Summary
The Rostov family and their traveling companions spend the night at Mytishchi, fourteen miles outside Moscow, having fled the city just ahead of Napoleon's army. Their journey has been slow and chaotic—delayed by forgotten items, crowded roads, and the logistics of moving wounded soldiers alongside the family. The group settles into village huts for the night, trying to find what comfort they can. The Countess even moves to a worse hut just to escape the terrible moaning of a wounded officer with a broken wrist. As servants and coachmen gather outside after their evening duties, they notice a glow on the horizon. At first, they assume it's the nearby village of Little Mytishchi burning—something they already knew about. But as they watch, they realize this fire is different, larger, and coming from the direction of Moscow itself. The servants debate what they're seeing, some trying to convince themselves it's just another small fire. But old Daniel Terentich, the count's longtime valet, finally speaks the truth they all fear: 'Moscow it is, brothers. Mother Moscow, the white...' His voice breaks as he sobs, and suddenly everyone understands what they're witnessing. The great city—their city—is burning. This moment captures how disaster unfolds: first as distant threat, then as undeniable reality that must be faced together.
Coming Up in Chapter 260
The fire they're watching from afar will soon consume everything they've known. As Moscow burns, the characters must confront what it means to lose not just a city, but their entire way of life.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
The glow of the first fire that began on the second of September was watched from the various roads by the fugitive Muscovites and by the retreating troops, with many different feelings. The Rostóv party spent the night at Mytíshchi, fourteen miles from Moscow. They had started so late on the first of September, the road had been so blocked by vehicles and troops, so many things had been forgotten for which servants were sent back, that they had decided to spend that night at a place three miles out of Moscow. The next morning they woke late and were again delayed so often that they only got as far as Great Mytíshchi. At ten o’clock that evening the Rostóv family and the wounded traveling with them were all distributed in the yards and huts of that large village. The Rostóvs’ servants and coachmen and the orderlies of the wounded officers, after attending to their masters, had supper, fed the horses, and came out into the porches. In a neighboring hut lay Raévski’s adjutant with a fractured wrist. The awful pain he suffered made him moan incessantly and piteously, and his moaning sounded terrible in the darkness of the autumn night. He had spent the first night in the same yard as the Rostóvs. The countess said she had been unable to close her eyes on account of his moaning, and at Mytíshchi she moved into a worse hut simply to be farther away from the wounded man. In the darkness of the night one of the servants noticed, above the high body of a coach standing before the porch, the small glow of another fire. One glow had long been visible and everybody knew that it was Little Mytíshchi burning—set on fire by Mamónov’s Cossacks. “But look here, brothers, there’s another fire!” remarked an orderly. All turned their attention to the glow. “But they told us Little Mytíshchi had been set on fire by Mamónov’s Cossacks.” “But that’s not Mytíshchi, it’s farther away.” “Look, it must be in Moscow!” Two of the gazers went round to the other side of the coach and sat down on its steps. “It’s more to the left, why, Little Mytíshchi is over there, and this is right on the other side.” Several men joined the first two. “See how it’s flaring,” said one. “That’s a fire in Moscow: either in the Sushchévski or the Rogózhski quarter.” No one replied to this remark and for some time they all gazed silently at the spreading flames of the second fire in the distance. Old Daniel Teréntich, the count’s valet (as he was called), came up to the group and shouted at Míshka. “What are you staring at, you good-for-nothing?... The count will be calling and there’s nobody there; go and gather the clothes together.” “I only ran out to get some water,” said Míshka. “But what do you think, Daniel Teréntich? Doesn’t it look as if that glow were in Moscow?” remarked one of the...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Gradual Recognition
The psychological process of minimizing threatening information until reality becomes undeniable, moving from denial through bargaining to acceptance.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize the difference between manageable problems and systemic collapse before it's too late.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you're explaining away concerning patterns at work, in relationships, or with money—ask yourself what 'distant fire' you might be calling 'just another village burning.'
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Retreat
A strategic withdrawal from battle or dangerous territory. In this chapter, the Russian nobility and army are pulling back from Moscow as Napoleon approaches, abandoning the city to save lives.
Modern Usage:
We see this when people leave toxic jobs, bad relationships, or dangerous neighborhoods - sometimes retreating is the smartest move.
Baggage train
The slow-moving convoy of supplies, wounded, and belongings that follows an army or fleeing population. The Rostovs are part of this chaotic exodus from Moscow.
Modern Usage:
Like the long lines of cars evacuating before a hurricane, packed with everything people can't leave behind.
Collective denial
When a group refuses to acknowledge an obvious truth because it's too painful to face. The servants initially try to convince themselves the fire isn't Moscow burning.
Modern Usage:
Happens in workplaces during layoffs, families dealing with addiction, or communities facing economic collapse - everyone knows but no one wants to say it.
Class solidarity
How people of the same social level stick together during crisis. The servants, coachmen, and orderlies naturally gather and support each other while their masters sleep.
Modern Usage:
Like how hospital staff, retail workers, or factory employees band together during tough times while management stays separate.
Witness to history
Being present when something monumentally important happens, even if you're just an ordinary person. These servants are watching their capital city burn.
