On the day of August 30, 1724, the northern capital solemnly welcomed its patron saint with a salute from one and a half thousand guns of ships of the Baltic Fleet stationed in the roadstead of Kronstadt. The galley that brought the holy relics of the Blessed Prince Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky to St. Petersburg was operated by a team consisting of the highest dignitaries of the state. Tsar Peter, in his admiral's rank, was at the helm, Vice-Admiral Prince A. D. Menshikov performed the duties of a pilot, the rest sat at the oars. On the shore, the Empress, all the clergy, the guard regiments, and the people were waiting for the arrival of the galley. The emperor and his entourage lifted the shrine from the boat and carried it under a rich canopy to the Alexander Church. A special service was also prepared for this day, during which Peter's associate Feofan Prokopovich proclaimed Prince Alexander Nevsky "our hope and salvation, and an invincible victory." It is symbolic that the Russian capital found its patron on the day of the conclusion of the victorious peace of Nystad over the Swedes, descendants of those from whom Alexander Yaroslavich defended the same lands almost 500 years ago.

Alexander Yaroslavich, nicknamed Nevsky for his military prowess, was born in 1220 in Pereyaslavl. Since childhood, he was prepared for the difficult path of military service to the Fatherland. At the age of four, he took vows as a warrior, and by the time he was twelve, he was proficient with the sword, spear, and bow. But not only the possession of weapons was trained by the prince. Here, in the family, they also brought up in him the high moral standards necessary for the future ruler, tried to draw his attention to the wisdom of books, chronicles and chronicles. He started reading and writing at the age of five. In the Life of Alexander Nevsky, it is written that " his parents taught him the holy books." Alexander studied Latin and Greek, and was familiar with Byzantine books. A great influence on the formation of his character was exerted by the "Teaching" of Vladimir Monomakh, which contained ideas not only about government, but also about the code of military honor and military fraternity. In 1237, when the Mongol-Tatar hordes invaded the country, Alexander Yaroslavich successfully ruled Novgorod for a whole year as the prince-viceroy.

The storm of the Tatar invasion happily passed Novgorod. Either Batu was afraid of the spring floods, or the saints, as the Novgorodians thought, had washed away the trouble. But it came from a different direction. Taking advantage of Batu's invasion, the destruction of Russian cities and the death of his best sons in battles with the Mongols, German and Swedish feudal lords began to invade the north-western lands of Russia.

Their onslaught to the east began long ago. The expansion of Novgorod's influence in Karelia and Finland caused widespread dissatisfaction with the papal Curia, which inculcated Catholicism in the Baltic States with fire and sword. Since the end of the twelfth century, the Catholic Church has carefully and with growing concern followed the spread of Orthodoxy in the Baltic region and, in contrast, provided all possible assistance to the German and Swedish conquerors moving east. From the second half of the 12th century to the middle of the 13th, the Novgorod Republic was forced to fight more than 20 times with Sweden and the Livonian Order.

In addition to military pressure, there was also severe diplomatic pressure. Rome has been particularly active since the election of Pope Gregory IX, who is obsessed with the idea of world domination. In 1229, a trade blockade of Novgorod was organized. Rome was trying to sever Novgorod's long-standing trade ties with northwestern Europe and deprive the city of supplies of weapons and metals. And in February 1232, in a bull, the Bishop of Zemgale, the papal legate in the Baltic countries, was instructed to " strictly restrain all the faithful of Christ from making peace with pagans or Russians." In 1237, the Teutonic Order, which ruled Prussia, joined forces with the Livonian Order of the Sword, which was half asleep as a result of unsuccessful military operations in the Baltic States, and also began to prepare for a military campaign. Thus, with the active participation of Rome, by the middle of the XIII century, an agreement was reached between the three feudal Catholic forces-the German Order, the Danes and the Swedes - on a joint action against Novgorod. The goal was the same-the conquest of the north-western Russian lands and the planting of Catholicism there. According to the Papal Curia, after the" Batu ruin", the bloodless and plundered Russia could not offer any resistance.

In the first days of July 1240, a Swedish army numbering up to 5 thousand soldiers on augers (large boats with oars and sails) entered the mouth of the Neva. The news of the enemy's invasion quickly reached Novgorod, where only a small squad was constantly on military service. But the enemy's advance had to be stopped as soon as possible, and so the young Prince of Novgorod, Alexander Yaroslavich, hastened to move immediately, although there were only 1,700 vigilantes under his banner. According to an old custom, the vigilantes gathered at the Church of St. Sophia, received a blessing from Vladyka Spyridon and moved towards the enemy. Alexander Yaroslavich was confident of victory. "God is not in power, but in truth," he often said to his vigilantes, and the current cause was a just one. And the patron saints were on the side of the Russian soldiers. The Izhora voivode Pelgusy, who was the first to see the Swedes, told Alexander about the vision that visited him: "At sunrise I saw a nasad, in the middle of which the holy brothers Boris and Gleb were standing in red robes. And Boris ordered his brother to row quickly, so as to help his kinsman Alexander."

