An essay on the theme "War in the world of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky", written based on the work of Leo Tolstoy "War and Peace". The essay describes the change in Andrei's attitude to the war in the course of the events of the work.

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War in the world of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky

At the beginning of the novel, Prince Andrey had a positive attitude towards the war. He needs war in order to achieve his goals: to accomplish a feat, to become famous: “There I will be sent,” he thought, “with a brigade or a division, and there, with a banner in hand, I will go forward and break everything that will be in front of me". For Bolkonsky, Napoleon was an idol. Andrei did not like the fact that Napoleon at the age of twenty-seven was already the commander-in-chief, and he, at this age, was only an adjutant.

In September, the prince goes to war. It pleased him to think about leaving. Even when he said goodbye to Marya, he was already thinking about the war. When Andrei arrived at the front, he met two staff officers: Nesvitsky and Zhirkov. From the very acquaintance, the relationship between them "did not work out", since Nesvitsky and Zhirkov were very different from Andrei. They were stupid, cowardly, while Bolkonsky was distinguished by intelligence and courage. These differences were revealed when the officers met with General Mac. Staff officers laughed at the defeat of the Austrian army, and Andrei was very unhappy: “... we are either officers who serve the tsar and the fatherland and rejoice at the common success and grieve about the common failure, or we are lackeys who do not care about the master's business. Forty thousand people died, and our allied army was destroyed, but you can joke at the same time. " Courage is shown in the episode when the prince asks Kutuzov to stay in Bagration's detachment, while Nesvitsky, on the contrary, does not want to participate in the battle and retreats to the rear.

At the Schöngraben battle, Prince Bolkonsky demonstrated not only bravery, but also courage. He dared to go to the Tushin battery. And it is here that Andrei sees the courage shown by Tushin's gunners. After the battle, he was the only one to intercede for the captain in front of Bagration, although Andrei does not like that Tushin cannot recognize his merit, his feat, and tries not to mention him.

After the Schöngraben battle, Bolkonsky participates in another battle - Austerlitz. Here he manages to accomplish a feat: during the retreat of the battalion, he picks up the banner and by his example encourages the soldiers to return and rush into the attack: "As if with a strong stick, one of the closest soldiers, as it seemed to him, hit him in the head." After being wounded, Andrei sees the sky and admires it: “... How could I not see this high sky? And how happy I got to know him at last ... there is nothing but silence, reassurance. And thank God". During this battle, he becomes disillusioned with Napoleon - he seems to him "a small, insignificant person." Andrey realized that life is more important than anything, even feats and fame. He realized that war is not a means to a brilliant career, but dirty, hard work. The Battle of Austerlitz forces him to reconsider his priorities - now he values \u200b\u200bfamily above all else. And, after captivity, he returns home to the Bald Mountains, where he finds his wife's death: Liza dies in childbirth. The prince feels guilty before the little princess and understands that he can no longer redeem this guilt. After these events - the Austerlitz campaign, the death of his wife and the birth of his son - Prince Andrei "firmly decided never to serve in military service again."

When the Patriotic War began, Prince Bolkonsky went to the army at his will, but he went there no longer for "Toulon", but out of revenge. Andrew was offered service in the emperor's retinue, but he refused, because only serving in the army would he be useful in the war. Before Borodino, the prince told Pierre the reason for his return to the army: “The French have ruined my house and are going to ravage Moscow, they have insulted and insulted me every second. They are my enemies, they are all criminals, according to my understanding. "

After Andrei was appointed commander of the regiment, he “was all devoted to the affairs of his regiment, he was caring about his people and officers and kindness to them. In the regiment they called him "our prince". They were proud and loved of him. "

On the eve of the battle, Bolkonsky was confident in the victory of the Russian regiments, he believed in soldiers. And he said to Pierre: “We will win the battle tomorrow. Tomorrow, whatever it is, we will win the battle. "

At the battle of Borodino, Andrei Bolkonsky's regiment was in reserve. Balls were often hit there, the soldiers were ordered to sit down, but the officers walked. A cannonball falls near Andrei, but he does not lie down and he was mortally wounded by a shrapnel from this cannonball. He is taken to Moscow, the prince sums up the results of his life. He understands that relationships should be built on love.

In Mytishchi Natasha comes to him and asks for forgiveness. Andrei understands that he loves her and with Natasha he spends the last days of his life. Right now he understands what happiness is and what, in fact, is his meaning of life.

