Tolstoy is capable of what any other would fall under.

His hero is a whole country fighting

with the invasion of the enemy ... hundreds of faces ... and none of them

wants to leave our memory.

V. G. Korolenko

The epic novel War and Peace spans fifteen years - from 1805 to 1820. For history, fifteen years is an instant, and one must be such a genius like Tolstoy to reflect in this moment an entire era with its ups and downs, victories and defeats. And not only to reflect, but also to reveal their attitude to the depicted people and events, to recreate the flavor of the era, to expand the boundaries of the depicted, evaluating the past and accurately predicting the future, so that History itself lives in this great novel.

Tolstoy believed that the plot of the novel should be such an event, from which, like from a fountain, "action is sprinkled in different places", different persons are involved in it. Such is the evening in the salon of A.P. Sherer. Already here the theme of war and peace sounds, here from the conversations of the guests we learn about the events that will determine the fate of Europe and the world for many years. Napoleonic wars from liberation turned into conquest, Napoleon himself became the emperor of France and was by no means a progressive person in everything, but behind him stood his revolutionary and military glory. This fame attracted leading people to him: Prince Andrew and Pierre consider Napoleon a hero. And high society sees in the French emperor a "hydra of revolution", a villain and a murderer.

This is how a political conflict emerges among the nobility.

The scope of the epic expands quickly and naturally. Shows the life of the capital (Sherer, Kuragin) and local (Bolkonsky, Rostov) nobility with the peculiarities of psychology, everyday life, customs. Then - the military events of 1805-1807, the era of "shame and defeat" of the Russian army in an unnecessary war, alien to the interests of Russia.

After the war, the "interests of thought" of Prince Andrei and P. Bezukhov draw us into the circle of socio-political problems and spiritual interests of the era. Tolstoy opposes the senselessness and inhumanity of war with the life he considers “real”. In the private life of fictional characters, the writer sees the features of the era (how can you not recall that V.G. Belinsky, calling the novel "Eugene Onegin" "an encyclopedia of Russian life", considered it historical, "although there is not a single historical person in it" ).

The history of Russian Freemasonry, the preparation of Speransky's reforms, philosophical disputes about the meaning of life, the inconsistency of the opinion that serfdom is the natural state of man, moral issues, the relationship between fathers and children (for example, the Rostovs, Bolkonsky, Kuragin), the influence of art on a person, life nature - truly encyclopedic coverage of events and problems distinguishes the "peaceful" second volume of the novel.

But the main event, immensely pushing the boundaries of the story, is the Patriotic War of 1812, in many ways opposed to the recent war that was fought outside of Russia. Perhaps the main lesson of the early 19th century is that you cannot see in history only the result of the activities of outstanding personalities. The driving force of history is the people, and the individual person only then finds his real place in life when he becomes a part of the people.

Describing the first hours of the war, showing the "Kutuzov" and "Napoleonic" principles in people, revealing the peculiarities of the psychology of the invaders and those who defend their home, drawing true and ostentatious heroism, the writer encyclopedically accurately and comprehensively shows the birth of the "latent warmth of patriotism" which brought people together, united them, very different: the militia, and Dolokhov, and Timokhin, and Prince Andrei, and young Petya Rostov, and Princess Marya, and Natasha Rostov, and Kutuzov, and Pierre - into the people and allowed to win " invincible "enemy. Material from the site

Of course, the natural human interests of "health, illness, work, rest-ha ... thoughts, science, poetry, music, love, friendship, hatred, passions" will continue to excite people, but the Patriotic War showed that these interests cannot be independent of politics and “all possible transformations”. That is why a loving husband and father Pierre Bezukhov will come out to Senate Square, Nikolenka Bolkonsky will continue the heroic path of his deceased father, Natasha, who understands everything, will not condemn, but will support her husband ...

The encyclopedia has no denouement, no ending: life goes on, and new sides of it open up to each new generation. But my reflections on the special, Tolstoy, encyclopedia of the era, "War and Peace", I would like to end with the conclusion that Pierre Bezukhov made for himself and for us: together and constitute strength, then honest people need to do only the same. How simple it is. "

This is the main conclusion of the era depicted in the genius novel.

