Introduction

Leo Tolstoy in his epic portrayed more than 500 characters typical of Russian society. In "War and Peace" the heroes of the novel are representatives of the upper class of Moscow and St. Petersburg, key state and military figures, soldiers, people from the common people, and peasants. The image of all strata of Russian society allowed Tolstoy to recreate a complete picture of Russian life in one of the turning points in the history of Russia - the era of wars with Napoleon in 1805-1812.

In "War and Peace" the characters are conditionally divided into the main characters - whose fates are woven by the author into the plot narration of all four volumes and the epilogue, and secondary - heroes who appear episodically in the novel. Among the main characters of the novel, one can single out the central characters - Andrei Bolkonsky, Natasha Rostova and Pierre Bezukhov, around whose fates the events of the novel unfold.

Characteristics of the main characters of the novel

Andrey Bolkonsky- "a very handsome young man with definite and dry features", "small stature." The author introduces the reader to Bolkonsky at the beginning of the novel - the hero was one of the guests at the evening of Anna Scherer (where many of the main characters of Tolstoy's War and Peace were also present).

According to the plot of the work, Andrei was tired of high society, he dreamed of glory, no less than the glory of Napoleon, and therefore goes to war. The episode that turned Bolkonsky's worldview upside down is the meeting with Bonaparte - Andrei, wounded on the field of Austerlitz, realized how insignificant Bonaparte and all his glory really are. The second turning point in Bolkonsky's life is the love for Natasha Rostova. The new feeling helped the hero to return to a full life, to believe that after the death of his wife and everything he had endured, he could fully live on. However, their happiness with Natasha was not destined to come true - Andrei was mortally wounded during the Battle of Borodino and soon died.

Natasha Rostova- a cheerful, kind, very emotional and loving girl: "black-eyed, with a big mouth, ugly, but alive." An important feature of the image of the central heroine of "War and Peace" is her musical talent - a beautiful voice that fascinated even people inexperienced in music. The reader meets Natasha on the girl's name day, when she turns 12 years old. Tolstoy depicts the moral maturation of the heroine: love experiences, going out, Natasha's betrayal of Prince Andrei and her feelings because of this, the search for herself in religion and the turning point in the life of the heroine - the death of Bolkonsky. In the epilogue of the novel, Natasha appears to the reader in a completely different way - we are more likely to see the shadow of her husband, Pierre Bezukhov, and not the bright, active Rostova, who a few years ago danced Russian dances and “won back” carts for the wounded from her mother.

Pierre Bezukhov- "a massive, fat young man with a cropped head, wearing glasses." "Pierre was somewhat larger than the other men in the room", he had "an intelligent and at the same time timid, observant and natural look that distinguished him from everyone in this living room." Pierre is a hero who is in constant search for himself through the knowledge of the world around him. Every situation in his life, every stage of life became special for the hero. life lesson. Marriage to Helen, passion for Freemasonry, love for Natasha Rostova, presence on the field of the Battle of Borodino (which the hero sees precisely through the eyes of Pierre), French captivity and acquaintance with Karataev completely change Pierre's personality - a purposeful and self-confident man with own views and goals.

Other important characters

In War and Peace, Tolstoy conditionally identifies several blocks of characters - the families of the Rostovs, Bolkonskys, Kuragins, as well as the characters who are part of the social circle of one of these families. The Rostovs and Bolkonskys, as positive heroes, bearers of a truly Russian mentality, ideas and spirituality, are opposed to the negative characters Kuragins, who had little interest in the spiritual aspect of life, preferring to shine in society, weave intrigues and choose acquaintances according to their status and wealth. A brief description of the heroes of War and Peace will help you better understand the essence of each main character.

Graph Ilya Andreevich Rostov- a kind and generous man, for whom the most important thing in his life was his family. The count sincerely loved his wife and four children (Natasha, Vera, Nikolai and Petya), helped his wife in raising children and did his best to maintain a warm atmosphere in the Rostovs' house. Ilya Andreevich cannot live without luxury, he liked to arrange lavish balls, receptions and evenings, but his wastefulness and inability to manage household affairs eventually led to the critical financial situation of the Rostovs.
Countess Natalya Rostova is a 45-year-old woman with oriental features, who knows how to make an impression in high society, the wife of Count Rostov, and the mother of four children. The Countess, like her husband, loved her family very much, trying to support and educate her children. best qualities. Due to excessive love for children, after the death of Petya, the woman almost goes crazy. In the countess, kindness to relatives was combined with prudence: wanting to improve the financial situation of the family, the woman is trying with all her might to upset Nikolai's marriage to Sonya, "not a profitable bride."

Nikolai Rostov- "a short curly young man with an open expression." This is a simple-hearted, open, honest and benevolent young man, Natasha's brother, the eldest son of the Rostovs. At the beginning of the novel, Nikolai appears as an admiring young man who wants military glory and recognition, but after participating first in the battle of Shengrabes, and then in the Battle of Austerlitz and the Patriotic War, Nikolai's illusions are dispelled and the hero realizes how absurd and wrong the very idea of ​​\u200b\u200bwar is. Nikolai finds personal happiness in marriage with Marya Bolkonskaya, in whom he felt a congenial person even at their first meeting.