Andrei Bolkonsky, his spiritual quest, personality evolution are described throughout Leo Tolstoy's novel. For the author, changes in the consciousness and attitude of the hero are important, because, in his opinion, this is what speaks about the moral health of the individual. Therefore, all the positive heroes of "War and Peace" go through the path of searching for the meaning of life, the dialectic of the soul, with all the disappointments, loss and finding of happiness. Tolstoy points out the presence of a positive beginning in the character by the fact that despite the troubles of life, the hero does not lose his dignity. Such are Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov. The general and main thing in their searches is that the heroes come to the idea of \u200b\u200bunity with the people. Consider what the spiritual searches of Prince Andrew led to.

Orientation to the ideas of Napoleon

Prince Bolkonsky first appears before the reader at the very beginning of the epic, in the salon of Anna Scherer, the maid of honor. Before us is a short man, with somewhat dry features, very handsome in appearance. Everything in his behavior speaks of complete disappointment with life, both spiritual and family. Having married a beautiful selfish woman, Lisa Meinen, Bolkonsky soon gets tired of her and completely changes his attitude towards marriage. Even Pierre Bezukhov's friend, he conjures never to marry.

Prince Bolkonsky longs for something new, for him constant appearances, family life is a vicious circle from which a young man strives to escape. How? Going to the front. This is the uniqueness of the novel "War and Peace": Andrei Bolkonsky, as well as other characters, their dialectic of the soul, are shown within the framework of a certain historical setting.

At the beginning of Tolstoy's epic, Andrei Bolkonsky is an ardent Bonapartist, admiring Napoleon's military talent, an adherent of his idea of \u200b\u200bgaining power through military exploit. Bolkonsky wants to get "his Toulon".

Service and Austerlitz

With the arrival in the army, a new milestone in the search for the young prince is read. The life path of Andrei Bolkonsky made a decisive turn in the direction of bold, courageous deeds. The prince shows exceptional talent in the officer corps, he shows courage, valor and courage.

Even in the smallest details, Tolstoy emphasizes that Bolkonsky made the right choice: his face has become different, has ceased to express weariness from everything, feigned gestures and manners have disappeared. The young man did not have time to think about how to behave correctly, he became real.

Kutuzov himself makes a note of what Andrei Bolkonsky is a talented adjutant: the great commander writes a letter to the young man's father, where he notes that the prince is making exceptional progress. Andrey takes all victories and defeats to heart: he sincerely rejoices and experiences pain in his soul. He sees in Bonaparte the enemy, but at the same time continues to admire the genius of the commander. He still dreams of "his Toulon". Andrei Bolkonsky in the novel "War and Peace" expresses the author's attitude to outstanding personalities, it is from his lips that the reader learns about the most important battles.

The center of this stage in the life of the prince is the one who has shown high heroism, seriously wounded, he lies on the battlefield and sees the bottomless sky. Then Andrei comes to the realization that he must reconsider his life priorities, turn to his wife, whom he despised and humiliated by his behavior. Yes, and once an idol, Napoleon, he sees as an insignificant human being. Bonaparte appreciated the feat of the young officer, only Bolkonsky did not care. He dreams only of quiet happiness and impeccable family life. Andrey decides to end his military career and return home to his wife, in

The decision to live for yourself and loved ones

Fate prepares Bolkonsky for another heavy blow. His wife, Lisa, dies in childbirth. She leaves Andrei a son. The prince did not have time to ask for forgiveness, because he arrived too late, he is tormented by a sense of guilt. The life path of Andrei Bolkonsky further is taking care of his loved ones.

Raising his son, building an estate, helping his father in forming the ranks of the militia - these are his life priorities at this stage. Andrei Bolkonsky lives in seclusion, which allows him to focus on his spiritual world and the search for the meaning of life.

The progressive views of the young prince are manifested: he improves the life of his serfs (replaces corvee with quitrent), gives three hundred people a status Yet he is still far from accepting a sense of unity with the common people: every now and then in his speech thoughts of neglect of the peasantry and ordinary soldiers slip through ...

Fateful conversation with Pierre

The life path of Andrei Bolkonsky turns into another plane during the visit of Pierre Bezukhov. The reader immediately notes the kinship of souls of young people. Pierre, in a state of elation due to the reforms carried out on his estates, infects Andrey with enthusiasm.

Young people long discuss the principles and meaning of changes in the life of the peasantry. Andrei disagrees with something, he does not accept Pierre's most liberal views on serfs at all. However, practice has shown that, unlike Bezukhov, Bolkonsky was able to really make the life of his peasants easier. All thanks to his active nature and a practical view of the serf system.

Nevertheless, the meeting with Pierre helped Prince Andrew to penetrate well into his inner world, to start moving towards transformations of the soul.

