Unknown Alexander Nevsky: was the massacre "ice", whether the prince bowed to the Horde and other controversial issues. Alexander Nevsky: a short biography

Preventive war - suicide for fear of death

Otto von Bismarck

The holy noble Prince Alexander Nevsky won fame for himself during his lifetime. Legends were made about him, enemies feared him and compatriots revered him. After his death, the name of Alexander Nevsky went down in Russian history as an outstanding commander who, with sword and fortitude, preserved Orthodoxy and the identity of the Russian people on Russian land. Thanks to the Grand Duke, the Slavic people began to rally in order, following the example of Alexander Nevsky, to fight the threat in the West and resist the mighty Horde.

In the article, we will dwell in detail on the main deeds of the holy prince, thanks to which he was canonized (in 1547) and is still considered by Russians to be one of the greatest people of our Motherland in its entire history. There are 4 such events:

This happened when Prince Alexander was only 13 years old. By today's standards, quite a child, but already at this age, Alexander, along with his father, had already fought against the German knights. In those days, incited by the Pope, the Western European knights made crusade raids officially to convert the "infidels" to Catholicism, but in fact to plunder the local population and seize new territories.

Russian cities (Pskov, Novgorod, Izborsk) have long been the target of the German order, because trade and architecture were developed here. Knights are not averse to profit: sell someone into slavery, someone - to rob. To protect the Russian lands, Prince Yaroslav calls on the people to stand up with him to defend the Motherland. Observing the course of the battle, young Alexander fights enemies on a par with adults, at the same time analyzing the behavior of the troops and the tactics of defense. Yaroslav Vsevolodovich bets on a protracted battle and wins the battle. The tired knights are finished off with flanking blows, others run to the river, but the thin ice cannot withstand the heavy knights, it cracks, and the knights in their armor go under the water. The Novgorodians gain a victory, which has gone down in history as the "Battle of Omovzha". Alexander learned a lot in this battle and later applied the tactics of the battle of Omovzha many times.

Battle of the Neva (1240) for the prince

In July 1240, the Swedish Vikings approached the confluence of the Izhora and Neva rivers on their boats and set up a camp. They arrived to attack Novgorod and Ladoga. According to the chronicles, about 5 thousand Swedish invaders arrived, and Alexander managed to collect only 1.5 thousand vigilantes. It was impossible to hesitate any longer. While the Swedes are in the dark and are just preparing to attack, it was necessary to get ahead of them, unexpectedly attacking their place of deployment.

Alexander with his small squad settled in the forest not far from the Swedes. Even the Swedes did not have sentries, and the Vikings themselves were engaged in the arrangement of the camp. Alexander, after carefully studying the location of the enemies, decided to divide the army into three parts: the first was to move along the coast, the second - the cavalry, led by Alexander himself, should advance in the center of the camp, and the third - the archers, remained in ambush to block the path of the retreating to the Swedes.

The morning attack by the Novgorodians came as a complete surprise to the Swedes. Mishka from Novgorod managed to approach the tent, where the command was seated, unnoticed, and sawed off the leg. The tent fell along with the generals, which caused even greater panic among the Swedes. When the Varangians rushed to their augers, they saw that they were already occupied by the Novgorodians. The path was completely cut off when the archers entered the battle.

The Novgorod Chronicle says about huge losses in the Swedish camp, and only 20 people were killed in the regiment from the Russians. From that time on, Alexander began to be called Nevsky in honor of the river, where he won his first significant victory. His fame and influence in Novgorod increased, which was not to the liking of the local boyars, and young Alexander soon left Novgorod and returned to his father in Vladimir. But even there he did not stay long, and moved to Pereslavl. However, already in the next 1241, Alexander received news from the Novgorodians that the enemies had again approached their native lands. The Novgorodians called on Alexander.

Battle on Lake Peipsi - Battle of the Ice - 1242

The German knights managed to seize a number of Russian lands and settle there, erecting characteristic knightly fortifications-fortresses. To free the Russian cities, Prince Alexander Nevsky decided to unite the people to strike at the invaders with a single force. He calls on all Slavs to stand under his banner to fight the Germans. And they heard him. From all cities militias and warriors flocked, ready to sacrifice themselves for the salvation of their homeland. In total, up to 10 thousand people united under the banner of Alexander.

Caporje is a city that has just begun to be settled by the Germans. It was located a little further from the rest of the captured Russian cities, and Alexander decided to start with it. On the way to Kaporya, the prince orders to take prisoner all those he meets, so that he knows for sure that no one will be able to inform the knights about the approach of the princely army. Having reached the walls of the city, Alexander knocks out the gate with many pounds of logs and enters Kaporye, which surrenders without a fight. When Alexander approached Pskov, the residents themselves, inspired by Alexander's victories, open the gates for him. The Germans are gathering their best forces for battle.

The battle on Lake Peipsi will go down in history as the Battle of the Ice. Alexander Nevsky, pondering the strategy of the battle, put numerous militias in the center, who did not know much about the tactics of battle. The main army was located in front of the steep bank, behind which stood carts, fastened with chains to each other. On the flanks were the Novgorod regiments - the strongest of the entire ten thousandth Russian army. And behind a rock that stuck out of the water, Alexander hid an ambush regiment. The holy prince placed his people in such a way as to lure the knights into the "cauldron", realizing that, having first defeated the weak militias, even if numerous, the already tired Germans would go to the best Russian regiment and carts, and considering how much weight the knight in armor had, then they will hardly have a chance to get over the cart.

On April 5, 1242, the German knights completely "justified" Alexander's calculations. The Germans advanced in a "wedge", and, having defeated the militia, went straight to the forward detachments of Nevsky. Finding themselves in a vice, on the one hand, there were carts over which the horses could not jump, bearing such weight in the form of a knight in armor, and on the other, Alexander's warriors and Novgorodians from the flanks. The knights, who wielded a spear, always beat the enemy directly, did not expect a blow from the flanks. It was not possible to turn 90 degrees with the horse thanks to the grip of the carts, where the German knights fell. The ambush regiment completed the rout of the German knights. The Germans scattered along the thin ice of Lake Peipsi. Thin ice cracked, carrying the heavy German knights under the water, just as it once carried away their ancestors on Omovzha.

This was a brilliant strategy for the young Russian commander. The Germans learned a lesson thanks to which they forgot their way to Russia for a long time. 50 prisoners of war marched bareheaded through the streets of Russian cities. This was considered a terrible humiliation for medieval knights. The name of Alexander Nevsky thundered throughout Europe as the best commander of the Northern Lands.

Relations with the Golden Horde

In the Middle Ages, the Horde was a real punishment for the Russian lands. A strong state with an extensive trade and a mobile army. The cohesion of the Mongol-Tatars Russian principalities could only envy. Scattered Russian cities and principalities only paid tribute to the Horde, but could not resist it. Alexander was no exception. Even after all the brilliant battles held, to go against the Horde, as the prince of Chernigov did, means to sign a death warrant for himself and his people. After the death of his father Yaroslav, who, incidentally, died when he "visited" the khan, Alexander also went to Batu get a label for the khan's service. Enlisting the support of the Horde was a ritual for the Russian princes, which was tantamount to coronation to the throne.

Could Alexander have done otherwise ?! Probably he could. The Western European powers, led by the Pope, more than once offered their help in the fight against the Horde in exchange for converting to Catholicism, but Alexander refused. The prince preferred to pay tribute to the Horde than to change the faith of their ancestors. The Horde treated the Gentiles quite tolerably, the main thing is that dues should regularly enter the treasury. So Alexander chose the least evil he believed.

In 1248, Prince Alexander Nevsky received a label for Kiev and the entire Russian land. A little later, Vladimir also moved to Nevsky. While Russia regularly paid tribute to Batu, the Mongol-Tatars did not attack. Accustomed to living in peace, the Russian people forgot about the Horde threat. In 1262, the Tatar ambassadors who arrived for tribute in Pereslavl, Rostov, Suzdal and other cities were killed. To calm the conflict, the prince is forced to go to the khan. In the Horde, the prince fell ill on the way home, 41-year-old Alexander died.

After 300 years, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Alexander Nevsky.

