How did Chester Bennington die? The life and tragic death of Linkin Park frontman. It's all rock and roll. Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington dies Linkin Park band Chester Bennington

Future frontman Linkin Park grew up in the family of a nurse and a policeman. When he was 11 years old, his parents divorced, which had a very strong effect on him. Chester remained to live with his father.

Bennington s early years was interested in music. His favorite bands were Depeche Mode and Stone Temple Pilots, and his dream was to become a vocalist in one of these groups. Subsequently, this dream came true - Chester sang in the Pilots.

Bennington was often beaten at school: “I was thrown around like rag doll, and all because I was skinny and looked different from everyone else.”

Before starting to make money from music, Chester worked in Burger King. He is the only member of Linkin Park who did not receive a higher education.

Chester met his first wife Samantha while working at Burger King. The young people had no money, but this did not keep them from getting married. Due to poverty, the wedding rings had to be simply tattooed on the ring fingers. This marriage lasted eight years. Chester later admits that he and Samantha were too young to have a family. The couple has a son, Draven Sebastian Bennington, who turned 15 in April. “I realized that I can be happy. I don’t want to say that everything was terrible with Samantha, there were also pleasant moments. But mostly things weren't going too well, we were arguing all the time. After our meeting with Talinda, I came to Samantha and asked her for a divorce,” Bennington later said. Six months after the official divorce, Bennington married again - to Talinda Bentley. The couple has an 11-year-old son, Tyler Lee, 5-year-old twins Lily and Lila, and two adopted children, Jamie and Isaiah.

Hybrid Theory, the band's first album, released in 2000, was recognized as the best-selling debut of the decade.

For a whole year, Bennington and his wife were harassed by a cyberstalker. This person hacked the couple's email, sent fake messages on their behalf, and also threatened them. As a result, he was arrested and received two years in prison.

Bennington had serious vision problems. He wore glasses and, moreover, in 2004 he suffered the most complicated operation, which improved his vision: before that he could not see beyond the first row in the hall.

Bennington has appeared in films. He played in the horror film Saw 3D, and also appeared in the action film Adrenaline and its sequel.

Bennington was a fan of tattoos, he had 14 of them. Together with his friend, he owned four tattoo parlors and once declared that he would cover himself with designs until he filled his whole body.

The name Linkin Park was embossed on Chester's lower back - as a bet. Like, if Hybrid Theory's first album goes platinum, he'll get this tattoo for free. And so it happened.

Chester was a fan of the movie "Fight Club".

I loved to cook.

Bennington released a clothing line called Ve'Cel.

He loved to dress and was very neat - his house had separate room, where T-shirts, shoes and belts lay in piles.

In February, Linkin Park released the single Heavy from the new album One More Light. The song's lyrics talked about hard times, and in an interview Bennington admitted that he was depressed, "which is hard to get out of." Three months later, the situation was seriously aggravated by the death of Chester's close friend, Chris Cornell. Bennington took this loss hard. “I can’t imagine this world without you,” Bennington wrote in a message posted on Cornell’s Twitter. Chester himself committed suicide on his friend's 53rd birthday.

Chester Charles Bennington was born on March 20, 1976, in Phoenix, Arizona. His mother was a nurse and his father was a police detective investigating cases sexual violence over children.

Bennington became interested in music in early age, citing Depeche Mode and Stone Temple Pilots as his first sources of inspiration. He dreamed of becoming a member of the latter, which he achieved later.

His parents divorced when Chester was eleven, and the father received custody of the child. After the divorce, Bennington began using marijuana, alcohol, opium, cocaine, methamphetamine and LSD. It’s unlikely that anyone would have thought then that an exhausted drug addict would not only be able to get off the needle, but also begin to raise six children.

At the age of 17, he moved in with his mother, who, having found out about his addiction, began locking him at home. Before you start your career professional musician Bennington worked at the Burger King chain. During his school years, the young man was severely bullied. In an interview, Chester stated: “I was beaten like a rag doll at school for being skinny and not like the rest.”

In an interview, Chester said that from the age of seven he was sexually abused by one of his friends, who was older than him. Bennington was afraid to ask for help, afraid that he would be considered "gay", and the abuse continued until he was 13 years old.

