The legendary Russian commander Alexander Nevsky won military glory in several battles, which will be discussed in this article. An entire literary story was written about his life and deeds, and he also received the honor of being canonized by the church after his death. The name of this man inspired many generations living several centuries later. It can be assumed that the commander’s talent was passed on to Prince Dmitry Donskoy, whose great-grandfather was Alexander Nevsky. The Battle of Kulikovo, where his great-grandson won a brilliant victory, became the first serious defeat of the Tatar-Mongol troops and the complete defeat of Mamai’s hordes.

Background

The exact date of birth of Alexander Yaroslavich, whom people later nicknamed Nevsky, is still unknown. According to one version, he was born in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky in May, and according to another - in November 1220. He was the second son of Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, who was the great-grandson of Monomakh. Almost all of Alexander’s childhood and youth were spent in Novgorod.

In 1225, Prince Yaroslav performed the rite of princely tonsure, or initiation into warriors, over his sons. After this, his father left Alexander and his older brother in Veliky Novgorod, and he himself went to Pereyaslavl-Zalessky on urgent matters. His children were placed in a great reign, which took place under the supervision of trusted boyars led by Fyodor Danilovich.

In 1233, an unexpected event occurred. The eldest son of Prince Yaroslav, Fedor, died. Soon, Alexander’s first military campaign against Dorpat, which at that time was in the hands of the Livonians, took place. The march, led by his father, ended with the victory of Russian weapons on the Omovzha River.

3 years after the death of his eldest son, Yaroslav left to rule in Kyiv, the capital of all Rus'. It was from this moment that Alexander became a full-fledged prince of Novgorod. At the beginning of his reign, he was exclusively concerned with strengthening his city. In 1239, his father married him to the daughter of Bryachislav, the Prince of Polotsk, and the very next year Alexander had his first child, who was named Vasily.

Reasons for the attack

It must be said that the Pskov and Novgorod lands were practically free from Tatar-Mongol rule. Therefore, they were famous for their wealth: fur-bearing animals were found in abundance in the forests, merchants were extremely enterprising, and artisans were known as great craftsmen. It is not surprising that these territories were constantly encroached upon by greedy neighbors: Lithuania, Swedish feudal lords and German crusading knights. The latter constantly went on military campaigns, either to the promised land or to Palestine.

Gregory IX, the then Pope, blessed the European knights for the war with the pagans, which, in their opinion, included the inhabitants of the Novgorod and Pskov lands. He absolved the soldiers in advance of all the sins they committed during their campaigns.

Enemy plans

Alexander Nevsky's first battle as a commander took place in 1240. He was only 20 years old then. It should be noted that the Swedes began to prepare for war 2 years before it began. They were the first to attempt to conquer Russian lands. To do this, in 1238, King Erich Burr of Sweden enlisted the support and blessing of the Pope to begin a Crusade against the Principality of Novgorod. And according to established tradition, those who took part in hostilities were guaranteed remission of all sins.

A year later, the Germans and the Swedes were engaged in intensive negotiations regarding the offensive plan. It was decided that the first would go to Novgorod through Pskov and Izborsk, and the second, who had already captured Finland, would come from the north, from the Neva River. The Swedish warriors were commanded by the king's son-in-law, Jarl (Prince) Birger, who later founded Stockholm, and Ulf Fasi. In addition, the crusaders were also going to convert the Novgorodians to the Catholic faith, and this was considered worse than the Mongol yoke. Alexander Nevsky also knew about these plans. The Battle of the Neva was thus a foregone conclusion.

Offensive

Summer 1240. Birger's ships appeared on the Neva and stopped at the mouth of the Izhora River. His army consisted not only of Swedes. It also included Norwegians and representatives of Finnish tribes. In addition, the conquerors took with them Catholic bishops, who carried a cross in one hand and a sword in the other. Birger intended to get to Ladoga, and from there go down to Novgorod.

The Swedes and their allies landed on the shore and set up camp in the area where Izhora flows into the Neva. After this, Birger sent a message to the Novgorod prince declaring war on him. It turned out that Alexander Yaroslavich learned about the arrival of the Swedes before this message was delivered to him. He decides to suddenly attack the enemy. There was no time to gather a large army, so the prince set out against the enemy with his army, supplementing it a little with Novgorod volunteers. But before setting off on a campaign, he, according to ancient custom, visited St. Sophia Cathedral, where he received a blessing from Bishop Spyridon.

Birger was completely confident in his military superiority and did not even suspect that he might be subject to a surprise attack, so the Swedes' camp was not guarded. On the morning of July 15, he was attacked by the Russian army. It was commanded by Alexander Nevsky himself. The Battle of the Neva, which began so suddenly, took Birger by surprise. He did not even have time to line up his army for battle and provide organized resistance.

Battle of Alexander Nevsky with the Swedes

Immediately, Russian troops, using the element of surprise, began to push the enemy back to the river. Meanwhile, foot militia were cutting down the bridges that connected the Swedish ships to the shore. They even managed to capture and destroy several enemy ships.

It must be said that the Russian troops fought selflessly. According to the chronicle, Prince Alexander himself killed countless Swedes. The Battle of Neva showed that Russian warriors were strong and very brave warriors. Numerous facts testify to this. For example, Novgorodian Sbyslav Yakunovich, with only one ax in his hands, boldly rushed into the midst of his enemies, while mowing them down left and right. Another of his compatriots, Gavrilo Oleksich, chased Birger himself to the ship, but he was thrown into the water. He rushed into battle again. This time he managed to kill the bishop, as well as one of the noble Swedes.

Results of the battle

During the battle, Novgorod volunteers sank Swedish ships. The surviving remnants of the troops, led by Birger, fled on the surviving ships. Russian losses were very insignificant - only 20 people. After this battle, the Swedes loaded three ships with the bodies of only some nobles, and abandoned the rest on the shore.

