What the battle was in 1240. The battle of the Neva briefly

We are all familiar from school with the exploits of the holy prince Alexander Yaroslavovich Nevsky. His two great victories, which secured Russia from Catholic expansion, are considered the true heritage of our history and one of the pillars of our national pride. His exploits have been praised by many historians, journalists, writers, artists and filmmakers.

It would seem that the Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice, to which almost as much space is allocated in the school textbook as the description of the entire Great Patriotic War, have been thoroughly analyzed by dozens of historians. However, if you take a closer look at these events, operating with the few historical sources that we have at our disposal, and a bit of common sense, and not with stereotyped descriptions of these battles, copying each other, then suddenly a lot of questions arise.

Having taken up this article, the author first of all set himself the goal of criticizing the "official" version of those episodes of history that are so distant from us. Naturally, refuting this or that interpretation of events, the author tries to offer his own vision of these. However, he does not force anyone to accept his logical constructions as true. He only proposes not to consider the truth, and now accepted as an axiom, the standard view of these "fateful" battles for Russia, since it is often logical to a much lesser extent. However, of course, it's up to you to decide.

Battle of the Neva. Background.

In our society, there is a stable opinion that all the western neighbors of Russia, since ancient times, did nothing but plot against it, trying to seize its territory, convert its inhabitants to the "true faith" and in general, in every possible way ... The apogee of this attitude of the Western powers towards Russia in general and Novgorod in particular in the 13th century was the "united aggression of the Swedes, Danes and Germans," coordinated, of course, by the Vatican.

However, on closer examination of Novgorod's relations with its western neighbors, such a theory does not hold up to scrutiny. Speaking about the dastardly attack of the Swedes on the Novgorod land in 1240, our historians and journalists most often diligently omit the prehistory of this invasion. Let's start with the fact that the military and economic potential of Sweden at that time was not comparable to that of Novgorod. Since the 11th century, wars have been going on in Sweden between pagans and Christians, the Swedes constantly fought with the surrounding tribes.

During the brief respite between religious and feudal wars within the country, they tried to expand their possessions at the expense of the pagan lands bordering Sweden. In fact, the Swedes were trying to regain what they had lost in the 11th century. There was no talk of any plans to conquer Novgorod, in view of the complete superiority of the Novgorod Republic over Sweden. All that the Swedes could afford was the rare attacks of one or another Novgorod possession in order to seize key points that would allow the Swedes to defend themselves against the campaigns of Novgorodian brave men and their tributaries against Sweden. And such campaigns happened no less often than the campaigns to Russia of the Swedes. One of the most famous of them is the 1188 campaign.

Taking advantage of the fact that another round of bloody feuds broke out in Sweden, the Karelians and Novgorodians attacked the Swedish capital, Sigtuna, plundered and burned the city and killed Bishop John of Uppsala. Prior to this campaign, Sigtuna was the center of the economic, political and cultural life of Sweden. Located on the shores of Lake Mälaren (the historical center of the country), the city was known far beyond Sweden: "Civitas magna Sictone (" the great city of Sigtuna ") repeatedly calls it Adam of Bremen (1060s). When describing the countries lying along the banks The Baltic Sea, Sigtuna is mentioned by the Arab geographer Idrisi (1140s). " (Shaskolsky I.P., "The struggle of Russia against the crusading aggression on the shores of the Baltic in the XII-XIII centuries.").

But after the Karelian attack, this "great city" was no longer rebuilt. Instead, the Swedes built Stockholm on an island in the strait connecting Mälaren with the Baltic Sea, and Sigtuna is now a small village in the suburbs of the Swedish capital. The trip to Sigtuna was perfectly realized in military terms: the passage of ships along the skerries, which are extremely difficult for navigation, a surprise attack, the capture of the city. This was undoubtedly an outstanding victory for the Russians. But here's the problem: the Russians themselves know almost nothing about her. They don't write about her in textbooks, they don't make films. Why?

Everything is simple: it does not fit in any way with the theory of "Western aggression" so tenderly nurtured by our historians. However, this campaign was not the only one of its kind. In 1178 the Karelians took the city of Nousi, the center of the Swedish part of Finland, capturing the bishop Rodulf. As a result, Nousi fell into decay, the capital of Swedish Finland was moved to Abo, and the bishop was killed. 20 years later, the mournful fate of Nousi and Sigtuna befell Abo: in 1198 Novgorod-Karelian troops landed in Finland and marched with fire and sword through the Swedish possessions, ending their victorious march with the capture of Abo, where Bishop Folkvin repeated the fate of his predecessor from Nousi. Another interesting question is the relationship between Novgorod and the ancestors of the Finns - the Em tribe (Swedish name - Tavasta).

They had even more complaints about the Novgorodians than the Swedes. Novgorodians and Karelians went to em in 1032, 1042, 1123, 1143, 1178 (the same one when Nousi was taken), 1186, 1188, 1191, 1198 (capture of Abo), 1227. It is not surprising that after all these predatory campaigns, not felt especially warm feelings for Novgorodians. And it becomes clear why the soldiers of Emi took part in the Swedish campaign against Ladoga in 1164. And again, it becomes clear why the Novgorod chronicler described the nationality of the "aggressors" who came to the Neva in 1240 in such a way: "Sveya came in great power, and Murman, and Sumy, and Am."

