On December 6, the Russian Orthodox Church remembers the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky.
The name of this prince is associated with the absolute majority of our people primarily with the struggle of Rus' against the German and Swedish aggression, with the Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice. Less well known are Alexander's victories over the Lithuanians in 1243 and 1245 and his campaign in Finland in 1256. As for the policy of Alexander Yaroslavich towards the Tatar-Mongols, then best case scenario it speaks of forced, temporary submission to the conquerors (which is generally true: in the absence of unity, weakened by the terrible Batu invasion, Rus' could not successfully resist the many times superior forces of the Mongols), and in worst case, Eurasian tales are repeated about the “adoption” of Alexander by Batu, about the “symbiosis” and “union” of Rus' and the Horde, and similar nonsense...
Meanwhile, there is data from sources that quite definitely indicate that Alexander Nevsky was never either “the son of Batu” or “an ally of the Horde khans”, but on the contrary, even in the conditions of the most terrible first decades of the yoke, he did everything possible to weaken dependence of the Grand Duchy of Vladimir on Mongol conquerors, including through organizing armed anti-Horde protests.
In this regard, they present special interest Chronicle reports about the victorious uprising in the cities of Vladimir-Suzdal Rus' in 1262, during which Tatar tribute collectors were killed or expelled, as a result of which the collection of tribute gradually passed into the hands of the Russian princes themselves, which in turn significantly weakened the dependence of the Russian lands on the Horde and was a significant step towards liberation. Traditionally, the prevailing point of view is that these popular uprisings were spontaneous, but against this statement evidenced by a number of facts. First of all, attention will be drawn to the fact that the uprising simultaneously embraced all big cities Great Principality of Vladimir, this suggests the organization and coordination of popular uprisings; moreover, there are direct indications from the chronicles of Grand Duke Alexander and the Russian princes as the organizers of the uprising: “That same summer there was a light on Tatarov throughout the Russian city, and Tsar Batu’s rulers were imprisoned throughout the Russian city, and after the murder of Batu his son Sartak and for this reason. The princes of Russia agreed among themselves and expelled the Tatars from their cities, because there is violence from them, because I bought off the rich tribute from the Tatars and were selfish, and many people were squalid in their work. And so the princes of Russia drove out the Tatars, and beat others, and others were baptized from them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Then I killed the apostate Izosim in Yaroslavl..." (Nikon Chronicle. PSRL, vol. H. p. 143) As can be seen from the above chronicle passage, the uprising was not spontaneous, its organizers were the “princes of Russia”, naturally, without the participation of the Grand Duke of Vladimir, who was then Alexander Nevsky, appanage princes would not have dared to take such an action. In addition, there is a chronicle message where Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky himself is directly named as the organizer of the uprising: “And I came to Ustyug with a letter from Grand Duke Oleksandr Yaroslavovich"To beat the Tatars"(Ustyug chronicler, PSRL, vol. 37, p. 70). Thus, the above information from sources refute the Eurasian fictions about Alexander Nevsky, and also allow us to draw a conclusion about the anti-Horde nature of Alexander’s “eastern” policy and add to his victories over Western opponents the victory of 1262 over the main enemies of Rus' at that time - Tatar-Mongols.
Muscovite Rus' (1262-1538)
Strife among the successors of Alexander Nevsky
With the death of Alexander Nevsky in 1263, strife - “dislike” - broke out again in Rus'. His numerous brothers, sons and nephews never became worthy successors to the Grand Duke. They quarreled and, “running... to the Horde,” led the Tatars to Rus'. Bishop Serapion of Vladimir wrote about this with pain and anger: “We... consider ourselves Orthodox... (a) untruths are always filled with envy and unmercifulness: we rob and kill our brothers, sell them to the pagans... if it were possible, we would eat each other ..."