The victory won during the battle showed everyone that the Russian army had not lost its former valor and would be able to adequately defend its land from the attacks of an external enemy. Success in this battle also contributed to the increase in military authority that Alexander Nevsky gained for himself. The Battle of the Neva also had enormous political significance. The plans of the German and Swedish conquerors at this stage were thwarted.

Battle of Alexander Nevsky - Battle of the Ice

The Knights of the Livonian Order invaded Russian lands in the summer of that year. They approached the walls of Izborsk and took the city by storm. After that, they crossed the Velikaya River and set up camp right under the walls of the Pskov Kremlin. They besieged the city for a whole week, but it didn’t come to an assault: the residents themselves surrendered it. After this, the knights took hostages and left their garrison there. But the Germans' appetites were growing, and they were not going to stop there. The crusaders gradually approached Novgorod.

Prince Alexander gathered an army and in March 1242 went on a campaign again. Soon he was already near Pskov with his brother Andrei Yaroslavich and his Suzdal squad. They surrounded the city and captured the knightly garrison. The Novgorod prince decided to transfer military operations to enemy territory. In response to this, the Order assembled a large army, which included almost all of its knights and bishops, as well as Swedish soldiers.

The two warring parties met on April 5 of the same year near Lake Peipsi. The Germans chose a poor position for attack. In addition, they expected that the Russian troops would deploy in the usual order, but Alexander Nevsky was the first to decide to break such a stereotype. The Battle of the Lake ended with the complete victory of the Russians and the encirclement of the Germans. Those who managed to escape from the ring fled across the ice, and on the opposite bank they fell under it, since the warriors were wearing heavy knightly armor.

Consequences

The result of this battle is the conclusion of a peace treaty between the Order and the Principality of Novgorod. The Germans were forced to return all previously conquered territories. In addition, the battle of Alexander Nevsky with the crusader troops on Lake Peipsi was unique in its own way. For the first time in the history of military art, troops consisting largely of infantry alone were able to defeat the heavy knightly cavalry.

Canonization and veneration

In November 1283, returning from the Golden Horde, Prince Alexander suddenly fell ill and soon died within the walls of the Gorodets Monastery. But before that, he managed to accept the monastic schema under the name Alexia. His remains were supposed to be transported to Vladimir. The journey from the monastery to the city lasted 9 days, during which the body remained incorrupt.

The merits of Prince Alexander Yaroslavich were appreciated. Russian Orthodox Church canonized him in 1547. And under Catherine I, the Order of Alexander Nevsky was established - one of highest awards Russia.

The battle of Alexander Nevsky with the Swedish conquerors, and then with the knights of the Livonian Order, made it possible to preserve not only the cultural heritage of Rus', but also the Orthodox faith, preventing the establishment of the Catholic Church led by the Pope on this land.

The Battle of the Neva is a battle between Russian and Swedish troops on the Neva River. The goal of the Swedish invasion was to capture the mouth of the Neva River, which made it possible to capture the most important section of the route “from the Varangians to the Greeks,” which was under the control of Veliky Novgorod. Taking advantage of the fog, the Russians unexpectedly attacked the Swedish camp and defeated the enemy; Only the onset of darkness stopped the battle and allowed the remnants of the Swedish army of Birger, who was wounded by Alexander Yaroslavich, to escape. Prince Alexander Yaroslavich was nicknamed Nevsky for the military leadership and courage shown in the battle. The military-political significance of the Battle of the Neva was to prevent the threat of an enemy invasion from the north and to ensure the security of Russia's borders from Sweden in the conditions of Batu's invasion.

NOVGOROD FIRST CHRONICLE OF THE SENIOR EDITION

Svea came in great strength, and Murman, and Sum, and there were many, many things in the ships; With your prince and with your scribes; and stasha in the Neva at the mouth of the Izhera, wanting to receive Ladoga, just the river and Novgorod and the entire Novgorod region. But the good, merciful and loving people of God were also protected from foreigners, as if they were working in vain without God’s command: news has come to Novgorod that they are going to Ladoza. Prince Alexander did not hesitate to come to her from Novgorod and Ladoga, and I won by the power of Saint Sophia and the prayers of our Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, on the 15th month of July, in memory of Saints Kurik and Ulita, on the week of the Gathering of the Holy Fathers 630 , like in Chalcedon; and then the slaughter of Svem was great. And their commander, named Spiridon, quickly killed her; and I did the same thing, as if the pissant killed the same thing; and many many of them fell; and after laying down the ship, two men built it, leaving the wasteland and heading to the sea; and what good was it, having dug a hole, I swept it into the hole; and there were many ulcers; and that night, without waiting for the light of Monday, he departed in shame.

Novgorodets are the same: Kostyantin Lugotinits, Gyuryata Pineshchinich, Namest, Drochilo Nezdylov the son of a tanner, and all 20 are husbands from Ladozhan, or I, God knows. Prince Oleksandr, from Novgorod and Ladoga, came to all your health, preserved by God and Saint Sophia and the prayers of all saints.

ON THE EVE OF THE BATTLE OF NEVSKY

1238 became a turning point in the fate of Alexander Yaroslavich. In the battle with the Tatars on the City River, the fate of not only the Grand Duke, the entire Russian land, but also his father and himself was decided. After the death of Yuri Vsevolodovich, it was Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, as the eldest in the family, who became the Grand Duke of Vladimir. Alexander's father assigned the same Novgorod. Then, in 1238, seventeen-year-old Alexander married Princess Praskovya, daughter of the Polotsk prince Bryachislav. Thus, Alexander acquired an ally on the western borders of Rus' in the person of the Polotsk prince. The wedding took place in the homeland of the mother and grandfather, in the city of Toropets, and the wedding dinner took place twice - in Toropets and in Novgorod. Alexander demonstrated his respect for the city, where he first set out on an independent princely path.