Due to constant humiliation and family problems, Chester suffered so much that he developed a desire to run away from home and kill people. To cope with heartache, Bennington wrote poems and songs and painted paintings. He later revealed the rapist's identity to his father, but chose to hush up the matter, deciding that his tormentor had become a "victim of himself."

Chester first began singing in the band Sean Dowdell and His Friends?, after which he formed the post-grunge team Gray Daze, which released three albums. He left the latter in 1998, but finding a new team was not so easy. Desperate, Bennington almost gave up music, but Jeff Blue, then working with the Zomba Music label, managed to invite him to audition in Los Angeles (LA) with future participants Linkin groups Park (then Xero).

Bennington quit his job at digital services and moved with his family to California, where he was accepted into Linkin Park. He and fellow vocalist Mike Shinoda achieved amazing results working together, but couldn't get a deal with any labels. After numerous refusals, Jeff Blue intervened and helped the group sign a contract with Warner Bros. Records.

On October 24, 2000, Linkin Park released debut album, "Hybrid Theory", for the lyrical basis of which Bennington and Shinoda took their early work. In the group, Chester mostly served as lead vocalist, but sometimes shared this role with Shinoda. All Music Guide calls Bennington's vocals "piercing" and "emotional", contrasting with Shinoda's hip-hop delivery. In total, Linkin Park has released seven studio albums, selling approximately 80 million copies.

Along with Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck, Chester co-founded the band Dead by Sunrise, which released its debut album, "Out of Ashes", on October 13, 2009.

In February 2013, longtime lead vocalist Scott Weiland left Stone Temple Pilots. Bennington took his place in May of that year.

“Every band has its own energy,” Chester said after his long-time dream became a reality. “Linkin Park is an extremely modern, extremely technological group. Stone Temple Pilots feels more sexy, more classic rock. I grew up listening to these guys. When the chance came to join them, I didn’t have to think long.”

Bennington parted ways with Stone Temple Pilots on good terms in 2015, driven by his commitments to Linkin Park.

On May 12, 1996, Chester had a child, Jaime, from his relationship with Elka Brand. In 2006, he adopted Brand's other child, Isaiah. The musician's first wife was Samantha Mary Olite, on October 31, 1996. The marriage produced a son, Draven Sebastian, on April 19, 2002.

Relations with his first wife deteriorated as Bennington's career with Linkin Park progressed. The divorce was finalized in 2005. A year later, Chester married Ann Talinda Bentley, former model Playboy magazine. The second marriage produced three children: Tyler Lee Bennington and twins Lily and Lila.

On July 20, 2017, Bennington committed suicide by hanging at his home in Los Angeles. His body was discovered by his housekeeper at 9am. Michael Shinoda confirmed his colleague's death, writing on Twitter: "Shocked and heartbroken, but it's true. An official statement will come as soon as we receive it."

On July 21, 2017, Brian Elias, who was investigating the Bennington case, said that a half-empty bottle of alcohol was found at the scene, but no other traces of drugs.

The day of Bennington's death coincided with his birthday famous musician Chris Cornell, who would have turned 53 years old. Chester's close friend, Chris, had hanged himself two months earlier. Shinoda noted that Bennington, overcome with emotion when Linkin Park performed "One More Light" in honor of Cornell, could not even finish the song. At his friend's funeral, Chester performed "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen.

“We try to remind ourselves that the demons who took you from us were always part of the deal,” the message reads. “After all, the way you sang about those same demons made others fall in love with you from the very beginning.” started."

"You fearlessly exposed the demons, but at the same time you brought us together and taught us to be more human. You had the biggest heart, and you managed not to hide it."

Linkin Park announced the cancellation of North American concerts as part of the One More Light Tour, but made it clear that they suspended their activities only for a while.

“Our love for creating and performing music is undying,” reads another excerpt from the message, available on the Linkin Park website. “We don’t know what the future holds for us, but we know that you have made life better for each of us. Thank you for this gift. We love you, we miss you so much."

“Live fast, die young” - this motto of rock and roll does not promise a long and happy life. It so happens that the brightest stars are recognized as those who died early and tragically.

Compared with Kurt Cobain, who shot himself at age 27, 41-year-old Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington- a real long-liver. But still, this age is far from advanced. But the musician failed to cope with his inner demons.

