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 is the son of a tanner, and all 20 are husbands from Ladozhan, or I, God knows. Prince Oleksandr, from Novgorod and from Ladoga, came to all his 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 of Western countries, the striking forces of which 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 let Novgorod know 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 a great advantage, since the warrior had a better view of the battlefield and his opponent. 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 discretion during battle, his heroic courage and wisely taken precautions, and most importantly, his heavenly assistance most likely ensured the success of the matter. 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, I said, 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, like the Great Prince 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 prompted by a 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 brought Alexander a glorious memory in Rus' and made him the most prominent historical figure in ancient history from Monomakh to Donskoy.”
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 the campaigns with the aim of seizing Russian lands was the head of the 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 a 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.
Alexander, while still a boy, together with his older brother Fyodor and under the supervision of his close boyar Fyodor Danilovich, was placed to reign in Free Novgorod, who maintained close ties with the Vladimir-Suzdal land, from where he received the missing part of the grain, and usually invited its rulers to reign. In case of external danger, Novgorodians also received military assistance.
Free from Tatar-Mongol rule, the Novgorod and Pskov lands were distinguished by their wealth - the forests in the Russian North abounded in fur-bearing animals, Novgorod merchants were famous for their enterprise, and city artisans were famous for their art of work. Therefore, the Novgorod and Pskov lands were constantly coveted by German crusading knights, greedy for profit, Swedish feudal lords - descendants of warlike Vikings - and nearby Lithuania.
The Crusaders went on overseas campaigns not only to the Promised Land, to Palestine. Pope Gregory IX blessed European knighthood for campaigns in the lands of pagans on the Baltic shores, including the Pskov and Novgorod possessions. He absolved them in advance of all the sins that they might have committed during the campaigns.
Battle of Neva
The first to set off on a campaign against North-Western Rus' from across the Varangian Sea were the Swedish knights-crusaders. The royal army of Sweden was led by the second and third persons of the state - Jarl (Prince) Ulf Fasi and his cousin, royal son-in-law Birger Magnusson. The army of the Swedish crusaders (in Rus' they were called “svei”) was huge at that time - approximately 5 thousand people. The largest Catholic bishops of Sweden took part in the campaign with their troops.
The royal army (sea ledung) left Stockholm on 100 single-masted ships with 15-20 pairs of oars - augers (each carrying from 50 to 80 people), they crossed the Baltic Sea and entered the mouth of the Neva. The Novgorod lands - Pyatina - began here, and the small tribe of Izhorians who lived here paid tribute to the Free City of Novgorod.
The message about the appearance of a huge flotilla of Swedes at the Nevsky estuary was delivered to Novgorod by an envoy from the elder of the Izhorians, Pelgusius, whose small squad carried out marine patrol service here. The Swedes landed on the high bank of the Neva, where the Izhora River flows, and set up a temporary camp. This place is called Bugry. Researchers suggest that they waited here for calm weather, repairing the damage, and then overcoming the Neva rapids and entering Lake Ladoga, and then into the Volkhov River. And from there it was a stone's throw to Novgorod itself.
Twenty-year-old Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich decided to forestall the enemy and did not waste time collecting the entire city and rural militia. At the head of the princely squad, in armor and fully armed, Alexander arrived for prayer in the St. Sophia Cathedral and listened to the blessing for the campaign against the enemy of Bishop Spyridon.
After the church service, the prince on the square in front of the cathedral “strengthened” the squad and the assembled Novgorodians with a passionate speech of a warrior, telling them: “Brothers! God is not in power, but in truth..."
At the head of a small, hastily assembled army of about 1,500 warriors - the prince's squad, the Free City militia and Ladoga warriors - he quickly moved towards the Swedes along the bank of the Volkhov, past the stone Novgorod fortress of Ladoga, which guarded the trade routes to the Vladimir-Suzdal land. The cavalry moved along the river bank. The foot soldiers moved on ships that had to be abandoned on the Neva.
On June 15, 1240, with a sudden and swift attack, Novgorod horse and foot warriors (they attacked the enemy along the coast) crushed the royal army of Sweden. During the Battle of the Neva, the prince fought in a knight's duel with Earl Birger and wounded him. The Swedes lost several augers, and on the remaining ships they left the banks of the Neva and returned home.
