St. Natalia's Day, 1805. While the Count fusses over preparations for dinner, the Countess Rostov, her eldest daughter Vera and old friend Princess Drubetskoya receive callers. Madame Karagina brings news that Count Bezuhov, a relation of the Princess, is dying. They speculate whether his illegitimate son Pierre will inherit the family fortune. The Rostov children (Natasha, Nikolai and Petya), the Countess's niece Sonya and the Princess' son Boris enter. Boris has already joined the army and Nikolai is keen to join up as well. Meanwhile, at the Bezuhov household Pierre waits for news, while Vasili Kuragin tells the Count's niece, Katishe, about the existence of a letter written to the Tsar, which legitimises Pierre but has never been sent....