Born on May 13, 1221 in the city of Pereslavl-Zalessky. He was the son of the Pereyaslavl prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. In 1225, by the decision of his father, in the biography of Nevsky, initiation into warriors took place.

In 1228, together with his older brother, he was transported to Novgorod, where they became princes of the Novgorod lands. In 1236, after the departure of Yaroslav, he began to independently defend the lands from the Swedes, Livonians, and Lithuanians.

Personal life

In 1239 Alexander married the daughter of Bryachislav of Polotsk, Alexandra. They had five children - sons: Vasily (1245 - 1271, Novgorod prince), Dmitry (1250 - 1294, Novgorod, Pereyaslavl, Vladimir prince), Andrey (1255 - 1304, Kostroma, Vladimir, Novgorod, Gorodetsky prince), Daniel ( 1261 - 1303, Moscow prince), as well as the daughter of Evdokia.

Military activity

The biography of Alexander Nevsky is remarkable for the large number of many victories. So, in July 1240, the famous Battle of the Neva took place, when Alexander attacked the Swedes on the Neva and won. It was after this battle that the prince received the honorary nickname "Nevsky".

When the Livonians took Pskov, Tesov, got close to Novgorod, Alexander again defeated the enemies. After that, he attacked the Livonians (German knights) on April 5, 1242 and also won a victory (the famous Battle of the Ice on Lake Peipsi).

After the death of his father in 1247, Alexander took over the board of Kiev and "All the Russian land". Kiev at that time was ruined by the Tatars, and Nevsky decided to stay and live in Novgorod.

The prince repulsed the attacks of enemies for 6 years. Then he left Novgorod for Vladimir and began to reign there. At the same time, wars with their western neighbors continued. In military campaigns, the prince was helped by his sons - Vasily and Dmitry.

Death and legacy

Alexander Nevsky died on November 14, 1263 in Gorodets and was buried in the Nativity monastery in the city of Vladimir. By order of Peter I, his relics were transferred to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery (St. Petersburg) in 1724.

Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky is assigned an exceptional role in the history of Rus. Throughout his life, Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky did not lose a single battle. He was considered the favorite prince of the clergy, the patron saint of the Orthodox Church. He can be briefly described as a talented diplomat, a commander who was able to protect Russia from many enemies, as well as prevent the campaigns of the Mongol-Tatars.

Nowadays, streets and squares are named after him, monuments have been erected in his honor, Orthodox churches have been erected in many cities of Russia.

Other biography options

Biography test

To better remember the short biography of Nevsky, take this test.

Alexander Nevskiy -

Grand Duke Vladimirsky

Lived 1220-1263

Reign 1252-1263

Grand Duke Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky born on May 13, 1220 in Pereyaslavl

He spent his childhood in Pereslavl-Zalessky, where his father reigned - the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yaroslav II Vsevolodovich.

mother - Rostislav-Feodosia, daughter Mstislav Mstislavich Udatny, Prince Toropetsky.

Alexander's father - Yaroslav, in Baptism Theodore, "a meek, merciful and philanthropic", was the youngest son of Vsevolod III the Big Nest, brother of the holy noble prince Yuri Vsevolodovich

According to the custom of that time, Alexander was early sent to the princely teaching. His mother took care of his spiritual education. Alexander learned to read early and sat over books all day. He especially loved reading "divine words" and was reputed to be very pious. The father, in turn, paid great attention to physical development, since the future prince had to not only set an example of piety, but also be able to protect his people.

The princely tonsure of the youth Alexander (the rite of initiation into warriors) was performed on May 10, 1226 in the Transfiguration Cathedral of Pereslavl by Saint Simon, Bishop of Suzdal, one of the compilers of the Kiev-Pechersk Paterikon. From the gracious elder-hierarch, Alexander received his first blessing for military service in the Name of God, for the defense of the Russian Church and the Russian land.

The heart of the young prince was beating with joy when his father, Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, first put him on a horse.

From that day on, he was not supposed to live with mothers and nannies. He was given to the "uncle": he had to make a good warrior out of the prince. Training in military affairs began with mastering a sword - not yet real - made of linden, oak, ash, so that the prince could easily pick it up. An ax, a bow with arrows, a spear - the future commander gradually took possession of everything. By the age of fifteen, he had become a model of military valor for his comrades-in-arms, more than once accompanied his father on campaigns and participated in battles on an equal basis with other soldiers. In 1235 he was a participant in the battle on the river. Emajõgi (in present-day Estonia), where Yaroslav's troops utterly defeated the Germans.

Prince Alexander embarked on an independent life path early. In 1236, his father went to reign in Kiev, and “plant your son Oleksandr in Novgorod,” who ruled there for five years.

In the first years of his reign, he had to deal with the fortification of Novgorod, since the Mongols-Tatars threatened from the east. Alexander built several fortresses on the Sheloni River.

Two years later, in 1238, Novgorod celebrated the wedding of its young prince, who married Alexandra, the daughter of Bryachislav of Polotsk.

The wedding took place in Toropets.

Father, Yaroslav, blessed them at the wedding with a holy miraculous icon Feodorovskaya Mother of God(Father's name was Theodore in Baptism). This icon was then constantly under St. Alexander, as his prayer image, and then in 1276 in memory of him was taken from the Gorodetsky monastery, where he died, by his brother, Vasily Yaroslavich Kostroma, and transferred to Kostroma.

The prince celebrated two wedding feasts, then called "kashayu" - one in Toropets, the other in Novgorod, as if in order to make Novgorodians participants in his family celebration.

On the Polotsk-Minsk principality, not plundered by the Mongol-Tatars, the knights-crusaders and especially the Lithuanian princes buried themselves. So Alexander received as a dowry for the bride the duty to protect new relatives from enemies and the land. Alexander took up the construction of fortifications along the Sheloni River, on the way leading to Novgorod from the west. They renovated the old towns, erected a new fortress, Gorodets, surrounded it with a moat, a rampart and a log fence. In the same year, 1239, Alexander set up a guard at the confluence of the Neva River into the Gulf of Finland. In those swampy lands lived a pagan tribe of Izhorians, its elder Pelgusius was appointed the head of the guard.

It was mid-1240. The most difficult time in the history of Russia began: Mongol hordes marched from the east, destroying everything in their path, and Germanic knightly hordes approached from the west, blasphemously calling themselves, with the blessing of the Pope, "crusaders", bearers of the Lord's Cross. Taking advantage of the invasion of Batu, the defeat of Russian cities, the confusion and grief of the people, the death of their best sons and leaders, hordes of crusaders invaded the borders of the Fatherland. The first were the Swedes. The Swedes decided to take possession of the Finnish and neighboring Novgorod lands in order, at the request of the Pope, to spread the Roman Catholic faith here. The "King of the Roman Faith from the Midnight Country", Sweden, gathered in 1240 a great army and sent it to the Neva on a multitude of ships under the command of his son-in-law, Jarl (ie, Prince) Birger. The proud Swede sent messengers to Novgorod to Saint Alexander: "If you can, resist - I am already here and I am capturing your land."

In 1240, Swedish ships with a large army under the command of Birger entered the mouth of the Neva and anchored at the confluence of the Izhora river. The Swedes, apparently, expected to climb the Neva, sail across the lake and attack Ladoga by surprise, then go along the Volkhov to Novgorod.

But the Russian prince also did not hesitate.

Alexander, he was not yet 20 years old, prayed for a long time in the church of St. Sophia,

received a blessing from Vladyka - Archbishop Spiridon.

Leaving the church, Alexander went to the square, where the bell had already assembled

Novgorodians at the veche.

“God is not in power, but in righteousness. Some - with weapons, others - on horses, and we will call on the Name of our Lord! Let's go and defeat the enemy! "The Boyar Council approved the prince's decision - to immediately go to the Neva and, while the enemies are in self-confident carelessness, strike at them.

“Alexander had only his small squad and a detachment of Novgorodian soldiers. The lack of forces had to be compensated for by a surprise attack on the Swedish camp.

