Everything can be native land! It can feed you warm and tasty bread, give you spring water to drink, and surprise you with its beauty. And only she cannot protect herself... Therefore, the protection of the Fatherland and native land is the duty of those who eat her bread, drink her water, admire her beauty! Already ancient chroniclers noted that our ancestors - Russ, Rusichi - cultivators and farmers loved their land very much. As soon as the enemy entered their territory, both old and young rose to fight. The courage and bravery of the Russian soldiers inspired fear and horror in the opponents.
Prince Svyatoslav According to legend, Svyatoslav was agile and quick, bold and resolute. He lived with his retinue, slept like a simple warrior on the ground, placing a horse saddle at the head. His name inspired fear in the enemies of Rus', and in its neighbors. Contrary to the military laws of his time, he never attacked stealthily, unexpectedly. “I want to go to you,” he always sent to say, calling for a fair duel. First, Svyatoslav turned his weapon on the Khazars - the old enemies of Russia - and defeated their capital Itil, forever putting an end to their raids on Russian lands. Many great campaigns were made by Prince Svyatoslav with his retinue, and he died in an unequal battle with the Pechenegs. “The mound over the grave of Prince Svyatoslav has not been preserved, and only the memory of the people, this eternal keeper of the truly valuable, carefully conveyed to the descendants the glorious name of the prince-knight - a warrior for the Russian land!”
Prince Alexander Nevsky Hard times were experienced by our Motherland. In the south of Rus', cities and villages were burning after the Tatar raids, the Swedes and Germans were advancing from the north. In the summer of 1240, Swedish ships under the command of Birger entered the Neva. A lot of Swedes remained on the ships, and the most combat-ready part of the troops went ashore. Birger had about 5000 soldiers, the army of Prince Alexander was much smaller. But everything was decided by the suddenness of the attack and the talent of the commander. The victory was swift and glorious. Many uninvited guests were chopped up on the shore. The prince and his retinue fought tirelessly, and he was then 22 years old ... For this victory, the people nicknamed Prince Alexander Nevsky, and the Novgorod prince increased his glory and military prowess by defeating the Livonian knights on the ice of Lake Peipus in April 1242.
Prince Dmitry Donskoy For a century and a half, Rus' suffered from the raids of the Golden Horde. Khan Mamai was insidious, he skillfully kindled discord among the Russian princes, but before a common disaster, Rus' united, gathered formidable forces, rose to fight the enemy ... Under the black and gold banner of Moscow Prince Dmitry Ivanovich, a 150,000-strong Russian army stood up. And, before crossing the Don, to the Kulikovo field, the prince said at a military council: “My dear friends and brothers! .. This day we will go beyond the Don and there we will either win or lay down our heads ...” And the Russian squads crossed the Don, stood to death and defeated the Tatar army, and it happened on September 8, 1380. A month later, the Russian army solemnly entered Moscow, and since then the prince of Moscow has been called Dmitry Donskoy.
Prince Dmitry Pozharsky At the beginning of the 17th century, during the time of unrest, the Poles captured Moscow. In the autumn of 1611 At the call of the cathedral bell, people flocked to the square in Nizhny Novgorod. Zemsky headman Kuzma Minin took the floor: “Good people! You know about the great devastation of the Russian land ... If we really want to save the Muscovite state, we will not regret anything, we will recruit soldiers and put at the head of our army a skilled governor, an honest man - Dmitry Pozharsky!
Citizen Kuzma Minin There was a troubled time. Foreigners ruled in Moscow, the common people "from the Poles, from Lithuania ... there was a great insult." In three days, the squads of Minin and Pozharsky defeated the Polish army and approached Kitay-gorod. The prince addressed the warriors: “The walls of Kitay-gorod are strong, and the fighting spirit of our army is even stronger. On the attack! Warriors took Kitai-Gorod by storm; the Poles, who had settled in the Kremlin, surrendered to the mercy of the victors.
Peter the Great “He put all his unshakable will, tireless activity, all of himself on the altar of the Fatherland. He created a fleet, created a regular army, founded harbors, an academy, manufactories, multiplied the Russian army, elevated Russia in Europe. Few commanders had such a complete and glorious victory as that won by Peter the Great near Poltava. In April 1709, the Swedish king Charles 12 laid siege to the city. The 42,000-strong Russian army approached the battlefield. Tsar Peter personally participated in the battle. The battle lasted only two hours. The Russians defeated the previously invincible Swedes according to all the rules of martial art.
Generalissimo Alexander Vasilievich Suvorov “A soldier must be healthy, brave, firm ... “Soldier” is a proud word, a soldier is dearer to me than myself,” said Suvorov. Day and night, in heat and cold, the soldiers comprehended the Suvorov science of victory. Making swift marches, they fell upon the enemy with an unexpected and all-destroying attack. So it was near Ochakov, Fokshany, on the banks of the Rymnik. In 1770. For seven months, Russian troops besieged the Turkish fortress of Izmail. Taking command of the army, Suvorov invited the Turks to surrender without a fight. “Rather the sky will fall to the ground than Ishmael will fall,” answered the Turkish pasha. December 11, 1770 Suvorov led troops to storm the impregnable fortress. After 8 hours, the commander wrote to St. Petersburg: "The Russian flag on the walls of Ishmael!" The great Russian commander A.V. led his miraculous heroes from victory to victory. Suvorov.
Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov Great commanders are not born. M.I.Kutuzov spent more than 40 years in campaigns and warriors before becoming the commander-in-chief of the Russian army. It was 1812. The huge French army was moving into the depths of Russia. On September 7, near the village of Borodino, Russian and French troops met in battle. The Battle of Borodino continued for 10 hours. The French attacked fiercely, the Russians defended stubbornly. At the cost of terrible losses, the enemy managed to oust the Russian army ... But for 6 months, the Emperor of France, Napoleon, had to leave Moscow and flee from Russia. And Field Marshal Kutuzov, addressing the troops with an order to end the war, said: “Each of you is the savior of the Fatherland! Russia greets you with this name!”
Admiral Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov The future admiral was born in the Tambov region, as a teenager he entered the naval school, as a young officer he sailed on various ships on many seas. It was restless then on the southern borders of the Russian state. The Turkish sultan demanded the Crimea from Russia, and in 1787 the Russian-Turkish war began. By this time, Ushakov commanded a squadron of the Black Sea Fleet. On July 31, 1791, the Russian squadron approached the Bulgarian coast, and here, at Cape Kaliakria, F.F. Ushakov overtook the enemy. Turkish ships were anchored, there were twice as many as in the Russian squadron. At full sail, the Russian ships passed along the coast, past the enemy batteries, came close to the Turkish fleet and began to shoot the enemy point-blank. Panic seized the Turkish squadron, the flight began ... This glorious victory ended the war with Turkey ...
Admiral Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov The Russian Black Sea Fleet got stronger and grew. This worried the strong maritime powers. With the support of France and England, Türkiye prepared for war with Russia. Landing craft with a 20,000-strong army were waiting for their squadron to head to the coast of Georgia and land there. In 1853, Russian ships under the command of Vice-Admiral P.S. Nakhimov went to sea. Near the city of Sinop, our squadron overtook the enemy. On the morning of November 18, Russian ships unexpectedly entered the bay and opened heavy fire ... Three hours later, the Turkish fleet did not exist. In the autumn of 1854, Franco-Anglo-Turkish troops landed near Evpatoria and moved to Sevastopol. The heroic defense of Sevastopol lasted almost a year; it went down in history as an unprecedented feat of Russian soldiers and sailors. June 28, 1855 Admiral Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov, commander of the defense of Sevastopol, was mortally wounded on Mamaev Kurgan.
General Aleksey Alekseevich Brusilov It was the First World War. In the autumn of 1915, bloodless in stubborn battles, the troops of the warring parties dug into the ground. There was a lull on the entire Russo-German front. On March 17, 1916, Adjutant General A.A. became the commander of the Southwestern Front. Brusilov, a participant in many battles, who was known and loved by the troops. He knew how to attack quickly and defend steadfastly, they looked at him with hope - a victory was needed! To find a solution unexpected for the enemy and win - this is the talent of the commander. Contrary to all military theories, A.A. Brusilov decided: “Only a persistent attack with all forces along the entire front is capable of through the enemy, preventing him from transferring reserves!” On May 22, 1916, the battle began, which went down in history as the "Brusilovsky breakthrough." For three days of the offensive, the front was broken through.
Marshal Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov In battles with Japan. At the Khalkhin-Gol River, General G.K. Zhukov won his first victory. In many battles of the Great Patriotic War, four times Hero of the Soviet Union, Marshal G.K. Zhukov, commanded the troops and always won. The soldiers in the trenches said: "Where Zhukov is, there is victory!" The defeat of the German troops near Moscow, the victory at Stalingrad, on the Kursk Bulge, in Western Europe - this is the glorious path that the representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command followed. And he ended the war together with the victorious army in defeated Berlin! May 8, 1945 Representatives of the allies put their signatures under the historical document on the surrender of Nazi Germany. From the side of the Soviet Union, the outstanding commander of the Second World War, Marshal Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, puts his signature.
780 years ago, in 1236, Alexander Yaroslavich began his independent activity as Prince of Novgorod. With military victories on the western borders of the country and a skillful policy in the east, he predetermined the fate of Novgorod and Vladimir Rus for two centuries. He showed the need for a cruel, uncompromising confrontation with the West and allied relations with the East, the Horde kingdom.
Youth
The birthplace of the famous Russian commander was the ancient Russian city of Pereyaslavl (Pereslavl-Zalessky), standing on the Trubezh River, which flows into Lake Kleshchino (Plescheyevo). They called it Zalessky because in the old days a wide strip of dense forests seemed to enclose and protect the city from the steppe. Pereyaslavl was the capital of Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, a powerful, resolute and firm man in the fight against enemies, who spent most of his life in military campaigns.
Here, on May 13, 1221, Yaroslav and his wife, Princess Rostislav (Feodosia) Mstislavna, Princess of Toropetsk, daughter of the famous warrior, Prince Mstislav Udatny of Novgorod and Galicia, had a son, the second in a row, who was named Alexander. The child grew up healthy and strong. When he was four years old, the rite of passage of Alexander into the warriors (initiation) took place. They girded the prince with a sword and put him on a war horse. They gave a bow with arrows in their hands, which indicated the duty of a warrior to defend his native land from the enemy. From that time on, he was able to lead the squad. The father prepared a knight from his son, but ordered to teach and read and write. He studied knyazhich and Russian law - "Russian Truth". The favorite occupation of the young prince was the study of the military experience of his ancestors and the events of his native antiquity. In this regard, the Russian chronicles served as an invaluable treasury of knowledge and military thought.
