from a historical perspective. L.N. Tolstoy draws 2 images: Kutuzov and Napoleon. Of course, both images are drawn through the eyes of a person from the people. It is known that the character of Bonaparte was thoroughly described in the novel only after the writer was convinced of the fair victory of the Russian army. The author did not understand the beauty of war, he was its opponent, and through the mouths of his heroes Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov, he speaks of the meaninglessness of its very idea.

The Patriotic War was a national liberation war. It occupied a special place on the pages of volumes 3 and 4.

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DESIGN

In 1855, an announcement appeared about the publication of “ North Star" On the cover of a book in a circle rising sun five portraits of executed Decembrists were depicted; under the portraits there is an ax and it is signed: “July 25, 1826.” The volume is marked with the day of the execution of the Decembrists.

There is a star in the clouds above the title.

Polar.

The announcement was a whole manifesto. Herzen spoke about the Decembrist uprising and the Sevastopol campaign; asked if “the Sevastopol soldier, wounded and hard as granite, having tested his strength, would expose his back to the stick as before ?» .

In 1860–1861, Tolstoy traveled abroad and met Herzen.

In 1861, on March 14 (26), Tolstoy wrote from Brussels to Herzen that he had just read the sixth book of “The Polar Star” and was delighted: “This whole book is excellent, this is not just my opinion, but that of everyone I have seen.”

The collapse of Nikolaev Russia was obvious to everyone. Tolstoy writes to Herzen about doubting people - he speaks both about new forces and about timid people: “... these people - timid - cannot understand that the ice is cracking and crumbling under their feet - this proves that a person is walking; and that the only way not to fail is to go without stopping.”

Tolstoy recalls the name of Ryleev in a letter: “If the soap bubble of history has burst for you and for me, then this is also proof that we are already inflating a new bubble, which we ourselves do not yet see. And this bubble is for me a firm and clear knowledge of my Russia, as clear as Ryleev’s knowledge of Russia could be in 25. We, practical people, cannot live without this.”

Not everything is resolved in Tolstoy's letter - there is a lot that is unclear. The Nicholas era turned out to be a soap bubble, but an echo of disappointment also found its way into the characterization of the new worldview.

Then he writes: “I started a novel about 4 months ago, the hero of which should be the returning Decembrist. I wanted to talk to you about this, but I never had time. My Decembrist should be an enthusiast, a mystic, a Christian, returning to Russia in 56 with his wife, son and daughter and trying on his strict and somewhat ideal view of the new Russia.”

Only the beginning remains of the novel “The Decembrists”; it somewhat parodies the liberal passions of the era of the “great reforms.” The long opening, written in periods, states that “all the Russians, as one person, were in indescribable delight” (17, 8).

Solemn periods and the word “Russians” sound like a parody of the high style of “History of the Russian State” written by Karamzin.

Tolstoy's irony is bitter. He speaks of this delight:

“A condition that was repeated twice for Russia in 19th century: the first time when we spanked Napoleon I in '12, and the second time when Napoleon III spanked us in '56" (17, 8).

Tolstoy says about himself: “The writer of these lines not only lived at this time, but was one of the leaders of that time. Not only did he himself sit in one of the dugouts in Sevastopol for several weeks, he wrote an essay about the Crimean War that gained him great fame, in which he clearly and in detail depicted how soldiers fired from rifles from the bastions, how they were bandaged at the dressing station with bandages and They were buried in the cemetery in the ground" (17, 8–9).

Thus, Tolstoy, with the briefest autobiographical information, strengthens his irony and distrust of the era of “great hopes.”

But irony refers not so much to hopes as to the timidity of hopes. Tolstoy moves towards a new understanding of history. The ice is cracking, but Tolstoy is moving into the future.

Reading “The Decembrists” now, you can’t help but be surprised by the appearance of the familiar family of Pierre Bezukhov. Pierre and Natasha, sent by Nicholas to hard labor, are returned after the Crimean defeat by Alexander II. The characterization that Tolstoy gives them, with its sympathetic irony, coincides with the revelation of characters in War and Peace.

Sofya Andreevna Tolstaya wrote in her diary that the Rostovs are Tolstoy’s family, that Natasha is Tatyana Kuzminskaya. The similarity of Tolstoy's heroes, according to his wife, reached the point of coincidence.