With a small retinue, trusting in the Holy Trinity, the prince hurried to the enemies - there was no time to wait for help from his father, who did not yet know about the enemy's attack. The prince and his retinue moved towards the Neva. Russian troops hurriedly marched along the Volkhov to Ladoga. Enriched with a detachment of Ladoga residents. Then the Izhorian warriors joined. And just in time. The arrogant knights did not even set up posts on the approaches to the camp.

Neither more nor less, but the prince's cavalry rushed 150 kilometers. Foot soldiers moved on boats along Ladoga. The Swedes did not expect enemies and settled down calmly; their augers were on the shore; tents were spread out on the coast. The Swedes, tired of the sea passage, arranged for themselves a rest. Simple warriors rested on ships. The servants set up tents for the rulers and knights on the shore. Knight's horses, brought down from the ships, were walking by the forest. Birger was sure that the Novgorodians would not be able to gather the strength he had. He knew that his native Vladimir principality would not help Alexander either, it itself was in a disastrous state. After all, not even three years have passed since the ruin of the principality by the Mongol-Tatars. Birger, feasting in a tent, embroidered with gold threads, did not realize that the enemy was hidden by the forest only at the distance of an arrow's flight. But this is only a part of what prepares doom for the Swedes. It was not for nothing that Alexander read about the campaigns of another Alexander - the Macedonian, as a boy he participated in the campaigns of his father's squad, listened to the reasoning of the voivode before the battle. Hiding, he examined the place of the now imminent battle and, which is typical of outstanding commanders, immediately saw

weakness of the Swedish position. The weakness consisted in the fact that part of the army was on the shore, and part on ships: ships were connected to the steep bank by gangways. If at the initial moment of the battle the gangway is knocked down, then the enemy will lose his advantage in numbers. The Novgorodians prepared for the attack.

At eleven o'clock in the morning on July 15, 1240, a horn sounded, the Novgorodians suddenly appeared in front of the Swedish camp, rushed at the enemies and began to chop them with axes and swords, before they had time to take weapons. The cavalry detachment jumped out of the forest and rushed along the river, knocking down the gangway. The Swedes, who were on the ships, could not come to the aid of those who were on the shore. The enemy was divided into two parts.

The squad, led by Alexander himself, dealt the main blow to the Swedes. A fierce battle ensued.

"And there was a great slaughter with the Latins, and he killed an innumerable multitude, and he put a seal on the face of the leader himself with his sharp spear":

Alexander was in the midst of the fighting. He gave orders like a general and fought like a warrior. Alexander's battle with Birger was like a knight's duel. The prince swung and stabbed with a spear directly into the visor of the tall Jarl. The Swedes barely managed to drag the wounded Birger to the ship.

The battle ended with the onset of darkness, and the prince took the squad into the forest: he was going to complete the defeat of the invader in the morning. But it turned out that the Swedes reached their ships at night and set sail. The enemy fleet went towards the Gulf of Finland. And those who remained on the shore were dead. They loaded two captured ships, let them go with the sails raised in pursuit of the living. There was not enough room for everyone on the sorrowful courts. The Novgorodians "have been a pit from the beginning, they have been in a nude." In the army of Alexander, the losses were surprisingly small: about twenty soldiers died.

The triumph of the Novgorodians was great. Novgorod greeted its defender with the ringing of bells. Usually the name of the city in which he reigned was added to the name of the prince. The people added the name of the river to the name of Alexander, on which a victory, very important for all of Russia, was won and they began to call him - Alexander Nevsky.

The Battle of the Neva in 1240 prevented the threat of an enemy invasion from the north and prevented the loss of the shores of the Gulf of Finland by Russia, stopped the Swedish aggression on the Novgorod-Pskov lands.

The Novgorodians loved Alexander, but still he could not get along with them for a long time: he wanted more power and could not stand veche riots. Soon after the Neva victory, he left Novgorod for Pereslavl. Meanwhile, Novgorod really needed at this time such a prince like Alexander. The Novgorod region was in great danger from the Germans.

The Germans took possession of several Russian cities, set up new Russian settlements on the site. They were the first to take the border town of Izborsk. It is only 30 kilometers from Pskov. The Pskovites hastily assembled a five-thousand-strong militia, armed themselves with what they had, and went to rescue their neighbor. Having lost more than half a thousand warriors in a bloody battle, without freeing Izborsk, the militia barely made their way back to Pskov. The knights intended to break into the city after the retreating. But the guards closed the gates in time. After a week of standing near the city, the knights began to plunder and burn the surroundings. At the same time, ambassadors of the order acted. Among the traitors to the order, there were traitors. They persuaded the townspeople to come to terms with the Germans and let them into the city. Thus, the unconquered city was in the hands of the enemy. The enemy detachments already reached the outskirts of Novgorod, stood thirty miles from it, intercepted merchant carts and caused great damage to Novgorod trade. Then the Novgorodians began to ask Alexander to help them out of trouble; Vladyka of Novgorod himself went to ask Alexander about it. The case concerned not only Novgorod, but the entire Russian land. Alexander agreed and arrived in Novgorod, where he gathered a squad.

He immediately began to clear the Novgorod region of enemies, dispersed their detachments, took Koporye, where the Germans had established themselves. He treated the prisoners very graciously, but mercilessly hanged the traitors.

Then he reached Pskov, freed him from the Germans, sent two German governors of Pskov in chains to Novgorod.

Grateful residents of Pskov, young and old, "poured out" into the streets to pay tribute to the great commander for their liberation.

After that, Alexander entered the Chud land, into the possession of the order.

From Pskov to the north lies the Pskov Lake, even to the north - Lake Peipsi. They are connected by a wide duct. The Crusaders are located west of the lakes. Alexander decided to step back and build his regiments on the eastern bank of the channel, between the lakes. In those days, they did not fight on rough terrain, converged on a flat and open place. Here, on the snowy ice, the crusaders must accept Alexander's challenge.

The battle formation of the German knights is called "boar's head". The entire army is built in the form of a wedge: its edge is knights dressed in armor, their horses are also covered with iron and there are knights on the sides of the wedge, and inside this movable armor there are infantry. The wedge - the "boar's head" - moves uncontrollably and menacingly towards the enemy, cuts his line, passes through the ranks, then crushes into pieces and destroys those who are resisting and fleeing.

In this way, the knights won many victories over the foot troops of different countries. Alexander's army is mostly on foot. The Crusaders, with flat terrain under them, and the enemy - the infantry, will undoubtedly begin the battle in their favorite, proven manner.

It was not difficult for Alexander and his governors to come to this conclusion, they knew the tactics of the crusaders well. But what can be opposed to such tactics? Bravery alone cannot achieve victory.

In the traditional battle formation of the Russians, the middle regiment was the strongest. The left-hand regiment and the right-hand regiment on either side of the middle are weaker. This is known to the generals of the crusaders. And Alexander decided: the middle regiment will consist of militias - townspeople and villagers, armed with spears, axes, boot knives; experienced warriors, hardened, well-armed, will stand on the flanks, and mounted squads will also be located there.

What will happen thanks to this innovation? The "boar's head" will easily break through the middle regiment. The knights will consider that the main thing has already been done, but at this time mighty fighters will fall on them from the flanks. The knights will have to fight in unusual conditions.

What can you think of to get the tip stuck behind the middle shelf it pierced? Behind the middle regiment, Alexander ordered to put a sleigh on which they carried weapons, armor and food. Behind the sleigh, behind this artificial barrier, there was a coast strewn with large boulders - a natural barrier. Between the sledges, between the stones, you can't really ride a horse weighed down with iron. But the militia, dressed in light armor, will act dexterously among obstacles, he will immediately gain an advantage over the slow knight. Archers were placed in front of the middle regiment, who were the first to enter the battle.

So, Alexander Nevsky was preparing a victory for his army.

The army of crusader-knights in helmets with horns, clawed paws and other intimidations, in white cloaks with black crosses, with long spears pressed to the thigh, covered with shields, moved like a battering ram. Iron muzzles worn on horses turned familiar animals into monsters. In the middle of the wedge, trying to keep up with the horsemen, knightly servants and infantry ran with axes and short swords.

