770 years ago, on July 15, 1240, a battle between Novgorod and Swedish troops took place on the Neva River. This battle went down in history under the name "Nevskaya", and Prince Alexander, who commanded the Novgorod militia, was forever nicknamed Alexander Nevsky for victory in the battle, for courage and courage in battle.
From dawn to dusk
The Swedish army, and with it the Norwegians and Finnish tribes, landed on the bank where the Izhora River flows into the Neva. The enemy militia expected to capture the city of Ladoga, fortify itself on the banks of the Neva and Lake Ladoga, and then conquer Novgorod. Also, some historians argue that the main goal of the Swedes was to cut off Russia's access to the Baltic Sea, to close trade routes to the west, wordweb.ru reports.
The borders of the Novgorod lands were guarded in the Neva region, on both banks of the Gulf of Finland, by the Izhorians. It was the Izhora elder who reported to Novgorod about the invasion of the Swedes. Prince Alexander Yaroslavich, having received such news, decided to be the first to attack the enemy and, without waiting for reinforcements, gathered his own squad. While Alexander's army was moving towards the Swedes' campsite, local residents of nearby villages joined him, writes grsmena.ru.
Inspiring his squad before the battle, Alexander uttered the famous phrase: "God is not in power, but in truth." The meaning of this saying now has a different meaning. The fact is that before the word "truth" meant "faith". In this case, we are talking about the Orthodox faith.
The prince and his squad took the enemy by surprise. The Swedes did not expect an attack, perhaps this was the decisive factor that contributed to the victory of the Novgorod army. Alexander attacked in the morning, the battle lasted until dark. After the opponents dispersed, the Swedes, having loaded the soldiers killed in the battle on the ships, retreated.
"Showdown" after the victory
Most historians agree that the Battle of the Neva was a very significant battle. The victory in the battle of the young Prince Alexander was his first victory, despite this, it became significant not only for Novgorod, but for the whole of Russia. This battle was the first in a series of battles for the preservation of Russia's access to the sea. The successful outcome of the battle ensured the safety of Novgorod.
Later, in 1710, in memory of the Battle of the Neva at the mouth of the Black River in St. Petersburg, by decree of Peter I, the Alexander Nevsky Monastery was built. Then it was mistakenly believed that the battle took place not at the mouth of the Izhora, but at the mouth of the Black River. The monastery was built by architect Domenico Trezzini. Later, the ensemble of the monastery was supplemented according to the designs of other architects. In honor of the Neva battle in Ust-Izhora stands the Church of Alexander Nevsky.
In fact, not much is known about the battle itself. This is due to the fact that the events of 1240 are mentioned in the annals in passing, the descriptions are rather scarce. Historians have to guess about many things, disputes over some moments of the battle at the mouth of the Izhora have not subsided to this day. The battle is mentioned in the Novgorod First Chronicle of the senior version, the later Novgorod First Chronicle of the junior version, and in several versions of the Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky.
Controversy and conjecture
One of the most common discrepancies in the sources in which the Battle of the Neva is mentioned is conflicting information about who led the Swedes during the battle. The "Life of Alexander Nevsky" says that the Swedish jarl (ruler) Birger commanded the enemy army. However, some historians argue that, since Birger II became jarl only in 1248, he could not participate in the Battle of the Neva. Before him, Jarl was Ulf Fasi, who, perhaps, commanded the Swedes. Other researchers say that the Swedish king ruled the army.
One of the secrets of the battle is the chronicle legend about the death of the leader of the Swedish army, Jarl Birger. In addition to legends about whether Birger participated in this battle at all, there are suggestions that Alexander Yaroslavich himself killed the jarl. However, some historians argue that such guesses are erroneous, since the annalistic text was translated into modern Russian incorrectly and such an interpretation is incorrect.
The material was prepared by the online editors www.rian.ru based on information from open sources
This day in history:
Neva battle(July 15, 1240) - a battle on the Neva River between the Novgorod militia under the command of Prince Alexander Yaroslavich and the Swedish detachment. Alexander Yaroslavich received the honorary nickname "Nevsky" for his victory and personal courage in battle.
Sources
Sources telling about the Battle of the Neva are very few. These are the Novgorod first chronicle of the older version, several variants of the hagiographic Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky, written no later than the 80s. XIII century, as well as the later Novgorod first chronicle of the younger version, depending on the two sources indicated above. There is no mention of a major defeat in Scandinavian sources, although in 1240 a small Scandinavian detachment really took place against Russia (as part of a crusade to Finland).
Battle
background
In the first half of the 13th century, the Swedes and Novgorodians carried out aggressive campaigns against the Finnish tribes of Sum and Em, which caused their protracted conflicts. The Swedes tried to baptize these tribes, converting them to the Catholic faith.
In this confrontation, both sides sought to take control of Ingermanland - the territory adjacent to the Neva River, as well as the Karelian Isthmus.
Before the battle
In the summer of 1240, Swedish ships arrived at the mouth of the Izhora River. Having landed on the shore, the Swedes and their allies pitched their tents in the place where the Izhora flowed into the Neva. The Novgorod First Chronicle of the older edition reports this as follows:
Having come Svei in great strength, and Murman, and Sum, and eat in ships a lot of green; Svei with the prince and with his scribbles; and stash in the Neva, the mouth of the Izhera, although it would be desirable to receive Ladoga, just the river and Novgorod and the entire Novgorod region.
According to this report, the Swedish troops included Norwegians (Murmans) and representatives of Finnish tribes (Sum and Em); Catholic bishops were also in the army. According to the assumption of N. I. Kostomarov, the son-in-law of the king, Birger Magnusson, could lead the Swedish army. However, Swedish sources do not contain any mention of either the battle itself or Birger's participation in it. Interestingly, Birger's wife was Alexander Nevsky's at least fourth cousin.