Sonya Rostova- "a thin, petite brunette with a soft, tinted long eyelashes look, a thick black scythe, twice wrapping around her head, and a yellowish tint of skin on her face, niece of Count Rostov. According to the plot of the novel, she is a quiet, reasonable, kind girl who knows how to love and is prone to self-sacrifice. Sonya refuses Dolokhov, because she wants to be faithful only to Nikolai, whom she sincerely loves. When the girl finds out that Nikolai is in love with Marya, she meekly lets him go, not wanting to interfere with the happiness of her beloved.

Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky- Prince, retired general-ashef. This is a proud, intelligent, strict to himself and others man of short stature "with small dry hands and gray hanging eyebrows, sometimes, as he frowned, obscured the shine of intelligent and as if young, shining eyes." In the depths of his soul, Bolkonsky loves his children very much, but does not dare to show this (only before his death he was able to show his daughter his love). Nikolai Andreevich died from the second blow while in Bogucharovo.

Marya Bolkonskaya- a quiet, kind, meek, prone to self-sacrifice and sincerely loving her family girl. Tolstoy describes her as a heroine with "an ugly, weak body and a thin face", but "the eyes of the princess, large, deep and radiant (as if rays of warm light sometimes came out of them in sheaves), were so good that very often, despite the ugliness of everything faces, these eyes became more attractive than beauty. The beauty of Marya's eyes after struck Nikolai Rostov. The girl was very pious, she devoted herself entirely to caring for her father and nephew, then redirecting her love to her own family and husband.

Helen Kuragina- a bright, brilliantly beautiful woman with a "unchanging smile" and full white shoulders, who liked male company, Pierre's first wife. Helen was not distinguished by a special mind, but thanks to her charm, her ability to keep herself in society and establish the necessary connections, she set up her own salon in St. Petersburg, and was personally acquainted with Napoleon. The woman died of a severe sore throat (although there were rumors in society that Helen had committed suicide).

Anatole Kuragin- Helen's brother, as handsome in appearance and noticeable in high society as his sister. Anatole lived the way he wanted, discarding all moral principles and foundations, arranged drunkenness and brawls. Kuragin wanted to steal Natasha Rostova and marry her, although he was already married.

Fedor Dolokhov- "a man of medium height, curly-haired and with bright eyes", an officer of the Semenov regiment, one of the leaders of the partisan movement. In Fedor's personality, selfishness, cynicism and adventurism were combined in an amazing way with the ability to love and care for their loved ones. (Nikolai Rostov is very surprised that at home, with his mother and sister, Dolokhov is completely different - a loving and gentle son and brother).

Conclusion

Even short description of the heroes of Tolstoy's "War and Peace" allows us to see the close and inextricable relationship between the fates of the characters. Like all events in the novel, the meetings and farewells of the characters take place according to the irrational, elusive law of historical mutual influences. It is these incomprehensible mutual influences that create the destinies of the heroes and form their views on the world.

Artwork test

Leo Tolstoy in the article "A few words about the book" War and Peace "" says that the names of the characters in the epic are consonant with the names real people, because he "felt awkward" using the names of historical figures next to fictitious ones. Tolstoy writes that he "would be very sorry" if readers thought that he was deliberately describing the characters of real people, because all the characters are fictitious.

At the same time, there are two characters in the novel, to whom Tolstoy "unwittingly" gave the names of real people - Denisov and M. D. Akhrosimova. He did this because they were "characteristic faces of the time". Nevertheless, in the biographies of other characters in War and Peace, one can notice similarities with the stories of real people, which probably influenced Tolstoy when he worked on the images of his characters.

Prince Andrei Bolkonsky

Nikolay Tuchkov. (wikimedia.org)

The surname of the hero is consonant with the surname of the Volkonsky princely family, from which the writer's mother came, however, Andrei is one of those characters whose image is more fictional than borrowed from specific people. How out of reach moral ideal, Prince Andrei, of course, could not have a specific prototype. Nevertheless, in the facts of the character's biography, one can find a lot in common, for example, with Nikolai Tuchkov. He was a lieutenant general and, like Prince Andrei, was mortally wounded in the Battle of Borodino, from which he died in Yaroslavl three weeks later.

Nikolai Rostov and Princess Marya - the writer's parents

The scene of the wounding of Prince Andrei in the Battle of Austerlitz is probably borrowed from the biography of Staff Captain Fyodor (Ferdinand) Tizenhausen, Kutuzov's son-in-law. He, with a banner in his hands, led the Little Russian Grenadier Regiment in a counterattack, was wounded, captured and died three days after the battle. Also, the act of Prince Andrei is similar to the act of Prince Peter Volkonsky, who, with the banner of the Phanagoria regiment, led the brigade of grenadiers forward.

It is possible that Tolstoy gave the image of Prince Andrei the features of his brother Sergei. By at least, this concerns the story of the failed marriage of Bolkonsky and Natasha Rostova. Sergei Tolstoy was engaged to Tatyana Bers, the elder sister of Sophia Tolstaya (the writer's wife). The marriage never took place, because Sergei had been living with the gypsy Maria Shishkina for several years, whom he eventually married, and Tatyana married lawyer A. Kuzminsky.

Natasha Rostova

Sofya Tolstaya is the writer's wife. (wikimedia.org)

It can be assumed that Natasha has two prototypes at once - Tatyana and Sofya Bers. In the comments to War and Peace, Tolstoy says that Natasha Rostova turned out when he "reworked Tanya and Sonya."

