May 13 marks the 800th anniversary of the birth of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky, one of the most revered saints in Rus'. During his lifetime, this truly great man, who at different times bore the titles of Prince of Novgorod, Kyiv, and then Grand Duke of Vladimir, was not only a wise ruler, but also an extraordinary thinker, philosopher, politician and diplomat, as well as an outstanding strategist, warrior and hero. At the same time, he gave his contemporaries such lessons in spirituality and faith that after his death he was canonized and became a support for all of Orthodox Rus'.
The image of this saint in the 20th and 21st centuries was somewhat distorted. Now in a huge number of modern articles, films and even in school textbooks, he is presented primarily as an outstanding commander. And his canonization is perceived almost as a form of gratitude from his descendants for his outstanding military victories. However, this is not at all true.
Was Saint Alexander Nevsky perceived only as a valiant military leader who distinguished himself on the battlefield?.. Of course not! How many ancient Russian military leaders were there who gained fame on the battlefield with external enemies? – Yaroslav Vladimirovich (Wise), Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh and other princes, but they were not canonized!
Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich, born on May 13, 1221, truly won many military victories. The most famous of them are the defense of the northwestern territories of Rus' from Swedish troops (Battle of the Neva on July 15, 1240), as well as the battle with the troops of the Livonian Order on the ice of Lake Peipsi (Battle of the Ice on April 5, 1242). For the first of them he received the nickname Nevsky, with which he went down in history. It is known that in his entire life, Prince Alexander did not lose a single battle. And this is what is most often remembered in connection with his name. In Tsarist Russia, an order was established in his honor, which was awarded to outstanding commanders. And even in the Soviet years the memory of this saint was honored. On July 29, 1942, the Soviet military Order of Alexander Nevsky was established.
mosaic panel “Battle on the Ice”, made according to a sketch by the artist A. K. Bystrov. A.K. Bystrov. Battle on the Ice. Mosaic at the Alexander Nevsky Square metro station in Leningrad. 1985
And yet his spiritual exploits are much more important. After all, he won his main military victories when he was not even 22 years old. And later he became famous, rather, as a wise ruler, whose activities predetermined the course of history for many centuries to come.
Thanks to Alexander Nevsky, Rus' managed to preserve its statehood and independence, as well as the Orthodox faith as the spiritual support of the people. Indeed, at that difficult, turning point, the Russian lands were hardly recovering from the devastating raids of the Tatar-Mongols. And Rus' could simply disappear from the map, piece by piece come under the influence of other states, as happened in those years with many other peoples of Eastern Europe.
A diehard politician for Rome and a skilled diplomat for the Horde
The integrity of Rus' at that moment was threatened by both the Golden Horde and Rome, which wanted to subjugate Rus', force it to accept the Catholic faith and come under the authority of the Roman throne.
At the end of 1252, ambassadors from Pope Innocent IV arrived in Vladimir - two cardinals, Gald and Gemont. They brought a message to the “Duke of Suzdal,” that is, Alexander, in which the Pope invited him to convert to the Catholic faith and promised in return his patronage and assistance in organizing a crusade of European knights against the Tatars. For military assistance, the pope demanded recognition of the authority of the Roman throne. That is, Rus', which could not be conquered in battles, the pope tried to gain politically: through the inculcation of the Catholic faith.
Sketch of Pope Innocent IV by a 17th century artist
But Prince Alexander could not accept such a condition, since it contradicted the basic principle of Russian statehood: loyalty to the Orthodox Greek-Slavic faith. Therefore, he sent a categorical refusal to the papal legates. By his refusal to negotiate with the Pope, Alexander Nevsky acquired the unshakable support of the Orthodox Church, which was of great importance for the future of independent Rus'.
By abandoning Catholicism, Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich actually chose real freedom and independence for his people. This was a geopolitical and civilizational choice of independent development, while the choice of Catholicism would have doomed the country to plunge into the ideological and spiritual orbit of Papal Rome.
