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Chapter 223 — Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina - Chapter 223

Leo Tolstoy

Anna Karenina

Chapter 223

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Study guide
By Arvin Lioanag, Founder & Editor. Reviewed against source text (editorial standards). Last updated 12 September 2026.

Summary

Sergey says goodbye to the princess and joins Katavasov in a carriage full to overflowing; train starts. At Tsaritsino young men sing Hail to Thee; volunteers bow while Sergey pays no attention, already familiar with the type.

Katavasov enters second class at next stop: hollow-chest tipsy merchant brags heroic action; retired officer talks factories inappropriately; quiet artillery cadet says everyone is going, sorry for Servians. Katavasov dislikes the impression and would have moved back but for Sergey.

Provincial stations bring bouquets and ladies but feebler scale than Moscow; collecting boxes; Katavasov notes voluntary hypocrisy in merchant's self-sacrifice talk. Tolstoy satirizes volunteer fashion while train carries Vronsky toward countess confession next chapter.

Train starts full; Tsaritsino volunteers sing Hail to Thee while Sergey pays no attention. Katavasov in second class notes merchant bragging and cadet saying everyone is going, sorry for Servians; voluntary hypocrisy at provincial stations.

Tolstoy closes the chapter on that beat without easy moral, only the next consequence waiting.

Feebler bouquets at provincial stations and collecting boxes expose volunteer fashion while train carries patriotism and unease together.

Katavasov dislikes merchant impression and would have moved back but for Sergey; train carries Vronsky toward countess confession.

The beat lands without easy moral.

In this chapter: Terms Characters Key Quotes Modern Story

Why This Matters

Skill: Sorting Performative From Modest Sacrifice

War trains can carry braggarts, bored organizers, and quiet joiners together. Katavasov dislikes the merchant's voluntary hypocrisy yet favors the cadet who says everyone is going.

When a cause trends, notice who performs and who simply shows up.

Coming Up in Chapter 224

Sergey will walk the platform and hear the countess on Anna's death and Vronsky's prostration. At a provincial stop Sergey walks the platform rather than entering the refreshment room. Passing Vronsky's compartment twice he first sees the curtain drawn, then the old countess at the window beckoning him..

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Original text
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Chapter 223

Sergey says goodbye to the princess and joins Katavasov in a carria...

Saying good-bye to the princess, Sergey Ivanovitch was joined by Katavasov; together they got into a carriage full to overflowing, and the train started. At Tsaritsino station the train was met by a chorus of young men singing “Hail to Thee!” Again the volunteers bowed and poked their heads out, but Sergey Ivanovitch paid no attention to them. He had had so much to do with the volunteers that the type was familiar to him and did not interest him. Katavasov, whose scientific work had prevented his having a chance of observing them hitherto, was very much interested in them…

Public-domain chapter text, formatted for reading.

Critical Thinking Exercise

12 minutes

Interview The Second-Class Carriage

Contrast merchant, officer, cadet motives and Katavasov's reactions.

Consider:

  • •Include everyone is going
  • •Include voluntary hypocrisy
  • •Include feebler scale

Journaling Prompt

Write about a trend where bravado and quiet integrity shared the same room.

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Lessons from Anna Karenina

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