Battle on Lake Peipus. Battle on the Ice: the scheme and course of the battle

The tenth century in densely populated - by medieval standards, of course - Western Europe was marked by the beginning of expansion. In the future, from century to century, this expansion expanded, taking the most diverse forms.

The European peasant, bent under the burden of obligations to the seigneur, dared to invade the unruly forests. He cut down trees, cleared the land of bushes, and drained the swamps to produce additional arable land.

The Europeans pressed the Saracens (the Arabs who captured Spain), there was a reconquista ("reconquest" of Spain).

Inspired by the lofty idea of ​​the liberation of the Holy Sepulcher and overwhelmed by a thirst for wealth and new lands, the crusaders stepped into the Levant - that was the name in the Middle Ages of the territories located along the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

The European "onslaught to the east" began; villagers, skilled urban craftsmen, experienced merchants, knights en masse appeared in the Slavic countries, for example, in Poland and the Czech Republic, began to settle and settle down there. This contributed to the rise of the economy, social and cultural life of the Eastern European countries, but at the same time created problems, creating rivalry and confrontation between the newcomer and the indigenous population. A particularly large wave of immigrants poured in from the German lands, where the rulers of the German Empire (following Emperor Frederick Barbarossa) supported the "onslaught on the East."

Soon the eyes of Europeans were riveted to the Baltic states. It was perceived as a forest desert, slightly populated by wild Letto-Lithuanian and Finno-Ugric pagan tribes who did not know state power. Russia and the Scandinavian countries have been expanding here since ancient times. They colonized the border regions. Tribute was imposed on the local tribes. Back in the time of Yaroslav the Wise, the Russians built their fortress Yuryev behind Lake Peipus in the land of the Finno-Ests (named after the given Yaroslav the Wise at the baptism of the name George). The Swedes advanced into the possessions of the Finns until they reached the borders of the Karelian land controlled by Novgorod.

At the end of the 12th - beginning of the 13th centuries, people from the west of Europe appeared in the Baltic states. Catholic missionaries bearing the word of Christ came first. In 1184, the monk Meinard unsuccessfully tried to convert the Livs (ancestors of modern Latvians) to Catholicism. The monk Berthold in 1198 preached Christianity already with the help of the swords of the crusader knights. Bremen canon Albert, sent by the Pope, seized the mouth of the Dvina and founded Riga in 1201. A year later, on the Livonian lands conquered around Riga, an order of monk-knights was created. He called Order of the Sword in the form of a long cross, more like a sword. In 1215-1216 the swordsmen captured Estonia. This was preceded by their struggle with the Russian and Lithuanian princes, as well as enmity with Denmark, which had laid claim to Estonia since the beginning of the 12th century.

In 1212, the sword-bearers came close to the borders of the Pskov and Novgorod lands. Mstislav Udaloy, who reigned in Novgorod, successfully resisted them. Then, during the reign of father Yaroslav Vsevolodovich in Novgorod, the swordsmen were defeated near Yuryev (modern Tartu). The city remained with the crusaders, provided that tribute was paid to Novgorod (Yuriev tribute). By 1219, Denmark had conquered Northern Estonia, but after 5 years the swordsmen regained it.

The activity of the Crusaders pushed the Lithuanian tribes (Lithuania, Zhmud) to unite. They, the only of the Baltic peoples, began to form their own state.

In the land of the Baltic tribe of the Prussians, which was located near the Polish border, another order of the crusaders, the Teutonic Order, was founded. Previously, he was in Palestine, but the Polish king invited the Teutons to the Baltic states, hoping for their help in the fight against the pagan Prussians. The Teutons soon began to seize Polish possessions. As for the Prussians, they were exterminated.

But the defeat in 1234 from the father of Alexander Nevsky Yaroslav, and in 1236 from the Lithuanians led to the reform of the Order of the Sword. In 1237 it became a branch of the Teutonic Order, and it became known as Livonian.

The Batu invasion gave rise to the hope among the crusaders that expansion could be expanded to the northern lands of the Orthodox, who in the West had long been considered heretics after the split of the churches in 1054. Especially attracted Mr. Velikiy Novgorod. But not only the crusaders were seduced by the Novgorod land. She was also interested in the Swedes.

Mr. Veliky Novgorod and Sweden fought more than once when their interests in the Baltics clashed. In the late 1230s, news was received in Novgorod that the son-in-law of the Swedish king, Jarl (the title of the Swedish nobility), Birger, was preparing a raid on Novgorod possessions. Alexander, the 19-year-old son of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, was then the prince in Novgorod. He ordered the Izhorian elder Pelgusius to watch the coast and report the invasion of the Swedes. As a result, when the Scandinavian boats entered the Neva and stopped at the place where the Izhora River flows into it, Prince Novgorodsky was notified in time. July 15, 1240 Alexander arrived at the Neva and, with the forces of a small Novgorod detachment and his squad, unexpectedly attacked the enemy.

Against the backdrop of the devastation of northeastern Russia by the Mongol Khan Batu, this battle opened a circle that was difficult for contemporaries: Alexander brought victory to Russia and, along with it, hope, faith in one's own strength! This victory brought him the honorary title of Nevsky.

Confidence that the Russians were capable of winning helped to endure in hard days 1240, when a more dangerous enemy, the Livonian Order, invaded Novgorod. The ancient Izborsk fell. The Pskov traitors opened the gates to the enemy. The crusaders scattered over the Novgorod land and plundered in the vicinity of Novgorod. Not far from Novgorod, the crusaders built a fortified outpost, carried out raids near Luga and the Saber Pogost, which was located 40 versts from Novgorod.

Alexander was not in Novgorod. He quarreled with independent Novgorodians and left for Pereyaslavl-Zalessky. Under the pressure of circumstances, the Novgorodians began to ask the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yaroslav for help. The Novgorodians wanted to see Alexander Nevsky at the head of the Suzdal regiments. Grand Duke Yaroslav sent another son, Andrei, with a cavalry detachment, but the Novgorodians stood their ground. In the end, Alexander arrived, brought his Pereyaslav squad and the Vladimir-Suzdal militia, which consisted mainly of peasants. Gathered regiments and Novgorodians.

In 1241, the Russians launched an offensive, recapturing Koporye from the crusaders. The fortress erected by the knights in Koporye was destroyed. In the winter of 1242, Alexander Nevsky unexpectedly appeared near Pskov and liberated the city.

Russian troops entered the Order, but soon their vanguard was defeated by the knights. Alexander led the regiments to the eastern shore of Lake Peipus and decided to give battle.

