The formation of Bolkonsky war and peace. Mini-essay on the theme "The image of Andrei Bolkonsky in the novel by L.N.

Prince Andrei Bolkonsky is one of the main characters in the novel by L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace". With the help of this hero, the author tried to convey the course of life, aspirations and searches for the advanced nobility of the first third 19 century. Andrei is a complex image: next to many positive qualities, there is something in him that makes the reader think about whether the prince is right in this situation and what his fate will be in the future.

We first meet the prince in the first chapter of the novel: he appears in Anna Pavlovna Sherer's salon with his wife Lisa. He clearly stands out from the entire beau monde, gathered in the house that evening. Firstly, he is a military man and was soon to go to war, but he is not interested in the bright debates about Napoleon that are going around. He is strict and straightforward, and this literally repels secular ladies and gentlemen who are accustomed to “pulling smiles on themselves”. From his every gesture, movement, action, it becomes clear that he feels like a stranger in the cabin, he is uncomfortable here. He came here only because of the requests of his pregnant wife, his complete opposite, who loved such evenings. To refuse to accompany her would be a tactless act, contrary to the moral standards of the time. One gets the impression that he is ready to go to war, not because he longs to defeat Napoleon, but because he is tired of his wife, whom he does not love, tired of the secular society that surrounds them. He is looking for something new, he wants a new perception of himself, he dreams of fame. Andrei goes to fight not according to his inner convictions.

Prince Andrei is a secretive person, his soul is closed even to the closest people. On his father's estate, where before leaving for the war he brought his wife awaiting childbirth, he behaves like an empty person deprived of any inner warmth. Despite the fact that it is difficult for him to part with his family, he carefully hides this, taking on a "calm and impenetrable expression on his face." Probably, if it was in those moments that he had given at least a little tenderness to his wife, he would not have been tormented later by remorse. And he does make fun of his sister when talking about his father, although he knows what a difficult character he has and in what harsh conditions she has to live. But only Princess Marya can persuade her brother to obey her: the prince does not believe in God, but puts on his neck the icon given by her, which all their ancestors wore.

Andrei is very similar to his father. This becomes clear from the scene of their parting: they have a common opinion, they are both highly intellectual. Even without asking a word about his son's family life, he understands all Andrei's feelings and thoughts towards his wife.

The war brings only disappointments to the prince: the injury, the death of Lisa, and most importantly, the realization of the war as a senseless bloody action, and Napoleon as a small and insignificant person. The hero has a desire to change what surrounds him.
He is a purposeful person and soon after returning from the war, Andrei manages to make changes in the family estate, for example, introduce literacy for peasant and courtyard children. These classes became for the prince the threshold of a new life.
Natasha Rostova becomes Andrei's salvation, as if she wakes him from eternal sleep. On the one hand, she is lively, ebullient, always unexpected - the opposite of Andrei. But on the other hand, she is a patriot, she loves the Russian people, their songs, traditions, rituals - and this is why she is close to the nature of the prince.

Andrei dies from a severe wound. In moments of agony, he remembers his childhood, his family. He understands that the main thing in a person's life is love and forgiveness, what Princess Marya asked him to do and what he did not realize then. Andrei truly appreciated life only when he was on the verge.

In the novel, one of the most important ways to correctly understand the nature of the characters, their feelings and experiences is the description of dreams. In the dream of the prince, which appeared to him shortly before his death, all the contradictions that were insoluble for him are revealed.
Andrei leaves life calm and spiritual, because even Natasha and Princess Marya do not cry because of the understanding of the loss of a loved one, as they were ready for this. They cry because they understand the solemnity of this death.

The name of Andrei Bolkonsky is known even to those who have never read the novel. It is always associated with something proud, but truthful, alive and worthy. Such glory was given to the hero by a reliable and psychologically clear description of the prince. Tolstoy was not afraid to show one of his favorite heroes in moments of joy, and in moments of grief, and in moments of triumph, and in moments of defeat - and thus he won.

