All characters can be divided into the following groups:

• Bolkonsky family;
• Rostov family;
• Bezukhov family;
• Drubetsky family;
• Kuragin family;
• Historical figures;
• Heroes 2 plans;
• Other heroes.

Characteristics of the Bolkonskys

• The first “camp” was headed by Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky. His opinion was shared by Mademoiselle Bourien and Mikhail Ivanovich, the prince's architect.
• The second group included: the prince’s daughter Marya, Andrei Bolkonsky’s son Nikolai and all the nannies and maids.

Characteristics of Andrei Bolkonsky

Characteristics of Marya Bolkonskaya

Characteristics of Lisa Bolkonskaya

Characteristics of Nikolai Bolkonsky

Characteristics of the Rostov family

Characteristics of Count Ilya Rostov

Characteristics of Countess Natalia Rostova

Characteristics of Natasha Rostova

Important! Natasha is good at understanding people, but when it comes to love relationships, she gets lost (like falling in love with Kuragin).

Characteristics of Sonya Rostova

Characteristics of Pierre Bezukhov

Characteristics of the Kuragin family

Characteristics of Vasily Kuragin

Characteristics of Anatoly Kuragin

Characteristics of Ellen Kuragina

Every book you read is another life lived, especially when the plot and characters are so well developed. “War and Peace” is a unique epic novel; there is nothing like it in either Russian or world literature. The events described in it take place in St. Petersburg, Moscow, foreign estates of nobles and in Austria over the course of 15 years. The characters are also striking in their scale.

"War and Peace" is a novel in which more than 600 characters are mentioned. Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy describes them so aptly that the few apt characteristics bestowed upon the cross-cutting characters are enough to form an idea about them. Therefore, “War and Peace” is a whole life in all the fullness of colors, sounds and sensations. It's worth living.

The birth of an idea and creative quest

In 1856, Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy began writing a story about the life of the Decembrist who returned after exile. The time of action was supposed to be 1810-1820. Gradually, the period expanded until 1825. But by this time the main character had 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's France without mentioning failures and mistakes. Now the novel already consisted of three parts. The first (as conceived by the author) was supposed 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 concerned not only with the plot, but also with 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 character is the 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 does not take into account the six that went into developing the idea of ​​​​the Decembrist, which became its basis.

The system of characters in the novel "War and Peace"

The main character in Tolstoy is the people. But in his understanding, he represents 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, this includes not only representatives of the lower classes, but also those of the nobles who have a desire to live for the sake of others.

Tolstoy contrasts representatives of the people with Napoleon, the Kuragins and other aristocrats - regulars at Anna Pavlovna Scherer's salon. These are the negative characters in the novel "War and Peace". Already in the description of their appearance, Tolstoy emphasizes the mechanical 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 the real understanding of life.

Researchers often 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 “looking for themselves.” Upbringing 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 and internal change. They are not without shortcomings; they make mistakes in their life quests, but pass all tests with dignity. Sometimes Natasha Rostova is included in this group. After all, she too 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 the class conventions that previously prevented them from living according to the dictates of their hearts, as the people do.

The simplest classification

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

Along Arkhangelsk and Baku

• “Life-wasters,” from Tolstoy’s point of view, are the furthest from the correct understanding of existence. This group lives only for themselves, selfishly neglecting those around them.
• "Leaders." This is what Arkhangelsky and Buck call those who think they control history. For example, the authors include Napoleon in this group.
• “Wise men” are those who understood the true world order and were able to trust providence.
• "Ordinary people". This group, according to Arkhangelsky and Buck, includes those who know how to listen to their hearts, but do not particularly strive for anything.
• “Truth Seekers” are Pierre Bezukhov and Andrei Bolkonsky. Throughout the novel, they painfully search for the truth, strive to understand what the meaning of life is.
• The authors of the textbook include Natasha Rostova in a separate group. They believe that she is simultaneously close to both “ordinary people” and “sages”. 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 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 care for 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 characters in War and Peace fulfill their highest purpose. The happiness of motherhood and family life endowed by the author and Maria Bolkonskaya. Interestingly, she is perhaps the most positive hero novel. Princess Marya has practically no flaws. Despite her varied education, she still finds her purpose, as befits a Tolstoy heroine, in caring for her husband and children.

