Despite all the changes over the past years, the two principal Petersburg salons remain the same. At Countess Bezuhov's home one evening, the company discuss the incompetence of the old man Kutuzov, whom even the tsar thinks is unfit to command the army. Some days later, the guests discuss with horror that the court council chose Kutuzov as commander-in-chief and the old general made one condition upon accepting the post: that the tsar should not be with the army.
Meanwhile Napoleon pushes on to Moscow, lured by the glory of conquering"the holy city." Three times he tries to engage in battle but the Russians always evade his troops. Owing to various incidents, the opposing armies finally meet at Borodino, 112 versts from Moscow.
Becausc her father refused to leave Bleak Hills, Princess Marya remained with him, sending Nikolushka and his tutor to Bogutcharovo, thence to Moscow. The old man is so angry at his daughter's disobedience that he suffers a stroke. At the last moment he summons her to his side, calling her endearing names and begging her forgiveness. The dried-up old body, encased in his full dress-uniform, is buried at Bogutcharovo.
Now that the old prince is dead, Marya and Mlle. Bourienne reconcile their past differences. Princess Marya takes charge of her household as her father would have done. Rather than acquiesce in the enemy occupation of her ancestral estates, she prepares to depart for Moscow. She orders all the stored grain to be distributed among the peasants and invites them to follow her to Moscow. The Bogutcharovo peasants are rebellious and savage. No longer serfs, since Prince Andrey made them rent-paying tenants, they regard Napoleon as the Antichrist and consider themselves entirely free. They refuse to obey Alpatitch's orders to supply Princess Marya with horses and carts for her departure.