Having let the "boar's head" go a few hundred meters, the Russian archers began to shower it with arrows. Six aiming arrows per minute can

release a good shooter. Under the whistling hail of arrows, the German wedge narrowed somewhat, lost its destructive power to some extent. But still, his blow to the middle shelf was irresistibly powerful. The regiment split into two halves - like a birch chura under the blow of a cleaver ... The Russians called the chivalric system less respectfully than the Germans themselves - not "a boar's head", but "a pig." The chronicler wrote: "Nayakhash on the regiment of Germans and chud and smash like a pig through the regiment ..."

Now, according to the experience of previous battles, the knights were supposed to split the battle formation of the Russians into parts, to whip the fleeing ones with swords. But the picture turned out to be different. The militia rolled back behind the sledges and did not run further. The knights, having jumped ashore from the ice, slowly circled among the stones and sledges, receiving blows from all sides.

Alexander did not seek a meeting with the leader of the crusaders, as was customary in those days and as he did on the Neva, but followed the development of the situation. Now large masses of people were acting against each other. In this battle, the timely order of the commander was more useful than a personal example. Alexander gave the signal to join the battle for the regiments of the right and left hand. Novgorodians, Ladozhians, Izhorians, Karelians on the one hand, Suzdalians - on the other, piled on the knightly "pig" ...

"... Trusk from the breaking spears and the sound of the sword cut ..." - this is how the chronicler will say about that moment of the battle.

Horse vigilantes attacked the enemy from the rear.

The "pig" was surrounded. The knights huddled together, mixed with their infantry bollards, were pulled from their horses by the Russian soldiers with hooks, and the horses' bellies were steamed with knives. The dismounted knight was no longer as formidable as the one on horseback.

The spring ice broke under the weight of those fighting, the knights drowned in openings and gaps. "The Germans are that fall, and the chud dasha is splashing." Forced foot soldiers-Estonians "date splash" - showed their shoulders, looking for salvation in flight. Soon the knights, breaking their vow to be firm to the end, began to break out of the ring. Part of the crusaders succeeded in this. Alexander ordered the pursuit of the fugitives. To the opposite bank of the channel - for many miles - the ice was strewn with the bodies of enemies.

Many Russian soldiers "shed their blood" on that great day.

But the enemy suffered even greater losses. Only the knights were killed half a thousand. Fifty knights were taken prisoner.

Alexander's shelves approached Pskov to the sound of trumpets and tambourines.

Jubilant people poured out of the city to greet the winners. We watched the crusaders being led beside their horses; a knight walking beside a horse with an uncovered head lost, but according to the rules of the order, knightly dignity.

The Germans learned a tremendous lesson. In the summer, ambassadors from the order arrived in Novgorod and asked Alexander for eternal peace. Peace was made. They say that it was then that Alexander uttered the words that became prophetic in the Russian land: "Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword!" After the peace of 1242, the Livonian knights did not bother Russia for ten years.

Victory in this battle made Alexander the greatest military leader of his time.

The uprising against the Crusaders of the Curonian tribe on the Nalti coast became an echo of the Battle on the Ice; the Lithuanian Grand Duke Mindaugas came to their aid with an army of many thousands. The Prussians, also a Pomor tribe, revolted; they were helped by the army of the Polish prince Svyatopolk. The Knights - this time the Teutonic Order were defeated at Lake Reisen. Alexander Nevsky tried to strengthen the northwestern borders of Russia and sent an embassy to Norway, and as a result of negotiations, the first peace agreement between Russia and Norway was reached in 1251.

Prince Alexander Yaroslavich clearly understood that keeping the northwestern borders of Russia intact, as well as keeping open the exit to the Baltic Sea, was only possible on condition of peaceful relations with the Golden Horde, and then Russia did not have the strength to fight against two powerful enemies. The second half of the life of the famous commander will be glorious not for military victories, but diplomatic ones, no less necessary than military ones.

In 1243, the khan, the ruler of the western part of the Mongol state, the Golden Horde, handed the label of the Grand Duke of Vladimir to govern the conquered Russian lands to Alexander's father, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. The great khan of the Mongols, Guyuk, summoned the grand duke to his capital Karakorum, where in 1246 Yaroslav died unexpectedly. Then his sons, Alexander and Andrew, were summoned to Korakorum. While the Yaroslavichs were getting to Mongolia, Khan Guyuk himself died, and the new mistress of Karakorum, khansha Ogul-Hamish, decided to appoint Andrew as Grand Duke, while Alexander was given control over the devastated southern Russia and Kiev.

Only in 1249 were the brothers able to return to their homeland. Nevsky did not go to his new possessions, but returned to Novgorod, where he fell seriously ill.

Around this time, Pope Innocent IV sent an embassy to Alexander Nevsky with a proposal to convert to Catholicism, allegedly in exchange for his help in the joint struggle against the Mongols. This proposal was rejected by Alexander in the most categorical form.

In 1252 in Karakorum, Ogul-Gamish was overthrown by the new great khan Mongke (Mengke). Taking advantage of this circumstance and deciding to remove Andrei Yaroslavich from the great reign, Batu presented the label of the Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky, who was urgently summoned to the capital of the Golden Horde - Sarai.

From that time on, he had to take on a difficult task. Alexander tried by all means to appease the khan and his dignitaries in order to save the Russian land from new troubles.

It was not easy for him to fight off Western enemies earlier, but then brilliant victories, military glory, feelings of popular joy and gratitude were then his reward for hard military work.

Now he had to humiliate himself in front of the khan, curry favor with his dignitaries, give them gifts in order to save his native land from new troubles; they had to persuade their people not to resist the Tatars, to pay the required tribute. Even sometimes he himself, in case of resistance, forced his people to fulfill the demands of the Tatars.

Of course, Alexander's heart sank painfully when he had to punish his people for disobeying the Tatars. Many at that time thought that Alexander did not spare his people, acted in concert with the Tatars, and were angry with him. Few understood then that the dire necessity forced Alexander to act in such a way that, had he acted differently, a new terrible Tatar pogrom would have fallen on the unfortunate Russian land.

In 1256, the new khan (Berke) ordered a second census in Russia. (The first census was made during the reign of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich.) Tatar census came to the lands of Ryazan, Murom and Suzdal, appointed their foremen, centurions, thousanders; all residents, excluding clergy, were rewritten in order to impose a universal tribute. The new khan wished that the census be done in Novgorod as well. When news of this reached Novgorod, a rebellion arose here. Novgorod was not, like other Russian cities, conquered by Tatar weapons, and the Novgorodians did not think that they would have to voluntarily pay a shameful tribute. Alexander felt that there would be trouble, but he could not do anything in favor of Novgorod. He arrived here with Tatar ambassadors who demanded tithes. The Novgorodians flatly refused to pay the tribute; however, the khan's ambassadors were not only not offended, but even presented and sent home with honor. The people were worried. Many were angry with Alexander for taking the side of the Tatars. Prince Vasily of Novgorod, son of Alexander, was on the side of the disgruntled Novgorodians. His position was difficult; Nor did he, like the majority of Novgorodians, understand what kind of misfortune could befall the disobedient khan: to take the side of his father, in the opinion of Prince Vasily, meant to betray Novgorod, and it was hard for him to resist his father. He ended up fled to Pskov. Alexander this time became very embittered, drove his son out of Pskov, and severely executed some of the Novgorod boyars, the main instigators of the rebellion.

The Novgorodians were very worried. In vain did the more prudent persuade the people to submit to dire necessity. However, the terrible news that the khan's regiments were marching on Novgorod, and the admonitions of some prudent boyars finally worked. The excitement subsided. Tatar clerks drove along the streets of Novgorod, rewrote courtyards and left. Although after that the Tatar officials did not come to Novgorod to collect tribute, the Novgorodians had to participate in paying the tribute to the Tatars - to give their share of the tribute to the Grand Dukes. Novgorod had just calmed down, and unrest broke out in other cities. Tatar collectors collected tribute in the most inhuman way. They took tribute with interest, took their belongings in case of arrears, and took people away from poor families into captivity. Moreover, they treated the people roughly. It became unbearable to endure. In Suzdal, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Vladimir and other cities, the people were agitated, and the tribute collectors were killed.

The khan was in great rage. Hordes were already gathering in the Horde: the Tatars were preparing to terribly punish the rebels. Alexander hastened to the Horde.