This year and the following were turning points for Alexander in another sense. The invasion of the Tatar-Mongols and their brutal devastation of Russian lands seemed to emphasize the long-developing political disintegration of Rus', its ever-increasing military weakness. Batu’s defeat of the Russian lands naturally coincided with the intensification of aggression against Rus' by all its neighbors. It seemed to them that now they only had to make a small effort, and they would be able to take into their own hands everything that remained beyond the line of the Tatar-Mongol conquest.

The Lithuanians captured Smolensk, the Teutonic knights, tearing apart the old world, began an attack on Pskov. First they captured the Izborsk fortress, and then besieged Pskov itself. It was not possible to take it, but the city gates were opened to the knights by their supporters from among the Pskov boyars. At the same time, the Danes attacked the lands of the Chudians (Estonians) on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, which were under the rule of Novgorod. The last stronghold of free and independent Rus' - the Novgorod lands - was brought to the brink of disaster. Essentially, Alexander Yaroslavich and the Grand Duke standing behind him were opposed by a bloc Western countries, whose striking forces were the “servants of God” from the German lands. In the rear lay Rus', devastated by the Tatars. The young prince found himself at the center of Eastern European politics. The decisive stage of the Russians’ struggle for the remaining independent lands was approaching.

The first to openly attack Novgorod's possessions were the Swedes, Novgorod's longtime enemies. They gave the campaign a crusading character. They loaded onto the ships while religious hymns were sung, and Catholic priests blessed them on their journey. At the beginning of July 1240, the fleet of the Swedish king Erik Lespe headed for the Russian shores. At the head of the royal army were Earl Ulf Fasi and the king's son-in-law, Earl Birger. According to some reports, several thousand people walked with both earls. Soon the Swedes dropped anchor in the place where the Izhora River flows into the Neva. Here they set up their camp and began to dig battle ditches, apparently intending to gain a foothold for a long time and later establish a fortress, their stronghold in the Izhora land, as they had already done in the lands of Emi and Sumi.

An ancient legend preserves the appeal of the Swedish leader to the Novgorod prince: “If you want to resist me, then I have already come. Come and bow down, ask for mercy, and I will give it as much as I want. And if you resist, I will captivate and destroy all and enslave your land, and you and your sons will be my slave.” It was an ultimatum. The Swedes demanded unconditional obedience from Novgorod. They were convinced of the success of their enterprise. According to their concepts, Rus', broken by the Tatars, could not offer them serious resistance. However, events did not unfold at all as the Swedish crusaders expected. Even at the entrance to the Neva, their augers were noticed by local Izhora patrols. The Izhora elder Pelgusy immediately informed Novgorod about the appearance of the enemy and later informed Alexander about the location and number of Swedes.

ALEXANDER NEVSKY DURING THE BATTLE

Prince Alexander Yaroslavich, who fought at the head of the Pereyaslavl squad, managed to spot the “prince’s son” Birger, protected by the swords of several knights, from the height of his war horse. The Russian warrior pointed his horse straight at the enemy leader. The prince's closest squad also deployed there.

“Korolevich” Birger, as a royal commander during the Battle of the Neva, confirmed, beyond any doubt, the reputation of the ancient Folkung family. There is no mention in Russian chronicles of his personal “shakyness” in the lost battle until the minute he was seriously wounded in the face. Birger managed to rally his personal squad around himself, part of the crusader knights, and tried to repel the united attack of the Russian cavalry.

The fact that the crusaders began to successfully fight off the Russian cavalry attacking them at the golden-domed tent forced Prince Alexander Yaroslavich to intensify the onslaught here. Otherwise, the Swedes, who began to receive reinforcements from the augers, could repulse the attack and then the outcome of the battle became difficult to predict.

About that hour the chronicler will say: “The battle was fierce and the slaughter of evil.” In the midst of a furious battle, two leaders of opposing forces came together - the Novgorod prince and the future ruler of the Swedish kingdom, Birger. It was a knightly duel between two medieval commanders, on the outcome of which a lot depended. This is how the wonderful artist Nicholas Roerich depicted him on his historical canvas.

Nineteen-year-old Alexander Yaroslavich boldly pointed his horse at Birger, who stood out in the ranks of the crusader knights, clad in armor, and sitting on a horse. Both were famous for their skill in hand-to-hand combat. Russian warriors almost never wore helmets with visors, leaving their faces and eyes uncovered. Only a vertical steel arrow protected the face from being struck by a sword or spear. In hand-to-hand combat this gave big advantage, since the warrior had a better view of the battlefield and his enemy. Prince Alexander Yaroslavich also fought in such a helmet on the banks of the Neva.

Neither Birger's squires nor the nearby princely warriors began to interfere with the duel between the two military leaders. Skillfully repelling Birger's blow with a heavy spear, the Novgorod prince contrived and accurately hit with his spear into the viewing slot of the lowered visor of the Swedish leader's helmet. The tip of the spear pierced the “king’s son”’s face and blood began to pour into his face and eyes. The Swedish commander swayed in the saddle from the blow, but stayed on his horse.

Birger's squires and servants did not allow the Russian prince to repeat the blow. They repulsed the seriously wounded owner, the crusading knights again closed formation at the golden-domed tent and hand-to-hand fighting continued here. They hurried to take Birger to the flagship auger. The royal army was left without a proven leader. Neither Earl Ulf Fasi nor the warlike Catholic bishops in knightly armor could replace him.

The Russian chronicler described the knightly duel between the Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich and the Swedish commander in the following way: “...Beat many of them mercilessly, and put a seal on the queen’s face with a sharp spear.”

ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NEVSKAYA VICTORY

The losses of the Novgorodians were very insignificant, only twenty people with the Ladoga residents. The glorious victory was so inexpensive! This news seems incredible to us, “and no wonder,” the historian notes, “contemporaries and even eyewitnesses marveled at it.” But what can’t selfless daring and selfless love for the homeland, animated by the hope of heavenly help, accomplish! The success of the Russians depended a lot on the speed and surprise of the attack. In terrible confusion and commotion, enemies of different tribes, deceived in their hope of rich booty and irritated by failure, perhaps rushed to beat each other and continued the bloody battle among themselves and on the other side of Izhora. But most of all, without a doubt, victory depended on the personal merits of the leader, who “won’t win everywhere, but is invincible nowhere.” It was not for nothing that his contemporaries and posterity gave Alexander Yaroslavich the glorious name of Nevsky. His eagle gaze, his wise intelligence, his youthful enthusiasm and management during battle, his heroic courage and intelligent Taken measures precautions, and most importantly, heavenly assistance, most likely ensured the success of the business. He managed to inspire the army and the people. His very personality made a charming impression on everyone who saw him. Shortly before the glorious Neva victory, the Livonian master Andrei Velven came to Novgorod, “though to see the courage and wondrous age of blessed Alexander, just as the ancient queen of the South came to Solomon to see his wisdom. Likewise, this Andriyash, as he saw the holy Grand Duke Alexander, was greatly surprised by the beauty of his face and his wonderful age, especially seeing the wisdom and indispensable intelligence God had given him, and not knowing what to call him, he was in great bewilderment. When he returned from him, he came home and began to talk about him with surprise. Having passed through many countries and languages, and seen many kings and princes, and nowhere did I find such beauty and courage, neither in the kings of the king, nor in the princes of the prince, as Grand Duke Alexander". To explain the secret of this charm, it is not enough to point only to courage and foresight. At the same time with these qualities, there was something higher in him that irresistibly attracted him: the stamp of genius shone on his brow. Like a bright lamp, the gift of God burned in him, clearly for everyone. Everyone admired this gift of God in him. Let us add to this his sincere piety. Like the word of God about Nimrod, he was also a warrior “before the Lord.” An inspired leader, he knew how to inspire the people and the army. The bright image of the Neva hero is reflected most clearly in chronicles, written mostly by contemporaries. What a warm feeling, what, one might say, reverence, their artless stories breathe! “How dare I, thin, unworthy and sinful, write a story about the smart, meek, sensible and brave Grand Duke Alexander Yaroslavich!” - they exclaim. Depicting his exploits, they compare him with Alexander the Great, with Achilles, with Vespasian - the king who captured the land of Judea, with Sampson, with David, and in wisdom - with Solomon. This is not rhetorical embellishment. All this is suggested deeply sincere feeling. Suppressed by the terrible invasion of the Tatars, the Russian people instinctively sought consolation, consolation, longed for something that, at least somewhat, could lift and encourage the fallen spirit, revive hopes, show them that not everything had perished in holy Rus'. And he found all this in the person of Alexander Yaroslavich. Since the Neva victory, he has become a bright guiding star, on which the Russian people focused their gaze with ardent love and hope. He became his glory, his hope, his joy and pride. Moreover, he was still so young, he still had so much ahead of him.

The Romans are defeated and put to shame! - the Novgorodians joyfully exclaimed, - not sveya, Murmans, sum and eat - the Romans, and in this expression, in this name of the defeated enemies by the Romans, the people's instinct correctly guessed the meaning of the invasion. The people here saw the encroachment of the West on the Russian people and faith. Here, on the banks of the Neva, the Russians gave the first glorious rebuff to the formidable movement of Germanism and Latinism into the Orthodox East, into Holy Rus'.

HISTORIANS ABOUT ALEXANDER NEVSKY

N.M. Karamzin:“Good Russians included Nevsky in the ranks of their guardian angels and for centuries attributed to him, as the new heavenly protector of the fatherland, various favorable cases for Russia: so much did posterity believe in the opinion and feeling of his contemporaries in the reasoning of this prince! The name of the Saint given to him is much more expressive than the Great: for the happy are usually called Great: Alexander, with his virtues, could only alleviate the cruel fate of Russia, and his subjects, zealously glorifying his memory, proved that the people sometimes rightly value the virtues of sovereigns and do not always believe them in external splendor of the state."

N.I. Kostomarov: “The clergy respected and valued this prince most of all. His obsequiousness to the khan, his ability to get along with him... and thereby ward off from the Russian people the disasters and devastation that would befall them in any attempt at liberation and independence - all this was completely consistent with the teaching always preached by Orthodox pastors: to consider our goal life in the afterlife, to uncomplainingly endure all sorts of injustices... to submit to any power, even if it is foreign and involuntarily recognized.”

CM. Soloviev:“The preservation of the Russian land from misfortune in the east, famous feats for faith and land in the west gave Alexander a glorious memory in Rus' and made him the most prominent historical figure in ancient history from Monomakh to Donskoy."

Battle of the Neva. The feat of Gavrila Aleksic. Facial chronicle vault of the 16th century

1240 On July 15, the Battle of the Neva took place, in which the squad led by Prince Alexander Yaroslavich defeated the Swedish troops of Eric XI Birger.

The Swedes' goal was to capture the mouth of the Neva, which would allow them to control the northern part of the route “from the Varangians to the Greeks.” For his victory over Birger's army, Alexander received the nickname Nevsky.

Map of the Battle of Neva on July 15, 1240. Source - Beskrovny L.G. Atlas of maps and diagrams in Russian military history. - M.: Military Publishing House of the People's Commissariat of the Armed Forces USSR, 1946. Sheet 4

Battle of the Neva. Facial chronicle vault of the 16th century 4

Fight between Gavrila Aleksic and the Swedish governor. Facial chronicle vault of the 16th century

The flight of the Swedes to the ships. Facial chronicle vault of the 16th century

“Since 1236, young Alexander Nevsky, the son of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, reigned in Novgorod, or rather, served as prince (i.e., leader of the army). Generally speaking, the phrase Alexander Nevsky first appeared in the chronicles of the 15th century. Even in “The Tale of the Life and Courage of the Blessed and Grand Duke Alexander,” created 40 years after the events described, Alexander is never called Nevsky. But since our reader is accustomed to this phrase, we will continue to call Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich Nevsky.