April 5, 1242 of the year there was a great battle on the melted ice. The Russians stood in the traditional "eagle": in the center a regiment consisting of Vladimir-Suzdal militia, on the sides - regiments of the right and left hands - heavily armed Novgorod infantry and princely cavalry squads. The peculiarity was that a significant mass of troops was located precisely on the flanks, usually the center was the strongest. Behind the militia was a steep bank covered with boulders. On the ice in front of the shore they put the sleigh of the convoy, fastened with chains. This made the coast completely impassable for knightly horses and was supposed to keep the cowardly in the Russian camp from fleeing. At the islet of Voronii Kamen, an equestrian squad stood in ambush.

The knights moved on the Russians "boar head". It was a special system, more than once bringing success to the crusaders. In the center of the "boar's head" walked, closing ranks, foot soldiers-bollards. On the sides of them and behind them in 2-3 rows rode riders clad in armor, their horses also had shells. Ahead, tapering to a point, moved the ranks of the most experienced knights. "Boar's head", nicknamed by the Russians "pig", rammed the enemy, broke through the defense. Knights with spears, battle axes, swords destroyed the enemy. When he was defeated, infantry bollards were released, finishing off the wounded and fleeing.

The chronicle story about the battle on the ice reports "the speed of the cutting of evil, and the crackling from the spears, and the breaking, and the sound from the sword cut."

The knights crushed the Russian center and spun on the spot, breaking their own formation. They had nowhere to move. From the flanks, the “regiments of the right and left hands” pressed on the knights. As if they were squeezing the “pig” with ticks. There were many casualties on both sides of the fighting. The ice turned red with blood. The enemy suffered mainly infantry. It was difficult to kill a knight. But if he was pulled off his horse, he became defenseless - the weight of the armor did not allow him to stand up and move.

Suddenly the April ice cracked. The knights mingled. Those who fell into the water went like a stone to the bottom. The troops of Alexander Nevsky struck with redoubled energy. The crusaders ran. Russian horsemen pursued them for several kilometers.

The ice slash was won. The Crusaders' plan to establish themselves in Northern Russia failed.

In 1243, ambassadors of the Order arrived in Novgorod. Peace was signed. The crusaders recognized the borders of the Lord Veliky Novgorod as inviolable, promised to regularly pay tribute to St. George. The conditions for the ransom of several dozen knights who were captured were agreed. Alexander led these noble captives from Pskov to Novgorod near their horses, bare-shod, bare-headed, with a rope around their necks. It was impossible to think of a greater insult to knightly honor.

In the future, between Novgorod, Pskov and the Livonian Order there were more than once military skirmishes, but the border of the possessions of both sides remained stable. For the possession of Yuryev, the Order continued to pay tribute to Novgorod, and from the end of the 15th century - to the Moscow united Russian state.

In political and moral terms, the victory over the Swedes and the knights of the Livonian Order was very important: the scale of the Western European onslaught on the northwestern borders of Russia decreased. The victories of Alexander Nevsky over the Swedes and the Crusaders interrupted the series of defeats of the Russian troops.

For the Orthodox Church, it was especially important to prevent Catholic influence in the Russian lands. It is worth remembering that the crusade of 1204 ended with the capture by the crusaders of Constantinople, the capital of the Orthodox empire, which considered itself the Second Rome. For more than half a century, the Latin Empire existed on Byzantine territory. The Orthodox Greeks "huddled" in Nicaea, from where they tried to win back their possessions from the Western crusaders. The Tatars, on the contrary, were allies of the Orthodox Greeks in their struggle against the Islamic and Turkish onslaught on the eastern Byzantine borders. According to the practice that has developed since the tenth century, most of the highest hierarchs of the Russian church were by origin Greeks or southern Slavs who came to Russia from Byzantium. The head of the Russian church - the metropolitan - was appointed by the Patriarch of Constantinople. Naturally, the interests of the universal Orthodox Church were above all for the leadership of the Russian Church. The Catholics seemed much more dangerous than the Tatars. It is no coincidence that before Sergius of Radonezh (second half of the 14th century), not a single prominent church hierarch blessed the fight against the Tatars and did not call for it. The invasion of Batu and the Tatar rati were interpreted by the clergy as the "scourge of God", the punishment of the Orthodox for their sins.

It was church tradition that created around the name of Alexander Nevsky, canonized after death, the halo of an ideal prince, warrior, "sufferer" (fighter) for the Russian land. So he entered the popular mentality. AT this case Prince Alexander is in many ways a "brother" of Richard the Lionheart. The legendary "twins" of both monarchs obscured their real historical images. In both cases, the "legend" is far removed from the original prototype.

Meanwhile, in serious science, disputes about the role of Alexander Nevsky in Russian history do not subside. The position of Alexander in relation to the Golden Horde, his participation in the organization of the Nevryuev rati of 1252 and the spread of the Horde yoke to Novgorod, the cruel reprisals characteristic of Alexander in the fight against his opponents, even for that time, cause conflicting judgments regarding the results of the activities of this undoubtedly bright hero of Russian history .

For Eurasians and L.N. Gumilyov Alexander is a far-sighted politician who correctly chose an alliance with the Horde, turning his back on the West.

For other historians (for example, I.N. Danilevsky), the role of Alexander in Russian history is rather negative. This role is the actual conductor of the Horde dependence.

Some historians, including S.M. Solovieva, V.O. Klyuchevsky, does not at all consider the Horde yoke "a union useful for Russia", but notes that Russia did not have the strength to fight. Supporters of continuing the fight against the Horde - Daniil Galitsky and Prince Andrei Yaroslavich, despite the nobility of their impulse, were doomed to defeat. Alexander Nevsky, on the contrary, was aware of the realities and was forced, as a politician, to seek a compromise with the Horde in the name of the survival of the Russian land.

As a rule, they are associated with an attempt to expand Christianity to the Middle East, and the struggle against Muslims, but this interpretation is not entirely correct.

As the series of crusades began to gain momentum, the papacy, which was their main initiator, realized that these campaigns could serve Rome to achieve political goals not only in the fight against Islam. This is how the multi-vector nature of the Crusades began to take shape. Expanding their geography, the crusaders turned their eyes to the north and northeast.

By that time at the borders of Eastern Europe a fairly strong stronghold of Catholicism was formed in the person of the Livonian Order, which was the product of the merger of two German spiritual Catholic orders - the Teutonic and the Order of the Sword.

Generally speaking, the prerequisites for the advancement of the German knights to the east were there for a long time. Back in the 12th century, they began to seize the Slavic lands beyond the Oder. Also in the sphere of their interests was the Baltic, inhabited by Estonians and Karelians, who at that time were pagans.

