Composition "Analysis of the episode in the novel" War and Peace ". Council in Fili

And the world” repeatedly emphasized the predestination of the events. He denied the role of the individual in history, but defended the destiny of the individual and the state as a whole. Despite the fact that the Russians won a “moral” victory on the Borodino field and were going to continue the battle the next day, it turned out that the troops lost up to half of their strength in killed and wounded, and the battle turned out to be impossible. Even before the meeting in Fili, it was clear to all sensible military men that it was impossible to give a new battle, but it should have been said by “blessed one”. Kutuzov constantly asked himself the question: “Is it possible that I allowed Napoleon to Moscow, and when did I do this? When was it decided?..”

Kutuzov continues the same line of conduct as during the Battle of Borodino. He sits outwardly indifferent to those around him, but his mind is working feverishly. He is looking for the only right solution. The Commander-in-Chief firmly believes in his historical mission of saving Russia.

It is interesting that, describing such a dramatic scene as the decision to leave Moscow to the French or fight for it, Lev Nikolayevich does not miss an opportunity to sneer at the false patriotism of Bennigsen, who insists on defending Moscow, starting his speech with a grandiloquent phrase: “Should we leave the sacred and ancient without a fight? capital of Russia or defend it?” The falsity of this phrase is clear to everyone, but only Kutuzov has the right to protest against it. He was chosen as commander-in-chief at the request of the people, against the will of the sovereign, and he, a true patriot, is disgusted by any posturing. Kutuzov is sincerely sure that the Russians won a victory on the Borodino field, but he also sees the need to leave Moscow.

He says the most brilliant words, which have become textbooks for many years: “The question for which I asked these gentlemen to gather is a military question. The question is the following: “The salvation of Russia in the army. Is it more profitable to risk the loss of the army and Moscow by accepting the battle, or to give Moscow without a battle? .. That's the question I want to know your opinion on. It is difficult for Kutuzov, purely humanly impossible, to give the order to retreat from Moscow. But the common sense and courage of this man prevailed over other feelings: "... I (he stopped) by the power given to me by my sovereign and fatherland, I order the retreat."

We see the scene of the council in Fili through the eyes of a child, the granddaughter of Andrey Savostyanov, Malasha, who remained in the room where the generals had gathered. A six-year-old girl, of course, does not understand anything about what is happening, her attitude towards Kutuzov, “grandfather”, as she dubbed him, and Benigsen, “long-brimmed”, is built on a subconscious level. She likes her grandfather, who argued about something with the long-sexed one, and then “besieged him”. Such an attitude between the disputants “consoled” Malasha. She treats Kutuzov with sympathy, and she is pleased that he won.

Such a perception of the most difficult episode of the novel is necessary for the author, probably not only because “the plaintiff speaks through the mouth of a baby”, but also because Kutuzov, according to Tolstoy, does not reason, does not be clever, but acts in a way that is impossible not to do: he chooses the only correct solution. Of course, it is not easy for the old man. He is looking for his guilt in what happened, but he is sure that the death of the French is inevitable in the near future. Already late at night, he says, apparently without any connection, to the adjutant who entered: “No, no! They will eat horse meat like the Turks… they will, too, if only…”

How much pain in these words, because he always thinks about the fate of the army, Russia, his responsibility to them, only for this reason bitter words break through.

The episode of the council in Fili explains a lot and shows the drama of the situation, the forced retreat of the troops not as the evil will of someone who decided to destroy Moscow, but the only possible and sure way out. Tolstoy admired the wisdom and far-sightedness of the commander-in-chief, his ability to understand the situation, use his power and make an unpopular, but courageous and good decision. Kutuzov does not need cheap populism, he is a true patriot who thinks about the good of the fatherland, and this helps him make the right decision. .

One of the main storylines of the novel is the war of 1805-1807 and 1812. War brings death, so the theme of life and death inevitably appears in the novel. Showing all the horrors of the war, from the first battle of Nikolai Rostov and the wounding of Andrei Bolkonsky in the battle of Austerlitz to the death of Prince Andrei and the flight of the French army, Tolstoy proves the futility of war. War is against human nature. It brings suffering and death.