But the main thing in Alexander's training was the practical development of all the intricacies of military affairs. This was an unwritten law of that harsh time, and no concessions were made to the princes. In Rus', then they grew up early and became warriors already in their teens. Already at the age of 4-5, the prince received an exact copy of the sword from a soft, light tree - linden (he allowed him to learn to keep his distance in battle). Then the wooden sword became harder and heavier - it was made of oak or ash. The children were also given bows and arrows. The size of the bow gradually increased, the resistance of the bowstring increased. First, the arrow was thrown at a stationary target, and then at a moving target, the princes were taken on a hunt. Hunting was a whole school of tracking, tracker skills appeared, the youths learned to kill and face danger (psychological preparation). Experienced princely warriors taught the children of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich horseback riding. Initially on well-trodden war horses. By the age of ten, the prince was obliged to personally pacify the unbroken three-year-old horse. The warriors taught the prince how to use a sulitz (Russian dart) and a spear. Accurately thrown with a firm hand, the sulitsa hit the enemy at a distance. Much more skill required spear fighting. Here, first of all, a ram blow with a heavy spear was practiced. The pinnacle of art was considered an irresistible prick in the visor.
Such training was no exception: it was mandatory in princely families. The future prince is both a ruler and a professional warrior. Therefore, the facts are not at all surprising that almost all the ancient Russian princes were elite knights, personally participated in battles, and even in the forefront of their squads, often fought with the leaders of the enemies. Similar training, albeit simpler, without horseback riding, training as a swordsman (the sword was an expensive pleasure), etc., was received by all free men of Rus'. A bow, a hunting spear, an ax and a knife were the daily routine of a Russian person of that era. And the Russians at all times were considered the best warriors.
Features of Veliky Novgorod
In 1228, Alexander, along with his older brother Fyodor, were left by their father, along with the Pereyaslav army, which was going on a campaign against Riga in the summer, in Novgorod under the supervision of Fyodor Danilovich and Tiun Yakim. Under their supervision, the training of the princes in military affairs continued. The princes got to know Novgorod, its rules, so that in the future they would not make rash decisions that could cause a quarrel with free citizens. Those invited to reign were often simply expelled from Novgorod. They were pointed to the road leading out of the city, with the words: "Go, prince, we do not like you."
Novgorod was the most populous and wealthy city in Rus' at the beginning of the 13th century. That is why he was called the Great. It was not touched by the raids of the steppes in the south and the fierce struggle of the princes for Kyiv, which was devastated more than once, only strengthened the position of the northern center of Rus'. The full-flowing Volkhov divided the city into two parts. The western side was called Sophia, here was a strong Kremlin - "detinets", and in it the majestic stone Cathedral of Hagia Sophia. A long bridge connected the Sofia side with the eastern part of the city - the Trade side, the busiest place in Novgorod. There was a market here. Merchants from the Novgorod pyatins (regions), from the banks of the Volga, Oka and Dnieper, representatives of the Finno-Ugric tribes from the Baltic coast, residents of Scandinavia and Central Europe came here. The Russians sold furs and skins, barrels of honey, wax and lard, hemp and flax bales; foreigners brought weapons, iron and copper products, cloth, fabrics, luxury items, wine and many other goods.
Novgorod the Great had its own special system of government. If in other Russian lands the veche had already given way to the leading role of princely power, then in Novgorod things were different. The supreme body of power in the Novgorod land was the veche - a meeting of all free citizens who had reached the age of majority. The veche invited a prince who liked the Novgorodians to reign with a small retinue, so that the prince would not be tempted to seize control, and elected a posadnik from among the boyars. The prince was the commander of the feudal republic, and the posadnik guarded the interests of the townspeople, supervised the activities of all officials, together with the prince was in charge of management and court issues, commanded the militia, led the veche meeting and the boyar council, and represented in external relations. In addition, an elected thousand man played an important role in the city, who represented the interests of the lesser boyars and black people, was in charge of the merchant court, disputes between Russians and foreigners, and participated in the foreign policy of the aristocratic republic. An important role was also played by the archbishop (bishop) - the keeper of the state treasury, the controller of measures and weights, the sovereign regiment kept order.
The prince invited to the reign of Novgorod (as a rule, from the Vladimir lands, which were the breadbasket of the free city) did not have the right to live in Novgorod itself. His residence, together with his retinue, was Gorodishche on the right bank of the Volkhov.
Novgorod at that time was a powerful, mobile military organization. Issues of protecting Novgorod from external enemies were always resolved at veche meetings. Before the threat of an enemy attack or a march by the Novgorodians themselves, a veche gathered, at which the number of troops and routes of movement were determined. According to the old custom, Novgorod put up a militia: each family sent all their adult sons, with the exception of the youngest. Refusal to come to the defense of their native land was considered an indelible shame. The discipline of the army was supported by an oral promise-oath, which was based on the decisions of the veche. The basis of the army was the urban and rural people's militia, formed from artisans, small merchants and peasants. The troops also included squads of boyars and large merchants. The number of warriors brought by the boyar was determined by the vastness of his land holdings. The squads of boyars and Novgorod merchants made up the equestrian "front squad". The army was divided into regiments, the numerical strength of which was not constant. Novgorod could field up to 20 thousand soldiers, which was a large army for feudal Europe. At the head of the army were the prince and the posadnik. The militia of the city itself had a harmonious structure, corresponding to the administrative division of Novgorod. It was recruited from five city ends (Nerevsky, Lyudin, Plotnitsky, Slavensky and Zagorodsky) and numbered about 5 thousand fighters. The city militia was led by a thousand man. The militia consisted of hundreds led by centurions. The hundred included militia from several streets.