The borders of the Novgorod land were guarded by "watchmen": in the Neva region, on both banks of the Gulf of Finland, there was a "sea guard" of the Izhorians. At dawn on a July day in 1240, the elder of the Izhora land, Pelgusius, while on patrol, discovered the Swedish flotilla and hastily sent Alexander to report everything.
The “Life of Alexander Nevsky” refers to the vision of Pelgusius, in which he recognized the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb, sailing on the sea on a ship, and heard Boris say: “Brother Gleb, they were rowing, let us help our relative, Prince Alexander.”
Having received such news, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich decided to suddenly attack the enemy. There was no time to wait for reinforcements, and Alexander began to gather his own squad. Novgorod militia also joined the army.
According to the accepted custom, the soldiers gathered at the Hagia Sophia and received a blessing from Archbishop Spiridon. Alexander inspired the squad with a speech, the phrase of which has survived to this day and has become winged:
Brothers! Not in the forces of God, but in truth! Let us remember the words of the psalmist: these are in arms, and these are on horses, but we will call on the name of the Lord our God ... Let us not be afraid of the multitude of soldiers, for God is with us.
Alexander's detachment advanced along the Volkhov to Ladoga, then turned to the mouth of the Izhora. Along the way, local residents joined the detachment. The army mainly consisted of mounted warriors, but there were also foot forces in it, which, in order not to waste time, also traveled on horseback.
The Swedish camp was not guarded, as the Swedes did not think about the possibility of attacking them. Taking advantage of the fog, Alexander's troops secretly approached the enemy and took him by surprise: without the ability to create a battle formation, the Swedes could not offer full resistance.
The course of the battle
On July 15, 1240, the battle began. The message of the First Novgorod Chronicle of the senior edition is quite brief:
And that governor was killed, named Spiridon; and other creators, as if the squeaker was killed by the same; and many many of them fell; and on top of the ship were two vyatshih husbands, who had previously abandoned themselves to the sea; and prok them, having dug out a hole, vmetash in a nude, without a hole; and inii multiplied the ulcers of the former; and on that night, without waiting for the light of Monday, shame the departed.
An insert made in the Biography of Alexander Nevsky according to the Laurentian Chronicle mentions six soldiers who performed feats during the battle: Russian horse spearmen attacked the center of the Swedish camp, and the foot army hit the flank along the coast and captured three ships. In the course of the battle, Alexander's army owned the initiative, and the prince himself, according to chronicles, “left the mark of his sharp spear on the face of the king himself ..”
Gavrilo Oleksich, “seeing the prince, dragged by the arms, rode up to the ship along the gangway along which they ran with the prince,” boarded, was thrown down, but then again entered the battle. Sbyslav Yakunovich, armed with only one ax, rushed to the very center of the enemy army, followed by the hunter Alexander; - Yakov Polochanin brandished his long sword. The lad Savva penetrated the center of the Swedish camp, "broke into the large royal golden-domed tent and cut down the tent pillar"; Having lost its support, the tent fell to the ground. Novgorodian Mesha with his squad sank three enemy ships. The sixth warrior mentioned - the servant of Alexander Yaroslavich Ratmir fought on foot against several Swedes, was wounded and died.
The battle lasted until evening; By nightfall, the enemies dispersed. The Swedes were defeated, and by morning they retreated to the surviving ships, and crossed to the other side. It is known that the Russian soldiers did not interfere with the flight. The losses of the Novgorod army were insignificant. They amounted to twenty people, while the Swedes, on the three ships remaining with them, loaded the bodies of their dead soldiers, and left the rest on the shore. Reports of further events are conflicting. On the other side of the Neva, the next day, local residents found many unburied bodies of the Swedes, although it is indicated that they sank two ships with the dead, after which the remnants of the army sailed to Sweden.
Result of the battle
Having won, the Russian troops did not allow the Swedes to cut off Novgorod from the sea and capture the coast of the Neva and the Gulf of Finland. In addition, the plan of joint actions of the Swedish and German knights was destroyed: now, after the victory, Novgorod could not be surrounded from two sides.
However, because of the fear that after the victory the role of Alexander in the conduct of business could increase, the Novgorod boyars began to build all sorts of intrigues for the prince. Alexander Nevsky went to his father, but a year later the Novgorod residents again invited the prince to continue the war with the Livonian Order, which had approached Pskov.
The memory of the Neva battle
Architecture
Alexander Nevsky Lavra
In 1710, Peter I, in memory of the Battle of the Neva, founded the Alexander Nevsky Monastery at the mouth of the Black River (now the Monastyrka River) in St. Petersburg. At that time, it was erroneously believed that the battle took place exactly at this place. The construction of the monastery was carried out according to the project of Domenico Trezzini. In the future, the ensemble of the monastery developed according to the plan of other architects.
On August 30, 1724, the remains of Alexander Yaroslavich were brought here from Vladimir. In 1797, under Emperor Paul I, the Alexander Nevsky Monastery was awarded the degree of Lavra. The architectural ensemble of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra includes: the Church of the Annunciation, the Fedorov Church, the Trinity Cathedral and others. Now the Alexander Nevsky Lavra is a state reserve, on the territory of which the Museum of Urban Sculpture is located with an 18th-century necropolis (Lazarevsky cemetery) and a necropolis of art masters (Tikhvin cemetery). Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov, Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov, Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin, Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, Ivan Andreevich Krylov, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka, Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky and many other figures who entered the history of Russia are buried in the Lavra.
In honor of the victory in the Battle of the Neva in Ust-Izhora in 1711, a wooden church was built.
Until the beginning of the new century, the church burned several times and was restored several times. In 1798, a stone church with a bell tower and a cast-iron grate was erected at the expense of local residents.