Tatyana Bers spent most of her childhood in the writer's family and managed to make friends with the author of War and Peace, despite the fact that she was almost 20 years younger than him. Moreover, under the influence of Tolstoy, Kuzminskaya herself took up literary work. In her book “My Life at Home and in Yasnaya Polyana”, she wrote: “Natasha - he directly said that I didn’t live with him for nothing, that he was writing me off.” This can be found in the novel. The episode with Natasha's doll, which she offers Boris to kiss, is really written off from the real case, when Tatyana offered her friend to kiss Mimi's doll. She later wrote: "My big Mimi doll got into a novel!" The appearance of Natasha Tolstoy also wrote from Tatyana.

For the image of the adult Rostova - wife and mother - the writer probably turned to Sophia. Tolstoy's wife was devoted to her husband, gave birth to 13 children, she herself was engaged in their upbringing, housekeeping, and indeed rewrote War and Peace several times.

Rostov

In the drafts of the novel, the family's surname is first the Tolstoys, then the Simples, then the Plokhovs. The writer used archival documents to recreate the life of his family and depict it in the life of the Rostov family. There are similarities in names with Tolstoy's paternal relatives, as in the case of the old Count Rostov. This name hides the writer's grandfather Ilya Andreevich Tolstoy. This man, in fact, led a rather wasteful lifestyle and spent enormous sums on entertainment events. Leo Tolstoy in his memoirs wrote about him as generous, but limited person, who constantly arranged balls and receptions on the estate.

Even Tolstoy did not hide the fact that Vasily Denisov is Denis Davydov

And yet this is not the good-natured Ilya Andreevich Rostov from War and Peace. Count Tolstoy was the governor of Kazan and a bribe taker known throughout Russia, although the writer recalls that his grandfather did not take bribes, and his grandmother took them secretly from her husband. Ilya Tolstoy was removed from his post after the auditors discovered the theft of almost 15 thousand rubles from the provincial treasury. The reason for the shortage was called "lack of knowledge in the position of the governor of the province."

Nikolai Tolstoy. (wikimedia.org)

Nikolai Rostov is the father of the writer Nikolai Ilyich Tolstoy. There are more than enough similarities between the prototype and the hero of War and Peace. Nikolai Tolstoy at the age of 17 voluntarily joined the Cossack regiment, served in the hussars and went through all the Napoleonic wars, including the Patriotic War of 1812. It is believed that the descriptions of military scenes with the participation of Nikolai Rostov were taken by the writer from the memoirs of his father. Nikolai inherited huge debts, he had to get a job as an educator in the Moscow military orphanage department. To remedy the situation, he married the ugly and withdrawn Princess Maria Volkonskaya, who was four years older than him. The marriage was arranged by the relatives of the bride and groom. Judging by the memoirs of contemporaries, the arranged marriage turned out to be very happy. Maria and Nikolai led a solitary life. Nikolai read a lot and collected a library on the estate, was engaged in farming and hunting. Tatyana Bers wrote to Sofya that Vera Rostova was very similar to Lisa Bers, Sophia's other sister.

Sisters Bers: Sophia, Tatyana and Elizabeth. (tolstoy-manuscript.ru)

Princess Mary

There is a version that the prototype of Princess Marya is the mother of Leo Tolstoy, Maria Nikolaevna Volkonskaya, by the way, also the full namesake of the book heroine. However, the writer's mother died when Tolstoy was less than two years old. There were no portraits of Volkonskaya, and the writer studied her letters and diaries in order to create her image for himself.

Unlike the heroine, the writer's mother had no problems with the sciences, in particular with mathematics and geometry. She learned four foreign languages, and, judging by the diaries of Volkonskaya, she and her father had a fairly warm relationship, she was devoted to him. Maria lived for 30 years with her father in Yasnaya Polyana (Bald Mountains from the novel), but never married, although she was a very enviable bride. She was a closed woman and rejected several suitors.

Dolokhov's prototype probably ate his own orangutan

Princess Volkonskaya even had a companion - Miss Hanessen, somewhat similar to Mademoiselle Bourienne from the novel. After the death of her father, the daughter began to literally give away property. She gave part of the inheritance to her companion's sister, who had no dowry. After that, her relatives intervened in the matter, arranging the marriage of Maria Nikolaevna with Nikolai Tolstoy. Maria Volkonskaya died eight years after the wedding, having managed to give birth to four children.

Old Prince Bolkonsky

Nikolay Volkonsky. (wikimedia.org)

Nikolai Sergeevich Volkonsky - an infantry general who distinguished himself in several battles and received the nickname "King of Prussia" from his colleagues. In character, he is very similar to the old prince: proud, self-willed, but not cruel. Left the service after the accession of Paul I, retired to Yasnaya Polyana and took up the education of his daughter. For days on end he improved his household and taught his daughter languages ​​and sciences. An important difference from the character from the book: Prince Nikolai perfectly survived the war of 1812, and died nine years later, a little before reaching seventy. In Moscow, he had a house on Vozdvizhenka, 9. Now it has been rebuilt.