According to the “Tale of the Life and Courage of the Blessed and Grand Duke Alexander,” Birger, having arrived with an army at the mouth of the Neva, sent his ambassadors to Novgorod to tell the prince: “If you are able to resist me, then I am already here, captivating your land.” However, this message is most likely an interpolation by the compiler of the “Tale of the Life...”, since surprise of an attack was often a decisive factor in battles in the north.

In fact, the Swedes were noticed by the Novgorod “sea guards”. This function was performed by the Izhora tribe, led by their elder Pelugius. According to the version of the "Tale of Life..." Pelugius was supposedly already Orthodox and had the Christian name Philip, and the rest of his tribe remained pagan. The Izhora naval guard discovered the Swedes in the Gulf of Finland and quickly reported them to Novgorod. Surely there was a system of operational communication from the mouth of the Neva to Novgorod, otherwise the very existence of the sea guard becomes meaningless. Perhaps these were signal lights on the mounds; perhaps a horse relay race; but, in any case, the warning system worked quickly.

Subsequently, the naval guards conducted secret surveillance of the Swedish ships that entered the Neva. In the “Tale of Life...” it is described as follows: “He (Pelugius) stood on the seashore, watching both routes, and spent the whole night without sleep. When the sun began to rise, he heard a strong noise on the sea and saw one boat floating on the sea, and standing in the middle of the boat were the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb in red clothes, holding their hands on each other’s shoulders. The rowers sat as if dressed in darkness. Boris said: “Brother Gleb, let us row, let us help our relative the prince. Alexander." Seeing such a vision and hearing these words of the martyrs, Pelugius stood trembling until the attack disappeared from his eyes."

Prince Alexander, who was about 20 years old, quickly gathered a squad and moved on boats along the Volkhov to Ladoga, where he was joined by the Ladoga squad.

Earl Birger was completely unaware of the movement of the Novgorod army and decided to give rest to the army on the southern bank of the Neva, not far from the confluence of the Izhora River.

On July 15, 1240, “at six o’clock in the afternoon,” the Russian army suddenly attacked the Swedes. According to the "Tale of Life...", Alexander Yaroslavovich personally wounded Earl Birger in the face with a spear. The surprise of the attack and the loss of the commander decided the matter. The Swedes began to retreat to the ships.

The "Tale of Life..." describes the exploits of six Russian warriors. The first of them, Gavrila Oleksich, rode on horseback along the gangplank onto the Swedish ship (auger) and began to chop down the enemy there. The Swedes threw him from his horse into the water, but he emerged from the water unharmed and attacked the enemy again. The second, named Sbyslav Yakunovich, a Novgorodian, attacked the army of the Swedes many times and fought with one ax, without fear, and many fell by his hand, and they marveled at his strength and courage. The third, Yakov, a Polotsk resident, was a hunter for the prince. He attacked the regiment with a sword, and the prince praised him. The fourth, Mesha, a Novgorodian, on foot with his squad attacked the ships and sank three ships. The fifth, Sava, from the junior squad, burst into the jarl’s golden-domed tent and cut down the tent pole. The sixth, Ratmir, from Alexander’s servants, fought on foot simultaneously with several Swedes, fell from multiple wounds and died.

With the onset of darkness, most of the Swedish ships went downstream of the Neva, and some were captured by the Russians. By order of Alexander, two captured augers were loaded with the bodies of the killed Swedes, and they were sent adrift into the sea, and “drowned into the sea,” and the rest of the killed enemies, “dug a hole, swept them into the nude without number.”

Russian losses turned out to be negligible, only 20 people. This fact, as well as the lack of mention of the Battle of the Neva in Swedish chronicles, gave rise to a number of Russophobic historians to reduce the battle to the level of a minor skirmish. In my opinion, the death of 20 selected warriors in a surprise attack is not such a small loss. In addition, the Izhora were also supposed to participate in the battle on the side of the Russians. After the battle, Orthodox Russians and pagan Izhorians were buried in different places and according to various rituals. The Izhorians burned the bodies of their fellow tribesmen. Therefore, the Russian participants in the battle hardly knew how many were killed among the Izhora.

Another thing is that the number of Swedes who came with Birger could be much smaller than our patriotic historians assumed. There could well have been about a thousand people. But, in any case, the Battle of the Neva became a good lesson for the Swedes.

The Novgorodians greeted Alexander and his squad with the ringing of bells. However, within a few weeks, the power-hungry prince and the restless citizens of free Novgorod quarreled. Alexander Yaroslavovich and his squad went home to his Pereslavl-Zalessky.”

Quoted from: Shirokorad A.B. Northern wars of Russia. — M.: ACT; Mn.: Harvest, 2001. p.65-67

History in faces

Novgorod first chronicle of the older edition:
In summer 6748. The Holy One has come in great strength, and Murman, and Sum, and there are many, many evils in the ships; Holy with the prince and with your scribes; and stasha in the Nestiye Izhera, wanting to receive Ladoga, just the river and Novgorod. and the entire Novgorod region. But even the most kind, most merciful people, the lover of God, were observed and protected from foreigners, as if they were working in vain without God’s command: when the news came to Novgorod, as if the Holy One was going to Ladoz. Prince Oleksandr did not hesitate to come to her from the people of Novgorod and Ladoga, and I conquered with the power of Saint Sophia and the prayers of our mistress the Mother of God and the ever-maiden Mary, the month of July in the 15th, in memory of Saints Kurik and Ulita, on the week of the Gathering of the Holy Fathers 630 , like in Chalcedon; and that speed was great with the Holy One. And their commander, named Spiridon, quickly killed her; and I did the same thing, as if the pissant killed the same thing; and plenty. there are many of them; and after laying down the ship, two men built it, leaving the wasteland and heading to the sea; and what good was it, having dug a hole, I swept it into the hole; and there were many ulcers; and that night, without waiting for Holy Monday, I left in shame.