The Novgorod prince showed himself in the Battle of the Neva as a talented military leader, defeating the Swedes not with numbers, but with skill. For this brilliant victory, the 20-year-old Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich was nicknamed Nevsky by the people.
After the crushing defeat, the Kingdom of Sweden hastened to conclude a peace treaty with the Free City. Historians believe that the battle of 1240 prevented Russia from losing the shores of the Gulf of Finland and stopped Swedish aggression on the Novgorod-Pskov lands.
Fight against German crusaders
Due to the aggravation of relations with the Novgorod boyars, who did not tolerate strong princely power, the winner of the crusaders left Novgorod and with his retinue went to the family estate - Pereslavl-Zalessky. However, soon the Novgorod veche again invited Alexander Yaroslavich to reign. The Novgorodians wanted him to lead the Russian army in the fight against the German crusaders invading Rus' from the west. They already ruled not only the Pskov lands, having captured the Pskov fortress by cunning with the help of traitorous boyars, but also in the possessions of Novgorod itself.
In 1241, Alexander Nevsky, at the head of the Novgorod army, stormed the stone fortress of Koporye. Then, together with the Suzdal squad that arrived in time, the prince captured Pskov, whose residents opened the city gates to the liberators, showing the high art of storming powerful stone fortresses. With the liberation of the border town of the fortress of Izborsk, he completed the expulsion of German knights from Russian soil.
However, on the other side of Lake Peipus were the possessions of the German Livonian Order, which, together with the Catholic bishops of the Baltic states - Dorpat, Riga, Ezel - did not even think of abandoning new invasions of the Pskov and Novgorod regions. Preparing for a crusade to the east against the “pagans,” the brothers of the order called knighthood from German and other lands into their ranks.
The united knightly army was commanded by an experienced military leader, Vice Master (Vice Master) of the Livonian Order, Andreas von Velven. Under his hand, a huge army for that time gathered - up to 20 thousand people. It was based on heavily armed knightly cavalry.
To end the threat of a new crusade against Rus', the Russian commander decided to strike the Livonians himself and challenge them to battle.
Battle on the Ice
At the head of the Russian army, Prince Alexander Nevsky set out on a campaign, moving to Livonia south of Lake Peipsi and sending forward a strong reconnaissance detachment led by Domash Tverdislavich and governor Kerbet. The detachment was ambushed and almost all of them died, but now the prince knew exactly the direction of attack of the main forces of the German crusaders. He quickly led the Russian army across the ice of Lake Peipus to the Pskov shore itself.
When the army of the Livonian Order moved across the ice of the lake to the Pskov borders, the Russians were already standing in their way, lined up for battle.
Alexander Nevsky placed his regiments right next to the shore in a battle formation familiar to ancient Russian military art: a guard, an advanced large (“brow”) regiment, and regiments of the right and left arms stood on the flanks (“wings”). The prince's personal squad and part of the heavily armed mounted warriors formed the ambush regiment.
The German knights lined up in their usual battle formation - a wedge, which in Rus' was called a “pig”. The wedge, whose head consisted of the most experienced warriors, rammed the guard and advanced regiments of the Russians, but got stuck in the dense mass of foot Novgorod militia of a large regiment. The “pig” has lost its maneuverability and strength. At this time, according to a prearranged signal, the regiments of the left and right hands covered the wedge, and the Russian ambush completed the envelopment of the enemy army.
A hot battle began, which threatened the crusaders with complete destruction. The knights, clad in heavy metal, had to fight in very close quarters, where it was not even possible to turn around the war horse, which also wore iron armor.
In the battle on the spring ice of Lake Peipsi, the Russians completely defeated the main forces of the Livonian Order. Only a few brothers managed to find salvation, as they were persistently pursued all the way to the Livonian coast.
The Battle of Lake Peipsi, which took place on April 5, 1242, entered the military chronicle of Russia under the name of the Battle of the Ice, so great were the losses of the Livonian Order. According to chronicles, 400 crusader knights were killed in the battle, and 40 were captured. No one counted the ordinary Livonian warriors who died in the Battle of the Ice. After the defeat, the German knighthood immediately asked the Free City for peace and for a long time later did not dare to try the fortress of the Russian border again. The victory in the Battle of the Ice glorified Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky as a great commander of Rus'.