A completely different fate awaited Helen Kuragina and the little princess, who saw no 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 character, so he easily understands the people. All his mistakes are due to the aristocratic conventions instilled in him by his upbringing.

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

Lev Nikolaevich loves his hero very much. He describes in detail its 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 one can understand Pierre's future. By changing himself, he strives to transform society. He does not accept the contemporary political foundations of Russia. It can be assumed that Pierre will participate in the Decembrist uprising, or at least actively support it.

Andrey Bolkonsky

The reader first 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 extremely arrogantly with all the regulars of Sherer. But the reader soon notices that this is only a mask. Bolkonsky understands that those around him cannot 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 others. Andrei Bolkonsky realized too late that he should have given up 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 spends his entire life trying to find the answer to the question of what is the meaning of human existence. But he understands the highest value of family too late.

Natasha Rostova

This is my 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 has a good sense of people's moods and characters.

According to Tolstoy, inner beauty does not match with the outside. 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 Anatol makes her an adult and contributes to the heroine’s maturation. Natasha begins to attend church and ultimately finds happiness in family life with Pierre.

Marya Bolkonskaya

The prototype of this heroine was Lev Nikolaevich’s mother. It is not surprising that it is almost completely devoid of flaws. She, like Natasha, is ugly, but has a very rich inner world. Like other positive characters in the novel “War and Peace,” in the end she also becomes happy, becoming the keeper of the hearth in her own family.

Helen Kuragina

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

Nikolay Rostov

The core of any novel is its 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. Having gone through the hardships of the war, Nikolai Rostov retires to pay off his family's debts and finds his true love in the person of Marya Bolkonskaya.

Anatol Kuragin

Kuragina Elen

Anna Pavlovna Sherer

Boris Drubetskoy

Count Rostov

Countess of Rostov

The wife of Count Rostov, “a woman with an oriental type of thin face, about forty-five years old, apparently exhausted by children... The slowness of her movements and speech, resulting from weakness of strength, gave her a significant appearance that inspires respect.” R. creates an atmosphere of love and kindness in his family and is very concerned about the fate of his children. The news of the death of her youngest and beloved son Petya almost drives her crazy. She is accustomed to luxury and fulfillment of the slightest whims, and demands this after the death of her husband.

Natasha Rostova

Daughter of Count and Countess Rostov. She is “black-eyed, with a big mouth, ugly, but alive...”. N.'s distinctive features are emotionality and sensitivity. She is not very smart, but she has an amazing ability to read people. She is capable of noble deeds and can forget about her own interests for the sake of other people. So, she calls on her family to take out the wounded on carts, leaving their property behind. N. takes care of his mother with all his dedication after Petya’s death. N. is very beautiful voice, she is very musical. With her singing, she is able to awaken the best in a person. Tolstoy notes N.'s closeness to the common people. This is one of her best qualities. N. lives in an atmosphere of love and happiness. Changes in her life occur after meeting Prince Andrei. N. becomes his bride, but later becomes interested in Anatoly Kuragin. After a while, N. understands the full force of her guilt before the prince; before his death, he forgives her, she remains with him until his death. N. feels true love for Pierre, they understand each other perfectly, they feel very good together. She becomes his wife and completely devotes herself to the role of wife and mother.