Byzantium by that time was no longer a strong state, its capital Constantinople (the legendary Constantinople) was captured, and on the conquered Byzantine lands the state of the crusaders was founded - the Latin Empire, which lasted for more than 50 years. But even during the times of its strength, Byzantium never laid claim to spiritual and political power over Russia. Therefore, the choice of Orthodoxy was actually political. This was the decision of an independent ruler and a free people. Thanks to this choice, a unique tradition of Russian spiritual culture with its own historical and theological schools subsequently grew in the Christian world, giving the world religious philosophy, “holy Russian literature,” unique icons and churches.
If in negotiations with Rome, Prince Alexander Nevsky took an extremely tough position, then in relations with the Horde he chose the path of extremely soft diplomacy, because he understood all its power and preferred to maintain peace with such a strong rival using all available methods. It was not for nothing that in pre-revolutionary Russia Alexander Nevsky was considered the patron of the diplomatic service: many of the foundations of his diplomacy were 700 years ahead of history and almost completely correspond to the principles of modern international law.
Photo: TASS / Vitaly Nevar Thus, Alexander Nevsky’s phrase “God is not in power, but in truth” is famous: he managed to achieve success not by brute force, but by faith in the justice of the cause that he defended.
In addition to purely political achievements, he managed to achieve the almost incredible: in 1261, the first diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church outside Rus' was created in the Golden Horde. Thus, the noble prince can also be considered the patron of Russian missionary work. The prince spent almost two years in the Horde, and played a very complex diplomatic game. Skillfully maneuvering between different centers of power in the Golden Horde, Alexander Nevsky sought forgiveness for the rebellious Russian princes, the release of prisoners, and relief from the participation of Russian troops in campaigns to collect tribute. Knowing that he might not return alive from a trip to the Horde, constantly risking himself, he went there to again and again prevent invasions into the territory of Rus'. The prince regularly paid a huge tribute to the conquerors to allow the country to recover from the constant ruinous raids. Researchers consider this the prince’s most important merit.
Here is what the greatest historian of the Russian diaspora, Georgy Vernadsky, wrote: “The two feats of Alexander Nevsky - the feat of warfare in the West and the feat of humility in the East - had one goal: the preservation of Orthodoxy as the moral and political force of the Russian people. This goal was achieved: the growth of the Russian Orthodox kingdom took place on the soil prepared by Alexander.”
Battle on the Ice
IN 1240
German
knights of the Livonian Order
attacked the Novgorod land.
They were helped by a traitor - Russian prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich
.
First they captured Izborsk,
taking the city by storm.
Then they approached Pskov and defeated
camp under its walls, they began to destroy the surrounding villages. They also prepared to storm the city, but the residents of Pskov surrendered. The Germans took hostages, left their garrison and moved on. Victories turned their heads, the knights' appetite increased.
in winter 1240-1241
gg.
The Germans captured the territory of the Vod tribe, captured Tesov, and came almost close to Novgorod.
The knights and the Ezel bishop agreed in advance how they would divide the profits of the border Russian lands.
At this time, Alexander Nevsky, after a quarrel with the boyars, went to his father in Pereyaslav-Zalessky. The Metropolitan personally went to persuade Yaroslav Vsevolodovich to let his son go. Prince Vladimir agreed, since the matter concerned not only Novgorod, but all of Rus'.
Prince Alexander gathered an army and began to think about how to act. The enemy captured Pskov and Koporye. To disperse forces meant losing the battle. Therefore, first of all, we decided to act in the Koporye direction. The army under his leadership captured the fortress.
In March
1242
,
the Russian squad approached Pskov
.
But Alexander Nevsky believed that he did not have enough strength to attack, so he waited for his brother with the Suzdal squads. Together they surrounded and captured the knightly garrison.