This battle went down in world military history as an example of the encirclement and defeat of large forces of a heavily armed knightly army of the Middle Ages.
Diplomatic victories
After this, Prince Alexander inflicted a series of defeats on the Lithuanians, whose troops devastated the Novgorod border. With energetic military and diplomatic actions, he strengthened the northwestern borders of Rus', and in 1251 he concluded the first peace treaty with Norway to delimit borders in the North. He made a successful campaign in Finland against the Swedes, who made a new attempt to close the Russians' access to the Baltic Sea (1256).
In the conditions of 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. He showed himself to be a cautious and far-sighted politician. He rejected the attempts of the papal curia to cause a war between Rus' and the Golden Horde, since he understood the futility of the war with the Tatars at that time. Through skillful policies he helped prevent the devastating invasions of the Tatars into Rus'. He traveled to the Horde several times and achieved the release of the Russians from the obligation to act as troops on the side of the Tatar khans in their wars with other peoples. Alexander Nevsky made a lot of efforts to strengthen the grand ducal power in the country to the detriment of the influence of the boyars, while at the same time he resolutely suppressed anti-feudal protests (uprising in Novgorod 1259).
On November 14, 1263, on the way back from the Golden Horde, the prince fell ill and died in the Gorodets monastery. But before completing his life's journey, he accepted the monastic schema with the name Alexy. His body was to be delivered to Vladimir - this journey lasted nine days, but all this time the body remained incorrupt.
Recognition of merits, veneration and canonization of Alexander Nevsky
Already in the 1280s, the veneration of Alexander Nevsky as a saint began in Vladimir, and he was later officially canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. Alexander Nevsky became the first Orthodox secular ruler in Europe who did not compromise with the Catholic Church in order to maintain power.
With the participation of Metropolitan Kirill and Alexander Nevsky's son Dmitry, a hagiographical story was written - The Life of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, which became increasingly popular over the years (15 editions have survived).
In 1724, Peter I founded a monastery in St. Petersburg in honor of his great compatriot (now the Alexander Nevsky Lavra). He also decided on August 30 - the day of the conclusion of the victorious Peace of Nystadt with Sweden, which marked the end of the Northern War (1700-1721) - to celebrate the memory of Alexander Nevsky. Then, in 1724, the holy relics of the prince were delivered from Vladimir and installed in the Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, where they rest to this day.
In 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 in 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.
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At the end of 1237, Pope Gregory IX declared another crusade against the heretical Russians and pagan Finns. Naturally, all participants were promised forgiveness of sins, “heavenly paradise” and all that. The German order forces and their allies began to prepare for a new campaign to the Novgorod border. But they were not the only ones who heard the papal call. The Swedes have long been looking for an opportune moment to once and for all gain a foothold in the Ladoga region and at the mouth of the Neva River and secure their territories in the Finnish regions from the Novgorodians. In 1164, the Swedes already tried to attack with large forces, besieging the city of Ladoga - now Staraya Ladoga, but were defeated by the Ladoga residents and the Novgorodians who came to the rescue. In 1187, with a return greeting, the Novgorodians and Karelians took and destroyed the Swedish city of Sigtuna.
The Mongol-Tatars had just swept through Rus' with fire and sword, the Germans were clearly gaining strength in the Baltic states. The defense capability of Novgorod at this time could not help but weaken. And the German, Danish, and Swedish crusaders considered that the time for reckoning had come. The Pope gave his blessing. The Swedish king Eric Kartavy (Lisping), bishops in Livonia and Scandinavia, announced the recruitment of volunteers for the “Army of Christ”.
They struck in the summer of 1240 at the same time.
