Project on: " Life path Andrey Bolkonsky." Completed by 10th grade student: Shumikhina Ekaterina Supervisor: Litvinova E.V.

Purpose of the work: 1. To see and analyze the life path of Andrei Bolkonsky. 2. Analyze the relationships in the Bolkonsky family. 3. Get acquainted with the principles of Andrei Nikolaevich Bolkonsky 3. See how the Battle of Austerlitz and the death of his wife affect internal state Bolkonsky. 4. Analyze the relationship between Natasha Rostova and Andrei Bolkonsky. 5. Consider how love changes people’s hearts, and what significance nature has in the life of one of the heroes of the novel “War and Peace.” 6. Consider the episode of Bolkonsky’s death.

I chose this work, because I was interested in the life path of Andrei Bolkonsky. I was interested in how a person is changed by what happens around him. It was very interesting for me to watch how he changed life positions and outlook on life.

Andrey Bolkonsky Andrey Bolkonsky is the son of Prince Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky. His father was one of those people who served the Fatherland, and were not served. Andrei respects his father very much and is proud of him. However, he himself dreams of becoming famous, not serving. He is looking for a path to glory and honor through military feats, and dreams of his Toulon.

Salon of Anna Pavlovna Sherer For the first time, L.N. Tolstoy introduces us to Prince Bolkonsky in the salon of Anna Pavlovna Sherer. “Prince Bolkonsky was small in stature, a very handsome young man with definite and dry features. Everything about his figure, from his tired, bored look to his quiet, measured step, presented the sharpest contrast with his little, lively wife. He, apparently, not only knew everyone in the living room, but was so tired of him that looking at them and listening to them was very boring for him. Of all the faces that bored him, the face of his pretty wife seemed to bore him the most. With a grimace marring his handsome face, he turned away from her...”

The Bolkonsky estate The estate of General Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky is bald mountains. The Bolkonsky family adheres to very strict rules, where the father raises and teaches his daughter, but with his son he is cold and reserved. Pride, high moral character and devotion to the fatherland become important. Although the father seems so proud and cruel, he still worries about his son. “I’m writing to Kutuzov not to keep you as an adjutant for long—it’s a bad position.” And remember one thing, Prince Andrei... If they kill you, it will hurt me, an old man... And if I find out that you did not behave like the son of Nikolai Bolkonsky, I will be... ashamed! - But this, father, you might not have told me.

Bolkonsky in the war Prince Andrei committed a heroic act, he managed to raise the entire army behind him and go forward with a banner in his hand. But he felt nothing from this feat. As it turned out, he did not have an unusual impression or feeling; his thoughts during the feat were petty and fussy.

The Austerlitz sky The prince, wounded during the battle, falls and the boundless sky opens to his eyes. And nothing, “except for the sky, not clear...”, interests him anymore. “How quiet, calm and solemn, not at all like how I ran... how we ran... How come I haven’t seen this high sky before.” The prince understands that “... everything is empty, everything is deception, except this endless sky...” Now Bolkonsky does not need either fame or honor. And even admiration for Napoleon lost its former meaning. . . After the battle, Bolkonsky comes to the understanding that he must live for himself and for his loved ones.

Returning home and death of his wife Returning home after being wounded, Bolkonsky finds his wife Lisa in labor, after which she dies. He realizes that he is partly to blame for what happened. He was too proud, too arrogant, he did not pay enough attention to her and this brings him suffering. After the death of his wife, he feels an inner emptiness and thinks that his life is “over.”

Old oak Meeting with an oak tree is one of the main turning points in Andrei Bolkonsky’s life and the discovery of a new, joyful one, in unity with all the people. He met the oak as a gloomy tree that did not obey the rest of the (forest) world. Bolkonsky compares himself to this oak tree, because he is not interested in talking about Bonaparte, who was the center of discussions with Anna Pavlovna Scherer; he was bored in their company. But at their second meeting, Andrei finds the oak renewed, full vitality and love for the world around us. A causeless spring feeling of joy and renewal suddenly came over him; he remembered all the best moments of his life. And Austerlitz with the high sky, and Pierre on the ferry, and a girl excited by the beauty of the night, and this night, and the moon. And he thought: “No, life is not over at thirty-one. . ." .

Love for Natasha Rostova After meeting Natasha Rostova in Otradnoye, Andrei Bolkonsky is convinced that he must live on, believe in his happiness. But his selfishness played cruel joke with him. Obeying the will of his father, he does not think about the feelings of his bride and in the end he sees that Natasha is carried away by Anatoly Kuragin. He takes this as a betrayal and again loses the meaning of life.