True, if the participation of Emi in the campaign in 1164 is beyond doubt, then with their help the Swedes in the Battle of the Neva have in abundance of these doubts, but more on that later. As we can see, there is no need to talk about the unceasing attacks of the Swedes on Novgorod and, in general, the aggressive actions of the "Sweys" against their Russian neighbor. It can only be argued that Novgorod and Sweden organized campaigns against each other. That is, aggression (although it is not entirely correct to speak of aggression in the context of medieval relations and with the information we have - such clashes between neighbors were the norm at that time, and the language does not turn to call it "aggression") was mutual.

Battle of the Neva. Invasion target.

The majority of domestic historians, following the Novgorod First Chronicle (NPL), argue that the goal of the Swedish campaign was Ladoga, which the Swedes, I recall, had already attempted to assassinate in 1164. Well, after Ladoga, the "aggressors" naturally wanted to take Novgorod and subjugate the entire Novgorod land. Some especially patriotic talents are modestly silent about the first part of the villainous plan of the Swedes and go straight to the second. That is, in their view, the terrible descendants of the Vikings immediately sailed to Novgorod. To claim that Novgorod was the target of the Swedes is, of course, absurd.

Such a campaign is pure suicide: the Swedes at that time were simply not able to muster the army necessary to take Novgorod. Actually, they never tried to do this. Taking Ladoga looks like a much more feasible task. And the strategic importance of Ladoga is quite large. However, if this city was the goal of the Swedes, the very fact of the battle in the place in which it took place becomes completely incomprehensible. According to NPL and "Zhitiya", the Swedes, having entered the Neva, camped at the confluence of the river. Izhora and there and stood until the very arrival of Alexander. If the goal of the Swedes was to capture Ladoga, this behavior would seem extremely illogical.

Ladoga was a perfectly fortified city, which (especially in the absence of siege weapons, which the Swedes did not have) could only be taken by an unexpected attack or by a long siege. In our case, a long siege is not an option, simply because Novgorod would not have allowed the besieging of Ladoga for a long time, but simply would have gathered a sufficient militia and drove out the Swedes. Actually, this is exactly how it all happened in 1164: the Swedes did not manage to achieve surprise in the attack, as a result the citizens of Ladoga "burned their own mansions, and closed themselves into the city?" When the Swedes began to siege the city, the Novgorod troops approached and destroyed the Svei army. Therefore, the only way for the Swedes to take Ladoga is a surprise attack.

Then what is the point of camp on the Neva, waiting for the news of your arrival in Novgorod to be received? But the Swedes stood there for about a week. As we know from the "Life", Alexander received news of the arrival of the Swedes from the baptized Izhora elder Pelgusia, who was in charge of the "sea guard". The organization of such a guard seems to be quite real and reasonable. Most likely, it was something like an equestrian relay. With a distance of about 150 km from the Izhora to Novgorod, Alexander should have received news of the arrival of the Swedes a few hours later. He spent another day collecting the troops. After that, the army had to overcome the same distance of 150 km in order to get to the enemy.

And if we take into account the fact that the Novgorod army most likely passed through Ladoga in order to join the local squad, then the path is lengthened by several tens of kilometers. Considering not the most favorable terrain conditions for marches, Alexander was supposed to reach the Swedes in five days. And the Swedes all this time had to stand still. But during this time they could already quite calmly get to Ladoga. What hindered them? Apparently, only that Ladoga was not at all the goal of their voyage. In addition, if the Swedes were really moving towards Ladoga, then why did Alexander suddenly head towards Izhora? After all, he should have understood that while he was marching forcibly towards the Swedes, they should have already been in a completely different place.

Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that the Swedes did not seek to seize Ladoga. What else could have brought the Swedes to the Novgorod possessions. A. Nesterenko in his book "Alexander Nevsky. Who won the Battle on the Ice?" makes the assumption that no Swedish troops were at all on the Neva in 1240, and Alexander robbed merchants who stopped at the mouth of the Izhora to bargain with the locals. However, with all due respect to the remarkable work of Alexander Nikolaevich, I have to admit that such a development of events is extremely unlikely. Firstly, because trade was the basis of the prosperity of Novgorod, which, by the way, was the only Russian member of the Hanseatic League (which Russian historians do not like to recall very much - apparently, it also does not fit with the idea of ​​the West as an exclusively enemy of the Russian people), and such behavior of the Novgorod prince would deal a terrible blow to the prestige of the city.

And the Novgorodians would never forgive Alexander for such a thing, and he could forget about his reign forever. And Alexander also had to understand this. And secondly, because the Novgorodians would not allow foreigners to trade with their tributaries. Whatever one may say, Novgorod had a monopoly on trade with the tribes subject to it, and Swedish merchants would not violate this privilege of Novgorod. There remains only one more or less intelligible hypothesis: the purpose of the Swedish invasion was to establish its own fortress at the mouth of Izhora, which would serve as a reliable outpost of Sweden on the lands of its ancient enemy.