But Tolstoy, in his novel “The Decembrists,” described the characters as if he saw them as old men. The action of the novel seems to have begun from the end. But it is impossible to assume that Tolstoy saw the old woman Natalya Bezukhova in the girl Tatyana Bers (in The Decembrists she bears the name Labazova).

Pierre's fate is shown in "The Decembrists" at the end, but this is the same Pierre who self-confidently and enthusiastically went against Arakcheev, while at the same time fearing Pugachev. This is the same Pierre who will be defeated by the prudent landowner, the stubborn owner Nikolai Rostov.

The outlines of the future novel, or rather, the exploration of its future at that time, went in a different way.

On the anniversary for Patriotic War In 1862, Tolstoy published three articles in the Yasnaya Polyana magazine entitled “Yasnaya Polyana School for November and December.” The title of the article and its division into three parts were then reminiscent of three “ Sevastopol stories": "Sevastopol in December", "Sevastopol in May" and "Sevastopol in August 1855."

In the second article, Tolstoy describes a history lesson. The case begins with a story about the Crimean campaign: “I told the story of the Crimean campaign, told the reign of Emperor Nicholas and the history of the 12th year. All this is in an almost fairy-tale tone, for the most part historically incorrect and grouping events around one person. Most big success had, as one would expect, a story about the war with Napoleon. This class remained a memorable hour in our lives. I will never forget him" (8, 100–101).

Tolstoy was going to publish this story and therefore shortened it, conveying only the impressions of his listeners. The children were shocked. The lesson lasted until night. Of course, this was not a summary of War and Peace, but it was a conversation of a person who was planning the book at that time. This is like a preface to the book, and it clearly reflects both the memories of the twelfth year - the victory of the people, and the memories of the Crimean defeat. This is the same theme that formed the basis of the unfinished novel “The Decembrists.” The Decembrists and the people, the fate of the people, which is summed up by war, the people and the revolution, was one of the themes of “War and Peace” at the time of the creation of the work.

“I am of the opinion that the strength of Russia is not in us, but in the people,” says the aged Pierre in the novel “Decembrists” (17, 36). The further Tolstoy went, the more he understood the strength of the people and the weakness of the Decembrists, with whom he sympathized, considering them iron among the rubbish of his society.

The strength of the people who defeated Napoleon could be understood by studying the era of 1812. Tolstoy, from the concept of the “Decembrists,” comes to a great construction about the struggle of the people against the conquerors.

BUILDING "WAR AND PEACE"

Tolstoy has varied and close connections with the era of the Patriotic War. Tolstoy’s father took part in the war with Napoleon, was captured, and among his father’s friends there were participants in the battles with Napoleon; Tolstoy was as distant from the Napoleonic invasion as an older writer of our time is from the Great Era. October revolution. He wrote about the past that was not past.

In 1852, in a village on the banks of the Terek, young Tolstoy read “Description of the War of 1813” by A. I. Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky. He wrote in his diary: “There are few eras in history as instructive as this, and so little discussed” (46, 142).

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

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

History of creation

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

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

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

(Prince Rostov and Akhrosimova Marya Dmitrievna)

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

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

Analysis of the novel

Description

(Napoleon is thoughtful before the battle)

The novel “War and Peace” touches on a sixteen-year period in Russian history. The starting date is 1805, the final date is 1821. The work contains more than 500 characters. It's like real existing people, and fictitious by the writer to make the description colorful.

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

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

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

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

First volume

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

Second volume

(Natasha Rostova's first ball)

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

Third volume

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

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

Volume four

(After the battle, the wounded arrive in Moscow)

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

Epilogue

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

The main characters of the novel

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

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

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

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

Sonya

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

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

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

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

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

Countess of Rostov

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

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

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

Analysis and conclusion

In the novel “War and Peace” the writer tries to convey to the reader “ popular thought" Its essence is that everyone positive hero has its own connection with the nation.

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

The main idea of ​​the novel lies not only in revealing historical events, but also in the opportunity to understand that you need to love, believe and live under any circumstances.