In 1934 the temple was closed and used as a warehouse. During the siege of Leningrad, the bell tower of the church was blown up because it served as a guide for the German artillery.
In 1990, work began on the restoration of the temple, and in 1995, on September 12, it was consecrated. At the temple there is a small churchyard cemetery, where on December 6, 2002, a monument-chapel with a half-length (bronze) image of Alexander Nevsky was installed and consecrated.
The church is located in the Kolpinsky district of St. Petersburg at the address: Ust-Izhora, 217, 9th January Ave.
Screen adaptation
In 2008, the feature film “Alexander. Neva battle.
- At present, at the place where the Swedish ships stopped and the knights set up their camp, the village of Ust-Izhora is located.
Criticism
At present, the reliability of evidence about the Battle of the Neva is being questioned. The arguments given are as follows:
- There is no mention of the battle in the Ipatiev Chronicle, as well as in Swedish sources.
- In the Laurentian Chronicle, the mention of the battle is placed in the entry for 1263 and is a borrowing from the Life. For 1240 there is no mention of the battle.
- Swedish sources state that Birger did not leave Sweden during the year of the battle.
- Swedish sources do not mention the death of any bishop in the year of the battle.
- The description of the wound in the face may have been borrowed from the Life of Dovmont of Novgorod.
- There is no explanation for the contradictory behavior of the Swedes, who did not advance deep into enemy territory and did not build a fortified camp.
- There is no explanation for the strange behavior of Alexander, who did not notify Yaroslav of the attack and did not gather the Novgorod militia.
- It is not clear why, after the battle, the Swedes remained on the battlefield and were able to bury the dead.
- There is no information about captured Swedes.
- The information about the sinking of three Swedish ships looks implausible.
- It is not clear who killed the Swedes on the other side of the river.
- The deceased commander of the Swedes bears the Russian name Spiridon.
- A hypothesis is put forward about a joint attack by Alexander and the Karelians on the camp of Swedish merchants.
Taking advantage of the fact that after the devastation of North-Eastern Russia by the Mongols, Novgorod and Pskov had nowhere to wait for help, the Swedish and German knights stepped up their expansion in North-Western Russia, counting on an easy victory. The Swedes were the first to make an attempt to seize Russian lands. In 1238, the Swedish king Erich Burr received permission ("blessing") from the Pope for a crusade against the Novgorodians. All who agreed to take part in the campaign were promised absolution.
In 1239, the Swedes and Germans were negotiating, outlining the plan of the campaign: the Swedes, who had captured Finland by that time, were to advance on Novgorod from the north, from the Neva River, and the Germans - through Izborsk and Pskov. Sweden allocated an army for the campaign led by Jarl (Prince) Ulf Fasi and the king's son-in-law, Jarl Birger, the future founder of Stockholm.
Novgorodians knew about the plans of the Swedes, as well as that the Swedes were going to baptize them, as if they were pagans, in the Catholic faith. Therefore, the Swedes, who went to plant an alien faith, seemed to them more terrible than the Mongols.
In the summer of 1240, the Swedish army under the command of Birger "in great strength, puffing with the spirit of the military", appeared on the Neva River on ships that stopped at the mouth of the Izhora River. The army consisted of Swedes, Norwegians, representatives of the Finnish tribes, who intended to go straight to Ladoga in order to go down to Novgorod from there. Catholic bishops were also in the conquering army. They walked with a cross in one hand and a sword in the other. Having landed on the shore, the Swedes and their allies pitched their tents and tents at the confluence of the Izhora with the Neva. Birger, confident in his victory, sent a statement to Prince Alexander: "If you can resist me, then I'm already here, fighting your land."
Novgorod borders at that time were guarded by "watchmen". They were also on the sea coast, where local tribes served. So, in the area of the Neva, on both banks of the Gulf of Finland, there was a "sea watchman" of the Izhora, who guarded the routes to Novgorod from the sea. The Izhorians had already converted to Orthodoxy and were an ally of Novgorod. Once, at dawn on a July day in 1240, the elder of the Izhos land, Pelgusy, while on patrol, discovered the Swedish flotilla and hastily sent Alexander to report everything.
Having received news of the appearance of the enemy, the Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavovich decided to suddenly attack him. There was no time to muster the troops, and the convening of a veche (people's assembly) could drag out the matter and lead to a disruption of the suddenness of the impending operation. Therefore, Alexander did not wait until the squads sent by his father Yaroslav came, or the warriors from the Novgorod lands gathered. He decided to oppose the Swedes with his squad, reinforcing it only with Novgorod volunteers. According to the old custom, they gathered at the Cathedral of St. Sophia, prayed, received a blessing from their master Spiridon and set out on a campaign. They walked along the Volkhov River to Ladoga, where a detachment of Ladoga residents, allies of Veliky Novgorod, joined Alexander. From Ladoga, Alexander's army turned to the mouth of the Izhora River.
The Swedish camp, set up at the mouth of the Izhora, was not guarded, since the Swedes did not suspect the approach of Russian troops. The enemy ships rocked, tied to the shore; tents were white all along the coast, and between them was Birger's golden-domed tent. On July 15, at 11 am, the Novgorodians suddenly attacked the Swedes. Their attack was so unexpected that the Swedes did not have time to "gird their swords on their loins."
Birger's army was taken by surprise. Deprived of the opportunity to line up for battle, it could not offer organized resistance. With a bold onslaught, the Russian squad passed through the enemy camp and drove the Swedes to the shore. The foot militias, advancing along the banks of the Neva, not only cut down the bridges that connected the Swedish ships with land, but even captured and destroyed three enemy ships.
