Summary
At Prince Andrew's estate of Boguchárovo, a power struggle unfolds that reveals how ordinary people respond to crisis and authority. The peasants here are different from those at Bald Hills—they're called 'steppe peasants' and have a history of following wild rumors and mysterious movements, like when hundreds once abandoned everything to migrate toward mythical 'warm rivers.' Now, with Napoleon's army approaching, they're supposed to evacuate, but they're refusing. The village elder Dron finds himself caught in an impossible position. On one side, the steward Alpátych demands he provide carts and horses to evacuate Princess Mary and her belongings, invoking Prince Andrew's orders and the Tsar's authority. On the other side, his own community has decided in secret meetings to stay put, influenced by French propaganda promising they won't be harmed. Dron gives Alpátych excuses—the horses are away, sick, or dead—but Alpátych sees right through him. This experienced manager knows Dron is torn between loyalty to his masters and pressure from his community. The confrontation reveals a fundamental truth about leadership during crisis: when people are scared and uncertain, they don't always make rational decisions, even when their safety depends on it. Alpátych gets a reluctant 'I understand' from Dron, but both men know the real test will come when evening arrives and no carts appear.
Coming Up in Chapter 200
With the peasants in open defiance and no carts forthcoming, Alpátych must take matters into his own hands. His next move will determine whether Princess Mary escapes safely or becomes trapped in the path of Napoleon's advancing army.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
Until Prince Andrew settled in Boguchárovo its owners had always been absentees, and its peasants were of quite a different character from those of Bald Hills. They differed from them in speech, dress, and disposition. They were called steppe peasants. The old prince used to approve of them for their endurance at work when they came to Bald Hills to help with the harvest, or to dig ponds and ditches, but he disliked them for their boorishness. Prince Andrew’s last stay at Boguchárovo, when he introduced hospitals and schools and reduced the quitrent the peasants had to pay, had not softened their disposition but had on the contrary strengthened in them the traits of character the old prince called boorishness. Various obscure rumors were always current among them: at one time a rumor that they would all be enrolled as Cossacks; at another of a new religion to which they were all to be converted; then of some proclamation of the Tsar’s and of an oath to the Tsar Paul in 1797 (in connection with which it was rumored that freedom had been granted them but the landowners had stopped it), then of Peter Fëdorovich’s return to the throne in seven years’ time, when everything would be made free and so “simple” that there would be no restrictions. Rumors of the war with Bonaparte and his invasion were connected in their minds with the same sort of vague notions of Antichrist, the end of the world, and “pure freedom.” In the vicinity of Boguchárovo were large villages belonging to the crown or to owners whose serfs paid quitrent and could work where they pleased. There were very few resident landlords in the neighborhood and also very few domestic or literate serfs, and in the lives of the peasantry of those parts the mysterious undercurrents in the life of the Russian people, the causes and meaning of which are so baffling to contemporaries, were more clearly and strongly noticeable than among others. One instance, which had occurred some twenty years before, was a movement among the peasants to emigrate to some unknown “warm rivers.” Hundreds of peasants, among them the Boguchárovo folk, suddenly began selling their cattle and moving in whole families toward the southeast. As birds migrate to somewhere beyond the sea, so these men with their wives and children streamed to the southeast, to parts where none of them had ever been. They set off in caravans, bought their freedom one by one or ran away, and drove or walked toward the “warm rivers.” Many of them were punished, some sent to Siberia, many died of cold and hunger on the road, many returned of their own accord, and the movement died down of itself just as it had sprung up, without apparent reason. But such undercurrents still existed among the people and gathered new forces ready to manifest themselves just as strangely, unexpectedly, and at the same time simply, naturally, and forcibly. Now in 1812, to anyone living...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Impossible Loyalty
When caught between competing authorities, people choose paralysis through excuses rather than taking a clear stand, ultimately serving no one.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when someone is using excuses and delays to avoid taking a necessary stand.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone gives you elaborate explanations for why they can't do something they clearly could do—they might be caught between competing loyalties and choosing paralysis instead.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Quitrent
A fixed payment peasants made to landowners instead of working directly on the master's land. It was supposed to give peasants more freedom to work their own plots or other jobs.
Modern Usage:
Like paying rent to live somewhere - you get to use the space, but you don't own it and have to keep paying the landlord.
Steppe peasants
Rural workers from the vast grasslands of Russia, known for being tough but also stubborn and suspicious of authority. They had a reputation for following wild rumors and religious movements.
Modern Usage:
Like people from isolated rural areas today who are self-reliant but also skeptical of government and prone to believing conspiracy theories.
Village elder
The person chosen to represent the peasant community to the landowner and government officials. He had to balance loyalty to his own people with obedience to those in power.
Modern Usage:
Like a union representative or community leader who has to negotiate between workers and management, often getting squeezed from both sides.
Absentee landowners
Wealthy people who owned estates but lived elsewhere, leaving the management to stewards. This often meant less personal connection between masters and workers.
Modern Usage:
Like corporate owners who never visit their stores or factories - the workers feel disconnected from the people making decisions about their lives.
French propaganda
Napoleon's army spread messages promising that ordinary Russians wouldn't be harmed if they didn't resist. These leaflets were designed to prevent uprisings and make conquest easier.