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

General information

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

Appearance

For the first time, this hero appears on the pages of the novel "War and Peace" at the very beginning, namely at the evening of Anna Pavlovna Sherer. His behavior clearly indicates that he is not only not attracted, but in the most direct sense repelled, and he does not find anything pleasant here. He does not at all try to hide how disappointed he is in these mannered, deceitful speeches, and calls all the attendees of such meetings "stupid society." The image of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky is a reflection of a person who is disappointed in false morality and who is disgusted by the manner of falsity that reigns in the highest circles.

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

Pierre Bezukhov

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

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

Service

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

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

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

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

The life of Andrei Bolkonsky in the army is fundamentally different from the "insipid" existence in the circle of secular ladies that he led earlier. He is ready to do things and does not hesitate to do so. The hero demonstrated honor and courage already during the Battle of Shengraben, when he bravely circled the positions, despite the inexorable unceasing fire of the enemy. During this battle, the younger Bolkonsky had a chance to witness the heroism shown by the gunners. In addition, the prince showed his courage by defending the captain.

Battle of Austerlitz

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

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

However, Andrei did not succeed in becoming a hero in full, because it was during the battle of Austerilis that many soldiers were killed, and the Russian army suffered terrible losses. Here the prince realized that his desire to gain world fame was just an illusion. After such a fall, the plans of the ambitious prince undergo drastic changes. He no longer admires the image of the great Napoleon Bonaparte, now this brilliant commander becomes for him only a simple martinet. This battle and the arguments inspired by it are completely new and one of the most important stages in the search for Tolstoy's hero.

Return to secular society

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

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

rebirth

The arrival of Pierre Bezukhov to the Bolkonsky estate brings radical changes in the life of the prince. He takes an active position and begins to make many transformations in his possessions: he makes the peasants free, changes the corvée for quitrent, writes out a grandmother and pays the salary of a priest who teaches peasant children.

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

Natasha Rostova

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

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

Borodino

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

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

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Any reader who thoughtfully delves into the legendary epic novel by Leo Tolstoy "War and Peace" encounters images of amazing heroes. One of these is Andrei Bolkonsky, an outstanding person with a multifaceted character.

Description of Andrei Bolkonsky

“... A small, very handsome young man with certain dry features” - this is how Leo Tolstoy describes his hero at the first meeting of the reader with him at the evening of Anna Pavlovna Sherer. - Everything in his figure, from a tired, bored look to a quiet measured step, represented the sharpest contrast with his small, lively wife.

He, apparently, was not only familiar with all those who were in the living room, but they were already so tired of him that it was very boring for him to look at them and listen to them ... ”Most of all, the young man was bored when he saw the face of his wife.

It would seem that nothing at this evening could cheer up the young man, and he perked up only when he saw his friend, Pierre Bezukhov. From this we can conclude that Andrei appreciates friendship.

The young prince Bolkonsky has such qualities as nobility, respect for elders (it is enough to trace how he loved his father, calling him “You, father ...”), as well as education and patriotism.

In his fate, a time of severe trials will come, but for now he is a young man whom secular society loves and accepts.

Lust for fame and subsequent disappointment

The values ​​of Andrei Bolkonsky throughout the novel "War and Peace" are gradually changing. At the beginning of the work, an ambitious young man, by all means, longs to receive human recognition and glory as a brave warrior. “I love nothing but glory, human love. Death, wounds, loss of family, nothing scares me,” he exclaims, wanting to go to war with Napoleon.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the novel by Leo Tolstoy “War and Peace”

Secular life seems empty to him, and the young man wants to be useful to society. At first he serves as an adjutant at Kutuzov, but in the battle of Austerlitz he is wounded and ends up in the hospital. The family considers Andrei missing, but for Bolkonsky himself, this time has become very important for a reassessment of values. The young man is disappointed in his former idol Napoleon, seeing him as a worthless man, rejoicing in the death of people.

“At that moment, Napoleon seemed to him such a small, insignificant person in comparison with what was now happening between his soul and this high, endless sky with clouds running across it.” Now that the goal of Bolkonsky's life - to achieve fame and recognition - has collapsed, the hero is seized by strong emotional experiences.