Novgorodians fought "in the fury of their courage." Alexander personally "beat up countless Swedes and stamp the king himself on his face with your sharp sword." The prince's lieutenant, Gavrilo Oleksich, chased Birger all the way to the ship, broke into the Swedish boat on horseback, was thrown into the water, remained alive and again entered the battle, laying down the bishop and another noble Swede named Spiridon. Another Novgorodian, Sbyslav Yakunovich, with only one ax in his hand, boldly crashed into the very thick of the enemies, mowed them right and left, clearing the path, as if in a forest thicket. Behind him, the princely hunter Yakov Polochanin brandished his long sword. These fellows were followed by other warriors. The princely youth Savva, having made his way to the center of the enemy camp, cut down the high pillar of the tent of Birger himself: the tent fell down. A detachment of Novgorod volunteers sank three Swedish ships. The remnants of the defeated Birger's troops fled on the surviving ships. The losses of the Novgorodians were insignificant, amounting to 20 people, while the Swedes loaded three ships with the bodies of only noble people, and left the rest on the shore.
The victory over the Swedes was of great political importance. She showed all the Russian people that they have not yet lost their former prowess and can stand up for themselves. The Swedes failed to cut off Novgorod from the sea, capture the coast of the Neva and the Gulf of Finland. Having repulsed the Swedish attack from the north, the Russian army disrupted the possible interaction of the Swedish and German conquerors. To combat German aggression, the right flank and rear of the Pskov theater of operations are now reliably secured.
In tactical terms, the role of the "watchman" should be noted, which discovered the enemy and promptly informed Alexander of his appearance. Of great importance was the surprise factor in the attack on Birger's camp, whose army was taken by surprise and could not offer organized resistance. The chronicler noted the extraordinary courage of Russian soldiers. For this victory, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich was called "Nevsky". At that time he was only twenty-one years old.
Battle on Lake Peipus ("Battle on the Ice") in 1242.
In the summer of 1240, German knights from the Livonian Order, created from the Orders of the Sword and the Teutonic Order, invaded the Novgorod land. Back in 1237, Pope Gregory IX blessed the German knights to conquer native Russian lands. The conquering army consisted of Germans, Medvezhans, Yuryevites and Danish knights from Revel. With them was a traitor - the Russian prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich. They appeared under the walls of Izborsk and took the city by storm. The people of Pskov rushed to help their countrymen, but their militia was defeated. Some of the killed were over 800 people, including the voivode Gavrila Gorislavich.
In the footsteps of the fugitives, the Germans approached Pskov, crossed the Velikaya River, set up their camp under the very walls of the Kremlin, set fire to the city and began to destroy churches and surrounding villages. For a whole week they kept the Kremlin under siege, preparing for an assault. But things did not come to this: a resident of Pskov, Tverdilo Ivanovich, surrendered the city. The knights took hostages and left their garrison in Pskov.
The appetite of the Germans increased. They have already said: "Let's reproach the Slovenian language ... to ourselves," that is, we will subdue the Russian people. In the winter of 1240-1241, the knights again appeared as uninvited guests in the Novgorod land. This time they seized the territory of the Vod (Vozhan) tribe, to the east of the Narva River, "they fought everything and laid tribute on them." Having captured the "Vodskaya Pyatina", the knights took possession of Tesovo (on the Oredezh River), and their patrols appeared 35 km from Novgorod. Thus, a vast territory in the region of Izborsk - Pskov - Sabel - Tesov - Koporye was in the hands of the Livonian Order.
The Germans had already considered the Russian border lands to be their property; the pope "handed over" the coast of the Neva and Karelia under the jurisdiction of the bishop of Ezel, who concluded an agreement with the knights: he negotiated for himself a tenth of everything that the land gives, and left everything else - fishing, mowing, arable land - to the knights.
Novgorodians again remembered Prince Alexander, already Nevsky, who left after a quarrel with the city boyars in his native Pereslavl-Zalessky. The Metropolitan of Novgorod himself went to ask the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yaroslav Vsevolodovich to let his son go, and Yaroslav, realizing the danger of the threat emanating from the West, agreed: the matter concerned not only Novgorod, but all of Russia.
Alexander organized an army of Novgorodians, Ladoga, Karelians and Izhors. First of all, it was necessary to resolve the question of the method of action.
In 1241, the army under the command of Alexander set out on a campaign, reached Koporye, captured the fortress "and ejected the city from the base, and beat the Germans themselves, and bring others with you to Novgorod, and let others go, be more merciful than measure, and the leaders and I hanged (hung) the people of peretniks (i.e. traitors)". Vodskaya Pyatina was cleared of the Germans. The right flank and rear of the Novgorod army were now safe.
In March 1242, the Novgorodians again set out on a campaign and were soon near Pskov. Alexander, believing that he did not have enough strength to attack a strong fortress, was waiting for his brother Andrei Yaroslavich with the Suzdal squads, who soon approached. The Order did not have time to send reinforcements to their knights. Pskov was surrounded, and the knightly garrison was taken prisoner. Alexander sent the order's governors in chains to Novgorod. In the battle, 70 noble order brothers and many ordinary knights were killed.
After this defeat, the Order began to concentrate its forces within the Derpt bishopric, preparing an offensive against the Russians. The order gathered a great force: there were almost all of its knights with the master at the head, with all the bishops, a large number of local soldiers, as well as the soldiers of the Swedish king.
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Alexander decided to move the war to the territory of the Order itself. The Russian army marched on Izborsk. Forward, Prince Alexander Nevsky sent several reconnaissance detachments. One of them, under the command of the mayor's brother Domash Tverdislavich and Kerbet, ran into German knights and Chuds (Ests), was defeated and retreated; while Domash died. Meanwhile, reconnaissance found out that the enemy sent insignificant forces to Izborsk, and his main forces were moving towards Lake Peipsi.