In addition, Novgorod land has been famous for its fleet since ancient times. Novgorodians were reputed to be experienced and fearless sailors who knew how to fight well on the water. Their sea vessels had a deck and sail equipment. River boats were quite spacious (from 10 to 30 people) and fast. Novgorodians skillfully used them to transfer troops and block rivers when it was necessary to close the path to enemy ships. The fleet of Novgorodians repeatedly participated in military campaigns and won convincing victories over the Swedish ships. And the river flotillas of the Novgorodians (ushkuiniki) were active on the Volga and Kama, as well as the North. It was in Novgorod that Prince Alexander learned the combat capabilities of the ship's army, the speed of movement of foot troops on the water. That is, the experience of Svyatoslav the Great was restored, who, with the help of the ship's armies, could rapidly transfer troops over vast distances and successfully resist Khazaria, Bulgaria and Byzantium.
I must say that linking the creation of the Russian fleet with the name of Peter I is fundamentally wrong. The Russian fleet has existed since ancient times, as evidenced by the victories of Rurik, Oleg the Prophet, Igor and Svyatoslav and other Russian princes. So, in the Novgorod land, the fleet existed for several centuries, inheriting the traditions of the Russian Varangians.
The combat control of the Novgorod army was not much different from other Russian troops. His "chelo" (center) usually consisted of militia infantry. On the wings (flanks), in the regiments of the right and left hands, the princely and boyar cavalry (professional warriors) became. To increase the stability of the battle formation and increase its depth, a regiment of archers armed with longbows was located in front of the “brow”, the length of the bowstring of which (190 cm) contributed to the long range of arrows and powerful lethal force. The latter was very important in constant combat clashes with heavily armed German and Swedish soldiers. A complex Russian bow pierced the armor of knights. In addition, the center could be fortified with wagons and sledges, so that it would be easier for the infantry to repel the onslaught of enemy cavalry.
Such a construction of the Novgorod army had a number of advantages over the battle formations of the Western European chivalry. It was flexible, stable, and allowed during the battle to maneuver not only cavalry, but also infantry. Novgorodians sometimes strengthened one of the wings and created a deep shock column of "pedestrians". During the battle, the cavalry located behind them made encirclement, striking from the rear and flank. On the campaign, the Russian army, who knew how to make quick and long transitions, always had a sentry detachment (“watchman”) in front to reconnoiter the enemy and monitor his actions. This knowledge from the field of military affairs, the foundations of the military art of Rus' of that time, Alexander Yaroslavovich learned from early childhood.
Cathedral of Hagia Sophia, the wisdom of God, in Novgorod - a symbol of the republic
Threat from the West
While Prince Alexander Yaroslavich was growing up, the borders of the Novgorod land became more and more alarming. In the Baltics, German crusader knights behaved aggressively, making no secret of their far-reaching plans for Rus'. Catholic Rome and its tool - "dog-knights", considered Russians to be fake Christians, heretics, almost pagans, who needed to be "baptized" again with fire and sword. In addition, the western feudal lords coveted the rich Russian lands. Lithuanians raided the neighboring Principality of Polotsk, who, creating their own statehood and entering into a struggle with the crusaders, also invaded the border Russian lands. On the lands of the Finnish tribes, which were under the control of Novgorod, Swedish feudal lords began to make campaigns.
Novgorod Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, in order to secure the northwestern borders of the Russian land, made a number of successful campaigns - in 1226 against the Lithuanians and in 1227 and 1228 to Finland against the Swedes. But the campaign he had conceived against the German crusader knights fell through. To reinforce the Novgorod army, he brought the Vladimir squads. However, the Pskov and Novgorod boyars saw this as an increase in princely power and refused to participate in the campaign. Vladimirians returned home. Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, having quarreled with the Novgorodians, left with his wife for Pereyaslavl, giving the townspeople time to change their minds. Sons Alexander and Fedor remained in Novgorod. But soon unrest began there, and on the February night of 1229, the boyar Fyodor Danilovich and Tiun Yakim secretly took the princes to their father.
However, things were not going well for Novgorod. Novgorodians had to make peace with the prince and return him again. Yaroslav Vsevolodovich promised the townspeople to rule according to the old Novgorod customs. In 1230, the Novgorod Republic called Prince Yaroslav, who, having spent two weeks in Novgorod, put Fyodor and Alexander to reign. Three years later, at the age of thirteen, Fedor died unexpectedly. Alexander had to enter the military field early. The father, preparing for himself a successor and continuer of the princely family, now constantly kept the young Alexander with him. He began to learn the princely science to manage the lands, conduct diplomatic relations with foreigners and command squads.
Meanwhile, a terrible threat arose on the borders of Novgorod. Following the lands of the Latvians, the crusaders captured the lands of the Estonians. Yuryev (Derpt) fell in 1224. The fortress was defended by the Russian-Estonian army led by the Russian prince Vyacheslav (Vyachko). The defenders of the city in a fierce battle fell to one and all. Encouraged by the success of the Order of the Sword in 1233, a sudden blow took the Russian border fortress of Izborsk. The Pskov army drove the crusaders out of the town they had captured. In the same year, the German knights raid the Novgorod lands. To repel aggression, Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich brings the Pereyaslav squads to Novgorod. Novgorod and Pskov ratis join him. The united Russian army, headed by Yaroslav and Alexander, went on a campaign against the knights of the sword and in 1234 approached Yuryev. The knightly army came out to meet them. In a fierce battle, the German army suffered a crushing defeat. Overturned by Russian soldiers, it was driven onto the ice of the Embakh River. The ice broke and many knights went to the bottom of the river. The surviving Germans fled in panic and shut themselves up in the fortresses. The sword-bearers urgently sent ambassadors to Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, and he "took peace with them in all his truth." The order began to pay tribute to the prince of Novgorod and swore an oath to no longer attack the possessions of Veliky Novgorod. It is clear that this was a feigned promise, no one canceled the aggressive plans in relation to the Russian lands.
