Nickname

Biography

Reflection of aggression from the West

Great reign

Canonical evaluation

Eurasian assessment

Critical Assessment

Canonization

Relics of St. Alexander Nevsky

In ancient Russian literature

Fiction

art

Cinema

Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky(other Russian Oleksandr Yaroslavich, May 1221, Pereslavl-Zalessky - November 14 (November 21) 1263, Gorodets) - Prince of Novgorod (1236-1240, 1241-1252 and 1257-1259), Grand Duke of Kiev (1249-1263), Grand Duke of Vladimir (1252- 1263).

Nickname

The traditional version says that Alexander received his nickname "Nevsky" after the battle with the Swedes on the Neva River. It is believed that it was for this victory that the prince began to be called that, but for the first time this nickname is found in sources only from the 15th century. Since it is known that some descendants of the prince also bore the nickname Nevsky, it is possible that in this way possessions in this area were assigned to them. In particular, Alexander's family had their own house near Novgorod.

Biography

The second son of the Prince of Pereyaslav (later the Grand Duke of Kyiv and Vladimir) Yaroslav Vsevolodovich from his second marriage with Rostislava-Feodosia Mstislavovna, daughter of the Prince of Novgorod and Galicia Mstislav Udatny. Born in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky in May 1221.

In 1225 Yaroslav "made sons princely tonsure"- the rite of initiation into the warriors, which was performed in the Transfiguration Cathedral of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky by the Bishop of Suzdal Saint Simon.

In 1228, Alexander, along with his elder brother Fyodor, were left by their father in Novgorod under the supervision of Fyodor Danilovich and tiun Yakim, who, together with the Pereyaslavl army, were going on a campaign against Riga in the summer, but during the famine that came in the winter of this year, Fyodor Danilovich and tiun Yakim did not having waited for Yaroslav's answer about the request of the Novgorodians to abolish the paganism, in February 1229 they fled from the city with the juvenile princes, fearing the reprisals of the rebellious Novgorodians. In 1230, when the Novgorod Republic called for Prince Yaroslav, he spent two weeks in Novgorod, put Fyodor and Alexander to reign, but three years later, at the age of thirteen, Fyodor died. In 1234, Alexander's first campaign (under his father's banner) against the Livonian Germans took place.

In 1236, Yaroslav left Pereyaslavl-Zalessky to reign in Kyiv (from there in 1238 - to Vladimir). Since that time, Alexander's independent activity begins. Back in 1236-1237, neighbors Novgorod land were at enmity with each other (200 Pskov warriors participated in the unsuccessful campaign of the Order of the Swordsmen against Lithuania, which ended in the Battle of Saul and the entry of the remnants of the Order of the Swordsmen into the Teutonic Order). But after the devastation of North-Eastern Rus' by the Mongols in the winter of 1237/1238 (the Mongols took Torzhok after a two-week siege and did not reach Novgorod), the western neighbors of Novgorod land almost simultaneously launched offensive operations.

Reflection of aggression from the West

In 1239, Yaroslav repulsed the Lithuanians from Smolensk, and Alexander married 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.

Alexander built a series of fortifications on the southwestern border of the Novgorod Republic along the Shelon River. In 1240, the Germans approached Pskov, and the Swedes moved to Novgorod, according to Russian sources, under the leadership of the ruler of the country himself, the royal son-in-law of Jarl Birger (there is no mention of this battle in Swedish sources, the Jarl at that moment was Ulf Fasi, not Birger) . According to Russian sources, Birger sent a declaration of war to Alexander, proud and arrogant: "If you can, resist, know that I am already here and will captivate your land". With a relatively small squad of Novgorodians and Ladoga, Alexander on the night of July 15, 1240, by surprise attacked the Swedes of Birger, when they stopped at the mouth of the Izhora, on the Neva, and inflicted a complete defeat on them - the Battle of the Neva. Himself fighting in the forefront, Alexander “I placed a seal on the forehead of the unfaithful thief (Birger) with the edge of the sword”. The victory in this battle demonstrated Alexander's talent and strength.

Nevertheless, the Novgorodians, always jealous of their liberties, in the same year managed to quarrel with Alexander, and he retired to his father, who gave him the principality of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky. Meanwhile, the Livonian Germans were advancing on Novgorod. The knights laid siege to Pskov and soon took it, taking advantage of the betrayal among the besieged. Two German Vogts were planted in the city, which was an unprecedented event in the history of the Livonian-Novgorod conflicts. Then the Livonians fought and imposed tribute on the Vozhan, built a fortress in Koporye, took the city of Tesov, plundered the lands along the Luga River and began to rob Novgorod merchants 30 versts from Novgorod. Novgorodians turned to Yaroslav for a prince; he gave them his second son, Andrei. This did not satisfy them. They sent a second embassy to ask Alexander. In 1241, Alexander appeared in Novgorod and cleared his region of enemies, and the next year, together with Andrei, he moved to the aid of Pskov. Having liberated the city, Alexander went to the Chudsky land, to the possession of the order.

On April 5, 1242, a battle took place on the border with the Livonian Order, on Lake Peipsi. This battle is known as Battle on the Ice. The exact course of the battle is unknown, but according to the Livonian chronicles, the order knights were surrounded during the battle. According to the Novgorod chronicle, the Russians pursued the Germans for 7 miles across the ice. According to the Livonian chronicle, the losses of the Order amounted to 20 killed and 6 captured knights, which can be consistent with the Novgorod Chronicle, which reports that the Livonian Order lost 400-500 "Germans" killed and 50 prisoners - “And pade Chyudi was beschisla, and Nemets 400, and 50 with the hands of Yash and brought to Novgorod”. Considering that for every full-fledged knight there were 10-15 servants and warriors of a lower rank, we can assume that the data of the Livonian Chronicle and the data of the Novgorod Chronicle well confirm each other.