145 years ago, a major literary event took place in Russia - the first edition of Leo Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace” was published. Separate chapters of the novel had been published earlier - Tolstoy began publishing the first two parts in Katkov’s Russky Vestnik several years earlier, but the “canonical”, complete and revised version of the novel was published only a few years later. Over the course of a century and a half of its existence, this world masterpiece and bestseller has grown in popularity scientific research, and reader legends. Here are a few interesting facts about the novel that you may not have known.

How did Tolstoy himself evaluate War and Peace?

Leo Tolstoy was very skeptical about his “main works” - the novels “War and Peace” and Anna Karenina.” So, in January 1871, he sent Fet a letter in which he wrote: “How happy I am... that I will never write verbose rubbish like “War” again.” Almost 40 years later, he has not changed his mind. On December 6, 1908, an entry appeared in the writer’s diary: “People love me for those trifles - “War and Peace”, etc., which seem very important to them.” There is even more recent evidence. In the summer of 1909, one of the visitors to Yasnaya Polyana expressed his delight and gratitude to the then generally recognized classic for the creation of “War and Peace” and “Anna Karenina”. Tolstoy’s answer was: “It’s the same as if someone came to Edison and said: “I respect you very much because you dance the mazurka well.” I attribute meaning to completely different books.”

Was Tolstoy sincere? Perhaps there was some authorial coquetry here, although the whole image of Tolstoy the Thinker strongly contradicts this guess - he was too serious and unfeigned a person.

"War and Peace" or "War and Peace"?

The name “War Peace” is so familiar that it has already become ingrained into the subcortex. If you ask anyone in the slightest educated person, what is the main work of Russian literature of all times, a good half will say without hesitation: “War and Peace.” Meanwhile, the novel had different variants titles: “1805” (an excerpt from the novel was even published under this title), “All’s well that ends well” and “Three Times”.

Associated with the name of Tolstoy's masterpiece famous legend. Often they try to play off the title of the novel. Claiming that the author himself put some ambiguity into it: either Tolstoy meant the opposition of war and peace as the antonym of war, that is, peace, or he used the word “peace” in the meaning of community, society, land...

But the fact is that at the time when the novel was published, such ambiguity could not exist: two words, although pronounced the same, were written differently. Before the spelling reform of 1918, in the first case it was written “mir” (peace), and in the second case “mir” (Universe, society).

There is a legend that Tolstoy allegedly used the word “world” in the title, but all this is the result of a simple misunderstanding. All editions of Tolstoy’s novel during his lifetime were published under the title “War and Peace,” and he himself wrote the title of the novel in French as “La guerre et la paix.” How could the word “peace” sneak into the name? Here the story bifurcates. According to one version, this very name was handwritten on a document submitted by Leo Tolstoy to M.N. Lavrov, an employee of Katkov’s printing house during the first full publication of the novel. It is very possible that there really was a typo by the author. This is how the legend arose.

According to another version, the legend could have appeared later due to a typo made during the publication of the novel under the editorship of P. I. Biryukov. In the edition published in 1913, the title of the novel is reproduced eight times: on title page and on the first page of each volume. “World” was printed seven times and “mir” only once, but on the first page of the first volume.
About the sources of "War and Peace"

When working on the novel, Leo Tolstoy took his sources very seriously. He read a lot of historical and memoir literature. In Tolstoy’s “list of used literature” there were, for example, such academic publications as: the multi-volume “Description of the Patriotic War in 1812”, the history of M. I. Bogdanovich, “The Life of Count Speransky” by M. Korf, “Biography of Mikhail Semenovich Vorontsov” by M. . P. Shcherbinina. The writer used materials from French historians Thiers, A. Dumas Sr., Georges Chambray, Maximelin Foix, Pierre Lanfré. There are also studies about Freemasonry and, of course, memoirs of direct participants in the events - Sergei Glinka, Denis Davydov, Alexei Ermolov and many others; there was also a solid list of French memoirists, starting with Napoleon himself.

559 characters

Researchers have calculated the exact number of heroes of War and Peace - there are exactly 559 of them in the book, and 200 of them are completely historical figures. Many of the remaining ones have real prototypes.

In general, working on surnames fictional characters(to come up with first and last names for half a thousand people is already a lot of work), Tolstoy used the following three main ways: he used real names; modified real names; created completely new surnames, but based on real models.