Participation in the campaign to Yuryev-Derpt and the battle on the Embakh River made it possible for the fourteen-year-old Alexander Yaroslavich to get acquainted “in action” with the German knights. A brave young knight-prince grew out of the boy, attracting people with courage and intelligence, beauty and military skill. Restrained in his judgments, courteous in dealing with people of various social strata, not violating the ancient customs of Veliky Novgorod, the young prince fell in love with ordinary Novgorodians. He was valued not only for his intelligence and erudition, but also for his courage and military skill.
The front annalistic code (volume 6 p. 8) the image of Alexander Yaroslavovich; the signature under it: “If the honor of the earthly kingdom is honored to be from God, and have a spouse and a child, but having acquired humble wisdom more than all people, be very great in age, the beauty of his face to see like Joseph the Beautiful, his strength was like a part of the power of Samson, but hear his voice like a trumpet among the people "
Prince of Novgorod
In 1236, Yaroslav left Novgorod to reign in Kyiv (from there in 1238 - to Vladimir). Since that time, Alexander's independent military-political activity began. Alexander Yaroslavich became the military ruler of the vast Novgorod land, which was threatened by the Swedes, German knights and Lithuanians. It was during these years that Alexander's character traits developed, which later won him fame, love and respect of his contemporaries: rage and at the same time caution in battle, the ability to navigate in a difficult military-political situation and make the right decision. These were the features of a great statesman and commander.
The formidable 1237 came. The Horde troops invaded Rus'. Having defeated Ryazan and Vladimir, Batu moved his army to Novgorod. The young Prince Alexander was preparing to defend Novgorod. Torzhok heroically took the blow of Batu's army. For two weeks there was an unequal fierce slaughter (defense February 22 - March 5, 1238). The inhabitants of a small town beat off the furious attacks of the enemy. However, the walls collapsed under the blows of rams. The wealthy elite of Novgorod refused to send an army to help their frontier suburb. The prince was forced to deal only with the preparation of Novgorod itself for defense.
A terrible threat bypassed Novgorod. From the tract Ignach-cross, the steppes turned sharply to the south. It is not known exactly why the Horde did not go to wealthy Novgorod. Researchers cite several reasons:
1) spring thaw was coming, snow was melting in the forests, frozen northern swamps threatened to turn into swamps, impassable for a large army;
2) Batu's army suffered serious losses, the partisan movement expanded in the rear. Khan knew about the numerous and warlike army of Novgorod, the strength of its fortifications. He saw in front of him an example of the defense of a small Torzhok. Batu did not want to take risks;
3) it is possible that the process of establishing contacts between Batu and part of the Russian princes, including Alexander's father, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, was already underway.
A year has passed since the departure of Batu's hordes. An important event took place in Rus' - the grand-ducal congress. Messengers from Yaroslav Vsevolodovich arrived in Novgorod. He ordered his son to come to Vladimir. The path of Alexander lay through the devastated land to the ancient Vladimir, scorched by the conquerors, where his father gathered the Russian princes who survived the battles - the descendants of Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest. It was necessary to elect the Grand Duke of Vladimir. The assembled princes named them Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. Alexander returned to Novgorod again. So, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich succeeded Vladimir after his brother Yuri, and Mikhail Chernigov occupied Kyiv, concentrating in his hands the Principality of Galicia, the Principality of Kiev and the Principality of Chernigov.
Grand Duke Vladimir Yaroslav added possessions to Alexander, highlighting Tver and Dmitrov. From now on, the protection of the western Russian borders fell on the eighteen-year-old prince. And the military danger was already visibly approaching Rus' from the West. European rulers were preparing for a new crusade against the Slavs and the Baltic peoples. On May 12, 1237, the head of the Catholic Church approved the union of the Teutonic and Livonian orders (the former Order of the Sword). The master of the Teutons became the grand master (grandmaster), and the Livonian master, who was subordinate to him, took the title of master of the region (landmaster). In 1238, the Pope of Rome and the Master of the Order signed an agreement that provided for a campaign in the lands of the pagans - Izhorians, Karelians, who were part of Novgorod Rus'. Pope Gregory IX called on the German and Swedish chivalry to subdue the pagan Finnish tribes by force of arms. In June 1238, the Danish king Valdemar II and the master of the united order Hermann Balk agreed on the division of Estonia and military operations against Rus' in the Baltic states with the participation of the Swedes. A joint campaign was being prepared, the purpose of which was to capture the northwestern Russian lands. Crusader troops were drawn to the borders. Rome and the western feudal lords planned to take advantage of the weakening of the Russian principalities, bled dry as a result of the Batu invasion.
In 1239, Alexander built a series of fortifications to the southwest of Novgorod along the Shelon River and married Princess Alexandra, daughter of Bryachislav of Polotsk. The wedding took place in Toropets in the church of St. George. Already in 1240, the first-born prince, named Vasily, was born in Novgorod.
Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword!
It is generally accepted that these words belong to the Novgorod prince Alexander Nevsky, the hero of the battle with the Swedes on the Neva and with the crusader knights on Lake Peipus. And he said them supposedly as a warning to the ambassadors of the Livonian Order, who, after the Battle of the Ice (in the summer of 1242), came to him in Veliky Novgorod to ask for "eternal peace."
In fact, Alexander Nevsky has nothing to do with these words - in the few chronicle sources that tell about him ("The Sofia First Chronicle" and "The Pskov Second Chronicle") there is no mention of either these words or others, even remotely on them similar.