The first sprouts of the conflict between the Slavs and the Germans took place already in 1210, when the knights invaded the territory of modern Estonia, entering into a struggle with the Novgorod and Pskov principalities for influence in this region. The retaliatory measures of the principalities did not lead the Slavs to success. Moreover, the contradictions in their camp led to a split and a complete lack of interaction.

The German knights, the backbone of which were the Teutons, on the contrary, managed to gain a foothold in the occupied territories and set about consolidating their efforts. In 1236, the Order of the Sword and the Teutonic Order merged into the Livonian Order, and the very next year authorized new campaigns against Finland. In 1238, the Danish king and the head of the order agreed on joint actions against Russia. The most suitable moment was chosen, because by that time the Russian lands had been bled dry by the Mongol invasion.

The Swedes also took advantage of this, who in 1240 decided to capture Novgorod. Having landed on them, they met with a rebuff in the person of Prince Alexander Yaroslavich, who managed to defeat the interventionists and it was after this victory that he became known as Alexander Nevsky. Battle on Lake Peipus became the next important milestone in the biography of this prince.

However, before that, a fierce struggle went on between Russia and the German orders for another two years, which brought success to the latter, in particular, Pskov was captured, Novgorod was also under threat. Under these conditions, the battle on Lake Peipsi took place, or, as it is commonly called, Battle on the Ice.

The battle was preceded by the liberation of Pskov by Nevsky. Having learned that the main units of the enemy were attacking the Russian forces, the prince blocked the path on the lake.

The battle on Lake Peipsi took place on April 5, 1242. The knightly forces managed to break through the center of the Russian defense and hit the shore. Russian flank strikes gripped the enemy and decided the outcome of the battle. This is how the battle on Nevsky ended and reached the peak of its glory. He has gone down in history forever.

The Battle of Peipus Lake has long been considered almost a turning point in the entire struggle of Russia against the Crusaders, but modern trends question such an analysis of events, which is more characteristic of Soviet historiography.

Some authors note that after this battle the war took on a protracted character, but the threat from the knights was still tangible. In addition, even the role of Alexander Nevsky himself, whose successes in the Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice elevated him to unprecedented heights, is disputed by historians such as Fenell, Danilevsky and Smirnov. The battle on Lake Peipus and, according to these researchers, are embellished, however, as well as the threat from the crusaders.

The battle on the ice or the battle on Lake Peipsi is the battle of the Novgorod-Pskov army of Prince Alexander Nevsky with the troops of the Livonian knights, which took place on April 5, 1242 on the ice of Lake Peipus. She put a limit to the advancement of German chivalry to the East. Alexander Nevsky - Prince of Novgorod, Grand Duke of Kyiv, Grand Duke of Vladimir, legendary commander, saint of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The reasons

In the middle of the 13th century, foreign invaders threatened Russian lands from all sides. From the east, the Tatar-Mongols were advancing, from the north-west, the Livonians and Swedes claimed Russian land. In the latter case, the task of repelling fell on powerful Novgorod, which had a vested interest in not losing its influence in the region and, most importantly, in preventing control over trade with the Baltic countries by anyone.

How it all began

1239 - Alexander took measures to protect the Gulf of Finland and the Neva, which were strategically important for the Novgorodians, and therefore was ready for the invasion of the Swedes in 1240. In July, on the Neva, Alexander Yaroslavich, thanks to extraordinary and swift actions, was able to defeat the Swedish army. A number of Swedish ships were sunk, Russian losses were extremely insignificant. After that, Prince Alexander was nicknamed Nevsky.

The offensive of the Swedes was coordinated with the next attack of the Livonian Order. 1240, summer - they took the border fortress of Izborsk, and then captured Pskov. The situation for Novgorod became dangerous. Alexander, not counting on help from the Vladimir-Suzdal Rus devastated by the Tatars, laid on the boyars large expenses for preparing for the battle and, after the victory on the Neva, tried to consolidate his power in the Novgorod Republic. The boyars turned out to be stronger and in the winter of 1240 they were able to remove him from power.

And the German expansion, meanwhile, continued. 1241 - the Novgorod land of Vod was taxed, then Koporye was taken. The crusaders intended to capture the coast of the Neva and Karelia. A popular movement broke out in the city for an alliance with the Vladimir-Suzdal principality and the organization of a rebuff to the Germans, who were already 40 miles from Novgorod. The boyars had no choice but to ask Alexander Nevsky to return. This time he was given emergency powers.

With an army of Novgorodians, Ladoga, Izhorians and Karelians, Alexander drove the enemy out of Koporye, after which he liberated the lands of the Vod people. Yaroslav Vsevolodovich sent Vladimir regiments re-formed after the Tatar invasion to help his son. Alexander took Pskov, then moved to the lands of the Estonians.

Movement, composition, disposition of troops

The German army was located in the Yuryev area (aka Derpt, now Tartu). The order gathered significant forces - there were German knights, the local population, the troops of the king of Sweden. The army that opposed the knights on the ice of Lake Peipsi had a heterogeneous composition, but a single command in the person of Alexander. "Grassroots regiments" consisted of princely squads, squads of boyars, city regiments. The army that Novgorod put up had a fundamentally different composition.

When the Russian army was on the western shore of Lake Peipsi, here, near the village of Mooste, a patrol detachment led by Domash Tverdislavich reconnoitered the location of the main part of the German troops, started a battle with them, but was defeated. Intelligence managed to find out that the enemy sent insignificant forces to Izborsk, and the main parts of the army moved to Lake Pskov.

In an effort to prevent this movement of enemy troops, the prince ordered a retreat to the ice of Lake Peipsi. The Livonians, realizing that the Russians would not let them make a detour, went straight to their army and also stepped on the ice of the lake. Alexander Nevsky deployed his army under the steep eastern bank, north of the Uzmen tract near the island of Voronii Kamen, against the mouth of the Zhelcha River.

Battle of the Ice

The two armies met on Saturday 5 April 1242. According to one version, Alexander had 15,000 soldiers at his disposal, and the Livonians had 12,000 soldiers. The prince, knowing about the tactics of the Germans, weakened the "brow" and strengthened the "wings" of his order of battle. The personal squad of Alexander Nevsky took refuge behind one of the flanks. A significant part of the prince's army was a foot militia.

The Crusaders traditionally advanced in a wedge ("pig") - a deep formation, shaped like a trapezoid, the upper base of which was turned towards the enemy. At the head of the wedge were the strongest of the warriors. The infantry, as the most unreliable and often not at all a knightly part of the army, was located in the center of the battle formation, mounted knights covered it in front and behind.

At the first stage of the battle, the knights were able to defeat the advanced Russian regiment, and then broke through the "brow" of the Novgorod military order. When, after some time, they scattered the "brow" and rested against the steep, precipitous shore of the lake, they had to turn around, which was not easy to do for a deep formation on the ice. In the meantime, Alexander's strong "wings" struck from the flanks, and his personal squad completed the encirclement of the knights.