Rebirth to a new life

A breath of fresh air, a change in outlook on life produced a meeting with Natasha Rostova - the main character of the novel "War and Peace". Andrei Bolkonsky visits the Rostovs' estate in Otradnoye for land acquisition. There he notices the calm, cozy atmosphere in the family. Natasha is so pure, direct, real ... She met him on a starry night during the first ball in her life and immediately took possession of the heart of the young prince.

Andrei seems to be born anew: he understands what Pierre once told him about: you need to live not only for yourself and your family, you need to be useful to the whole society. That is why Bolkonsky goes to St. Petersburg to submit his proposals to the military regulations.

Awareness of the meaninglessness of "state activity"

Unfortunately, Andrei did not succeed in meeting the sovereign; he was sent to Arakcheev, an unprincipled and stupid man. Of course, he did not accept the young prince's ideas. However, another meeting took place that influenced Bolkonsky's worldview. We are talking about Speransky. He saw in the young man a good potential for public service. As a result, Bolkonsky was appointed to a position related to the drafting In addition, Andrei heads the commission for drafting wartime laws.

But soon Bolkonsky was disappointed with his service: a formal approach to work did not satisfy Andrei. He feels that here he is doing unnecessary work, he will not provide real help to anyone. Increasingly, Bolkonsky recalls life in the countryside, where he was really useful.

Initially admiring Speransky, Andrei now saw pretense and unnaturalness. More and more often Bolkonsky is visited by thoughts about the idleness of St. Petersburg life and the absence of any meaning in his service to the country.

Break with Natasha

Natasha Rostova and Andrei Bolkonsky were a very beautiful couple, but they were not destined to get married. The girl gave him the desire to live, to create something for the good of the country, to dream of a happy future. She became Andrey's muse. Natasha favorably distinguished herself from other girls in Petersburg society: she was pure, sincere, her actions came from the heart, they were devoid of any calculation. The girl sincerely loved Bolkonsky, and did not just see him as a profitable party.

Bolkonsky makes a fatal mistake by postponing the wedding with Natasha for a whole year: this provoked her enthusiasm for Anatoly Kuragin. The young prince could not forgive the girl. Natasha Rostova and Andrei Bolkonsky break off their engagement. The blame for everything is the prince's excessive pride, unwillingness to hear and understand Natasha. He is again as egocentric as the reader observed Andrei at the beginning of the novel.

The final turning point in consciousness - Borodino

It is with such a heavy heart that Bolkonsky enters 1812, a turning point for the Fatherland. Initially, he wants revenge: he dreams of meeting Anatol Kuragin among the military and avenging his failed marriage, challenging him to a duel. But gradually the life path of Andrei Bolkonsky is changing once again: the impetus for this was the vision of the tragedy of the people.

Kutuzov entrusts the young officer with the command of the regiment. The prince is completely devoted to his service - now it is his life's work, he is so close to the soldiers that they call him "our prince."

Finally, the day of the apotheosis of the Patriotic War and the search for Andrei Bolkonsky comes - the Battle of Borodino. It is noteworthy that L. Tolstoy puts his vision of this great historical event and the absurdity of wars into the mouth of Prince Andrew. He reflects on the pointlessness of so many sacrifices for the sake of victory.

The reader sees here Bolkonsky, who went through a difficult life path: disappointment, death of loved ones, betrayal, rapprochement with the common people. He feels that he understands and realizes too much now, one might say, heralds his death: “I see that I began to understand too much. And it is not good for a man to eat of the tree of good and evil. "

Indeed, Bolkonsky is mortally wounded and, among other soldiers, is taken into the care of the Rostovs' house.

The prince feels the approach of death, he thinks about Natasha for a long time, understands her, "sees the soul", dreams of meeting his beloved, asking for forgiveness. He confesses his love to the girl and dies.

The image of Andrei Bolkonsky is an example of high honor, loyalty to the duty of the Motherland and people.

One of the main characters of the novel "War and Peace" by the great Russian humanist Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy - Andrei Bolkonsky - is an example of an aristocrat who possesses the best traits that can only be characteristic of a person. The moral searches of Andrei Bolkonsky and his relationship with other characters only serve as clear evidence that the author has managed to embody willpower and realism in this.

General information

As the son of Prince Bolkonsky, Andrei inherited a lot from him. In the novel War and Peace, he is opposed to Pierre Bezukhov, who is more romantic, although he has a complex disposition. The younger Bolkonsky, who works with the commander Kutuzov, has a sharply negative attitude towards Vyatka society. In his soul, he harbors romantic feelings for Natasha Rostova, whose poetry captivated the hero. His whole life is the path of searches and attempts to find the worldview of the common people.