With a whole series of victories in 1245, Alexander repulsed the raids of Lithuania, led by Prince Mindovg. According to the chronicler, the Lithuanians fell into such fear that they became "keep his name".

The six-year victorious defense of northern Rus' by Alexander led to the fact that the Germans, under a peace treaty, abandoned all recent conquests and ceded part of Latgale to the Novgorodians. Nevsky's father Yaroslav was summoned to Karakorum and poisoned there on September 30, 1246. Almost simultaneously with this, on September 20, Mikhail Chernigovsky was killed in the Golden Horde, refusing to undergo a pagan rite.

Great reign

After the death of his father, in 1247 Alexander went to the Horde to Batu. From there, together with his brother Andrei, who had arrived earlier, he was sent to the Great Khan in Mongolia. It took them two years to complete this journey. In their absence, their brother, Mikhail Khorobrit of Moscow (fourth son of Grand Duke Yaroslav), took the great reign of Vladimir from his uncle Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich in 1248, but in the same year he died in battle with the Lithuanians in the battle on the Protva River. Svyatoslav managed to defeat the Lithuanians at Zubtsov. Batu planned to give the great reign of Vladimir to Alexander, but according to the will of Yaroslav Vladimir prince Andrei was to become, and Alexander was to become Novgorod and Kyiv. And the chronicler notes that they had "Straight Velocity about the great reign". As a result, the rulers of the Mongol Empire, despite the death of Guyuk during the campaign against Batu in 1248, implemented the second option. Alexander received Kyiv and "All the Russian land." Modern historians differ in their assessment of which of the brothers belonged to the formal seniority. Kyiv, after the Tatar devastation, lost any real significance; therefore, Alexander did not go to him, but settled in Novgorod (According to V.N. Tatishchev, the prince was still going to leave for Kiev, but the Novgorodians “kept his Tatars for the sake of it,” however, the reliability of this information is questionable).

There is information about two messages from Pope Innocent IV to Alexander Nevsky. In the first, the pope invites Alexander to follow the example of his father, who agreed (the pope referred to Plano Carpini, in whose writings this news is missing) to submit to the throne of Rome before his death, and also offers to coordinate actions with the Teutons in the event of an attack by the Tatars on Rus'. In the second epistle, the pope mentions Alexander's consent to be baptized into the Catholic faith and build a Catholic church in Pskov, and also asks to receive his ambassador, the Archbishop of Prussia. In 1251, two cardinals with a bull came to Alexander Nevsky in Novgorod. Almost simultaneously in Vladimir, Andrei Yaroslavich and Ustinya Danilovna were married by Metropolitan Kirill, an associate of Daniel of Galicia, to whom the pope offered the royal crown back in 1246-1247. In the same year, the Lithuanian prince Mindovg converted to the Catholic faith, thereby securing his lands from the Teutons. According to the chronicler, Nevsky, after consulting with wise people, outlined the whole history of Rus' and concluded by saying: “We eat everything well, but we do not receive teachings from you”.

In 1251, with the participation of the troops of the Golden Horde, Batu Munke, an ally of Batu, won the victory in the struggle for supreme power in the Mongol Empire, and the following year Alexander again came to the Horde. At the same time, the Tatar hordes led by Nevruy were moved against Andrei. Andrei, in alliance with his brother Yaroslav of Tver, opposed the Tatars, but was defeated and fled to Sweden through Novgorod, Yaroslav entrenched himself in Pskov. This was the first attempt to openly resist the Mongol-Tatars in North-Eastern Rus', and it ended in failure. After the flight of Andrei, the great reign of Vladimir passed to Alexander. Perhaps, according to a number of researchers, this indicates that Alexander, during his trip to the Horde, contributed to the organization of a punitive campaign against his brother, but there is no direct evidence in favor of this conclusion. In the same year, Prince Oleg Ingvarevich Krasny, captured in 1237 by the wounded, was released from Mongol captivity to Ryazan. The reign of Alexander in Vladimir was followed by new war with western neighbors.

In 1253, shortly after the beginning of the great reign of Alexander, his eldest son Vasily with the Novgorodians was forced to repel the Lithuanians from Toropets, in the same year the Pskovians repelled the Teutonic invasion, then, together with the Novgorodians and Karelians, invaded the Baltic states and defeated the Teutons on their land, after of which peace was concluded with all the will of Novgorod and Pskov. In 1256, the Swedes came to Narova, em, sum, and began to set up the city (probably we are talking about the Narva fortress already founded in 1223). Novgorodians asked for help from Alexander, who led a successful campaign against him with the Suzdal and Novgorod regiments. In 1258, the Lithuanians invaded the principality of Smolensk and approached Torzhok.