A stubborn battle was going on, the whole neighborhood was resounded with shouts, crackling and clanging of weapons. But the fate of the crusaders was sealed. The Novgorodians dragged them off their horses with spears with special hooks, ripped open the stomachs of their horses with knives - “bootmakers”. Crowded in a narrow space, skillful Livonian warriors could not do anything. Stories about how ice cracked under heavy knights are widely popular, but it should be noted that a fully armed Russian knight weighed no less. Another thing is that the crusaders did not have the opportunity to move freely and they crowded into a small area.

In general, the complexity and danger of conducting hostilities with the help of cavalry on ice in early April leads some historians to conclude that the general course of the Battle on the Ice was distorted in the annals. They believe that not a single sane commander would have led an army rattling with iron and riding horses to fight on the ice. Probably, the battle began on land, and during it the Russians were able to push the enemy back onto the ice of Lake Peipsi. Those knights who were able to escape were pursued by the Russians to the Subolich coast.

Losses

The question of the losses of the parties in the battle is controversial. During the battle, about 400 crusaders were killed, and many Estonians fell, attracted by them into their army. The Russian annals say: “and the fall of Chudi was beschisla, and Nemets 400, and 50 with the hands of Yash and brought to Novgorod.” Death and captivity a large number professional soldiers in the European measure turned out to be a rather heavy defeat, bordering on disaster. About Russian losses it is said vaguely: "many brave soldiers fell." As you can see, the losses of the Novgorodians were actually heavy.

Meaning

The legendary battle and the victory of the troops of Alexander Nevsky in it was of exceptional importance for the entire Russian history. The advance of the Livonian Order to Russian lands was stopped, the local population was not converted to Catholicism, and access to the Baltic Sea was preserved. After the victory, the Novgorod Republic, headed by the prince, moved from defensive tasks to the conquest of new territories. Nevsky made several successful campaigns against the Lithuanians.

The blow inflicted on the knights on Lake Peipus reverberated throughout the Baltic. The 30,000th Lithuanian army launched large-scale military operations against the Germans. In the same year, 1242, a powerful uprising broke out in Prussia. The Livonian knights sent ambassadors to Novgorod, who reported that the order renounces claims to the land of Vod, Pskov, Luga and asks for an exchange of prisoners, which was done. The words that were spoken to the ambassadors by the prince: “Whoever comes to us with a sword, will die by the sword,” became the motto of many generations of Russian commanders. For his military exploits, Alexander Nevsky was awarded the highest award- He was canonized by the church and declared a Saint.

German historians believe that while fighting on the western borders, Alexander Nevsky was not pursuing any coherent political program, but that success in the West provided some compensation for the horrors of the Mongol invasion. Many of the researchers believe that the very scale of the threat that the West posed to Russia is exaggerated.

On the other hand, L. N. Gumilyov, on the contrary, believed that it was not the Tatar-Mongol “yoke”, but Catholic Western Europe, represented by the Teutonic Order and the Archbishopric of Riga, that represented itself deadly threat for the very existence of Russia, and therefore the role of the victories of Alexander Nevsky in Russian history is especially great.

Due to the variability of the hydrography of Lake Peipus, historians for a long time could not accurately determine the place where the Battle of the Ice took place. Only thanks to long-term research, which was carried out by the expedition of the Institute of Archeology of the USSR Academy of Sciences, they were able to establish the place of the battle. The battle site is submerged in summer and is located about 400 meters from the island of Sigovets.

Memory

The monument to the squads of Alexander Nevsky was erected in 1993, on Mount Sokolikha in Pskov, almost 100 km away from the actual battlefield. Initially, it was planned to create a monument on the island of Voronie, which geographically would be a more accurate solution.

1992 - on the territory of the village of Kobylye Gorodishche, Gdov District, in a place close to the alleged battle site, near the Church of the Archangel Michael, a bronze monument to Alexander Nevsky and a wooden bow cross were erected. The Church of the Archangel Michael was founded by the people of Pskov in 1462. The wooden cross was destroyed over time under the influence of unfavorable conditions. weather conditions. 2006, July - on the occasion of the 600th anniversary of the first mention of the village of Kobylye Gorodishche in the Pskov Chronicles, it was replaced with a bronze one.

By the middle of the 13th century, the Eastern Baltic became a place of conflict of interests of several geopolitical players at once. Short truces gave way to outbreaks of hostilities, which sometimes escalated into real battles. One of the greatest events in history was the Battle of Lake Peipus.

In contact with

background

The main center of power in medieval Europe was the Roman Catholic Church. The Pope of Rome possessed unlimited power, had colossal financial resources, moral authority and could remove any ruler from the throne.

Organized by the Popes Crusades the entire Middle East was in a fever for a long time to Palestine. After the defeat of the crusaders, the lull was short-lived. The pagan Baltic tribes became the object, which was to taste the "European values".

As a result of the active preaching of the Word of Christ, the pagans were partly exterminated, some were baptized. The Prussians are gone.

The Teutonic Order settled on the territory of modern Latvia and Estonia, whose vassal was the Livonian Order (the former clan of the Swordsmen). It had a common border with the feudal republics of Russia.

States of medieval Russia

Mr. Veliky Novgorod and the Pskov state had their own views on the Baltic. Even Yaroslav the Wise founded the Yuryev fortress on the land of the Estonians. The Novgorodians, having subjugated the frontier Finno-Ugric tribes, made their way to the sea, where they encountered Scandinavian competitors.

In the 12th century, there were several waves of Danish invasion of the Baltic lands. Systematically capturing the territory of the Estonians, the Danes settled in the north and the islands of the Moonsund archipelago. Their goal was to turn the Baltic Sea into a "Danish lake". The Swedish expeditionary force, with which Alexander Nevsky fought, had the same goals as the Novgorodians.

The Swedes were defeated. However, for Alexander Yaroslavich himself, the victory on the Neva turned into an unexpected "surprise": the Novgorod elite, fearing the strengthening of the prince's influence, forced him to leave the city.

Composition and forces of the opposing sides

Lake Peipus became a place of clash between Novgorodians and Livonians, but there were much more parties interested and involved in this event. On the side of the Europeans were:

1. Livonian Landmaster of the Teutonic Order (what is commonly called the Livonian Order). His cavalry took a direct part in the conflict.
2. Bishopric of Derpt (an autonomous part of the Order). The war was going on in his territory. The city of Derpt fielded a foot militia. The role of the foot soldiers is not fully understood.
3. The Teutonic Order, which carried out the overall leadership.
4. The throne of Rome - provided financial support, as well as a moral and ethical justification for European expansion to the East.