Apparently, it was not easy for him to please the khan and his entourage, he had to live winter and summer in the Horde. But he managed to save his native country not only from a new pogrom, but also to beg for an important privilege for it: at the request of Alexander, the khan freed the Russians from the obligation to supply the Tatars with an auxiliary army. It would be hard for the Russians to fight for the Tatars, to shed their blood for their worst enemies! ..

Alexander returned from the Horde sick.

His good health was shattered by constant anxiety and toil. With difficulty, barely overcoming, he continued on his way. He reached Gorodets. Here he finally fell ill.

When he felt the approach of death, he accepted the schema. On the night of November 14, 1263, he was gone.

Soon the sorrowful news of Alexander's death reached the city of Vladimir. Metropolitan Kirill, who was serving mass at that time, addressed the people with tears in his eyes and said:

My dear children, the sun of the Russian land has set!

The people mourned their prince for a long time. The body of the deceased prince was transported to Vladimir. Despite the winter cold, Metropolitan Kirill with the clergy met the body at Bogolyubov's, and from here, with candles and censers, all the clergy accompanied him to Vladimir. A huge crowd crowded around the coffin: everyone wanted to kiss. Many were crying loudly. On November 23, the body of Alexander Nevsky was buried in the Vladimir monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin. At the end of the 13th century, the Life of Alexander Nevsky was compiled, in which he is shown as an ideal warrior-prince, defender of the Russian land from enemies.

In the conditions of the terrible trials that befell the Russian lands, Alexander Nevsky managed to find the strength to resist the Western conquerors, gaining fame as a great Russian commander, and also laid the foundations for relations with the Golden Horde.

Already in the 1280s, the veneration of Alexander Nevsky as a saint began in Vladimir, later he was officially canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. Alexander Nevsky was the only Orthodox secular ruler not only in Russia, but throughout Europe.

In 1724, Peter I founded a monastery in St. Petersburg in honor of his great compatriot (now the Alexander Nevsky Lavra)

and ordered to transport the remains of the prince there.

He also decided to commemorate the memory of Alexander Nevsky on the day of the conclusion of the victorious Peace of Nystad with Sweden.

On May 21, 1725, Empress Catherine I established the Order of Alexander Nevsky, one of the highest awards in Russia that existed until 1917.

During the Great Patriotic War, on July 29, 1942, the Soviet Order of Alexander Nevsky was established, which was awarded to commanders from platoons to divisions, inclusive, who showed personal courage and ensured the successful actions of their units.

The Order of Alexander Nevsky was established by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of September 7, 2010

Streets, lanes, squares, etc. are named after Alexander Nevsky. Orthodox churches are dedicated to him, he is the heavenly patron of St. Petersburg.

The history of our country contains many glorious battles. Some of them became especially famous. For example, almost any person in conversation about famous battles will mention Battle of the Neva and Battle on the Ice... It is not surprising, because thanks to these events, Russia was once able to preserve and defend its borders. But both the Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice could have ended more pitifully, if not for the great commander who led our troops - Alexander Nevskiy.

short biography

began on May 13, 1221. His father was Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, and his mother was Rostislav Mstislavna. The boy's childhood passed in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, but it did not last long. Already at the age of nine, Alexander was sent to rule Novgorod along with his brother Fyodor. In 1233 Fyodor died, and three years later Yaroslav Vsevolodovich left for Kiev.

Thus, Alexander became the sole ruler of Novgorod at the age of 15.

Personal life

In 1239, the prince found family happiness in Toropets with Princess Alexandra of Polotskaya... The wedding took place in the church of St. George. This marriage resulted in the birth of several children:

• Basil - 1240;
• Dmitry - 1250;
• Andrew - 1255;
• Daniel - 1261
• Evdokia.

Battle of the Neva

Alexander began to be called Nevsky, thanks to battle on the Neva... This battle brought worldwide fame to the prince. The battle of the Neva took place in 1240 on the banks of the Neva River. The battle was fought against the Swedes, who wanted to capture Pskov and Novgorod. It is noteworthy that the army of Alexander, without the support of the main army, was able to defeat the enemy. Before the battle, the prince went out to the troops with words of support, which have survived to this day thanks to the chronicles.

These words inspired the warriors, and they were able to win a confident and crushing victory. The Swedes suffered huge losses and were forced to retreat.

In spite of successful outcome of the Battle of the Neva, Alexander had a conflict with the Novgorodians, and the prince was forced to leave the city. But in 1241 the Livonian Order, consisting of German and Danish troops, invaded the territory of Novgorod. Novgorodians were forced to turn to the prince for help. Alexander did not disappoint - coming with his army, he liberated the cities captured by the Livonian Order, and then led his troops to the enemy border. There, on Lake Peipsi, the decisive battle took place.

Battle on the Ice

April 5, 1242 on the ice of Lake Peipsi the troops of Alexander Nevsky and the Livonian Order met. Thanks to the prince's cunning tactics, the enemy troops were flanked and defeated. The remnants of the troops tried to escape from the battlefield, fleeing along the frozen lake. For 7.4 km they were pursued by the princely troops.

There are several versions of this chase. Information is very popular that the soldiers of the Livonian Order were dressed in heavy armor. The thin ice of Lake Peipsi could not support their weight and cracked. Therefore, most of those enemies who survived drowned. However, Wikipedia mentions that this information appeared only in later sources. But in the records made in the coming years after the battle, nothing is said about this.

Anyway, The battle on the ice was crucial... After him, a truce was concluded and for the cities of Russia there was no longer a threat from the Order.

Years of reign

Alexander became famous not only for victories in famous battles. He understood that battles alone were not enough to defend the country. Therefore, in 1247, after the death of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, Alexander went on a visit to the Horde Khan Batu. The negotiations were successful, so the prince got control of the Kiev principality, and his brother Andrew - Vladimir.

In 1252, Andrew renounced the Vladimir principality and fled. This almost provoked a new conflict with the Tatar-Mongols, but Alexander again paid a visit to the Horde. Thus, he achieved the opportunity to manage the Vladimir principality.

In the future, Alexander continued to adhere to the same line of behavior. This policy is perceived in two ways by the society. Many considered and still consider Nevsky to be practically a traitor, not understanding why he was in constant contact with the Horde. In addition, Nevsky not only visited the khans, but also in every possible way contributed to the implementation of their plans. For example, in 1257, Alexander helped the Horde to conduct a census of the population of Russia, which was opposed by the entire people. And in general, in relations with the Tatar-Mongols, he showed obedience and, without stint, paid tribute.

On the other hand, thanks to such a policy, he was able to free Russia from the obligation to provide the Horde with troops for military campaigns and saved the country from the Tatar-Mongol raids. The main thing for him was survival, both his own and that of the entire people. And he successfully coped with this task.

Death

During another visit to the Tatar-Mongols, which took place in 1262, Prince Alexander Nevsky fell seriously ill. By the time he returned to his homeland, his condition was very difficult. Before his death, the prince managed to convert to Orthodoxy under the name of Alexy. His life ended on November 14, 1263, the funeral took place in the Vladimir Rozhdestvensky Monastery.

Curious facts

Alexander Yaroslavich
Prince of Novgorod 1228 - 1229 (together with brother Fedor)
Predecessor:	Yaroslav Vsevolodovich
Successor:	Mikhail Vsevolodovich
Prince of Novgorod 1236 - 1240
Predecessor:	Yaroslav Vsevolodovich
Successor:	Andrey Yaroslavich
Predecessor:	Andrey Yaroslavich
Successor:	Vasily Alexandrovich
Predecessor:	Vasily Alexandrovich
Successor:	Dmitry Aleksandrovich
Grand Duke of Kiev 1249 - 1263
Predecessor:	Yaroslav Vsevolodovich
Successor:	Yaroslav Yaroslavich
Grand Duke Vladimirsky 1249 - 1263
Predecessor:	Andrey Yaroslavich
Successor:	Yaroslav Yaroslavich
Birth:	May 1221, Pereslavl-Zalessky
Religion:	Orthodoxy
Buried:	Rozhdestvensky Monastery, reburied in 1724 at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra
Dynasty:	Rurikovich, Yurievich
	Yaroslav Vsevolodovich
	Rostislava Mstislavna Smolenskaya
	Alexandra Bryachislavovna Polotskaya
	Sons: Vasily, Dmitry, Andrey and Daniel

Nickname

Biography

Reflection of aggression from the west

Great reign

Canonical estimate

Eurasian assessment

Critical Assessment

Canonization

The relics of St. Alexander Nevsky

In ancient Russian literature

Fiction

art

Cinema

Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky(Old Russian. Oleksandr Yaroslavich, May 1221, Pereslavl-Zalessky - November 14 (November 21) 1263, Gorodets) - Prince of Novgorod (1236-1240, 1241-1252 and 1257-1259), Grand Duke of Kiev (1249-1263), Grand Duke Vladimir (1252- 1263).