Many of the novel's episodic characters wear completely historical surnames- the book mentions the Razumovskys, Meshcherskys, Gruzinskys, Lopukhins, Arkharovs, etc. But the main characters, as a rule, have quite recognizable, but still fake, encrypted surnames. The reason for this is usually cited as the writer’s reluctance to show the character’s connection with any specific prototype, from which Tolstoy took only some features. These are, for example, Bolkonsky (Volkonsky), Drubetskoy (Trubetskoy), Kuragin (Kurakin), Dolokhov (Dorokhov) and others. But, of course, Tolstoy could not completely abandon fiction - so, on the pages of the novel appear quite noble-sounding, but still not associated with a specific family surnames - Peronskaya, Chatrov, Telyanin, Desalles, etc.

The real prototypes of many of the novel's heroes are also known. So, Vasily Dmitrievich Denisov is a friend of Nikolai Rostov, his prototype was the famous hussar and partisan Denis Davydov.
A friend of the Rostov family, Maria Dmitrievna Akhrosimova, was copied from the widow of Major General Nastasya Dmitrievna Ofrosimova. By the way, she was so colorful that she appeared in another famous work— Alexander Griboyedov portrayed her almost portraitally in his comedy “Woe from Wit.”

Her son, raider and reveler Fyodor Ivanovich Dolokhov, and later one of the leaders of the partisan movement, embodied the features of several prototypes at once - the war heroes of the partisans Alexander Figner and Ivan Dorokhov, as well as the famous duelist Fyodor Tolstoy the American.

Old Prince Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky, an elderly nobleman of Catherine, was inspired by the image of the writer’s maternal grandfather, a representative of the Volkonsky family.
But Tolstoy saw Princess Maria Nikolaevna, the daughter of the old man Bolkonsky and the sister of Prince Andrei, in Maria Nikolaevna Volkonskaya (in Tolstoy’s marriage), his mother.

Film adaptations

We all know and appreciate the famous Soviet film adaptation of “War and Peace” by Sergei Bondarchuk, released in 1965. The 1956 production of “War and Peace” by King Vidor is also known, the music for which was written by Nino Rota, and the main roles were played by Hollywood stars of the first magnitude Audrey Hepburn (Natasha Rostova) and Henry Fonda (Pierre Bezukhov).

And the first film adaptation of the novel appeared just a few years after the death of Leo Tolstoy. The silent film by Pyotr Chardynin was published in 1913; one of the main roles (Andrei Bolkonsky) played in the film famous actor Ivan Mozzhukhin.

Some numbers

Tolstoy wrote and rewrote the novel over the course of 6 years, from 1863 to 1869. As researchers of his work have calculated, the author manually rewrote the text of the novel 8 times, and rewrote individual episodes more than 26 times.

First edition of the novel: twice as long and five times more interesting?

Not everyone knows that in addition to the generally accepted one, there is another version of the novel. This is the very first edition that Leo Tolstoy brought to Moscow in 1866 to the publisher Mikhail Katkov for publication. But Tolstoy was unable to publish the novel this time.

Katkov was interested in continuing to publish it in pieces in his “Russian Bulletin”. Other publishers did not see any commercial potential in the book at all - the novel seemed too long and “irrelevant” to them, so they offered the author to publish it at his own expense. There were other reasons: returning to Yasnaya Polyana Sofya Andreevna demanded from her husband, who could not cope alone with running a large household and looking after children. In addition, in the Chertkovsky Library, which had just opened for public use, Tolstoy found a lot of materials that he certainly wanted to use in his book. Therefore, having postponed the publication of the novel, he worked on it for another two years. However, the first version of the book did not disappear - it was preserved in the writer’s archive, was reconstructed and published in 1983 in the 94th volume of “Literary Heritage” by the Nauka publishing house.

Here is what the head of the famous publishing house Igor Zakharov, who published it in 2007, wrote about this version of the novel:

"1. Twice shorter and five times more interesting.
2. There are almost no philosophical digressions.
3. It’s a hundred times easier to read: the entire French text has been replaced by Russian in Tolstoy’s own translation.
4. Much more peace and less war.
5. Happy ending...”

Well, it's our right to choose...

Elena Veshkina