The Novgorod army turned to the lake, "the Germans and the Chud followed them." The Novgorodians tried to repel the roundabout maneuver of the German knights. Having reached Lake Peipus, the Novgorod army found itself in the center of possible enemy movement routes to Novgorod. Now Alexander decided to give battle and stopped at Lake Peipsi to the north of the Uzmen tract, near the island of Voronii Kamen. The forces of the Novgorodians were little more than the knight's army. According to various data available, it can be concluded that the army of German knights was 10-12 thousand, and the Novgorod army - 15-17 thousand people. According to L. N. Gumilyov, the number of knights was small - only a few dozen; they were supported by foot mercenaries armed with spears, and the allies of the Order - Livs.
At dawn on April 5, 1242, the knights lined up in a "wedge" or "pig". The wedge consisted of horsemen clad in armor and its task was to crush and break through the central part of the enemy troops, and the columns following the wedge were to crush the enemy flanks with coverage. In chain mail and helmets, with long swords, they seemed invulnerable. Alexander Nevsky countered this stereotypical tactics of the knights, with the help of which they won many victories, with a new formation of Russian troops, directly opposite to the traditional Russian system. Alexander concentrated the main forces not in the center ("chela"), as the Russian troops always did, but on the flanks. Ahead was the advanced regiment of light cavalry, archers and slingers. The battle order of the Russians was facing the rear towards the steep, steep eastern shore of the lake, and the princely cavalry squad hid in an ambush behind the left flank. The chosen position was beneficial in that the Germans, advancing on open ice, were deprived of the opportunity to determine the location, number and composition of the Russian troops.
Putting out long spears and breaking through the archers and the advanced regiment, the Germans attacked the center ("chelo") of the Russian battle formation. The center of the Russian troops was cut, and part of the soldiers retreated back and to the flanks. However, having stumbled upon the steep shore of the lake, the inactive, armored knights could not develop their success. On the contrary, the knightly cavalry crowded together, as the rear ranks of the knights pushed the front ranks, which had nowhere to turn around for battle.
The flanks of the Russian battle order ("wings") did not allow the Germans to build on the success of the operation. The German wedge was caught in pincers. At this time, Alexander's squad struck from the rear and completed the encirclement of the enemy. Several ranks of knights covering the wedge from the rear were crushed by the blow of the Russian heavy cavalry.
Warriors who had special spears with hooks pulled the knights off their horses; warriors armed with special knives disabled horses, after which the knight became easy prey. And as it is written in The Life of Alexander Nevsky, "there was a slash of evil, and a crack from spears of breaking, and a sound from a sword cut, as if a frozen lake would move. And it was impossible to see the ice: covered with blood."
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Chud, who made up the bulk of the infantry, seeing his army surrounded, ran to his native shore. Some knights, together with the master, managed to break through the encirclement, and they tried to flee. The Russians pursued the fleeing enemy for 7 versts to the opposite shore of Lake Peipus. Already at the western coast, the runners began to fall through the ice, since the ice is always thinner near the coast. The pursuit of the remnants of a defeated enemy outside the battlefield was a new phenomenon in the development of Russian military art. Novgorodians did not celebrate the victory "on the bones", as was customary before.
The German knights were completely defeated. The question of the losses of the parties is still controversial. It is vague about Russian losses - "many brave warriors fell." In the Russian chronicles it is written that 500 knights were killed, and countless miracles, 50 noble knights were taken prisoner. There were far fewer knights in the entire First Crusade. In the German chronicles, the figures are much more modest. Recent research suggests that about 400 German soldiers actually fell on the ice of Lake Peipus, of which 20 were knight brothers, 90 Germans (of which 6 were "real" knights) were captured.
In the summer of 1242, the Order concluded a peace treaty with Novgorod, returning all the lands seized by him from him. The prisoners on both sides were exchanged.
The "Battle on the Ice" was the first time in the history of military art when heavy knightly cavalry was defeated in a field battle by an army consisting mostly of infantry. The new battle order of the Russian troops, invented by Alexander Nevsky, turned out to be flexible, as a result of which it was possible to encircle the enemy, whose battle order was a sedentary mass. The infantry at the same time successfully interacted with the cavalry.
The death of so many professional soldiers greatly undermined the power of the Livonian Order in the Baltics. The victory over the German army on the ice of Lake Peipsi saved the Russian people from German enslavement and was of great political and military-strategic importance, delaying the further German offensive to the East for almost several centuries, which was the main line of German policy from 1201 to 1241. This is the great historical significance of the Russian victory on April 5, 1242.
References.
1. Life of Alexander Nevsky.
2. 100 great battles / resp. ed. A. Agrashenkov and others - Moscow, 2000.
3. World history. Crusaders and Mongols. - Volume 8 - Minsk, 2000.
4. Venkov A.V., Derkach S.V. Great generals and their battles. - Rostov-on-Don, 1999
A summary of which will be given in this article. His deafening victories are deservedly recognized as the historical heritage of Orthodox Russia.
Victories and brave deeds have been praised more than once by writers, artists and filmmakers. All historians of the world recognize his majestic figure and great importance in the struggle for Russia and its inhabitants.
The Battle of the Neva, a summary of which will be given later in the article, seems to have been taken apart up and down. Facts and events have been studied by many famous historians and given their assessments. But, like all historical events of such a long time ago, the Battle of the Neva left many questions. But first things first.
Background and reasons for the attack
In those distant times (1240), Kievan Rus was divided into separate principalities. And if the southern principalities, due to their location, suffered from the onslaught of the Mongols, then the northern ones faced other problems.
So, next to the Novgorod principality was the Levonian Order. He tried with all his might to get profitable lands, and to convert local residents to the "true faith." Catholicism was considered such, and, as you know, Russia adopted Orthodoxy.
Thus, the Order received the support of the Pope himself and the Swedes. The latter had other reasons - this was the capture of Ladoga. They tried to get this city in 1164. The attempt failed. And of course, Novgorod itself was a delicious pie.