After Alexander, his brother Yaroslav Yaroslavich became the Grand Duke, who ruled until 1271, until, like his father and brother, he died on the way from the Horde. The last surviving child of Yaroslav, Vasily Yaroslavich, received the golden label, but in 1276 he too died. The Grand Duke's table passed to the son of Alexander Nevsky, Dmitry Alexandrovich. He was fiercely at enmity with him younger brother Andrei, who “obtained” a gold label for himself in the Horde and brought the Tatars who helped him overthrow Dmitry. So Prince Andrei Alexandrovich was the first of the Russian princes to seize power with the help enemy force. The so-called “Dudenev’s army” that came to Rus' with Andrei burned and plundered 14 Russian cities. Contemporaries compared this time with Batu's invasion. In a word, Rus' suffered most from these strife, being subjected to the devastating raids of the conquerors.
The struggle of the brothers, who brought the Mongol-Tatar army to Rus', lasted for almost a quarter of a century, until 1294, when Dmitry died. From then on, Andrei Alexandrovich enjoyed the power he gained through treachery and betrayal for 10 years (until his death in 1304), although the true masters of the country were the Baskaks - tribute collectors who mercilessly robbed the subjects of the pathetic heirs of Alexander Nevsky.
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Sons of the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yaroslav Vsevolodovich (princes and governors)
1. Fyodor Yaroslavin - prince-governor in Novgorod from 1228 to 1233.
2. Alexander Yaroslavin Nevsky - prince-governor in Novgorod from 1228 to 1236, prince of Kiev and Novgorod from 1236 to 1252, Grand Duke of Vladimir from 1252 to 1263.
3. Andrei Yaroslavin - Grand Duke of Vladimir from 1250 to 1252, Prince-Governor of the Suzdal inheritance from 1256 to 1264.
4. Yaroslav (Afanasy) Yaroslavin - Prince of Tver from 1247 to 1271, Prince of Novgorod from 1255 to 1266–1270, Grand Duke of Vladimir from 1263 to 1271.
5. Vasily Yaroslavin - Prince of Kostroma from 1272 to 1276.
6. Konstantin Yaroslavin - prince-governor of Galich of the Kostroma inheritance from 1246 to 1255.
Sons of the Grand Duke Vladimirsky Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky (princes and governors)
1. Vasily Alexandrovich - prince-governor in Novgorod in 1252–1257, prince-governor of the Pereyaslav appanage in 1259–1271.
2. Dmitry Alexandrovich - Prince of Pereyaslavl in 1253–1294, Prince-Governor in Novgorod in 1259–1263, Grand Duke of Vladimir in 1276–1281 and 1283–1294.
3. Andrei Alexandrovich - Prince of Gorodets in 1276–1304, Grand Duke of Vladimir in 1281–1283 and 1294–1304.
4. Daniil Alexandrovich - prince-governor of the Moscow appanage in 1276–1282, prince of Moscow in 1283–1304.
Appendix three
Chronicle of events in Rus' during the life of Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky
1223, May 31- battle on the Kalka River between the Russian princes and their Cuman allies with the Mongol army.
1224- capture of the fortress city of Yuryev by German crusading knights.
1234- campaign of the Novgorod militia to Dorpat (formerly Yuryev).
1236 year - the beginning of the independent reign of Alexander Yaroslavich in the free city of Novgorod.
1237- unification with the blessing of Pope Gregory IX Teutonic Order and the Order of the Sword.
1237–1238 years - the invasion of Mongol-Tatar hordes under the leadership of Batu Khan into North-Eastern Rus'. Heroic Defense Russian cities, battle on the City River.
1239–1240 years - the invasion of the Mongol-Tatar hordes under the leadership of Batu Khan on Southern Rus'. The ruin of Kyiv.
1240, August - September- invasion of German knighthood Livonian Order to the lands of Pskov and Novgorod.
1241- liberation of the Koporye fortress by the Novgorodians from the German crusading knights.
1242, April 5 - Battle on the Ice Russian army with the knightly army of the Livonian Order.
1245- the campaigns of the Novgorod prince Alexander Nevsky to Lithuania and the defeat of the Lithuanians in the battle of Lake Zhitsa.
1249- trip of Prince Alexander Nevsky and his brother Andrei Yaroslavich to the capital Mongol Empire city of Karakoram.
