Hélène Kuragina: Difference between revisions

Hélène Kuragina
Hélène Kuragina
War and Peace character
Created by	Leo Tolstoy
Portrayed by	Anita Ekberg; Irina Skobtseva; Fiona Gaunt; Tuppence Middleton; Amber Gray; Lilli Cooper; Violante Placido; Carol Bezerra; Hiromu Kiriya
In-universe information
Full name	Yelena Vasilyevna Kuragina
Alias	the Queen of society
Nickname	Hélène
Gender	Female
Title	Princess (by birth); Countess (by marriage)
Family	Vasily Kuragin (father); Anatole Kuragin (brother); Hippolyte Kuragin (eldest brother)
Spouse	Pierre Bezukhov
Relatives	Catiche Bezukhova (cousin), Pierre Bezukhov (cousin)
Religion	Russian Orthodox (by birth); Roman Catholic (by convert)
Nationality	Russian

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Latest revision as of 11:43, 1 December 2024

Princess Yelena "Hélène" Vasilyevna Kuragina (Russian: Елена "Эле́н" Васи́льевна Кура́гина) is a fictional character in Leo Tolstoy's 1869 novel War and Peace and its various cinematic adaptations. She is played by Anita Ekberg^[1] in the 1956 film, by Amber Gray in the New York stage premiere of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, and by Tuppence Middleton in the 2016 BBC miniseries.^[2]

Biography

Hélène is described as being in her early to mid-twenties and is considered a great beauty. Within Petersburg society, she is considered very cultured and intelligent on account of her social graces, despite actually being quite vapid. Early in the novel, it is rumoured and later implied that Hélène has an incestuous relationship with her profligate brother, Anatole.^[3]

After Pierre Bezukhov is legitimised as the heir to his father's title and fortune, Hélène's father, Prince Vasily Kuragin, arranges for the two of them to be married. Despite finding Pierre odd, Hélène goes through with the marriage^[4] for the sake of social and financial advantage. Pierre is at first thrilled to be married to such a beautiful woman, but he quickly sours on the match, especially after Hélène tells him she will never have children with him. Not long after they are married and living in Moscow, Hélène has an affair with their houseguest, the crude but fearless soldier Dolokhov, who flaunts the romance. Pierre fights Dolokhov in a duel, and by a stroke of luck wins by wounding him. Pierre sinks into depression, losing all love for his wife. He leaves her and goes to St. Petersburg. Hélène begs him to maintain the marriage, which he does only for the sake of appearances, while she continues to engage in sexual affairs, most notably with Boris Drubetskoy. Continuing to pursue her social ambitions, she frequently hosts dinner parties for the elite, and her salon becomes extremely popular. Later, she conspires with Anatole to help him in his pursuit of Natasha Rostova, to whom Anatole is powerfully attracted.

Late in the novel, Hélène forsakes the Russian Orthodox Church and adopts Catholicism, believing that a large donation to the church will lead the Pope to annul her union with Pierre so she can remarry. Soon afterward, Hélène becomes pregnant and then dies; it is implied that she died from a drug overdose in an attempted abortion.

References

^ "Anita Ekberg as Hélène Kuragina in 'War and Peace' - National Portrait Gallery". www.npg.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
^ "BBC One - War and Peace - Helene Kuragina". BBC. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
^ Association, Press (2015-12-29). "Incestuous affair 'crucial' to BBC's War and Peace series". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
^ Anderson, John (2016-01-14). "'War & Peace' Review: Tolstoy in the Bedroom". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2023-04-11. Retrieved 2024-12-01.

This article about a fictional character from a novel is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

See guidelines for writing about novels. Further suggestions might be found on the article's talk page.

[1] "Anita Ekberg as Hélène Kuragina in 'War and Peace' - National Portrait Gallery". www.npg.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-12-01.

[2] "BBC One - War and Peace - Helene Kuragina". BBC. Retrieved 2024-12-01.

[3] Association, Press (2015-12-29). "Incestuous affair 'crucial' to BBC's War and Peace series". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-12-01.