Such a fortress would be a hindrance to the predatory campaigns of the Karelians and Izhora in the Swedish lands, and in the future could serve as a center for the expansion of the Swedes on the territory of these tribes with the aim of their Christianization. If we accept this theory, then it becomes quite clear why the Swedes spent a week in one place: they simply started building a fortress.

What is characteristic: in order to attribute to the battle an even more epic scale, and to the West - even more "aggressiveness", the authors of various panegyrics to Nevsky try to present the Swedish campaign of 1240 as a crusade, while referring to some papal bulls (the same fate, by the way, will befall and Teutonic knights: they, de, also went on a Crusade to Russia, but more on that later), however, there was no question of any crusade, and not a single papal bull called for it. Bulla of 1237, to which the would-be patreots refer most often, calls for a campaign to the Tavasta, which is somewhat far from the Neva.

Battle of the Neva. Composition and number of participants.

If the NPL is to be believed, then in 1240 a united army of Swedes, Norwegians and Finnish tribes appeared on the Neva. True, even Sokolsky wondered how the Novgorodians distinguished the Norwegians from the Swedes (M. Sokolsky "The Conspiracy of the Middle Ages"). Speaking about the inconsistency of the version of the Norwegians' participation in the campaign, Sokolsky also cites the following arguments: The Swedish side made an attempt at reconciliation, and that was unsuccessful, besides, in Norway itself it was a time of the most acute internal struggle between the king and a powerful group of feudal lords "(Ibid.).

Moreover, if we accept the version that the Swedes undertook a campaign to found a city on the Neva. The participation of the Norwegians in this campaign is all the more incomprehensible: why should they take part in the construction of someone else's fortress. For the same reason, participation in the Finnish campaign is unlikely: building cities is not their favorite pastime. As we remember, in 1164, they went to Ladoga with a completely different purpose - to plunder. Thus, the "ethnic composition" of this "crusade" is quite clear: only the Swedes took part in it. As for the number, then everything is more complicated: neither the NPL, nor even the "Life" give data on the size of the Swedish army, and the Swedish chronicles are simply silent about this campaign, so we can judge the number of Swedes only by indirect factors. One of such factors is the absence of any information about the Battle of the Neva in the Swedish chronicles.

It seems quite logical to assume that if the Swedes really undertook a large campaign in 1240 (for example, with the participation of 5,000 soldiers, about which Pashuto speaks), this would certainly be reflected in the Swedish primary sources (fortunately, the Swedes organized such large enterprises extremely rarely) ... Another indirect source for a rough estimate of the number of the Swedes can be the number of their troops in other campaigns. Pokhlebkin, for example, writes that the number of Swedes in their campaigns did not greatly exceed 1000 people (VV Pokhlebkin "Relations between the Swedish state and the Russian state").

In 1292, the Swedes invaded Karelia with 800 soldiers, and Marshal Knutson in 1300 founded Landskorn with 1100 Swedes. Indirectly, the estimate of the number of the Swedes can be judged by the size of the Novgorod army and the course of the battle, which we will talk about a little later. As a result, summing up the scraps of information that we have, we can assume that the most likely number of the Swedish army was approximately 2000-2500 people. There is no need to talk about more.

It is a little easier to figure out the number of Novgorodians: the NPL directly indicates that Alexander fought with the Swedes along with the Novgorodians and Ladoga residents. True, the "Life" refutes this, claiming that the prince went to beat the "Romans" only with a "small squad". However, in this case, the entry into the NPL is much more credible. Firstly, for reasons of banal logic, it made no sense for Alexander to neglect the Novgorod militia, since at least part of it could gather on a campaign in the same time that would be required for this by the prince's squad. Secondly, simply because "Life" is a kind of akathist, and the author of it tried in every possible way to glorify the personality of Alexander and his victories.

And what, if not the victory of the "small squad" over the many times superior enemy forces, can best serve this purpose? So the reality is probably much more reflective of the NPF. Thus, we can build certain assumptions about the size of the Russian army: 200-400 princely warriors, about 1000 Novgorod and Ladoga soldiers and several hundred Izhorians who joined the Russians (right, they would hardly have stayed on the sidelines when the Swedes began to build their fortress on their tribal lands). As a result, the number of the troops of Novgorodians is approximately equal to 1500-2000 people.

As we can see, the fact that the Swedes outnumbered their enemy several times is just a myth. If the Swedish army had a definite advantage over the Novgorodians, it was not too large.

Apparently, it is worth talking about the commanding staff of the Swedes in this campaign. NPL tells us that among the Swedes there was a prince, a voivode with the original Swedish name Spiridon and bishops. "Life" also indicates the participation in the battle of the king, prince and governor (without naming his name). If with the voivode, except perhaps the name, everything is clear (the army must have a leader), then it is much more difficult to deal with the rest of the eminent leaders. Firstly, it is completely unclear how the "Life" and the NPL know that the army included a king, prince, prince and bishop.