Modern Usage:
Like people who lived through 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, or the pandemic - regular folks who suddenly found themselves in the middle of history.
Breaking point
The moment when someone can no longer maintain their composure or denial in the face of overwhelming reality. Daniel Terentich finally voices what everyone fears.
Modern Usage:
That moment in a crisis when someone finally says out loud what everyone's been thinking but afraid to admit.
Characters in This Chapter
The Countess
Aristocratic matriarch
Shows how the wealthy try to maintain comfort even during crisis. She moves to a worse hut just to escape the wounded man's moaning, prioritizing her peace over his suffering.
Modern Equivalent:
The wealthy person who complains about minor inconveniences during a community disaster
Daniel Terentich
Family retainer/truth-teller
The Count's old valet who finally voices what everyone fears - that Moscow is burning. His emotional breakdown makes the reality undeniable for everyone present.
Modern Equivalent:
The longtime employee who finally tells the hard truth everyone's been avoiding
Raevski's adjutant
Wounded soldier
Represents the human cost of war. His constant moaning from his broken wrist reminds everyone that this isn't an adventure - people are suffering and dying.
Modern Equivalent:
The coworker whose visible struggle reminds everyone how serious the situation really is
The servants and coachmen
Working-class witnesses
They're the ones who actually see and acknowledge the fire first. While their masters sleep, they're outside dealing with reality and supporting each other.
Modern Equivalent:
The essential workers who keep things running during a crisis while others shelter in place
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Moscow it is, brothers. Mother Moscow, the white..."
Context: When the servants finally realize the fire they're seeing is Moscow burning
This broken sentence shows how overwhelming truth can literally leave us speechless. The old man can't even finish saying 'the white-stoned' - Moscow's traditional nickname - because the reality is too much to bear.
In Today's Words:
That's our city burning, guys. Our home...
"The countess said she had been unable to close her eyes on account of his moaning"
Context: Explaining why the Countess moved to a worse hut to avoid the wounded soldier
Shows the gap between classes during crisis. The Countess treats human suffering as a personal inconvenience rather than recognizing shared humanity in desperate times.
In Today's Words:
She couldn't sleep because of his crying, so she moved away from him
"They had started so late on the first of September, the road had been so blocked by vehicles and troops, so many things had been forgotten"
Context: Describing why the Rostovs' evacuation is taking so long
Captures how chaos multiplies during crisis. Every delay creates more delays, every forgotten item requires backtracking, and suddenly simple tasks become impossible.
In Today's Words:
They left late, hit traffic, and kept having to turn around for stuff they forgot
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
The servants and coachmen gather separately from the family, processing the disaster in their own group while the nobility remains isolated in their huts
Development
Continues the theme of how class creates different experiences even during shared catastrophe
In Your Life:
You might notice how different social groups at work process bad news differently, with management often the last to acknowledge problems.
Identity
In This Chapter
Daniel Terentich identifies Moscow as 'Mother Moscow, the white' - the burning city represents the destruction of cultural identity itself
Development
Builds on earlier themes about how war threatens not just lives but the foundations of who people are
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when your workplace, neighborhood, or family traditions face fundamental changes that threaten your sense of belonging.
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
The servants process this devastating news together, sharing the burden of recognition and grief as a community
Development
Reinforces how relationships become more important during crisis, with people naturally clustering for emotional support
In Your Life:
You might notice how you instinctively reach out to others when facing difficult truths, needing witnesses to help make sense of overwhelming changes.
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
The servants initially try to maintain normalcy by explaining away what they see, following social patterns of not alarming others unnecessarily
Development
Shows how social pressure to remain calm can delay necessary recognition of crisis
In Your Life:
You might find yourself downplaying problems to avoid seeming dramatic or alarmist, even when early warning could help others prepare.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What did the servants at Mytishchi initially think they were seeing when they noticed the glow on the horizon, and how did their understanding change?
analysis • surface - 2
Why do you think the servants wanted to believe it was just Little Mytishchi burning rather than Moscow? What was at stake in that difference?
analysis • medium - 3
Think of a time when you or someone you know kept explaining away warning signs until reality became undeniable. What made it hard to face the truth earlier?
application • medium - 4
If you were advising someone who seems to be minimizing serious problems in their life, how would you help them see clearly without being pushy?
application • deep - 5
What does this scene reveal about how groups process difficult truths together? Why might it take one person like Daniel Terentich to name reality for everyone?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Own Distant Fires
Think about your current life situation. Write down three things that feel like 'distant glows' - situations you're aware of but maybe minimizing or explaining away. For each one, write what you're telling yourself it is versus what it might actually be. Don't judge yourself for the explanations - just notice the pattern.
Consider:
- •Focus on situations where your gut feeling doesn't match your rational explanation
- •Consider areas like relationships, health, finances, or work where small signs might indicate bigger issues
- •Notice the difference between healthy caution and protective denial
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you eventually had to face a truth you'd been avoiding. What would have been different if you'd acknowledged it sooner? What helped you finally see clearly?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 260: Love Conquers Fear
In the next chapter, you'll discover love compels us to face our deepest fears, and learn the power of following your heart despite others' objections. These insights reveal timeless patterns that resonate in our own lives and relationships.