The death of Bolkonsky and the realization of the true values ​​of life After the Battle of Borodino, the mortally wounded Prince Andrei ends up in the hospital and there he suddenly recognizes one of the wounded as Anatoly Kuragin. Anatole, in fact, is already dead as a person, but Bolkonsky retained his spirituality. He plunged into memories “from the world of children, pure and love.” Lying on his deathbed, Prince Bolkonsky discovers true values life (love) and awareness of the ease of transition to another world. He sees Natasha and he loves her, but now he loves her in a new way, he has truly pure and deep feelings for her. And now his love for Natasha forced him to color everything around him with this living feeling and forgive Anatoly Kuragin.

Life path of Andrei Bolkonsky

The personal destinies and characters of the heroes are highlighted in “War and Peace” in connection with historical processes, in a complex system of connections and relationships in a peaceful and military environment.

To uncover inner world of a person, showing his true essence is paramount for L. N. Tolstoy artistic task. “For an artist,” says Tolstoy, “there should not be heroes, but there should be people.”

From the first pages of the novel, Andrei Bolkonsky stands out as an outstanding person of his time. Tolstoy characterizes him as a man of strong will and exceptional abilities who knows how to handle different people with extraordinary memory and erudition. He was distinguished by a special ability to work and study.

At the beginning of the novel, Andrei Bolkonsky's thoughts were to achieve fame through military feat. In the Battle of Shengraben, Andrei Bolkonsky showed courage and bravery.

“Above him there was nothing anymore except the sky - a high sky, not “clear, but still immeasurably high, with sulfur quietly creeping across it”; with the clouds." And dreams of fame seemed insignificant to Andrey. When Napoleon stopped in front of him and said: “This is a wonderful death,” Bolkonsky, on the contrary, wanted to live. “Yes, and everything seemed so useless and insignificant in comparison. with that strict and majestic structure of thought that was caused in him by the weakening of his strength from the bleeding, suffering and the imminent expectation of death. Looking into Napoleon’s eyes, Prince Andrei thought about the insignificance of greatness, about the insignificance of life, the meaning of which no one could understand, and about the even greater insignificance of death, the meaning of which no one could understand and explain to the living.” Andrey overestimates his views. He wants quiet family life.

Prince Andrey returned from captivity to Bald Mountains. But fate deals him a heavy blow: his wife dies during childbirth. Bolkonsky is experiencing a mental crisis. He believes that his life is over. It was during this period that he temporarily came to a false theory of justifying the cruelty of life and to the idea of ​​​​denying love and goodness. In a dispute with Pierre Bezukhov, he expresses these thoughts. The author shows that under the influence of Pierre “... something that had fallen asleep for a long time, something better that was in him, suddenly woke up joyfully and youthfully in his soul.”

The thought that he can be resurrected to a new life, love, activity is unpleasant to him. Therefore, seeing an old gnarled oak tree on the edge of the road, as if it did not want to bloom and be covered with new leaves, Prince Andrei sadly agrees with him: “Yes, he is right, this oak tree is right a thousand times... let others, the young ones, again succumb to this deception , and we know life - our life is over! He is thirty-one years old, and still has a long way to go, but he is sincerely convinced that he should live out his life without wanting anything.

When he arrived on business at the Rostov estate in Otradnoye and saw Natasha, he was only alarmed by her inextinguishable thirst for life. “Why is she so happy?.. And why is she happy?” thought Prince Andrei. But after this meeting, Prince Andrei looks around him with different eyes. - and the old oak now tells him something completely different.” “Where is he?” Prince Andrei thought again, looking at the left side of the road and, without knowing it,... admired the oak tree he was looking for... No gnarled fingers, no pain. check, no old grief and mistrust - nothing was visible.”

Now, having risen spiritually, he waits new love. And she comes. Natasha enters his destiny. They met at a ball, the first in her life. “Prince Andrei, like all people who grew up in the world, loved to meet in the world that which did not have a common secular imprint on itself. And such was Natasha, with her surprise, joy, and timidity, and even mistakes in French" Listening to Natasha’s singing, “I suddenly felt tears coming to my throat, the possibility of which he did not know within himself...”. Prince Andrei at this time says to Pierre: “I have never experienced anything like this... - I have not lived before, now only I live...”

postpone the wedding for a year, go abroad, get treatment. Prince Andrei turned out to be too reasonable - he chose this girl, with this joyful, happy animation, with this thirst for life, who understood him like no one else has yet - and he did not understand her that it was very difficult for her. He thought a lot about his love and little about how she felt.

