The image of Alexander Nevsky in Russian literature. "The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky"

Life of Alexander Nevsky

The very first iconic work that reveals the image of Alexander Nevsky in Russian literature is his life. Presumably it was written at the end of the 13th century, shortly after the death of the prince, whose years of life were from 1221 to 1263.

“The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky” was written by his contemporary, who most likely knew him personally. This work tells about two important victories that Nevsky's army won. One - on the Neva, in the battle against the Swedes, the second - over the Germans on Lake Peipus. By and large, “The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky” is a lyrical ballad telling about the military exploits of the protagonist.

Important dates in Nevsky's biography

• 1221 - birth
• 1225 - initiation into warriors
• 1234 - first participation in the battle on the Omovzha River
• 1239 - marriage to Alexandra
• 1240 - birth of son Vasily, victory over the Swedes in the Battle of the Neva
• 1242 - victory over the Livonian knights at Lake Peipus
• 1245 - victory over the Lithuanians in the Battle of Lake Žitsa
• 1246 - death of father
• 1247 - trip to the Horde
• 1248 - trip to Mongolia
• 1249 - return to Rus'
• 1251 - second trip to the Horde
• 1258 - third trip to the Horde
• 1262 - last trip to the Horde
• 1263 - death

The first biography of Alexander Nevsky

The first secular biography of the great Russian prince appeared in the 18th century. In 1732 it was created by the historian Miller. His book was called “The Life of St. Alexander Nevsky.”

Miller's biography was published in St. Petersburg in German. In his work, the historian, first of all, relied on the “Degree Book,” a monument of Russian historical literature of the 17th century. He also used Livonian and Swedish chronicles and collections of papal documents for the first time. Moreover, this biography was written with scientific claims.

The personality of Alexander Nevsky in Soviet literature

During the Soviet era, interest in this figure did not disappear. For example, in 1952 he became a character in Vasily Yan’s story “The Youth of a Commander.” In it, the writer talked about the role of the great Russian prince in the defense of Rus' against the Swedes and the Teutonic Order. The events that took place in the 40s of the 13th century are described in detail.

By the way, with this story, Ian completed a series of historical works dedicated to key events that took place in Asia and Europe. Let us remember that the novels “Genghis Khan”, “Batu” and “To the Last Sea” belong to the same cycle.

Yang clearly demonstrated the chronology of the cruel and merciless campaigns of the Tatar-Mongols against Rus', as well as the heroic resistance that residents of the border regions offered to the invaders. These stories by Yan owe their popularity to an effective technique - to show all events through the supreme rulers and ordinary people. This heroic and patriotic theme was especially in demand during the Great Patriotic War

"The Youth of a Commander"

The story “The Youth of the Commander” tells about life in Veliky Novgorod, which at that time remained formally independent from the invaders, but at the same time was subject to serious expansion from the west.

Vasily Yan's plans included a big novel about the events of the 13th century, in which the personality of Alexander Nevsky was to be key. But the plan could not be realized due to the death of the writer.

In the story “The Youth of the Commander,” the author focuses on the negative role of feudal fragmentation, which negatively affected the defense capability of Rus'.

"Ratobortsy"

Another important book about Alexander Nevsky is the epic “Warriors,” authored by Alexei Yugov. He wrote it from 1944 to 1948. In it, Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky is shown as one of the main defenders of Rus', along with Prince Galitsky.

In Yugov, Nevsky appears to the reader as a prudent diplomat, as well as a far-sighted and experienced politician, and not just a brave military leader. In this novel, Nevsky is close to the people. This was a consequence of the idealization of his image, as well as the entire era.

It is worth noting that Yugov himself was a supporter of historical concepts, who stood up for everything that was originally Russian, and fought against cosmopolitanism. Even then, such theories were considered by many to be pseudoscientific.

Defender of Rus'

What did the alliance with the Mongols, which Alexander Nevsky concluded, bring to Rus'? Khan Batu set the amount of tribute for the Mongols, but in return the prince was offered military assistance to counter Western aggression and contain internal strife. It was this service that Alexander Yaroslavich was ready to pay for from the Russian treasury.

In 1256, after the death of his ally Batu, the threat of death hung over the Grand Duke. Then Mongol envoys came to Novgorod to recalculate the amount of tax, and the city residents staged a riot, the leader of which turned out to be a drunkard and a fool, the prince’s eldest son, Vasily. To save the Tatar ambassadors from the rioting crowd, Alexander Nevsky takes them out of Novgorod, providing personal security and paying the entire tribute in full. This saved the city from death and destruction, preserving the integrity of a mighty power.

Later, in 1261, thanks to an agreement between Alexander Nevsky and the Mongol khans Berke and Mengu-Timur, a temple for an Orthodox bishop was opened in Sarai, which was the first representation of the Orthodox Church in these lands. Together with Khan Berke, Prince Alexander entered into an agreement with the Lithuanian prince against the crusaders.