In 1255, the Novgorodians expelled their eldest son Alexander Vasily from themselves and called Yaroslav Yaroslavich from Pskov. Nevsky, on the other hand, forced them to accept Vasily again, and replaced the obnoxious posadnik Anania, an advocate of Novgorod liberty, with the obliging Mikhalka Stepanovich. In 1257, the Mongol census took place in the Vladimir, Murom and Ryazan lands, but was disrupted in Novgorod, which was not captured during the invasion. Big people, with the posadnik Mikhalka, persuaded the Novgorodians to submit to the will of the khan, but the smaller ones did not even want to hear about it. Michalko was killed. Prince Vasily, sharing the feelings of the lesser, but not wanting to quarrel with his father, went to Pskov. Alexander Nevsky himself came to Novgorod with Tatar ambassadors, exiled his son to "Bottom", that is, the Suzdal land, seized his advisers and punished ( “Urezasha’s nose for one, and vyimash’s eyes for another”) and planted the prince to them his second son, seven-year-old Dmitry. In 1258, Alexander went to the Horde to "honor" the Khan's governor Ulavchiy, and in 1259, threatening a Tatar pogrom, he obtained from the Novgorodians consent to the census and tribute ( "tamgas and tithes").

Daniil of Galicia, who accepted the royal crown in 1253, on his own (without allies from North-Eastern Rus', without Catholicization of subject lands and without the forces of the crusaders) was able to inflict a serious defeat on the Horde, which led to a break with Rome and Lithuania. Daniil was going to organize a campaign against Kyiv, but he could not do it because of a clash with the Lithuanians. The Lithuanians were repulsed from Lutsk, followed by the Galician-Horde campaigns against Lithuania and Poland, Mindovg's break with Poland, the Order, and an alliance with Novgorod. In 1262, the Novgorod, Tver and allied Lithuanian regiments under the nominal command of 12-year-old Dmitry Alexandrovich undertook a campaign in Livonia and laid siege to the city of Yuryev, burned the settlement, but did not take the city.

Death

In 1262, in Vladimir, Suzdal, Rostov, Pereyaslavl, Yaroslavl and other cities, the Tatar tax-farmers were killed, and the Saray Khan Berke demanded a military recruitment among the inhabitants of Rus', since his possessions were threatened by the Iranian ruler Hulagu. Alexander Nevsky went to the Horde to try to dissuade the Khan from this demand. Alexander fell ill there. Already being sick, he went to Rus'.

Having accepted the schema under the name of Alexy, he died on November 14 (November 21), 1263 in Gorodets (there are 2 versions - in Volga Gorodets or Meshchersky Gorodets). Metropolitan Kirill announced to the people in Vladimir about his death with the words: “My dear child, understand that the sun is setting Russian land» and all cried out with tears: "already dying". "Respect for the Russian land,- says the famous historian Sergei Solovyov, - from trouble in the east, famous exploits for faith and land in the west brought Alexander a glorious memory in Rus' and made him the most prominent historical figure in ancient history from Monomakh to Donskoy". Alexander became the beloved prince of the clergy. In the chronicle legend that has come down to us about his exploits, it is said that he "Born by God". Winning everywhere, he was not defeated by anyone. The knight, who came from the west to see Nevsky, said that he had traveled through many countries and peoples, but had never seen anything like it. "neither in the kings of the king, nor in the princes of the prince". The Khan Tatar himself allegedly gave the same opinion about him, and Tatar women frightened children with his name.

Initially, Alexander Nevsky was buried in the Nativity Monastery in Vladimir. In 1724, by order of Peter I, the relics of Alexander Nevsky were solemnly transferred to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg.

Family

Spouse:

• Alexandra, daughter of Bryachislav of Polotsk (she died on May 5, 1244 and was buried in the Yuriev Monastery next to her son, with Prince Fedor).

sons:

• Vasily (until 1245-1271) - Prince of Novgorod;
• Dmitry (1250-1294) - Prince of Novgorod (1260-1263), Prince of Pereyaslavl, Grand Duke of Vladimir in 1276-1281 and 1283-1293;
• Andrei (c. 1255-1304) - Prince of Kostroma in (1276-1293), (1296-1304), Grand Duke of Vladimir (1281-1284, 1292-1304), Prince of Novgorod in (1281-1285, 1292-1304), Prince Gorodetsky in (1264-1304);
• Daniel (1261-1303) - the first prince of Moscow (1263-1303).

• Evdokia, who became the wife of Konstantin Rostislavich Smolensky.

The wife and daughter were buried in the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Mother of God of the Assumption Knyaginy Monastery in Vladimir.

Evaluations of the personality and results of the board

According to the results of a large-scale poll of Russians on December 28, 2008, Alexander Nevsky was chosen as "the name of Russia." However, in historical science there is no single assessment of the activities of Alexander Nevsky, the views of historians on his personality are different, sometimes directly opposite. For centuries it was believed that Alexander Nevsky played an exceptional role in Russian history during that dramatic period when Rus' was attacked from three sides, he was seen as the founder of the line of Moscow sovereigns and the great patron of the Orthodox Church. Such a canonization of Alexander Yaroslavich eventually began to cause a rebuff. As stated by the head of the department national history Moscow State University N. S. Borisov, “lovers of destroying myths are constantly “undermining” Alexander Nevsky, and trying to prove that he betrayed his brother, and he brought the Tatars to Russian soil, and it’s generally not clear why he is considered a great commander. Such discrediting of Alexander Nevsky is constantly found in literature. What was he really like? Sources do not allow 100% to say.

Canonical evaluation

According to the canonical version, Alexander Nevsky is regarded as a saint, as a kind of golden legend. medieval Rus'. In the XIII century, Rus' was attacked from three sides - the Catholic West, the Mongol-Tatars and Lithuania. Alexander Nevsky, who has not lost a single battle in his entire life, showed the talent of a commander and diplomat, making peace with the most powerful (but more tolerant) enemy - the Golden Horde - and repelling the German attack, while protecting Orthodoxy from Catholic expansion. This interpretation was officially supported by the authorities both in pre-revolutionary and in Soviet times and the Russian Orthodox Church. The idealization of Alexander reached its zenith before the Great Patriotic War, during and in the first decades after it. In popular culture, this image was captured in the film "Alexander Nevsky" by Sergei Eisenstein.