Emergence

For the first time this hero appears on the pages of the novel "War and Peace" already at the very beginning, namely at the evening of Anna Pavlovna Sherer. His behavior clearly indicates that he is not only not seduced, but in the most literal sense repulsive, and he does not find anything pleasant here. He makes no effort to hide how disappointed he is with these mannered, deceitful speeches, and calls all attendees of such meetings "a stupid company." The image of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky is a reflection of a person who is disappointed in false morality and who is sickened by the manner of falseness prevailing in the highest circles.

The prince is not attracted by such communication, but he is much more disappointed that his wife, Liza, cannot do without small talk and superficial people. He is here only for her sake, because he himself feels like a stranger at this celebration of life.

Pierre Bezukhov

The only person whom Andrey can consider his friend, close to him in spirit, is Pierre Bezukhov. Only with Pierre can he be frank and admit to him without any antics that such a life is not for him, that he lacks sharpness, that he cannot fully self-actualize, using the inexhaustible source of his thirst for real life inherent in him.

The image of Andrei Bolkonsky is the image of a hero who does not want to remain in the shadows behind the backs of his colleagues. He wants to do serious things and make important decisions. Although he has the opportunity to stay in St. Petersburg and become an aide-de-camp, he wants much more. On the eve of serious battles, he goes to the heart of the fighting. Such a decision becomes for the prince a treatment for his long-term dissatisfaction with himself and an attempt to achieve something more in life.

Service

In the army, the prince does not behave quite the way many would have done if they were in his place. He does not even think about immediately getting a high position, taking advantage of his aristocratic origin. He deliberately wants to start his service from the lowest positions in the Kutuzov army.

In his aspirations, Prince Andrei Bolkonsky sharply differs not only from representatives of high society who found themselves in the war, but also from ordinary employees who, by all means, want to get the coveted high post. Their main goal is regalia and recognition, no matter how useful they are or how brave they will behave in battle.

Vanity is not alien to Bolkonsky, but it is expressed in a completely different way. Prince Andrei Bolkonsky feels that he is to some extent responsible for the fate of Russia and the people. He was especially influenced by the Ulm defeat and the appearance of General Mack. During this period, important changes take place in the hero's soul, which will affect his entire future life. He felt "at ease" and realized that it was in the army that he could realize his powerful potential. The boredom disappeared from his face, it became clear from his whole appearance that the prince was full of energy, which he wanted to direct to achieve his goals, that is, to protect the Russian people.

The prince becomes ambitious, he wants to accomplish a feat so that his name would be engraved in history for many centuries. Kutuzov is pleased with his employee and considers him one of the best officers.

The life of Andrei Bolkonsky in the army is fundamentally different from that "insipid" existence among society ladies, which he led earlier. He is ready to do things and does not hesitate with it. The hero showed honor and courage already during the Battle of Shengraben, when he bravely bypasses the positions, despite the adamant non-stop enemy fire. During this battle, the younger Bolkonsky had a chance to witness the heroism shown by the artillerymen.In addition, the prince showed his courage by standing in the defense of the captain.

Battle of austerlitz

Recognition, honor and eternal memory - these are the most basic goals that are priorities in order to fully reveal the image of Andrei Bolkonsky. A summary of the events of the Battle of Austerlitz will only help to understand how important it became for the prince. This battle was a turning point in moral pursuits and an attempt to accomplish a feat for the younger Bolkonsky.

He hoped that during this battle he would be lucky to show all his courage and become a hero. He really managed to accomplish a feat during the battle: when the ensign who carried the banner fell, the prince raised him and led the battalion to attack.

However, Andrey did not succeed in becoming a hero in full, because it was during the Battle of Austerilitz that many soldiers were killed, and the Russian army suffered terrible expenses. Here the prince realized that his desire to gain world fame was only an illusion. After such a fall, the plans of the ambitious prince undergo dramatic changes. He no longer admires the image of the great Napoleon Bonaparte, now this genius commander becomes for him just a simple soldier. This battle and the reasoning inspired by it are completely new and one of the most important stages in the quest of the Tolstoy hero.

Return to secular society

Significant changes in the prince's outlook occur upon his return to where he was sent after a serious injury received on the battlefield. The image of Andrei Bolkonsky becomes more pragmatic, especially after new tragic events take place in his life. Soon after his return, his wife dies in labor pains, giving birth to her son Nikolenka, who will later become the successor of his father's spiritual quests.

Andrei thinks that he is guilty of what happened, that his actions are the cause of his wife's death. This state, close to depression, together with the mental disorder that appeared after the defeat in, leads the prince to the idea that he should abandon his claims to military glory, and at the same time stop any social activities.