The Swedish fleet entered the mouth of the Neva in mid-July 1240. As it is said in the chronicle “The Life of Alexander Nevsky,” “if you want to perceive Ladoga, just the river and Novgorod, and the entire Novgorod region.” Papal legates sailed with them to give the campaign the status of a crusade. The army was led by cousins - Earl Ulf Fasi and the king's son-in-law, Earl Birger Magnusson - Historical literature often indicates that Earl Birger was at the head of the Swedish troops during the campaign on the Neva. I. P. Shaskolsky convincingly proves that until 1248 Birger was simply a large Swedish feudal lord. Jarl and ruler of the Swedish state from the 1230s. and before 1248 there was Birger's cousin Ulf Fasi. Birger became jarl and de facto ruler of the Swedish state in 1248. Therefore, most likely, Ulf Fasi was at the head of the Swedish troops. Cm.: Shaskolsky I. P. Decree. op. P. 177-178.. In total, according to the chronicle, there were five thousand warriors
Alexander Yaroslavich then reigned in Novgorod. The necessarily loyal policy of his father, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, towards the Mongols - in 1238, Yaroslav, after the death of his brother Yuri, as the eldest of the family, with the approval of the khan, took the Vladimir grand-ducal throne, allowed us to hope for relative calm on this side and focus on threat from the west. Just like his father, he expected the Crusaders to invade.
Despite the fact that Alexander Yaroslavich was still quite a young man - in 1240, Alexander Yaroslavich was 19 years old. , he possessed qualities important for the prince, such as foresight and foresight. In alliance with wisdom, prudence and love for the Motherland, at all times they make a person indispensable for his fatherland. And even more so during a time of constant military threat.
Understanding the situation pushed Alexander Yaroslavich to take preventive measures. Fortifications grew on Novgorod lands. New fortified towns along the Sheloni River were to be protected from restless Lithuania. The chronicle says: “That same summer, Prince Alexander and the Novgorodians cut down the towns along Shelona.” All border fortified cities had strong garrisons. In anticipation of the Swedes and Germans, there were permanent posts on the lines that were supposed to report the attack, provide an opportunity to prepare for defense and gather forces for a retaliatory strike.
However, the self-confident Swedes did not hide their intentions. Birger Magnusson sent Alexander Yaroslavich a message directly declaring war. “If you can, resist, but know that I am here and will take your land captive!” - said the arrogant Swede to the prince. Birger calculated everything correctly. He knew that Alexander would not have time to gather a large militia. And the Vladimir regiments of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich will not have time to help his son.
But the Swedes were noticed before they reached the end of their voyage. On the Neva River, more precisely, at the mouth of the Neva, there had long been allies of the Novgorodians - the Izhora “watchmen”. They noticed the Swedish fleet. Sergeant Major Pelgusy, while on patrol, was the first to see the “Svei boats” and immediately sent a messenger to Novgorod. The Izhora watchmen closely watched as the Swedes, battered by the long journey, reached the mouth of the Izhora on their ships. Confident in their superiority, Birger and Fasi decide to stop and give their people a rest. A camp was set up on the shore for noble knights and papal legates, those who were simpler remained on the ships. The watchmen, having calculated the strength of the Swedes, also reported this to Novgorod.
Having received news from Pelgusius, Alexander immediately assembles a council of boyars and noble warriors. There was no longer time to argue and reason. Here begins the flowering of the genius of Alexander Yaroslavich as a skilled speaker. He convinces the Novgorodians not to waste time and strike at the “guests” with all available forces before the enemy waits for them. Strike with the small princely squad and the Novgorod militia against a stronger enemy. Surprisingly, the irreconcilable boyar council approved the prince's plan. The Novgorod militia was hastily assembled.
At the Church of St. Sophia Alexander pronounces his famous words: “Brothers! God is not in power, but in truth! Let us remember the words of the psalmist: these are in arms, and these are on horses; but in the name of the Lord our God we will call... We will not fear the multitude of warriors, for God is with us.” Having received the blessing of Bishop Spiridon, a small army (about 1300 people) set off to meet the enemy.
But they did not go the direct route, but along the Volkhov River to Ladoga. Reinforcements awaited them there in the form of the Ladoga militia. Foot soldiers sailed on ships along the river, and cavalry moved parallel along the shore.
It is unknown where the young prince got such confidence in his abilities. But the chronicle says that Pelgusius not only reported the arrival of the Swedes. They also talk about the vision that the Izhora elder saw. It was a vision of the slain saints Boris Gleb in red robes, sailing on a boat on the sea. And Boris said: “Brother Gleb, let’s row, let’s help our relative Alexander,” after which the boat disappeared from sight. Maybe this vision inspired the Novgorod prince, or maybe the time has simply come for him to reveal himself as a Great Commander.