Nikolay Rostov

Son of Count Rostov. “A short, curly-haired young man with an open expression on his face.” The hero is distinguished by “impetuousness and enthusiasm”, he is cheerful, open, friendly and emotional. N. participates in military campaigns and the Patriotic War of 1812. In the Battle of Shengraben, N. goes on the attack very bravely at first, but is then wounded in the arm. This wound causes him to panic, he thinks about how he, “whom everyone loves so much,” could die. This event somewhat diminishes the image of the hero. After N. becomes a brave officer, a real hussar, remaining faithful to duty. N. had a long affair with Sonya, and he was going to do Noble act, having married a dowry-free woman against the wishes of his mother. But he receives a letter from Sonya in which she says that she is letting him go. After the death of his father, N. takes care of the family and retires. She and Marya Bolkonskaya fall in love and get married.

Petya Rostov

The youngest son of the Rostovs. At the beginning of the novel we see P. as a small boy. He is a typical representative of his family, kind, cheerful, musical. He wants to imitate his older brother and follow the military line in life. In 1812, he was full of patriotic impulses and joined the army. During the war, the young man accidentally ends up with an assignment in Denisov’s detachment, where he remains, wanting to take part in the real deal. He accidentally dies, having shown his best in relation to his comrades the day before. best qualities. His death is the greatest tragedy for his family.

Pierre Bezukhov

Sonya

Dolokhov

Nikolai Bolkonsky

Andrey Bolkonsky

The son of Prince Bolkonsky, the brother of Princess Marya. At the beginning of the novel we see B. as an intelligent, proud, but rather arrogant person. He despises people of high society, is unhappy in his marriage and does not respect his pretty wife. B. is very reserved, well educated, and has a strong will. This hero is experiencing great spiritual changes. First we see that his idol is Napoleon, whom he considers a great man. B. gets into war and is sent to the active army. There he fights along with all the soldiers, showing great courage, composure, and prudence. Participates in the Battle of Shengraben. B. was seriously wounded in Battle of Austerlitz. This moment is extremely important, because it was then that the spiritual rebirth of the hero began. Lying motionless and seeing the calm and eternal sky of Austerlitz above him, B. understands all the pettiness and stupidity of everything that is happening in the war. He realized that in fact there should be completely different values ​​in life than those that he had until now. All exploits and glory do not matter. There is only this vast and eternal sky. In the same episode, B. sees Napoleon and understands the insignificance of this man. B. returns home, where everyone thought he was dead. His wife dies in childbirth, but the child survives. The hero is shocked by the death of his wife and feels guilty towards her. He decides not to serve anymore, settles in Bogucharovo, takes care of the household, raising his son, and reads a lot of books. During a trip to St. Petersburg, B. meets Natasha Rostova for the second time. A deep feeling awakens in him, the heroes decide to get married. B.'s father does not agree with his son's choice, they postpone the wedding for a year, the hero goes abroad. After his fiancee betrays him, he returns to the army under the leadership of Kutuzov. During the Battle of Borodino, he was mortally wounded. By chance, he leaves Moscow in the Rostov convoy. Before his death, he forgives Natasha and understands the true meaning of love.

Lisa Bolkonskaya

Princess Marya

Kutuzov

), the French invasion of Russia, the Battle of Borodino and the capture of Moscow, the entry of allied forces into Paris; the end of the novel is dated to 1820. The author has read many history books and memoirs of contemporaries; he understood that the task of the artist does not coincide with the task of the historian and, without striving for complete accuracy, he wanted to create the spirit of the era, the originality of its life, the picturesqueness of its style.

Lev Tolstoy. War and Peace. The main characters and themes of the novel

Of course, Tolstoy's historical figures are somewhat modernized: they often speak and think like the author's contemporaries. But this renewal is always inevitable with the historian’s creative perception of the process as a continuous, vital flow. Otherwise, the result is not a work of art, but dead archeology. The author did not invent anything - he only chose what seemed to him the most revealing. “Everywhere,” writes Tolstoy, “where historical figures speak and act in my novel, I did not invent, but used materials from which I formed a whole library of books during my work.”