It is unlikely that in the heat of battle, the Novgorodians tried to find out the ranks and titles from their opponents. How, then, could a simple Novgorodian distinguish a "prince" (whom most of our historians identify with a jarl) from another, albeit a noble, feudal lord? It is just as incomprehensible how the Novgorodians understood the ecclesiastical orders of the participants in the campaign and from what they assumed that the representative of the Church (whose participation in the campaign was nothing unusual) was precisely the bishop. Of course, at that time there was a Catholic Church of St. Peter in Novgorod, but it is unlikely that the Novgorodians were well acquainted with the hierarchy thereof.

And in general, it is unlikely that bishops have ever been seen. In addition, the chronicle says that one of the bishops was killed, but we know that all seven Swedish bishops safely survived 1240. The participation of bishops generally seems highly unlikely. As we have already established above, this Swedish enterprise was not a "crusade" and did not have any serious religious significance. The Swedes came to the Neva primarily with the aim of building a fortress, and the baptism of local tribes (which, of course, was planned in the distant future, as without it) was the tenth thing.

Thus, it can be assumed that the bishops did not participate in this campaign. The same can be said about the king and the prince: the Swedish king Eric XI Ericsson did not participate in any campaigns (besides, the Chronicle of Eric calls him "lame"), and he had no children at all. Apparently, the author of the "Life" forced the king to participate in this battle in order to attach great importance to the Swedish campaign, and, consequently, to Alexander's victory. As for the "prince" - the leader of the campaign, in Russian historiography they have long been considered the Jarl Birger, the king's son-in-law.

However, the trouble is, Birger became a jarl only in 1248, and in 1240 his cousin, Ulf Fasi, was jarl. When this information surfaced, Russian historians began to attribute the command of the Swedish forces to Fassi. Although Birger, and not being a Jarl, was a fairly significant figure in the political life of Sweden. In general, the question with the head of the Swedish campaign is still open, and it is problematic to make guesses about this.

Battle of the Neva. The course of the battle.

We know very little about the course of the battle from primary sources. According to the "Life", the battle began on July 15, 1240 at the "sixth hour of the day". In Russian chronicles, the "day" is counted from sunrise, that is, the "sixth hour" is about 11 o'clock. That is, at 11 o'clock in the afternoon, Alexander's army suddenly attacks the Swedes. In general, the surprise of this attack, most likely, was relative. Indeed, it is rather difficult to imagine that a 1,500-strong army chained in steel could "suddenly" attack the army of the Swedes. Especially considering the fact that the Swedes are experienced warriors and they could not afford not to put sentinels in front of the camp.

So it turns out that the warriors of Alexander with the clang of armor and the crunch of branches hardly went unnoticed by the Swedish army. Another thing is that this attack was still unexpected for the Swedes. They probably really expected that Alexander would gather a larger army and would not appear on the Neva until two or three weeks later. Therefore, it is unlikely that the camp was in constant combat readiness.

In other words, we can draw the following conclusion: the Swedes did not expect an attack and were not ready for it, however, the Novgorodians could not sneak up on the Swedes unnoticed, therefore, the insinuations of some of our historians that the Swedes, they say, did not even have time to take up arms, represent are purely fictions.

Further in the "Life" is a description of the exploits of Alexander, who, of course, "interrupted the Romans innumerable," and on the face of the "king" "left the mark of his spear." As we already know, there was no king on the banks of the Neva. However, this did not bother our historians, who forced Birger to take the blow of Aleksandrov's spear. It has already been said above that Birger's participation in the campaign is a fact in itself doubtful. In addition, portraits of Birger have come down to us, and on them no scars on Birger's face can be discerned. But at that time it was not customary to hide the scars received in the battle. Even if this battle ended in defeat for the owner of the scar.

After the next praises to Alexander in the "Life" there is a description of the exploits of six "brave, like him" warriors. The first among these glorious men was named Gavrila Oleksich, who "attacked the auger and, seeing the prince being dragged by the arms, drove up to the ship along the gangplank, along which they ran with the prince, pursued by him. Then they seized Gavrila Oleksich and threw him off the gangway together with horse. But by God's mercy he came out of the water unharmed, and again attacked them, and fought by the governor himself in the midst of their army. " In general, the behavior of the heroic Gavrila looks rather strange.

Let's start with the fact that it is completely unclear who he was chasing, because the Swedes could not have kingdoms. It is also strange that Gavrila's desire to ride the auger on horseback is an occupation, it should be noted, unpromising: in the conditions of a ship battle, a rider is an extremely vulnerable target. And the horse would have simply broken its legs on the deck. Such an experienced warrior as "a brave husband from Alexander's regiment" should have understood this. But the monk, far from military affairs, who composed the life, hardly imagined it well. Willy-nilly, the conclusion suggests itself that the exploits in "Life" are just an invention of the author. The annals say nothing about them.

Another hero, Misha from Novgorod, with his squad "attacked the ships" and sank three of them. Why it took Misha to fight the ships is unclear. It is equally incomprehensible how he did it. Chopped with axes right in the water? And where were the Swedes and what prevented them from shooting the storm of ships Misha with bows?

