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Here is a list of the main characters of War and Peace and a guide to the pronunciation of their names. Please note that these names are from the Constance Garnett translation. You will have to make some adjustments for other translations. Click on the player under each of the names to hear how to pronounce it. Special thanks to Professor Larisa Genin, formerly of the School of Economics and Business Administration, for providing the Russian pronunciations. Further down are names grouped by families.
A NOTE ON RUSSIAN NAMES The suffixes "ovich," "evich," "ich," and "ych" at the end of a Russian name mean "son of"; the suffixes "ovna," and "evna" mean "daughter of." Thus, Tolstoy's full name in Russian is Count Lev Nikolaievich Tolstoy. Nikolaievich is Tolstoy's patronymic. This indicates that Lev (or Leo) is the son of Nikolai (or Nikolay) Tolstoy. Frequently a character is referred to by his own first name, followed by his patronymic; sometimes by the patronymic alone. The Russians also add suffixes to first names to express endearment - as when they refer to Natasha as Natashenka. As for the surnames, most surnames change depending on the gender of the person. The last names in the list below are all in the male form, a choice of the translator, Constance Garnett. In fact, the feminine form is the same plus an "a" at the end for most surnames ending in "v" and "n". Surnames ending in "y" change to the feminine form by replacing the ending with "-aya". The Maude translation follows this rule, such that, e.g., Prince Adnrew's sister is called Princess Mary Bolkonskaya.
The Characters in War and Peace
The Characters in War and Peace
Arranged in Order of Their Appearance with Pronunciations
Arranged in Order of Their Appearance with Pronunciations
PART ONE
Introduced at Anna Scherer's soiree (St. Petersburg)
Chapters I-IV
Anna Pavlovna Scherer, Maid of Honor to the Dowager Empress Marya Fëdorovna
01_-_Anna_Scherer.mp3Prince Vassily Kuragin, an elderly nobleman
02_-_Vassily_Kuragin.mp3Princess Ellen Kuragin, his daughter, "the beautiful Ellen"
03_-_Ellen_Kuragin.mp3Princess Elisabeth (Lise) Bolkonsky, Prince Andrey's wife, "the most fascinating woman in Petersburg"
04_-_Elisabeth_(Lise)_Bolkonsky.mp3Prince Ippolit Kuragin, Prince Vassily's weak-minded elder son
05_-_Ippolit_Kuragin.mp3Pierre Bezuhov, Count Kirill Bezuhov's son, who, when legitimized after his father's death, becomes the fantasticallv wealthy Count Bezuhov
06_-_Pierre_Bezuhov.mp3Prince Andrey Bolkonsky, Prince Nikolay Bolkonsky's son, one of the major characters in the novel. He is scion of a wealthy landowning family noted for its military achievements
07_-_Andre_Bolkonsky.mp3Princess Anna Mihalovna Drubetskoy, an elderly lady of a good but impoverished family
Introduced at the party at Anatole's house (St. Petersburg)
08_-_Anna_Drubetskoy.mp3Chapter VI
Prince Anatole Kuragin, Prince Vassily's profligate younger son
09_-_Anatole_Kuragin.mp3Dolohov, an officer of the Semënov Regiment who lives with Anatole
Introduced at the party at the Rostov's name-day party (Moscow)
10_-_Dolohov.mp3Chapters VII-XI
Countess Nataly Rostov, Count Ilya Rostov's wife
11_-_Nataly_Rostov.mp3Count Ilya Andreitch Rostov, a wealthy nobleman of the upper aristocracy with large estates in city and country
12_-_Ilya_Andreitch_Rostov.mp3Julie Karagin, an heiress
13_-_Julie_Karagin.mp3Countess Nataly (Natasha) Rostov, the Rostovs' younger daughter, the major female character