For “family chronicles” placed within the historical framework of the Napoleonic wars, he used family memoirs, letters, diaries, and unpublished notes. The complexity and richness of the “human world” depicted in the novel can only be compared with the gallery of portraits of Balzac’s multi-volume “Human Comedy”. Tolstoy gives more than 70 detailed characteristics, outlines with a few strokes many minor persons - and they all live, do not merge with each other, and remain in memory. One sharply captured detail determines a person’s figure, his character and behavior. In the reception room of the dying Count Bezukhov, one of the heirs, Prince Vasily, walks on tiptoe in confusion. “He couldn’t walk on tiptoes and awkwardly bounced his whole body.” And in this bouncing the whole nature of the dignified and powerful prince is reflected.

In Tolstoy, the external feature acquires a deep psychological and symbolic resonance. He has incomparable visual acuity, brilliant observation, almost clairvoyance. By one turn of the head or movement of the fingers, he guesses the person. Every feeling, even the most fleeting, is immediately embodied for him in a bodily sign; Movement, posture, gesture, the expression of the eyes, the line of the shoulders, the trembling of the lips are read by him as a symbol of the soul. Hence the impression of mental and physical integrity and completeness that his heroes produce. In the art of creating living people with flesh and blood, breathing, moving, casting shadows, Tolstoy has no equal.

Princess Marya

At the center of the action of the novel are two noble families - the Bolkonskys and the Rostovs. The elder Prince Bolkonsky, general-in-chief of Catherine's time, a Voltairian and an intelligent gentleman, lives on the Bald Mountains estate with his daughter Marya, ugly and no longer young. Her father loves her passionately, but he raises her harshly and torments her with algebra lessons. Princess Marya “with beautiful radiant eyes” and a shy smile is an image of high spiritual beauty. She meekly bears the cross of her life, prays, accepts " God's people“and dreams of becoming a wanderer... “All the complex laws of humanity were concentrated for her in one simple and clear law of love and self-sacrifice, taught to her by the One Who lovingly suffered for humanity, when He Himself is God. What did she care about the justice or injustice of other people? She had to suffer and love herself, and she did it.”

And yet she is sometimes worried about the hope of personal happiness; she wants to have a family, children. When this hope comes true and she marries Nikolai Rostov, her soul continues to strive for “infinite, eternal perfection.”

Prince Andrei Bolkonsky

Princess Marya's brother, Prince Andrei, does not look like his sister. This is a strong, intelligent, proud and disappointed man, feeling his superiority over those around him, burdened by his chirping, frivolous wife and looking for practically useful activities. He collaborates with Speransky in the commission for drafting laws, but soon gets tired of this abstract desk work. He is overcome by a thirst for glory, he sets out on the campaign of 1805 and, like Napoleon, awaits his “Toulon” - exaltation, greatness, “human love.” But instead of Toulon, the Austerlitz field awaits him, on which he lies wounded and looks into the bottomless sky. “Everything is empty,” he thinks, “everything is a deception, except this endless sky. There is nothing, nothing, except him. But even that is not there, there is nothing but silence, calmness.”

Andrey Bolkonsky

Returning to Russia, he settles on his estate and plunges into the “melancholy of life.” The death of his wife, the betrayal of Natasha Rostova, who seemed to him the ideal of girlish charm and purity, plunge him into dark despair. And only slowly dying from a wound received in the Battle of Borodino, in the face of death, does he find that “truth of life” that he has always so unsuccessfully sought: “Love is life,” he thinks. – Everything, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. Love is God, and to die means for me, a particle of love, to return to the common and eternal source.”

Nikolay Rostov

Complex relationships connect the Bolkonsky family with the Rostov family. Nikolai Rostov is an integral, spontaneous nature, like Eroshka in “Cossacks” or brother Volodya in “Childhood”. He lives without questions or doubts, he has a “common sense of mediocrity.” Direct, noble, brave, cheerful, he is surprisingly attractive, despite his limitations. Of course, he does not understand the mystical soul of his wife Marya, but he knows how to create a happy family and raise kind and honest children.