The first death that the reader encounters is the death of Count Bezukhov. It is not filled with tragedy, since the dying person is completely unfamiliar to the reader and is indifferent to the people around him - relatives and "friends" who have already begun to fight for his inheritance. Here death is described as a matter of commonplace and inevitable.

The description of the war begins with a description of the state of the young, inexperienced in military affairs, Nikolai Rostov. He watches death and fears it. Instead of the romance that Nikolai expected to meet on the battlefield, he meets horror. The death of many people appears before the reader as a terrible sight. Here death is the antonym of life. Pictures of war cause the reader to fear death and disgust for it. But death is terrible not as such, but only because of the suffering that it brings.

Tolstoy leads his heroes through the test of death. Andrei Bolkonsky is the first to meet this test. He, a minute ago strong and courageous, full of wonderful hopes and dreams, now lies on the ground without strength, without hope of survival. He looks into the sky and feels the frailty of glory, the frailty of his body, the frailty of being. At this moment he is close to death, and he is happy. Why is he happy? He is happy with the consciousness of something new, lofty and beautiful (like the sky above him). What did Prince Andrei realize under the sky of Austerlitz? The reader cannot fully understand this without experiencing it himself. To realize this, a person needs a trial by death. Death is unknown to the living. The veil of great secrecy is lifted only by those who stand at the terrible line. The description of the emotional experiences of Prince Andrei immediately after being wounded makes the reader think that death is not terrible. This idea is foreign to most people, and a rare reader will accept it.

Pierre Bezukhoye also passes the test of death. This is a duel with Fedor Dolokhov. At this time, Pierre is at the initial stage of his spiritual development. His thoughts before the duel and during it are unclear and vague. His condition is close to a nervous breakdown. He automatically pulls the trigger. Suddenly, at the sight of the blood of his opponent, Pierre is pierced by the thought: “Did I kill a man?” Pierre begins a crisis: he hardly eats, does not wash, he thinks all day long. His thoughts are chaotic, sometimes they are terrible, he does not know what life and death are, why he lives and what he himself is. These unanswerable questions torment him. Having left his wife, he goes to St. Petersburg.

On the way, Pierre meets Joseph Alekseevich Bazdeev, an important person in Masonic society. At that moment, Pierre was ready to accept any plausible ideas and convictions. Such ideas, by the will of fate, were the ideas of the Masons. Pierre becomes a Freemason and begins his journey of self-improvement. He perceives and understands with all his heart the basic commandments of Freemasonry: generosity, modesty, piety. But there is one commandment that Pierre is unable to understand - the love of death.

Pierre Bezukhov is a man who loves life. Its main qualities are vitality and naturalness. How can he love death - the absence of life? But throughout the novel, the author convinces the reader of the need for love for death and for life. The main feature of positive characters is love of life (Natasha Rostova is ideal in this regard). How does Tolstoy combine the love of life with the love of death? There can be only one answer to this question: L. N. Tolstoy considers life and death not mutually exclusive opposites, but complementary elements that form the world. Life and Death are parts of one whole (the idea of the dual unity of the world). This fundamental statement underlies Tolstoy's life concept. The novel "War and Peace" contains many confirmations of this concept.

The Patriotic War of 1812-1813 takes the main characters, Prince Andrei and Pierre, through the ordeal of death for the second time. After being wounded on the Borodino field, Prince Andrei again fell into the arms of death. He is aware of something global for the second time. This realization makes him completely indifferent to life. He does not want to live and happily awaits death. He knows that death will give him something that is many times more important than all life. The hero experiences an all-encompassing love. Love is not human, love is divine. It is impossible for a living person to understand this. It is this attitude towards death that Tolstoy tries to convey to the reader.

A person cannot live with the thoughts of a dying person. We understand the ideal (for Tolstoy) way of thinking from Pierre's trial by French captivity.