The prototype of Ilya Rostov is Tolstoy's grandfather, who ruined his career

Sonya

The prototype of Sonya can be called Tatyana Yergolskaya - the second cousin of Nikolai Tolstoy (the writer's father), who was brought up in his father's house. In their youth, they had an affair that never ended in marriage. Not only Nikolai's parents opposed the wedding, but Yergolskaya herself. The last time she rejected a marriage proposal from her cousin was in 1836. The widowed Tolstoy asked for the hand of Yergolskaya so that she would become his wife and replace the mother of five children. Ergolskaya refused, but after the death of Nikolai Tolstoy, she really took up the education of his sons and daughter, devoting the rest of her life to them.

Leo Tolstoy appreciated his aunt and maintained a correspondence with her. She was the first to collect and store the writer's papers. In his memoirs, he wrote that Tatyana was loved by everyone and “her whole life was love,” but she herself always loved one person - the father of Leo Tolstoy.

Dolokhov

Fedor Tolstoy is an American. (wikimedia.org)

Dolokhov has several prototypes. Among them, for example, lieutenant general and partisan Ivan Dorokhov, the hero of several major campaigns, including the war of 1812. However, if we talk about character, then Dolokhov has more similarities with the writer's cousin Fyodor Ivanovich Tolstoy, nicknamed "The American". He was famous in his time as a breter, gambler and lover of women. Dolokhov is also compared with officer A. Figner, who commanded a partisan detachment, participated in duels and hated the French.

Tolstoy is not the only writer to include the American in his work. Fedor Ivanovich is also considered the prototype of Zaretsky, Lensky's second from Eugene Onegin. Tolstoy got his nickname after he made a trip to America, during which he was put off the ship. There is a version that then he ate his own monkey, although Sergei Tolstoy wrote that this is not true.

Kuragins

In this case, it is difficult to talk about the family, because the images of Prince Vasily, Anatole and Helen are borrowed from several people who are not related by kinship. Kuragin Sr. is undoubtedly Alexei Borisovich Kurakin, a prominent courtier during the reigns of Paul I and Alexander I, who made a brilliant career at court and made a fortune.

Alexey Borisovich Kurakin. (wikimedia.org)

He had three children, exactly like those of Prince Vasily, of whom his daughter brought him the most trouble. Alexandra Alekseevna really had a scandalous reputation, especially her divorce from her husband made a lot of noise in the world. Prince Kurakin in one of his letters even called his daughter the main burden of his old age. Looks like a character from War and Peace, doesn't it? Although Vasily Kuragin spoke a little differently.

On the right is Alexandra Kurakina. (wikimedia.org)

Prototypes of Helen - the wife of Bagration and the mistress of a classmate of Pushkin

Anatoly Lvovich Shostak, the second cousin of Tatiana Bers, who courted her when she came to St. Petersburg, should be called the prototype of Anatol Kuragin. After that, he came to Yasnaya Polyana and annoyed Leo Tolstoy. In the draft notes of War and Peace, Anatole's surname is Shimko.

As for Helen, her image is taken from several women at once. In addition to some similarities with Alexandra Kurakina, she has much in common with Ekaterina Skvaronskaya (Bagration's wife), who was known for her careless behavior not only in Russia, but also in Europe, where she left five years after the wedding. At home, she was called the "Wandering Princess", and in Austria she was known as the mistress of Clemens Metternich, the empire's foreign minister. From him, Ekaterina Skavronskaya gave birth - of course, out of wedlock - a daughter, Clementine. Perhaps it was the "Wandering Princess" that contributed to the entry of Austria into the anti-Napoleonic coalition.

Another woman from whom Tolstoy could borrow Helen's traits is Nadezhda Akinfova. She was born in 1840 and was very famous in St. Petersburg and Moscow as a woman of scandalous reputation and riotous temper. She gained wide popularity thanks to an affair with Chancellor Alexander Gorchakov, a classmate of Pushkin. By the way, he was 40 years older than Akinfova, whose husband was the Chancellor's great-nephew. Akinfova also divorced her first husband, but she already married the Duke of Leuchtenberg in Europe, where they moved together. Recall that in the novel itself, Helen never divorced Pierre.

Ekaterina Skavronskaya-Bagration. (wikimedia.org)

Vasily Denisov

Denis Davydov. (wikimedia.org)

Every schoolchild knows that the prototype of Vasily Denisov was Denis Davydov - a poet and writer, lieutenant general, partisan. Tolstoy used the works of Davydov when he studied the Napoleonic Wars.

Julie Karagina

There is an opinion that Julie Karagina is Varvara Alexandrovna Lanskaya, the wife of the Minister of Internal Affairs. She is known exclusively for the fact that she had a long correspondence with her friend Maria Volkova. From these letters Tolstoy studied the history of the war of 1812. Moreover, they almost completely entered War and Peace under the guise of correspondence between Princess Marya and Julie Karagina.

Pierre Bezukhov

Peter Vyazemsky. (wikimedia.org)

Pierre does not have an obvious prototype, since this character has similarities both with Tolstoy himself and with many historical figures who lived at the time of the writer and in the years Patriotic War.

However, some similarities can be seen with Peter Vyazemsky. He also wore glasses, received a huge inheritance, and participated in the Battle of Borodino. In addition, he wrote poetry, published. Tolstoy used his notes in his work on the novel.