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Test based on the novel by L. N. Tolstoy "War and Peace" (1 volume) Option 1
1) Prince Nikolai Andreevich, Andrey, Marya, Nikolenka. Enter the family's last name. 6) How many children did Count Rostov have in the family?
a) two b) three c) four d) five
2) In what historical era does the action of Leo Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" develop?
a) the era of Catherine II c) the era of Alexander I
b) the reign of Nicholas II d) the era of Alexander II 7) Whose portrait is this? Write the hero's first and last name.
"... a massive, fat young man with a bobbed head, glasses, light pantaloons in the fashion of that time, with a high frill and a brown tailcoat."
3) What episode does the novel begin with?
a) from the author's reflections on the war
b) from the description of the evening at the maid of honor of the Empress
c) with the characteristics of the Rostov family
d) from the description of St. Petersburg 8) Determine the culmination of the 1st volume of the novel.
a) Austerlitz battle
b) meeting of emperors in Tilsit
c) name day in the Rostovs' house
d) advice in Fili
4) Which of the heroes of the novel "War and Peace" first appears before us like this:
"A black-eyed, big mouth, ugly, but lively girl, with her childish open shoulders, which squeezed, moved in her bodice from a fast run, with her black curls knotted back, thin bare arms and small legs in lace pantaloons and open shoes" ? 9) Get to know the hero, write his name and surname.
“Why not marry, if she is very rich? It never interferes, "thought ______________.
He shaved, perfumed himself with the thoroughness and panache that had become his habit, and with his innate good-natured, victorious expression, carrying his beautiful head high, entered the room ...
5) Whose portrait is this? Write the hero's first and last name.
"... was short, a very handsome young man with definite and dry features." 10) Who was Natasha Rostova in love with at the moment when the author acquaints readers with the heroes of the work?
Write the hero's first and last name.
Test based on the novel by Leo Tolstoy "War and Peace" (1 volume) Option 2
1) Count Ilya Andreevich, Natasha, Nikolay, Petya ...
Enter the last name of this family. 6) Write what was the name of the Bolkonsky estate, where Prince Bolkonsky lived with his daughter?
2) The action of the novel "War and Peace" was originally supposed to cover a huge period of Russian history. Which date is not related to the intended plot?
a) 1807 b) 1825 c) 1856 d) 1863 7) Write down what goal Prince Vasily Kuragin set for himself after Pierre got rich.
3) The action of the novel "War and Peace" begins
a) in January 1812
b) in May 1807
c) in July 1805
d) in April 1801 8) Indicate the name of the battle after which Prince Andrew became disillusioned with his idol - Napoleon.
a) Shengrabenskoe c) Borodinskoe
b) Friedland d) Austerlitz 4) Who is M-lle Bourienne (Mademoiselle Burienne)?
a) friend of Julie Karaginoyb) niece of Anna Pavlovna Shererv) companion of Maria Bolkonskaya
d) guest of the Rostov family 9) Get to know the hero of the novel "War and Peace" by signs and write his first and last name.
The whiteness of the shoulders, the gloss of the hair and diamonds, the unchanging smile, the very open chest and back ...

5) Why is Prince Andrew going to serve in the army (1 volume)?
a) this is how the officer's duty seems to him
b) because of the desire for fame
c) because of the desire to defend the Motherland
d) at the insistence of the father
10) Get to know the heroine and write her first and last name.
"She was so ugly ... It was not the dress that was bad, but the face and the whole figure ... if you attach a blue ribbon to the combed up hair and pull down a blue scarf from a brown dress, etc., then everything will be fine. ... a frightened face and figure it was impossible to change, and ... the face itself remained pitiful and ugly. "

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War and Peace is a great work. What is the history of the creation of the epic novel? LN Tolstoy himself repeatedly wondered why it happens in life this way and not otherwise ... Indeed, why, why and how the creative process of creating the greatest work of all times and peoples proceeded? After all, it took seven long years to write it ...

The history of the creation of the novel "War and Peace": the first evidence of the beginning of work

In September 1863, a letter came to Yasnaya Polyana from the father of Sofya Andreyevna Tolstoy - A.E. Bersa. He writes that the day before he and Lev Nikolayevich had a long conversation about the people's war against Napoleon and about that era in general - the count intends to start writing a novel dedicated to those great and memorable events in the history of Russia. The mention of this letter is not accidental, since it is considered "the first accurate evidence" of the beginning of the work of the great Russian writer on the novel "War and Peace". This is confirmed by another document dated the same year a month later: Lev Nikolaevich writes to a relative about his new idea. He was already involved in work on an epic novel about the events of the beginning of the century and up to the 50s. How much moral strength and energy he needs to implement his plans, he says, and how much he already possesses, he is already writing and thinking things over in the way that he “has never written or thought about”.