Eurasian assessment

Lev Gumilyov, as a representative of Eurasianism, saw in Alexander Nevsky the architect of a hypothetical Russian-Horde alliance. He categorically asserts that in 1251 "Alexander came to the horde of Batu, made friends, and then fraternized with his son Sartak, as a result of which he became the son of a khan and in 1252 brought the Tatar corps to Rus' with an experienced noyon Nevryuy." From the point of view of Gumilyov and his followers, Alexander's friendly relations with Batu, whose respect he enjoyed, his son Sartak and successor, Khan Berke, made it possible to establish more peaceful relations with the Horde, which contributed to the synthesis of East Slavic and Mongol-Tatar cultures.

Critical Assessment

The third group of historians, in general, agreeing with the pragmatic nature of the actions of Alexander Nevsky, believes that objectively he played a negative role in the history of Russia. Skeptical historians (in particular, Fennel, and after him Igor Danilevsky, Sergei Smirnov) believe that the traditional image of Alexander Nevsky as a brilliant commander and patriot is exaggerated. They focus on the evidence in which Alexander Nevsky acts as a power-hungry and cruel person. They also express doubts about the scale of the Livonian threat to Rus' and the real military significance of the clashes on the Neva and Lake Peipsi. According to their interpretation, there was no serious threat from the German knights (moreover, the Battle on the Ice was not major battle), and the example of Lithuania (to which a number of Russian princes moved with their lands), according to Danilevsky, showed that a successful struggle against the Tatars was quite possible. Alexander Nevsky deliberately entered into an alliance with the Tatars in order to use them to strengthen his personal power. In the long term, his choice predetermined the formation of despotic power in Rus'.
Alexander Nevsky, having concluded an alliance with the Horde, subordinated Novgorod to the Horde influence. He extended Tatar power to Novgorod, which was never conquered by the Tatars. Moreover, he gouged out the eyes of dissenting Novgorodians, and there are many sins behind him.
- Valentin Yanin, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Canonization

Canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in the guise of the faithful under Metropolitan Macarius at the Moscow Council of 1547. Memory (according to the Julian calendar): November 23 and August 30 (transfer of relics from Vladimir-on-Klyazma to St. Petersburg, to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery (from 1797 - Lavra) on August 30, 1724). Days of celebration of St. Alexander Nevsky:

• May 23 (June 5, New Style) - Cathedral of the Rostov-Yaroslavl Saints
• August 30 (September 12, New Style) - the day of the transfer of relics to St. Petersburg (1724) - the main
• November 14 (November 27, New Style) - death day in Gorodets (1263) - canceled
• November 23 (December 6, New Style) - the day of burial in Vladimir, in the schema of Alexy (1263)

Relics of St. Alexander Nevsky

• Nevsky was buried in the monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin in Vladimir, and until the middle of the 16th century, the Nevsky Monastery was considered the first monastery in Rus', "the great archimandrite." In 1380, in Vladimir, his relics were discovered incorruptible and laid in cancer on top of the earth. According to the lists of the Nikon and Resurrection Chronicles of the 16th century, during a fire in Vladimir on May 23, 1491, "the body of the great prince Alexander Nevsky burned down." In the lists of the same chronicles of the 17th century, the story about the fire was completely rewritten and it was mentioned that the relics were miraculously preserved from the fire. In 1547, the prince was canonized, and in 1697, the Suzdal Metropolitan Hilarion placed the relics in a new shrine, decorated with carvings and covered with a precious cover.
• Taken out of Vladimir on August 11, 1723, the holy relics were brought to Shlisselburg on September 20 and remained there until 1724, when on August 30 they were installed in the Alexander Nevsky Church of the Alexander Nevsky Holy Trinity Monastery at the behest of Peter the Great. During the consecration of the Trinity Cathedral in the monastery in 1790, the relics were placed in it, in a silver reliquary donated by Empress Elizaveta Petrovna.

In 1753, by order of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, the relics were transferred to a magnificent silver tomb, for the manufacture of which the craftsmen of the Sestroretsk arms factory spent about 90 pounds of silver. In 1790, after the completion of the construction of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, the tomb was transferred to this cathedral and placed behind the right kliros.

• In May 1922, the relics were opened and soon removed. The confiscated cancer was handed over to the Hermitage, where it remains to this day.
• The relics of the saint were returned to the Lavra Trinity Cathedral from the storerooms of the Museum of Religion and Atheism, located in the Kazan Cathedral, in 1989.
• In 2007, with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus', the relics of the saint were transported throughout the cities of Russia and Latvia for a month. On September 20, the holy relics were brought to the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior; October), Yaroslavl (October 7 - 10), Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Ekaterinburg. On October 20, the relics returned to the Lavra.

A piece of the relics of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky is in the Temple of Alexander Nevsky in the city of Sofia, Bulgaria. Also, part of the relics (little finger) of Alexander Nevsky is located in the Assumption Cathedral in the city of Vladimir. The relics were transferred by decree of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' in October 1998 on the eve of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Orthodox Church in Moscow.