Natasha Rostova

His sister Natasha Rostova is one of the most charming female images Tolstoy. She enters the life of each of us as a loved one and close friend. Her lively, joyful and spiritual face emits a radiance that illuminates everything around her. When she appears, everyone becomes happy, everyone starts smiling. Natasha is full of such excess vitality, such a “talent for life” that her whims, frivolous hobbies, selfishness of youth and thirst for “the pleasures of life” - everything seems charming.

She is constantly on the move, intoxicated with joy, inspired by feeling; she does not reason, “does not deign to be smart,” as Pierre says about her, but the clairvoyance of the heart replaces her mind. She immediately “sees” a person and accurately identifies him. When her fiancé Andrei Bolkonsky leaves for war, Natasha becomes interested in the brilliant and empty Anatoly Kuragin. But the break with Prince Andrei and then his death turn her whole soul upside down. Her noble and truthful nature cannot forgive herself for this guilt. Natasha falls into hopeless despair and wants to die. At this time, news comes about the death of her younger brother Petya in the war. Natasha forgets about her grief and selflessly looks after her mother - and this saves her.

“Natasha thought,” writes Tolstoy, “that her life was over. But suddenly love for her mother showed her that the essence of her life - love - was still alive in her. Love has awakened and life has awakened.” Finally, she marries Pierre Bezukhov and turns into a child-loving mother and devoted wife: she gives up all the “pleasures of life” that she loved so passionately before, and devotes herself wholeheartedly to her new, complex responsibilities. For Tolstoy, Natasha is life itself, instinctive, mysterious and holy in her natural wisdom.

Pierre Bezukhov

The ideological and compositional center of the novel is Count Pierre Bezukhov. All the complex and numerous lines of action coming from the two “family chronicles” - the Bolkonskys and the Rostovs - are drawn towards him; he clearly enjoys the author's greatest sympathy and is closest to him in his spiritual makeup. Pierre belongs to the people “seeking”, reminds Nikolenka, Nekhlyudova, Venison, but most of all Tolstoy himself. Not only the external events of life pass before us, but also the consistent history of his spiritual development.

The path of quest of Pierre Bezukhov

Pierre was brought up in an atmosphere of Rousseau's ideas, he lives by feeling and is prone to “dreamy philosophizing.” He is looking for the “truth”, but due to weakness of will he continues to lead an empty social life, go on carousing, play cards, go to balls; An absurd marriage to the soulless beauty Helen Kuragina, a break with her and a duel with his former friend Dolokhov produce a profound revolution in him. He's interested in Freemasonry, thinks to find in him “inner peace and agreement with oneself.” But disappointment soon sets in: the philanthropic activities of the Freemasons seem insufficient to him, their passion for uniforms and magnificent ceremonies outrages him. Moral stupor and panicky fear of life come over him.

The “tangled and terrible knot of life” strangles him. And here on the Borodino field he meets the Russian people - a new world opens up to him. The spiritual crisis was prepared by stunning impressions that suddenly fell upon him: he sees the fire of Moscow, is captured, spends several days awaiting the death sentence, and is present at the execution. And then he meets “Russian, kind, round Karataev.” Joyful and bright, he saves Pierre from spiritual death and leads him to God.

“Before, he sought God for the goals that he set for himself,” writes Tolstoy, and suddenly he learned in his captivity, not in words, not by reasoning, but by direct feeling, what his nanny had told him long ago; that God is here, here, everywhere. In captivity he learned that God in Karataev is greater, infinite and incomprehensible than in the Architect of the Universe recognized by the Freemasons.”

Religious inspiration covers Pierre, all questions and doubts disappear, he no longer thinks about the “meaning of life,” for the meaning has already been found: love of God and selfless service to people. The novel ends with a picture of the complete happiness of Pierre, who married Natasha Rostova and became devoted husband and a loving father.