First idea

The history of the creation of Tolstoy's novel War and Peace indicates that the original plan of the writer was to create a book about the difficult fate of the Decembrist, who returned to his native land in 1865 (the time of the abolition of serfdom) after long years of exile in Siberia. However, soon Lev Nikolayevich revised his idea and turned to the historical events of 1825 - time.As a result, this idea was discarded: the youth of the protagonist took place against the background of the Patriotic War of 1912, a formidable and glorious time for the entire Russian people, which, in turn, was another link in the unbreakable chain of events in 1805. Tolstoy decided to start telling from the very beginning - the beginning of the 19th century - and revived the half-century history of the Russian state with the help of not one main character, but many vivid images.

The history of the creation of the novel "War and Peace" or "Three Pores"

Continuing ... Undoubtedly, a vivid idea of \u200b\u200bthe work of the writer on the novel is given by his story of creation ("War and Peace"). So, the time and place of the novel are determined. The author guides the main characters, the Decembrists, through three historically significant periods of time, hence the original title of the work "Three Pores".

The first part covers the period from the beginning of the 19th century until 1812, when the youth of the heroes coincided with the war between Russia and Napoleonic France. The second is the 1920s, not without the inclusion of the most important thing - the Decembrist uprising in 1825. And, finally, the third, final part - the 50s - the time of the return of the rebels from exile under the amnesty granted by the emperor against the background of such tragic pages of Russian history as the inglorious defeat in V. and the death of Nicholas I.

Well, the novel in its design and scope promised to be global and demanded a different art form, and it was found. According to Lev Nikolayevich himself, "War and Peace" is not historical chronicles, and not a poem, or even just a novel, but a new genre in fiction - an epic novel, where the fate of many people and an entire nation is associated with grandiose historical events ...

Harrowing

The work on the work was very difficult. The history of creation ("War and Peace") suggests that many times Lev Nikolayevich took his first steps and immediately stopped writing. The writer's archive contains fifteen versions of the first chapters of the work. What was in the way? What haunted the Russian genius? The desire to fully express their thoughts, their religious and philosophical ideas, research, their vision of history, to give their assessments of those socio-political processes, the huge role not of emperors, not leaders, but of the whole people in the history of the country. This required a colossal exertion of all mental strength. More than once he lost and regained the hope of fulfilling his plans to the end. Hence the idea of \u200b\u200bthe novel, and the titles of the early editions: "Three Pores", "All's Well that Ends Well", "1805". They changed, apparently, more than once.

Patriotic War of 1812

Thus, the author's long creative rushes ended with a narrowing of the time frame - Tolstoy focused all his attention on 1812, the war of Russia against the "Great Army" of the French Emperor Napoleon, and only in the epilogue touched on the theme of the birth of the Decembrist movement.

The smells and sounds of war ... Their transmission required the study of a huge amount of material. This is fiction of that time, and historical documents, memoirs and letters of contemporaries of those events, battle plans, orders and orders of military commanders ... He spared neither time nor effort. From the very beginning, he rejected all those historical chronicles that sought to portray the war as a battlefield for two emperors, extolling one or the other. The writer did not diminish their merits and their importance, but put the people and their spirit at the forefront.

As you can see, the work has an incredibly interesting creation story. War and Peace boasts another interesting fact. Between the manuscripts, another small, but nevertheless important document has been preserved - a sheet with notes by the writer himself, made during his stay on It, he captured the horizon line, indicating exactly where which villages were located. The line of movement of the sun during the battle itself is also visible here. All this, one might say, is bare sketches, sketches of what was later destined to turn into a real picture under the pen of a genius, depicting a great full of movement, life, extraordinary colors and sounds. Incomprehensible and surprising, isn't it?

Chance and genius

L. Tolstoy in the pages of his novel talked a lot about the laws of history. His conclusions are applicable to life, they fit a lot about a great work, in particular the history of creation. War and Peace has gone through many stages to become a true masterpiece.

Science says that chance and genius are to blame for everything: chance suggested using artistic means to capture the half-century history of Russia, and the genius - Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy - took advantage of it. But this gives rise to new questions about what this case is, what a genius is. On the one hand, these are just words designed to explain what is in fact inexplicable, and on the other hand, it is impossible to deny their certain suitability and usefulness, at least they mean "a certain degree of understanding of things."

Where and how the idea itself and the history of the creation of the novel "War and Peace" came from - it is impossible to know to the end, there are only bare facts, so we say "case". Further - more: we read the novel and cannot imagine that power, that human spirit or, rather, superhuman spirit, which was able to clothe the deepest philosophical thoughts and ideas in an amazing form - therefore we say "genius".