Nickname

The traditional version says that Alexander got his nickname "Nevsky" after the battle with the Swedes on the Neva River. It is believed that it was for this victory that the prince began to be called that, but for the first time this nickname is found in sources only from the 15th century. Since it is known that some of the prince's descendants also bore the nickname Nevsky, it is possible that in this way they were assigned possessions in this area. In particular, Alexander's family had their own house near Novgorod.

Biography

The second son of the Pereyaslavl prince (later the Grand Duke of Kiev and Vladimir) Yaroslav Vsevolodovich from his second marriage with Rostislav-Feodosia Mstislavovna, daughter of the prince of Novgorod and Galician Mstislav Udatny. Born in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky in May 1221.

In 1225 Yaroslav "Gave his sons princely tonsure"- the rite of initiation into warriors, which was performed in the Transfiguration Cathedral of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky by the Bishop of Suzdal, Saint Simon.

In 1228, Alexander, along with his older brother Fyodor, were left by their father in Novgorod under the supervision of Fyodor Danilovich and tiun Yakim, together with the Pereyaslavl army, who were going on a campaign to Riga in the summer, but during the famine that came this winter, Fyodor Danilovich and tiun Yakim did not after waiting for Yaroslav's answer about the Novgorodians' request to abolish the zabozhnichy, in February 1229 they fled with the young princes from the city, fearing reprisals from the rebellious Novgorodians. In 1230, when the Novgorod Republic summoned Prince Yaroslav, he spent two weeks in Novgorod, put Fyodor and Alexander into reign, but three years later, at the age of thirteen, Fyodor died. In 1234, Alexander's first campaign (under his father's banner) against the Livonian Germans took place.

In 1236 Yaroslav left Pereyaslavl-Zalessky to reign in Kiev (from there in 1238 - to Vladimir). From this time, Alexander's independent activity began. Back in 1236-1237, the neighbors of the Novgorod land were at enmity with each other (200 Pskov soldiers took part in the unsuccessful campaign of the Order of the Swordsmen against Lithuania, which ended with the Battle of Saul and the entry of the remnants of the Order of the Swordsmen into the Teutonic Order). But after the devastation of North-Eastern Russia by the Mongols in the winter of 1237/1238 (the Mongols took Torzhok after a two-week siege and did not reach Novgorod), the western neighbors of the Novgorod land practically simultaneously launched offensive operations.

Reflection of aggression from the west

In 1239, Yaroslav repulsed the Lithuanians from Smolensk, and Alexander married Alexandra, the daughter of Bryachislav of Polotsk. The wedding took place in Toropets in the church of St. George. Already in 1240, the first-born of the prince, named Vasily, was born in Novgorod.

Alexander built a number of fortifications on the southwestern border of the Novgorod Republic along the Sheloni River. In 1240, the Germans approached Pskov, and the Swedes moved to Novgorod, according to Russian sources, under the leadership of the ruler of the country himself, the royal son-in-law of Jarl Birger (in Swedish sources there is no mention of this battle, the Jarl at that time was Ulf Fasi, not Birger) ... According to Russian sources, Birger sent Alexander a proud and arrogant declaration of war: "If you can, resist, know that I am already here and will capture your land."... With a relatively small squad of Novgorodians and Ladoga residents, Alexander on the night of July 15, 1240 attacked the Swedes of Birger by surprise, when they stopped at the mouth of the Izhora, on the Neva, with a camp for rest, and inflicted a complete defeat on them - the Battle of the Neva. Fighting in the forefront himself, Alexander "To the unfaithful stealing them (Birger) I put a seal on the forehead with the edge of the sword"... Victory in this battle demonstrated Alexander's talent and strength.

Nevertheless, the Novgorodians, always jealous of their liberties, in the same year managed to quarrel with Alexander, and he retired to his father, who gave him the principality of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky. Meanwhile, the Livonian Germans were advancing on Novgorod. The knights besieged Pskov and soon took it, taking advantage of the betrayal among the besieged. Two German vogts were planted in the city, which was an unprecedented event in the history of the Livonian-Novgorod conflicts. Then the Livonians fought and imposed a tribute on the vojeans, built a fortress in Koporye, took the city of Tesov, plundered the lands along the Luga River and began to plunder Novgorod merchants 30 versts from Novgorod. The Novgorodians turned to Yaroslav for a prince; he gave them his second son, Andrey. This did not satisfy them. They sent a second embassy to ask for Alexander. In 1241, Alexander came to Novgorod and cleared its area of ​​enemies, and the next year, together with Andrey, he moved to the aid of Pskov. Having liberated the city, Alexander went to the Peipsi land, in the possession of the order.

On April 5, 1242, a battle took place on the border with the Livonian Order, on Lake Peipsi. This battle is known as Battle on the Ice... The exact course of the battle is unknown, but according to the Livonian chronicles, the order knights were surrounded during the battle. According to the Novgorod chronicle, the Russians chased the Germans across the ice for 7 miles. According to the Livonian Chronicle, the losses of the order amounted to 20 killed and 6 captured knights, which may be consistent with the Novgorod Chronicle, which reports that the Livonian Order lost 400-500 "Germans" killed and 50 prisoners - "And the padde of Chudi was beschisla, and Nemets 400, and 50 with the hands of Yasha and brought him to Novgorod"... Considering that for each full-fledged knight there were 10-15 servants and warriors of a lower rank, we can assume that the data of the Livonian Chronicle and the data of the Novgorod Chronicle confirm each other well.

With a number of victories in 1245, Alexander repelled the raids of Lithuania, led by Prince Mindaugas. According to the legend of the chronicler, the Lithuanians fell into such fear that they became "To observe his name".

The six-year victorious defense of northern Russia by Alexander led to the fact that the Germans, according to a peace treaty, abandoned all recent conquests and ceded part of Latgale to the Novgorodians. Nevsky's father Yaroslav was summoned to Karakorum and poisoned there on September 30, 1246. Almost simultaneously with this, on September 20, Mikhail Chernigovsky was killed in the Golden Horde, who refused to undergo a pagan rite.

Great reign

After the death of his father, in 1247 Alexander went to the Horde to Batu. From there, together with his brother Andrei, who had previously arrived, he was sent to the Great Khan in Mongolia. It took them two years for this journey. In their absence, their brother, Mikhail Hororite of Moscow (the fourth son of the Grand Duke Yaroslav), took the Vladimir Grand Duke from his uncle Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich in 1248, but in the same year he died in battle with the Lithuanians in the battle on the Protva River. Svyatoslav managed to defeat the Lithuanians at Zubtsov. Batu planned to give the Vladimir great reign to Alexander, but according to the will of Yaroslav, Andrey was to become the Vladimir prince, and Alexander was to become the Novgorod and Kiev prince. And the chronicler notes that they had "Straight about the great reign"... As a result, the rulers of the Mongol Empire, despite the death of Guyuk during the campaign against Batu in 1248, implemented the second option. Alexander received Kiev and the "All Russian Land". Modern historians differ in their assessment of which of the brothers belonged to the formal seniority. Kiev after the Tatar devastation has lost any real significance; therefore, Alexander did not go to him, but settled in Novgorod (According to VN Tatishchev, the prince was still going to leave for Kiev, but the Novgorodians "kept him Tatars for the sake of", but the reliability of this information is in question).