Novgorodets fell: Kostyantin Lugotinits, Gyuryata Pineshchinich, Namst, Drochilo Nezdylov, the son of a tanner, and all 20 are husbands from Ladozhan, or God knows. Prince Oleksandr, from Novgorod and from Ladoga, came to all your health, preserved by God and Saint Sophia and the prayers of all saints.

Quoted from: Novgorod first chronicle of the older and younger editions. - M.-L., 1950.

The world at this time

To 1240, historians attribute the creation of the most ancient Mongolian literary monument - the Secret Legend of the Mongols, written by an unknown author and extant to this day in the Mongolian language in Chinese hieroglyphic transcription. The sacred legend is an invaluable source of information about the emergence of the Mongolian state and its founder, Genghis Khan.

“Over the centuries, the personality of Genghis Khan (1155 - 1227) has attracted constant interest. Assessments of his affairs are contradictory. In Russian historiography, the image of this commander and statesman is generally negative: it is believed that the formation of his power was accompanied by particular cruelty, that the “Mongol-Tatar yoke” slowed down the socio-economic development of the conquered countries, and the dispersion of the Mongols over a large territory led to their assimilation by other peoples , undermining the potential of Mongolia itself and its weakness after the collapse of the empire. These assessments are partly fair. At the same time, we should not forget that the Middle Ages (in general) were not distinguished by humanity - neither in Europe nor in Asia. Suffice it to recall the history of the Arab Caliphate, the Western European Inquisition, princely feuds in Russia and Japan during the period of feudal fragmentation, etc. Against this background, the cruelty of the Mongols was not something out of the ordinary. And the subsequent “yoke” was hardly anything other than ordinary feudal domination, especially since it was not aimed at destroying social traditions and structures. Moreover, the Mongols showed exceptional religious and national tolerance. Unlike many conquerors who came before and after, they did not set out to impose their religion or way of life with fire and sword, destroying the historical and cultural heritage of other peoples. The khans of the Mongol Empire patronized all religions equally, without imposing any of them. In this they were long ahead of their time. And, although the top of the ruling class of the state was formed from the Mongols, there was no nationalism or national oppression.

Thus, even centuries later, in our time of increasing religious and national intolerance, we can take an example from Genghis Khan and his successors.

We must not forget that it was during the short period of existence of the unified Mongol Empire that, thanks to the rigid order, the routes from West to East became safe, trade and missionary ties expanded, which contributed to mutual understanding and mutual enrichment of cultures. And one of the consequences of the “Mongol-Tatar yoke” was the centralization and consolidation of the Russian principalities, without which the formation of the Muscovite kingdom and, on its basis, the great Eurasian states would have been impossible - Russian Empire and the Soviet Union (...)

Since the 13th century, extensive literature has appeared devoted to the biography of Genghis Khan and the Mongol conquests. But the most important source remains the “Secret Legend” (or “Secret History”), written in 1240, shortly after the death of the commander. This ancient chronicle has been known in Russia since the 19th century, when the head of the Russian spiritual mission in Beijing, Pallady Kafarov, first transcribed in Russian letters a Mongolian text written in Chinese characters and translated the Chinese text into Russian, and also published a translation in 1866. The second, more accurate and a commented translation from Mongolian with a transcription of the original was published by one of the leading Soviet orientalists S.A. Kozin (1879 - 1956).




Chinese edition of The Secret History of the Mongols 1908



Genghis Khan, 13th century image. National Palace Museum Taipei

Fragment of “The Hidden Legend”:

"The night sky is covered with clouds,
You are on duty, my faithful guard:
You guard my yurt with a smoker,
You wrap her tightly around her -
You bring deep sleep to my eyelids.
After all, you elevated me to the rank of king.

Stars, the night sky is lit.
You are my serene dream in bed
Watch carefully, my night guard,
Surrounding my yurt-palace.
To high rank now me
You, the guardian of the gospel, brought it up!

Will the rains weave like a network in bad weather,
Or the frost freezes all living things,
Is the rain pouring in a continuous stream -
You are all around my mesh yurt,
O blessed guard of the night.
You are a joy to my heart, my light-winged one,
My night guard, Kebteul!
You have elevated me to a joyful rank.
In a military storm and adversity
My yurt with its hem was surrounded
You, who rise up in the blink of an eye,
My faithful guard, Kebteul!

Birch bark sajdak
Just touch with your hand -
Everything rises in the blink of an eye
My vigorous guard, Kebteul.

With a sonorous quiver of willow
Just hit it barely audibly -
You won't hesitate
My swift guard,
O my blessed one, Kebteul!

Glory to her old guards!
And call him a great tourhaut
Seventy of those tourhouts that are together
With the Cherbian Ogole they entered into service.

Glory to the old heroes
Bogatyrs under the command of Archai!
Also call Khorchin the Great
Esuntee with Bugidai archers!"

Quoted from: The Secret Legend. Mongolian chronicle of 1240 called Mongrol-un Niruca tobciyan. Yuan Chao Bi Shi. Mongolian everyday collection. M-L. 1941

July 15 1240 The Battle of the Neva took place, in which the squad led by Prince Alexander Yaroslavich defeated the Swedish troops of Eric XI Birger. The goal of the Swedes was to capture the mouth of the Neva, which would allow them to control the northern part of the route “from the Varangians to the Greeks.” For his victory over Birger's army, Alexander received the nickname Nevsky.