Alcohol, drugs and rock

Chester Bennington was born on March 20, 1976 in Phoenix, the son of a police officer and a nurse. He was 11 years old when his parents divorced and divided their children. Chester stayed with his father.

As a teenager, three things became his main hobbies: music, alcohol and drugs.

When, at the age of 17, Chester moved to his mother, she was horrified - a skinny teenager with a devilish gleam in his eyes appeared before her. To force her son to give up alcohol and drugs, his mother sometimes locked him at home. Chester himself admitted that this did not help much. If he left drugs for some time, he drank so much that by the age of 20 he became, own confession, into a “complete chronic alcoholic.”

All this could have ended in a grave even then, if not for the music that kept him in this life.

Diner Talent

His first serious group was the Gray Daze team, which he created in 1993 together with drummer Sean Dowdell. The musicians became stars in Arizona, but were prevented from developing further internal conflicts and ever-increasing doses of alcohol and drugs. In 1997, the group broke up.

Gray Daze was famous group, but by no means financially successful. Bennington earned his living by working at Burger King, remaining as poor as a church rat. To his first wife Samantha Chester could not even give an engagement ring, which is why the couple simply tattooed this symbol on their fingers.

His only wealth was his vocal abilities. In 1997, the Xero group, founded Mike Shinoda And Brad Delson, was looking for a new vocalist. It was impossible to find a suitable candidate until, through friends, Shinoda learned about a certain talent from Arizona. Bennington received a call on his birthday, March 20, asking for a tape of the recording.

Chester didn’t put the matter off for a long time - taking a break from the feast, he quickly recorded his vocals and let Shinoda and Delson listen to it over the phone.

They were so impressed that they asked Bennington to come over immediately. The next day the musicians were already rehearsing together in Los Angeles.

Linkin Park: Jump to Fame

They decided to give the team a new name. At first it sounded like Hybrid Theory, but problems began with the British group Hybrid, who accused their colleagues of plagiarism.

Then Bennington suggested the name Lincoln Park - as a child, he went to classes in a music studio through Lincoln Park. Shinoda and other members of the group liked the name, but the Internet domain with that name was taken. After some thought, we decided to call ourselves Linkin Park - with this name the rock and rollers came to world fame.

The first album Hybrid Theory, released in 2000, blew up the musical space. It sold over 30 million copies, and for the song “Crawling” the group received a Grammy in the category “ Best Performance in the style of hard rock."

Linkin Park's hits tore up the charts, and the "In the End" video, broadcast on MTV, received the award for best video clip of the year.

In just a few years, Linkin Park turned his style, which was considered alternative music, into one of the most popular and fashionable on the planet. From Seattle to Chelyabinsk, Bennington's vocals were heard everywhere, and even the main stars of world pop music could envy Linkin Park's fan frenzy and commercial success.

At the peak of popularity

Linkin Park became a symbol of the first decade of the 21st century, securely securing their place in the history of rock and roll. The group's songs became soundtracks for "Transformers" and were included in the soundtrack legendary game Need for Speed.

From a poor diner employee, Chester Bennington turned into a million-dollar star. But the habits he acquired in his youth did not let him go. Alcohol and drugs remained companions in life. It got to the point that Bennington had to go on tour separately from the other musicians so that his alcoholic psychoses would not annoy his colleagues.

And yet it seemed that life was gradually getting better. After his first divorce, Bennington married a Playboy model in 2005. Talinda Bentley. They lived together for 12 years, having four of their own and two adopted children.

He managed to implement his solo project without leaving Linkin Park completely. He was noted for his episodic roles in the cult films Adrenaline and Adrenaline: High Voltage, and played in Saw 3D.

He who ended his life tragically is a true poet...

Linkin Park's seventh studio album, One More Light, was released in May 2017. Despite the fact that the fan craze was left behind, the group did not lose the love of its loyal fans. Is it true, gossips they insisted that Linkin Park had finally “sold out to pop,” for which Bennington promised to personally punch the critics in the face.

But what happened behind the outward appearance of Chester Bennington’s personal well-being is known only to those closest to him.

Chris Cornell. Chester and Chris were close friends, and Bennington was deeply affected by Cornell's death.