After the defeat, the Order began preparing an offensive against Russian soldiers. All the surviving knights gathered, led by the master. They were joined by subjects of the Swedish king.
Meanwhile, Alexander Nevsky and his squad moved to Izborsk
. He sent several reconnaissance detachments ahead. Thanks to the information they obtained, it became known that the main forces of the Germans were directed towards Lake Peipsi. The Russian army also turned towards the reservoir.
The Novgorod army numbered about 15-17 thousand
people
of
the Order -
10-12 thousand .
On the morning of April
5 , the Germans, in chain mail and helmets,
lined up in a wedge.
They looked terrifying and were confident of their victory.
Prince Alexander decided to change tactics:
he concentrated the main forces on the phalanxes, and not in the center. He sent forward light cavalry, slingers and archers. So the enemy, advancing on open ice, could not determine the number of Russian troops.
During the battle, the Germans cut through the center and found themselves on the edge of the steep shore of the lake. Their cavalry was crowded together, as there was no room for them to turn around. They were caught in pincers
. The Novgorod squad at this time attacked from the rear.
Some knights, led by the master, broke out of the ring. They rushed to run to the opposite shore, where they fell through the ice.
The death of a large number of knights undermined the power of the Order.
He had no choice but to return all the captured lands in the summer
of
1242 and sign a peace treaty.
Why the noble prince was canonized by the Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church especially reveres Alexander Nevsky not so much for his military victories, but for his feat of meekness, patience “more than courage” and “invincible humility” (an image that seems paradoxical at first glance). The humility that he showed in preserving Rus' from Horde raids.
Icon of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky
This is what Alexander Kopirovsky, professor at the St. Philaret Orthodox Institute, told a MIR 24 correspondent:
“Sometimes it seems to me that in the history of Christianity we are too carried away by the images of victorious people. This is some other trend, another line, it seems to me, not as deep as earlier in the history of Christianity. Therefore, it would be very good if our modern warriors, at least those who think about the meaning of life, about the meaning of defending the country, about the meaning of fighting for the truth, would still, first of all, honor those who spiritually opposed the immeasurably strongest and won by not retreating and demonstrating God’s truth.”
Other victories
The prince and great commander Alexander Yaroslavovich Nevsky gained fame thanks to 2
victories that were significant for the Russian people. But he has other equally important military campaigns to his credit.
Lithuanian campaign
Lithuania regularly raided Russian lands. Alexander Nevsky was the only commander who, with the help of united troops, resisted the interventionists.
IN 1245
Lithuanian troops made another raid on the Novgorod lands with the intention of attacking
Bezhetsk and Torzhok.
Yaroslav Vladimirovich tried to resist, but failed.
By morning, Alexander Nevsky arrived , took prisoners from the Lithuanians, and drove the invaders away.
He understood that defeating one detachment would not save Novgorod from raids.
His decision to drive the retreating enemy deep into his country forced the Lithuanian feudal lords to forget the road to the east for a long time.
Bloodless victory
Later 14
years after the Battle of Lake Peipus, the Pope again began to gather an army of Catholics for a new crusade against Rus'. Only Sweden responded to his call. The knights' plans included first building a fortress on the border of the Vodskaya land, and then going on the offensive.
The Novgorodians figured out their plan, sent messengers for Alexander Nevsky, and themselves began to prepare for defense. The Swedes, noticing the preparations, got scared and hastened to leave the Russian lands. Thus, the great commander won a bloodless victory.
The last feat of Alexander Nevsky
In 1245, the Lithuanian army led by Mindaugas moved to the cities of Torzhok and Bezhetsk. When people interested in the life of the great commander ask: “What was the last feat of Alexander Nevsky?”, researchers answer that this is undoubtedly the defeat of the Lithuanians.
Having liberated Toropets, Prince Alexander killed ten Lithuanian princes. After that, he dismissed the Novgorodians to their homes and, with the help of his squad, caught up and completely defeated the Lithuanian army at Lake Zhitsa. Returning to Novgorod, the princely squad defeated another detachment of Lithuanians.