Revival

The arrival of Pierre Bezukhov at the Bolkonsky estate makes radical changes in the life of the prince. He takes an active position and begins to make many transformations in his possessions: he makes the peasants free, changes the corvee for a quitrent, subscribes a maternity grandmother and pays the salary of a priest teaching peasant children.

All this brings him a lot of positive emotions and satisfaction. Although he did it all "for himself", he managed to do much more than Pierre.

Natasha Rostova

The image of Andrei Bolkonsky cannot be fully analyzed without mentioning Natasha. Acquaintance with this young girl leaves an indelible imprint on the soul of the prince. Her energy, sincerity and spontaneity allow Andrey to again feel the taste for life and take part in social activities.

He decided to take up the drafting of state laws and entered the service of a certain Speransky. He soon becomes deeply disappointed in the usefulness of such activities and realizes that he is surrounded by sheer falsehood. However, after returning, he again sees Natasha and revives. The characters flare up feelings that, it would seem, should end in a happy marriage. However, many obstacles appear on their way, and everything ends in a rupture.

Borodino

Disappointed in everything and everyone, the prince goes to the army. He is again fascinated by military affairs, and aristocrats who crave only glory and profit cause more and more disgust in him. He is confident in his victory, but, alas, Tolstoy has prepared another end for his hero. During the battle, Andrei was mortally wounded and died soon after.

Before his death, an understanding of the essence of life descended on the prince. Lying on his deathbed, he realized that the guiding star of every person should be love and mercy for his neighbor. He is ready to forgive Natasha, who betrayed him, and believed in the infinite wisdom of the Creator. The image of Andrei Bolkonsky embodies all the best and purest that should be in a person's soul. Having gone through a difficult but short one, he nevertheless realized something that many will not be able to comprehend even for a whole eternity.

Andrei Bolkonsky - one of the main characters of Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace, is a prominent representative of the nobility. His life was short, filled with the desire for goodness and truth. It was aimed at finding the meaning of existence.

From childhood, Prince Andrey sees the rigid living standards of his autocratic father, his suffering in the world he created with his own hands. Based on this, Andrei comes to the conclusion that suffering and death are not so terrible. Watching his father, Andrei develops his own cold, intellectual approach to life. He constantly feels the hopelessness of his own life and the lives of those around him. Andrei Bolognsky is dissatisfied with this state of affairs and goes to serve in the army. He is not looking for an easy career. He is a patriot and wants to be where he can benefit the fatherland. Once on the battlefield, Andrei is disappointed in the war, realizes its meaninglessness. He has a spiritual crisis, which is aggravated by the news of his wife's death during childbirth. He is disappointed in life, it seems to him that it ends there.

The revival of Andrei Bolkonsky takes place under the influence of Pierre Bezukhov, and his spiritual cleansing - through a meeting and relationship with Natasha Rostova. This meeting gives rise to dreams of a family and simple happiness with his beloved. Andrei resumes his life in society, imposing certain obligations on him, because he feels his responsibility to Natasha. On the advice of his father, he postpones the wedding for a year. He is afraid to connect his life with such a young and no life experience creature. And his fears are not in vain - Natasha succumbs to feelings, and gives in to the seductions of Anatoly. Prince Andrew is again disappointed and depressed. All his dreams of family life collapsed, and he returns to the army, as he believes that he should not think about himself, but about the fate of his fatherland.

In the regiment they are proud and loved, as he takes care of the soldiers and officers. Before the Battle of Borodino, Andrei is confident in the victory of the Russian army. In battle, he is mortally wounded, but realizing that he is dying, he feels a sense of forgiveness and love for all people. At this moment, the last meeting of Andrey and Natasha takes place, who, on her knees, asks for forgiveness. She understands that she has betrayed her beloved. Bolkonsky forgives her, love awakens in his soul again, and she brightens up the last moments of Prince Andrey's life.

Prince Andrei inherited the strength of will and firmness of character from his father, a Russian master, a general of Catherine's times, a stern, domineering man who hides great moral strength behind external eccentricity and tyranny. The old prince Bolkonsky sympathized with the materialistic French philosophy of the eighteenth century, and a connection can be established between the rationalism of Prince Andrei and this inclination of his father.