The longer the series of "cases" sweeping before us, the more the facets of the author's genius shine, the closer we seem to the disclosure of the secret of L. Tolstoy's genius and some incomprehensible truth contained in the work. But this is an illusion. What to do? Lev Nikolaevich believed in the only possible understanding of the world order - the renunciation of knowledge of the ultimate goal. If we admit that the ultimate goal of creating a novel is not available to us, we renounce all the reasons, visible and invisible, that prompted the writer to take up writing a work, we will comprehend or at least admire and enjoy in full its infinite depth, designed to serve common goals, not always accessible to human understanding. As the writer himself said while working on the novel, the artist's ultimate goal is not the undeniable resolution of issues, but summing up and pushing the reader to love life in all its countless manifestations, so that he cries and laughs with the main characters.

Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy's novel War and Peace was written in 1863-1869. To get acquainted with the main plot lines of the novel, we suggest that grade 10 students and everyone who is interested in Russian literature read the summary of "War and Peace" by chapters and parts online.

“War and Peace” refers to the literary direction of realism: the book describes in detail a number of key historical events, depicts typical characters for Russian society, the main conflict is “hero and society”. The genre of the novel epic: "War and Peace" includes both the features of the novel (the presence of several plot lines, a description of the development of characters and crisis moments in their fate) and epics (global historical events, the all-encompassing nature of the depiction of reality). In the novel, Tolstoy touches on many "eternal" themes: love, friendship, fathers and children, the search for the meaning of life, the confrontation between war and peace both in a global sense and in the souls of heroes.

main characters

Andrey Bolkonsky - the prince, the son of Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky, was married to the little princess Liza. He is in constant search of the meaning of life. Participated in the Battle of Austerlitz. He died of a wound received during the Battle of Borodino.

Natasha Rostova - the daughter of the Count and Countess Rostov. At the beginning of the novel, the heroine is only 12 years old, Natasha is growing up before the eyes of the reader. At the end of the work, she marries Pierre Bezukhov.

Pierre Bezukhov - Count, son of Count Kirill Vladimirovich Bezukhov. He was married to Helen (first marriage) and Natasha Rostova (second marriage). He was fond of Freemasonry. Was present on the battlefield during the Battle of Borodino.

Nikolay Rostov - the eldest son of the Count and Countess Rostov. Participated in military campaigns against the French and World War II. After the death of his father, he takes care of the family. He married Marya Bolkonskaya.

Ilya Andreevich Rostov and Natalia Rostova - Counts, parents of Natasha, Nikolay, Vera and Petit. A happy married couple living in harmony and love.

Nikolay Andreevich Bolkonsky - Prince, father of Andrei Bolkonsky. A prominent figure in the Catherine era.

Marya Bolkonskaya - Princess, sister of Andrei Bolkonsky, daughter of Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky. A devout girl who lives for her loved ones. She married Nikolai Rostov.

Sonya - niece of Count Rostov. Lives in the care of the Rostovs.

Fedor Dolokhov - at the beginning of the novel, he is an officer of the Semenovsky regiment. One of the leaders of the partisan movement. During his peaceful life, he constantly participated in carousing.

Vasily Denisov - friend of Nikolai Rostov, captain, squadron commander.

Other characters

Anna Pavlovna Sherer - the maid of honor and confidant of Empress Maria Feodorovna.

Anna Mikhailovna Drubetskaya - the impoverished heiress of "one of the best surnames in Russia", the friend of Countess Rostova.

Boris Drubetskoy - the son of Anna Mikhailovna Drubetskaya. Made a brilliant military career. He married Julie Karagina to improve his financial situation.

Julie Karagina - daughter of Karagina Marya Lvovna, friend of Marya Bolkonskaya. She married Boris Drubetskoy.

Kirill Vladimirovich Bezukhov - Count, father of Pierre Bezukhov, an influential person. After his death, he left his son (Pierre) a huge fortune.

Marya Dmitrievna Akhrosimova - the godmother of Natasha Rostova, she was known and respected in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Peter Rostov (Petya) - the youngest son of the Count and Countess Rostovs. He was killed during the Patriotic War.

Vera Rostova - the eldest daughter of the Count and Countess of the Rostovs. Adolf Berg's wife.

Adolf (Alphonse) Karlovich Berg - a German who made a career from lieutenant to colonel. First the groom, then the husband of Vera Rostova.

Liza Bolkonskaya - a little princess, the young wife of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky. She died during childbirth, giving birth to a son to Andrei.

Vasily Sergeevich Kuragin - Prince, friend of Scherer, a well-known and influential socialite in Moscow and St. Petersburg. He holds an important post at court.

Elena Kuragina (Helen) - the daughter of Vasily Kuragin, the first wife of Pierre Bezukhov. A charming woman who loved to shine in the light. She died after a failed abortion.