He took his fatal step on July 20, his friend’s birthday. Whether this was an accident or a conscious choice is still unknown.

As always happens in such cases, Linkin Park is waiting for a new explosion of popularity. But the price paid for this is too high.

Born on March 20, 1976 in Phoenix (USA, Arizona). He had a turbulent childhood; at school, as Chester says, he was one of the most reckless kids. But it so happened that his parents divorced and Chester suffered hard times. He ran away from home every now and then, started smoking, drinking, finally gave up sports and began a wild life. But later they adopted him. He also has an older brother, whose name is Brian (now the organizer and head of the Linkin Park Underground fan club)

In the past, Chester was very interested in hip-hop and later became a fan of Depeche Mode and Stone Temple Pistols. In his dreams, he saw one of the members of Depeche Mode, but still he did not delve into this topic and, together with his friend Sean, organized the group “Sean Dowdell and Friends” in which Chester was the lead singer and one of the leaders. To our deepest regret, at the moment there are only three songs from this group, these are: - “Kill The Flies”, “Painted Pictures”, “God’s Afraid”. At that time this group was almost no different from their brothers, it’s all the same the same guitar-screaming version of the songs, which is fundamentally different from the style of Linkin Park. This is probably why the group ceased to exist. But a little later, Chester and Sean took part in a group of the same local type, called Gray Daze. This group lasted much longer. its predecessors and managed to record two albums, these are “No Sun ToDay” and “Wake Me”. It seemed that everything was successful and the group could calmly continue its existence, but the group’s problem was that more than one label did not want to sign a contract with it. , which later led the group to collapse and the guys fled.

In 1996, on October 31, Chester married Samantha. A little later, Samantha gave birth to his child, or rather a boy, whose name is Draven Sebastian.

In 1999, on Chester's birthday, when he was with his family, the guys from Xero called him on a tip from his agent Jeff Blue and asked him to sing what he had written during that time, after he had received an audio cassette with Xero demo recordings. This tape came to Chester earlier, after lead singer Mike Wakefield left Xero, who felt that the group had no future. Well, in general, Chester sang his reading right over the phone and the guys were simply dumbfounded by Chester’s talent, where they later invited him to their place for additional auditions. At this very moment, Chester had to make a difficult choice - either stay in Phoenix and work part-time in fast food joints, or cross the country for an audition in Los Angeles that would give him a chance to show what he was capable of. But Chester and Samantha decided to take advantage of this chance and went to the audition. After arriving at the place, they didn’t feel as sweet as they wanted. They spent the night in the car to wait for the audition. Finally, that decisive moment came and Chester showed how he can “ignite”. After he performed at this audition, the other candidates immediately withdrew their candidacies, realizing that they could not compete with Chester, and that his punchy vocals were unique. Finally, the moment came when the group, together with Chester, began to exist...

After Chester's arrival, Xero decided to rename itself Hybrid Theory, as this name suited it best. But after complaints from another group with the same name, the guys had to rename themselves Linkin Park.

In 2005, Chester's wife, Samantha, filed for divorce. But Chester did not give up and later married Talinda Bentley, who later gave birth to a boy.

Over time, Chester began to tattoo himself with various tattoos. One of his first tattoos was wedding ring- during the wedding with Samantha.

Chester is such a "bright ray" for the group. His vocals are so strong and emotionally expressed that when he sings, it is clear that he sings from the heart and so sincerely that he gives people positive emotions. Through his lyrics, Chester unloads from himself all the bad things that he experienced earlier, and this is the divorce of his parents, frequent use of alcohol... So in the songs that he writes together with the rest of the LP participants, he has repeatedly set his own meaning, which he conveys before all of us, this is what inspired many people to take the right path in life and this is what made and still makes him the idol of millions from all over the world. Those who at least in some way try to imitate one of the piercing musicians.

, Linkin Park , Dead By Sunrise , Stone Temple Pilots

Labels

Chester Charles Bennington(English) Chester Charles Bennington; March 20, Phoenix, Arizona, USA) - American musician, vocalist of the bands Gray Daze, Linkin Park, Dead by Sunrise and Stone Temple Pilots.

Biography

Childhood and youth

Before his parents' divorce, Chester and his family often traveled around Arizona. They visited cities such as Scottsdale, Tolleson, Tempe and many others.