[4] Anderson, John (2016-01-14). "'War & Peace' Review: Tolstoy in the Bedroom". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2023-04-11. Retrieved 2024-12-01.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Refimprove|date=November 2024}}[[File:War and peace9.jpg|thumb|Cropped screenshot of Anita Ekberg from the trailer for the film War and Peace.]]
 {{Infobox character
+| name = Hélène Kuragina
-| colour           =
+| series = [[War and Peace]]
-| name             = Hélène Kuragina
+| first =
-| series           = [[War and Peace]]
+| last =
-| image            = Image:War and peace9.jpg
+| creator = [[Leo Tolstoy]]
-| caption          = [[Anita Ekberg]] as Hélène Kuragin in the [[War and Peace (1956 film)|1956 film]]
+| portrayer = [[Anita Ekberg]]<br />[[Irina Skobtseva]]<br />[[Fiona Gaunt]]<br />[[Tuppence Middleton]]<br />[[Amber Gray]]<br />[[Lilli Cooper]]<br>[[Violante Placido]]<br />Carol Bezerra<br />Hiromu Kiriya
-| first            =
+| full_name = Yelena Vasilyevna Kuragina
-| last             =
+| nickname = Hélène
-| creator          = [[Leo Tolstoy]]
+| alias = the Queen of society
-| portrayer        = [[Anita Ekberg]]<br />[[Irina Skobtseva]]<br />[[Fiona Gaunt]]<br />[[Tuppence Middleton]]<br />[[Amber Gray]]
+| gender = Female
-| fullname         = Yelena Vasilyevna Kuragina
+| occupation =
-| nickname         = Hélène
+| title = Princess (by birth)<br />Countess (by marriage)
-| alias            =
+| family = Vasily Kuragin (father)<br />[[Anatole Kuragin]] (brother)<br />Hippolyte Kuragin (eldest brother)
-| gender           = Female
+| spouse = [[Pierre Bezukhov]]
-| occupation       =
+| children =
-| title            = Princess (by birth)<br />Countess (by marriage)
+| relatives = Catiche Bezukhova (cousin), Pierre Bezukhov (cousin)
-| family           = Vasily Kuragin (father)<br />[[Anatole Kuragin]] (brother)
+| religion = [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodox]] (by birth)<br />[[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] (by convert)
-| spouse           = [[Pierre Bezukhov]]
+| nationality = Russian
-| children         =
-| relatives        =
-| religion         = [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodox]] (by birth)<br />[[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] (by convert)
-| nationality      = Russian
 }}
-Princess '''Yelena''' "'''Hélène'''" '''Vasilyevna Kuragina''' ({{lang-ru|Елена "Эле́н" Васи́льевна Кура́гина}}) is a [[fictional character]] in [[Leo Tolstoy]]'s novel ''[[War and Peace]]'' and its various cinematic adaptations. She is played by [[Anita Ekberg]] in the [[War and Peace (1956 film)|1956 film]], by Amber Gray in ''[[Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812]]'', and by [[Tuppence Middleton]] in the [[War & Peace (2016 TV series)|2016 BBC miniseries]].
+Princess '''Yelena''' "'''Hélène'''" '''Vasilyevna Kuragina''' ({{langx|ru|Елена "Эле́н" Васи́льевна Кура́гина}}) is a fictional character in [[Leo Tolstoy]]'s 1869 novel ''[[War and Peace]]'' and its various cinematic adaptations. She is played by [[Anita Ekberg]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anita Ekberg as Hélène Kuragina in 'War and Peace' - National Portrait Gallery |url=https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw83626/Anita-Ekberg-as-Hlne-Kuragina-in-War-and-Peace |access-date=2024-12-01 |website=www.npg.org.uk |language=en}}</ref> in the [[War and Peace (1956 film)|1956 film]], by [[Amber Gray]] in the New York stage premiere of ''[[Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812]]'', and by [[Tuppence Middleton]] in the [[War & Peace (2016 TV series)|2016 BBC miniseries]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC One - War and Peace - Helene Kuragina |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/584y9qXZ873Wz0Y1pm7jJXm/helene-kuragina |access-date=2024-12-01 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref>
 ==Biography==
-Hélène is described as being in her early to mid-twenties, and is considered a great beauty. Within [[St. Petersburg, Russia|Petersburg]] society, she is considered very cultured and intelligent on account of her social graces, despite actually being quite vapid. Early in the novel, it is rumoured and later implied that Hélène has had an [[incestuous]] [[affair]] with her profligate brother, [[Anatole Kuragin|Anatole]].
+Hélène is described as being in her early to mid-twenties and is considered a great beauty. Within [[St. Petersburg, Russia|Petersburg]] society, she is considered very cultured and intelligent on account of her social graces, despite actually being quite vapid. Early in the novel, it is rumoured and later implied that Hélène has an [[incestuous]] relationship with her profligate brother, [[Anatole Kuragin|Anatole]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Association |first=Press |date=2015-12-29 |title=Incestuous affair 'crucial' to BBC's War and Peace series |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/dec/29/incestuous-affair-bbc-war-and-peace-helene-anatole |access-date=2024-12-01 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