There is information about two letters from Pope Innocent IV to Alexander Nevsky. In the first, the pope invites Alexander to follow the example of his father, who agreed (the pope referred to Plano Carpini, in whose writings this news is absent) to submit to the Roman throne before his death, and also offers coordination with the Teutons in the event of an attack by the Tatars on Russia. In the second letter, the Pope mentions Alexander's consent to be baptized into the Catholic faith and build a Catholic church in Pskov, and also asks to receive his ambassador, the Archbishop of Prussia. In 1251, two cardinals with a bull came to Alexander Nevsky in Novgorod. Almost simultaneously in Vladimir, Andrei Yaroslavich and Ustinya Danilovna were crowned by Metropolitan Kirill, an associate of Daniel Galitsky, to whom the Pope had offered the royal crown back in 1246-1247. In the same year, the Lithuanian prince Mindaugas adopted the Catholic faith, thereby securing his lands from the Teutons. According to the story of the chronicler, Nevsky, after consulting with wise people, set out the entire history of Russia and in conclusion said: "We will eat everything good, but we do not accept teaching from you".

In 1251, with the participation of the troops of the Golden Horde, the victory in the struggle for supreme power in the Mongol Empire was won by Batu Munke's ally, and the next year Alexander came to the Horde again. At the same time, the Tatar hordes under the leadership of Nevryuya were moved against Andrey. Andrei, in alliance with his brother Yaroslav Tversky, opposed the Tatars, but was defeated and fled to Sweden through Novgorod, Yaroslav established himself in Pskov. This was the first attempt to openly oppose the Mongol-Tatars in North-Eastern Russia, and it ended in failure. After the flight of Andrey, the great reign of Vladimir passed to Alexander. Perhaps, according to a number of researchers, this indicates that Alexander, during his trip to the Horde, contributed to the organization of a punitive campaign against his brother, but there is no direct evidence in favor of this conclusion. In the same year, Prince Oleg Ingvarevich Krasny, who had been captured in 1237 and wounded in 1237, was released from Mongol captivity to Ryazan. The reign of Alexander in Vladimir was followed by a new war with the western neighbors.

In 1253, shortly after the beginning of the great reign of Alexander, his eldest son Vasily with the Novgorodians was forced to repel the Lithuanians from Toropets, in the same year the Pskovians repulsed the Teutonic invasion, then, together with the Novgorodians and Karelians, invaded the Baltic States and defeated the Teutons on their land, after what peace was concluded on the whole will of Novgorod and Pskov. In 1256, the Swedes came to Narova, em, sum, and began to build a city (probably we are talking about the Narva fortress, already laid in 1223). The Novgorodians asked for help from Alexander, who spent a successful campaign with the Suzdal and Novgorod regiments. In 1258, the Lithuanians invaded the Smolensk principality and approached Torzhok.

In 1255, the Novgorodians expelled their eldest son, Alexander Vasily, and summoned Yaroslav Yaroslavich from Pskov. Nevsky, on the other hand, forced them to accept Vasily again, and replaced the mayor Anania, a champion of Novgorod freedom, with an obliging Mikhalka Stepanovich. In 1257, the Mongolian census took place in the Vladimir, Murom and Ryazan lands, but was disrupted in Novgorod, which was not captured during the invasion. Big people, with the mayor Mikhalka, persuaded the Novgorodians to submit to the will of the khan, but the smaller ones did not want to hear about it. Mikhalko was killed. Prince Vasily, sharing the feelings of the lesser, but not wanting to quarrel with his father, went to Pskov. Alexander Nevsky himself came to Novgorod with Tatar ambassadors, exiled his son to "Bottom", that is, the Suzdal land, his advisers seized and punished ( "You cut your nose to the other, but to the other you have your eyes") and put his second son, seven-year-old Dmitry, as a prince. In 1258, Alexander went to the Horde to "honor" the khan's governor Ulavchiy, and in 1259, threatening a Tatar pogrom, he obtained consent from the Novgorodians for a census and tribute ( "Tamgas and tithes").

Having accepted the royal crown in 1253, Daniil Galitsky on his own (without allies from North-Eastern Russia, without catholizing the subject lands and without the forces of the crusaders) was able to inflict a serious defeat on the Horde, which entailed a break with Rome and Lithuania. Daniel was going to organize a campaign against Kiev, but could not do this due to a clash with the Lithuanians. The Lithuanians were repulsed from Lutsk, followed by the Galician-Horde campaigns against Lithuania and Poland, the break of Mindaugas with Poland, the Order and an alliance with Novgorod. In 1262, the Novgorod, Tver and allied Lithuanian regiments under the nominal command of 12-year-old Dmitry Alexandrovich undertook a campaign in Livonia and laid siege to the city of Yuryev, burned the posad, but the city was not taken.

Death

In 1262, Tatar tax farmers were killed in Vladimir, Suzdal, Rostov, Pereyaslavl, Yaroslavl and other cities, and the Sarai khan Berke demanded a military recruitment among the inhabitants of Russia, since there was a threat to his possessions from the Iranian ruler Hulagu. Alexander Nevsky went to the Horde to try to dissuade the khan from this demand. There Alexander fell ill. Already sick, he left for Russia.

Taking the schema under the name of Alexy, he died on November 14 (November 21) 1263 in Gorodets (there are 2 versions - in Gorodets Volga or Gorodets Meshchersky). Metropolitan Kirill announced his death to the people in Vladimir with the words: "My dear children, understand that the sun of the Russian land will be behind you", and all cried out with a cry: "We are already perishing". "Respect for the Russian land,- says the famous historian Sergei Solovyov, - from the misfortune in the east, the famous feats for the faith and land in the west brought Alexander a glorious memory in Russia and made him the most prominent historical person in ancient history from Monomakh to the Donskoy "... Alexander became the favorite prince of the clergy. In the chronicle legend that has come down to us about his exploits it is said that he "Born by God"... Conquering everywhere, he was not defeated by anyone. A knight who came from the west to see Nevsky, said that he had gone through many countries and peoples, but had never seen such a thing. "Neither in the kings of the king, nor in the princes of the prince"... The Tatar khan himself allegedly gave the same opinion about him, and the Tatar women frightened children with his name.

Alexander Nevsky was originally buried in the Nativity monastery in Vladimir. In 1724, by order of Peter I, the relics of Alexander Nevsky were solemnly transferred to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg.

A family

Spouse:

• Alexandra, daughter of Bryachislav of Polotsk (she died on May 5, 1244 and was buried in the Yuryev Monastery next to her son, with Prince Fyodor).

Sons:

• Vasily (up to 1245-1271) - Prince of Novgorod;
• Dmitry (1250-1294) - Prince of Novgorod (1260-1263), Prince of Pereyaslavl, Grand Duke of Vladimir in 1276-1281 and 1283-1293;
• Andrey (c. 1255-1304) - Prince of Kostroma in (1276-1293), (1296-1304), Grand Duke of Vladimir (1281-1284, 1292-1304), Prince of Novgorod in (1281-1285, 1292-1304), Prince Gorodetsky in (1264-1304);
• Daniel (1261-1303) - the first prince of Moscow (1263-1303).

• Evdokia, who became the wife of Konstantin Rostislavich Smolensky.

The wife and daughter were buried in the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin of the Assumption Knyaginin monastery in the city of Vladimir.

Personality and board scores

According to the results of a large-scale poll of Russians on December 28, 2008, Alexander Nevsky was chosen "in the name of Russia." However, in historical science there is no single assessment of the activities of Alexander Nevsky, the views of historians on his personality are different, sometimes directly opposite. For centuries, it was believed that Alexander Nevsky played an exceptional role in Russian history in that dramatic period when Russia was hit from three sides, he was seen as the ancestor of the line of Moscow sovereigns and the great patron of the Orthodox Church. Such canonization of Alexander Yaroslavich eventually began to provoke resistance. As the head of the department of Russian history at Moscow State University, N. S. Borisov, states, “fans of destroying myths constantly“ undermine ”Alexander Nevsky, and try to prove that he betrayed both his brother and the Tatars on Russian soil, and in general it is not clear why he considered a great commander. Such discrediting of Alexander Nevsky is constantly encountered in the literature. What was he really like? Sources do not allow to say 100% ”.