Pierre, having been captured, was in a state of crisis caused by his stay at the Battle of Borodino and thoughts about the murder of Napoleon. He watches the execution of people and waits for his turn to accept death. He is afraid to cross the fatal line, but has already come to terms with the inevitability of execution. Left to live, Pierre continues to live with the thoughts of a dead man. He is led out of the crisis by Platon Karataev, an ideal (according to the author) character. Platon Karataev is not capable of reflection, he, without thinking or thinking, lives in harmony with nature. Karataev is simple and wise in his simplicity. His attitude towards death is also simple and unsophisticated: death is the inevitable end of life. Plato loves death, like life, like everything around. Pierre also adopts Karataev’s attitude to life, and after the torment of the retreat and death of Platon Karataev, Pierre also accepts the love of death (which is why the tragic death of Petya Rostov was not such a terrible blow for Pierre as for most of those around him). After returning from captivity, Pierre was spiritually cleansed. He achieved Tolstoy's ideal: love for people, love for life, love for death, simplicity and naturalness.

Tolstoy resolves the question of life and death, posed in the novel "War and Peace", by combining two opposites into a single whole - the world. The world exists only as a combination of life and death. One must love this world, which means one must love both life and death.

In his work "War and Peace" L.N. Tolstoy holds the idea of the predetermination of events. The author believes that the individual does not play a decisive role in history, but can influence history when its role in the fate of the state is destined from above. So, during the battle of Borodino, the “moral” victory was for the Russians, the next day they were ready to continue the battle, but it turned out that up to half of the troops were lost. Some of him were killed, some were wounded.

Even before the meeting in Fili, all sensible military men understood that there should not be a new battle, but this should have been heard from Kutuzov. The commander-in-chief himself constantly asked himself when he allowed Napoleon to Moscow. During the council at Fili, Kutuzov behaves in the same way as during the battle of Borodino.

He seems indifferent, but his mind is constantly working. Kutuzov is trying to find the only correct solution. He believes that his mission is to save Russia. Tolstoy describes in detail the scene of the decision about Moscow. Bennigsen expresses his opinion, starting with a grandiloquent phrase in which his false patriotism openly comes through. No one can challenge Bennigsen's position for fear of being accused of cowardice. Only Kutuzov can speak out, seeing the falsity in the words of the speaker.

Kutuzov was chosen as the commander-in-chief of the people, while the sovereign was against it. He, like a true patriot, does not like posturing. The commander-in-chief is absolutely sure that the Russian troops won the battle of Borodino, but at the same time he considers it necessary to leave Moscow.

He believes that the salvation of Russia is in the army, so it cannot be risked. It is more profitable to leave Moscow than to lose soldiers.

It is very difficult for Kutuzov, purely humanly, to pronounce the order to retreat from Moscow. However, courage and common sense win, and he gives the order.

It is interesting that we see the scene of the council in Fili through the eyes of a child, a six-year-old girl Malasha, the granddaughter of Andrei Savostyanov, who remained in the upper room where the generals gathered for advice. Malasha is still a child, she is able to perceive everything that happens only on a subconscious level. But she gave the members of the council definitions that perfectly reflect their essence. She called Kutuzov "grandfather", and Benigsen - "long-sleeved". Grandfather is nice to the girl, he argued with the long-sexed one and "besieged him." The current state of affairs reassured Malasha, she is glad that her grandfather won the dispute. The author puts this most difficult episode into the mouth of the child, on the one hand, to show the truth of the girl’s words, and on the other hand, because Kutuzov chooses the only right decision, he cannot do otherwise. At the same time, the commander-in-chief is looking for his guilt in what happened, but he is absolutely sure of victory over the French.

The scene of the council at Fili is one of the most important in the novel. Thanks to him, we feel the whole drama of the situation, we understand that because it was the only correct way out. The author admires Kutuzov's wisdom and foresight, how he knows how to penetrate and understand any, even, at first glance, insoluble situation.

The Commander-in-Chief is a true patriot, he does not need cheap populism, he only thinks about the good of Russia, and therefore his decision becomes the only possible one.