In general, judging by the "Life", it turns out that the Novgorodians fought with anything except the Swedes themselves. Another hero, Sawa, "burst into the large royal golden-domed tent and cut the tent pole." An original maneuver. While Savva's comrades were fighting against a "many times superior enemy", our brave warrior is valiantly fighting the tent. Interestingly, what did Savva do after he chopped down the tent shaft? Perhaps he remained under the tent that collapsed right on him?

Two more warriors, Sbyslav Yakunovich and Yakov, earned the admiration of the author of "Life" for "attacking" the Swedes with an ax and a sword, respectively. In general, hand-to-hand combat is different in that in them each warrior must attack the enemy - some with a sword, some with an ax, some with something else. So it is not clear why the author of the "Life" mentioned these particular warriors. Is the fantasy over?

However, there is a much more interesting passage in the "Life": "The rest fled, and the corpses of their dead soldiers were thrown into ships and sunk into the sea." How it is possible, "taking flight", to engage in the funeral of their fallen, apparently only the author knows. We can only make assumptions. Based on the fact that the NPL also claims that the Swedes buried their soldiers (and not only by throwing them into ships, but also by burying them), we can conclude that the Swedes did not flee at all. What really happened then? Apparently, the most likely scenario is this: the Novgorodians, taking advantage of the surprise of their attack, cut deeply into the defenses of the Swedes, going through their entire camp to the very ships.

At first, the Swedes are only retreating. However, after a few minutes, retreating to their ships, they come to their senses, create a certain line of defense and give a worthy rebuff to the Novgorodians. After that, the Novgorod army retreats. During this battle, the Novgorodians, as we know from the chronicle, lost 20 people. In all likelihood, several dozen more of the dead were among the lighter armed Izhorians. In general, it can be assumed that the total losses of Alexander amounted to 50 people. The losses of the Swedes, most likely, are equal to 3-4 hundred. Based on this, it is possible to judge the size of the Swedish army, which we talked about above. After this battle, the Swedes should not have remained much more than the Novgorodians, since the Swedes, instead of going into a counterattack and crushing the Russian army, retreat.

However, the Swedes should not have remained less than the Novgorodians, because the latter, instead of finishing off the Swedish army, let their own bury the fallen and calmly sail away. Simply put, after the battle, a certain parity was to be established between the Swedish and Russian troops, as a result of which the Swedes considered it best not to continue the battle, but to go home. Again, the number of Swedes had to be sufficient to bury several hundred corpses, embark on ships and sail on the same day. That is, we again come to the above estimate of the size of the Swedish army: 2000-2500 people, depending on the number of Russians.

So, what we have: Alexander did not defeat the Swedes in the Battle of the Neva at all - the battle ended in a draw. As a result of the unexpected attack of the Novgorodians, the Swedes suffered heavy losses (several times superior to the Russians), but they managed to give a worthy rebuff, after which the Novgorodians considered it best to retreat. After this battle, the number of troops was approximately equal, so the Swedes did not dare to go on the offensive against the Novgorodians, and they, in turn, due to the fact that they had neither superiority in strength nor the advantage of surprise, did not dare to repeat their attack. Therefore, the Swedes, having buried the dead, embarked on augers and sailed away, and the Novgorodians returned home victorious.

There is another interesting passage in the "Life": "When he (Alexander) defeated the king, on the opposite side of the Izhora River, where the Alexandrovs' regiments could not pass, a myriad of those killed by the angel of the Lord were found here." Historians usually explain this fact by the fact that the Izhorians attacked the Swedish camp, which was also located on the other side of the river. But this theory does not hold water.

First, why should the Swedes split their camp into two parts, because each of them, if necessary, became much more vulnerable. As long as the Swedes on the other side of the river were able to cross over to the attacked comrades, nothing of them could remain. Secondly, why did Alexander need to split his army into two parts, attacking two camps at once, given that his army was inferior in number to the Swedish?

It was easier to concentrate all forces on one camp, thereby achieving a numerical superiority already in their favor. And, finally, thirdly, why did the Swedes, having buried part of their soldiers, leave the other part to wallow on the shore? It should be admitted that the fragment of the Life describing the coming of the "Angel of the Lord" is an invention of the author, inserted into the narrative only with the aim of giving Alexander's campaign an aura of godliness.

Battle of the Neva. Effects.

In Russian historiography, it is customary to assert that the Novgorodians on the Neva inflicted a severe defeat on the Swedes, as a result of which they forgot for a long time about the expansion of their possessions. However, oddly enough, "utterly defeated Swedes" already in 1249 the Swedes organized a new, now really crusade, campaign against Finland, founded Tavastoborg. And this despite the fact that in 1247 Finland was shocked by another outbreak of internal wars: a number of Swedish bonds, led by the noble Uplandic family of the Folkungs, revolted.