Anatol Kuragin - "restless fool", the eldest son of Vasily Kuragin. Charming and handsome man, dandy, lover of women. Participated in the Battle of Borodino.

Ippolit Kuragin - "the late fool", the youngest son of Vasily Kuragin. The complete opposite of his brother and sister, very stupid, everyone perceives him as a jester.

Amelie Burien - Frenchwoman, companion of Marya Bolkonskaya.

Shinshin - cousin of Countess Rostova.

Ekaterina Semyonovna Mamontova - the eldest of the three sisters of the Mamontovs, the niece of Count Kirill Bezukhov.

Bagration - Russian military leader, hero of the war against Napoleon 1805-1807 and the Patriotic War of 1812.

Napoleon Bonaparte - Emperor of France.

Alexander I - Emperor of the Russian Empire.

Kutuzov - Field Marshal General, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army.

Tushin - artillery captain, distinguished himself in the battle of Shengraben.

Platon Karataev - a soldier of the Absheron regiment, embodying everything truly Russian, whom Pierre met in captivity.

Volume 1

The first volume of "War and Peace" consists of three parts, divided into "peaceful" and "military" blocks of the narrative and covers the events of 1805. The "Peaceful" first part of the first volume of the work and the opening chapters of the third part describe social life in Moscow, St. Petersburg, in the Bald Mountains.

In the second part and the last chapters of the third part of the first volume, the author depicts pictures of the war between the Russian-Austrian army and Napoleon. The central episodes of the "military" blocks of the narrative are the Battle of Schöngraben and the Battle of Austerlitz.

From the first, “peaceful” chapters of the novel War and Peace, Tolstoy introduces the reader to the main characters of the work - Andrei Bolkonsky, Natasha Rostova, Pierre Bezukhov, Nikolai Rostov, Sonya and others. By depicting the life of various social groups and families, the author conveys the diversity of Russian life in the pre-war period. "Military" chapters reflect all the unadorned realism of military operations, additionally revealing to the reader the characters of the main characters. The defeat at Austerlitz, which concludes the first volume, appears in the novel not only as the defeat of the Russian troops, but also as a symbol of the collapse of hopes, a revolution in the lives of most of the main characters.

Volume 2

The second volume of "War and Peace" is the only "peaceful" volume in the entire epic and covers the events of 1806-1811 on the eve of the Patriotic War. In it, "peaceful" episodes of the heroes' secular life are intertwined with the military-historical world - the acceptance of the Tilsit armistice between France and Russia, the preparation of Speransky's reforms.

During the period described in the second volume, important events take place in the lives of the heroes that largely change their worldview and outlook on the world: the return of Andrei Bolkonsky home, his disappointment in life after the death of his wife and subsequent transformation thanks to his love for Natasha Rostova; Pierre's passion for Freemasonry and his attempts to improve the life of the peasants on his estates; Natasha Rostova's first ball; loss to Nikolai Rostov; hunting and Christmastide in Otradnoye (Rostov estate); the failed abduction of Natasha by Anatol Karagin and Natasha's refusal to marry Andrei. The second volume ends with the symbolic appearance of a comet hanging over Moscow, foreshadowing terrible events in the lives of heroes and all of Russia - the war of 1812.

Volume 3

The third volume of "War and Peace" is devoted to the military events of 1812 and their impact on the "peaceful" life of the Russian people of all classes. The first part of the volume describes the invasion of French troops into Russian territory and preparations for the Battle of Borodino. The second part depicts the Battle of Borodino itself, which is the culmination of not only the third volume, but the entire novel. On the battlefield, many central characters of the work intersect (Bolkonsky, Bezukhov, Denisov, Dolokhov, Kuragin, etc.), which emphasizes the inextricable connection of the whole people with a common goal - the fight against the enemy. The third part is devoted to the surrender of Moscow to the French, a description of the fire in the capital, which, according to Tolstoy, happened because of those who left the city, leaving it to enemies. The most touching scene of the volume is also described here - the meeting between Natasha and the mortally wounded Bolkonsky, who still loves the girl. It ends with an unsuccessful attempt by Pierre to kill Napoleon and his arrest by the French.

Volume 4

The fourth volume of War and Peace covers the events of the Patriotic War of the second half of 1812, as well as the peaceful life of the main characters in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Voronezh. The second and third "military" units describe the flight of the Napoleonic army from plundered Moscow, the Battle of Tarutino and the partisan war of the Russian army against the French. The "military" chapters are framed by the "peaceful" first and fourth parts, in which the author pays special attention to the mood of the aristocracy regarding military events, its remoteness from public interests.

