The Tolstoy Library

In which the inscrutable Napoleon, buoyed by the adulation of Vilna, extends a cordial yet self-assured hand to the Russian envoy Balashëv, engaging in conversation that reveals his unshakable convict...

13 Aug 8min

In which Prince Andrew, burdened by past disappointments and restlessness, seeks solace and purpose by joining the army and confronting the ties that bind him to his family and former life. Amidst the...

13 Aug 15min

In which a Russian envoy visits the splendid court of Napoleon and engages in a tense diplomatic exchange marked by the French Emperor’s imperious manner and restless energy. The conversation reveals ...

12 Aug 17min

In which an inspection of the stern and uncompromising Marshal Davout reveals the harsh mechanisms by which power is maintained and shown to those beneath it, even amidst the weariness of war. The arr...

12 Aug 6min

In which a late-night diplomatic mission unfolds beneath the fresh dawn of the Russian countryside, where the solemn hopes of peace confront the bluster and gaiety of an army poised for war. The envoy...

12 Aug 10min

In which the mighty Emperor Napoleon, amidst the pomp and grandeur of courts and legions, sets forth on his fateful campaign, crossing the Niemen with a blend of resolute command and the turbulent fer...

11 Aug 9min

In which the Emperor of Russia, ensconced in the city of Vílna, spends a leisurely month amidst balls and festivities whilst the ominous shadow of an impending war looms unprepared and unattended by t...

11 Aug 9min

In which the great and momentous descent of armies upon the Russian frontier is pondered with a sober and searching eye, revealing the tangled web of innumerable causes—each insufficient on its own bu...

11 Aug 11min