Marya Dmitrievna Akhrosimova

In Akhrosimov's novel, she is the guest that the Rostovs are waiting for on Natasha's name day. Tolstoy writes that all of St. Petersburg and all of Moscow knows Marya Dmitrievna, and for her frankness and rudeness they call her "le terrible dragon."

The similarity of the character can be seen with Nastasya Dmitrievna Ofrosimova. This is a lady from Moscow, the niece of Prince Volkonsky. Prince Vyazemsky wrote in his memoirs that she was a strong, powerful woman who was very respected in society. The Ofrosimovs' estate was located in Chisty lane (Khamovniki district) in Moscow. It is believed that Ofrosimova was also the prototype of Khlestova in Griboyedov's Woe from Wit.

Estimated portrait of N. D. Ofrosimova by F. S. Rokotov. (wikimedia.org)

Lisa Bolkonskaya

Tolstoy wrote the appearance of Lisa Bolkonskaya from Louise Ivanovna Truson, the wife of his second cousin. This is evidenced by Sophia's signature on reverse side her portrait in Yasnaya Polyana.

Every book you read is another life lived, especially when the plot and characters are so worked out. "War and Peace" is a unique epic novel, there is nothing like it in Russian or world literature. The events described in it take place in St. Petersburg, Moscow, foreign estates of nobles and in Austria for the whole 15 years. The scale and characters are striking.

War and Peace is a novel that mentions over 600 characters. Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy describes them so accurately that the few well-aimed characteristics that end-to-end characters are awarded are enough to form an idea about them. Therefore, "War and Peace" is a whole life in the fullness of colors, sounds and sensations. She is worth living.

The origin of the idea and creative search

In 1856, Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy began writing a story about the life of a Decembrist who returned after exile. The period of action was to be 1810-1820. Gradually, the period expanded until 1825. But by this time main character already matured and became a family man. And in order to better understand him, the author had to return to the period of his youth. And it coincided with a glorious era for Russia.

But Tolstoy could not write about the triumph over Bonaparte France without mentioning failures and mistakes. Now the novel already consisted of three parts. The first (according to the author's idea) was to describe the youth of the future Decembrist and his participation in the war of 1812. This is the first period of the hero's life. Tolstoy wanted to devote the second part to the Decembrist uprising. The third - the return of the hero from exile and his later life. However, Tolstoy quickly abandoned this idea: the work on the novel turned out to be too large-scale and painstaking.

Initially, Tolstoy limited the duration of his work to 1805-1812. The epilogue, dated 1920, appeared much later. But the author was worried not only about the plot, but also about the characters. "War and Peace" is not a description of the life of one hero. The central figures are several characters at once. And the main actor- people, which is much larger than the thirty-year-old Decembrist Pyotr Ivanovich Labazov who returned from exile.

Work on the novel took Tolstoy six years - from 1863 to 1869. And this is not taking into account the six that went into developing the idea of ​​a Decembrist, which became his basis.

Character system in the novel "War and Peace"

Tolstoy's main character is the people. But in his understanding, he is not just a social category, but a creative force. According to Tolstoy, the people are all the best that is in the Russian nation. Moreover, it includes not only representatives of the lower classes, but also those of the nobles who tend to want to live for the sake of others.

To the representatives of the people, Tolstoy opposes Napoleon, the Kuragins and other aristocrats - regulars in the salon of Anna Pavlovna Scherer. This negative characters novel "War and Peace". Already in the description of their appearance, Tolstoy emphasizes the mechanistic nature of their existence, lack of spirituality, "animality" of actions, lifelessness of smiles, selfishness and inability to compassion. They are incapable of change. Tolstoy does not see the possibility of their spiritual development, so they remain forever frozen, distant from a real understanding of life.

Often, researchers distinguish two subgroups of "folk" characters:

• Those who are endowed with "simple consciousness". They easily distinguish right from wrong, guided by the "mind of the heart." This subgroup includes such characters as Natasha Rostova, Kutuzov, Platon Karataev, Alpatych, officers Timokhin and Tushin, soldiers and partisans.
• Those who are "searching for themselves." Education and class barriers prevent them from connecting with the people, but they manage to overcome them. This subgroup includes such characters as Pierre Bezukhov and Andrei Bolkonsky. It is these heroes who are shown capable of development, internal changes. They are not without flaws, more than once they are mistaken in their life quest but with dignity pass all the tests. Sometimes Natasha Rostova is also included in this group. After all, she was once carried away by Anatole, forgetting about her beloved Prince Bolkonsky. The war of 1812 becomes a kind of catharsis for this entire subgroup, which makes them look at life differently and discard class conventions that until then prevented them from living according to the dictates of their hearts, as the people do.

The simplest classification

Sometimes the characters of "War and Peace" are divided according to an even simpler principle - the ability to live for the sake of others. Such a system of characters is also possible. "War and Peace", like any other work, is the vision of the author. Therefore, everything in the novel takes place in accordance with the attitude of Lev Nikolaevich. The people, in Tolstoy's understanding, are the personification of all the best that is in the Russian nation. Such characters as the Kuragin family, Napoleon, many regulars of the Scherer salon, know how to live only for themselves.