Of course, historians, as best they could, collected all kinds of information about the Battle of the Neva. But, given the remoteness of the events, they are very scarce. It is thoroughly known that the Swedish army also consisted of Finns and Norwegians. There were, of course, representatives of the Catholic Church. After all, this campaign (however, like many in those days) was positioned from the point of view of the conversion of infidels.
Most historians agree that the future King of Sweden B. Magnusson also took part in the campaign. During the battle, Alexander Nevsky wounded him in the eye.
As soon as the Swedish army landed near the Izhora River, our Grand Duke found out about this. And not without reason, because these lands were allied to Novgorod.
Interesting fact. They say that Alexander Nevsky knew that sooner or later the Swedes would attack the Novgorod lands, and ordered the local residents - the Izhorians - to continuously monitor the sea.
No wonder that in Russia they learned in advance about the plans of the Swedes and reacted to them with lightning speed.
Neva Battle and Ice Battle. Summary
Alexander Nevsky gathered an army in a short time. It should be noted that he did not even ask for help from the Vladimir principality. He only enlisted the full support of the militias from Ladoga.
To ensure high mobility, the Russian army consisted mainly of cavalrymen. The enemy warriors, not expecting such a lightning-fast response, calmly settled down along the seashore.
Of course, those warriors that the Grand Duke gathered were not enough for a full-fledged battle. But the weather itself helped here. There was a very heavy fog, and thanks to this, the Nevsky army was able to get very close to the enemy and suddenly attack.
Fight for Russia
The Battle of the Neva, a summary of which we provide in this article, began on July 15, 1240. In the place where the battle took place, the Neva River and the Izhora River form a corner. Alexander had a plan to pinch the enemy there in order to cut off all escape routes and give his army a head start.
And this plan was successful. After all, the enemy was completely isolated from his ships, and besides, the enemy army had little room for maneuver.
Of course, the battle itself can not be described in all details, alas. Too few reliable sources have been preserved. Nevertheless, historians managed to draw up a brief plan of those distant days.
Battle on the Neva
In the early morning of July 15, when the fog enveloped the entire land where the enemy was located, Prince Nevsky ordered to shoot with fiery arrows. Of course, at such an inopportune time, most people fell asleep. The attack caused a real panic. The unimaginable began to happen around: noise, confusion, confusion. Everything around was on fire.
Taking advantage of all this, the Russian army began to storm the enemy, driving him to the water. During the battle, many ships of the enemies of Kievan Rus were set on fire and flooded.
By evening, the army of the Swedes was forced to leave the land of Novgorod in disgrace. The enemy fled on the few ships that were still intact.
Someone tried to escape by swimming along the Neva River. But even those lucky ones who were able to swim to the other side ended up in the hands of the allies of Prince Novgorod.
The meaning of the Neva battle. Battle of the Neva: a summary for children
The victory in the battle on the Neva was so impressive and was of such great importance in strengthening Russia that Prince Alexander was given the name Nevsky. This victory so divided the Swedes and the Teutons that all subsequent attacks were eradicated in the bud.
All historians admit that the Battle of the Neva, a summary of which we reviewed in the course of the article, or rather its result, greatly strengthened the Novgorod lands and, as many believe, turned the possible course of historical events. After all, Russian lands remained untouched.
Alexander did not allow the enemy to invade deep into the country and devastate the already suffering lands. And, perhaps, liberation from the Mongol-Tatar yoke would become completely impossible if the enemy set foot on our lands.
But the main thing is that this victory raised the mood and spirit of the Russian people. Legends and chronicles began to be written about this battle. Even now, in the modern world, people who have watched films about those events are reviving patriotic feelings.
The Battle of the Neva is a battle between Russian and Swedish troops on the Neva River. The goal of the Swedish invasion was to capture the mouth of the Neva River, which made it possible to capture the most important section of the route "from the Varangians to the Greeks", which was under the control of Veliky Novgorod. Taking advantage of the fog, the Russians unexpectedly attacked the Swedish camp and defeated the enemy; only the onset of darkness stopped the battle and allowed the remnants of the Swedish army of Birger to escape, who was wounded by Alexander Yaroslavich. Prince Alexander Yaroslavich was nicknamed Nevsky for the military art and courage shown in the battle. The military-political significance of the Battle of the Neva was to prevent the threat of an enemy invasion from the north and to ensure the security of Russia's borders from Sweden in the conditions of the Batu invasion.
NOVGOROD FIRST CHRONICLE OF THE OLDER EDITION
Having come to the Holy in the strength of greatness, and Murman, and Sum, and there are a lot of evil in the ships; Saints with the prince and with their piskups; and in the Neva, the mouth of Izhera, although you want to take in Ladoga, just the river and Novgorod and the whole region of Novgorod. But still, the blessed, merciful philanthropist God has taken care of us and protected us from foreigners, as if we were working in vain without God’s command: the news will come to Novgorod, as if the Saints are going to Ladoz. Prince Oleksandr did not delay at all from the people of Novgorod and from Ladoga, he came to me, and I conquer with the power of Saint Sophia and the prayers of our mistress the Mother of God and the ever-bearing Mary, the month of July at 15, in memory of St. , like in Chalcedon; and that was a great battle with the Light. And that governor was killed, named Spiridon; and other creators, as if the squeaker was killed by the same; and many many of them fell; and on top of the ship were two vyatshih husbands, who had previously abandoned themselves to the sea; and prok them, having dug out a hole, vmetash in a nude, without a hole; and inii multiplied the ulcers of the former; and on that night, without waiting for the light of Monday, shame the departed.