The culmination of the rebellion was the Battle of Sparseter, in which the royal forces defeated the feudal lords. In the future, the confrontation between the Swedes and Novgorodians was the same constant exchange of raids on each other's territory: the Swedes, for one purpose or another, arrange campaigns in 1292, 1293, 1295, 1300, etc .; Novgorodians and Karelians, in turn - 1256, 1292, 1295, 1301, 1311, etc. In addition, the Karelians and Novgorodians in 1271, 1279, 1302 organize trips to Norway. As we can see, the Battle of the Neva did little to change the relationship between Svealand and Novgorod.

Battle of the Neva. Conclusions.

So, let's summarize. The battle of the Neva was just another battle in a chain of mutual campaigns of Swedish and Novgorod troops against each other, which lasted for more than one century. In 1240, the Swedes came to the Neva with the aim of laying a city there, which would become a certain defense of the interior of Sweden from Novgorod and Karelian raids. However, Alexander, having learned about the arrival of the Swedes, hastily gathers an army and goes to the construction site of the city. Nevertheless, despite the short collection time, the Novgorod army was not much inferior in number to the Swedish one. Alexander managed to achieve the effect of surprise in his attack, but the Swedes still managed to repel the attack of the Novgorodians.

At the same time, the Swedes suffered quite serious losses and decided not to tempt fate and complete their campaign. After burying the fallen, they embarked on ships and sailed to Sweden. The victory in the Battle of the Neva was not some kind of outstanding battle and did not stand out against the background of other battles between Novgorodians and Swedes either in scale, or in effect, or in significance. Such battles as the Battle of Ladoga in 1164 or the capture of Sigtuna in 1187 surpass the battle on the Neva in all respects.

These battles were a much more vivid example of the valor of Russian soldiers, it is these battles that fully reflect the glory of Russian weapons. And it was these battles that were undeservedly forgotten by the descendants, in whose memory only the battle on the Neva remained, inflated to incredible proportions by tsarist, Soviet and modern historians. But even the fact that Alexander Yaroslavovich received the nickname Nevsky for this battle is just a myth. He received this prefix to the name only in the XIV century. And Alexander's contemporaries did not highlight his victory in any way. Only the Russian people with a "historical memory" have always had a bad time.

Battle on the Ice. Background.

In our historiography, it is generally accepted that the Livonian Confederation from ancient times was a state hostile to Russia and was engaged only in the fact that in a barbaric manner it subjugated the local tribes. While Russia, of course, together with these tribes tried to resist Western expansion. The battle on Lake Peipsi is regarded as the most striking episode of this resistance. However, if you study the history of Livonia more deeply, it suddenly turns out that Russia was not always an ally of the Baltic tribes. And far from always she was at enmity with Livonia. And even if it was at enmity, the roots of this enmity lay not at all in the clash of civilizations, but only in the desire of the same Russia to plunder its neighbors.

Only two Russian principalities historically had definite views of the Baltic states: Novgorod and Polotsk. These principalities have always viewed the Baltics as a perfect target for plunder. For example, Novgorod organized campaigns for this purpose in 1030, 1054, 1060, 1068, 1130, 1131-1134, 1191-1192 ,. However, the list is, of course, not complete. All these enterprises were set up only for reasons of material benefits. Only once did the Novgorodians try to gain a foothold in the Baltics, building in 1030 Yuryev (the future Dorpat, and now Tartu).

The first clash between the Russians and the Germans took place in 1203. And this did not happen at all because the vile Catholics pursued an aggressive policy, not at all. The Germans then, in principle, did not have the opportunity to conduct an aggressive policy: in all of Livonia, they had only a couple of poorly fortified castles and a couple of hundred soldiers. And it was precisely this weakness of Livonia that the specific Polotsk principality of Gertsike took advantage of by attacking the Livonian Ishkile. The Livonians preferred to pay off and the Polotsk citizens, having received what they wanted, went on to earn "bread" further - this time to the next Livonian castle: Holma, but there the Germans managed to repel the attack of the Russians.

As we can see, it was the Russian principalities that pursued an aggressive policy. However, they did not care who to attack: Germans, Letts, Estonians or anyone else - for them the determining factor in choosing a target was not nationality or religion, but "ability to pay". But another specific Polotsk prince - Vyachko from Kukenois - made peace with Riga in 1205. Both the Russians and the Germans had common enemies in the Baltic states - the extremely belligerent Lithuanians. Therefore, both the Russians and, even more so, the extremely weak Germans at that time considered it the best, at least from time to time, to be friends.

But as soon as the Russians again had the opportunity to plunder the Catholics without hindrance, they did not fail to take advantage of it: in 1206 the Polotsk people again attacked Ishkile and Golm. However, in both cases, the Russian attack was repulsed. After this failure, Vyachko (who apparently also participated in the campaign) again in 1207 appeals to Bishop Albert (the then head of Catholic Livonia) with a proposal for peace. Albert gladly accepts this offer. However, an interesting incident soon occurs.