1252, July 23- the invasion of the Mongol-Tatar army under the leadership of Nevryuy ("Nevryuyev's army") into Vladimir-Suzdal Rus'. Battle near Pereyaslavl.
1253- reflection of the raid Livonian knights to Pskov; Lithuanian raid on Russian lands and their defeat at Toropets.
1256- the campaign of the Russian army under the leadership of Alexander Nevsky in Finland against the Swedish crusaders.
1257–1259- census of the population of North-Eastern Rus' by Mongolian census takers. Speech against the Golden Horde by the Grand Duke of Vladimir Andrei Yaroslavich. Unrest in Novgorod due to tribute to Saray.
1261- the birth of Daniil Alexandrovich, the ancestor of the Moscow princes.
1262- campaigns of the allied Lithuanian and Novgorod troops to the lands of the Livonian Order.
1262- an uprising of the population of North-Eastern Rus' against the “bessermen” - Mongolian tribute collectors and moneylenders.
1263- Alexander Nevsky's last trip to the Golden Horde.
1263, November 14- the death of the holy and faithful Grand Duke Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky.
Notes
1
Inflow. Many researchers ancient world They believe that this is the author of the famous Old Testament “Book of Proverbs of Solomon.”
2
Feodosia. Mother of Alexander Nevsky, Grand Duchess. History has preserved almost no information about her. Most researchers consider her the granddaughter of the famous Ryazan prince Gleb Vladimirovich, daughter of Prince Mstislav the Udal. She died in Novgorod in 1244 and was solemnly buried in the local Yuryevsky Monastery.
3
Isaiah. Biblical prophet of the 8th century BC. e., son of Amos. Isaiah is credited in history with compiling the Old Testament “Book of Prophecies,” consisting of 66 chapters.
4
Joseph. According to the Bible, Joseph the Beautiful was sold into slavery by his brothers. Managed to unravel dreams Egyptian pharaoh, after which he married him to the priest’s daughter and made him his co-ruler. When Joseph's brothers, driven by hunger, arrived on the banks of the Nile, he settled them in this country.
5
Samson. Biblical hero who had extraordinary physical strength, which was hidden in his long hair. Fair judge. Being one of the heroes Old Testament, died under the ruins of the temple.
6
Solomon. King of the Kingdom of Israel and Judah in 965–928. BC e., son of David. According to biblical tradition, he was famous for his extraordinary wisdom. According to legend, Solomon is the author of the Song of Songs, the Book of Proverbs of Solomon and Wisdom.
7
Vespasian. Roman Emperor 69–79 n. e., founder of the Flavian dynasty. He became famous as an energetic commander who widely extended the rights of Roman and Latin citizenship to residents of the provinces.
8
Joatapata. An ancient fortress in Palestine, famous for its inaccessibility.
9
10
Queen of Uzhskaya. Legendary queen Sheba from South Arabia. Her kingdom was located in the territory of modern Yemen.
11
King of the Roman faith. The author of the "Life" calls the Swedish king Erik Eriksson by his nickname Lespe, which means Burr. He entrusted all military affairs to his son-in-law Birger, a powerful feudal lord of Sweden. The Swedish knightly army and its allies went on a crusade against Novgorod Rus' in 1240 under the command of Earl Ulf Fasi and Birger.
12
Church of Sophia. Hagia Sophia Cathedral in the Novgorod Kremlin, founded in 989. The most revered temple among the residents of Novgorod.
13
Archbishop Spyridon. Archbishop of Novgorod from 1229 to 1249, supporter of Prince Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky during his reign of the free city.
14
Songmaker. This refers to the biblical hero-shepherd David, who defeated the Philistine giant Goliath in single combat and cut off his head.
15
Kirik and Julitta. The 4th Ecumenical Council in Chalcedon took place on July 16, 451. Kirik and Ulita are son and mother, according to Christian teaching, martyrs (III - early IV centuries). Their memory is celebrated on July 15. Princes Boris and Gleb are the sons of Prince Vladimir I, killed on July 24, 1015 by order of their brother Svyatopolk the Accursed, who fought for supremacy among ancient Russian princes. Canonized in 1072, Rostov prince Boris and Murom prince Gleb were considered military patrons of the Russian land.
