The War of the Worlds: how Sarik Andreasyan and Sergey Ursulyak saw Tolstoy's characters

Two new film adaptations of Leo Tolstoy's landmark novel "War and Peace" are in production. The feature film is directed by Sarik Andreasyan, one of the most productive directors of modern Russian cinema, and the premiere of the film is scheduled for February 18, 2027. At the same time, Sergey Ursulyak, the director of Liquidation, the author of large—scale film adaptations of great Russian novels (from Life and Fate to The Quiet Don), is working on a multi-part version. His project is dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the writer in 2028. Despite the common literary source, the directors presented Leo Tolstoy's characters on the screen in different ways. Izvestia compared the two castes with the author's descriptions of the characters in the novel.

Natasha Rostova

In Sarik Andreasyan's version, Polina Gukhman, one of the notable actresses of her generation, became Natasha Rostova. Her filmography includes "Fisher" and "The First Racket", which were included in the May top Russian rating of the TV series "Medialogy", as well as the film "Alice in Wonderland". Sergei Ursulyak's Rostov will be played by Maria Zolotukhina, the granddaughter of People's Artist of the RSFSR Valery Zolotukhin and Honored Artist of Russia Nina Shatskaya. Her feature film debut was the military historical drama The Righteous.

Tolstoy's Natasha Rostova:

"A black-eyed, big-mouthed, ugly, but lively girl, with her childish open shoulders that popped out of her bodice from running fast, with her black curls pulled back, thin bare arms and small legs in lace pantaloons and open shoes, was at that sweet age when the girl was no longer a child, but a child. not a girl yet."

Helen Kuragina

The beauty of Helen Kuragina in Tolstoy's novel is almost an independent character: a force that can control others. Sarik Andreasyan played the role of his wife Lisa Seaman, Ursulyak — Varvara Bochkova.

Helen Kuragina in Tolstoy:

"With a slight rustle of her white balsa robe, decorated with ivy and moss, and glistening with the whiteness of her shoulders, the gloss of her hair and diamonds, she walked between the parted men and straight, not looking at anyone, but smiling at everyone and as if graciously giving everyone the right to admire the beauty of her figure, full shoulders, very open, according to the then fashion, breasts and backs, and as if bringing with them the splendor of the ball <...>. Helene was so pretty that not only was there no trace of coquetry in her, but, on the contrary, she seemed to be ashamed of her undoubted and all too powerful and victorious beauty. It was as if she wanted and could not diminish the effect of her beauty."

Pierre Bezukhov

In the image of Pierre Bezukhov, Tolstoy combines external clumsiness and inner depth. Andreasyan and Ursulyak had a different view of this character. The former entrusted the transformation to an already established artist, 43—year-old Nikolai Schreiber, and Ursulyak entrusted the transformation to 28—year-old actor Nikita Yazykov.

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Pierre Bezukhov in Tolstoy:

"Soon after the little princess, a massive, fat young man with a cropped head, glasses, light trousers in the fashion of the time, with a high frill and in a brown tailcoat entered. <...> At the sight of Pierre entering, Anna Pavlovna's face expressed anxiety and fear, similar to that expressed at the sight of something too huge and out of place. Although, indeed, Pierre was somewhat larger than the other men in the room, but this fear could only relate to that intelligent and at the same time timid, observant and natural gaze that distinguished him from everyone in this living room."

Andrey Bolkonsky

On the pages of War and Peace, Andrei Bolkonsky appears as a stranger among his own people, a cold aristocrat who is indifferent to secular society. Over the years, he was played by Mel Ferrer (then Audrey Hepburn's husband), Vyacheslav Tikhonov in Bondarchuk's movie epic, and in the modern era by James Norton in the BBC miniseries. Now Stanislav Bondarenko in Andreasyan's version and Nikita Volkov in Ursulyak's adaptation are taking over the baton.

Tolstoy's Andrei Bolkonsky:

"Prince Bolkonsky was a small, very handsome young man with defined and dry features. Everything about his figure, from the tired, bored look to the quiet measured step, presented the sharpest contrast to his small, lively wife. Apparently, he was not only familiar with everyone in the living room, but he was so tired of looking at them and listening to them that he was very bored. Of all the faces that bored him, the face of his pretty wife seemed to bore him the most. With a grimace marring his handsome face, he turned away from her. He kissed Anna Pavlovna's hand and, squinting, looked around the whole company."

Fyodor Dolokhov

Dolokhov is a man of sharp contrasts: a gambler, a participant in noisy carousels, a fearless officer. In this complex combination, Sarik Andreasyan saw Anton Momot, and Sergey Ursulyak saw Nikita Efremov.

Fyodor Dolokhov in Tolstoy:

"Dolokhov was a man of medium height, curly-haired and with light blue eyes. He was about twenty-five years old. He did not wear a mustache, like all infantry officers, and his mouth, the most striking feature of his face, was all visible. The lines of this mouth were remarkably finely curved. <...>. Dolokhov was a poor man, without any connections. And despite the fact that Anatole lived in the tens of thousands, Dolokhov lived with him and managed to put himself in such a way that Anatole and everyone who knew them respected Dolokhov more than Anatole. Dolokhov played all the games and almost always won. No matter how much he drank, he never lost his clarity of mind. Both Kuragin and Dolokhov were celebrities in the world of rakes and revellers of St. Petersburg at that time."

Prince Vasily Kuragin

Prince Vasily Kuragin (not the Kuragin mentioned above, but his father) appears in the novel one of the first — in a courtly, embroidered uniform, stockings, shoes and stars, with a bright expression on his flat face. He introduces the reader to Tolstoy's world, where not only titles are important, but also the ability to make an impression. Kuragin's court training in Andreasyan's version will be passed on by Alexander Lykov, and Ursulyak's by Sergei Makovetsky.

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Prince Vasily Kuragin in Tolstoy:

"He spoke in that refined French language that our grandfathers not only spoke, but also thought, and with those quiet, patronizing intonations that are characteristic of a significant person who has grown old in society and at court. He went up to Anna Pavlovna, kissed her hand, offering her his perfumed and shining bald head, and calmly sat down on the sofa."