Having learned about her passion for Kuragin, he cannot forgive her. Refusing to forgive, he again thinks only of himself. So he was left alone, with his secret grief and with his pride, and meanwhile the new year of 1812 has come, and in the sky there is a strange bright comet, foreshadowing trouble - the comet of 1812.

Participation in the nationwide struggle against the enemy of the fatherland plays a decisive role in the process of internal development of Andrei Bolkonsky. The life path of Andrei Bolkonsky is closely connected with the life of the army, which taught him to understand and love ordinary people. From the very beginning Patriotic War Bolkonsky was in the army and refused to serve “under the person of the sovereign,” believing that only in the ranks of the army “can you serve with confidence that you are useful.” As an officer, “he was completely devoted to the affairs of his regiment, he cared about his people. In the regiment they called him our prince, they were proud of him, they loved him.”

After being wounded in the Battle of Borodino, during the evacuation of Moscow, the wounded Andrei Bolkonsky ends up in the Rostov convoy. In Mytishchi he meets Natasha.

The fate of Andrei Bolkonsky is connected with events in national life. The thoughts of Andrei "Bolkonsky and his activities characterize him as a true patriot and a man of high moral qualities; he hates people who are deceitful, hypocritical, self-interested and careerists. His life and views are completely included in the system of events of the depicted historical era.

School essay based on the novel by L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace". In the novel "War and Peace" there are a number of characters, thanks to whom the reader better understands the features inherent in Russian national character, realizes the real significance of the Patriotic War of 1812, sees the fate of the Russian people, relationships different layers society among themselves, as well as the role played by the people in the history of the state. One of these heroes of the work is Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, with whom, like Pierre Bezukhov, the reader meets for the first time in the salon. Belonging to Madame Scherer. Andrey's face is beautiful, “with certain dry features.” But boredom and dissatisfaction are clearly visible on this face, since “everyone who was in the living room was not only familiar, but was already so boring to him that he found it very boring to look at them and listen to them.”
Andrei Bolkonsky's dream is to accomplish a feat. He craves action and Andrei is tired of the way court society lives. He tells Madame Scherer: “This life is not for me.” The words of Andrei Bolkonsky do not diverge from the deeds. Deciding to radically change his lifestyle, he gets a job at the headquarters of the commander-in-chief. Andrei Bolkonsky likes Napoleon and the prince tries to imitate his idol in many things. The thirst for achievement and glory pushes Andrei to heroic deed. During Battle of Austerlitz he leads soldiers into battle, while holding a banner in his hands. This brings Andrey fame, and his a brave deed Even Napoleon noticed and appreciated it. But, having accomplished the desired feat, Andrei does not become happy. It is on the battlefield of Austerlitz, looking into the endless sky, that Andrei Bolkonsky undergoes a reassessment of values. He realizes and comes to understand that the main thing in life is love. Love for family, for your home, for nature. Andrei's attitude towards Napoleon also changes. Prince Andrei Bolkonsky understands that Napoleon, whom he admired, brings suffering and misfortune to many people. But, returning home to his family, Andrei is unhappy again, since his wife Lisa is dying. Andrey spends all his time working with his son, trying to make the life of his serfs easier and better. However, Andrei's soul does not find peace.
To some extent, the change in Andrei’s condition for the better was influenced by the arrival of Pierre Bezukhov. In conversations with Andrey, Pierre defends his point of view about the presence of happiness, goodness and truth in the world. And Andrei Bolkonsky changes, he comes to understand that “living for oneself” will lead to the fact that “at thirty-one years old, life is over.” Natasha Rostova discovered love and beauty in the life of Prince Andrei. He falls in love with a girl. Then Andrei leaves for St. Petersburg, where he works on the Speransky commission, but soon becomes disillusioned with this work. But then another disappointment awaits Andrei in life. During his absence, Natasha became interested in Anatol Kuragin, soon realizing, however, that this was a mistake and she did not need Anatol. However, Andrei cannot forgive Natasha for her actions, her passion for another man, and Natasha, in turn, believes that now she is also unworthy of Andrei’s love. The next step in the life of Prince Bolkonsky is his service as a regimental commander. With his service, his attitude towards the soldiers, Andrei deserves their love and respect. The soldiers call Bolkonsky “our prince.” During the war, Andrei now has no desire to accomplish a feat, to achieve universal glory.
He becomes a simple defender of his homeland. It turned out that Andrei Bolkonsky did not return home from this war, he dies. Before his death, Andrei Bolkonsky reflects: “Compassion, love for brothers, for those who love, love for those who hate us, love for enemies - yes, that love that God preached on earth... and which I did not understand.” Andrei Bolkonsky dies for the sake of the lives of other people and the future of his Motherland, while understanding all the most important moral values. With the image of Andrei Bolkonsky, Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy showed readers all those best qualities, which a nobleman of that era, a true patriot of his Fatherland, possessed.