Alexander Nevsky in culture and art

Streets, lanes, squares, etc. are named after Alexander Nevsky. Orthodox churches are dedicated to him, he is the heavenly patron of St. Petersburg. Not a single lifetime image of Alexander Nevsky has survived to this day. Therefore, to depict the prince on the order, in 1942, its author, architect I. S. Telyatnikov, used a portrait of the actor Nikolai Cherkasov, who played the role of the prince in the film Alexander Nevsky.

In ancient Russian literature

Literary work, written in the 13th century and known in many editions.

Fiction

• Segen A. Yu. Alexander Nevskiy. Sun of the Russian Earth. - M .: ITRK, 2003. - 448 p. - (Library of historical novel). - 5000 copies. - ISBN 5-88010-158-4
• Yugov A.K. Soldiers. - L.: Lenizdat, 1983. - 478 p.
• Subbotin A. A. For the Russian land. - M .: Military publishing house of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, 1957. - 696 p.
• Mosiah S. Alexander Nevskiy. - L .: Children's literature, 1982. - 272 p.
• Yukhnov S. M. Scout Alexander Nevsky. - M .: Eksmo, 2008. - 544 p. - (In the service of the sovereign. Russian frontier). - 4000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-699-26178-9
• Jan V. G. The youth of the commander // To the "last sea". Youth of the commander. - M .: Pravda, 1981.
• Boris Vasiliev. Alexander Nevskiy.

art

• Portrait of Alexander Nevsky (central part of the triptych, 1942) by Pavel Korin.
• Monument to Alexander Nevsky (equestrian sculpture) in St. Petersburg, opened on May 9, 2002 on Alexander Nevsky Square in front of the entrance to the territory of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Authors - sculptors: V. G. Kozenyuk, A. A. Palmin, A. S. Charkin; architects: G. S. Peichev, V. V. Popov.

Cinema

• Alexander Nevsky, Nevsky - Nikolai Cherkasov, director - Sergei Eisenstein, 1938.
• Life of Alexander Nevsky, Nevsky - Anatoly Gorgul, director - Georgy Kuznetsov, 1991.
• Alexander. Battle of the Neva, Nevsky - Anton Pampushny, director - Igor Kalenov, - Russia, 2008.

The reign of Alexander Nevsky (briefly)

The reign of Alexander Nevsky (briefly)

Alexander Nevsky, who was born on May 30, 1220 and died on November 14, 1263, was the Grand Duke of Vladimir and was the son of Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. Alexander had to spend his young years in Novgorod, where he reigned together with his brother Fyodor, at first guided by the opinions and decisions of two boyars, and later (from 1236) on his own. Soon the prince marries the daughter of Bryachislav of Polotsk Alexandra.

In 1240, the Swedes, who disputed Finland, gathered, prompted by the pope's bull about a crusade against Novgorod. However, Alexander manages to defeat their forces at the confluence of the Izhora River with the Neva.

It was this battle that gave the nickname to Prince Alexander. In the same year, Nevsky got into a quarrel with the Novgorodians, who tried to limit his power, after which he left the city and left for Pereyaslavl. But the outbreak of war with the Swordsmen, who united with the Teutonic Order, forced the Novgorodians to call on Alexander again.

The returned prince, in 1241, conquered Koporye, a year later - Pskov and, having advanced troops to Livonia, on April 5, 1242, defeated the Germans on the ice of Lake Peipus. Given historical event historians are accustomed to call it "Battle on the Ice". According to the concluded peace treaty, the Germans completely abandoned the captured and conquered territories. Already in the same year (and in 1245) Alexander Nevsky managed to win the battles with the Lithuanians, and in 1256 he devastated the Finnish Yem to intimidate the Swedes.

After the death of his father in 1247, Nevsky and his brother went to Batu, and then to Mongolia, where Alexander received Novgorod and Kyiv, and Andrei received the Vladimir table. However, after Andrei's disobedience, the throne was transferred to Nevsky.

In 1258, Prince Alexander visited the Horde to pay homage to the dignitary Ulovchay, and a year later he was able to induce Novgorod to agree to the so-called Tatar census. In 1262, an uprising broke out in Suzdal, Yaroslavl, Pereyaslavl and Vladimir, but Nevsky, who went to the Horde, was able to reject the pogroms for the disobedience of these Russian cities by the Tatar hordes.

On the way back home, Nevsky died in Gorodets Volzhsky. Alexander was considered at that time the largest and most reasonable ruler since the time of Vladimir Monomakh, the memory of this ruler is surrounded by poetic legends and many literary ancient sources.

In scientific, reference and popular literature, the life of Alexander Nevsky is determined by 1220-1263. The last date is indisputable, since it is contained in such a source as the parchment Novgorod Chronicle I of the older version. The death of Nevsky is described there under the year 6771, even the day of death is indicated - November 14, and then his burial in Vladimir is reported on Friday, November 23. This combination of the last number and day of the week in article 6771 leads to November 23, 1263 (modern reckoning). Therefore, the date of death is also beyond doubt - November 14, 1263.

If the day of the death of Alexander Yaroslavich is directly named in the source, then the time of his birth is determined by research. It seems that V.N. was the first to do this. Tatishchev, who, when describing the events of 1219, introduced the following message into his “History of Russia”: “Maia 30, a son was born to Prince Yaroslav and named Alexander in holy baptism.” As shown below, the output of V.N. Tatishchev, the date is incorrect, although researchers of the 18th-19th centuries used it, changing only the year of birth to 1220.