14_-_Nataly_(Natasha)_Rostov.mp3Prince Boris Drubetskoy, Anna Mihalovna's son
15_-_Boris_Drubetskoy.mp3Count Nikolay Rostov, the Rostovs' elder son, one of the central characters
16_-_Nikolay_Rostov.mp3Countess Vera Rostov, the Rostovs' elder daughter
Introduced in the house where Count Bezuhov lies dying (Moscow)
17_-_Peter_(Petya)_Rostov.mp3Chapter XII
Princess Catiche (Catherine Semënovna), Pierre's cousin
Introduced at the Rostovs' dinner party (Moscow)
18_-_Vera_Rostov.mp3Chapters XIV-XVII
Dmitri Vasilevich, Count Ilya Rostov's estate manager
19_-_Catiche_(Catherine_Semënovna).mp3Peter Nikolaevich Shinshin, Countess Rostov's cousin
20_-_Dmitri_Vasilevich.mp3Alphonse Karlovich Berg, an officer of the Guards, engaged to Vera Rostov
21_-_Peter_Nikolaevich_Shinshin.mp3Marya Dmitrievna Akhrosimova, "le terrible dragon"
Introduced in Chapter XVIII
22_-_Alphonse_Karlovich_Berg.mp3Count Kirill Bezuhov, Pierre's father
Introduced at Bolkonsky's Bleak Hills estate
23_-_Marya_Dmitrievna_Akhrosimova.mp3Chapters XXII-XXV
Prince Nikolay Andreivitch Bolkonsky, a retired general of the higher aristocracy, Prince Andrey's father
24_-_Nikolay_Andreivitch_Bolkonsky.mp3Princess Marya Bolkonsky, his daughter
25_-_Princess_Marya_Bolkonsky.mp3Mlle Bourienne, her French companion
Tikhon, Prince Nikolay' attendant
26_-_Tikhon.mp3PART TWO
Introduced at the review near Braunau
Chapter I-II
Mihail Ilarionovich Kutuzov, elderly commander in chief of the Russian army, called back to active duty to meet the threat of Napoleon's invasion
27_-_Mihail_Ilarionovich_Kutuzov.mp3Prince Nesvitsky, a staff officer
28_-_Prince_Nesvitsky.mp3Captain Timohin, an army officer
29_-_Captain_Timohin.mp3Zherkhov, an hussar cornet
Introduced at Kutuzov's headquarters, near Braunau
30_-_Zherkhov.mp3Chapter III
Kozlovsky, Kutuzov's aide-de-camp
31_-_Kozlovsky.mp3Baron Mack von Leiberich, an Austrian general
Introduced in Nikolay Rostov's regiment in Salzeneck
Chapters IV-V
Vassily (Vaska) Dmitrich Denisov, an officer friend of Nikolay Rostov
32_-_Vassily_(Vaska)_Dmitrich_Denisov.mp3Lavrushka, Denisov's orderly, later Nikolay Rostov's
33_-_Lavrushka.mp3Lieutenant Telyanin, a thieving army officer
Introduced in Chapter X
34_-_Lieutenant_Telyanin.mp3Bilibin, in the diplomatic service
Introduced in Chapter XII
35_-_Bilibin.mp3Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, later Emperor of Austria
Introduced in Chapter XIII
Peter Ivanovich Bagration, commander of the Russian army
Introduced in Chapter XV
36_-_Peter_Ivanovich_Bagration.mp3Captain Tushin, an army officer
37_-_Captain_Tushin.mp3PART THREE
Introduced at Bleak Hills
Chapter III
Yakov Alpatitch, Prince Nikolay Bolkonsky's estate manager
Introduced at the army review at Olmütz
38_-_Yakov_Alpatitch.mp3Chapter VIII
Alexander I, Tsar of Russia
Introduced at Olmütz
Chapter IX
Prince Yuri Dolgorukov, an adjutant general
Introduced at battle of Austerlitz
39_-_Prince_Yuri_Dolgorukov.mp3Chapter XIV
Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French
PART FOUR
Introduced at the English Club dinner (Moscow)
Chapter III
Count F. V. Rostoptchin, governor general of Moscow
40_-_Count_F._V._Rostoptchin.mp3Alexander Dmitrievich Bekleshov, an adjutant general
Introduced in Chapter IX
41_-_Alexander_Dmitrievich_Bekleshov.mp3Prince Nikolay (Koko) Andreivitch Bolkonsky, Prince Andrey's son
PART FIVE
Introduced in Chapter I
Osip Alexyevitch Bazdyev, a leading Freemason