Updated: 2012-05-09

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Council in Fili. Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy in the novel "War and Peace" repeatedly emphasized the predestination of the events taking place. He denied the role of the individual in history, but defended the destiny of the individual and the state as a whole. Kutuzov continues the same line of conduct as during the Battle of Borodino. He sits outwardly indifferent to those around him, but his mind is working feverishly. He is looking for the only right solution. The Commander-in-Chief firmly believes in his historical mission of saving Russia. Despite the fact that the Russians won a “moral” victory on the Borodino field and were going to continue the battle the next day, it turned out that the troops lost up to half of the killed and wounded and the battle turned out to be impossible. Even before the meeting in Fili, it was clear to all sensible military men that it was impossible to give a new battle, but it should have been said by "blessed one". Kutuzov constantly asked himself the question: “Is it possible that I allowed Napoleon to reach Moscow, and when did I do this? When was this decided?

He was chosen as commander-in-chief at the request of the people, against the will of the sovereign, and he, a true patriot, is disgusted by any posturing. Kutuzov is sincerely sure that the Russians won a victory on the Borodino field, but he also sees the need to leave Moscow.

It is difficult for Kutuzov, purely humanly impossible, to pronounce the order to retreat from Moscow. But the common sense and courage of this man prevailed over other feelings: "... I (he stopped) by the power handed to me by my sovereign and fatherland, I order the retreat."

The scene of the council in Fili is given through the eyes of a child, the granddaughter of Andrey Savostyanov, Malasha, who remained in the room where the generals had gathered. A six-year-old girl, of course, does not understand anything about what is happening, her attitude towards Kutuzov, “grandfather”, as she dubbed him, and Benigsen, “long-brimmed”, is built on the Subconscious level. She likes the "grandfather", who argued about something with the "long-sleeved", and then "besieged him." Such an attitude between the disputants "consoled" Malasha. She treats Kutuzov with sympathy, and she is pleased that he won.

The author needs such a perception of the most difficult episode of the novel, probably because “the mouth of a baby speaks the truth”, and because Kutuzov, according to Tolstoy, does not reason, does not be clever, but acts in a way that is impossible not to do: he chooses the only correct solution . Of course, it is not easy for the old man. He is looking for his guilt in what happened, but he is sure that the death of the French is inevitable in the near future. Already late at night, he says, it seems, without any connection, to the adjutant who entered: “No, no! They will eat horse meat like the Turks ... they will, if only ... ”How much pain there is in these words, he always thought about the fate of the army, Russia, his responsibility to them, only for this reason bitter words break through.

The episode of the council in Fili explains a lot, it shows the drama of the situation, the forced retreat of the troops not as the evil will of someone who decided to destroy Moscow, but as the only possible and sure way out. Tolstoy admired the wisdom and far-sightedness of the commander-in-chief, his ability to understand the situation, use his power and make an unpopular, but courageous and good decision. Kutuzov does not need cheap populism, he is a true patriot who thinks about the good of the Fatherland, and this helps him make the right decision.

So fate decreed that Russia, whose population has always been distinguished by its peacefulness and hospitality, has had to fight a lot throughout its existence. There were also wars of conquest, but most of the time the Russian state desperately defended itself against unfriendly countries who wanted to encroach on its territory.

In war, one sometimes has to make difficult choices, on which the fate of the country depends. The military council in Fili in 1812 is a clear example of this.

Patriotic War of 1812

Not a single century passed peacefully for Russia. Each carried the threat of a serious war. This was also the case at the beginning of the 19th century. The ambitions of the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte pushed him to a crazy step - to start a war with the Russian Empire, which alone was not under the influence of France, not counting Great Britain. Such an independent position of the most powerful northern country did not suit Napoleon, and he planned to defeat the Russian army in the very first battle in order to dictate his terms later.

The Russian emperor, an outstanding diplomat, was well aware that Napoleon would try to impose a decisive battle on his army, in which the chances of winning against Russia were slim. A year before, he said that he would rather retreat to Kamchatka than sign a peace treaty in the capital. “Our winter and our climate will fight for us,” said Alexander I. Time has shown that his words turned out to be prophetic.

Battle of Borodino - behind Moscow

Having crossed the frontier in June 1812, the Great Army entered the territory of Russia. Following the approved plan, the Russian troops began an organized retreat. All three scattered armies hurried to unite with all their might. Near Smolensk in early August, the 1st and 2nd armies successfully completed this maneuver. Here Napoleon tried to impose a general battle on the commander of the Russian troops, Barclay de Tolly. The latter, realizing that the troops, exhausted by the continuous retreat, have an insignificant chance of victory, preferred to save the army and ordered the soldiers to leave the city.