Determining the year of Nevsky's birth depends on what kind of a child he was in the family of Yaroslav-Fyodor Vsevolodovich and Rostislava-Feodosia Mstislavovna and when his brothers were born. The sons of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich are listed in many chronicles and genealogical lists. The oldest list is in Laurentian Chronicle under 1239; it names six sons of Yaroslav who survived the Batu pogrom: Alexander, Andrey, Konstantin, Athanasius, Daniel, Mikhail. Most of them are mentioned in the articles of the following years of the same Laurentian Chronicle.

Daniel is named in the annals only once more: the Novgorod IV chronicle under 1256 marked his death. The name of Athanasius Yaroslavich is not found at all in the annals. But under 1252, for the first time after 1239, Yaroslav is mentioned, about whom, under 1254, it is directly said that he was the son of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. Since on the front side of the seals of Yaroslav Yaroslavich, St. Athanasius of Alexandria, it is clear that Yaroslav's baptismal name was Athanasius. And since by 1252 Yaroslav Yaroslavich was already married and had children, it is obvious that he was born in pre-Mongolian times and it was he who was understood in the list of sons of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich of the article of 1239 of the Laurentian Chronicle under the name of Athanasius.

The following enumeration of the sons of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich in antiquity is contained in the article “Genealogy of the same princes” attached to the Novgorod I Chronicle, the basis of which, according to A.A. Shakhmatov, was compiled in 1433-1434. In this article, the sons of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich are listed in the following order: “Sons of Yaroslavl: Alexander, Yaroslav, Andrei, Kostyantin, Afanasy, Danilo, Mikhailo, Vasily.” Comparing both lists, it is easy to make sure that they generally agree: the sons of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich are named in the same sequence, but in the second, the name of Yaroslav is inserted between Alexander and Andrei, which the compiler of the 15th century article found in the text of the chronicle, but did not identify with Athanasius; the last is the name of Vasily, who was born in 1241, and therefore not mentioned in the article of 1239 of the Laurentian Chronicle.

Subsequent Russian medieval genealogists expanded the list of sons of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. One of the lists of the end of the 15th century read: “Yaroslavl’s sons: Theodore, 11. Alexander, Andrey, Kostyantin, Afonasey, Danilo, Mikhailo, Yaroslav, Vasily Kostroma” [The number 11 in the name of Alexander denoted the serial number of the Grand Duke, starting with Rurik] . Compared with the genealogical article of 1433-1434. in this listing there is one, but significant clarification: the eldest son of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich Fedor is indicated, who died on July 10, 1233. The split of Yaroslav-Athanasius in the genealogy of the painting of the late 15th century was preserved, although the name Yaroslav no longer followed the name Alexander, but the name Michael. This list became canonical and entered the genealogical lists and books of the 16th-17th centuries.

In all the considered lists of the sons of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, Alexander Nevsky is mentioned in the first place, if we are talking about the time after the Batu invasion, or in the second, if we are talking about all the sons of Yaroslav. Summarizing the evidence of the lists, we can conclude that Alexander was the second son of Yaroslav.

However, all the considered lists of the sons of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich are incomplete. He had another, ninth, son. Describing the capture of a number of northeastern Russian cities, including Tver, by the hordes of Batu in February-March 1238, the Novgorod I Chronicle of the senior version reports that "the same son Yaroslavl killed." Since Tver was part of the Pereyaslavl-Zalessky principality that belonged to Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, there is reason to believe that we are talking about the death of the unnamed son of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. If Yaroslav entrusted the defense of Tver to this son, then by 1238 he should have been old enough. But was he older or younger than Alexander Yaroslavich, who took refuge in 1238, together with his father and other brothers, from Batu's thunderstorm in Novgorod the Great?

It is not easy to answer such a question, but, judging by some indirect signs, Alexander was older. Of all the sons of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, only Fedor and Alexander in the pre-Mongolian period were given by their father certain administrative powers, and after the unexpected death of the very young Fedor, Alexander, the only one of the brothers, received the princely table in 1236. Alexander's brother, who was not named by name, was entrusted with independent actions only in 1238, and the rest of the brothers labored in the military and political fields already in the post-Mongolian period. This circumstance confirms that Alexander was the second son in the family of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich.

Fedor was older than Alexander. Chronicles noted the birth of Yaroslav's firstborn, as well as the birth of his last son Vasily. Nothing is said about the time of birth of the other seven Yaroslavichs. The birth of Fedor is reported in the Laurentian Chronicle. The last, highlighted in cinnabar, entry of the article of 6727 testifies that “the same summer Yaroslav was born a son and called his name Theodore.” Based on the date of Fedor's birth, the researchers also determined the time of Alexander's birth, which is basically correct. Only the year of Fedor's birth was calculated by them by mechanical subtraction of 5508 years "from the creation of the world" from 6727. It turned out the year 1219, and from here the time of Alexander Nevsky's birth was derived: not earlier than 1219 or (as was done much more often) 1220. Meanwhile, the year 6727 of the Laurentian Chronicle is March. It covers the period from March 1, 1219 to February 29, 1220 of the modern chronology.

The firstborn of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich received his name either in honor of Fyodor Stratilat or in honor of Fyodor Tiron. Both were commemorated in February; Obviously, Fyodor Yaroslavich was born in this month. The latter is indirectly confirmed by the annalistic record of his birth, placed at the end of article 6727 of the Laurentian Chronicle. February fell already in January 1220. Consequently, Fedor was born in February 1220, and therefore Alexander Nevsky could not have been born in May 1220. In general, it is unlikely that he was born in the same year as his older brother. Rather, it happened later, but not much, since in 1236 Alexander already reigned in Novgorod.