Approximate text of an essay based on L. N. Tolstoy

IN art world Tolstoy has heroes who persistently and purposefully seek the meaning of life, striving for complete harmony with the world. They are not interested in social intrigues, selfish interests, empty conversations in high society salons. They are easy to recognize among arrogant, self-satisfied faces.

These, of course, include one of the most bright images"War and Peace" - Andrei Bolkonsky. True, the first acquaintance with this hero does not evoke much sympathy, because his handsome face “with definite and dry features” is spoiled by an expression of boredom and dissatisfaction. But it, as Tolstoy writes, is caused by the fact that “everyone who was in the living room was not only familiar, but was already so tired of him that he found it very boring to look at them and listen to them.” The author's extensive commentary suggests that a brilliant and idle, empty life does not satisfy the hero, who strives to break the vicious circle in which he finds himself.

Prince Andrei, who, in addition to intelligence and education, has a strong will, decisively changes his life by entering service at the headquarters of the commander-in-chief. Bolkonsky dreams of heroism and glory, but his desires are far from vanity, for they are caused by the desire for the victory of Russian weapons, for the common good. Possessing hereditary pride, Andrei unconsciously separates himself from the world of ordinary people. In the hero’s soul, the gap between his lofty dreams and earthly everyday life becomes deeper and deeper. His pretty wife Lisa, who once seemed perfect to him, turned out to be an ordinary, ordinary woman. And Andrei undeservedly insults her with his disdainful attitude. And the bustling life of the headquarters of the commander-in-chief, which Bolkonsky sees as the brain of the army, also turns out to be very far from ideal. Andrei firmly believes that his thoughts about saving the army will attract attention and interest and will serve the common good. But instead of saving the army, he has to save the doctor’s wife from the demands of the transport officer. This one, in general, Noble act seems too small and insignificant to Andrey in comparison with his heroic dream.

The feat he accomplished during the Battle of Austerlitz, when he runs ahead of everyone with a banner in his hands, is full of external effect: even Napoleon noticed and appreciated it. But why, having committed a heroic act, does Andrei not experience any delight or elation? Probably because at that moment when he fell, seriously wounded, a new lofty truth was revealed to him, along with the high endless sky, spreading a blue vault above him. Against his background, all his former dreams and aspirations seemed small and insignificant to Andrey, the same as his former idol. A reassessment of values ​​took place in his soul. What seemed beautiful and sublime to him turned out to be empty and vain. And what he so diligently fenced himself off from - a simple and quiet family life - now seems desirable to him, full of happiness and harmony. It is not known how Bolkonsky’s life with his wife would have turned out. But when, having risen from the dead, he returned home kinder and gentler, a new blow fell upon him - the death of his wife, to whom he was never able to make amends. Andrei tries to live a simple, calm life, touchingly caring for his son, improving the lives of his serfs: he made three hundred people free cultivators, and replaced the rest with dues. These humane measures, testifying to Bolkonsky’s progressive views, for some reason still do not convince of his love for the people. Too often he shows contempt for a peasant or a soldier, whom one can pity, but cannot respect. In addition, the state of depression and the feeling of the impossibility of happiness indicate that all the transformations cannot completely occupy his mind and heart. Changes in Andrei's difficult mental state begin with the arrival of Pierre, who, seeing his friend's depressed mood, tries to instill in him faith in the existence of a kingdom of goodness and truth that should exist on earth. Andrei's final revival to life occurs thanks to his meeting with Natasha Rostova. The description of the moonlit night and Natasha’s first ball emanates poetry and charm. Communication with her opens up a new sphere of life for Andrey - love, beauty, poetry. But it is with Natasha that he is not destined to be happy, because there is no complete mutual understanding between them. Natasha loves Andrei, but does not understand and does not know him. And she, too, remains a mystery to him with her own, special inner world. If Natasha lives every moment, unable to wait and postpone until a certain time the moment of happiness, then Andrei is able to love from a distance, finding a special charm in anticipation of the upcoming wedding with his beloved girl. The separation turned out to be too difficult a test for Natasha, because, unlike Andrei, she is not able to think about something else, to keep herself busy with something. The story with Anatoly Kuragin destroys the possible happiness of these heroes. Proud and proud Andrei is unable to forgive Natasha for her mistake. And she, experiencing painful remorse, considers herself unworthy of such a noble, ideal person. Fate separates loving people, leaving bitterness and pain of disappointment in their souls. But she will unite them before Andrei’s death, because the Patriotic War of 1812 will change a lot in their characters.