The main battle in this war between the Russian troops, which by that time was commanded by Mikhail Kutuzov, appointed by Alexander I, and the Napoleonic army took place near the village of Borodino on August 26 (September 7). It was not possible to defeat Napoleon, but in the Battle of Borodino, the Russian army, most importantly, completed its main task - inflicted serious damage on the enemy forces.

Retreat to Moscow

September 8, trying to save the army, Kutuzov ordered to retreat towards Mozhaisk. After the battle of Borodino, all the officers were eager to enter into a new battle with Napoleon. Kutuzov himself repeatedly spoke about this. But from a personal letter from the emperor, he learned that he would not receive the necessary reinforcements.

On September 13, the army from the village of Mamonov approached the positions chosen for it by General Bennigsen, a few kilometers from Moscow. During the inspection of the site of the future battle, on Poklonnaya Gora, Barclay de Tolly and Yermolov expressed a categorical opinion to the commander-in-chief of the united armies about its complete unsuitability. Behind the Russian troops were a river, ravines and a huge city. This completely ruled out the possibility of any maneuver. A bloodless army could not fight in such an unfortunate position.

In order to make a final decision on the fate of the battle and the capital, on the evening of September 13, Kutuzov convened a military council in Fili. It was held secretly, in the hut of the peasant Frolov.

The number and names of the officers present at it are known to us only from the words of eyewitnesses of these events, since no protocol was kept due to secrecy. It is known that up to 15 people attended, except for General Miloradovich, who was in the rearguard. The governor of Moscow, Count Rostopchin, who arrived the day before, was not invited to the council in Fili.

From the letters and memoirs of the participants, it is known that General L. L. Bennigsen was the first to speak, who asked the question: "Will the army accept the battle or surrender Moscow?" He himself was determined to fight again. He was supported by the majority of the officers present, who were eager to get revenge for Borodino. Bennigsen emphasized that a new battle was needed to maintain the morale of the army, while the surrender of the capital would undermine it.

Next, the former commander of the armies, Barclay de Tolly, took the floor, who said that the position for the battle of the Russian troops was the most unsuitable, and therefore offered to move towards Vladimir. About Moscow, he said that what is important now to save the country is not the capital, but the army, and it is precisely this army that needs to be preserved by all means.

The opinion of Barclay de Tolly was supported only by Osterman-Tolstoy, Tol and Raevsky. The rest of the officers either supported Bennigsen, or suggested that they themselves move towards Napoleon's army.

A difficult choice is the destiny of the commander

The council in Fili did not allow a consensus to be reached. There was also no vote. The whole burden of responsibility for making a decision fell on the shoulders of M. Kutuzov. And he made a choice that amazed Bennigsen, who was sure that the commander in chief would take his side. Kutuzov ordered to leave the capital and retreat to Tarutino. As the members of the council later recalled, everyone was horrified by this decision. The surrender of the capital to the enemy - this has never happened in the history of the Russian state. It took a lot of courage to do this. In addition, Kutuzov could not know in advance how the emperor would react to his decision.

Kutuzov spent the night in the hut, where the council took place in Fili. According to eyewitnesses, he did not sleep, walked around the room. It was heard how the commander approached the table where the map was. It is said that a muffled sob also came from the room. It was not so hard for anyone during these hours as the commander in chief.

Unprecedented for those times, the decision - the surrender of the ancient capital to the enemy - was of great importance for the subsequent course of the war. The Napoleonic army was stuck in Moscow, while the Russian military forces were saved. In the Tarutinsky camp, the army rested and strengthened. And the French froze in the burning capital. The surrender of Moscow is the beginning of the end and Alexander I will not wait for words about peace, and very soon the Russian troops will drive the invaders back to the border.

If Kutuzov agreed with most of the officers, most likely, his army would have perished at the walls of Moscow, and left the whole country without protection.

For some reason, the military council in Fili is rather poorly represented in art. Which, by the way, is amazing. Of the paintings, the most famous work is the famous painting “Council in Fili” by battle painter A. Kivshenko. The artist took the council scene from Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" as the basis of his creation.