Along Arkhangelsk and Baku

• "Life-burners", from Tolstoy's point of view, are the furthest from a correct understanding of being. This group lives only for themselves, selfishly neglecting others.
• "Leaders". So Arkhangelsky and Bak call those who think they control history. To this group, for example, the authors include Napoleon.
• "Wise men" are those who understood the true world order and were able to trust providence.
• "Ordinary people". This group, according to Arkhangelsky and Bak, includes those who know how to listen to their hearts, but do not really strive anywhere.
• Truth Seekers are Pierre Bezukhov and Andrei Bolkonsky. Throughout the novel, they are painfully searching for the truth, striving to understand what the meaning of life is.
• The authors of the textbook single out Natasha Rostova as a separate group. They believe that she is at the same time close to " ordinary people", and to the "wise men". The girl easily comprehends life empirically and knows how to listen to the voice of her heart, but the most important thing for her is her family and children, as it should be, according to Tolstoy, for an ideal woman.

You can consider many more classifications of the characters in "War and Peace", but they all ultimately come down to the simplest one, which fully reflects the worldview of the author of the novel. After all, he saw true happiness in serving others. Therefore, positive (“folk”) heroes know how and want to do this, but negative ones do not.

L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace": female characters

Any work is a reflection of the author's vision of life. According to Tolstoy, the highest purpose of a woman is to take care of her husband and children. It is the keeper of the hearth that the reader sees Natasha Rostova in the epilogue of the novel.

All positive female images of the characters in War and Peace fulfill their highest purpose. the happiness of motherhood and family life endows the author and Maria Bolkonskaya. Interestingly, she is perhaps the most goodie novel. Princess Mary has practically no flaws. Despite a versatile education, she still finds her destiny, as it should be for a Tolstoy heroine, in caring for her husband and children.

A completely different fate awaits Helen Kuragina and the little princess, who did not see the joy in motherhood.

Pierre Bezukhov

This is Tolstoy's favorite character. "War and Peace" describes him as a man who by nature has a highly noble disposition, therefore he easily understands the people. All his mistakes are due to the aristocratic conventions inspired by his upbringing.

Throughout the novel, Pierre experiences many mental traumas, but does not become embittered and does not become less good-natured. He is devoted and sympathetic, often forgetting about himself in an effort to serve others. By marrying Natasha Rostova, Pierre found that grace and true happiness that he so lacked in his first marriage with the completely false Helen Kuragina.

Lev Nikolaevich loves his hero very much. He describes in detail his formation and spiritual development from the very beginning to the end. The example of Pierre shows that the main thing for Tolstoy is responsiveness and devotion. The author rewards him with happiness with his favorite female heroine - Natasha Rostova.

From the epilogue, you can understand the future of Pierre. By changing himself, he seeks to transform society. He does not accept contemporary political foundations of Russia. It can be assumed that Pierre will participate in Decembrist uprising or at least actively support it.

Andrey Bolkonsky

For the first time the reader meets this hero in the salon of Anna Pavlovna Scherer. He is married to Lisa - the little princess, as she is called, and will soon become a father. Andrei Bolkonsky behaves with all the regulars Sherer is extremely arrogant. But soon the reader notices that this is only a mask. Bolkonsky understands that others do not understand his spiritual quest. He talks to Pierre in a completely different way. But Bolkonsky at the beginning of the novel is not alien to the ambitious desire to achieve heights in the military field. It seems to him that he is above aristocratic conventions, but it turns out that his eyes are just as blinkered as those of the others. Andrei Bolkonsky realized too late that he had renounced his feelings for Natasha in vain. But this insight comes to him only before his death.

Like other “searching” characters in Tolstoy’s novel War and Peace, Bolkonsky has been trying all his life to find the answer to the question of what is the meaning of human existence. But he understands the highest value of the family too late.

Natasha Rostova

This is the favorite female character Tolstoy. However, the entire Rostov family seems to the author to be the ideal of nobles living in unity with the people. Natasha cannot be called beautiful, but she is lively and attractive. The girl feels the mood and characters of people well.

According to Tolstoy, inner beauty does not match outer beauty. Natasha is attractive due to her character, but her main qualities are simplicity and closeness to the people. However, at the beginning of the novel, she lives in her own illusion. Disappointment in Anatole makes her mature, contributes to the maturation of the heroine. Natasha begins attending church and ultimately finds her happiness in family life with Pierre.

Marya Bolkonskaya

The prototype of this heroine was the mother of Lev Nikolaevich. Not surprisingly, it is almost completely devoid of flaws. She, like Natasha, is ugly, but has a very rich inner world. Like others positive characters novel "War and Peace", at the end she also becomes happy, becoming the keeper of the hearth in her own family.

Helen Kuragina

Tolstoy has a multifaceted characterization of characters. War and Peace describes Helen as a cutesy woman with a fake smile. It immediately becomes clear to the reader that external beauty there is no interior content. Marrying her becomes a test for Pierre and does not bring happiness.

Nikolai Rostov

The core of any novel is the characters. "War and Peace" describes Nikolai Rostov as a loving brother and son, as well as a true patriot. Lev Nikolaevich saw in this hero the prototype of his father. After going through the hardships of the war, Nikolai Rostov retires to pay the debts of his family, and finds his true love in the face of Marya Bolkonskaya.

In his novel, Tolstoy portrayed a number of characters. The author knowingly presented detailed description characters. "War and Peace" is a novel in which the entire noble families, which make up the whole noble families, show the reader a reflection of the people who lived during the war with Napoleon. In "War and Peace" we see the Russian spirit, features historical events characteristic of the period of the late 18th - early 19th century. The greatness of the Russian soul is shown against the backdrop of these events.