Sphragistics helps to clarify Alexander's date of birth. On the seals of this prince, on the front side there is an image of a foot or equestrian warrior and the inscription "Alexander", and on the reverse side there is also a warrior and the inscription "Fedor". In other words, on the front side of the seal is the heavenly patron of Alexander himself, and on the back is the patron of his father Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, in baptism Fyodor. Regarding what kind of Alexander the warrior was depicted on the front side of the Alexander bulls, N.P. Likhachev wrote that this was Alexander of Egypt, and V.L. Yanin left the question open.

Guess N.P. Likhachev raises objections. In ancient (until the 13th century) Byzantine and Slavic minologies Saint Alexander is mentioned, but only four of them were warriors. Two warriors of Alexander were commemorated on July 9 and September 28; one (Alexander of Egypt), together with Patermuth and Kopriy, whose memory was celebrated in the first place, the other - among 30 soldiers. Alexander's parents could hardly name their son in honor of some third-rate saint, whose memory was celebrated together with a group of saints, and even not in the first place, especially since in pre-Mongolian Russia this name was given to princes extremely rarely [Suffice it to say that, apart from Alexander Nevsky, only one Rurikovich wore it - the South Russian prince Alexander Vsevolodovich].

Obviously, Alexander Nevsky is named after such a saint, Alexander the Warrior, whose memory was celebrated especially, individually, without connection with other saints. Only two more dates can be taken into account here: May 13 and June 10. On May 13, the memory of the warrior Alexander of Rome was celebrated, and on June 10, the memory of the warrior Alexander and the maiden Antonina. Tatishchev, apparently, set the date of Alexander's birth according to the day of the celebration of Alexander the Warrior and preferred May 13 to all other dates, which, when rewriting his drafts, turned into the date May 30. And Tatishchev's decision seems to be correct. On May 13, Alexander alone is celebrated, and on June 10, Alexander and Antonina. There is a clear indication that during the time of Alexander Nevsky in Rus', the memory of Alexander of Rome was celebrated. So, in the article of 1243 of the Novgorod I chronicle of the senior version, a sign was described that happened on May 18 "in memory of the holy martyr Alexander." We are talking about Alexander of Rome, although a mistake crept into the date, easily explained paleographically: the copyist wrote ni (18) instead of ri (13) according to the old Russian account. Judging by the early minologies, the celebration of Alexander of Rome was much more widespread than the celebration of Alexander and Antonina.

Thus, of the two possible dates (May 13 and June 10), the former should be preferred. Considering that Alexander Nevsky was born immediately after Fedor, the most probable date of his birth can be considered May 13, 1221. It follows that the two victories that glorified Alexander Nevsky - over the Swedes on July 15, 1240 and over the German knights on April 5, 1242 - were won by this commander when he was 19 years old and incomplete 21 years old.

Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky (Old Russian Oleksandr Yaroslavich, monastic Alexy). Born May 13, 1221 in Pereslavl-Zalessky - died November 14, 1263 in Gorodets. Prince of Novgorod (1236-1240, 1241-1252, 1257-1259). Grand Duke of Kiev (1249-1263). Grand Duke of Vladimir (1252-1263). Russian commander. Holy Russian Orthodox Church.

According to the results of a large-scale survey of Russians on December 28, 2008 (a project of the Rossiya TV channel and VID Television Company, aimed at choosing significant personalities associated with Russia by voting Internet users, TV viewers and radio listeners), Alexander Nevsky was chosen "the name of Russia".

By the decision of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill in 2016 Alexander Nevsky is designated as the patron saint of the Ground Forces of the Russian Federation.

1984 - Mr. Veliky Novgorod - in the role of Alexander Nevsky, actor Alexander Franskevich-Laye;
1991 - The Life of Alexander Nevsky - in the role of Alexander Nevsky, actor Anatoly Gorgul;
2008 - Alexander. Battle of the Neva - in the role of Alexander Nevsky actor;
2015 - Druzhina - in the role of Alexander Nevsky, actor Nikita Morozov.

Alexander Yaroslavovich Nevsky (Alexander Yaroslavovich, Alexander Nevskiy), prince of Novgorod, Prince Pereyalavl-Zalessky, Grand Duke Vladimir, Grand Duke of Kyiv born May 13, 1221 in the family of the Grand Duke of Kyiv and Vladimir Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. Alexander's grandfather was Vsevolod Yurievich Big Nest .

Already in 1228, Alexander, together with his brother Fedor, became the formal princes of Novgorod, when their father left them to manage the principality, and he himself went on a campaign to the Baltic states.

In 1232, Pope Gregory IX, apparently, had few crusades to the Holy Land (at that time there were already six of them) and he announced a new crusade, this time against pagan Finnish and Orthodox Russians (among them, however, there were also many pagans).

In 1234, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, Alexander's father, met the papal "missionaries" on the Omovzha River at the head of the united army of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality and the Novgorod Republic. As a result Warrior Brotherhood of Christ(Order of the Sword, and in fact - German crusaders) were defeated on their own territory, and calmed down for several years.

It should be noted here that (since it was already mentioned) Veliky Novgorod since 1136 was not a traditional Russian principality, but Novgorod Republic with the main legislative and executive body - people's council. That is, it was almost a democratic structure with elected positions. Why "almost"? Because most of veche were boyars, wealthy peasants, in short, the oligarchy of that time.

Veche called the prince, if he was not, from the neighboring lands, but he performed only the functions of commander in chief and civil judge.

