Which major character is mortally wounded at the Battle of Borodino?

Prince Andrei is mortally wounded at the Battle of Borodino in War and Peace. During the battle, an exploding shell strikes Andrei Bolkonsky in the abdomen, leaving him gravely injured.

Borodino takes place on 7 September 1812, during Napoleon’s invasion of Russia. Tolstoy presents the battle through several viewpoints, including Pierre Bezukhov’s bewildered civilian perspective and Andrei’s experience as a wounded officer. The injury becomes a major turning point in Andrei’s spiritual journey.

Andrei is taken away with other wounded soldiers and eventually comes into the care of the Rostov family. Natasha, who had previously broken their engagement after her disastrous involvement with Anatole Kuragin, helps nurse him. Their reconciliation gives Andrei a final period of emotional peace, but his wound never truly heals.

A common mix-up is Anatole: he is also badly wounded at Borodino and has his leg amputated, but Andrei is the major character whose injury proves fatal.