Modern Usage:
Like when invading forces today drop leaflets or broadcast messages saying 'We're here to liberate you, not hurt you' - psychological warfare to reduce resistance.
Warm rivers migration
A historical event where hundreds of Russian peasants abandoned everything to search for mythical 'warm rivers' they believed would bring them freedom and prosperity.
Modern Usage:
Like people today who fall for get-rich-quick schemes or follow charismatic leaders promising a perfect life somewhere else.
Characters in This Chapter
Dron
Village elder caught in the middle
He's trapped between his duty to help Princess Mary evacuate and his community's decision to stay. He gives excuses about missing horses while knowing he's being dishonest.
Modern Equivalent:
The middle manager who has to enforce unpopular corporate decisions while living in the same neighborhood as the affected workers
Alpátych
Experienced estate steward
He sees right through Dron's excuses and understands the real power dynamics at play. He knows when someone is stalling and why, but also recognizes the impossible position Dron is in.
Modern Equivalent:
The seasoned supervisor who's seen every excuse in the book and knows when employees are being pressured by their peers
Princess Mary
Aristocrat needing evacuation
Though not directly present in the confrontation, her need to escape represents the old order trying to flee the chaos. Her safety depends on people who have their own conflicting loyalties.
Modern Equivalent:
The wealthy person who discovers their money can't buy cooperation when the community has other priorities
The peasant community
Collective antagonist
They've made a group decision to ignore evacuation orders and trust French promises instead. Their collective resistance shows how fear can make people choose dangerous options that feel like control.
Modern Equivalent:
The neighborhood that refuses to evacuate for a hurricane because they don't trust the authorities telling them to leave
Key Quotes & Analysis
"The horses are away, sick, or dead"
Context: When pressed by Alpátych to provide carts for evacuation
This shows how people make excuses when caught between competing loyalties. Dron knows he's lying, but he's trying to avoid directly defying either his community or his masters.
In Today's Words:
Sorry, can't help you - everything's broken or unavailable right now
"Various obscure rumors were always current among them"
Context: Describing the steppe peasants' tendency to believe wild stories
This reveals how isolated communities often fill information gaps with speculation and wishful thinking. When people lack reliable news, they create their own explanations for what's happening.
In Today's Words:
They were always spreading conspiracy theories and believing whatever sounded good to them
"I understand"
Context: His reluctant response to Alpátych's demands
These words show the gap between understanding orders and being able to follow them. Dron gets what's expected of him, but his community pressure makes compliance nearly impossible.
In Today's Words:
Yeah, I hear you, but that doesn't mean it's going to happen
Thematic Threads
Authority
In This Chapter
Dron faces conflicting authorities—his master's orders versus community pressure—and responds with passive resistance
Development
Building on earlier themes of questioning traditional power structures during crisis
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when your boss and your team want opposite things from you
Class
In This Chapter
The 'steppe peasants' are portrayed as different from other serfs—more prone to following rumors and collective movements
Development
Continues Tolstoy's examination of how different social groups respond to crisis differently
In Your Life:
You see this in how different communities respond to change—some embrace it, others resist collectively
Crisis
In This Chapter
The approaching war forces everyone to make impossible choices between safety and loyalty, action and tradition
Development
Crisis continues to reveal true character and force decisions that seemed avoidable before
In Your Life:
You might see this during layoffs, family emergencies, or any situation where normal rules don't apply
Deception
In This Chapter
Dron uses elaborate excuses about sick horses and broken carts to avoid directly defying either authority
Development
Shows how good people can become dishonest when trapped between impossible choices
In Your Life:
You might catch yourself making similar excuses when you don't want to disappoint anyone
Community
In This Chapter
The peasants make collective decisions in secret meetings, choosing group solidarity over individual safety
Development
Explores how communities can make irrational decisions when fear overrides logic
In Your Life:
You see this when your workplace, family, or neighborhood makes decisions that don't make sense to outsiders
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What excuses does Dron give Alpatych about why the carts and horses aren't available, and why doesn't Alpatych believe him?
analysis • surface - 2
Why is Dron caught between two impossible choices, and what does he hope to accomplish by stalling?
analysis • medium - 3
Where have you seen people use elaborate excuses to avoid choosing between competing demands or loyalties?
application • medium - 4
If you were advising Dron, how would you help him break out of this paralysis and make a clear decision?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter reveal about how fear makes people choose inaction even when action is clearly safer?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Competing Loyalties
Think of a situation where you're caught between two people or groups who want different things from you. Draw a simple diagram with yourself in the middle and the competing demands on either side. Write down what each side wants and what happens if you disappoint them. Then identify which choice aligns with your deeper values.
Consider:
- •Consider what doing nothing actually accomplishes versus taking clear action
- •Think about whether your excuses are protecting anyone or just delaying inevitable conflict
- •Reflect on which loyalty serves the greater good or protects the most vulnerable people
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you chose stalling over deciding between two difficult options. What were you afraid would happen if you picked a side? Looking back, would honest action have been better than dishonest delay?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 200: When Grief Meets Crisis
In the next chapter, you'll discover grief can make us vulnerable to manipulation by others, and learn family honor and values become anchors during personal crisis. These insights reveal timeless patterns that resonate in our own lives and relationships.