After a long sea crossing, the Swedes stopped to rest on the bank of the Izhora River. Part of the army remained on the augers, the most notable soldiers settled down in a hastily constructed camp. In the chronicle story about the Battle of the Neva, Alexander's plan is clearly recreated. The strike of the foot squad along the coast of the Izhora would cut off the Swedes from the ships, and the cavalry, acting from the land side through the center of the camp, would drive the enemy into the corner formed by the banks of the Izhora and Neva, close the encirclement and destroy it.

The young commander brilliantly implemented a bold plan. Early in the morning of July 15, having secretly crept up to the camp, the Novgorod squad attacked the enemy.

The defeat of the Swedes was complete, they fled on ships, leaving a large number of wounded and dead. The Russian squad with trophies soon returned to Novgorod, where Prince Alexander Yaroslavich received the honorary nickname Nevsky. The Neva Victory prevented Novgorod from losing the shores of the Gulf of Finland and prevented Russia from interrupting its trade with the West. At a time of general depression and confusion, the Russian people saw in the victory of Alexander Nevsky a reflection of the former glory of Russian weapons and an omen of their future liberation, and their faith in Christ was strengthened.

In August 1240, an armored Teutonic army marched on Russia. Soon they took Izborsk. The German Rhyming Chronicle notes that " none of the Russians were left alone, and wailing and wailing rose up all over the land."

By the end of 1240, the Crusaders were firmly established in Pskov land. On a steep and rocky mountain in the Koporye churchyard, they built the order's castle with high and strong walls, which became the base for further advance to the east. Soon after, the Crusaders occupied Tesovo, an important trading post in the Novgorod land, and from there it was already a stone's throw to Novgorod itself.

The Novgorod "gentlemen", defending their local interests, quarreled with Alexander. At the convoked veche, a number of unfair accusations were thrown at the prince, and the victory over the Swedes itself was presented as an adventure that did more harm than good. Indignant Alexander, without even waiting for the end of the veche, left the city and went with his family to Pereyaslavl-Zalessky. But in the face of impending danger, the Novgorodians forced the boyar "lord" to call for help from Alexander. The Novgorod bishop Spiridon himself went to Pereyaslavl, who asked the prince to forget his former grievances, return to Novgorod and lead a speech against the Teutons. In the end, Alexander agreed, and when he arrived in Novgorod, he was greeted with national jubilation.

Immediately gathering an army of Novgorodians, Ladozhans and Korelas, the prince attacked Koporye with a sudden blow and captured the castle. The siege was carried out so quickly that the knights did not have time to provide any assistance to the besieged. Then Alexander defeated small detachments of Teutons who were robbing in the vicinity, and by the end of 1241 Novgorod land was almost completely cleared of intruders. Pskov was waiting for the liberators.

The campaign to Pskov was carefully prepared. Warriors from all over Novgorod gathered under the banners of Alexander. From the Suzdal Principality, help arrived from Grand Duke Yaroslav, led by his younger brother Andrey. In this campaign, Alexander Nevsky was the first of the Russian princes of that time to unite the Vladimir and Novgorod militias, which proved that only by joint efforts can any enemy be expelled from Russian territories. In total, the Novgorod prince had an army of 15-17 thousand people at hand. A very significant force.

After cutting all the roads leading to Pskov, Alexander took the city in a blockade ring, and then took it with a sudden blow.

From Pskov, Alexander's path passed through Izborsk, and then Russian troops entered the lands of Chudi, which are under the rule of the order.

News of the movement of Russian troops soon reached Dorpat, and the local bishop turned to the order for help. The crusaders gathered a large army, which with Tschudi's auxiliary detachments was ready to repel the attack. Having entered the borders of the "German land", Alexander "let the whole regiment go to prosperity", that is, he disbanded his detachments to attack the villages and villages of the enemy. In the 13th century, this was a common tactic of troops on foreign territory. One of these detachments, marching under the command of Pskov voivode Domash Tverdislavich, met with large forces of the Crusaders and was almost completely destroyed. Only a few soldiers managed to elude the Germans. It was they who informed the prince that the Teutons, emboldened by their success, were following them. Then, realizing that the knight's army itself was looking for a general battle, the Novgorod prince decided to give it in the most unfavorable conditions for himself.

Having now an idea of where the enemy was, but not knowing his final intentions, Alexander Nevsky decided to occupy the narrow Strait between Lake Peipsi and Lake Pskov with his regiments. This position was very successful.

The ice battle took place near Voroniy Island, near the eastern shore of the narrow southern part of Lake Peipsi (Uzmen). The chosen position took into account as much as possible all the favorable geographical features of the area and put them at the service of the Russian army.

According to military historians, Land-Meister of the Teutonic Order Andreas von Felven led 10-12 thousand soldiers to the ice of Lake Peipsi. I must say that the knight troops of Europe before the Ice Battle held many successful battles against infantry militias of different nations. Armored horsemen mounted on strong horses used battering rams to split the foot formation in two, then split it into smaller groups and destroy them in parts. The nature of the knightly battle corresponded to the battle formation of the Crusaders. This Russian order of battle was called, as the chronicler figuratively writes, "the great pig"and looked like a wedge aimed at the enemy.