Having recovered, he decides not to fight anymore, but to devote himself to his family. Unfortunately, this did not happen.

Another shock

The next blow for Andrei Bolkonsky was the death during childbirth of his wife Elizabeth. If it were not for the meeting with his friend Pierre Bezukhov, who tried to convince him that life is not over, and that it is necessary to fight, despite the trials, it would be much harder for the hero to survive such grief. “I live and it’s not my fault, therefore, it’s necessary somehow better, without interfering with anyone, to live to death,” he lamented, sharing his experiences with Pierre.

But, thanks to the sincere support of a comrade who convinced a friend that “one must live, one must love, one must believe,” the hero of the novel survived. During this difficult period, Andrei not only cheered up his soul, but also met his long-awaited love.

For the first time, Natasha and Andrei meet at the Rostov estate, where the prince comes to spend the night. Disappointed in life, Bolkonsky understands that finally the happiness of true and bright love smiled at him.

A pure and purposeful girl opened his eyes to the need to live for the people, to do good for others. A new, hitherto unknown feeling of love flared up in Andrei's heart, which Natasha also shared.

They got engaged, and maybe they would make a great couple. But circumstances intervened again. In the life of Andrei's beloved, a fleeting passion appeared, which led to disastrous consequences. It seemed to her that she fell in love with Anatole Kuragin, and although the girl later repented of treason, Andrei could no longer forgive her and treat her the same way. “Of all people, I didn’t love anyone else and didn’t hate like her,” he admitted to his friend Pierre. The engagement was broken off.

Andrei's death in the war of 1812

Going to the next war, Prince Bolknonsky no longer pursues ambitious plans. His main goal is to protect the Motherland and his people from the attacked enemy. Now Andrei is fighting alongside ordinary people, soldiers and officers, and does not consider it shameful. “... He was all devoted to the affairs of his regiment, he was caring about his people and officers and affectionate with them. In the regiment they called him our prince, they were proud of him and loved him ... ”- Leo Tolstoy writes, characterizing his favorite hero.

The wound in the Battle of Borodino was fatal for Prince Andrei.

Already in the hospital, he meets with his former lover Natasha Rostova, and feelings between them flare up with renewed vigor. “...Natasha, I love you too much. More than anything…” he admits.

However, this reborn love has no chance, because Bolkonsky is dying. The devoted girl spends the last days of Andrey's life next to him.

He not only knew that he was going to die, but he felt that he was dying, that he was already half dead. He experienced the consciousness of alienation from everything earthly and the joyful and strange lightness of being. He, without haste and without anxiety, expected what lay ahead of him. That formidable, eternal, unknown, distant, the presence of which he did not cease to feel throughout his life, was now close to him and - by that strange lightness of being that he experienced - almost understandable and felt ... ".

So sadly ended the earthly life of Andrei Bolkonsky. He experienced many sorrows and troubles, but the path to eternity opened ahead.

If not for the war...

Every thoughtful reader can draw a conclusion: how much grief and misfortune the war has brought to mankind. Indeed, if not for the mortal wound that Andrei received on the battlefield, perhaps their love with Natasha Rostova would have had a happy continuation. After all, they loved each other so much and could symbolize the ideal of family relationships. But, alas, a person does not spare his own kind, and ridiculous confrontations take away many lives of people who, left to live, could bring considerable benefit to the Fatherland.

It is this thought that runs through the entire work of Leo Tolstoy.