If you make a list of characters ("War and Peace"), you get a total of about 550-600 heroes. However, they are not all equally important to the story. "War and Peace" is a novel whose heroes can be divided into three main groups: the main ones, minor characters and just mentioned in the text. Among them are both fictional and historical figures, as well as heroes who have prototypes among the environment of the writer. This article will introduce the main characters. "War and Peace" is a work in which the Rostov family is described in detail. Therefore, let's start with it.

Ilya Andreevich Rostov

This is a count who had four children: Petya, Nikolai, Vera and Natasha. Ilya Andreevich is a very generous and good-natured person who loved life. As a result, his exorbitant generosity led to extravagance. Rostov is a loving father and husband. He is a good organizer of receptions and balls. But life on a grand scale as well disinterested help wounded soldiers and the departure of the Russians from Moscow dealt fatal blows to his condition. Conscience tormented Ilya Andreevich all the time because of the approaching poverty of his relatives, but he could not help himself. After the death of Petya, the youngest son, the count was broken, but revived, preparing the wedding of Pierre Bezukhov and Natasha. Count Rostov dies a few months after these characters are married. "War and Peace" (Tolstoy) is a work in which the prototype of this hero is Ilya Andreevich, Tolstoy's grandfather.

Natalya Rostova (wife of Ilya Andreevich)

This 45-year-old woman, the wife of Rostov and the mother of four children, had some eastern surroundings, the focus of gravity and slowness in her was regarded as solidity, as well as her high significance for the family. However true reason these manners lies in a weak and exhausted physical condition due to childbirth and the forces devoted to the upbringing of children. Natalya loves her family and children very much, so the news of Petya's death almost drove her crazy. Countess Rostova, like Ilya Andreevich, loved luxury and demanded that everyone fulfill her orders. In it you can find the features of Tolstoy's grandmother - Pelageya Nikolaevna.

Nikolai Rostov

This hero is the son of Ilya Andreevich. He is a loving son and brother, he honors his family, but at the same time he faithfully serves in the army, which is a very important and significant feature in his characterization. He often saw even his fellow soldiers as a second family. Although Nikolai was in love with Sonya, his cousin, for a long time, he nevertheless marries Marya Bolkonskaya at the end of the novel. Nikolai Rostov is a very energetic person, with "open and curly hair. His love for the Russian emperor and patriotism never dried up. After going through the hardships of the war, Nikolai becomes a brave and courageous hussar. He retires after the death of Ilya Andreevich in order to correct financial situation of the family, pay off debts and finally become a good husband for his wife. Tolstoy sees this hero as a prototype of his own father. As you probably already noticed, the character system is characterized by the presence of prototypes for many heroes. "War and Peace" is a work in which the morals of the nobility are presented through the features of the family of Tolstoy, who was a count.

Natasha Rostova

This is the daughter of the Rostovs. A very emotional and energetic girl who was considered ugly, but attractive and lively. Natasha is not very smart, but at the same time she is intuitive, as she could well "guess people", their character traits and mood. This heroine is very impulsive, prone to self-sacrifice. She dances beautifully and sings what was at that time important characteristic girl belonging to a secular society. Leo Tolstoy repeatedly emphasizes the main quality of Natasha - closeness to the Russian people. She absorbed the nation and Russian culture. Natasha lives in an atmosphere of love, happiness and kindness, but after a while the girl faces a harsh reality. The blows of fate, as well as heartfelt experiences, make this heroine an adult and, as a result, give her true love to her husband, Pierre Bezukhov. The story of the rebirth of Natasha's soul deserves special respect. She began attending church after being the victim of a deceitful seducer. Natasha is collective image, the prototype of which was Tolstoy's daughter-in-law, Tatyana Andreevna Kuzminskaya, as well as her sister (the author's wife) - Sofya Andreevna.

Vera Rostova

This heroine is the daughter of the Rostovs ("War and Peace"). The portraits of characters created by the author are distinguished by a variety of characters. Vera, for example, was famous for her strict disposition, as well as for the inappropriate, though fair, remarks she made in society. Her mother, for some unknown reason, did not love her very much, and Vera felt this keenly, and therefore often went against everyone. This girl later became the wife of Boris Drubetskoy. The prototype of the heroine is Lev Nikolaevich (Elizaveta Bers).

Petr Rostov

Rostov's son, still a boy. Petya, who grew up, tried to go to war as a young man, and his parents could not keep him. He escaped from their care and decided to join the Denisov regiment. In the very first battle, Petya dies, not having had time to fight yet. The death of a beloved son greatly crippled the family.

Sonya

With this heroine, we finish the description of the characters ("War and Peace") belonging to the Rostov family. Sonya, a glorious miniature girl, was Ilya Andreevich's own niece and lived all her life under his roof. Love for Nikolai became fatal for her, as she failed to marry him. Natalya Rostova, the old countess, was against this marriage, since the lovers were cousins. Sonya acted nobly, refusing Dolokhov and deciding to love only Nikolai all her life, while freeing him from the promise given to her. She spends the rest of her life in the care of Nikolai Rostov, with the old countess.

