Prince Alexander Nevsky is a Russian commander, canonized by the Orthodox Church. He was consecrated to the warriors in 1225 at the Transfiguration Cathedral in Peresyalavl-Zalessky.
Nevsky's biography (briefly)
The future great commander was born on May 13, 1221. Alexander was the second son of Prince Yaroslav of Pereyaslavl and Princess Rostislava Mstislavna of Toropetsk. In 1228, together with his brother Theodore, he was left with an army that was going to Riga. The princes were under the supervision of Tiun Yakimov and the boyar Fyodor Danilovich in Novgorod. In February 1229, together with their young brothers, they fled the city during the onset of famine, fearing reprisals from local residents. In 1230, Yaroslav was called to the Novgorod Republic. After spending 2 weeks in the city, he placed his young sons on the throne. However, after 3 years, 13-year-old Fedor died. In November 1232, Pope Gregory IX launched a Crusade against Russian and Finnish pagans. In 1234, the Battle of Omovzha took place. The battle ended with a Russian victory. In 1236 Yaroslav left Novgorod for Kyiv. From there, 2 years later, he left for Vladimir. Since that time, independentthe life of Alexander.
The situation in the state
In 1238, during the Mongol invasion of North-Eastern Russia, Yuri Vladimirsky was waiting for the regiments of the brothers Svyatoslav and Yaroslav. However, there is no information in the sources about the participation of Novgorodians in the battle on the river. City. Probably, at that time the republic adopted a position of "military neutrality". The Mongols, after a 2-week siege, took Torzhok, but decided not to go further. Back in 1236-1237. the neighbors of the Novgorod Republic were in conflict with each other. 200 Pskovians took part in the battle of the Order of the Swordsmen against Lithuania. It ended with the Battle of Saul. As a result, the remnants of the swordsmen were attached to the Teutonic Order. In 1237, Gregory IX announced the second Crusade against Finland, and in 1238, in June, King Valdemar II, together with the master of the united order Herman Balk, agreed to divide Estonia and go to Russia in the B altic with the participation of the Swedes. In 1239, at the end of the battles for Smolensk, Alexander Yaroslavovich began to actively participate in the life of the Russian state. The prince built several fortifications along the river. Sheloni southwest of the city. At the same time, he married the daughter of Bryachislav of Polotsk. The wedding took place in the church of St. George in Toropets. In Novgorod in 1240, the first-born Alexander was born. He was given the name Vasily.
Repelling attacks from the west
In July 1240, the Swedish fleet with several bishops entered the Neva. The attackers planned to capture Ladoga. Already on July 15, a battle took place, a victory inwon by Alexander Yaroslavovich. The prince, having learned about the arrival of the invaders from the elders, without asking for help from Vladimir, without collecting a full militia with his squad, attacked the camp of the Swedes at Izhora. In August, the Order launched an offensive from the southwest. The Germans captured Izborsk, defeating 800 Pskovians who came to the rescue. Then they laid siege to Pskov. The gates of the city were opened by the boyars - supporters of the Germans. In 1240-1241, in winter, the Novgorodians drove Alexander to Pereyaslavl-Zalessky. However, after a while they had to send for him again to his father. The Germans took Koporye and the land of the Vozhan, and approached the city by 30 versts. Yaroslav tried to keep Alexander with him. He sent Andrei to the townspeople. However, the Novgorodians insisted that it was Alexander who was sent. In 1241, he cleared the outskirts of the city from the attackers. In 1242, having waited for reinforcements led by Andrei, the Prince of Novgorod took Pskov.
Battle on the Ice
The Germans gathered at Yuriev. Alexander Yaroslavovich also went there. The prince, however, was forced to retreat to Lake Peipsi. Here the decisive battle with the knights took place. The battle took place on 5 April. The crusaders de alt a powerful blow to the center of the battle order, which was built by Alexander Yaroslavovich. The prince, in response to this, sent cavalry from the flanks, which decided the outcome of the battle. According to the chronicle, the Russians drove the Germans across the ice for 7 versts. After that, peace was made. According to its terms, the Order renounced its recent conquests, ceded part of Latgale.