Andrei Bolkonsky is the son of a rich, noble, respected nobleman of the Catherine era. Andrei is the most educated man of his time. Well-bred, smart, decent, honest, proud. Strong-willed, restrained and practical. Strongly developed self-esteem. At the beginning of the novel, married to a little princess, he feels unhappy, treats secular society with contempt and admits to Pierre that such a life is not for him. He loves work, strives for useful activity and cannot be satisfied with that brilliant, idle, but empty life, with which the people of his circle are completely satisfied. To change his way of life, he goes to war - military glory beckons him. His hero is Napoleon, and he wants to conquer his Toulon. He is captured by the activities of the headquarters, where Kutuzov himself notices in him the horizons of a statesman. Andrei Bolkonsky is on the battlefield during the Battle of Shengrabin. On the field of Austerlitz, he performs a heroic deed. Seriously wounded, he looks into the bottomless sky, which seems to speak of the futility of his desires. Andrew is disappointed. On the battlefield, he saw his idol, who seemed to him a small and insignificant man in a gray frock coat, admiring the many dead. Bolkonsky took this disappointment hard. Having recovered from the wound, having lost his wife, who died in childbirth, he decides to live only for himself and no longer serve. He gives his strength to loved ones. He is in charge of landscaping his property. Having set free 300 serfs, he replaced the rest of the corvée with dues. To help women, he ordered a learned grandmother in Bogucharovo, instructed the priest to teach peasant children for a salary. He read a lot, worked on drawing up a new military charter. But all this did not absorb his strength. His gaze was dead and dull. He became convinced of the futility of his activities under the conditions of the existing regime when he met with Arakcheev and Speransky.

Under the influence of a trip to Otradnoye, a meeting with Natasha Rostova, Andrei Bolkonsky returns to an active life, realizing that at the age of 30 it does not end yet. He opens another perception of life in love for Natasha Rostova. Communication with her awakens the best feelings in the hero. After Natasha's betrayal, his love for her did not fade until the end of his life, when he understood Natasha's suffering and forgave her. The ability for a deep feeling complements his inner wealth, his spiritual beauty. When the Patriotic War of 1812 began, Prince Andrei did not hesitate to join the army, where he began to command a regiment. Personal glory no longer attracted him. He understood that as a nobleman who loves his homeland, he should be where it is difficult, where he is most useful.

The path of Andrei Bolkonsky is the path to the people, the path to selfless service to the motherland. Bolkonsky belonged to that advanced part of the nobility from which the Decembrists emerged.

The image of Andrei Bolkonsky in the novel "War and Peace" (version 2)