16
Pelguy. Elder of the Izhorian tribe, chief sea guard, installed Novgorod prince Alexander Nevsky at the mouth of the Neva River and on the banks Gulf of Finland. Izhora land lay south of the Neva and was part of Novgorod Rus'. Pelguy - Pelgusy (Pelgusy) - upon entering Orthodoxy, Philip is the ancestor of the Pelkonen family.
17
At six o'clock in the afternoon. The Battle of the Neva took place at the confluence of the Izhora River and the Neva on July 15, 1240 at 6 o’clock in the afternoon according to ancient Russian time, that is, at 6 o’clock counting from sunrise, - at 11 o’clock in the morning according to modern time.
18
Latins. Adherents of the Roman Catholic faith. In the "Life" of Alexander Nevsky, these are the Swedes, Norwegians and others who made up the knightly army of Sweden, which went crusade to the East - to Novgorod Rus'.
In 1262, an uprising broke out against the Tatars in Vladimir, Rostov, Suzdal, Pereyaslavl and Yaroslavl, caused by severe oppression from Tatar tribute farmers. The Tatar regiments were already ready to move to Russian soil. Then Alexander hurried to the Horde to the khan (4th time) to pray the people out of trouble. He lived there all winter and not only managed to avert the Tatar pogrom, but also obtained from the khan the release of the Russian land from the obligation to field military detachments for the Tatars.
At the same time, Alexander turned to Sartak, the son of Batu, who then ruled the Horde, with a complaint against Andrei Yaroslavich that he did not receive the grand-ducal table according to seniority and did not pay the khan in full. As a result of this complaint, Alexander received a label for the great reign, and Tatar hordes under the command of Nevryu were moved against Andrei. Having learned about the Tatar invasion, A. exclaimed: “How long will we quarrel among ourselves and bring on the Tatars; it is better to flee to a foreign land than to be friends with the Tatars and serve them!” The Tatars overtook him near Pereyaslavl, defeated him and forced him to seek salvation in Novgorod, from where he retired to Sweden.
In 1262, Alexander Nevsky sent Yaroslav Yaroslavich to help Novgorod against the Germans.
In 1262, Vasilko Romanovich of Volyn won a victory near the city of Nevel over Mindauga Lithuania, which caused a lot of harm to the possessions of the Pinsk princes with its raids. On this occasion, Georgy Vladimirovich, Prince of Pinsk († in 1290 or 1292), son of Vladimir Glebovich of Pinsk, came to Vasilko “with drink” and feasted with him.
Dimitri Alexandrovich, son of A. Nevsky, Prince of Pereyaslavl, then Grand Duke of Vladimir (1250-1294). In 1259, Dmitry was placed by his father to reign in Novgorod, from where in 1262 he made a campaign against Yuryev and returned “with many goods.” But as soon as A. Nevsky died, the Novgorodians expelled him, “before... he was still small.”
The middle of the 13th century... The darkness of foreign domination fell over Russia. The Mongol-Tatar khans installed their governors in Russian cities, who monitored the collection of tribute, which fell into an unbearable burden on the population. The chronicler sadly wrote that “the Russian princes were in the will of the Tatars.”
Prince of Novgorod Alexander Nevskiy received the khan's "label" for his great reign in 1252. At the same time, under the influence of certain literature, a stereotype developed that he pursued a policy friendly to the Mongols, aimed at “reconciliation” with them. However, in Russian sources the attitude towards the Mongol-Tatars was more than unambiguous. The fight against the invasion was depicted in the chronicles as a righteous deed, sanctified Orthodox faith. The chronicler attributed the phrase to the residents of the city of Kozelsk, who stood to their death against the hordes of Batu: “And having accepted the glory of this light, we will accept the heavenly crown of Christ God.” The fight against the invaders was understood as a Christian feat. Did Alexander Nevsky really think otherwise?