Having inherited from him also a clear mind and a desire for broad activity, Prince Andrei felt himself not satisfied with the emptiness of secular life, above which he stood in his mind and interests. Just like Pierre, he clearly saw the falsity and lies of this life. By creating your own inner world. Prince Andrei closed in on him, treating people coldly and even contemptuously and communicating with a few. Among these few was Pierre, with whom Prince Andrew was associated with a community of intellectual interests. But in contrast to Pierre, Prince Andrew was
he is busy not with abstract questions of a moral order, but with questions of practical life; he liked to associate all mental constructions with their practical implementation. Therefore, such purely theoretical minds as Speransky, in whom, after a short enthusiasm, became disillusioned, were alien to him. It was difficult for Prince Andrey to find an application for his forces in those areas of public service where formalism reigns, where theoretical formulas were in the first place, and not
the needs of real life.

His plans for widespread activity, hopes for fame and elevation, Prince Andrew then bases on military service; the example of the heroic fate of Napoleon excites his imagination. Feeling behind him a large reserve of unspent strength, will and mind, Prince Andrey saw for himself the opportunity to firmly and fully implement the goals and achieve everything he wanted. But it was precisely the mind, moral disgust and broad goals that turned him away from many paths of a career, on
which careerists and predators were in time. On the field of Austerlitz, his ideas about the charm of war and military glory faded.
The main and aboutthe hallmarks of Prince Andrew are willpower and an imperious sense of personality, individualistic isolation in the very himself and the detachment of his personality from everything around him.

Sense of personality

Prince Andrew is inclined to analyze his feelings and impressions, immerse himself in himself, live by the interests of his inner world, reckon with the facts of his inner life as the most essential. A new impression that struck his soul and opened some previously unnoticed side of life, becomes decisive for his further behavior, for the whole way of his existence. His life is influenced not by external factors, but by the internal facts of personal spiritual consciousness. So, realizing on the field of Austerlitz the insignificant role of the individual in the war and the tremendous power of the elemental forces that do not depend on
personal will, and most importantly, feeling, in view of the imminent death, the pettiness of his former ambitious goals and the entire human anthill before the impression of the eternal peace of the universe, embracing both the living and the dead, Prince Andrei, having recovered from his injury, renounces his previous goals and retires in his village.

Strength of will

Willpower is revealed in the steadfastness with which Andrei Bolkonsky implements the decisions made, often contrary to his own feelings. So, feeling a disagreement with Speransky, disillusioned with his activities, Prince Andrei leaves the path to a brilliant career that was opening to him. Taking on anything, be it managing a regiment or carrying out reforms in the countryside, he patiently achieves everything that was planned for him. When, with Natasha's betrayal, the dream of a family life broke so offensively, Prince Andrei finds the strength to maintain complete composure, surprising outsiders with external calm. His will is in complete
agreement with his mind. Having experienced in his inner world any fact that changed his views on the previously set goal, he easily and irrevocably abandons all the advantages associated with it, and the goal, tempting, worried about him, ceases to exist for him, and the conclusions of reason for him are stronger than all dreams of ambition. he remains completely calm in the face of death.
Moral break Andrey Bolkonsky

Prince Andrew felt the first strong crack in his world outlook on the Austerlitz field, when a wounded man lay, forgotten between the heaps of bodies in the open air. At the solemn moment of the nearness of death, contemplation woke up in him and Prince Andrew discovered all the spiritual strength and height of his nature. Without blind horror and longing before death, as a true philosopher-contemplator, he looked around his whole life and the lives of others and was sincerely surprised by the insignificance of all the worries and interests of this life in comparison with the peace of heaven, revealed to him.
embracing the earth and talking about another peace - eternity. At that moment there was that "departure from life" of Prince Andrey, that isolation from it, the traces of which remained forever in his soul and which finally took possession of him in the last days before his death. "Yes! everything is empty, everything is deception, except for this endless sky. Nothing, nothing but him. But even that is not even there, there is nothing but silence, reassurance. " Subsequent events only confirm this attitude towards life in him.

Returning to his village, Prince Andrey began to lead a secluded and secluded life, but fate again made him feel the nearness of death, this time the death of his wife. Under the influence of these events, he falls into a heavy pessimistic mood, experiences the burden of the emptiness of life and disgust for it. The last outburst of vital interests again ends in severe disappointment for him: he breaks off from social activities due to disagreements with Speransky, loses faith in the possibility of fruitful work, and, finally, experiences the catastrophe of the collapse of hopes for family happiness. His love for Natasha and dreams of a new home nest end in resentment and grief because of Natasha's betrayal. The whole life of this person develops in such a way that he, who built a plan of exclusively personal happiness, and determined the entire content of life only by personal interests and needs, consistently rejects all the interests of this life and moves further and further from it into some desert of complete alienation from life.