In the fourth volume, key events also take place in the lives of the heroes: Nikolai and Marya realize that they love each other, Andrei Bolkonsky and Helen Bezukhova die, Petya Rostov dies, and Pierre and Natasha begin to think about possible joint happiness. However, the central figure of the fourth volume becomes a simple soldier, a native of the people - Platon Karataev, who appears in the novel as the bearer of everything truly Russian. In his words and actions, the very simple wisdom of the peasant, folk philosophy is expressed, over the comprehension of which the main characters of War and Peace are tormented.

Epilogue

In the epilogue of War and Peace, Tolstoy sums up the entire epic novel, depicting the life of the heroes seven years after the Patriotic War - in 1819-1820. Significant changes took place in their lives, both good and bad: the marriage of Pierre and Natasha and the birth of their children, the death of Count Rostov and the difficult financial situation of the Rostov family, the wedding of Nikolai and Marya and the birth of their children, the growing up of Nikolenka, the son of the deceased Andrei Bolkonsky, in which the character of the father is already clearly visible.

If the first part of the epilogue describes the personal life of the heroes, then the second presents the author's reflections on historical events, the role in these events of an individual historical personality and entire nations. Concluding his reasoning, the author comes to the conclusion that the whole history is predetermined by some irrational law of random interactions and interconnections. An example of this is the scene depicted in the first part of the epilogue, when the Rostovs gather a large family: the Rostovs, Bolkonskys, Bezukhovs - they were all brought together by the same incomprehensible law of historical interconnections - the main acting force that guides all the events and destinies of the heroes in the novel.

Conclusion

In the novel War and Peace, Tolstoy managed to masterfully portray the people not as different social strata, but as a single whole, united by common values \u200b\u200band aspirations. All four volumes of the work, including the epilogue, are linked by the idea of \u200b\u200b"people's thought" that lives not only in every hero of the work, but also in every "peaceful" or "military" episode. It was this unifying thought that became, according to Tolstoy's idea, the main reason for the Russian victory in the Patriotic War.

"War and Peace" is rightfully considered a masterpiece of Russian literature, an encyclopedia of Russian characters and human life in general. For more than a century, the work has remained interesting and relevant for modern readers, history buffs and connoisseurs of classical Russian literature. War and Peace is a novel that everyone should read.

A very detailed brief retelling of "War and Peace", presented on our website, will allow you to get a complete picture of the plot of the novel, its characters, the main conflicts and problems of the work.

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- Pictures of Russian history (Shengraben and Austerlitz battles, Peace of Tilsit, the war of 1812, the fire of Moscow, partisan movement). - Events of public and political life (Freemasonry, Speransky's legislative activity, the first organizations of the Decembrists). - Relations between landowners and peasants (the transformations of Pierre, Andrei; the revolt of the Bogucharov peasants, the indignation of Moscow artisans).

Show of various segments of the population (local, Moscow, St. Petersburg nobility; officials; army; peasants). - A wide panorama of everyday scenes of noble life (balls, high society receptions, dinners, hunting, theater visits, etc.)

A huge number of human characters.

Long time span (15 years).

Wide coverage of space (Petersburg, Moscow, Lysye Gory and Otradnoye estates, Austria, Smolensk, Borodino

In this way, Tolstoy's plan required the creation of a new genre, and only an epic novel could embody all the author's conditions.

The main technique of the composition of the novel is antithesis. Its poles are Napoleon and Kutuzov, who embody diametrically opposite philosophical and moral principles. All the main characters are distributed between these poles.

Antithesis - (from the Greek, antitesis - contradiction, opposition) - opposition.

A distinctive feature of the composition of War and Peace is that the writer transfers actions from one place to another, moves from events associated with one plot line to events associated with another line; from private destinies to historical events.

To sharply highlight the features of certain character events, the writer often resorts to the method of contrasts (antithesis). This is expressed in the very title of the novel: war is peace, and in the life material that formed the basis of the work. The contrast determines the images of individual heroes (Natasha Rostova and Helen Bezukhova, Princess Marya and Julie Karagina), and historical phenomena (the Battle of Austerlitz - the Battle of Borodino), historical figures (Kutuzov - Napoleon).

On the principle, antitheses are also introduced into the general structure of the work and images of two cities - Moscow and St. Petersburg. It is in Moscow that the main significant events of the novel take place. In this city live the beloved and most dear heroes of Tolstoy: Rostov, Bezukhov. Moscow is represented in the work as a spiritual city, close, dear. In the current heroic situation, Moscow is, as it were, on the brink between war and peace: if Napoleon captures it, then selfish arbitrariness will win, and if Kutuzov is upheld, then the principle of unity, the generic principle.

