Count Pyotr "Pierre" Kirillovich Bezukhov (; russian: Пьер Безу́хов, Пётр Кири́ллович Безу́хов) is the fictional
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
of
Leo Tolstoy
Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
's 1869 novel ''
War and Peace
''War and Peace'' (russian: Война и мир, translit=Voyna i mir; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy that mixes fictional narrative with chapters on history and philosophy. It was first published ...
''. He is the favourite out of several illegitimate sons of the wealthy nobleman Count Kirill Vladimirovich Bezukhov, one of the richest people in the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
. Pierre is best friends with
Andrei Bolkonsky
Prince Andrei Nikolayevich Bolkonsky (russian: Андрей Николаевич Болконский) is a fictional character in Leo Tolstoy's 1869 novel ''War and Peace''. He is the son of famed Russian general Nikolai Bolkonsky, who raises An ...
. Tolstoy based Pierre, more than any other ''War and Peace'' character, on himself.
Life and description
Pierre is described as the large-bodied, ungainly, and
socially awkward
A social skill is any competence facilitating interaction and communication with others where social rules and relations are created, communicated, and changed in verbal and nonverbal ways. The process of learning these skills is called socia ...
illegitimate son of an old Russian grandee. He is educated in France and returns to Russia as a misfit. His unexpected inheritance of a large fortune makes him socially desirable. Pierre is ensnared by the fortune-hunting
Hélène Kuragina
Princess Yelena "Hélène" Vasilyevna Kuragina (russian: Елена "Эле́н" Васи́льевна Кура́гина) is a fictional character in Leo Tolstoy's 1869 novel ''War and Peace'' and its various cinematic adaptations. She is playe ...
, whose eventual deception leaves him
depressed and confused, spurring a spiritual odyssey that spans the novel.
At the opening of the novel, Pierre is a young man who has recently returned to Russia to seek a career after completing his education abroad. Although a well-meaning, kind hearted young man, he is awkward and out of place in the Russian high society in whose circles he starts to move. Pierre, though intelligent, is not dominated by reason, as his friend Prince
Andrei Nikolayevich Bolkonsky
Prince Andrei Nikolayevich Bolkonsky (russian: Андрей Николаевич Болконский) is a fictional character in Leo Tolstoy's 1869 novel '' War and Peace''. He is the son of famed Russian general Nikolai Bolkonsky, who raises A ...
is. His lack of direction leads him to fall in with a group of profligate young men like Anatole Kuragin and
Dolokhov
''War and Peace'' (russian: Война и мир, translit=Voyna i mir; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy that mixes fictional narrative with chapters on history and philosophy. It was first published ...
whose pranks and heavy drinking cause mild scandals. After a particularly outrageous escapade in which a policeman is strapped to the back of a
bear
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...
and thrown into a river, Pierre is sent away from
St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
.
Pierre's life changes after he becomes the sole heir to his father's vast estate, and his position in society is changed from that of an illegitimate son to the new Count Bezukhov. His inability to control his emotions and sexual passions lead him into a marriage with the vapid but sensually beautiful
Princess Hélène, a match which her self-serving father, Prince Vasily, sets up to secure his access to Pierre's newly acquired vast fortune. Hélène is not in love with Pierre, and has affairs. From jealousy, Pierre shoots her suspected lover, Dolokhov, in a duel. He is distraught at having committed such a crime and eventually separates from Hélène and then becomes a
Freemason
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
. His madcap escape into the city of
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
and his subsequent obsessive belief that he is destined to be
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
’s assassin show his submission to irrational impulses. Yet his search for meaning in his life and for how to overcome his emotions are a central theme of the novel. He eventually finds love and peace with
Natasha Rostova
Natasha (russian: Наташа) is a name of Slavic origin. The Slavic name is the diminutive form of Natalia.
Notable people
* Natasha, the subject of ''Natasha's Story'', a 1994 nonfiction book
* Natasha Aguilar (1970–2016), Costa Rican sw ...
and their marriage is perhaps the culmination of a life of moral and spiritual questioning. They have four children: three girls and one boy.
Daniel Rancour-Laferriere calls Pierre "one of the best known characters in world literature." Merriam-Webster lists him among "the most attractive and sympathetic characters in literature". And M. Keith Booker describes Pierre as one of Tolstoy's "most memorable characters".
In
BBC's 2016 adaption he is described as follows:
Pierre is an outcast. The awkward, illegitimate son of a dazzlingly wealthy Count, he was educated in France but returns to Russia now that his father’s health is in decline. Polite society shuns him for his hero-worship of Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
and enthusiasm for the politics of revolution. But his blundering sincerity charms Andrei, his truest friend; and Natasha, who delights in his presence. He is quickly married off by stealth through the manipulation of others around him and is likely to face further heartache given that his wife prefers bedding her brother. It looks like this unlikely hero is smitten with his friend Natasha Rostova
Natasha (russian: Наташа) is a name of Slavic origin. The Slavic name is the diminutive form of Natalia.
Notable people
* Natasha, the subject of ''Natasha's Story'', a 1994 nonfiction book
* Natasha Aguilar (1970–2016), Costa Rican sw ...
but is set for heartache given his kind and gentle nature.
See also
*
List of characters in ''War and Peace''
References
External links
*
Pierre Bezukhov in the Encyclopedia of literary characters*
Pierre Bezukhov (Character) from ''Voyna i mir'' (1967)" ''The Internet Movie Database''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bezukhov
Fictional counts and countesses
Characters in War and Peace
Fictional Russian people in literature
Male characters in literature
Literary characters introduced in 1869