Canonical estimate

According to the canonical version, Alexander Nevsky is regarded as a saint, as a kind of golden legend of medieval Russia. In the XIII century, Russia was subjected to blows from three sides - the Catholic West, the Mongol-Tatars and Lithuania. Alexander Nevsky, who had not lost a single battle in his entire life, showed the talent of a commander and diplomat, making peace with the most powerful (but at the same time more tolerant) enemy - the Golden Horde - and repelling the attack of the Germans, at the same time defending Orthodoxy from Catholic expansion. This interpretation was officially supported by the authorities both in pre-revolutionary and Soviet times, as well as by the Russian Orthodox Church. The idealization of Alexander reached its zenith before the Great Patriotic War, during and in the first decades after it. In popular culture, this image was captured in the film "Alexander Nevsky" by Sergei Eisenstein.

Eurasian assessment

Lev Gumilyov, as a representative of Eurasianism, saw in Alexander Nevsky the architect of a hypothetical Russian-Horde alliance. He categorically claims that in 1251 "Alexander came to the Batu horde, made friends, and then fraternized with his son Sartak, as a result of which he became the son of the khan and in 1252 brought the Tatar corps to Russia with the experienced noyon Nevrui." From the point of view of Gumilyov and his followers, Alexander's friendly relations with Batu, whose respect he enjoyed, his son Sartak and his successor, Khan Berke, made it possible to establish the most peaceful relations with the Horde, which contributed to the synthesis of East Slavic and Mongol-Tatar cultures.

Critical Assessment

The third group of historians, generally agreeing with the pragmatic nature of Alexander Nevsky's actions, believes that objectively he played a negative role in the history of Russia. Skeptical historians (in particular Fennel, and after him Igor Danilevsky, Sergei Smirnov) believe that the traditional image of Alexander Nevsky as a genius commander and patriot is exaggerated. They focus on the testimonies in which Alexander Nevsky is a power-hungry and cruel person. They also express doubts about the scale of the Livonian threat to Russia and the real military significance of the clashes on the Neva and Lake Peipsi. According to their interpretation, there was no serious threat from the German knights (and the Battle of the Ice was not a major battle), and the example of Lithuania (into which a number of Russian princes with their lands passed), according to Danilevsky, showed that a successful fight against the Tatars was quite possible. Alexander Nevsky deliberately entered into an alliance with the Tatars in order to use them to strengthen his personal power. In the long term, his choice predetermined the formation of despotic power in Russia.
Alexander Nevsky, having concluded an alliance with the Horde, subjugated Novgorod to the Horde's influence. He extended Tatar power to Novgorod, which was never conquered by the Tatars. Moreover, he gouged out the eyes of dissenting Novgorodians, and there are many sins behind him.
- Valentin Yanin, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Canonization

Canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in the guise of the faithful under Metropolitan Macarius at the Moscow Cathedral in 1547. Memory (according to the Julian calendar): November 23 and August 30 (transfer of the relics from Vladimir-on-Klyazma to St. Petersburg, to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery (from 1797 - Lavra) on August 30, 1724). Days of celebration of St. Alexander Nevsky:

• May 23 (June 5 new.Art.) - Cathedral of the Rostov-Yaroslavl Saints
• August 30 (September 12, new. Art.) - the day of the transfer of the relics to St. Petersburg (1724) - the main
• November 14 (November 27 new. Art.) - the day of death in Gorodets (1263) - canceled
• November 23 (December 6, new Art.) - the day of burial in Vladimir, in the schema of Alexy (1263)

The relics of St. Alexander Nevsky

• Nevsky was buried in the monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin in Vladimir, and until the middle of the 16th century, the Nativity monastery was considered the first monastery in Russia, "the great archimandrite." In 1380, in Vladimir, his relics were discovered imperishable and laid in a reliquary on top of the earth. According to the lists of the Nikon and Resurrection Chronicles of the 16th century, during a fire in Vladimir on May 23, 1491, "the body of the great Prince Alexander Nevsky burned." In the lists of the same chronicles of the 17th century, the story of the fire is completely rewritten and it is mentioned that the relics were miraculously preserved from the fire. In 1547, the prince was canonized, and in 1697, Metropolitan Hilarion of Suzdal placed the relics in a new shrine, decorated with carvings and covered with a precious veil.
• Exported from Vladimir on August 11, 1723, the holy relics were brought to Shlisselburg on September 20 and remained there until 1724, when on August 30 they were installed in the Alexander Nevsky Church of the Alexander Nevsky Holy Trinity Monastery at the behest of Peter the Great. When the Trinity Cathedral was consecrated in the monastery in 1790, the relics were placed in it, in a silver shrine donated by Empress Elizabeth Petrovna.

In 1753, by order of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, the relics were transferred to a magnificent silver tomb, which was made by the craftsmen of the Sestroretsk Arms Factory about 90 pounds of silver. In 1790, after the completion of the construction of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, the tomb was moved to this cathedral and placed behind the right kliros.

• In May 1922, the relics were opened and soon seized. The seized cancer was transferred to the Hermitage, where it is still located.
• The relics of the saint were returned to the Lavra Trinity Cathedral from the storerooms of the Museum of Religion and Atheism, located in the Kazan Cathedral, in 1989.
• In 2007, with the blessing of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, the relics of the saint were transported throughout the cities of Russia and Latvia for a month. On September 20, the holy relics were brought to the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior, on September 27, the shrine was transported to Kaliningrad (September 27-29) and then to Riga (September 29 - October 3), Pskov (October 3-5), Novgorod (5-7 October), Yaroslavl (October 7 - 10), Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg. On October 20, the relics returned to the Lavra.

A piece of the relics of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky is located in the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in the city of Sofia, Bulgaria. Also, part of the relics (little finger) of Alexander Nevsky is located in the Assumption Cathedral in the city of Vladimir. The relics were transferred by decree of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia in October 1998 on the eve of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church's courtyard in Moscow.

Alexander Nevsky in culture and art

Streets, lanes, squares, etc. are named after Alexander Nevsky. Orthodox churches are dedicated to him, he is the heavenly patron of St. Petersburg. Not a single lifetime image of Alexander Nevsky has survived to this day. Therefore, to depict the prince on the order, in 1942, its author, architect I. Telyatnikov, used a portrait of actor Nikolai Cherkasov, who played the role of the prince in the film "Alexander Nevsky".

In ancient Russian literature

A literary work written in the 13th century and known in many editions.

Fiction

• Segen A. Yu. Alexander Nevskiy. The sun of the Russian Land. - M .: ITRK, 2003 .-- 448 p. - (Library of the historical novel). - 5000 copies. - ISBN 5-88010-158-4
• A.K. Yugov War fighters. - L.: Lenizdat, 1983 .-- 478 p.
• A. A. Subbotin For the Russian land. - M .: Military publishing house of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, 1957. - 696 p.
• Mosiyash S. Alexander Nevskiy. - L.: Children's literature, 1982 .-- 272 p.
• Yukhnov S.M. Spy of Alexander Nevsky. - M .: Eksmo, 2008 .-- 544 p. - (In the service of the sovereign. Russian frontier). - 4000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-699-26178-9
• Yan V.G. The youth of the commander // Towards the "last sea". The youth of the commander. - M .: True, 1981.
• Boris Vasiliev. Alexander Nevskiy.

art

• Portrait of Alexander Nevsky (central part of the triptych, 1942) by Pavel Korin.
• Monument to Alexander Nevsky (equestrian sculpture) in St. Petersburg, opened on May 9, 2002 on Alexander Nevsky Square in front of the entrance to the territory of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Authors - sculptors: V. G. Kozenyuk, A. A. Palmin, A. S. Charkin; architects: G.S. Peichev, V.V. Popov.

Cinema

• Alexander Nevsky, Nevsky - Nikolai Cherkasov, director - Sergei Eisenstein, 1938.
• The Life of Alexander Nevsky, Nevsky - Anatoly Gorgul, director - Georgy Kuznetsov, 1991.
• Alexander. Battle of the Neva, Nevsky - Anton Pampushny, director - Igor Kalenov, - Russia, 2008.