The author of these words is the Soviet writer Pyotr Andreevich Pavlenko (1899-1951), and they first appeared in his film script "Alexander Nevsky". They, according to the script, are pronounced by the protagonist of the film: Whoever enters us with a sword will die from the sword. On that stood and stands the Russian land! (see: Pavlenko N. A. Alexander Nevsky: Film story // Collected works. T. 4. M., 1954). Film (directed by Sergei Eisenstein)
went on screens on December 1, 1938, and since then these words have been associated with the name of Alexander Nevsky as his personal, “historical” phrase.
Obviously, this phrase is based on the well-known gospel expression: "Those who take the sword will perish by the sword." Or in full: “Then Jesus said to him: return your sword to its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Gospel of Matthew, ch. 26, article 52).
A similar expression was well known in the ancient world, in pre-evangelical times. For example, in ancient Rome it was used as a catch phrase: Whoever fights with a sword dies by the sword - Qui gladioferit, gladio perit (qui gladio ferit, gladio parit).
Quoted: as an edification and a warning for the future to a defeated or potential aggressor.
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- - From Latin: Pereat mundus et fiat justicia ...
Dictionary of winged words and expressions
- - From the novel "The Twelve Chairs" by Soviet writers Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov...
Dictionary of winged words and expressions
- - a threat to a potential sports opponent ...
Live speech. Dictionary of colloquial expressions
- - Sword Beautiful Sword - the right tributary of the Don; according to Sobolevsky, from the * sword "bear", which is doubtful ...
Vasmer's etymological dictionary
- - Obsolete. Be on constant alert. - That's why our mother gave birth to us, so that we would not let go of the sword, we would defend our holy homeland with it ...
Phraseological dictionary of the Russian literary language
- - Those who take the sword will perish by the sword - an expression from the Gospel ...
Dictionary of winged words and expressions
- - From the Bible...
Dictionary of winged words and expressions
- - See COURAGE - COURAGE -...
- - See YOUTH -...
IN AND. Dal. Proverbs of the Russian people
- - Razg. Obsolete Always be on alert. F 1, 98...
- - Pribaik. About an accidental, absurd death. SNFP, 95...
Big dictionary of Russian sayings
- - noun, number of synonyms: 1 river ...
Synonym dictionary
"Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword!" in books
WHO COMES TO US WITH A PEN WILL DIE FROM THE PEN!
From the book The Secret Life of Great Writers author Schnakenberg RobertWHO COMES TO US WITH A PEN WILL DIE FROM THE PEN! Nothing brings a writer down to earth like a rejection letter from a publisher. Even the greatest authors have had their turn at the gate. When Emily Dickinson finally mustered up the courage to submit her poems to
Will humanity die?
From the book Immortality: a strange theme of Russian culture author Frumkin Konstantin GrigorievichWill humanity die? The paradox of immortalism lies in the fact that if, on the one hand, immortality is the fixation of an individual, giving him the opportunity to be relatively unchanged for an indefinitely long time, then, on the other hand, to achieve immortality
Who will come to us with a sword ...
From the book "Russians are coming!" [Why are they afraid of Russia?] author Vershinin Lev RemovichWho will come with a sword ...
From the book of Valois author Sypek RobertWho will come with a sword ... The marriage of Margaret of Valois and Heinrich de Bourbon was supposed to reconcile Catholics and Protestants. But it happened differently. Soon, Charles IX dies of consumption, and his brother Henry of Anjou ascends the throne. Heinrich gradually managed to extinguish local foci
Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword!
From the book Encyclopedic Dictionary of winged words and expressions author Serov Vadim VasilievichWhoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword! It is generally accepted that these words belong to the Novgorod prince Alexander Nevsky, the hero of the battle with the Swedes on the Neva and with the crusader knights on Lake Peipsi. And he said them supposedly as a warning to the ambassadors of the Livonian Order,
Chapter first. Whoever enters us with a sword will die by the sword
From the book Who will enter us with a sword, will die by the sword author Mavrodin Vladimir VasilievichChapter first. Whoever enters us with a sword will die from the sword. The struggle of the Eastern Slavs with the nomadsFor a long time, the Slavs lived at the junction of the forest and steppe of Eastern Europe. At the very edge of the dense forests stretched their settlements, and further south, up to the shores of the Black and Azov Seas,
Who will come to us with a sword ...
From the book We go to the east! How Russia grew author Vershinin Lev RemovichWho will come to us with a sword ... But they crossed. Yes, it could not be otherwise. Immediately after the flight of his father, Nasriddin Khan (he became popular because taxes, which no one canceled, no one tried to levy) announced the need to restore the khanate within its old borders from
By the sword and die
From the book Fears (September 2008) author Russian life magazineHe will die by the sword In the future story there will be three heroes. And, first of all, we will talk about the field marshal. The official obituary published by the Kyiv Thought newspaper reported the following about Eichhorn: “General Field Marshal Eichhorn was born on February 13, 1848 in Breslau.
AND THE PEOPLE WILL COME... AND THE PEOPLE WILL COME... Who will help Putin save the country Viktor Anpilov 19.12.2012
From the book Newspaper Tomorrow 994 (51 2012) author Tomorrow Newspaper"WHO COMES TO US WITH A SWORD - FROM THE SWORD AND DIES ..."
From the book Newspaper Tomorrow 773 (37 2008) author Tomorrow Newspaper"WHO COMES TO US WITH A SWORD - BY THE SWORD AND DIES..." TO D.A. MEDVEDEV, PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, V.V. PUTIN, CHAIRMAN OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION We express our sincere support for the decision to
25. The woman says to him: I know that the Messiah, that is, Christ, will come; when He comes, He will announce everything to us.