In the 30s of the 13th century, a formidable danger from the West loomed over Russia. The German invaders, carrying out widespread forced colonization and Christianization of the Baltic tribes, approached the Russian borders. At the same time, the Swedes, having subjugated the Finnish tribes Sumy and Em, did not abandon their long-standing claims to the Novgorod lands - the Neva and Ladoga regions. The main organizer of campaigns with the aim of seizing Russian lands was the head catholic church- the pope who sought to unite the forces of the Order, the bishops of Riga and Dorpat, as well as Sweden and Denmark. Taking advantage of the fact that after the devastation of North-Eastern Rus' by the Mongols, Novgorod and Pskov had nowhere to wait for help, the Swedish and German knights intensified their expansion in North-Western Rus', counting on an easy victory. The Swedes were the first to attempt to seize Russian lands. Already in 1238, the Swedish king received a blessing from the Pope for crusade against the Novgorodians. Everyone who agreed to take part in the campaign was promised absolution. In 1239, the Swedes and Germans negotiated, outlining a campaign plan: the Swedes, who had by that time captured Finland, were to attack Novgorod from the north, from the river. Neva, and the Germans - through Izborsk and Pskov. The Swedish government of King Erich Burt allocated an army for the campaign under the leadership of Jarl (Prince) Ulf Fasi and the king's son-in-law, Birger.

At this time, the young prince Alexander Yaroslavich (Old Russian: Aleѯandr Ѧroslavich), the son of the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, reigned in Novgorod. He was an intelligent, energetic and brave man, and most importantly, a true patriot of his Motherland. He had already gained fame as a skillful politician and understood that the weakened Russian principalities did not have the strength to fight on two fronts. Therefore, the prince maintained peaceful relations with the Tatars, providing himself with a safe rear in the event of a fight against German-Swedish aggression.

According to “The Tale of the Life and Courage of the Blessed and Grand Duke Alexander,” Birger, having arrived with an army at the mouth of the Neva, sent his ambassadors to Novgorod to tell the prince: “If you are able to resist me, then I am already here, captivating your land.” However, this message is most likely an interpolation by the compiler of the “Tale of the Life...”, created 40 years after the events described, since surprise of an attack was often a decisive factor in battles in the north.

In fact, the Swedes were noticed by the Novgorod “sea guards”. This function was performed by the Izhora tribe, led by their elder Pelugius. According to the version of the “Tale of Life...” Pelugius was supposedly already Orthodox and had the Christian name Philip, and the rest of his tribe remained pagan. The Izhora naval guard discovered the Swedes in the Gulf of Finland and quickly reported them to Novgorod. Surely there was a system of operational communication from the mouth of the Neva to Novgorod, otherwise the very existence of the sea guard becomes meaningless. Perhaps these were signal lights on the mounds; perhaps a horse relay race; but, in any case, the warning system worked quickly.

Subsequently, the naval guards conducted secret surveillance of the Swedish ships that entered the Neva. In the “Tale of Life...” it is described as follows: “He (Pelugius) stood on the seashore, watching both paths, and spent the whole night without sleep. When the sun began to rise, he heard a strong noise on the sea and saw one boat floating on the sea, and standing in the middle of the boat were the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb in red robes, holding their hands on each other’s shoulders. The rowers sat as if covered in darkness. Boris said: “Brother Gleb, tell us to row, and let us help our relative Prince Alexander.” Seeing such a vision and hearing these words of the martyrs, Pelugius stood trembling until the nasad disappeared from his eyes.”

Prince Alexander, who was about 20 years old, quickly gathered a squad and moved on boats along the Volkhov to Ladoga, where he was joined by the Ladoga squad.

Earl Birger was completely unaware of the movement of the Novgorod army and decided to give rest to the army on the southern bank of the Neva, not far from the confluence of the Izhora River.

On July 15, 1240, “at six o’clock in the afternoon,” the Russian army suddenly attacked the Swedes. According to the “Tale of Life...”, Alexander Yaroslavovich personally wounded Earl Birger in the face with a spear. The surprise of the attack and the loss of the commander decided the matter. The Swedes began to retreat to the ships.

The “Tale of Life...” describes the exploits of six Russian warriors. The first of them, Gavrila Oleksich, rode on horseback along the gangplank onto the Swedish ship (auger) and began to chop down the enemy there. The Swedes threw him from his horse into the water, but he emerged from the water unharmed and attacked the enemy again. The second, named Sbyslav Yakunovich, a Novgorodian, attacked the army of the Swedes many times and fought with one ax, without fear, and many fell by his hand, and they marveled at his strength and courage. The third, Yakov, a Polotsk resident, was a hunter for the prince. He attacked the regiment with a sword, and the prince praised him. The fourth, Mesha, a Novgorodian, on foot with his squad attacked the ships and sank three ships. The fifth, Sava, from the junior squad, burst into the jarl’s golden-domed tent and cut down the tent pole. The sixth, Ratmir, from Alexander’s servants, fought on foot simultaneously with several Swedes, fell from multiple wounds and died.

With the onset of darkness, most of the Swedish ships went downstream of the Neva, and some were captured by the Russians. By order of Alexander, two captured augers were loaded with the bodies of the killed Swedes, and they were sent adrift into the sea, and “drowned into the sea,” and the rest of the killed enemies were “digged into a hole, swept into countless numbers.”

Russian losses turned out to be negligible, only 20 people. This fact, as well as the lack of mention of the Battle of the Neva in Swedish chronicles, gave rise to a number of Russophobic historians to reduce the battle to the level of a minor skirmish. In my opinion, the death of 20 selected warriors in a surprise attack is not such a small loss. In addition, the Izhora were also supposed to participate in the battle on the side of the Russians. After the battle, Orthodox Russians and pagan Izhorians were buried in different places and according to different rituals. The Izhorians burned the bodies of their fellow tribesmen. Therefore, the Russian participants in the battle hardly knew how many were killed among the Izhora.