Forces against the Germans were not homogeneous. The army consisted of representatives of different lands, who had their own convictions. Among them were those who adhered to traditional pre-Christian beliefs.

Important! Many of the participants in the battle were not Christians.

Forces of the Orthodox-Slavic military alliance:

1. Mr Veliky Novgorod. Nominally, it was the main military component. Novgorodians carried out material supply and provided rear services, they were also infantrymen during the battle.
2. Pskov feudal republic. Initially, it acted in alliance with Novgorod, then stepped aside, taking a neutral position. Some Pskov volunteers fought on the side of Novgorod.
3. Vladimir-Suzdal principality. Direct military ally of Alexander Nevsky.
4. Volunteers from among the Prussians, Curonians and other Baltic tribes. Being pagans, they were highly motivated to go to war against the Catholics.

Home military force Russians were the squad of Alexander Nevsky.

Enemy tactics

The Livonians chose an opportune moment to start the war. Strategically, the Russian lands were an ineffective dynastic union, whose members had no other connections than mutual grievances and claims.

The unsuccessful war reduced Russia to a semi-subordinate state to other states.

Tactically, the matter seemed no less winning. The Novgorodians who drove Alexander away were good traders but not soldiers.

Their loose, poorly trained militia was not capable of meaningful and sustained fighting. There were no experienced governors (military specialists - professionals capable of commanding troops). There was no question of any unified management. The Novgorod veche, with all the positive aspects, did not contribute to the strengthening of state structures.

Another important "trump card" of the Livonians was the presence of agents of influence. In Novgorod itself, there were supporters of maximum rapprochement with the Catholics, but the Pskovites had much more of them.

Role of Pskov

The Pskov Republic carried the greatest losses from the Slavic-German conflict. Being at the very turn of the confrontation, the Pskovites were the first to come under attack. A small territory with limited resources was increasingly burdened by this situation. Both the government and the population, especially the rural population, had a place.

The beginning of the war

In August 1240, the crusaders became more active, capturing the city of Izborsk. The few Pskov detachments that tried to recapture it were dispersed, and Pskov itself was besieged.

After negotiations, the gates were opened, the Germans left their representatives in the city. Obviously, some agreements were concluded, according to which the Pskov lands passed into the enemy zone of influence.

In the official national history, the behavior of Pskov is characterized as shameful and treacherous. However, it should be borne in mind that it was a sovereign state that had the right to enter into any kind of alliances with any side. AT politically Pskov was as independent as Novgorod or any Russian principality. Pskovians had the right to choose with whom to make alliances.

Attention! Novgorod did not help his ally.

Novgorodians also proved incapable of countering the enemy on the coast. Not far from the sea, the Livonians built a wooden fortress (Koporye) and imposed tribute on the local tribes. This move went unanswered.

Alexander Nevsky came to the rescue

“Prince Alexander came to Novgorod, and for the sake of Novogorodtsy’s former,” says the chronicle. Realizing that the further development of events could lead to a sad outcome, the authorities of Novgorod asked for help. The Grand Duke of Vladimir sent them a detachment of cavalry. However, only Alexander Yaroslavich, with whom the Novgorodians recently clashed, could handle the germans.

The young military leader, who had recently tested the sword on the Swedes, acted quickly. In 1241, his squad, reinforced by a militia of Karelians, Izhors and Novgorodians themselves, approached Koporye. The fortress was taken and destroyed. Some of the captured Germans Alexander released. And the Vod (a small Baltic people) and Chud (Estonians), the winner hung up as traitors. The immediate threat to Novgorod was eliminated. We had to choose the place of the next strike.

Liberation of Pskov

The city was well fortified. The prince did not storm the fortified fort, even having received reinforcements from Suzdal. In addition, the enemy garrison was small. The Livonians relied on their Pskov henchmen.

After a short skirmish, the German army was blocked, the soldiers laid down their arms. Alexander left the Germans for later ransom, and the Russian traitors and Estonians ordered to hang. Then the path went to Izborsk, which was also liberated.

Per a short time the territory was cleared of uninvited guests. Before the prince's retinue was a foreign land. Pushing forward the vanguard, for reconnaissance and robbery, Alexander entered the borders of Livonia. Soon the advance detachment stumbled upon the enemy cavalry, retreating after a fleeting battle. The opponents learned the location of each other and began to prepare for battle.

Great battle

Both sides relied on heavy cavalry. At the time described troop efficiency(briefly) estimated as follows:

1. Regular heavy cavalry. Striking force of almost any European army.
2. Feudal militia. Knights who served a certain number of days. Unlike the regular cavalry, they had low discipline and did not know how to fight on horseback.
3. Regular infantry. Almost absent. Archers were the exception.
4. Foot militia. The Europeans were almost absent, and in the states of medieval Russia it was forced to be used quite widely. Its combat effectiveness was very low. A hundred knights could defeat thousands of irregular infantry.

The Order and Alexander Nevsky had at hand armored horsemen with iron discipline and many years of training. It was they who fought on April 5, 1242 on the shores of Lake Peipsi. This date has become a landmark for Russian history.

The course of hostilities

The knightly cavalry crushed the center of the Novgorod army, which consisted of infantrymen. However, the uncomfortable terrain forced the Crusaders slow down. They got stuck in a static cabin, stretching the front more and more. The Derpt foot militia, which could have balanced the forces, did not come to the rescue.

Having no room to maneuver, the cavalry lost its “move” and found itself squeezed into a small, inconvenient space for combat. Then the squad of Prince Alexander struck. The place of its deployment, according to legend, was the island of Raven Stone. This turned the tide of the battle.

The Order's cavalry retreated. The Russian cavalry pursued the enemy for several kilometers, and then, having collected the prisoners, returned to the banner of Prince Alexander Yaroslavich. Nevsky won the battle. The victory was complete and received a loud name - Battle of the Ice.

Data on the exact location of the battle, the number of participants, losses vary. The scheme of the Battle on the Ice is approximate. There are different versions of the event. Including those who deny the very fact of the battle.

Meaning

The victory over the knights significantly reduced the pressure on the borders of the Russian lands. Novgorod defended access to the sea and continued profitable trade with Europe. An important moral and political aspect of the victory was the failure of the plans of the Roman Church to penetrate Catholicism into the East. The border between Western and Russian civilizations was established. With minor changes, it still exists today.

Secrets and mysteries of the battle on Lake Peipsi

Alexander Nevsky, battle on the ice

Conclusion

Another important significance of the battle should be noted. After a long series of defeats, the Mongol invasion and national humiliation, won resounding victory . The significance of the Battle on the Ice is that, in addition to military success, a significant psychological effect was achieved. From now on, Russia realized that it was capable of defeating the most powerful enemy.

