Princess Maria[1] Nikolaevna Bolkonskaya (Russian: Мария Болконская, Mariya Bolkonskaia) is a fictional character in Leo Tolstoy's 1869 novel War and Peace.
Princess Maria is a plain woman, whose lack of beauty is offset by her large, caring eyes.
The peasants on her Bogucharovo estate threaten to become violent and Maria is rescued by Nikolai Rostov.
Maria marries the impoverished Nikolai Rostov in the winter of 1813, and eventually the couple have four children.
Nikolai Rostov relies on his work and her moral support, not financial, to become a wealthy and content estate owner.