At the beginning of the 13th century, Rus' found itself between two fires: the Tatar-Mongols came from the East, and from the West came the Germans, Swedes, Danes and armies of other countries who wanted to conquer new lands, taking advantage of the weakness of Kievan Rus. In this article we will talk about the invasion from the West, in particular, we will briefly consider the Battle of the Neva. This is important historical event, which is as important as it is contradictory. But let's talk about everything in order...

Reasons for the battle

In 1240, Batu's invasion began. Taking advantage of these events, the Swedish king decided to attack Rus', capturing the large trading city of Novgorod. There were a huge number of prerequisites for this:

• The enemy was bogged down in heavy fighting, suffering heavy losses. The Mongols destroyed most of the male population of Rus'.
• Novgorod, despite the fact that it did not see the invasion, remained alone, without the support of other principalities.
• Novgorod was ruled by the young prince Alexander Yaroslavich, who had not been glorified by any great deeds before.

As a result, in July 1240, the Swedish army led its fleet to the mouth of the Neva. The command of the army was taken over by the son-in-law of the Swedish king, Birger. Moving inland, his army stopped on the left bank of the Neva, not far from the mouth of the Izhora. The Swedes were so confident of their victory that, according to some sources, they sent a message to the young Prince Alexander that said “We are here and we will capture you and your land.”

As for Alexander’s actions, he had accurate information about the movements of the Swedish army, since reconnaissance activities were well established in Novgorod. The young prince decided to use the factor of surprise by gathering the city militia and making a rapid march to the place where the Swedish army stopped. During the movement of troops, more and more new detachments joined him.

Map of the Neva Battle

The Battle of Neva took place on July 15, 1240. In this battle, the Russians and the Swedes came together. On this day, Alexander's troops secretly approached the camp where the Swedes were staying.

The young prince's plan was as follows:

• The militia were supposed to cut off the Swedes' path to retreat to the ships.
• A sudden and powerful attack from the cavalry was supposed to inflict a decisive defeat on the enemy.

The Russian army launched a surprise attack on the developed plan. The Swedes did not expect such a turn of events, as a result of which panic began in their ranks. This panic was aggravated by the fact that, within a short time after the start of the battle, the Swedish bishop was killed, Birger's tent was destroyed, and the militia destroyed 3 Swedish ships. The suddenness of the attack, as well as the major successes of the Russian army, forced the Swedes to retreat.

The Battle of the Neva continued until evening. During the battle, the Russian army lost 20 people killed. There is no exact information about how many Swedes died. But if you believe historical sources, then most of the army was destroyed and the number of dead is tens and hundreds. Some chronicles mention that the day after the battle, on the other side of the Neva River, the Swedes buried those who died in the battle. After that, they left Russian soil on ships that were preserved after the battle.

Participants in the battle

The problem in studying the Battle of the Neva is that very few historical sources have survived where this battle is described in full. In fact, we can only study this historical event on the basis of chronicles, which are very contradictory. In particular, there is very little information about the historical figures who took part in this battle.

In addition to Alexander, who as a result of this battle received the nickname Nevsky, the following people took part in the battle:

• Gavrilo Oleksich - fought on ships, he was thrown off the ships several times, but he returned.
• Sbyslav Yakunovich - fought in the center of events with one ax, but, skillfully using his weapon, he brought panic to the enemy ranks.
• Yakov Polochanin also fought in the very center of events, but wielded a sword.
• Savva - noted for cutting down the tent of the Swedish commander Birger.
• Misha - commanded a detachment of militias, together with whom he sank 3 ships.
• Ratmir is the personal servant of Prince Alexander, who fought in the battle but was killed.

There is no other information about the individuals who took part in this battle.

Historical significance of the Battle of Neva

The historical significance of the Battle of the Neva, which we briefly reviewed in this article, is very controversial. The main thing that should be said is that the young Prince Alexander managed to defeat the Swedes, thereby securing Novgorod from attempts to seize it from Western countries. On the other hand, there is an absolute contradiction in the actions of the Novgorodians themselves. Despite the prince’s brilliant victory, and despite the fact that the significance of his victory was recognized by everyone, which is expressed, for example, in giving him the nickname “Nevsky,” the Novgorodians expelled Alexander from the city almost immediately after the battle. He returned only a year later, when Novgorodkovka was threatened by military danger in the face of the Livonian Order.

Weaknesses and criticism

Above, we have already partially examined the issues that even a cursory study of the Battle of the Neva indicates that this is a very controversial event. In particular, a number of modern historians say that it was not some kind of general and super important historical battle, but a simple border conflict. It is quite difficult to verify this, but this statement is not without logic, since it is difficult to imagine an important historical confrontation and an important historical battle in which less than 100 people died. No, we do not have any exact information about the losses of the Swedes. This figure, depending on the sources, varies from several dozen people to hundreds. But this is only one aspect to consider. There are other important factors:

• Contradiction in the chronicles. If we consider Western sources, they have no mention at all of the battle that took place in 1240. If we consider the Russian chronicles, then in the Ipatiev Chronicle there is also no mention of the battle, and the Laurentian Chronicle very briefly describes the Battle of the Neva in 1263, and not in 1240.
• Illogical behavior of the Swedes. It is absolutely incomprehensible why the army that came with the goal of conquest did not move in the direction of Novgorod, and also did not build a fortified camp. If we consider the classic idea of ​​​​the event, we get the feeling that the Swedes came not to war, but to a picnic. It is also unclear why, after the defeat, the Swedes remained at the battle site for another day, managing to save all the dead.
• Swedish historical sources say that Birger did not leave the country in 1240. Also this year, not a single one of the lists of this country died, but if you believe the generally accepted version, a Swedish bishop died in the battle.

These contradictory sides are presented in order to create a clear idea that this historical event is not as clear as it is commonly said. The fact is that the Battle of the Neva really took place, but all the details of this event are described very little, and a huge number of questions remain, the answers to which, most likely, no one will give. But in any case, we talked about the victory of the Russian troops over the Vedas from different points of view, and each reader draws his own conclusions.