Until the age of 16, he tried every possible type of alcohol and drugs. At the age of 17, he moved in with his mother, who was so shocked by his appearance as an exhausted drug addict that she forbade him to leave the house. He continued to have withdrawal symptoms and continued to drink. Soon, as he himself admits, he turned into “an absolutely chronic alcoholic.” In subsequent years, alcoholism will still remind itself.

Carier start

From 1993 to 1997, Chester was the vocalist of the band Gray Daze, which was popular in the United States. Due to mutual disagreements with band members, Chester decided to leave. With Gray Daze he recorded 2 albums: “Wake me” in 1994 and “...no sun today” in 1997, and one demo version “Sean Dowdell and his Friends? "in 1993, when the group had that name. After Chester left, Sean Dowdell brought in a new vocalist, Jodie Wendt, the band changed their name to Waterface, and they recorded one album Seven Days.

Since the title is copyrighted Hybrid theory belonged to the British group Hybrid, they had to change the name of the group. Chester suggested Lincoln Park because his home was near Lincoln Park in Santa Monica, and he often walked through the park to the studio. Everyone liked the name, but due to the fact that the Internet domain www.linkolnpark.com was already taken, the group adopted the name Linkin Park. They recorded their debut album Hybrid Theory during 1999-2000, which was released on October 24, 2000. It included hits such as "In the End" and "Crawling". It has sold over 30 million copies worldwide Hybrid Theory. In 2002, Linkin Park released the remix album Reanimation, which included remixes from the album Hybrid Theory. Chester and Linkin Park's next album was Meteora with hits "" and "Numb". A live album was subsequently released Live In Texas and an album with Jay-Z Collision Course. His co-writer and band member Mike Shinoda wrote a song that, until recently, could not have been written. The song "Breaking the Habit" brings back memories of the past, many circumstances of which brought Bennington to tears. There is much speculation about the song's meaning, including Chester's drug addiction and childhood problems. It took Mike 6 years to write this song. It was ready in June 2003 and was included in the album Meteora. The album was released in 2007 Minutes To Midnight, produced by Rick Rubin, and in September 2010 Linkin Park's fourth studio album was released - A Thousand Suns, also produced by Rick Rubin. In 2012, the group recorded their fifth album Living Things, which was also co-produced by Rick Rubin.

Solo project

The album was released on October 13, 2009 Out of Ashes Bennington's solo project Dead By Sunrise, work on which began back in 2006. Musicians from the groups Orgy and Julien-K helped him work on it.

Personal life

Early in his career with Linkin Park, Chester often suffered from health problems and was hospitalized several times. He also suffered from vision problems and was forced to wear glasses, without which he could not see anything. In 2004, he underwent surgery to correct the lens. For some time, due to problems with alcohol addiction, Chester traveled on a separate bus from the rest of the group.

Chester first married on October 31, 1996 to Samantha. On April 19, 2002, their first child was born, who was named Draven Sebastian. On April 29, 2005, Samantha filed for divorce. She took her son with her, but allowed Chester to see him. Now they are on good friendly terms. His second marriage, to Playboy model Talinda Bentley, took place on December 31, 2005, from whom his second son, Tyler Lee, was born on March 16, 2006. They also adopted two more children: Jamie (eng. Jaime) and Isaiah (eng. Isaiah). On November 11, 2011, Talinda gave birth to two girls, named Lily and Lila.

Additional facts

Discography

Year Album Label
Hybrid Theory Warner Brothers Records
Meteora
Minutes to Midnight Warner Brothers Records/Machine Shop Recordings
A Thousand Suns Warner Brothers Records/Machine Shop Recordings
Living Things Warner Brothers Records/Machine Shop Recordings
The Hunting Party Warner Brothers Records/Machine Shop Recordings