The middle of the 13th century was a time of severe trials for Russia. Taking advantage of the Horde invasion, the defeat of Russian cities and the death of his best sons in merciless battles with the Mongols, the troops of the crusaders and Swedish feudal lords invaded the northwestern borders of Russia.

The expansion of Novgorod's influence in Karelia and Finland caused widespread dissatisfaction with the papal curia, which planted Catholicism in the Baltics with fire and sword. Since the end of the 12th century, the Catholic Church has been closely and with increasing anxiety following the adoption of Orthodoxy here and, in contrast, provided all possible assistance to the advance of the German and Swedish conquerors to the east. From the second half of the XII century. to the middle of the fifteenth century. The Novgorod Republic was forced to fight 26 times with Sweden and 11 times with the Livonian Order.

Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky. Drawing from "Titular". 17th century RGADA.

At the end of the 30s of the XIII century. with the active participation of Catholic Rome between the three feudal Catholic forces - the German (Teutonic) Order, the Danes and the Swedes, an agreement was reached on a joint action against Novgorod with the aim of seizing the northwestern Russian lands and planting Catholicism there. According to the papal curia, after the "Batu ruin", bloodless and plundered Russia could not offer any resistance. This is what appeared main reason performances of the Swedes, Teutons and Danes in 1240. The German and Danish knights were to attack Novgorod from land, from their Livonian possessions, and the Swedes were going to support them from the sea through the Gulf of Finland.

The brilliant and lightning-fast victory of Prince Alexander Yaroslavich over the Swedes on July 15, 1240 on the banks of the Neva did not stop the aggression, but was only the first blow against the Catholic coalition. The next enemy, the Teutonic Order, was much stronger and more insidious.

In 1237, the Teutonic Order, which owned Prussia, merged with the Livonian Order of the Swordsmen, which had half-collapsed as a result of unsuccessful military operations in the Baltic states. Having thus joined forces and received support from the Holy Roman Empire, the Teutonic Knights began to prepare for the Drang nach Osten.

The march of the armored knightly troops to Russia began in August 1240. Soon the Teutons captured Izborsk. The news of the capture of the city soon reached Pskov and stirred up its inhabitants. At the meeting, they decided to come forward to meet the enemy. On September 16, 1240, not far from Izborsk, a battle of five thousand Pskov rati took place with an army of crusaders. During a fierce and bloody battle, the Pskovites suffered a heavy defeat. Soon the Teutons appeared at Pskov and laid siege to the city. It is possible that they would not have been able to take the impregnable fortress, which was Pskov, if not for the betrayal. The outcast prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich, who had previously reigned in Pskov, who was in the order’s army, communicated with traitors inside the city, headed by the Pskov mayor Tverdilo Ivankovich, and flattered them with money and power. These traitors at night opened the gates to the besieging Germans. By the end of 1240, the crusaders firmly settled in the Pskov land and began to prepare for further advancement.

Prince Alexander Nevsky. Painter. N.V. Rzhevsky. 2001

Despite the difficult situation, the Novgorod "gentlemen", defending their local interests, quarreled with Alexander Nevsky. At the convened veche, a number of unfair accusations were thrown at him, and the very victory over the Swedes was presented as an adventure that brought Novgorod more harm than good. Outraged, Alexander left Novgorod and went to Pereyaslavl-Zalessky with his family. The break with the prince had a disastrous effect on the military affairs of the Novgorod Republic. After the capture of the Pskov lands, the crusaders began to systematically develop the occupied territory. On a steep and rocky mountain in the churchyard of Koporye, they built an order castle with high and strong walls, which became the base for further advancement to the east.

Shortly thereafter, the crusaders occupied Tesovo, an important trading post in the Novgorod land, and from there it was already a stone's throw to Novgorod itself.

In the face of impending danger, the Novgorodians forced the boyar "lord" to call Alexander for help. The Novgorod lord Spiridon went to him in Pereyaslavl, who asked the prince to forget his previous grievances and lead a campaign against the Teutons. Alexander returned to Novgorod, where he was greeted with national rejoicing.

Immediately gathering an army of Novgorodians, Ladoga and Korela, the prince attacked Koporye with a sudden blow and captured the castle. Then Alexander defeated the small detachments of the Teutons who robbed in the vicinity, and by the end of 1241 the Novgorod land was almost completely cleared of uninvited guests.

Battle on the Ice. Meeting of the Russian and Teutonic troops.
Facial chronicle 16th century

But the defense of Novgorod could not be fully secured as long as Pskov remained in the hands of the knights. The campaign against Pskov was carefully prepared. Warriors gathered from all Novgorod land under the banner of Alexander. Help arrived in time from the Grand Duke Yaroslav from the Suzdal principality. In total, at the hand of Alexander Nevsky, an army of 15-17 thousand people gathered. A very significant power.

Having cut off all the roads leading to Pskov, Alexander took the city into a blockade ring, and then occupied it with a sudden blow. The German Rhymed Chronicle tells about the capture of Pskov by the troops of Alexander Yaroslavich: “He arrived there with great force; he brought many Russians to free the Pskovites ... When he saw the Germans, he did not hesitate for a long time after that, he expelled both knight brothers, putting an end to their warship, and all their servants were driven out. Alexander ordered the captured knights to be put in chains and sent to Novgorod, and to hang six traitor boyars. Having strengthened his army with the Pskov militia, Alexander continued his campaign in the order's lands in order to finally discourage the desire of the knights to meddle in the Russian borders.

From Pskov, Alexander's path passed through Izborsk, and then the Russian troops entered the lands of the Chud, which were under the jurisdiction of the Order. In rugged and wooded terrain, like the one that was in the path of the Russian army, the optimal route passed through the ice of frozen rivers. Apparently, therefore, the troops under the command of Alexander Nevsky moved along the ice along the western coast of Lake Pskov north to the mouth of the Omovzha, the current Emaiyga, along the ice of which it was possible to go directly to Derpt, and the capture of this large city was part of the prince's goals.

The news of the movement of Russian troops soon reached Dorpat, and the local bishop turned to the Order for help. The crusaders gathered a large army, which, with auxiliary detachments of the Chud, was ready to repel the attack. Having entered the boundaries of the "German land", Alexander "let the entire regiment heal", that is, he disbanded his detachments to attack the villages and villages of the enemy. In the thirteenth century it was a common tactic for troops in foreign territory. One of these detachments, under the command of the Pskov governor Domash Tverdislavich, 35 km southeast of Derpt in the tract Most (the current Estonian village of Mooste) met with large forces of the crusaders and was almost completely exterminated. Only a few soldiers from the defeated detachment were able to elude the Germans. It was they who informed the prince that the Teutons, encouraged by their success, were moving after them. Then, realizing that the knightly army itself was looking for a general battle, the Novgorod prince decided to give it in the most favorable conditions for himself.