Platon Karataev

The soldier Platon Karataev, whose meeting in French-occupied Moscow produced a revolution in the truth-seeking Pierre Bezukhov, was conceived by the author as a parallel to the “folk hero” Kutuzov; he is also a person without personality, passively surrendering to events. This is how Pierre sees him, that is, the author himself, but to the reader he seems different. It is not impersonality, but the extraordinary originality of his personality that strikes us. His apt words, jokes and sayings, his constant activity, his bright joy of spirit and sense of beauty ("pretty"), his active love to our neighbors, humility, cheerfulness and religiosity are formed in our imagination not into the image of an impersonal “part of the whole,” but into the amazingly complete face of a people’s righteous man.

Platon Karataev is the same “great Christian” as the holy fool Grisha in “Childhood”. Tolstoy intuitively sensed its spiritual originality, but his rationalistic explanation skimmed the surface of this mystical soul.

Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy, with his pure Russian pen, gave life to a whole world of characters in the novel “War and Peace.” His fictional characters, who are intertwined into entire noble families or family ties between families, show the modern reader a real reflection of those people who lived in the times described by the author. One of the greatest books of world significance, “War and Peace,” with the confidence of a professional historian, but at the same time, as if in a mirror, presents to the whole world that Russian spirit, those characters of secular society, those historical events, which were invariably present at the end of the 18th century early XIX centuries.
And against the backdrop of these events, the greatness of the Russian soul is shown, in all its power and diversity.

L.N. Tolstoy and the heroes of the novel “War and Peace” experience the events of the past nineteenth century, but Lev Nikolaevich begins to describe the events of 1805. The coming war with the French, the growing greatness of Napoleon decisively approaching the whole world, turmoil in Moscow social circles and demonstrable calm in St. Petersburg secular society- all this can be called a kind of background against which, as genius artist, the author drew his characters. There are quite a lot of heroes - about 550 or 600. There are main and central figures, and there are others or just mentioned ones. In total, the heroes of War and Peace can be divided into three groups: central, secondary and mentioned characters. Among all of them, there are both fictional characters, prototypes of people who surrounded the writer at that time, and real historical figures. Let's look at the main characters novel.

Quotes from the novel “War and Peace”

- ... I often think how unfairly the happiness of life is sometimes distributed.

A person cannot own anything while he is afraid of death. And whoever is not afraid of her, everything belongs to him.

Until now, thank God, I have been a friend of my children and enjoy their complete trust,” said the countess, repeating the misconception of many parents who believe that their children have no secrets from them.

Everything, from napkins to silver, earthenware and crystal, bore that special imprint of novelty that happens in the household of young spouses.

If everyone fought only according to their convictions, there would be no war.

Being an enthusiast became her social position, and sometimes, when she didn’t even want to, she, in order not to deceive the expectations of people who knew her, became an enthusiast.

Everything, to love everyone, to always sacrifice oneself for love, meant not loving anyone, meant not living this earthly life.

Never, never marry, my friend; Here's my advice to you: don't get married until you tell yourself that you did everything you could, and until you stop loving the woman you chose, until you see her clearly; otherwise you will make a cruel and irreparable mistake. Marry an old man who is worthless...

The central figures of the novel "War and Peace"

Rostov - counts and countesses

Rostov Ilya Andreevich

Count, father of four children: Natasha, Vera, Nikolai and Petya. A very kind and generous person who loved life very much. His exorbitant generosity ultimately led him to wastefulness. Loving husband and father. A very good organizer of various balls and receptions. However, his life on a grand scale, and selfless assistance to the wounded during the war with the French and the departure of the Russians from Moscow, dealt fatal blows to his condition. His conscience constantly tormented him because of the impending poverty of his family, but he could not help himself. After death youngest son Petit, the count was broken, but nevertheless revived during the preparations for the wedding of Natasha and Pierre Bezukhov. Literally a few months pass after the Bezukhovs’ wedding when Count Rostov dies.