Having been replenished with Ladoga residents and Izhora residents, Alexander’s 1,500-strong variegated army, hidden by fog, approached unnoticed to the mouth of the Izhora River, where the unsuspecting crusaders were resting before their future campaign against Ladoga. They were so sure that no one could disturb them that they did not post a guard. Some of the Swedes were on the ships.
The talent of a commander is to make the only correct decision before and during the battle. And it was accepted by Alexander Yaroslavich. He, secretly looking around the camp of the crusaders, immediately noted the weak point of their location. All that remains is to slam the trap that the Swedes have created for themselves.
On the morning of July 15, 1240, the Russians rushed at the Swedes. Divided into three detachments, two mounted and one on foot, they struck at once from three sides. A detachment of mounted spearmen of Gavrilo Oleksich broke through the Swedes' camp and ended up at their ships. The foot warriors of Misha Novgorod struck from the other flank, finally cutting off the knights’ path to salvation. Alexander himself and his squad attacked the Swedes head-on, aiming at the golden-domed tent of Earl Birger. And the “fierce slaughter” began. The effect of surprise was achieved, but having numerical superiority, the crusaders fought with despair. Many feats were accomplished that day by the Novgorodians. The chronicle says this about the Battle of the Neva:
“Six brave men like him from Alexandrov’s regiment showed themselves here. The first one is named Gavrilo Oleksich. He attacked the auger and, seeing the prince being dragged by the arms, rode all the way to the ship along the gangplank along which he and the prince were running; those pursued by him grabbed Gavrila Oleksich and threw him off the gangplank along with his horse. But by God's mercy he emerged from the water unharmed, and again attacked them, and fought with the commander himself in the midst of their army. The second, named Sbyslav Yasukovich, is from Novgorod. This one attacked their army many times and fought with one ax, having no fear in his soul; and many fell by his hand, and they marveled at his strength and courage. The third - Yakov, a native of Polotsk, was a hunter for the prince. This one attacked the regiment with a sword, and the prince praised him. The fourth is a Novgorodian named Mesha. This man on foot and his retinue attacked the ships and sank three ships. The fifth is from the younger squad, named Savva. This one burst into the large royal golden-domed tent and cut down the tent pole. The Alexandrov regiments, seeing the fall of the tent, rejoiced. The sixth is from the servants of the Alexandrovs, named Ratmir. This one fought on foot, and many enemies surrounded him. He fell from many wounds and died at the Battle of the Neva” - Military Tales of Ancient Rus' pp. 130-131
The battle continued all day and ended by nightfall. Many Swedes were beaten that day - about 200 noble knights, and others - “without number” (Life of Al. Nevsk.). Earl Birger was wounded in the face by Alexander and was carried to the ship.
During the night, the surviving Swedes collected the bodies of their fallen fellow tribesmen and in the morning, quickly boarding the surviving ships, sailed to Sweden. The Russians did not pursue them, which was probably very humane on their part. It is mentioned that the Russians collected the bodies of the killed Scandinavians, whom their fellow countrymen did not have time to pick up, and, having loaded several ships with them, sent them down the Neva, following the survivors.
Returning to Novgorod as a hero, Alexander Yaroslavich received the popular nickname “Nevsky”.
So, the Swedish crusaders failed to capture the fortress of Ladoga and Novgorod. Having received a powerful rebuff, they left the Russian lands alone for a while. This was very important for Northern Rus'. Now, in the face of German order aggression, she was calm about her rear. Neither Novgorod nor Pskov could fight on two fronts.
A brief summary of which will be given in this article. His resounding victories are deservedly recognized as the historical heritage of Orthodox Rus'.
Victories and gallant deeds have been sung more than once by writers, artists and filmmakers. All historians of the world recognize his majestic figure and great importance in the struggle for Rus' and its inhabitants.
The Battle of the Neva, a brief summary of which will be given later in the article, seems to have been dismantled up and down. Facts and events have been studied by many famous historians and assessed. But, like all historical events so long ago, the Battle of the Neva left many questions. But first things first.