Many chronicle episodes are imbued with obvious anti-Mongol sentiments, which were conveyed very expressively and emotionally. As an example, they often cite the story of the murder of the young prince Vsevolod Yuryevich, who voluntarily left besieged Vladimir with many gifts to Batu, or a fragment about the destruction of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir by the Mongol-Tatars, where the bishop and princesses with their children were burned alive.
In the southern Russian chronicles, the negative assessment of the Mongol-Tatars was directly related to the position occupied by the prince Daniil Galitsky, who hatched plans for direct military resistance to the invaders. It is impossible to find a fragment in the chronicles where the Mongol-Tatars were spoken of even in calm tones. Anti-Horde orientation ancient Russian chronicles was expressed primarily in bright paintings Mongol-Tatar pogroms, as well as in the far unflattering epithets that were awarded to the conquerors and their khans.
In the Novgorod I Chronicle, references to the Mongol-Tatars are quite numerous. The story about the invasion itself is written very expressively, and the author did not hide his hatred of the invaders, who were called “filthy foreigners,” “godless and filthy,” “cursed,” “bloodshedders of Christian blood.” Such characteristics quite clearly indicated the anti-Mongol sentiments of the Novgorodians.
Researchers rightly note that nowhere in Russian literature of that time is a negative assessment of the Mongol-Tatar yoke reflected with such force as in the sermons of Serapion of Vladimir. Being a rector Kiev-Pechersk Monastery, he only ended up in North-Eastern Rus' towards the end of his life. In four of Serapion's five famous sermons, the people are called to repentance, to cleansing from sins, which will provide liberation from the godless invaders. In separate episodes, the preacher described the painful consequences of foreign rule for Rus', which he explained by God's wrath.
Serapion viewed the domination of the Mongol-Tatars as a great evil, which sooner or later must end - if the Russian people get rid of their sins, then “the wrath of God will cease, ... we will live in joy in our land.” Speaking about the invasion, Serapion described a picture of terrible devastation, when “the blood of both fathers and brothers filled the earth like water.” Through all his sermons one can see pain for the Russian land and its lost former greatness, a desire to bring it closer as soon as possible. Obviously, intransigence towards the Mongol-Tatars was universal.
Positive or neutral characteristics of the yoke cannot be found in any monument of that time. The yoke was perceived very emotionally, Mongol-Tatar atrocities, cruelties and robberies were described in vivid colors. The people did not want “reconciliation” with the invaders. Some toponyms, for example, Treparevo on the Vorsmitsa River, may partially indicate his mood. According to the Khlebnikov chronicler, here was the site of a battle between the Russians and the Mongol-Tatars, who were given a beating. The Tatars fled, but according to legend they were overtaken where the village of Dushilovo now stands. According to local historians, the proximity of the villages of Baskachi, Treparevo and Dushilovo allows for the possibility of such a legend.
Researchers have already noted that a large number of toponyms that reflected resistance to the Mongol-Tatars are observed in North-Eastern Rus'. M.N. Tyunina writes that
It was from Rostov that the wave of veche protests against the Tatars began more than once. The first time, by decision of the veche, the Rostovites rebelled and expelled the tribute collectors in 1262. The chronicle says that similar uprisings took place in 1289, 1294, 1307, 1320, 1382, 1408, and their “epicenter” was Rostov. The Tatars brutally dealt with those who opposed them.
Could Prince Alexander Nevsky think differently than his people, who were striving for speedy liberation from the yoke!? If we imagine this even for a moment, it is unlikely that he would have remained in people's memory favorite hero and would have been canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. So, I think the answer is obvious.
However, Alexander Nevsky sought to act based on the real state of affairs. And it was such that Rus', which survived the invasion, turned out to be too weak to resist the Mongol-Tatars on the battlefield. Alexander Nevsky's brother Andrei, together with Prince Daniil Galitsky, was preparing an armed uprising against the Mongol-Tatars, offering to join his alliance and Alexander. Daniil Galitsky frivolously hoped for success and believed that Rus' had enough strength to throw off the yoke. But in 1252, the regiments of the Vladimir and Galician-Volyn princes were completely defeated.