The greatest work of the Russian writer - the novel by L. N. Tolstoy "War and Peace" - illuminates the important aspects of people's life, views, ideals, way of life and customs of various sectors of society in peacetime and in the difficult days of the war. The author stigmatizes the high society and treats the Russian people with warmth and pride throughout the story. But the high society, which unites all the nobility, has its heroes. To those who are deeply indifferent to the fate of their homeland, Tolstoy contrasts the Bolkonsky and Rostov families. The unusual, bright and short life of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky is filled with constant moral quest, the desire to know the meaning of life, to goodness and truth. At the first acquaintance with Prince Andrei, we see in him a restless person, dissatisfied with his real life. Wishing to be useful to the Fatherland, dreaming of a military career, in 1805 Prince Bolkonsky left to serve in the army. At this time, he is fascinated by the fate of Bonaparte.
Bolkonsky begins his military service from the lower ranks among adjutants at Kutuzov's headquarters and, unlike staff officers such as Drubetskoy, does not seek an easy career and awards. Prince Andrei is a patriot by nature, he feels responsible for the fate of the Fatherland, for the fate of the Russian army, and considers it necessary to be where it is especially difficult, where the fate of what is dear to him is decided.
Among the main issues that concern Tolstoy are the true patriotism and heroism of the Russian people. Tolstoy in the novel talks a lot about the faithful sons of the Fatherland, who are ready to give their lives for the salvation of their homeland. One of them is Prince Andrei Bolkonsky: “Seeing Mack and hearing the details of his death, he realized that half of the campaign was lost, understood the whole difficulty of the position of the Russian troops and vividly imagined what awaited the army and the role that he would have to play in it. ".
Prince Andrei insists that he be sent to Bagration's detachment, which was instructed to detain the enemy, not to allow him to cut off "the route of communication with the troops marching from Russia." Kutuzov's words: “If one tenth of his detachment comes tomorrow, I will thank God” - did not stop Bolkonsky. “That's why I ask you to send me to this detachment,” he answered.
The birth of a child and at the same time the death of his wife, before whom he felt guilty, in my opinion, aggravated, so to speak, the spiritual crisis of Bolkonsky. He feels like his life is over. He was disappointed in everything: “I live and it’s not my fault, therefore, it’s necessary somehow better, without interfering with anyone, to live to death,” Prince Andrei says to Pierre. And, in my opinion, it was under the influence of Pierre that the spiritual revival of Prince Andrei began: “... for the first time after Austerlitz, he saw that high, eternal sky ... and something long asleep, something better that was in him, suddenly joyfully and young woke up in his soul. And the meeting with Natasha Rostova in Otradnoe finally awakens him to life. Love for the cheerful, poetic Natasha gives birth to dreams of family happiness in Andrei's soul. Natasha became a second, new life for him. She had something that was not in the prince, and she harmoniously complemented him.
After confessing to Natasha, Andrey's ardor subsides. Now he feels responsible for Natasha, he wants it, and at the same time he is afraid. After listening to his father, Andrei postpones the wedding for a year. Natasha and Andrey are very different people. She is young, inexperienced, trusting and spontaneous. He already has a whole life behind him, the death of his wife, son, trials of difficult wartime, a meeting with death. Therefore, Andrei cannot fully understand the essence of a young girl who has absolutely no life experience. Natasha lives by feelings, Andrey - by reason.
And again Andrey suffers deep disappointment. In his absence, Natasha cannot live in peace, she needs movement, feelings, a change of scenery, new events, new acquaintances, and she finds herself in a world where Helen, Anatole, Prince Vasily live - cynical, cold representatives of high society. Natasha cannot resist the seducer - Anatole.
All dreams of a family collapsed in Andrei’s soul: “That endless receding vault of the sky that stood above him before suddenly turned into a low vault that definitely pressed on him, in which everything was clear, but nothing was eternal and mysterious.” And Prince Andrei again returns to his element - to the army. There he should think first of all not about himself, but about the interests of his Fatherland, about the life of his soldiers. Bolkonsky “... was all devoted to the affairs of his regiment. He was caring for his people and officers and affectionate with them. In the regiment he was called "our prince." They were proud and loved."
On the eve of the Battle of Borodino, Prince Andrei was full of firm confidence that the Russian army would win the upcoming battle. He believed in the people, his soldiers, in the rightness of the struggle for the Fatherland. Andrei walked on the grass, admired the beauty of his native land, looked at flowers, earth, leaves, grasses. And in this peaceful and calm moment, he is mortally wounded. Enduring severe suffering, realizing that he is dying, before the sacrament of death he experiences a feeling of universal love and forgiveness. At this tragic moment, another meeting between Prince Andrei and Natasha takes place. War and suffering made Natasha an adult, now she understands how cruelly she acted with Bolkonsky, betrayed such a wonderful person because of her childhood passion. Natasha on her knees asks the prince for forgiveness. And he forgives her, he loves her again. He already loves with an unearthly love, and this love brightens up his last days in this world. Dying, Bolkonsky connects with eternity. He always aspired to this, but could not unite the heavenly and the earthly. Prince Andrei managed to do this by gaining faith.

The image of Andrei Bolkonsky in the novel "War and Peace" (3rd option)

Introducing readers to Andrei Bolkonsky, Tolstoy draws a portrait of his hero. Prince Andrei Bolkonsky was short, a very handsome young man with definite and dry features. In Scherer's salon, where we first meet him, he has a tired, bored look, often "a grimace spoils his handsome face." But when Pierre approached him, Bolkonsky "smiled with an unexpectedly kind and pleasant smile."

During a conversation with Pierre, “his dry face kept trembling with the nervous animation of every muscle; eyes, in which the fire of life had previously seemed extinguished, now shone with a radiant bright brilliance. And so everywhere and always: dry, proud and cold with everyone who is unpleasant to him (and he is unpleasant to careerists, soulless egoists, bureaucrats, mental and moral nonentities), Prince Andrei is kind, simple, sincere, frank, with simple faces, alien to any falsehood and lies. He respects and appreciates those in whom he sees a serious inner content.