Vyachko, apparently, did not share something with his neighbor, the Livonian knight Daniel. As a result, Daniel attacks Kukenois, captures the city and takes Vyachko himself prisoner. It would seem that here it is, a blatant case of the exceptional aggressiveness of the Germans! Logically, now the godless Catholics now had to settle on the vilely captured Russian lands and forcibly convert their population to the "Latin" faith. However, the Germans do exactly the opposite. Albert orders the release of Vyachko, the return of the city and all the seized property to him.

Moreover, Albert invited Vyachko to Riga, where he received him with honor, presented horses and rich clothes. And when Vyachko left for Kukeneys, Albert sent 20 German craftsmen with him, who were supposed to strengthen the fortification of the city. Albert himself at that time had to sail from Riga to Germany in order to return the knights who had served in Livonia to their homeland and pick up a new party of pilgrims. Vyachko decided to take advantage of this weakening of Riga. At first, he decided to deal with the Germans who worked in Kukenois. True, even such an easy task he solved with difficulty, having managed to kill only 17 people, and the third managed to escape. After that, Vyachko began to prepare for the trip to Riga.

"God is not in the power, but in the truth!"

Battle of the Neva - held on July 15, 1240 on the Neva River, a battle between the squads of Novgorod under the leadership of Prince Alexander Yaroslavich and the Swedish crusaders under the command of Jarl Ulf Fasi and the son-in-law of the Swedish king Jarl Birger.

Causes.

The main reason for the battle is an attempt to take control of the disputed territories. Namely - the Karelian Isthmus and the lands adjacent to Ladoga and the rivers Izhora and Neva. The dispute over this territory was conducted between Novgorod and Sweden. Novgorod, having gained strength in trade with its neighbors, strove to expand the territory of its influence.
And it is not easy to spread influence, but also to gain a foothold in new territories
and to pacify the restless neighbors - the Finnish and Karelian tribes, who caused a lot of trouble to the Novgorodians with their raids.
Sweden wanted exactly the same - expanding its territory, obtaining new tributaries and tranquility at the borders. The Catholic Church, led by the Pope, also added fuel to the fire of smoldering enmity - it needed to expand its sphere of influence and convert new tribes and peoples to its faith.
In fact, the Swedes' campaigns to the east were part of the then common European policy - the policy of the Crusades. In 1237, the Pope announced a Crusade to Finland, by that time already the second in a row. And for the crusaders, he was quite successful - the tribes of Sum and E could not resist them. And in 1238, Erich Kartavy, king of Sweden, received a blessing from Pope Gregory IX for another campaign "for the glory of God", this time against the Novgorodians. All participants in the campaign, as expected, were promised indulgence (absolution).
The Swedish king quickly found allies who wanted to take part in the Crusade to new territories. They were the Danish king Waldemar II and the master of the Teutonic Order Hermann von Balk. But they did not participate in the campaign of 1240 in the lands disputed with Novgorod, since they were occupied by their new territories in the Baltic States and Prussia.
Novgorod had no allies. At this time, the Old Russian state was invaded by the Mongols and actually ceased to exist.

The day before.

The Swedes were the first to make the move - in the summer of 1240, the campaign against Novgorod began. King Erich considered that the moment was favorable for the defeat of the opponent - hardly anyone would come to the aid of the Novgorodians. There was no unity in Novgorod itself - there were strong supporters of an alliance with Sweden and the recognition of the power of the Pope, that is, the adoption of the Catholic faith. The prince's power in Novgorod was traditionally limited to "veche democracy" - he and his squad were assigned the role of maintaining order and organizing, if necessary, military campaigns. With whom to fight or not to fight at all - it was decided by the veche, where they ruled, with all the illusion of popular rule, the boyar and merchant parties. And then reigned in Novgorod, an unknown nineteen-year-old son of Vladimir Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, Alexander.
But Sweden enlisted the support of the allies and the Pope himself. Despite the internecine wars in Sweden itself, several successful campaigns against the neighbors strengthened the morale of the army, and the Crusade announced by the Pope ensured an influx of volunteers into it. With the army, Catholic priests set out on a campaign, keeping an eye on the fighting spirit of the "soldiers of Christ." A small number of Norwegians and Finns joined the campaign, both of which did not want to miss the opportunity to rob their neighbors.
In July, the Swedish flotilla, under the command of Ulf Fassi and Birger, entered the mouth of the Neva. They intended to go along the Neva to Ladoga, and from there down the Volkhov to Novgorod.
Prince of Novgorod Alexander Yaroslavovich understood the fullness of the danger posed by the appearance of the Swedes on the Neva. If they managed to reach Novgorod, then the city would hardly have resisted, primarily due to political reasons. A strong pro-Swedish boyar party could prevent a battle at the gates of the city. Therefore, he chose a risky, but justified decision - to intercept the enemy on the way. By this he "killed two birds with one stone" - he caught the Swedes who did not expect such a move by surprise and got rid of the "tutelage" of the enemy's allies inside Novgorod. Therefore, as soon as Alexander received the news of the appearance of the Swedish army on the Neva, he immediately set out on a campaign. The prince did not wait for the gathering of the Novgorod militia - this did not meet the tasks of a lightning-fast rush towards the enemy. Acting at his own peril and risk, Alexander spoke only with his retinue and the retinues of several noble Novgorodians. On the way, a small Izhora militia managed to join him.
At the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia, Alexander's soldiers were blessed by Archbishop Spiridon. The prince himself inspired his comrades-in-arms with the words that have survived to this day:
“Brothers! God is not in power, but in truth! ... Let us not be afraid of the multitude of soldiers, as God is with us. "

Battle.