Now having an idea where the enemy was, but not knowing his final intentions, Alexander Nevsky decided to occupy the narrow strait between Lake Peipus and Pskov with his regiments. This position was very successful. The crusaders, having crossed the ice of the frozen Emajõgi to the lake, could then go to Novgorod, bypassing Lake Peipsi to the north, or Pskov - along the western coast of Lake Pskov to the south. In each of these cases, Alexander would have been able to intercept the enemy, moving along the eastern coast of the lakes. If the crusaders had decided to act directly and tried to cross the strait in the narrowest place, which is the Warm Lake, then they would have directly collided with the Novgorod troops.

Battle on the Ice. Artist V.M. Nazaruk. 1982

There are disputes about the place of the Battle of the Ice to this day. It hardly makes sense to analyze here the advantages and disadvantages of each version, we will simply present them. According to the classical scheme, which is given on the pages of all textbooks on military history, the battle took place on the ice of Lake Peipus near Voronye Island, located among other small islands in a small bay 6 km west of the mouth of the Zhelcha River. According to another version, the battle took place near the eastern coast of the Warm Lake near the current village of Chudskaya Rudnitsa, which is 5 km northeast of the Estonian village of Mehikoorma (the village of Ismena, or Uzmen, Russian chronicles). In the 90s of the last century, a group of enthusiastic archaeologists put forward a new version. According to them, the Battle on the Ice took place not on the ice of Lake Peipus, but on land, in a triangle between the present villages of Tabory, Kobylye Settlement and Kozlovo. This statement is based on the burial sites of medieval warriors discovered during archaeological excavations, 2 km east of the village of Samolva. This version is interesting from the point of view of archaeological finds, but it completely ignores those topographical indicators that Russian chronicles have preserved about the place of the battle.

According to the classical version, the chosen position to the maximum extent took into account all the favorable geographical features of the area and put them at the service of the Russian army. Behind the back of the Novgorod rati was a coast overgrown with dense forest with steep slopes, which excluded the possibility of maneuver; the right flank was protected by a zone of water called Sigovica. Here, due to some features of the current and a large number of underground springs, the ice was very fragile. The locals knew about this and no doubt informed Alexander. Finally, the left flank was protected by a high coastal cape, from where a wide panorama opened up to the opposite coast.

What were the opposing forces? The Teutonic army, commanded by the Landmaster of the Teutonic Order Andreas von Felven, in addition to the knight brothers of the order, included detachments of the Derpt bishopric and Danish knights, led by the sons of the Danish king Valdemar II.

The Teutonic army was armed and equipped in accordance with the knightly tradition of Western Europe at that time. Each of the knights fought on a horse, which was protected by metal or leather protective armor. The knight himself was dressed in protective armor. A metal helmet with a visor covering the entire head, chain mail with a plastron worn under it, or a shell, metal leggings and bracers made him difficult to vulnerable. The knight was armed with a long spear, which could only be operated from a horse, a heavy two-handed sword used as a chopping weapon, and a dagger as a means of defeating an armored enemy in close combat. A heavy shield complemented the knight's armament.

Knightly squires, like their seniors, usually acted on horseback in battle. Their protective armor was lighter and consisted of chain mail or leather clothing with sewn metal plates. Instead of a helmet with a visor, they used a helmet that only protected against blows. upper part heads. They did not have a long spear, like a knight's, swords were often replaced by a long dagger. The squires had shields with which they protected not so much themselves as their master. Often squires had bows or crossbows.

Knightly servants were armed with short spears, bows or crossbows and daggers. They had light armor, usually leather with sewn metal plates in the most vulnerable places. Knightly servants usually did not have shields and in battle they acted on foot.

The feudal militias (knechts) were armed in a more varied manner and in battle they usually acted on foot. They were dressed in light leather armor, their head was protected by a metal helmet. The bollards were armed with short swords, axes, clubs. Those who performed the function of shooters were armed with bows or crossbows (crossbows).

Alexander Nevsky opposed the militia to the crusaders clad in armor. But if the Teutons are well-armed and trained professionals, then most of the Russian troops were far from equivalent in combat qualities to the Novgorod foot militia, recruited mainly from artisans and residents of the settlement. The armament of the militias was quite diverse. Usually they had a short (up to two meters) spear or spear, an ax, a sword or a saber. Part of the foot militias acted as arrows. To do this, they armed themselves with sulits, or a bow with arrows. As a protective weapon, the foot militias used leather shirts with metal plates sewn on in the most vulnerable places. Their head was protected either by a quilted hat with sewn-on metal plates, or a bowl - a type of metal helmet in the form of a helmet with a metal mesh that protects the warrior's neck and shoulders.

In the total number of Russian troops, the princely squad, namely, it was the main force, was a smaller part. The princely combatant is a professional warrior who spent most of his life in campaigns and battles. His armament corresponded to this. The rider's body was covered with chain mail, which well protected the warrior from arrows and sword strikes. It did not hamper the movements of the warrior and was relatively light - it weighed about 8-9 kg. In addition to chain mail, hard metal armor - armor and armor were used, although quite rarely.

The rider's head was protected from sword blows by a helmet. The main type of Russian helmet was a spherical cone. A visor, earmuffs and aventail were attached to the crown of the cone - a chain mail mesh covering the neck and shoulders of a warrior. In addition, the helmet could have a bow arrow or a mask covering the upper part of the face. Princely helmets and helmets of other commanders were covered with silver or gold. In battle, such shiny helmets served as one of the means of command and control; warriors, seeing the gleam of a helmet in the hustle and bustle of battle, recognized their commander and determined where they should be grouped. A massive round shield completed the armament of the equestrian combatant.

The knightly troops of Europe before the Battle of the Ice had many successful battles against infantry militias different peoples. Armored riders on strong horses, like a battering ram, split the foot formation in two, then split it into smaller groups and destroyed them piece by piece. The battle formation of the crusaders also corresponded to the nature of the knightly battle. This battle order among the Russians was called, as the chronicler figuratively writes, "the great pig." There were relatively few knights in her head rank, about five to ten men, and each successive rank had two more knights. Such a formation looked like a wedge, pointed at the enemy. The wedge consisted of experienced, trained and well-armed knights. Behind the wedge, gradually expanding in depth, were detachments of squires and knights. From the flanks, the entire army was covered by knights, built in one or two rows. The impact force of such an army, if its order had not been violated before, was quite large.