But this construction also had its drawbacks. It was almost impossible to maintain the pig's battle formation after the main attack, which was hindered by the bulkiness and rigidity of the knight's formation. And it was very difficult to maneuver in such a formation.

Alexander Yaroslavich decided to take advantage of the weaknesses of the knight's "pig". The basis of the battle order of the Russian troops of that time were three regiments: "chelo" - a regiment located in the center, and the regiments of the "right and left hands", located on the flanks of the" chela " ledges back or forward.

The battle took place on Saturday, April 5, 1242, and went exactly as the Novgorod prince intended. At dawn, the iron Knight's wedge moved in to attack. Russian archers met the enemy with a shower of arrows. But they did not do much harm to the armored Teutons, although Chud, who was advancing next to the Crusaders, suffered significant losses. Gradually, the archers retreated to the infantry ranks and finally merged with them in a single formation. The knights spurred their horses and cut into the location of the Novgorod walking army. An unequal battle ensued. About this critical episode for the Russian troops, the chronicler says: "Both the Germans and the chyud broke through the regiment like a pig." The crusaders were already ready to celebrate their victory, but when they saw in front of them, instead of space for maneuver, an insurmountable coast for cavalry, they realized their mistake. Immediately, both wings of the Russian army fell on the left and right of the knight's wedge, which was bogged down in the Novgorod peshtsy, and from the rear, having made a detour, Prince Alexander's elite squad struck. "And there was that slash of evil and great Germans and chudi, and the sound of breaking spears, and the sound of sword-cutting, and not seeing leda covered with blood."

In this battle, not counting many ordinary soldiers, five hundred noble knights died, and fifty Teutonic "deliberate voivodes" were taken prisoner by Alexander. At the grand entrance of the prince to Novgorod, they all followed his horse on foot.

Under a peace treaty concluded a few months later, the order renounced all claims to Russian lands and returned the territories captured earlier. Thanks to impressive military victories, Alexander Yaroslavich stopped a broad crusader aggression on the western borders of Russia.

Only twenty years were measured out by fate to Alexander Nevsky after the glorious victory on the ice of Lake Peipsi. But how much he had accomplished in that time!

In 1252, Alexander Yaroslavich received a label for the great Vladimir reign, taking all Russian lands under his care. With vigorous military and diplomatic actions, he strengthened the north-western borders of Russia. Thanks to his far-sighted policy, a peace agreement was concluded with Norway in 1252. And with the winter campaign of 1256 to Finland and the defeat of the Swedes in the Ovluya region, Alexander Yaroslavich got them to abandon their attempts to conquer the mouth of the Neva and the territory of Karelia.

Skilful policy in the east, the prince determined the fate of Vladimir Russia for two hundred years: sacrificing momentary Russian-Horde relations, he bought time for Russia, gave it the opportunity to recover from the terrible Mongol ruin. Keeping a cautious, evasive policy with the Mongol - Tatars all the time, Alexander went to the Horde three times to work for Russia. So, in 1257, realizing that the aggravation of relations with the Horde would lead to the most disastrous consequences, he was forced to agree to the Mongol census of the Novgorod land and convince the inhabitants of the free city not to resist the Baskaks.

After the death of the Golden Horde Khan Munke, the newly elected Khan Berke transferred the collection of Russian tribute to the Khiva merchants. They began to mercilessly plunder the already impoverished Russian land. As a result, in 1262, uprisings broke out in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, Suzdal, Rostov, and Novgorod, and city residents began to beat up tribute collectors. Prince Alexander, realizing the full danger of consequences, went to the Golden Horde for the fourth time to intercede for the Russian people. He spent almost a year in the khan's headquarters, but his efforts were crowned with success. Alexander not only ensured that the collection of tribute passed into the hands of Russian princes, but was also able to convince the Mongol khan to release Russian lands from military service.

Grand Duke of Vladimir Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky died on November 14.

1263 of the year. "My children, understand that the sun has already set in the land of Nepal. There is no longer a single prince like that in the land of Yamal, " Metropolitan Kirill said in his eulogy. The prince was buried in Bogolyubov, in the monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin.

The Russian Church canonized the hero, including him in the rank of holy warriors, in 1380. The Life of Alexander Nevsky describes such a miracle that happened during the reign of Dmitry Donskoy on the eve of the Battle of Kulikovo: "...One night candles were lit in the church where Alexander's body lay, and two elders came out of the altar and approached his coffin, saying: Alexander, arise and save your great-grandson Dmitry, who is being overcome by foreigners. Alexander got up from the coffin and disappeared with them." Inspired by this miracle, the Russian army met Mamai's Mongol-Tatar regiments at Nepryadva and completely defeated them.

And in later times, people turned to the image of the holy intercessor of the Fatherland in the most difficult time. In 1942, when the enemy was standing at the walls of Moscow, again, as 700 years ago, Alexander Nevsky was called to help. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of July 29, 1942, the Military Order of Alexander Nevsky was established. During the Great Patriotic War, 40,217 officers of the Soviet Army were awarded this order for personal bravery, bravery, bravery and skillful command.

*All dates are shown in the old style.

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