The prototype of this heroine is Tatyana Alexandrovna Yergolskaya, the second cousin of the writer.

Not only the Rostovs in the work are the main characters. "War and Peace" is a novel in which the Bolkonsky family also plays a big role.

Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky

This is the father of Andrei Bolkonsky, a general-in-chief in the past, in the present he is a prince who has earned the nickname "Prussian king" in Russian secular society. He is socially active, strict like a father, pedantic, is a wise owner of the estate. Outwardly, this is a thin old man with thick eyebrows that hung over intelligent and penetrating eyes, in a powdered white wig. Nikolai Andreevich does not like to show his feelings even to his beloved daughter and son. He harasses Mary with constant nit-picking. Prince Nikolai, sitting on his estate, follows the events taking place in the country, and only before his death loses an idea of ​​the scale of the Russian war with Napoleon. Nikolai Sergeevich Volkonsky, the writer's grandfather, was the prototype of this prince.

Andrey Bolkonsky

This is the son of Nikolai Andreevich. He is ambitious, like his father, restrained in expressing feelings, but he loves his sister and father very much. Andrei is married to Lisa, the "little princess". He had a successful military career. Andrei philosophizes a lot about the meaning of life, the state of his spirit. He is in constant search. In Natasha Rostova, after the death of his wife, he found hope for himself, as he saw a real, and not fake, as in secular society, girl, and therefore fell in love with her. Having made an offer to this heroine, he was forced to go abroad for treatment, which became a test of their feelings. The wedding ended up falling apart. Andrei went to war with Napoleon, where he was seriously wounded, as a result of which he died. Until the end of his days, Natasha looked after him faithfully.

Marya Bolkonskaya

This is Andrei's sister, the daughter of Prince Nicholas. She is very meek, ugly, but kind-hearted and also very rich. Her devotion to religion is an example of meekness and kindness to many. Marya loves her father unforgettably, often pestering her with his reproaches and ridicule. This girl also loves her brother. She did not immediately accept Natasha as a future daughter-in-law, since she seemed to her too frivolous for Andrei. Marya, after all the hardships, marries Nikolai Rostov.

Its prototype is Maria Nikolaevna Volkonskaya, Tolstoy's mother.

Pierre Bezukhov (Pyotr Kirillovich)

The main characters of the novel "War and Peace" would not be listed in full, if not to mention Pierre Bezukhov. This hero plays one of the most important roles in the work. He experienced a lot of pain and mental trauma, has a noble and kind disposition. Lev Nikolaevich himself loves Pierre very much. Bezukhov, as a friend of Andrei Bolkonsky, is very responsive and devoted. Despite the intrigues weaving under his nose, Pierre did not lose confidence in people, did not become embittered. By marrying Natasha, he finally found happiness and grace, which he lacked with his first wife, Helen. At the end of the work, his desire to change the political foundations in Russia is noticeable, you can even guess from afar the Decembrist moods of Pierre.

These are the main characters. "War and Peace" is a novel in which a large role is given to such historical figures as Kutuzov and Napoleon, as well as to some other commanders in chief. Other social groups are also represented, except for the nobility (merchants, petty bourgeois, peasantry, army). The list of characters ("War and Peace") is quite impressive. However, our task is to consider only the main characters.

Andrei Bolkonsky.

One of the main characters in the novel is Andrei Bolkonsky. A handsome prince who dreams of military glory. For Andrei, the most important thing in life is duty to the Motherland. The mature prince was in love with the young Countess Natasha Rostov. He suffered a lot of emotional experiences, as well as betrayal by Natasha. But when a lot of time passed, and fate again brought them together with Natasha, but this time life turned out to be unfair. The hero's life ends tragically, he dies from a bullet wound received in battle.

Natasha Rostov.

The young heroine, who is surrounded by wealth, is loved by her parents. The girl is very lively, cheerful, sincere. She is educated. She was in love with Andrei Bolkonsky. But life has prepared them many trials. Her fate was brought down by the war. The lovers were never meant to be together. She later married Pierre Bezukhov, gave birth to children and found peace in family life. But it was no longer such a bright and active Natasha as several years ago.

Pierre Bezukhov.

Another important hero who inherited a valuable fortune from his father after his death. The hero is kind and naive, he was of a strong physique. Previously married to beautiful woman Ellen, this led to bad consequences. Later, he married the young Natalya Rostova. Pierre's personality changed over time and later he became a confident man who is able to achieve his goal and has his own outlook on life.

Ilya Andreevich Rostov.

He is a count, he is a kind and sympathetic person. He loves to live in luxurious conditions. Often arranged chic balls. He loves his wife and children very much.

Nikolay Rostov.

He is the eldest son of the Rostovs. He is honest, kind and responsive. He was married to Maria Bolkonskaya. And he found personal happiness and peace with her.

Sonya.

A fragile, slender girl, she is kind and smart. She was in love with Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky, but after learning that his heart belongs to another woman, she decided not to interfere with his happiness.

Ellen Kuragina.

The heroine is the first wife of Pierre. The woman was not particularly intelligent, but thanks to her bright appearance and sociability, she was able to open her own salon in St. Petersburg.

Anatoly Kuragin.

He is Ellen's brother. Outwardly, he is also charming, like his sister. I preferred to live for my own pleasure. Being married, you want to steal Natasha and marry her.

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