Nikokai and his poverty-stricken, orphaned cousin Sonia have been "promised" since they were children. She loves him passionately; he feels trapped by this obligation. The once-rich and proud noble family has fallen on hard times. In part due to Nikolai's gambling loss to ever-bad-boy Dolokhov (I love him, too), the family is practically impoverished. Marrying a wealthy woman would solve their financial woes. And he has fallen in love with Princess Marya who he rescues from her country estate when surrounded by enemy French soldiers. In this scene, he receives a letter from Sonia, releasing him from his promise to her. She writes him a letter from a monastery.
I used an old photograph of a cemetery on this piece as well as text from a liturgy that says "a vow". Then hand-wrote in Russian:
Sonia's letter to Nikolai, which was the realization of his prayer, had been written from the Trinity Monastery.
He is now free and clear to pursue Princess Marya. -- Lola
Lola Baltzell
from page 437-438, volume 2 of original text
collage, ink
made 6/25/11
Pevear/Volokhonsky translation page 956-957
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