Prince Andrei is a richly gifted person. He has an extraordinary mind, characterized by a propensity for serious, deep work of thought and introspection; at the same time, he is completely alien to daydreaming and the “nebulous philosophizing” associated with it. However, this is not a dry, rational person. He has a rich spiritual life, deep feelings. Prince Andrei is a man of strong will, an active, creative nature, he strives for broad public and state activities. This need is supported in him by his inherent ambition, the desire for glory and power. It should be said, however, that Prince Andrei is not capable of bargaining with his conscience. He is honest, and the desire for glory is combined in him with a thirst for selfless deeds.

A complex and deep nature, Prince Andrei lives in a period of public excitement that swept the educated circles of the nobility during the Patriotic War, in the atmosphere in which the future Decembrists were formed. In such an environment, the deep, sober mind of Prince Andrei, enriched with a variety of knowledge, is critical of the surrounding reality, looking for the meaning of life in activities that would bring him moral satisfaction.

The war awakened ambition in him. Napoleon's dizzying career makes him dream of his Toulon, but he thinks to win it not by avoiding dangers at headquarters, but in battle, with his courage. This is how Prince Andrei acts near Austerlitz. But after being seriously wounded near Austerlitz, he has a sharp mental reaction: he is convinced of the pettiness of his ambitious goals.

Under the influence of everything he experienced in the war, Prince Andrei falls into a gloomy, depressed mood, and is experiencing a severe mental crisis. In a conversation with Pierre, who visited him in Bogu-charov at that time, he, irritable, nervous, develops a theory of life in front of his interlocutor, which is completely unusual for him. "To live for myself, to avoid now these two evils (remorse and illness) - that's all my wisdom now." But Pierre does not believe this "wisdom" - and rightly so: all the qualities of Prince Andrei and his life practice (measures to improve the life of the peasants, their partial release) contradict this.

The meeting with Natasha in Otradnoe brought Prince Andrei back to life. He had a need for a broad public activity. He goes to St. Petersburg and meets here with the most prominent figure of the era - Speransky. But soon the nature of Speransky, a man of a cold mind, repels him. He felt falseness in Speransky - and his illusions about the possibility of fruitful activity among bureaucrats and court parties were dispelled. He is again disappointed.

Prince Andrei has a great will to live, and to live precisely with people: “It is necessary that life not go on for me alone, that it be reflected on everyone and that everyone should live with me.”

The danger hanging over the country transformed Prince Andrei. The patriotism of Prince Andrei is clearly articulated in his words spoken on the eve of Borodin: “The French have ruined my house and are going to ruin Moscow, insulted and insult me ​​every minute. And Timokhin and the whole army think the same way. They must be executed."

The path of Prince Andrei is the path of gradual rapprochement with the people. He sees his main purpose in serving the people. Prince Andrei takes care of his peasants: he lists several hundred of his serfs as “free cultivators” (that is, he lets them go free, giving them land), for others he replaces corvée with dues, etc.

When the Patriotic War began, Prince Andrei voluntarily joined the army. He refuses to serve in the headquarters under the "person of the sovereign." In his opinion, only service in the army will give him confidence that he will be useful in the war. Having received a regiment in command, Prince Andrei draws closer to the people even more. “In the regiment they called him our prince, they were proud of him and loved him.” Thus, ordinary Russian soldiers played the main role in the spiritual renewal of Prince Andrei.

A severe wound received on the Borodino field interrupts the activities of Prince Andrei. But his inquisitive thought continues to work even during his illness. Lying at the dressing station, he sums up his life path.

Prince Andrei passionately wants to live, and at the same time he thinks: “But isn’t it all the same now? .. And what will happen there (that is, after death.) And what was it like here? Why did I feel sorry for parting with my life? There was something in this life that I did not understand and do not understand.

And in these moments, a fiery thought dawns on him about the enormous, universal, all-forgiving love for people, which he would bring if he remained alive.