Lithuanian campaign of Alexander Nevsky
In 1245, an army led by Mindovg attacked Bezhetsk and Torzhok. The prince of Novgorod approached him. Having killed more than 8 commanders, he took Toropets. After that, he sent the Novgorod warriors home. He himself remained and, by the forces of the court, drove off and defeated the army of the Lithuanians at Lake Zhizhitskoye. After that, he went home. On the way, Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich of Novgorod defeated another detachment, located near Usvyat. In 1246 his father was summoned to Karakorum, where he was poisoned. Almost at the same time with this event, Mikhail Chernigovsky died in the Horde, who abandoned the pagan rite.
Last years of life
In 1262, an uprising against the Horde took place in Vladimir, Suzdal, Pereyaslavl, Rostov and a number of other cities. In the course of it, the Tatars were killed - tax-farmers. Khan Berke requested a military recruitment of Russians to repel an attack from Hulagu (Ilham of Iran). Prince Alexander Nevsky went to the Horde to dissuade the ruler from this. The trip took almost a year. In the Horde, Prince Alexander Nevsky fell ill. However, he still managed to calm the khan. Being already sick, he went back to Russia. At home, he accepted the schema and began to be called Alexy. November 14, 1963 he died. First, Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky was buried in Vladimir in the Nativity Monastery. By order of Peter 1 in 1724, his relics were transferred to St. Petersburg.
Board estimates
As a result of large-scale publicpoll of Russians, held in 2008, Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky became the "name of Russia." But in historical publications there are various assessments of his activities. You can even meet directly opposite views on the personality of the prince. For centuries, it was believed that its role in history was extremely significant. Russia was going through a turbulent time - they tried to attack the earth from three sides. Alexander Nevsky was seen as the founder of a branch of the Moscow tsars, he was regarded as the patron of the Orthodox Church. However, his canonization eventually began to cause objections. Some authors tried to prove that Nevsky was a traitor, became a gunner of the Tatars on Russian soil. In a number of publications, one can even find the opinion that he was undeservedly glorified and canonized. However, there is no concrete and clear evidence for these words.
Canonical estimate
Nevsky is regarded as a kind of golden legend of Russia in the Middle Ages. He has not lost a single battle in his life. Alexander showed the talents of a diplomat and commander, made peace with the most powerful, but at the same time the most tolerant enemy of Russia - the Horde. He was able to repel the attacks of Western opponents, defending Orthodoxy from Catholics. Such an assessment of activity was officially supported by both pre-revolutionary and Soviet authorities. The idealization of Nevsky reached its zenith before the Second World War, during it, as well as in the first decades after its completion.
Eurasian assessment
L. Gumilyov saw inAlexandra architect of Russian-Horde relations. According to the author, in 1251 the commander came to Batu, made friends, and after a while he fraternized with the son of Khan Sartak. In 1251, Alexander led the Tatar corps, headed by Noyon Nevryuy. Thanks to the diplomatic talents of the commander, friendly relations were established not only with Batu and his son, but also with Berke's successor. All this contributed to the active and peaceful synthesis of the Mongol-Tatar and East Slavic cultures.
Conclusion
Of course, the role of Nevsky in the history of medieval Russia is exceptionally great. Indeed, the commander did not lose a single battle. He enjoyed the love of the clergy, the respect of his neighbors. Alexander worked closely with Metropolitan Kirill. People came to see the commander from the west. One knight later said that in none of the countries he visited, he had never seen such a person as Nevsky, neither in princes, nor in kings. According to some testimonies, Batu himself gave a similar review about the commander. In some chronicles there is evidence that Tatar women scared their children in the name of Alexander. The commander provided reliable protection to the borders of the state from raids from the east and west. For his famous exploits for the glory of the Russian land, he became the most prominent historical figure in ancient history from Vladimir Monomakh to Dmitry Donskoy. The relics of the commander, by order of Peter the Great, are stored in the Alexander Nevsky Monastery (since 1797 - the Lavra).