Rostova Natalya (wife of Ilya Andreevich Rostov)

The wife of Count Rostov and the mother of four children, this woman, aged forty-five, had oriental features. The concentration of slowness and sedateness in her was regarded by those around her as solidity and the high importance of her personality for the family. But real reason Her mannerisms are perhaps due to her exhausted and weak physical condition from giving birth and raising four children. She loves her family and children very much, so the news of the death of her youngest son Petya almost drove her crazy. Just like Ilya Andreevich, Countess Rostova was very fond of luxury and the fulfillment of any of her orders.

Leo Tolstoy and the heroes of the novel “War and Peace” in Countess Rostova helped reveal the prototype of the author’s grandmother, Pelageya Nikolaevna Tolstoy.

Rostov Nikolay

Son of Count Rostov Ilya Andreevich. A loving brother and son who honors his family while also loving to serve Russian army, which is very significant and important for his dignity. Even in his fellow soldiers, he often saw his second family. Although he was in love with his cousin Sonya for a long time, at the end of the novel he marries Princess Marya Bolkonskaya. A very energetic young man, with curly hair and an “open expression.” His patriotism and love for the Emperor of Russia never dried up. Having gone through many hardships of war, he becomes a brave and courageous hussar. After the death of Father Ilya Andreevich, Nikolai retires in order to improve the family’s financial affairs, pay off debts and, finally, become good husband for Marya Bolkonskaya.

Introduced to Tolstoy Lev Nikolaevich as a prototype of his father.

Rostova Natasha

Daughter of Count and Countess Rostov. A very energetic and emotional girl, considered ugly, but lively and attractive, she is not very smart, but intuitive, because she knew how to perfectly “guess people,” their mood and some character traits. Very impulsive towards nobility and self-sacrifice. She sings and dances very beautifully, which at that time was an important characteristic for a girl from secular society. Natasha’s most important quality, which Leo Tolstoy, like his heroes, repeatedly emphasize in the novel “War and Peace” is her closeness to the ordinary Russian people. And she herself completely absorbed the Russianness of culture and the strength of the spirit of the nation. However, this girl lives in her illusion of goodness, happiness and love, which, after some time, brings Natasha into reality. It is these blows of fate and her heartfelt experiences that make Natasha Rostova an adult and ultimately give her a mature true love to Pierre Bezukhov. The story of the rebirth of her soul deserves special respect, how Natasha began to attend church after succumbing to the temptation of a deceitful seducer. If you are interested in Tolstoy's works, which take a deeper look at the Christian heritage of our people, then you need to read a book about Father Sergius and how he fought temptation.

A collective prototype of the writer’s daughter-in-law Tatyana Andreevna Kuzminskaya, as well as her sister, Lev Nikolaevich’s wife, Sofia Andreevna.

Rostova Vera

Daughter of Count and Countess Rostov. She was famous for her strict disposition and inappropriate, albeit fair, remarks in society. It is unknown why, but her mother did not really love her and Vera felt this acutely, apparently, which is why she often went against everyone around her. Later she became the wife of Boris Drubetsky.

She is the prototype of Tolstoy’s sister Sophia, the wife of Lev Nikolaevich, whose name was Elizaveta Bers.

Rostov Peter

Just a boy, the son of Count and Countess Rostov. Growing up, Petya, as a young man, was eager to go to war, and in such a way that his parents could not restrain him at all. Having finally escaped from parental care and joined Denisov’s hussar regiment. Petya dies in the first battle, without having had time to fight. His death greatly affected his family.