But Prince Andrei was not destined to recover from his wound. In Yaroslavl, where the Rostovs transported him, he realized that he was dying. Half-delirious, during hours of suffering solitude, he painfully thinks about what eternal love is, and comes to the realization that it requires renunciation of life: “Everything, to love everyone, to always sacrifice oneself for love meant not to love anyone, it meant not to live this earthly life." It was a clear sign of a mental breakdown.

However, when Natasha was again next to him, Prince Andrei again returned to the thought of life and earthly love. “Everything that is, everything exists only because I love,” he argues. Thus two contradictory assertions struggle in his soul: love is life and love is death.

The second wins. “His soul was not in a normal state,” the author explains. Prince Andrei eventually comes to an idealistic understanding of love and death: “Love is God, and to die means that for me, a particle of love, I must return to the common and eternal source.” He himself understood that something was missing in these thoughts, that in them "something was one-sided, personal, mental - there was no evidence."

Shortly before his death, he has a heavy dream. In a dream, he again fights for life, experiencing an excruciating fear of death. But death wins even in a dream, and Prince Andrei wakes up with the thought that death is liberation. With this thought, he dies.

His dying thoughts are the thoughts of a man broken by illness and suffering, unusual for the sober mind of Prince Andrei. The spiritual image of Prince Andrei is not characterized by these dying thoughts, colored by mysticism, but by his inquisitive, sober, materialistic mind, his desire for social activity, his love for the people, the struggle for whose happiness he would devote his life if he had not died from a wound. Death interrupted his quest.

The spiritual appearance of Prince Andrei and all his activities give the right to assume that if he had remained alive, his searches would have led him to the camp of the Decembrists.

After reading Leo Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace", readers come across some images of heroes who are morally strong and give us a life example. We see heroes who go through a difficult path to find their truth in life. Such is the image of Andrei Bolkonsky in the novel "War and Peace". The image is multifaceted, ambiguous, complex, but understandable to the reader.

Portrait of Andrei Bolkonsky

We meet Bolkonsky at the evening of Anna Pavlovna Sherer. L.N. Tolstoy gives him the following description: "... a small stature, a very handsome young man with certain dry features." We see that the presence of the prince at the evening is very passive. He came there because it was supposed to be: his wife Lisa was at the party, and he had to be next to her. But Bolkonsky is clearly bored, the author shows this in everything "... from a tired, bored look to a quiet measured step."

In the image of Bolkonsky in the novel War and Peace, Tolstoy shows an educated, intelligent, noble secular person who knows how to think rationally and be worthy of his title. Andrei loved his family very much, respected his father, the old prince Bolkonsky, called him “You, father ...” As Tolstoy writes, “... he cheerfully endured his father’s mockery of new people and with apparent joy called his father to a conversation and listened to him.”

He was kind and caring, although he may not seem so to us.

Heroes of the novel about Andrei Bolkonsky

Liza, the wife of Prince Andrei, was somewhat afraid of her strict husband. Before leaving for the war, she told him: “... Andrey, you have changed so much, so changed ...”

Pierre Bezukhov "... considered Prince Andrei a model of all perfections ..." His attitude towards Bolkonsky was sincerely kind and gentle. Their friendship maintained its devotion to the end.

Marya Bolkonskaya, Andrei's sister, said: "You are good to everyone, Andre, but you have some kind of pride in thought." By this, she emphasized the special dignity of her brother, his nobility, intelligence, high ideals.

The old prince Bolkonsky had high hopes for his son, but he loved him like a father. “Remember one thing, 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!” - Father said goodbye.

Kutuzov, the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, treated Bolkonsky in a paternal way. He received him cordially and made him his adjutant. “I myself need good officers ...,” Kutuzov said when Andrei asked to be let go to Bagration’s detachment.

Prince Bolkonsky and the war

In a conversation with Pierre Bezukhov, Bolkonsky expressed the idea: “Living rooms, gossip, balls, vanity, insignificance - this is a vicious circle from which I cannot get out. I am now going to war, to the greatest war that has ever been, and I know nothing and am no good.”