Therefore, Alexander Nevsky, who became the Grand Duke of Vladimir, chose a different tactic. On the one hand, he expressed submission to the Mongol-Tatars, on the other, he sought in every possible way to strengthen Rus' and make its dependence on the Horde the least. He was a truly great diplomat who pursued a policy of imaginary peace and cooperation in order to prevent a new invasion of Russian lands. The prince often traveled to the Horde with rich gifts. Soon he managed to achieve the release of Russian soldiers from the obligation to fight on the side of the Mongol-Tatars.
But military resistance, the thought of which seemed to recede into the background, was not forgotten in Rus'. In the end, armed conquest could only be broken with weapons in hand. How did Alexander Nevsky feel about all this?
Uprisings against the Mongol-Tatars broke out repeatedly in Russian cities. In 1255, one of these uprisings took place in Novgorod, where the population resisted an attempt to impose tribute on the city. In 1257, the residents of Yaroslavl opposed the invaders.
During the reign of Alexander Nevsky, the “Baskachestvo” system was introduced in Rus', which led to widespread popular unrest. New system collection of tribute was that the Mongol-Tatars undertook a population census - “recording the number.” “Besermen” (Muslim merchants) were sent to the cities, to whom the collection of tribute was farmed out. The size of the tribute was very large: the “tsar’s tribute” alone, that is, the tribute in favor of the khan, which was first collected in kind and then in money, amounted to 1,300 kg of silver per year. The constant tribute was supplemented by “requests” - one-time exactions in favor of the khan. In addition, deductions from trade duties, taxes for “feeding” the khan’s officials, etc. went to the khan’s treasury. In total there were about a dozen types of tribute in favor of the Mongol-Tatars.
Russian cities resisted the census, and only with the help of force did the Mongols manage to carry out their plans. However, the violence and abuses of the Horde tax farmers caused a whole wave of uprisings, the first of which began in 1259 in Novgorod. In 1262, residents of Rostov, Vladimir, Suzdal and Yaroslavl gathered a veche and decided to expel the khan’s “besermen” from their cities. In the same year, an uprising against the Mongol-Tatars broke out in Vladimir, Pereslavl-Zalessky and Ustyug, then again in Rostov.
It is believed that the popular protests were spontaneous in nature. However, their ubiquity suggests that the rebels’ actions were coordinated from some kind of general center. Perhaps there was a general leadership of these uprisings: it is logical to assume that messengers were sent to the cities to ensure simultaneity. In addition, the geography of popular uprisings, which took place in such a way as not only to inflict maximum damage on the invaders, but also to cut off their path to retreat, also suggests similar thoughts.
Of all the Russian chronicles, only the Ustyug ones mention the name of the inspirer of the anti-Mongol uprisings. Here is one of the most interesting chronicle messages:
And when a letter came to Ustyug from Grand Duke Alexander Yaroslavovich, that the Tatars should be beaten.
There was only one Grand Duke Alexander Yaroslavovich in 1262 - Prince Alexander Nevsky. The prince apparently promised the Mongols “to find and punish the guilty,” but, of course, no one was found and punished. “Besermen” were killed in all cities, and the Mongol-Tatars themselves stopped traveling to Rus', transferring the collection of tribute to the Russian princes.
However, the Horde apparently suspected Alexander Nevsky and his entourage of preparing uprisings: it was impossible not to notice their simultaneity. And most importantly, the uprising also took place in the prince’s family patrimony, in Pereyaslavl. This logically explains it sudden death after a trip to the Khan's headquarters in next year. It is assumed that he was poisoned and died on November 14, 1263 in Gorodets.
The Russian state turned out to owe much to the wisdom of Grand Duke Alexander Yaroslavovich Nevsky. Thanks to him hidden struggle against the Mongol-Tatars, managed to preserve the political and social order. There was never a Mongol administration in Rus', it did not break away from European values, and over time the people were able to finally throw off the burden of the hated yoke and gain freedom.
Vsevolod Merkulov,
Candidate of Historical Sciences