The Novgorodian is the same pade: Kostyantin Lugotinits, Gyuryata Pineshchinich, Namest, Wanking Nezdylov, the son of a tanner, and all 20 a husband from Ladoga, or me, God knows. Prince Oleksandr, from Novgorod and Ladoga, came all in good health to his own, save God and St. Sophia and the prayers of all the saints.
ON THE EVE OF THE NEVA BATTLE
1238 was a turning point in the fate of Alexander Yaroslavich. In the battle with the Tatars on the City River, the fate of not only the Grand Duke, the entire Russian land, but also his father and himself was decided. After the death of Yuri Vsevolodovich, it was Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, as the eldest in the family, who became the Grand Duke of Vladimir. Alexander's father identified all the same Novgorod. Then, in 1238, seventeen-year-old Alexander married Princess Praskovya, daughter of the Polotsk prince Bryachislav. Thus, Alexander acquired an ally in the person of the Polotsk prince on the western borders of Russia. The wedding took place in the homeland of the mother and grandfather, in the city of Toropets, and the wedding dinner took place twice - in Toropets and in Novgorod. Alexander demonstrated his respect for the city, where he first set out on an independent princely path.
This year and the following year were also turning points for Alexander in another sense. The invasion of the Tatar-Mongols and the most severe devastation of Russian lands by them, as it were, emphasized the long-standing political disintegration of Russia, its ever-increasing military weakness. The defeat of Russian lands by Batu naturally coincided with the intensification of aggression against Russia by all its neighbors. It seemed to them that now it was worth making only a small effort, and it would be possible to seize everything that remained beyond the line of the Tatar-Mongol conquest.
The Lithuanians captured Smolensk, the Teutonic Knights, tearing apart the former peace, launched an attack on Pskov. First, they captured the fortress of Izborsk, and then laid siege to Pskov itself. It was not possible to take it, but the city gates were opened to the knights by their supporters from among the Pskov boyars. At the same time, the Danes attacked the lands of the Chuds (Ests) on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, which were under the rule of Novgorod. The last stronghold of a free and still independent Russia - the Novgorod lands - was brought to the brink of disaster. In essence, Alexander Yaroslavich and the Grand Duke standing behind him were opposed by a bloc of Western countries, the striking forces of which were "God's servants" from German lands. In the rear lay Russia devastated by the Tatars. The young prince found himself at the center of Eastern European politics. The decisive stage of the Russian struggle for the remaining independent lands was approaching.
The Swedes, long-time enemies of Novgorod, were the first to openly attack Novgorod's possessions. They gave crusade character to the campaign. They were loaded onto ships while singing religious hymns, Catholic priests blessed them on their way. In early July 1240, the fleet of the Swedish king Eric Lespe headed for the Russian shores. Jarl Ulf Fasi and the king's son-in-law Jarl Birger were at the head of the royal army. According to some reports, several thousand people walked with both Jarls. Soon the Swedes dropped anchor in the place where the Izhora River flows into the Neva. Here they spread their camp and began to dig battle ditches, apparently intending to gain a foothold for a long time and later lay a fortress, their stronghold in the Izhora land, as they had already done in the lands of the Emi and Sumi.
In an ancient legend, the appeal of the Swedish leader to the Novgorod prince has been preserved: “If you want to resist me, then I have already come. Come and bow, ask for mercy, and I will give it as much as I want. And if you resist, I will take captive and destroy everything and subjugate your land, and you will be my slave and your sons. It was an ultimatum. The Swedes demanded unconditional obedience from Novgorod. They were convinced of the success of their enterprise. According to their concepts, Russia, broken by the Tatars, could not offer them serious resistance. However, events did not unfold at all as the Swedish crusaders expected. Even at the entrance to the Neva, their augers were noticed by local Izhora patrolmen. The Izhora elder Pelgusy immediately let Novgorod know about the appearance of the enemy and later informed Alexander about the place of stay and the number of Swedes.
ALEXANDER NEVSKY DURING THE BATTLE
Prince Alexander Yaroslavich, who fought at the head of the squad of Pereyaslavtsy, from the height of his war horse, managed to look out for the “Prince” Birger, protected by the swords of several knights. The Russian warrior sent his horse straight at the enemy leader. The princely close squad also turned around there.
"King" Birger, as a royal commander during the Battle of the Neva, confirmed, without a doubt, the reputation of the ancient Folkung family. In the Russian chronicles there is no mention of his personal "shakiness" in a lost battle until the moment when he was seriously wounded in the face. Birger managed to rally around himself a personal squad, part of the crusader knights, and tried to repel a united attack by the Russian cavalry.
The fact that the crusaders began to successfully fight off the Russian cavalry attacking them at the golden-domed tent forced Prince Alexander Yaroslavich to intensify the onslaught here. Otherwise, the Swedes, who began to receive reinforcements from the augers, could repulse the attack, and then the outcome of the battle became difficult to predict.
About that hour the chronicler will say: "The battle was very strong and slashing evil." In the midst of a furious battle, two leaders of the opposing forces came together - the Novgorod prince and the future ruler of the Swedish kingdom Birger. It was a knightly duel between two generals of the Middle Ages, on the outcome of which a lot depended. This is how the remarkable artist Nicholas Roerich depicted him on his historical canvas.
Nineteen-year-old Alexander Yaroslavich boldly directed his horse to Birger, who stood out in the ranks of the crusader knights and was mounted in armor. Both of them were famous for their skill in hand-to-hand martial arts. Russian warriors almost never wore helmets with visors, leaving their faces and eyes uncovered. Only a vertical steel arrow protected the face from being struck by a sword or spear. In hand-to-hand combat, this gave a great advantage, since the warrior had a better view of the battlefield and his opponent. In such a helmet, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich also fought on the banks of the Neva.