This diplomatic work of Alexander Yaroslavich was aimed at strengthening the internal policy of Rus' and contributed to increasing the power of the state. Unfortunately, in 1263, in the midst of preparations for a joint campaign against the Livonian Order, the prince died on the way from the Horde, without finishing the work he started.

Characteristics of Nevsky in literature

Academician Mikhail Tikhomirov gave a detailed description of Alexander Nevsky in Russian literature. According to him, the prince was often portrayed as a daring young man who solves all problems and difficulties with a surprise attack and wins glorious victories. In reality, Alexander Nevsky’s battles were not so easy and simple. And such a depiction of the prince is too far from the historical truth.

Giving the true characterization of Alexander Nevsky, preserved from historical documents, it is worth noting that he was a man who knew how to combine the courage of a commander with the calculation of a cautious politician. Only the symbiosis of these two qualities allowed him to gain the upper hand over the enemy.

Results and results

Let us briefly list the main achievements of Alexander Nevsky in domestic politics:

• Nevsky did not allow the establishment of his uncle Yaroslav as the Prince of Novgorod.
• The son Vasily, who showed disobedience, was deprived by Nevsky of the Novgorod principality and replaced by another son, Dmitry.
• Novgorod, under pressure from Alexander Nevsky, agreed to pay a tax to the Horde and complied with demands to conduct a population census.
• The territories damaged during the Mongol-Tatar invasion are being restored - temples and monasteries are being rebuilt, walls and towers of destroyed cities are being erected.
• A chain of small fortresses was built along the Shelon River to strengthen the western border against Lithuanian and Livonian invasions.
• In 1262, an anti-Horde uprising took place, in the organization of which Nevsky could have been involved.

Section "Alexander Nevsky"

Novel by Boris Vasiliev

Boris Vasiliev also made his contribution to the creation of the image of Alexander Nevsky in Russian literature. The famous front-line writer, author of the works “And the Dawns Here Are Quiet...”, “Not on the Lists” and “Don’t Shoot White Swans,” wrote the novel “Alexander Nevsky” in 1997. During that period, the author became seriously interested in historical literature, devoting individual novels to the prophetic Oleg, Princess Olga, Prince Svyatoslav, Vladimir the Red Sun, and Vladimir Monomakh.

Later, the novel about Alexander Nevsky was republished under a different title and is now better known as “Prince Yaroslav and his sons.”

In this book, Boris Vasiliev takes us to Rus' in the first half of the 13th century. At that time, there was no talk of any unity between the principalities; the rulers waged a fierce struggle among themselves for primacy, fought with the German knights, and tried to get along with the Tatar-Mongols, who came to Russian soil in a huge army.

The main characters of this novel are Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich and his son Alexander, later nicknamed Nevsky, as well as his younger brother Andrei, who, after a quarrel with the hero of our article, was forced to flee to Sweden. The story contains both real-life historical characters and completely fictitious characters.

Boris Vasiliev, with his usual skill, takes on the task of creating the image of Alexander Nevsky in Russian literature. He creates a fascinating narrative that keeps readers in suspense until the very last pages.

Essays

Since ancient times, it has been customary in Rus' to keep a chronicle about its rulers. In the story, readers are presented with the image of Alexander Nevsky as a great commander and wise prince, the best ruler of Rus'.

Image of Alexander Nevsky

The son of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich and his wife Feodosia inherited the title of prince. The life of Alexander Nevsky describes the prince’s great feats and miracles performed at the command of God. In his image, Alexander Nevsky was incredibly handsome, his voice was as powerful as a trumpet, and his face can be compared with the face of King Joseph of Egypt.

The young prince was strong, his strength can be compared with “... part of the strength of Samson...” and had the wisdom of King Solomon. Alexander's courage was comparable only to the courage of the Roman king Vespasian, who conquered the lands of Judea.

In the historical image, Alexander Nevsky appears as a wise and righteous ruler. The eminent overseas husband Andreas spoke about Alexander like this: “... I have never seen such a king among kings, nor a prince among princes...”

The image of Prince Alexander Nevsky presents us with him as a true believer. Before making an important decision, he went to church and asked God for help.

God protected him: “...Prince Alexander won, but was invincible...”.

Characteristics of Alexander Nevsky

The Roman ruler learned of Alexander's military prowess and wanted to conquer the land belonging to the prince. Alexander, obedient to God, prayed in the Church of Hagia Sophia, and went to battle with the enemy with a small squad; he did not even have time to ask for help from his father.

At night, the holy martyrs Gleb and Boris appeared to Pelugius (Philip), who was on patrol. He saw them sailing on a boat. The saints talked about the prince, saying that they would help him in the battle. Alexander won the battle, the enemies fled, and the victorious prince returned home.