Alexander's squad was a formidable force. Even the mention of her horrified her enemies. The 3 exploits of Alexander Nevsky, which he accomplished with his valiant warriors, could not fail to reach Batu. After the defeat of the Lithuanians, Alexander was “summoned” to the Horde.
Diplomat Prince Alexander
When listing the exploits of Alexander Nevsky, one cannot limit ourselves only to his military achievements. He was a successful diplomat, capable of concluding treaties that were very important for the state. In 1251, he managed to sign an agreement between Norway and Novgorod on the delimitation of border disputes and tribute collections in the vast territory inhabited by the Sami and Karelians. In 1260, a trade agreement was concluded with Lubeck, Gotland and German cities. It turned out to be very durable. It was referred to even in 1420.
Relations with the Tatar-Mongols
In 1247, Andrei, and after his brother Alexander Nevsky, went to Batu, in the Horde. The brothers returned only in 1249. Andrei received from the khan a label for the throne in Vladimir, and Alexander - in Kyiv. Formally, the status granted to Alexander was higher. But Kyiv, devastated by the Tatars, practically lost its significance in the life of the state. Therefore, Alexander was not satisfied with this decision. Without visiting Kyiv, he went to Novgorod.
The policy of Alexander Nevsky for many years determined the relations between Russia and the Horde, West and East. Later, the policy of pacifying the Horde was continued by the Moscow princes - the great-grandsons of Alexander Nevsky. It was they who were ultimately able to revive the power of Rus' and finally throw off the hated yoke.
Life and exploits of Alexander Nevsky
The Great Prince of Novgorod is one of the people who not only influenced the destinies of our people and the Fatherland, but also changed them in many ways, and also predetermined the further course of history for centuries to come.
Prince Alexander was born in 1220 (some sources indicate 1221) in Pereyaslavl Zalessky. His father is Prince Yaroslav of Pereyaslavl. Mother - Theodosia, the youngest daughter of Prince Mstislav.
From a young age, Alexander became involved in the political events that at that time revolved around the reign of Novgorod the Great. Much of the life of the great commander, thinker, and philosopher is connected with this city.
Battle of the Neva
It is necessary to describe the military exploits of Alexander Nevsky from this battle, because it was the first serious test for the young prince. It must be said that he endured it with honor, while demonstrating the qualities of not only a brilliant commander, but also a wise politician.
With a small squad, without waiting for help from his father and other princes, Alexander went on a campaign. Along the way, he teamed up with the Ladoga residents and suddenly (July 15) attacked the Swedish camp. As you know, the Russian army defeated the Swedes. With huge enemy losses, the Russians lost 20 people. There is an opinion that the losses in Alexander’s army are somewhat underestimated, but at the same time, the significance of the Battle of the Neva is obvious - despite the Mongol yoke, Rus' was able to defend its borders.
The unconditional victory was very important for the twenty-year-old prince. She brought him great fame and an honorable name - Nevsky.
After this event, Alexander quarreled with the Novgorodians and, together with his family, mother and “his yard,” left the city. Probably the cause of the conflict was his imperious reign (following the example of his father). This caused resistance from the boyars. Alexander moved to Pereyaslavl, where he became a prince.
Without a strong ruler, Novgorod could not resist another enemy - the crusaders. The knights, in alliance with the Estonians (“chudyu”), captured Izborsk, and later Pskov. A year later, the city of Tesov on the Luga River fell into their hands. The Novgorodians began to ask Yaroslav to send his son to help. At first, the Grand Duke sent his youngest son, Andrei, to Novgorod, but after repeated requests from the townspeople, he agreed to send Alexander. The exploits of Alexander Nevsky were well known to everyone, so special hopes were placed on him. And I must say that he completely justified them. In 1241, Novgorodians greeted the young prince with jubilation.