As a guest performer

Year Executor Song Album
2001 Stone Temple Pilots "Wonderful" The Family Values ​​2001 Tour
Disturbed "Walk"
2002 Chester Bennington "System" Queen of the Damned soundtrack
Cyclefly "Karma Killer" Crave
DJ Lethal "State of the Art"
2004 Handsome Boy Modeling School
(with Mike Shinoda)
"Rock 'N' Roll (Could Never Hip-Hop)
Like This) Part 2"
White People
2005 Z-Trip "Walking Dead" Shifting Gears
Mötley Crüe "Home Sweet Home"
Fort Minor, Jay-Z "Nobody's Listening" Fort Minor: We Major
2007 Young Buck "Slow Ya Roll" Buck the World
2008
2010
Chris Cornell "Hunger Strike" Songs from the Underground
A Decade Underground
2010 Santana, Ray Manzarek "Riders on the Storm" Guitar Heaven: Santana Performs
the Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time

Filmography

Year Russian name original name Role
f Adrenalin Crank buyer at the pharmacy
f Adrenaline 2: High Voltage Crank: High Voltage guy in Hollywood park
f Saw 3D Saw 3D Evan
f Artifact Artifact as himself

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Literature

Excerpt characterizing Bennington, Chester

– So you think that tomorrow’s battle will be won? - said Pierre.
“Yes, yes,” said Prince Andrei absently. “One thing I would do if I had power,” he began again, “I would not take prisoners.” What are prisoners? This is chivalry. The French have ruined my house and are going to ruin Moscow, and they have insulted and insulted me every second. They are my enemies, they are all criminals, according to my standards. And Timokhin and the entire army think the same. We must execute them. If they are my enemies, then they cannot be friends, no matter how they talk in Tilsit.
“Yes, yes,” said Pierre, looking at Prince Andrei with sparkling eyes, “I completely, completely agree with you!”
The question that had been troubling Pierre since Mozhaisk Mountain all that day now seemed to him completely clear and completely resolved. He now understood the whole meaning and significance of this war and the upcoming battle. Everything he saw that day, all the significant, stern expressions on faces that he glimpsed, were illuminated for him with a new light. He understood that hidden (latente), as they say in physics, warmth of patriotism, which was in all those people whom he saw, and which explained to him why all these people were calmly and seemingly frivolously preparing for death.
“Take no prisoners,” continued Prince Andrei. “This alone would change the whole war and make it less cruel.” Otherwise, we played war - that’s what’s bad, we’re being generous and the like. This is generosity and sensitivity - like the generosity and sensitivity of a lady who becomes sick when she sees a calf being killed; she is so kind that she cannot see the blood, but she eats this calf with gravy with appetite. They talk to us about the rights of war, about chivalry, about parliamentarianism, to spare the unfortunate, and so on. It's all nonsense. I saw chivalry and parliamentarianism in 1805: we were deceived, we were deceived. They rob other people's houses, pass around counterfeit banknotes, and worst of all, they kill my children, my father, and talk about the rules of war and generosity towards enemies. Don't take prisoners, but kill and go to your death! Who got to this point the way I did, through the same suffering...
Prince Andrei, who thought that he did not care whether they took Moscow or not, the way they took Smolensk, suddenly stopped in his speech from an unexpected spasm that grabbed him by the throat. He walked several times in silence, but his eyes shone feverishly, and his lip trembled when he began to speak again:
