The Tolstoy Library

In which Natásha, wrapped in a tender veil of melancholy and self-reproach, withdraws from life’s once-bright pleasures and seeks solace in devout preparation for Holy Communion under the guidance of ...

16 Aug 8min

In which a modest and kindly scene unfolds in a humble tavern, where officers, weary and sodden from the rain, find warmth and camaraderie around a samovar under the gentle care of Mary Hendríkhovna. ...

15 Aug 7min

In which the morning mist lifts to reveal a landscape where men and horses prepare, with quiet resolve, to meet the tumult of battle, the air filled with the tension and expectancy of soldiers poised ...

15 Aug 7min

In which Rostóv, guided by an instinct akin to that of a seasoned huntsman, leads a daring cavalry charge against disordered French dragoons and captures an officer whose gentle and unaccustomed visag...

15 Aug 8min

In which a heated and disorderly council debates the merits and flaws of the Drissa camp strategy, revealing the passions and prejudices of those involved in high command, while Prince Andrew quietly ...

14 Aug 13min

In which young Nicholas Rostóv, torn between his duties to his family and his love for the homeland, finds solace and camaraderie amidst the stirring beginnings of a military campaign, experiencing th...

14 Aug 10min

In which the Emperor seeks counsel on a fortification whose tactical merits come under scrutiny, revealing the friction between theoretical science and practical war. Prince Andrew encounters Pfuel, a...

14 Aug 9min

In which Prince Andrew observes the complex and divided counsel surrounding the Russian army’s strategic position near Drissa, revealing a landscape of conflicting military theories, courtly intrigues...

13 Aug 18min