The next year, Gentiles came from the Western Country and built a city on Alexander’s land. Courageous and brave, as his description describes, Alexander Nevsky destroyed the city, and dealt with his enemies differently: he executed some, captured others. But he was “immensely merciful,” so he released some.

In the winter of the third year, the prince set off with an army to liberate the Pskov land from the German invaders. The prince managed to liberate Pskov, but he made enemies for himself. German cities rallied against Alexander.

The decisive battle took place on Lake Peipsi. From there the prince returned victorious. Alexander and the Lithuanians defeated.

After the governor Nevruy ravaged Suzdal, Alexander restored the cities of the land of Suzdal and rebuilt the churches. A brief description describes Alexander Nevsky as a good diplomat. He managed to come to an agreement with Batu that Orthodox Russian people would not fight in the Horde troops.

Alexander Nevsky fell ill on his way back from the Horde. He was tonsured a monk and died on November 14: “...the sun has set on the land of Suzdal...”.

A miracle happened in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, where the body of the Grand Duke was taken. When the Metropolitan wanted to place a letter in the hand of the deceased, the deceased prince himself extended his hand and took the document.

Schoolchildren study the image and characteristics of Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky in literature lessons in the 8th grade.

Save it to your wall so you don’t lose it!

"Infiltrator of Alexander Nevsky"

Another striking example of the use of the image of the prince in Russian literature is Sergei Yukhnov’s novel “The Spy of Alexander Nevsky.” The book was published by EKSMO publishing house in 2008.

The reader learns from it about the difficult times that came to Rus' in the 13th century. The country was actually surrounded by invaders who threatened it from all sides.

In the center of the story is Prince Alexander Nevsky, who gathers a squad to resist the invaders and protect his native land. Events, like those of Vasiliev, are described from the perspective of not only rulers, but also ordinary citizens. One of the central characters is a young spy nicknamed Marmot. Together with his friends, by order of the prince, he goes to the borders of Rus' to try at any cost to obtain information about the impending crusade. They are extremely important and necessary for Nevsky.

This is an adventure and adventurous novel based on mostly fictional events. For example, Marmot will have to become a knight in order to complete this mission and gain the trust of the Pope.

The most important test for both Surka and the Grand Duke is still ahead. This is the Battle of the Ice. In this battle of Alexander Nevsky, the entire Russian land was actually at stake.

The novel pays a lot of attention to enemy machinations, secret and mysterious missions, as well as grandiose battles and knightly duels. This work clearly demonstrates the great interest of writers and readers in this historical figure. After all, when a personality begins to interest even fiction authors, this indicates its great popularity.

Political situation in Russia in the 13th century

The Russian land distinguished itself during the years of its formation, the formation of statehood, by princely civil strife that divided Rus' into parts. Each fief was ruled by a separate prince, which led to the destruction of space in the country:

1. Political.
2. Economic.
3. Dukhovny.
4. Cultural.

The lack of unity increased the threat of attack by enemies , especially on the eastern borders from the formidable Asian conquerors - the Mongol-Tatars . Prince Yaroslav understood the peculiarities of the political situation. When the Rurik family was replenished in 1221 with another heir, Alexander Yaroslavich , the baby’s father was just preparing to become the owner of the Kiev throne.

He tries to raise his sons Fedor and Alexander in the spirit of that time and, above all, introduces them to military affairs and governing the country . The young princes, under the supervision of a guardian, remain reigning in Novgorod in 1228, while he is busy with problems with Riga.

But in 1229, the city’s residents live meagerly, they are starving, and the governor Yakun takes his charges away from harm. Novgorodians turn to Yaroslav to take over the reign again in 1230, in the hope that he himself will be on campaigns and transfer power to his sons. Fedor died early at the age of 13. In 1236, Yaroslav left Novgorod to rule Kiev. From this time on, Alexander began independent activities.

First national hero

The definition included in this subtitle is used by many modern domestic writers. They emphasize the role of Alexander Nevsky in the unification of the Russian principalities, which before that were completely disunited and only fought among themselves. All this negatively affected the integrity of the borders of the entire state. Of course, true unification was still a long way off. But Nevsky took the first steps in this direction.

In particular, Lydia Obukhova’s novel “Alarm Morning” is dedicated to this. In this historical work, the author notes that although at that time there was no concept of a single country, Nevsky managed to make the fight against the German and Swedish invaders a national matter.

It must be admitted that in recent years a large number of novels have appeared that examine various alternative versions of the history of Ancient Rus'. For example, the significance of our hero’s personality is questioned by some authors. Connoisseurs of alternative history admit that Nevsky could have been an insignificant ruler who, in fact, did not play a decisive role in the Russian history of the 13th century.