When Napoleon entered Russia and began to rapidly advance, Andrei Bolkonsky, who hated the war after being seriously wounded at Austerlitz, went into the active army, refusing a safe and promising service at the headquarters of the commander-in-chief. Commanding a regiment, the proud aristocrat Bolkonsky becomes close to the mass of soldiers and peasants, learns to appreciate and respect the common people. If at first Prince Andrei tried to arouse the courage of the soldiers by walking under bullets, then when he saw them in battle, he realized that he had nothing to teach them. He begins to look at the men in soldiers' greatcoats as patriotic heroes who courageously and steadfastly defended their Fatherland. Andrei Bolkonsky comes to the idea that the success of the army does not depend on the position, weapons or number of troops, but on the feeling that exists in him and in every soldier. This means that he believes that the mood of the soldiers, the general morale of the troops are a decisive factor for the outcome of the battle.

But still, the complete unity of Prince Andrei with the common people did not happen. It is not for nothing that Tolstoy introduces a seemingly insignificant episode about how the prince wanted to swim on a hot day, but due to his disgust towards the soldiers wallowing in the pond, he was never able to fulfill his intention. Andrei himself is ashamed of his feelings, but cannot overcome it.

It is symbolic that at the moment of his mortal wound, Andrei experiences a great craving for simple earthly life, but immediately thinks about why he is so sorry to part with it. This struggle between earthly passions and ideal, cold love for people becomes especially acute before his death. Having met Natasha and forgiven her, he feels a surge of vitality, but this reverent and warm feeling is replaced by some kind of unearthly detachment, which is incompatible with life and means death.

Thus, revealing in Andrei Bolkonsky many remarkable features of a patriotic nobleman. Tolstoy ends his path of quest with heroic death for the sake of saving his homeland. And in the novel, his friend and like-minded person Pierre Bezukhov is destined to continue this search for higher spiritual values, which remained unattainable for Andrei.

Bibliography

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Andrei Bolkonsky, his spiritual quest, the evolution of his personality are described throughout the entire novel by L. N. Tolstoy. 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 everything goodies“War and Peace” goes through the path of searching for the meaning of life, the dialectics of the soul, with all the disappointments, loss and gain of happiness. Tolstoy indicates the presence of a positive beginning in the character by the fact that, despite life’s troubles, the hero does not lose his dignity. These are Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov. The common and main thing in their quest is that the heroes come to the idea of ​​unity with the people. Let's consider what the spiritual quest of Prince Andrei led to.

Focus on Napoleon's ideas

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, and very handsome in appearance. Everything in his behavior speaks of complete disappointment with life, both spiritual and family. Having married a beautiful egoist, Lisa Meinen, Bolkonsky soon gets tired of her and completely changes his attitude towards marriage. He even begs his friend Pierre Bezukhov to never marry.

Prince Bolkonsky longs for something new; for him, constant going out and family life are vicious circle, from which the young man strives to break out. How? Leaving for the front. This is the uniqueness of the novel “War and Peace”: Andrei Bolkonsky, as well as other characters, their dialectics of the soul, are shown within a certain historical setting.

At the beginning of Tolstoy's epic, Andrei Bolkonsky is an ardent Bonapartist who admires Napoleon's military talent and is an adherent of his idea of ​​gaining power through military feat. Bolkonsky wants to get “his Toulon.”

Service and Austerlitz

When you join the army you start reading new milestone the quest of the young prince. The life path of Andrei Bolkonsky made a decisive turn in the direction of bold, courageous actions. The prince shows exceptional talent as an officer; he displays courage, valor and courage.

Even in the smallest details, Tolstoy emphasizes that Bolkonsky made the right choice: his face became different, stopped expressing fatigue from everything, feigned gestures and manners disappeared. U young man there was no time to think about how to behave correctly, he became real.

