The first name of Prince Vasily Kuragin’s son who courts Natasha is Anatole.
Anatole Kuragin is one of the novel’s most reckless and morally careless aristocrats. He is the son of Prince Vasily and the brother of Hélène Kuragina. Handsome, charming, and accustomed to privilege, Anatole pursues pleasure without considering the damage he causes other people.
His pursuit of Natasha Rostova becomes a major turning point. Although Natasha is engaged to Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, Anatole convinces her that he loves her and secretly plans to elope with her. The scheme collapses when Pierre Bezukhov reveals that Anatole is already married to a Polish woman.
Readers sometimes confuse Anatole with Boris Drubetskoy or Vasily Denisov, both of whom are also connected to Natasha’s social world. Anatole’s later fate links him back to Andrei: after suffering a severe injury at Borodino, he is treated near the wounded prince.