St. Petersburg, on the other hand, acts as an unnatural, alien city, it can be taken out of the "swarm" unity formed by the residents of Moscow and the city itself. The war does not affect St. Petersburg, but even when they learn the terrible news from Moscow, the residents of the city on the Neva do not make any attempts to help people in trouble and are out of a heroic situation.

Also, one of the existing myths about its foundation contributes to the separation of Petersburg from the tribal whole - that it was built at the whim of the tsar, and not according to the needs of people, and stands on bones. Tolstoy does not sympathize with this city, and, accordingly, with those heroes who, at the request of the author, turn out to be its inhabitants - regular visitors to the salons of Anna Scherer and Helen

The types of human natures, emotional and ideological, are also contrasted in the novel. So, the Bolkonsky family embodies an intellectual and rational principle, the Rostov family - an emotionally intuitive one.

The very movement of the plot in the novel is due to the principle of "couplings" (LN Tolstoy), which leaves the impression of a mosaic of events. The work has several storylines, five hundred and fifty-nine characters, among which there are real historical figures, and fictional heroes, and nameless characters ("the general who ordered"). The artistic time and artistic space of "War and Peace" are vast. The content of the novel covers a long period - from 1805 to 1820. From Russia, the action is transferred to Prussia, Austria, Poland, from Smolensk to Moscow, from St. Petersburg to the countryside. Before us appear the palace of the emperor, the salon of Anna Pavlovna Sherer, the mansion of the dying Count Bezukhov, the Rostovs 'estate in Otradnoye, the Bolkonskys' house in Bogucharov, the peasant hut in Fili, the fields of Austerlitsky, Shengrabensky and Borodinsky battles, the camp tents of soldiers.

In the center of the novel is the chronicle of the life of three noble families - the Rostovs, Bolkonsky and Kuragin. Moreover, each of the families has its own culminating events in life. Thus, the episodes depicting Natasha's infatuation with Anatol, her refusal to Prince Andrei Tolstoy, was assessed as "the most difficult place and knot of the whole novel." Readers felt the same way. “The main interest of a book is like a novel,” wrote V.F. Odoevsky, begins with this climax. And he added: "The denouement is curious." However, the author himself noted that in the novel “the death of one person only aroused interest in other persons and the marriage seemed to be mostly a plot, not a denouement of interest”. The death of Count Bezukhov, the marriage of Pierre to Helene, the failed matchmaking of Prince Vasily - thus, important initial, but not defining plot points of the work. At the same time, the personal life of the heroes is inextricably linked with the most important historical events of the era.

The flow of private life in the novel organically merges with the historical plot. “Three major historical events form the pivotal line of the plot's development. The outset - 1805, the beginning of the war with Napoleon, the period, the main events of which are the Austerlitz and Shengraben battles.<…> These events of the first military stage precede the epic of the people's war of 1812 and serve as the starting point for the further development of the lives of the heroes - Andrei Bolkonsky, Nikolai Rostov, Dolokhov and others. 1812, the Battle of Borodino - the culminating point of the novel "

The Battle of Borodino and the abandonment of Moscow is a whole era in the spiritual development of the heroes, a kind of focus in which their fates converge. It is with this event that the formation of new qualities, new views on the world and society is associated. All the main characters of the novel have been passed through the test of fire, suffering, and death. Not long before the Battle of Borodino, old man Bolkonsky dies, Princess Marya is grieving over his death. The year 1812 changes a lot in the life of Pierre Bezukhov. This is a period of restoration of spiritual integrity, familiarizing him with the "common", affirming in his soul a sense of the harmony of life. An important role here was played by Pierre's visit to the Rayevsky battery during the Battle of Borodino and his stay in French captivity. Being on the Borodino field, amid the endless roar of cannons, smoke of shells, squealing of bullets, the hero experiences a sense of horror, mortal fear. The soldiers seem to him to be strong and courageous, they have no fear, fear for their lives. The very patriotism of these people, seemingly unconscious, comes from the very essence of nature, their behavior is simple and natural. And Pierre wants to become “just a soldier”, to free himself from the “burden of an external person”, from everything artificial and superficial. For the first time faced with the folk environment, he acutely feels the falsity and insignificance of the secular-conventional world, feels the erroneousness of his previous views and attitudes. The Battle of Borodino becomes fateful for Prince Andrey. In battle, he is seriously wounded, after which he is operated on. Here the hero again feels the closeness of death, and a turning point occurs in his worldview. After suffering suffering, he feels "bliss that he has not experienced for a long time." His heart fills with a feeling of Christian love that he has never experienced before, he finally overcomes his vanity, egoism, and aristocratic prejudices. He feels pity and compassion upon seeing the wounded Anatole lying next to him. "Compassion, love for brothers, for those who love, hating us, love for enemies - yes, that love that God preached on earth ..." - all this suddenly opens up to Prince Andrey. Bolkonsky dies, and his death becomes the greatest grief for Princess Marya and Natasha. Finally, the Battle of Borodino becomes a turning point in the development of the historical theme, symbolizing the victory of Russia.