But this destruction of the old content of life only signified the proximity of the new. This new rushed into his soul when he, wounded in the Battle of Borodino, experiences high moments of forgiveness of previous grievances and a new love relationship in life. Having risen above the general human vanity, looking from a height at everything that makes people worry, grieve, fight, work, humiliate and suffer, he feels how far now he is from his former feelings of hatred, anxiety, desires and torments. A deep peace takes over his soul; Tolstoy describes how immersed in this cold and pure element of deep peace, detachment from all the interests of existence, Prince Andrei dispassionately, quietly and calmly looks at everything around him, even at Natasha, whom he loved so much.

This alienation from life, this dispassionate contemplation of it, as it were, was prepared throughout the life of Prince Andrey by disappointment in everything: in dreams of glory, in social activities, in personal happiness, in love. True, shortly before his death, he was visited by minutes of some new revelation about love, about that “Divine love” with which one can love an enemy, “which neither death and nothing can destroy”, but these words of him seem to be the expression of ideas, thoughts, and not emotional feelings.

An individualist, a thinker who lived only by his own self, Prince Andrey dies in a state of complete alienation from the world. Tolstoy showed that the result of such an individualistic self-assertion of a person, completely sincere and consistent, can only be the absolute emptiness of life, dispassion, indifference to everything. A person finds a true, nourishing ground for his “I” only in living and loving communication with the world, in harmony with it, in renouncing his personality and submitting to it to a common supreme guiding principle, to the principle by which “people live”. Pierre found a way to this source of life: the people and such representatives as Karataev were for him a living example of a direct sense of God in the world. Prince Andrew was a different person by nature, remained closed in his personal, inner world and died alone, as he lived.

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Leo Tolstoy never showed himself as an unprincipled writer. Among all the variety of his images, one can easily find those to which he treated positively, with enthusiasm, and those to which he felt antipathy. One of the characters to whom Tolstoy was clearly not indifferent was the image of Andrei Bolkonsky.

Marriage to Lisa Meinen

For the first time we meet with Bolkonsky at Anna Pavlovna Scherer. He appears here as a bored and tired guest from the whole high society. In his inner state, he resembles the classic Byronic hero, who does not see the meaning in secular life, but continues to live this life out of habit, while experiencing inner torment from moral dissatisfaction.

At the beginning of the novel, Bolkonsky appears before the readers as a 27-year-old young man married to Kutuzov's niece, Lisa Meinen. His wife is pregnant with her first child and will soon give birth. Apparently, family life did not bring happiness to Prince Andrey - he treats his wife rather coolly, and even says to Pierre Bezukhov that getting married is fatal for a person.
During this period, the reader sees the development of two different hypostases of Bolkonsky's life - secular, connected with the arrangement of family life and the military - Prince Andrey is in the military service and is an adjutant under General Kutuzov.

Battle of Austerlitz

Prince Andrey is full of aspiration to become a significant person in the military field, he gives high hopes for the military events of 1805-1809. - according to Bolkonsky, this will help him lose the sense of meaninglessness of life. However, the very first injury makes him sober - Bolkonsky revises his priorities in life and comes to the conclusion that he will be able to fully realize himself in family life. Falling onto the battlefield, Prince Andrey notices the beauty of the sky and himself wonders why he had never looked at the sky before and did not notice its uniqueness.

Bolkonsky was not lucky - after being wounded, he became a prisoner of war in the French army, but then he has the opportunity to return to his homeland.

Having recovered from his injury, Bolkonsky goes to his father's estate, where his pregnant wife is. Since there was no information about Prince Andrei, and everyone considered him dead, his appearance was a complete surprise. Bolkonsky arrives home just in time - he finds his wife giving birth and her death. The child managed to survive - it was a boy. Prince Andrey was depressed and upset by this event - he regrets that he was in a cool relationship with his wife. Until the end of his days, he remembered the frozen expression on her dead face, which seemed to ask: "Why did this happen to me?"

Life after the death of his wife

The sad consequences of the Battle of Austerlitz and the death of his wife became the reasons why Bolkonsky decided to refuse military service. While most of his compatriots were drafted to the front, Bolkonsky made a special effort to avoid getting back on the battlefield. To this end, under the guidance of his father, he begins activities as a militia collector.

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At this moment, there is the famous fragment of Bolkonsky's contemplation of an oak, which, in contrast to the entire greening forest, argued the opposite - the blackened oak trunk suggested the finiteness of life. In fact, the symbolic image of this oak embodied the inner state of Prince Andrey, who also looked devastated. After some time, Bolkonsky again had to drive along the same road, and he saw that his seemingly dead oak had found the strength for life. From this moment Bolkonsky's moral restoration begins.