But this structure also had its drawbacks. It was almost impossible to maintain battle order after the main attack. This was prevented by the bulkiness and rigidity of the knightly formation. And it was very difficult to make a maneuver in the situation that suddenly changed during the battle in such a formation.

These weaknesses of the knightly "pig" Alexander Yaroslavich decided to use in the upcoming battle. The basis of the battle order of the Russian troops of that time were three regiments: "chelo" - the regiment located in the center, and the regiments of the "right and left hands" located on the flanks of the "chela" with ledges back or forward. All three regiments formed one main line. Moreover, the "brow" was formed from the most trained warriors. But the prince of Novgorod boldly went against tradition and built his troops in the form of two moving apart, and then enveloping and squeezing pincers. He concentrated the main forces, mainly the cavalry, on the wings, and put the prince's squad on the left flank in an ambush to bypass and hit the knightly "pig" in the rear. In the center was the Novgorod militia, which was supposed to take the first and most severe blow. A weak "brow" was covered behind by a high lake shore with carts placed there. If the knights break through the foot army, then this obstacle will not allow them to make a maneuver and go to the rear of the Russian troops. In front of the "chela" the prince placed archers who, by continuous shooting, were supposed to try to upset the "pig" system.

The battle took place on April 5, 1242 and proceeded as Alexander Yaroslavich planned. At dawn, the iron knight's wedge went on the attack. Russian archers met the enemy with a shower of arrows. But they did almost no harm to the armored Teutons, although the Chud advancing next to the crusaders suffered significant losses. Gradually, the archers backed up to the ranks of the infantry and, finally, merged with it in a single formation. The knights spurred their horses and cut into the location of the Novgorod foot rati. An unequal battle began. About this critical episode for the Russian troops, the chronicler says: “Both the Germans and the people made their way through the regiments like a pig.” The crusaders were already ready to celebrate victory, but, seeing in front of them, instead of space for maneuver, an insurmountable coast for the cavalry, they realized their mistake. For the first time, the opponent of the knights, after cutting the battle order, did not run from the battlefield, dooming himself to death from the swords and spears of the crusaders. Both wings of the Russian army immediately fell on the left and right of the knight's wedge, and from the rear, having made a roundabout maneuver, the elite squad of Prince Alexander struck. “And that slash of evil was great and great for the Germans and people, and the bet from the spears of breaking, and the sound from the sword section, and you can’t see the ice, covered with blood.”

Monument to Russian soldiers of Prince Alexander Nevsky. Installed in 1993 on Sokolikha mountain in Pskov. Designed by sculptor I.I. Kozlovsky and architect P.S. Butenko.

The intensity of the battle increased. The Novgorodians dragged the surrounded, huddled together knights from their horses with hooks. The dismounted crusader, clad in heavy armor, could not resist the dexterous Russian soldiers. The battle did not last long and ended complete defeat Teutons. The knights ran first, followed by the knights dressed in armor. Part of the knightly army was driven by Russian combatants to Sigovitsa. The fragile ice could not stand it and broke under the weight of the crusaders and their horses clad in armor. The knights went under the ice and there was no salvation for them.

According to Russian chronicles, in this battle, not counting the many ordinary soldiers, four hundred knights died, and fifty Teutonic "deliberate commanders" were taken prisoner. These losses are, of course, exaggerated. According to the Livonian Chronicle of Balthazar Ryussov, then only 70 knights died and 6 were taken prisoner. The Russians also suffered significant losses: "This victory cost the prince many brave people."

Under a peace treaty concluded a few months later, the Order renounced all claims to Russian lands and returned the territories captured earlier. Thanks to impressive military victories, Alexander Yaroslavich stopped the wide crusader aggression on the western borders of Russia. The significance of the victory of 1242 was also understood by the author of the "Life" of Alexander: from that time "his name began to be heard in all countries and to the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bEgypt, and to the mountains of Ararat and about the country of the Varangian Sea, and to great Rome ".

Twenty years after the glorious victory, Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky lived on the ice of Lake Peipsi. With military victories on the western borders of the country and skillful politics in the east, he determined the fate of Vladimir Russia for two hundred years: by sacrificing the momentary in Russian-Horde relations, he won time for Russia, made it possible to recover from the terrible Mongol devastation.

Real heroes don't live long. So Alexander died early, at the age of forty-three. The Grand Duke of Vladimir Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky died on November 14, 1263. “My dear child, know that the sun of the Russian land has set,” Metropolitan Kirill said in his tombstone. The prince was buried in Bogolyubovo, in the monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin.

The people always remembered the great defender of the Fatherland. In 1724, the remains of the prince were transferred to St. Petersburg, where they now rest in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. In the following year, 1725, the Russian Order of St. Alexander Nevsky was established, which was later awarded to famous Russian commanders and naval commanders: P.A. Rumyantsev, G.A. Potemkin, A.V. Suvorov, F.F. Ushakov, M.I. Kutuzov and many others.

AT difficult years Great Patriotic War, as well as 700 years ago, again turned to the name of the prince, establishing in 1942 the military order of Alexander Nevsky. According to the statute, they were awarded "for showing, in accordance with the combat mission, the initiative to choose the right moment for a sudden, bold and swift attack on the enemy and inflicting a major defeat on him with low losses for his troops ...". For the exploits and merits accomplished during the Great Patriotic War, more than 42 thousand awards were made with the Order of Alexander Nevsky. More than 1470 military units and formations were awarded this order Soviet army and Navy. This order was also restored in post-Soviet Russia.

In accordance with the Federal Law of March 13, 1995 No. 32-FZ “On the Days of Military Glory and Memorable Dates of Russia”, the Victory Day of the Russian soldiers of Prince Alexander Nevsky over the German knights on Lake Peipus was declared the Day of Military Glory of Russia.

Yuri Alekseev,
Senior Research Fellow, Research
Institute of Military History VAGSh Armed Forces of the Russian Federation

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Battle on the Ice of 1242: Proceedings of a comprehensive expedition to clarify the location of the Battle on the Ice. M.-L., 1966. S. 213.

Novgorod First Chronicle. PSRL. T. III. SPb., 1841. S. 54.

Cit. by: Military tales Ancient Russia. L., 1985. S. 124.

Novgorod First Chronicle. S. 54.

See: Livonian chronicle of Balthazar Ryussov // Collection of materials and articles on the history of the Baltic region. T. II. Riga, 1879, p. 197.

Battle on the Ice ... S. 215.

Battle on the Ice ... S. 184.

Cit. Quoted from: Khitrov M. Holy Right-believing Grand Duke Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky. Detailed biography ... M., 1893. S. 227.