Kutuzov himself notes how talented Andrei Bolkonsky is as an adjutant: great commander writes a letter to the young man’s father, noting that the prince is making exceptional progress. Andrei takes all victories and defeats to heart: he sincerely rejoices and experiences pain in his soul. He sees Bonaparte as an 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” is an exponent of the author’s attitude towards outstanding personalities; it is from his lips that the reader learns about the most important battles.

The center of this stage of the prince’s life is the One who showed great heroism, seriously wounded, he lies on the battlefield and sees the bottomless sky. Then Andrey comes to the realization that he must reconsider life priorities, turn to his wife, whom he despised and humiliated with his behavior. And his once idol, Napoleon, seems to him to be an insignificant little man. Bonaparte appreciated the young officer’s feat, but Bolkonsky didn’t care. He dreams only of quiet happiness and an impeccable family life. Andrei decides to end his military career and return home to his wife,

The decision to live for yourself and loved ones

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

Raising a son, building an estate, helping his father form the ranks of the militia - that’s what at this stage his life priorities. Andrei Bolkonsky lives in solitude, which allows him to concentrate on his spiritual world and searching for the meaning of life.

The progressive views of the young prince are manifested: he improves the life of his serfs (replaces corvée with quitrents), gives status to three hundred people. However, he is still far from accepting a sense of unity with the common people: every now and then thoughts of disdain for the peasantry and ordinary soldiers slip into his speech .

Fateful conversation with Pierre

The life path of Andrei Bolkonsky moves into another plane during the visit of Pierre Bezukhov. The reader immediately notices the kinship of the souls of the young people. Pierre, who is in a state of elation because of the reforms carried out on his estates, infects Andrei with enthusiasm.

Young people discuss for a long time the principles and meaning of changes in the life of the peasantry. Andrei does not agree 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 practical view of the serfdom.

Nevertheless, the meeting with Pierre helped Prince Andrei to delve well into his inner world and begin moving towards transformations of the soul.

Revival to a new life

A sip fresh air, a change in outlook on life was made by a meeting with Natasha Rostova - the main character novel "War and Peace". Andrei Bolkonsky, on matters of acquiring land, visits the Rostov estate in Otradnoye. There he notices a calm, cozy atmosphere in the family. Natasha is so pure, spontaneous, real... She met him starry night during the first ball in her life and immediately captured the heart of the young prince.

Andrey seems to be born again: he understands what Pierre once told him: he needs to live not only for himself and his family, he needs to be useful to the whole society. That is why Bolkonsky goes to St. Petersburg to make his proposals to the military regulations.

Awareness of the meaninglessness of “state activity”

Unfortunately, Andrei did not manage to meet with 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. It's about about Speransky. He saw good potential in the young man civil service. As a result, Bolkonsky is appointed to a position related to the drafting of wartime laws. In addition, Andrei heads the commission for drafting wartime laws.

But soon Bolkonsky becomes disappointed with the service: the formal approach to work does not satisfy Andrei. He feels that he is not serving anyone here. the right job, real help he won't help anyone. More and more often, Bolkonsky recalls life in the village, where he was truly useful.

Having initially admired 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.

Breakup 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 do something for the good of the country, to dream of a happy future. She became Andrei's muse. Natasha compared favorably with other girls of St. 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 match.

Bolkonsky makes a fatal mistake by postponing his wedding with Natasha until whole year: This provoked her passion 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 and unwillingness to hear and understand Natasha. He is again as self-centered 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 thirsts for revenge: he dreams of meeting Anatoly Kuragin among the military and avenging his failed marriage by challenging him to a duel. But gradually the life path of Andrei Bolkonsky changes once again: the impetus for this was the vision of the tragedy of the people.

Kutuzov entrusts the command of the regiment to the young officer. The prince completely devotes himself to his service - now this is his life’s work, he has become so close to the soldiers that they call him “our prince.”

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

The reader sees here Bolkonsky, who has gone through a difficult life: disappointment, death of loved ones, betrayal, rapprochement with the common people. He feels that he now understands and realizes too much, one might say, foreshadows his death: “I see that I have begun to understand too much. But it is not fit for a man to eat of the tree of good and evil.”

Indeed, Bolkonsky is mortally wounded and, among other soldiers, ends up in the care of the Rostovs’ house.

The prince feels the approach of death, he thinks about Natasha for a long time, understands her, “sees her soul,” dreams of meeting his beloved and 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 duty to the Motherland and people.