From the book Explanatory Bible. Volume 10 author Lopukhin Alexander25. The woman says to him: I know that the Messiah, that is, Christ, will come; when He comes, He will announce everything to us. The Samaritan woman does not dare to make any objections to Christ about His teaching about the advantages of the Jewish people and about the new worship of God: she sees in Him a prophet.
7. On that day every man will cast off his silver idols and his golden idols, which your hands have made for you to sin. 8. And Asshur will not fall by a human sword, and a non-human sword will consume him, - he will escape from the sword, and his youths will be tribute. 9. And from fear he will run past his fortress; And
author Lopukhin Alexander7. On that day every man will cast off his silver idols and his golden idols, which your hands have made for you to sin. 8. And Asshur will not fall by a human sword, and a non-human sword will consume him, - he will escape from the sword, and his youths will be tribute. 9. And he will run from fear
3. Strengthen the weakened hands and strengthen the trembling knees; 4. say to the timid in soul: be firm, do not be afraid; behold your God, vengeance will come, the recompense of God; He will come and save you. 5. Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be opened. 6. Then the lame one will spring up like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb one will sing;
From the book Explanatory Bible. Volume 5 author Lopukhin Alexander3. Strengthen the weakened hands and strengthen the trembling knees; 4. say to the timid in soul: be firm, do not be afraid; behold your God, vengeance will come, the recompense of God; He will come and save you. 5. Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be opened. 6. Then the lame one will jump up like a deer, and the tongue
11. And disaster will come upon you: you will not know from where it will rise; and trouble will attack you, which you will not be able to avert, and destruction will suddenly come upon you, which you do not even think about.
From the book Explanatory Bible. Volume 5 author Lopukhin Alexander11. And disaster will come upon you: you will not know from where it will rise; and trouble will attack you, which you will not be able to avert, and destruction will suddenly come upon you, which you do not even think about. Hoping for their magic and sorcery, the Babylonians were convinced that they,
Who will come to us with a sword ...
From the book Proverbs.ru. The best modern parables author Team of authorsWho will come to us with a sword… The young man, who cares for the Teaching, which he followed, was very worried about ignorant people. And all the time he tried to bring the light of truth to the common people in order to open for them faith and mutual understanding, love and kindness. The wise master did not hold back
The defeat of Khazaria
The Avars were replaced by the Khazars. They created their own state - the Khazar Khaganate, which included the Lower Volga region, the North Caucasus, the Eastern Crimea and the Don steppes. At one time, some East Slavic tribes paid tribute to the Khazars. A folk legend has been preserved about how the Slavs who lived on the hills near the Dnieper, as a tribute, sent the Khazars a sword from home. The Khazars decided that this tribute was a formidable sign, since they seek tribute by fighting with sabers pointed on one side, and a double-edged weapon came from the Dnieper - swords. Indeed, already in the time of Oleg and Igor, Russian squads fought against the Khazars and made trips to the Caspian, Black and Azov seas, and later Russian soldiers dealt a crushing blow to the predatory Khazaria.
In 965, Russian squads led by Prince Svyatoslav defeated the troops of the Khazar Khagan in the steppes and captured their city of Sarkel, which the Russians called Belaya Vezha. Another part of the Russian squads undertook a campaign on boats, invaded the depths of Khazaria, took several cities, including the Khazar capital Itil on the Volga. The Khazar Khaganate ceased to exist. All Russian tribes got rid of the Khazar tribute.
The Russian army of that time was very maneuverable and hardy. It knew neither convoys, nor wagons, nor boilers, and moved very quickly. Svyatoslav did not hide his intentions and, going on a campaign against enemies, he usually warned them: "I want to go against you." And when we talk about the courage and bravery of Russians, we recall the words of Svyatoslav: "I'm going to attack you", "We'll lay down our bones, but we won't shame the Russian land, the dead know no shame."
Rus' at the heroic outpost. The defeat of the Pechenegs
At the end of the 9th century, the Pechenegs appeared in the steppes between the Don and the Dnieper. The Pechenegs were numerous, warlike, treacherous, greedy, and cruel. But now they were confronted not by individual Slavic tribes, as in the times of the Huns, Avars, Khazars, but by a vast and powerful ancient Russian state, whose capital - Kiev - was two or three days away from the nomadic steppes.
For the first time, the Pechenegs approached the Russian lands in 915. Five years later, the first military clash between the Russians and the Pechenegs took place. The chronicle speaks very sparingly about this event, but it played a big role in the history of Rus'. Coming out of their Ural forest-steppe and passing through the whole of Khazaria, defeating the Hungarians (Ugric peoples), the Pechenegs met a powerful rebuff from Rus'.
Rus' protected itself from the nomads with a wall of fortresses-settlements. The Pechenegs could raid Rus', plunder, take them prisoner, but they could not conquer the Russian lands, push the Russians back to the north, as the first clashes showed, it was beyond their power.
With the Pechenegs - this insidious and terrible enemy - Rus' fought not for life, but for death.
In 968, taking advantage of the fact that Svyatoslav with most of the soldiers was on the Danube, the Pechenegs attacked Kyiv and surrounded him. The people of Kiev suffered from hunger and thirst. They began to look for a volunteer who would dare to penetrate the Pecheneg camp and cross the Dnieper, where the Russian troops were. A young man took on this risky business. He left the city with a bridle in his hands and, using his knowledge of the Pecheneg language, turned to those he met, asking if they had seen his horse. So he passed through the camp of the Pechenegs, approached the Dnieper, rushed from the shore and swam. The Pechenegs showered him with arrows, but the brave young man continued to swim. The Russians sent a boat towards him, and soon the young man appeared before the governor. He said that if the townspeople were not helped tomorrow, then Kyiv would fall.