-After [[Pierre Bezukhov]] is legitimized as the heir to his father's title and fortune, Hélène's father, Prince Vasily, arranges for the two of them to be married. Despite finding Pierre odd, Hélène goes through with the marriage for the sake of social and financial advantage. Pierre is at first thrilled to be married to such a beautiful woman, but he quickly sours on the match, especially after Hélène tells him she will never have children with him. Not long after they are married, Hélène has an affair with their houseguest, the crude but fearless soldier Dolokhov, who flaunts the romance. Pierre fights Dolokhov in a [[duel]], and in a stroke of luck wins by wounding him. Pierre sinks into depression, losing all love for his wife. Hélène begs him to maintain the marriage, which he does only for appearances, while she continues to engage in sexual affairs, most notably with Boris Drubetskoy. Continuing to pursue her social ambitions, she frequently hosts dinner parties for the elite, and her salon becomes extremely popular. Later, she conspires with Anatole to help him seduce [[Natasha Rostova]], to whom Anatole is powerfully attracted.
+After [[Pierre Bezukhov]] is legitimised as the heir to his father's title and fortune, Hélène's father, Prince Vasily Kuragin, arranges for the two of them to be married. Despite finding Pierre odd, Hélène goes through with the marriage<ref>{{Cite news |last=Anderson |first=John |date=2016-01-14 |title=‘War & Peace’ Review: Tolstoy in the Bedroom |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/war-peace-review-tolstoy-in-the-bedroom-1452814627 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230411015029/https://www.wsj.com/articles/war-peace-review-tolstoy-in-the-bedroom-1452814627 |archive-date=2023-04-11 |access-date=2024-12-01 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref> for the sake of social and financial advantage. Pierre is at first thrilled to be married to such a beautiful woman, but he quickly sours on the match, especially after Hélène tells him she will never have children with him. Not long after they are married and living in Moscow, Hélène has an affair with their houseguest, the crude but fearless soldier Dolokhov, who flaunts the romance. Pierre fights Dolokhov in a [[duel]], and by a stroke of luck wins by wounding him. Pierre sinks into [[Major depressive disorder|depression]], losing all love for his wife. He leaves her and goes to St. Petersburg. Hélène begs him to maintain the marriage, which he does only for the sake of appearances, while she continues to engage in sexual affairs, most notably with Boris Drubetskoy. Continuing to pursue her social ambitions, she frequently hosts dinner parties for the elite, and her [[salon (gathering)|salon]] becomes extremely popular. Later, she conspires with Anatole to help him in his pursuit of [[Natasha Rostova]], to whom Anatole is powerfully attracted.
-Late in the novel, Hélène forsakes the Russian Orthodox Church and adopts [[Catholicism]], believing a large donation to the church will lead the pope to annul her union with Pierre so she can remarry. Soon afterward, Hélène falls ill due to a pregnancy and dies; it is implied that she died from a drug overdose in an attempted abortion.
+Late in the novel, Hélène forsakes the Russian Orthodox Church and adopts [[Catholicism]], believing that a large donation to the church will lead the Pope to annul her union with Pierre so she can remarry. Soon afterward, Hélène becomes pregnant and then dies; it is implied that she died from a [[drug overdose]] in an attempted [[abortion]].
-==References==
-{{Reflist}}
 ==See also==
 *[[List of characters in War and Peace|List of characters in ''War and Peace'']]
+== References ==
+{{reflist}}
 {{War and Peace}}
@@ Line 44: / Line 42: @@
 [[Category:Fictional Russian people in literature]]
 [[Category:Female characters in literature]]
-[[Category:Fictional characters introduced in 1869]]
+[[Category:Literary characters introduced in 1869]]
 {{novel-char-stub}}

v t e Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace (1869)
Fictional characters	Pierre Bezukhov Andrei Bolkonsky Natasha Rostova Marya Bolkonskaya Nikolai Rostov Hélène Kuragina Sonya Anatole Kuragin Petya Rostov All characters
Historical characters	Napoleon Mikhail Kutuzov Barclay de Tolly Pyotr Bagration Fyodor Rostopchin Alexander I of Russia Aleksey Petrovich Yermolov
Events	Napoleonic Wars Battle of Schöngrabern Battle of Austerlitz Treaties of Tilsit French invasion of Russia Battle of Borodino Fire of Moscow Battle of Krasnoi Great Comet of 1811
Film	War and Peace (1915) War and Peace (1956) War and Peace (1966–67 series)
TV	War and Peace (1972 series) War and Peace (2007 miniseries) War & Peace (2016 series)
Other adaptations	War and Peace (1942 opera) Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (2012 musical)
Related	War and Peace (1980 board game) War and Peace: 1796–1815 (2002 video game)