The Novgorod Republic existed for more than 340 years (until 1478), which was quite impressive for public education that time (and even now).

In 1236, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich went to reign in Kyiv, while Alexander remained in Novgorod. For three or four years he was engaged in administration, strengthened the southwestern borders of the Novgorod lands (from the Mongols), got married and repelled the Lithuanian attack on Smolensk in 1239.

Shortly before this, in 1237, the same Pope Gregory IX proclaimed a new crusade on Russians. Swedish Catholics ( Livonian Order) began to prepare intensively.

Here it is necessary to make a small remark. When describing the wars of Catholics with Russians in the Baltic region in the first half of the 13th century, historians talk either about the Livonian Order, or about Teutonic Order. In fact, both Order of the Sword called itself the Brotherhood of the Warriors of Christ. the Teutonic Order - German crusaders, and the Livonian Order - Swedish crusaders; both of them were subordinate to the Pope. The Livonian Order was weaker than the Teutonic Order and asked the Pope to unite them with the Teutons. After the defeat of the Livonians from Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, Gregory IX granted their petition, and the Livonian Order became a division of the Teutonic Order with a similar charter, but with its own master of the order. Thus, both definitions are correct, from a historical point of view.

On July 15, 1240, a battle took place between the army of the Novgorod Republic and the Swedes on the Neva, in the place where the Izhora tributary flows into it.

The Swedish army also included Finns and Norwegians. None of the three different chronicles describing Neva battle does not mention any special tactical maneuvers. Russian troops bravely rushed into battle, from which the Swedes trembled. He fought especially bravely Prince Alexander, for which he was later named Alexander Nevsky. The Swedes suffered losses, loaded the wounded onto ships and retreated by the next morning, while the losses of the Novgorodians were insignificant. So, thanks to an emotional upsurge and a sense of rightness, less than one and a half thousand Novgorodians expelled about 5 thousand heavily armed Swedes.

In the winter of 1240, Alexander Nevsky went to reign in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky. Some researchers argue that Alexander was escorted out by the Novgorod boyars, fearing his increased authority and the possibility of losing influence in the city.

In August, the Teutonic Order again began a campaign against Rus'. The Catholics took Pskov and got close to Novgorod. The inhabitants immediately sent messengers to Yaroslav Vsevolodovich for the prince. Yaroslav offered them his son Andrei, but the embassy insisted on Alexander Nevsky.

In 1241, Alexander took the city of Koporye, which the Germans had already managed to capture. Then, together with Andrei Yaroslavovich, he liberated Pskov in March 1242.

On April 5, 1242, about 12-15 thousand Russians met with the remnants of the crusaders - about 800 heavy knights and another 10-15 thousand troops of the Baltic-Finnish tribes, mostly Chud. The meeting took place on the beach Lake Peipus(fifth largest in Europe).

The Novgorodians covered the Germans and Finns with a rain of arrows, then surrounded their “pig” (battle order) from all sides and methodically destroyed most of the enemy. The remnants turned and ran across the still-frozen lake. The Russians pursued them for several more kilometers, finishing off almost all of them. The widespread myth about the Germans who fell through the ice is not true, at least not a single source reports this. In fact, the Crusaders fell through the ice in a similar situation during the Battle of the Omovzha River in 1234, when they were beaten by Alexander's father, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich.

Some time after ice battle The Teutonic Order made peace with Novgorod, according to which it renounced claims to Russian lands, and also returned all the occupied territories.

In 1245, Alexander Nevsky repulsed the attack of the Lithuanian prince Mindovg and completely destroyed his army, including the princes.

In 1246, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich was called to the Great Khan Guyuk in the capital of the Mongol Empire, Karanorum, where he died (according to one version, he was poisoned by the Khan's mother). Alexander Yaroslavovich next year went to negotiate with Batu Khan and returned only in 1249. In addition to being a great commander, Prince Alexander was also a talented diplomat. The exact essence of the negotiations is not known, but the Mongols stopped their raids. Their economic influence to Rus' survived for a long time (tribute), but the political and cultural was less significant. This is another key merit of Nevsky for Rus', although many continue to accuse him of having passed Russian state Mongol-Tatars (objectively - Rus' was not able to defeat Golden Horde at that time, it would have been completely destroyed, especially in the face of constant attacks from the Swedes, Germans and Lithuanians).

Rumor has it that Pope Innocent IV offered to help Alexander Nevsky in the fight against the Golden Horde in exchange for the adoption of Catholicism (they say his father agreed to this and was poisoned for this). The prince seriously considered this proposal, but considered that the Asians were more honest and nobler than the Catholics from the Vatican, and refused. We must pay tribute to the Mongols that they did not particularly encroach on Orthodoxy, unlike the popes.

In 1253, the Lithuanians were once again defeated (who, by the way, went to the persuasion of Rome and accepted Catholicism by that time) and the Teutons (and again - on their territory).

1257 - a conflict with the Mongols, which Prince Alexander settled.

November 14, 1263 Alexander Nevsky died after a long illness. According to the chroniclers, after the news of his death, all of Rus' grieved for more than one day.

In 1724, Peter I reburied his remains in the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St. Petersburg.

After himself, Alexander left a daughter, four sons and a huge historical and cultural heritage.

On December 28, 2008, Alexander Nevsky became the winner of the "Name of Russia" project, beating Peter I, Stalin, Pushkin, Catherine II, Suvorov and Ivan the Terrible.

In 1547, Alexander Yaroslavovich was canonized by the Russian