But Andrei's craving for glory, for the greatest destiny, was strong, he went to "his Toulon" - here he is, the hero of Tolstoy's novel. “... we are officers who serve our tsar and fatherland ...”, Bolkonsky said with true patriotism.

At the request of his father, Andrei ended up at Kutuzov's headquarters. In the army, Andrei had two reputations that were very different from each other. Some "listened to him, admired him and imitated him", others "considered him a puffed up, cold and unpleasant person." But he made them love and respect themselves, some even feared him.

Bolkonsky considered Napoleon Bonaparte "a great commander." He recognized his genius and admired his talent for conducting military operations. When Bolkonsky was entrusted with the mission to report to the Austrian Emperor Franz about the successful battle near Krems, Bolkonsky was proud and glad that he was the one who was going. He felt like a hero. But when he arrived in Brunn, he learned that Vienna was occupied by the French, that there was a “Prussian alliance, a betrayal of Austria, a new triumph of Bonaparte ...” and he no longer thought about his glory. He thought about how to save the Russian army.

In the battle of Austerlitz, Prince Andrei Bolkonsky in the novel "War and Peace" is at the peak of his glory. Without expecting it himself, he grabbed the thrown banner and shouting “Guys, go ahead!” ran to the enemy, the whole battalion ran after him. Andrei was wounded and fell on the field, there was only the sky above him: “... there is nothing but silence, calmness. And thank God! ..” The fate of Andrei after the battle of Austrellitsa was unknown. Kutuzov wrote to Bolkonsky's father: "Your son, in my eyes, with a banner in his hands, ahead of the regiment, fell a hero worthy of his father and his fatherland ... it is still unknown whether he is alive or not." But soon Andrei returned home and decided not to participate in any military operations anymore. His life acquired a visible calmness and indifference. The meeting with Natasha Rostova turned his life upside down: “Suddenly, such an unexpected confusion of young thoughts and hopes that contradicted his whole life arose in his soul ...”

Bolkonsky and love

At the very beginning of the novel, in a conversation with Pierre Bezukhov, Bolkonsky said the phrase: “Never, never marry, my friend!” Andrei seemed to love his wife Liza, but his judgments about women speak of his arrogance: “Egoism, vanity, stupidity, insignificance in everything - these are women when they are shown as they are. You look at them in the light, it seems that there is something, but nothing, nothing, nothing!” When he first saw Rostova, she seemed to him a joyful, eccentric girl who only knows how to run, sing, dance and have fun. But gradually a feeling of love came to him. Natasha gave him lightness, joy, a sense of life, something that Bolkonsky had long forgotten. There is no more melancholy, contempt for life, disappointment, he felt a completely different, new life. Andrey told about his love to Pierre and established himself in the idea of ​​​​marrying Rostova.

Prince Bolkonsky and Natasha Rostova were engaged. To part for a whole year for Natasha was a torment, and for Andrey it was a test of feelings. Carried away by Anatole Kuragin, Rostova did not keep her word to Bolkonsky. But by the will of fate, Anatole and Andrei ended up together on their deathbed. Bolkonsky forgave him and Natasha. After being wounded on the Borodino field, Andrei dies. Natasha spends his last days of his life with him. She takes care of him very carefully, understanding with her eyes and guessing exactly what Bolkonsky wants.

Andrei Bolkonsky and death

Bolkonsky was not afraid to die. He had experienced this feeling twice already. Lying under the Austerlitz sky, he thought that death had come to him. And now, next to Natasha, he was completely sure that he had not lived this life in vain. Prince Andrei's last thoughts were about love, about life. He died in complete peace, because he knew and understood what love is, and what he loves: “Love? What is love?... Love prevents death. Love is life…”

But still, in the novel "War and Peace" Andrei Bolkonsky deserves special attention. That is why, after reading Tolstoy's novel, I decided to write an essay on the topic "Andrey Bolkonsky - the hero of the novel" War and Peace ". Although there are enough worthy heroes in this work, and Pierre, and Natasha, and Marya.

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