“If there were no generosity in war, then we would go only when it’s worth it to go to certain death, as now.” Then there would be no war because Pavel Ivanovich offended Mikhail Ivanovich. And if there is a war like now, then there is a war. And then the intensity of the troops would not be the same as it is now. Then all these Westphalians and Hessians, led by Napoleon, would not have followed him to Russia, and we would not have gone to fight in Austria and Prussia, without knowing why. War is not a courtesy, but the most disgusting thing in life, and we must understand this and not play at war. We must take this terrible necessity strictly and seriously. That's all there is to it: throw away the lies, and war is war, not a toy. Otherwise, war is the favorite pastime of idle and frivolous people... The military class is the most honorable. What is war, what is needed for success in military affairs, what are the morals of military society? The purpose of war is murder, the weapons of war are espionage, treason and its encouragement, the ruin of the inhabitants, their robbery or theft to feed the army; deception and lies, called stratagems; the morals of the military class - lack of freedom, that is, discipline, idleness, ignorance, cruelty, debauchery, drunkenness. And despite this, this is the highest class, respected by everyone. All kings, except the Chinese, wear a military uniform, and the one who killed the most people is given a large reward... They will come together, like tomorrow, to kill each other, kill, maim tens of thousands of people, and then serve thanksgiving prayers for having killed many people (whose number is still being added), and they proclaim victory, believing that the more people are beaten, the greater the merit. How God looks and listens to them from there! – Prince Andrei shouted in a thin, squeaky voice. - Oh, my soul, Lately It became difficult for me to live. I see that I have begun to understand too much. But it is not good for a person to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil... Well, not for long! - he added. “However, you are sleeping, and I don’t care, go to Gorki,” Prince Andrei suddenly said.
- Oh no! - Pierre answered, looking at Prince Andrei with frightened, compassionate eyes.
“Go, go: you need to get some sleep before the battle,” repeated Prince Andrei. He quickly approached Pierre, hugged him and kissed him. “Goodbye, go,” he shouted. “See you, no...” and he quickly turned around and went into the barn.
It was already dark, and Pierre could not make out the expression that was on Prince Andrei’s face, whether it was angry or tender.
Pierre stood silently for some time, wondering whether to follow him or go home. “No, he doesn’t need it! - Pierre decided to himself, - and I know that this is ours last date" He sighed heavily and drove back to Gorki.
Prince Andrey, returning to the barn, lay down on the carpet, but could not sleep.
He closed his eyes. Some images were replaced by others. He stopped at one for a long time, joyfully. He vividly remembered one evening in St. Petersburg. Natasha, with a lively, excited face, told him how last summer, while out for mushrooms, she got lost in big forest. She incoherently described to him the wilderness of the forest, and her feelings, and conversations with the beekeeper whom she had met, and, interrupting every minute in her story, she said: “No, I can’t, I’m not telling it like that; no, you don’t understand,” despite the fact that Prince Andrei reassured her, saying that he understood, and really understood everything she wanted to say. Natasha was dissatisfied with her words - she felt that the passionately poetic feeling that she experienced that day and which she wanted to turn out did not come out. “This old man was such a charm, and it was so dark in the forest... and he was so kind... no, I don’t know how to tell,” she said, blushing and worried. Prince Andrey smiled now with the same joyful smile that he smiled then, looking into her eyes. “I understood her,” thought Prince Andrei. - Not only did I understand, but this mental strength, this sincerity, this spiritual openness, this soul of hers, which seemed to be connected by her body, I loved this soul in her... I loved her so much, so happily...” And suddenly he remembered how his love ended. “He didn’t need any of this. He didn't see or understand any of this. He saw in her a pretty and fresh girl, with whom he did not deign to throw in his lot. And I? And he is still alive and cheerful.”
Prince Andrei, as if someone had burned him, jumped up and began to walk in front of the barn again.