42_-_Osip_Alexyevitch_Bazdyev.mp3PART SIX
Introduced at Count Kotchubey's (St. Petersburg)
Chapter IV
Alexey Andreivich Araktcheev, Minister of War
43_-_Alexey_Andreivich_Araktcheev.mp3Mihail Mihailovich Speransky, Secretary of State
44_-_Mihail_Mihailovich_Speransky.mp3PART SEVEN
Introduced at the hunt on the Rostovs' country estate at Otradnoe
Chapters III-VII
Danilo, the Rostovs' head huntsman
45_-_Danilo.mp3Mihail Nikanoritch, "Uncle," a distant relative ofthe Rostovs'
46_-_Mihail_Nikanoritch.mp3Nastasya Ivanovna, the Rostovs' buffoon
47_-_Nastasya_Ivanovna.mp3Ilagin, the Rostovs' neighbor
Introduced in Chapter XI
48_-_Ilagin.mp3Pelagea Danilovna Melyukov, the Rostovs', neighbor
49_-_Pelagea_Danilovna_Melyukov.mp3PART NINE
Introduced in Nikolay Rostov's regiment
Chapters XII-XIII
Ilyin, Nikolay Rostov's protégé
50_-_Ilyin.mp3Marya Hendrihovna, wife of the regimental doctor
51_-_Marya_Hendrihovna.mp3PART TEN
Introduced in Chapter IV
Ferapontov, an innkeeper at Smolensk
Introduced at Bogutcharovo, between Bleak Hills and Moscow
52_-_Ferapontov.mp3Chapters IX-XIV
Dron, the village elder of Bogutcharovo
Karp, a villager of Bogutcharovo
PART ELEVEN
Introduced at Bazdyev's house (Moscow)
Chapters XVIII-XXIX
Makar Alexyevitch Bazdyev, Osip Bazdyev's half-insane brother
53_-_Makar_Alexyevitch_Bazdyev.mp3Captain Ramballe, a French officer
Morel, Ramballe's orderly
PART TWELVE
Introduced in the prison with Pierre (Moscow)
Chapter XII
Platon Karataev, a captured Russian peasant soldier
54_-_Platon_Karataev.mp3PART FOURTEEN
Introduced with Denisov's guerrillas near Mikulino, on the road to Smolensk
Chapters III-IV
Esaul Mihail Feoklititch, a Cossack guerrilla
55_-_Esaul_Mihail_Feoklititch.mp3Tihon Shtcherbatov, a peasant guerrilla
56_-_Tihon_Shtcherbatov.mp3EPILOGUE - PART ONE
Introduced at Bolkonsky's, now Marya Rostov's, Bleak Hills estate
Chapters VII-IX
Count Andrey Rostov, Nikolay Rostov's son
Countess Natasha Rostov, Nikolay Rostov's daughter
The principal characters arranged in family groups
The principal characters arranged in family groups
The Bezuhovs
Count Kirill Bezuhov, a wealthy nobleman of Catherine the Great's time
Pierre, his son, who, legitimized after his father's death, becomes Count Bezuhov - the central character of the novel.
Princess Catiche, Pierre's cousin
The Rostovs
Count Ilya Rostov, a wealthy nobleman
Countess Nataly Rostov, his wife
Count Nikolay Rostov, their elder son, who goes into the army as a cadet
Count Peter (Pétya) Rostov, their younger son
Countess Vera Rostov, their elder daughter
Countess Nataly (Natasha) Rostov, their younger daughter, the central female character
Sonya. a poor niece of the Rostovs
Lieutenant Alphonse Karlovich Berg, an officer who marries Vera
The Bolkonskys
Prince Nikolay Andreivitch Bolkonsky, a retired general
Prince Andrey Bolkonsky, his son, a member of Kutuzov's staff
Princess Marya Bolkonsky, his dauahter
Princess Elisabeth (Lise) Bolkonsky, Prince Andrey's wife
Prince Nikolay (Koko) Andreivitch Bolkonsky, Prince Andrey's son
The Kuragins
Prince Vassily Kuragin, an elderly nobleman
Prince Ippolit Kuragin, his weak-minded elder son
Prince Anatole Kuragin, his profligate younger son
Princess Ellen Kuragin, his daughter
The Drubetskoys
Princess Anna Mihalovna Drubetskoy, an impoverished noblewoman
Prince Boris (Bory) Drubetskoy, her son, who enters the army
Julie Karagin, an heiress, who later marries Bory
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