Sonya

The miniature, nice girl Sonya was the niece of Count Rostov and lived all her life under his roof. Her long-term love for Nikolai Rostov became fatal for her, because she never managed to unite with him in marriage. In addition, the old count Natalya Rostova was very against their marriage, because they were cousins. Sonya acts nobly, refusing Dolokhov and agreeing to love only Nikolai for the rest of her life, while freeing him from his promise to marry her. She lives the rest of her life under the old countess in the care of Nikolai Rostov.

The prototype of this seemingly insignificant character was Lev Nikolaevich’s second cousin, Tatyana Aleksandrovna Ergolskaya.

Bolkonsky - princes and princesses

Bolkonsky Nikolai Andreevich

The father of the main character, Prince Andrei Bolkonsky. In the past, the current general-in-chief, in the present, a prince who earned himself the nickname “Prussian king” in Russian secular society. Socially active, strict like a father, tough, pedantic, but wise master of his estate. Outwardly, he was a thin old man in a powdered white wig, thick eyebrows hanging over penetrating and intelligent eyes. He doesn’t like to show feelings even to his beloved son and daughter. He constantly torments his daughter Marya with nagging and sharp words. Sitting on his estate, Prince Nikolai is constantly on the alert for events taking place in Russia, and only before his death does he lose a full understanding of the scale of the tragedy of the Russian war with Napoleon.

The prototype of Prince Nikolai Andreevich was the writer’s grandfather Nikolai Sergeevich Volkonsky.

Bolkonsky Andrey

Prince, son of Nikolai Andreevich. He is ambitious, just like his father, restrained in the manifestation of sensual impulses, but loves his father and sister very much. Married to the “little princess” Lisa. He had a good military career. He philosophizes a lot about life, meaning and the state of his spirit. From which it is clear that he is in some kind of constant search. After the death of his wife, in Natasha Rostova he saw hope for himself, a real girl, and not a fake one as in secular society, and some light of future happiness, so he was in love with her. Having proposed to Natasha, he was forced to go abroad for treatment, which served as a real test for both of their feelings. As a result, their wedding fell through. Prince Andrey went to war with Napoleon and was seriously wounded, after which he did not survive and died from a serious wound. Natasha devotedly looked after him until the end of his death.

Bolkonskaya Marya

Daughter of Prince Nikolai and sister of Andrei Bolkonsky. A very meek girl, not beautiful, but kind-hearted and very rich, like a bride. Her inspiration and devotion to religion serves as an example of good morals and meekness to many. She unforgettably loves her father, who often mocked her with his ridicule, reproaches and injections. And he also loves his brother, Prince Andrei. She did not immediately accept Natasha Rostova as her future daughter-in-law, because she seemed too frivolous for her brother Andrei. After all the hardships she has experienced, she marries Nikolai Rostov.

The prototype of Marya is the mother of Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy - Maria Nikolaevna Volkonskaya.

Bezukhovs - counts and countesses

Bezukhov Pierre (Peter Kirillovich)

One of the main characters who deserves close attention and the most positive assessment. This character has experienced a lot of emotional trauma and pain, possessing a kind and highly noble disposition. Tolstoy and the heroes of the novel “War and Peace” very often express their love and acceptance of Pierre Bezukhov as a man of very high morals, complacent and a man of a philosophical mind. Lev Nikolaevich loves his hero, Pierre, very much. As a friend of Andrei Bolkonsky, the young Count Pierre Bezukhov is very loyal and responsive. Despite the various intrigues weaving under his nose, Pierre did not become embittered and did not lose his good nature towards people. And having married Natalya Rostova, he finally found the grace and happiness that he so lacked in his first wife, Helen. At the end of the novel, his desire to change the political foundations in Russia can be traced, and from afar one can even guess his Decembrist sentiments.

Character prototypes
Most of the heroes of such a complex novel in their structure always reflect some people who one way or another met on the path of Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy.

The writer successfully created a whole panorama of the epic history of the events of that time and the private lives of secular people. In addition, the author managed to very brightly color the psychological traits and characters of his characters so that he can learn worldly wisdom and modern man.