On August 25, on the eve of the Battle of Borodino, the prefect of the palace of the French Emperor, M r de Beausset, and Colonel Fabvier arrived, the first from Paris, the second from Madrid, to Emperor Napoleon in his camp at Valuev.
Having changed into a court uniform, M r de Beausset ordered the parcel he had brought to the emperor to be carried in front of him and entered the first compartment of Napoleon's tent, where, talking with Napoleon's adjutants who surrounded him, he began to uncork the box.
Fabvier, without entering the tent, stopped, talking with familiar generals, at the entrance to it.
Emperor Napoleon had not yet left his bedroom and was finishing his toilet. He, snorting and grunting, turned first with his thick back, then with his overgrown fat chest under the brush with which the valet rubbed his body. Another valet, holding the bottle with his finger, sprinkled cologne on the emperor’s well-groomed body with an expression that said that he alone could know how much and where to sprinkle the cologne. Short hair Napoleon's forehead was wet and matted. But his face, although swollen and yellow, expressed physical pleasure: “Allez ferme, allez toujours...” [Well, even stronger...] - he said, shrugging and grunting, to the valet who was rubbing him. The adjutant, who entered the bedroom in order to report to the emperor about how many prisoners were taken in yesterday's case, having handed over what was needed, stood at the door, waiting for permission to leave. Napoleon, wincing, glanced from under his brows at the adjutant.
“Point de prisonniers,” he repeated the adjutant’s words. – Il se font demolir. Tant pis pour l "armee russe,” he said. “Allez toujours, allez ferme, [There are no prisoners. They force themselves to be exterminated. So much the worse for the Russian army. Well, even stronger...],” he said, hunching his back and exposing his fat shoulders.
“C"est bien! Faites entrer monsieur de Beausset, ainsi que Fabvier, [Okay! Let de Beausset come in, and Fabvier too.] - he said to the adjutant, nodding his head.
- Oui, Sire, [Listen, sir.] - and the adjutant disappeared through the door of the tent. Two valets quickly dressed His Majesty, and he, in a blue guards uniform, with quick steps went out to the reception area.
At this time, Bosse was hurrying with his hands, placing the gift he had brought from the Empress on two chairs, right in front of the Emperor’s entrance. But the emperor got dressed and went out so unexpectedly quickly that he did not have time to fully prepare the surprise.
Napoleon immediately noticed what they were doing and guessed that they were not yet ready. He didn't want to deprive them of the pleasure of surprising him. He pretended that he did not see Monsieur Bosset and called Fabvier to him. Napoleon listened, with a stern frown and in silence, to what Fabvier told him about the courage and devotion of his troops, who fought at Salamanca on the other side of Europe and had only one thought - to be worthy of their emperor, and one fear - not to please him. The result of the battle was sad. Napoleon made ironic remarks during Fabvier's story, as if he did not imagine that things could go differently in his absence.
“I must correct this in Moscow,” said Napoleon. “A tantot, [Goodbye.],” he added and called de Bosset, who at that time had already managed to prepare a surprise by placing something on the chairs and covering something with a blanket.
De Bosset bowed low with that French court bow, which only the old servants of the Bourbons knew how to bow, and approached, handing over an envelope.
Napoleon turned to him cheerfully and pulled him by the ear.
– You were in a hurry, I’m very glad. Well, what does Paris say? - he said, suddenly changing his previously stern expression to the most affectionate.
– Sire, tout Paris regrette votre absence, [Sire, all of Paris regrets your absence.] – as it should, answered de Bosset. But although Napoleon knew that Bosset had to say this or the like, although he knew in his clear moments that it was not true, he was pleased to hear it from de Bosset. He again deigned to touch him behind the ear.
“Je suis fache, de vous avoir fait faire tant de chemin,” he said.
- Sire! Je ne m"attendais pas a moins qu"a vous trouver aux portes de Moscou, [I expected no less than to find you, sir, at the gates of Moscow.] - said Bosse.
Napoleon smiled and, absentmindedly raising his head, looked around to the right. The adjutant approached with a floating step with a golden snuff-box and offered it to her. Napoleon took it.
“Yes, it happened well for you,” he said, putting the open snuffbox to his nose, “you love to travel, in three days you will see Moscow.” You probably didn't expect to see the Asian capital. You will make a pleasant trip.
Bosse bowed with gratitude for this attentiveness to his (until now unknown to him) inclination to travel.
- A! what's this? - said Napoleon, noticing that all the courtiers were looking at something covered with a veil. Bosse, with courtly dexterity, without showing his back, took a half-turn two steps back and at the same time pulled off the coverlet and said:
- A gift to Your Majesty from the Empress.
It was a portrait painted by Gerard in bright colors of a boy born from Napoleon and the daughter of the Austrian emperor, whom for some reason everyone called the King of Rome.
A very handsome curly-haired boy, with a look similar to the look of Christ in Sistine Madonna, was depicted playing a billbok. The ball represented the globe, and the wand in the other hand represented the scepter.
Although it was not entirely clear what exactly the painter wanted to express by representing the so-called King of Rome piercing the globe with a stick, this allegory, like everyone who saw the picture in Paris, and Napoleon, obviously seemed clear and liked it very much.
“Roi de Rome, [Roman King.],” he said, pointing to the portrait with a graceful gesture of his hand. – Admirable! [Wonderful!] – With the Italian ability to change his facial expression at will, he approached the portrait and pretended to be thoughtfully tender. He felt that what he would say and do now was history. And it seemed to him that the best thing he could do now was that he, with his greatness, as a result of which his son played in the billbok the globe so that he shows, in contrast to this greatness, the simplest fatherly tenderness. His eyes became misty, he moved, looked back at the chair (the chair jumped under him) and sat down on it opposite the portrait. One gesture from him - and everyone tiptoed out, leaving the great man to himself and his feelings.