The next morning, the Russians got into the boats and headed for Kyiv. Mistaking their detachment for the army of Svyatoslav, the Pechenegs rushed in all directions. Soon Svyatoslav, informed by the people of Kiev, returned and drove the Pechenegs into the depths of the steppes. For the first time, the Pechenegs experienced the power of the weapons of Russian soldiers. Heavy Russian swords cut through the Pecheneg horsemen, Pecheneg arrows flew off the chain mail of Svyatoslav's warriors, Pecheneg sabers blunted against their steel armor.
The Pechenegs were pushed back far from Kyiv, but the fight against them did not stop later. At the end of the 10th century, along the rivers Desna, Trubezh, Ostra, Sula and Stugna, a fortification zone was erected, consisting of fortress cities, watchtowers, blockages (notches), etc. Archaeologists excavated and studied some of these cities, including located at the confluence of the Sula and the Dnieper, the city of Voin, which received its symbolic name not by chance. It was really a city-warrior, "watchman" of the Russian land.
From everywhere, the best warriors were sent to the borderland with the steppe. On the southern borders of Rus', an epic "heroic outpost" was created. With it, like a shield, the Russian land protected itself from the predatory Pechenegs.
"The Tale of Bygone Years" - the oldest chronicle source - brought to us a lot of folk legends about the struggle against the Pechenegs. One of them tells about the single combat of the Russian youth Nikita Kozhemyaki with the Pecheneg hero, which ended in the death of the Pecheneg.
The "bogatyr outpost" at the turn of the ancient Russian state with the steppe was remembered by the Russian people for a long time. She did her job: the Pechenegs were afraid to attack Rus'.
But in 1036, having gathered all their forces, the Pechenegs approached Kyiv. Prince Yaroslav the Wise hastily set out from Novgorod. Arriving in Kyiv, he began to prepare for the decisive battle. Russian squads left the city and lined up in battle order. The Pechenegs went on the attack. The fierce battle lasted until the evening and ended with the complete defeat of the enemy.
The struggle of Rus' with the Polovtsy
But a new terrible danger was approaching from the east - the Polovtsians. In 1055 they approached the Pereyaslav land. However, things did not come to a military clash - peace was concluded. The world turned out to be short-lived. In 1061, the Polovtsy attacked the Pereyaslav land, defeated the Russian squads, devastated and defeated all the villages.
Stronger and more numerous than their predecessors, the Polovtsy occupied a vast territory from the Danube to the Ural River. They torn away huge tracts of black earth from Rus', ruined and plundered villages and cities.
For more than a century and a half, the neighborhood of Rus' and the Polovtsians has been filled with continuous struggle.
The Polovtsy undertook a new large campaign against Rus' in 1068. The Russian princes, who led the Kyiv, Chernigov and Pereyaslav squads, were defeated. But the three thousandth squad of the Chernigov prince Svyatoslav, who fought near Snovsk, defeated the twelve thousandth army of the Polovtsians. Many enemies drowned in Snovi, and their leader was captured.
In the 90s, the onslaught of the Polovtsy against Rus' intensified. Polovtsian khans raided southern Rus', besieged Kyiv and Pereyaslavl.
One of the reasons for the success of the Polovtsy was the lack of unity among the Russian princes, who were at enmity with each other and thereby weakened Rus'. Prince Vladimir Monomakh managed to unite the forces of Rus' to fight the steppes. Glorified by his victory over Khan Tugorkan, Monomakh gathered a congress of princes near Dolobsk in 1103, at which it was decided to attack the Polovtsy.
They went on a campaign on boats and horses. Beyond the rapids of the Dnieper, near Khortitsa, the cavalry squads moved east. Foot rati, having landed from the boats on the shore, moved after them and on the fourth day approached the Suten River, where both parts of the Russian army united. The Polovtsy sent their reconnaissance to meet them, but the Russians surrounded it and killed it. On April 4, the main forces clashed. The Polovtsians, according to the chronicle, who had made a big campaign before this, "did not have speed in their legs." Not accepting the battle, they fled, but the Russians pursued them on their heels. Many Polovtsians, including 20 khans, perished. The booty of the Russians was a lot of cattle, horses, camels, wagons. "And Rus' returned from the campaign with a great crowd, and with glory, and with a great victory."
The campaign of 1103 marked the beginning of Rus''s retaliatory strikes against the Polovtsians. In 1106 they were defeated near Zarechsk, in 1107 near Luben. The blow here turned out to be so unexpected that the Polovtsians, without even having time to raise the banner, took to flight, many fled, not even having time to jump on their horses. The victorious campaigns of the Russians followed one after another.
During the second half of the XII and the first third of the XIII century, the wars with the Polovtsy did not stop. Russian rati inflicted strong blows on their troops. In the 90s of the XII century, these blows also followed one after another. After that, the campaigns of the Polovtsy against Rus' ceased. The "Bogatyr outpost" in the south saved Rus' from the nomads. In this difficult struggle, a huge role was played not only by the princely squads, but above all by the broad masses of the people, the population of the South Russian lands themselves, the inhabitants of Kiev, Chernigov, Pereyaslavl, Putivl, Rylsk, Kursk and other cities and surrounding villages.
The struggle against the nomads will forever be remembered by the Russian people. It was reflected in Russian oral folk art, in epics associated with the names of Prince Vladimir the Red Sun, the heroes Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich, Alyosha Popovich, who stood securely at the "heroic outpost".
The struggle of Rus' with the nomads played a huge role in the history of the Russian people. It contributed to the strengthening of the ancient Russian state, strengthening its defense capability.