Background and reasons for the attack
In those distant times (1240), Kievan Rus was divided into separate principalities. And if the southern principalities, due to their location, suffered from the onslaught of the Mongols, the northern ones faced other problems.
So, next to the Novgorod principality there was the Levon Order. He tried with all his might to acquire profitable lands and convert local residents to the “true faith.” Catholicism was considered such, and, as you know, Rus' adopted Orthodoxy.
Thus, the Order received the support of the Pope himself and the Swedes. The latter had another reason - the capture of Ladoga. They tried to get this city back in 1164. The attempt failed. And of course, Novgorod itself was a tasty pie.
Of course, historians, as best they could, collected all kinds of information about the Battle of the Neva. But, given how long ago the events were, they are very scarce. It is well known that the Swedish army also consisted of Finns and Norwegians. Of course, representatives of the Catholic Church were also present. After all, this campaign (as well as many in those days) was positioned from the point of view of the conversion of infidels.
Most historians agree that the future king of Sweden B. Magnusson also took part in the campaign. During the battle, Alexander Nevsky wounded him in the eye.
As soon as the Swedish army landed near the Izhora River, our Grand Duke found out about it. And not without reason, because these lands were allies of Novgorod.
Interesting fact. They say that Alexander Nevsky knew that sooner or later the Swedes would attack the Novgorod lands, and ordered the local residents - the Izhorians - to continuously monitor the sea.
It is no wonder that Rus' learned in advance about the plans of the Swedes and reacted to them with lightning speed.
The Battle of Neva and the Battle of the Ice. Summary
Alexander Nevsky gathered an army in a short time. It should be noted that he did not even ask for help from the Vladimir Principality. He only secured the full support of the militia from Ladoga.
To ensure high mobility, the Russian army consisted mainly of cavalry. The enemy warriors, not expecting such a lightning-fast response, calmly positioned themselves along the seashore.
Of course, those warriors that the Grand Duke gathered were not enough for a full-fledged battle. But the weather itself helped here. There was a very heavy fog, and thanks to this, Nevsky’s army was able to get very close to the enemy and suddenly attack.
Fight for Rus'
The Battle of the Neva, a summary of which we present in this article, began on July 15, 1240. In the place where the battle took place, the Neva River and the Izhora River form an angle. Alexander had a plan to pin the enemy there in order to cut off all escape routes and give his army a head start.
And this plan led to success. After all, the enemy was completely isolated from his ships, and besides, the enemy army had little room for maneuver.
Of course, it is unfortunately impossible to describe the battle itself in all details. Too few reliable sources have survived. But historians still managed to draw up a brief outline of those distant days.
Battle of the Neva
Early in the morning of July 15, when fog shrouded the entire land where the enemy was located, Prince Nevsky gave the order to shoot fire arrows. Of course, at such an inopportune time, most people were asleep. The attack caused real panic. The unimaginable began to happen around: noise, confusion, confusion. Everything around was burning.
Taking advantage of all this, the Russian army began to storm the enemy, driving him to the water. During the battle, many ships of the enemies of Kievan Rus were set on fire and scuttled.
By evening, the Swedish army was forced to leave the Novgorod land in disgrace. The enemy fled on those few ships that were still intact.
Someone tried to escape by swimming along the Neva River. But even those lucky ones who were able to swim to the other side found themselves in the hands of the allies of the Prince of Novgorod.
The meaning of the Neva Battle. Battle of the Neva: summary for children
The victory in the Battle of the Neva was so impressive and was of such great importance in strengthening Rus' that Prince Alexander was given the name Nevsky. This victory so divided the Swedes and the Teutons that all subsequent attempts to attack were eradicated in the bud.
All historians recognize that the Battle of the Neva, a brief summary of which we reviewed during the article, or rather its result, greatly strengthened the Novgorod lands and, as many believe, turned the possible course of historical events. After all, Russian lands remained untouched.
Alexander did not allow the enemy to invade deep into the country and devastate the already suffering lands. And, perhaps, liberation from the Mongol-Tatar yoke would have become completely impossible if the enemy had set foot on our lands.
But the main thing is that this victory raised the spirit and spirit of the Russian people. Legends began to be composed and chronicles were written about this battle. Even now, in the modern world, people who have watched films about those events are revived patriotic feelings.