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He did not stay as a militia collector and soon received a new appointment - a job on the commission for drafting laws. Thanks to his acquaintance with Speransky and Arakcheev, he was appointed to the post of head of the department.

Initially, this work captures Bolkonsky, but gradually his interest is lost and he soon begins to miss life on the estate. His work in the commission seems to Bolkonsky to be idle nonsense. Prince Andrey more and more often finds himself thinking that this work is aimless and useless.

It is likely that during the same period Bolkonsky's internal torments brought Prince Andrei to the Masonic lodge, but judging by the fact that Tolstoy does not develop this part of Bolkonsky's relationship with society, the Masonic lodge did not have any spread and influence on the life path.

Meeting with Natasha Rostova

At the New Year's ball in 1811, he sees Natasha Rostova. After meeting the girl, Prince Andrew realizes that his life is not over and he should not dwell on Lisa's death. Bolkonsky's heart is filled with love in Natalia. Prince Andrey feels natural in Natalia's company - he can easily find a topic for conversation with her. In communicating with a girl, Bolkonsky behaves at ease, he likes the fact that Natalya accepts him for who he is, Andrei does not need to pretend or play along. Natalia was also captivated by Bolkonsky, he seemed attractive to her both externally and internally.

Without thinking twice, Bolkonsky proposes to the girl. Since the position in Bolkonsky's society was impeccable, and besides, the financial situation was stable, the Rostovs agree to marriage.

The only person who was extremely dissatisfied with the engagement took place was the father of Prince Andrei - he persuades his son to go abroad for treatment and only after that he will deal with the matters of marriage.

Prince Andrew gives in and leaves. This event became fatal in the life of Bolkonsky - during his absence Natalya fell in love with the rake Anatol Kuragin and even made an attempt to escape with the rowdy.

He learns about this from a letter from Natalia herself. This behavior unpleasantly struck Prince Andrei, and his engagement to Rostova was terminated. However, his feelings towards the girl did not fade away - he also continued to passionately love her until the end of his days.

Return to military service

To drown out the pain and take revenge on Kuragin, Bolkonsky returns to the military field. General Kutuzov, who always treated Bolkonsky favorably, invites Prince Andrei to go with him to Turkey. Bolkonsky accepts the offer, but the Russian troops do not stay in the Moldavian direction for a long time - with the beginning of the military events of 1812, the transfer of troops to the Western Front begins, and Bolkonsky asks Kutuzov to send him to the front line.
Prince Andrey becomes the commander of the Jaeger regiment. As a commander, Bolkonsky demonstrates himself in the best possible way: he treats his subordinates with care and enjoys significant authority with them. His colleagues call him "our prince" and are very proud of him. Such changes in him were realized thanks to Bolkonsky's rejection of individualism and his merger with the people.

The Bolkonsky regiment became one of the military units that took part in the military events against Napoleon, in particular during the Battle of Borodino.

Wounded in the battle of Borodino and its consequences

During the battle, Bolkonsky is seriously wounded in the stomach. The resulting injury becomes the reason for Bolkonsky's reassessment and understanding of many life dogmas. Co-workers bring their commander to the dressing station, on the next operating table he sees his enemy - Anatol Kuragin and finds the strength to forgive him. Kuragin looks very pitiful and depressed - the doctors amputated his leg. Looking at Anatol's emotions and his pain, anger and desire for revenge, which devoured Bolkonsky all this time, retreats and compassion comes to replace him - Prince Andrei feels sorry for Kuragin.

Then Bolkonsky falls into unconsciousness and remains in this state for 7 days. Bolkonsky regains consciousness in the Rostovs' house. Together with other wounded, he was evacuated from Moscow.
Natalia at this moment becomes his angel. In the same period, Bolkonsky's relationship with Natasha Rostova also takes on new meaning, but for Andrei everything is too late - his wound leaves him no hope of recovery. However, this did not prevent them from finding short-term harmony and happiness. Rostova is constantly caring for the wounded Bolkonsky, the girl realizes that she still loves Prince Andrei, because of this, her guilt towards Bolkonsky only intensifies. Prince Andrew, despite the severity of his injury, tries to look as usual - he jokes a lot, reads. Oddly enough, out of all possible books Bolkonsky asked for the Gospel, probably because after a "meeting" with Kuragin at the dressing station, Bolkonsky began to realize Christian values \u200b\u200band was able to love people close to him with true love. Despite all efforts, Prince Andrew still dies. This event tragically affected the life of Rostova - the girl often remembered Bolkonsky and went over in her memory all the moments spent with this man.

Thus, the life of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky once again confirms Tolstoy's position - the life of good people is always full of tragedy and quest.