Neither Birger's squires, nor the close prince's warriors began to interfere with the duel of the two military leaders. Having skillfully repelled Birger's blow with a heavy spear, the Prince of Novgorod contrived and accurately hit with his spear in the viewing slot of the lowered visor of the helmet of the leader of the Swedes. The tip of the spear pierced the face of the "prince" and the blood began to flood his face and eyes. The Swedish commander swayed in the saddle from the blow, but on horseback he held on.
The squires and servants of Birger did not allow the Russian prince to repeat the blow. They repulsed the seriously wounded host, the crusader knights again closed formation at the golden-domed tent, and hand-to-hand fights continued here. Birger was hurried away to the flagship auger. The royal army was left without a proven leader. Neither Jarl Ulf Fasi nor the militant Catholic bishops in knightly armor could replace him.
The Russian chronicler described the knightly duel of the Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich and the Swedish commander as follows: “... Beat many of them without number, and seal the queen herself with your sharp copy.”
ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NEVA VICTORY
The losses of the Novgorodians were very insignificant, only twenty people with the Ladoga. Such a glorious victory cost so little! These news seem incredible to us, “and no wonder,” the historian notes, “contemporaries and even eyewitnesses marveled at them.” But what can selfless daring and selfless love for the motherland, animated by the hope of heavenly help, not accomplish! The success of the Russians depended a lot on the speed and surprise of the attack. In terrible confusion and turmoil, the enemies of different tribes, deceived in their hope for rich booty and irritated by failure, perhaps rushed to beat each other and continued the bloody battle between themselves and on the other side of the Izhora. But most of all, without a doubt, the victory depended on the personal merits of the leader, who "won't win everywhere, but is invincible nowhere." No wonder contemporaries and posterity gave Alexander Yaroslavich the glorious name of Nevsky. His eagle eye, his wise quick wits, his youthful enthusiasm and diligence during the battle, his heroic courage and wisely taken precautions, and most importantly, his heavenly assistance, most assuredly ensured the success of the case. He managed to inspire the army and the people. His very personality made a charming impression on all who saw him. Shortly before the glorious Neva victory, Andrey Velven, the master of Livonia, came to Novgorod, “although to see the courage and marvelous age of blessed Alexander, like the ancient queen of the South came to Solomon to see his wisdom. Likewise, this Andriyash, as if seeing the holy Grand Duke Alexander, was greatly surprised at the beauty of his face and wonderful age, most of all seeing the wisdom and indispensable mind given to him by God, and not knowing how to call him and be in great perplexity. When he returned from him, and came home, and began to tell about him with surprise. Having passed, speech, many countries and languages, and saw many kings and princes, and nowhere did I find such beauty and courage either in the kings of the king, or in the princes of the prince, like the great prince Alexander. To explain the mystery of this charm, it is not enough to indicate only courage and foresight. Simultaneously with these qualities, there was something higher in him that irresistibly attracted him: the stamp of genius shone on his forehead. Like a bright lamp, the gift of God burned in it, clearly for everyone. Everyone admired this gift of God in him. Add to this his sincere piety. Like the word of God about Nimrod, he was also a warrior "before the Lord." An inspirational leader, he knew how to inspire the people and the army. The bright image of the Neva hero is most clearly reflected in the chronicles, written mostly by contemporaries. What a warm feeling, what, one might say, reverence breathe their artless stories! “How dare I, thin, unworthy and sinful, write a story about the smart, meek, sensible and brave Grand Duke Alexander Yaroslavich!” they exclaim. Depicting his exploits, they compare him with Alexander the Great, with Achilles, with Vespasian - the king who captivated the land of Judea, with Sampson, with David, in wisdom - with Solomon. This is not a rhetorical embellishment. All this is prompted by a deeply sincere feeling. Suppressed by the terrible invasion of the Tatars, the Russian people instinctively sought consolation, consolation, longed for something that, at least a little, could lift and encourage the fallen spirit, revive hopes, show them that not everything has yet perished in Holy Russia. And he found all this in the face of Alexander Yaroslavich. Since the time of the Neva victory, he has become a bright guiding star, on which the Russian people have focused their gazes with ardent love and hope. He became his glory, his hope, his joy and pride. Moreover, he was still so young, he had so much ahead of him.
The Romans are defeated and put to shame! - the Novgorodians joyfully exclaimed, - not Sveya, Murmans, sum and eat - the Romans, and in this expression, in this name of the defeated enemies by the Romans, the popular instinct correctly guessed the meaning of the invasion. The people saw here the encroachment of the West on the Russian people and faith. Here, on the banks of the Neva, the first glorious rebuff was given by the Russians to the formidable movement of Germanism and Latinism to the Orthodox East, to Holy Russia.
HISTORIANS ABOUT ALEXANDER NEVSKY
N.M. Karamzin:“Good Russians included Nevsky in the face of their guardian angels and for centuries attributed to him, as a new heavenly protector of the fatherland, various cases favorable for Russia: so posterity believed the opinion and feeling of his contemporaries in the reasoning of this prince! The name of the Saint given to him is much more expressive than the Great: for the Great are usually called the happy ones: Alexander, by his virtues, could only alleviate the cruel fate of Russia, and his subjects, zealously glorifying his memory, proved that the people sometimes rightly appreciate the virtues of sovereigns and do not always believe them in outward splendor of the state.
N.I. Kostomarov: “The clergy most of all respected and appreciated this prince. His obsequiousness to the khan, his ability to get along with him ... and thereby deflect disasters and ruin from the Russian people, which would befall them with any attempt at liberation and independence - all this was in full agreement with the teaching always preached by Orthodox pastors: life beyond the grave, meekly endure all sorts of injustices ... submit to any authority, even if it is foreign and involuntarily recognized.
CM. Solovyov:"The observance of the Russian land from trouble in the east, the famous feats for faith and land in the west brought Alexander a glorious memory in Russia and made him the most prominent historical figure in ancient history from Monomakh to the Don."