The denouement of the novel is the victory over Napoleon, the defeat of the French and the birth of new ideas in Russian society. These events determine the personal destinies of the heroes, without, however, overshadowing the human personality of the writer. historical events are shown by Tolstoy through the prism of various destinies and characters.

An important role in the novel is played by the author's digressions, which reveal the philosophical and religious-ethical views of Tolstoy, his thoughts on the historical process. The philosophical problems of the author's digressions are the structure of the world and the place of man in it, the role of the individual in history, the relationship between freedom and necessity in the fate of a person, true and false values \u200b\u200bin life. In the novel, Tolstoy reveals his views on the war of 1812, on its participants. These views are based on historical fatalism (personality does not play a role in the historical process). History, according to the writer, is a movement of huge human masses (Tolstoy considered the Russian people to be the main character of the novel, noting that he most valued “people's thought” in War and Peace).

The compositional role of copyright deviations is different. So, in the third part, the author discusses the war of 1812 as a people's war of liberation, and this retreat plays the role of a kind of generalization of the artistic chapters. The introduction of the author's journalistic and philosophical reasoning "expands the boundaries of the narrative and at the same time unites the historical, philosophical novel and the psychological" outline of morals "into one organic whole.

It should be noted that the author's voice “reigns supreme in the novel. The author is omniscient, he rises above heroes and events to an unattainable height. According to M. Bakhtin's definition, Tolstoy's novel is "monological" (as opposed to the "polyphonic" or "polyphonic" novel of Dostoevsky) "

Thus, let us once again note the artistic originality of War and Peace. Tolstoy created a work that organically combines the features of an epic, a historical novel, a chronicle, an essay on morals, generously nourishing it with philosophical problems and psychological analysis. The novel does not have a single intrigue, we see several plot lines, each of which is correlated with the most important historical events of the era. Tolstoy's life is presented in all its diversity. All these artistic properties have made the novel a masterpiece of world literature.

T.'s work marked a new stage in the development of Russian and world realism, built a bridge between the traditions of the classical novel of the 19th century. and literature of the 20th century. T. realism is characterized by a special frankness of tone, directness and, as a result, will crush, strength and sharpness in exposing social contradictions. Immediate emotional contagion, the ability to recreate the very "flesh of life" are combined in Tolstoy's work with flexible and sharp thought, deep, extremely sincere psychological analysis. The healthy, full-blooded realism of T. strives to combine analysis and synthesis, tends towards a holistic understanding of the world, awareness of the laws by which human life moves. Not trusting the prevailing opinions and prejudices, T. wants to look at everything anew and in his own way; rejecting different types of literary clichés, he builds his art only on what he himself saw, understood and guessed. T. captures the spiritual being of the individual, the tension of the seeking thought, the anxieties of conscience. But his realism is also characterized by plastic molding of characters, vivid verbal painting in everyday life, historical and genre scenes.

The realism of T., which is closely connected with the national Russian tradition, which developed and consolidated it, also carries a tremendous universal human content. The traditions of realism in T. were adopted and assimilated by young Soviet literature. They still remain for Soviet writers one of the most important and viable traditions of the classical heritage.

T. had a tremendous impact on the evolution of European humanism, on the development of realistic traditions in world literature. In France Romain Rolland, F. Mauriac and R. Maarten du Gard, in the USA E. Hemingway and T. Wolfe, in England J. Galsworthy and B. Shaw, in Germany T. Mann and A. Segers, in Sweden A. Strindberg and A. Lundqvist, in Austria R. M. Rilke, in Poland E. Ozheshko, B. Prus, J. Ivashkevich, in Czechoslovakia M. Puimanov, in China Lao She, in Japan Tokutomi Roka - each in his own way experienced influence of creativity T. Great was the influence of T. on the culture of India and on the activities of M. Gandhi. The works of T. were filmed and staged countless times in the USSR and abroad. Plays T. has been staged on stages around the world.

The study of T.'s work in domestic and world literary criticism began during the writer's lifetime. Articles about it by GV Plekhanov, VG Korolenko, and M. Gorky's essay Leo Tolstoy (1919) were of great importance for the study of T. After the October Revolution of 1917, interest in the legacy of T. increased markedly.