The forces of the parties before the battle were unequal - the army of Alexander Yaroslavovich numbered about 1.3 thousand people, he was opposed by about 5 thousand Swedes with allies. But the Swedish commanders themselves gave the Novgorodians the advantage of a surprise strike. Ulf Fasi and Birger were so confident in the success of their campaign that they neglected the elementary rules of staying in foreign territory - reconnaissance, security and secrets around the camp. This allowed Alexander to take them by surprise. Having reached the camp of the Swedes, which they had defeated on the Neva at the confluence of the Izhora River into it, he literally immediately entered the battle.
The battle began on July 15th. Attacking the Swedes, the Novgorodians managed to destroy their battle formations and break into their camp. During the battle, the Swedes were pressed against the river and could not resist in an organized way. The battle escalated into chaotic skirmishes throughout the camp and along the river. In one of these skirmishes, Prince Alexander fought with the leader of the Swedes Birger and wounded him.
The battle lasted until late in the evening and ended with the victory of the Novgorodians. The Swedes, on their surviving ships, crossed to the opposite bank of the Neva. From there, admitting their defeat, they went back to Sweden.

Results.

For Sweden. The defeat on the Neva forced the Swedish king to postpone territorial claims to Novgorod.
For Novgorod and Prince Alexander. The main result of the battle was the preservation of independence by Novgorod and victory, albeit an intermediate one, in the territorial dispute. The coordination of the actions of Sweden and the Teutonic Order in territorial claims against Novgorod was disrupted.
Prince Alexander, nicknamed Nevsky for this victory, proved himself to be a strong commander. But more important to him was the political weight he gained as a result of the battle with the Swedes. It was this political strengthening of the young prince that the Novgorod nobility did not want. Not only did he complicate trade and other relations with European countries, but he also returned as a hero in the eyes of the rabble. As a result of the boyar intrigues, a paradoxical event took place - the winner of the Swedes and the defender of the city was forced to leave Novgorod and go to his father in Vladimir. Yaroslav Vsevolodovich put his son to reign in Pereslavl-Zalessky. But literally a year later, the Novgorodians again invited Alexander Nevsky to reign, they were again threatened, now from a much more formidable enemy than the Swedes - the Teutonic Order. The prince knew this and accepted the invitation. He was to return for another battle.

At the beginning of the 13th century, Russia found itself between two fires: the Tatar-Mongols came from the East, and the Germans, Swedes, Danes and armies of other countries came from the West, who wanted to conquer new lands, taking advantage of the weakness of Kievan Rus. In this article we will talk about the invasion from the West, in particular, we will briefly consider the Battle of the Neva. This is an important historical event, which is as important as it is controversial. But let's talk about everything in order ...

Reasons for the battle

In 1240, the invasion of Batu began. Taking advantage of these events, the Swedish king decided to attack Russia, capturing the large trading city of Novgorod. There were a huge number of prerequisites for this:

• The enemy got bogged down in heavy battles, suffering heavy losses. The Mongols destroyed most of the male population of Russia.
• Novgorod, despite not seeing the invasion, remained alone, without the support of other principalities.
• Novgorod was ruled by the young prince Alexander Yaroslavich, who had not been glorified by any great deeds before.

As a result, in July 1240, the Swedish army led its fleet to the mouth of the Neva. The command of the army was taken over by the son-in-law of the Swedish king - Birger. Moving inland, his army stopped on the left bank of the Neva, near the mouth of the Izhora. The Swedes were so confident in their victory that, according to some sources, they sent a message to the young Prince Alexander, which said "We are here and we will capture you and your land."

As for Alexander's actions, he had accurate information about the movement of the Swedish army, since intelligence activities were well established in Novgorod. The young prince decided to use the surprise factor, gathering the city militia and making a rapid march to the place where the Swedish army stopped. During the movement of troops, more and more detachments joined him.

Map of the Battle of the Neva

The battle of the Neva took place on July 15, 1240. In this battle, the Rus and the Swedes came together. On this day, Alexander's troops secretly approached the camp where the Swedes were staying.

The young prince's plan was as follows:

• The militias were supposed to cut off the way for the Swedes to retreat to the ships.
• A sudden and powerful blow from the cavalry was to inflict a decisive defeat on the enemy.

The Russian army struck a surprise blow against the developed plan. The Swedes did not expect such a turn of events, as a result of which panic began in their ranks. This panic was aggravated by the fact that in a short time after the start of the battle, the Swedish bishop was killed, Birger's tent was destroyed, and the militia destroyed 3 Swedish ships. The surprise of the strike, as well as the major successes of the Russian troops, forced the Swedes to retreat.

The battle of the Neva lasted until evening. During the battle, the Russian army lost 20 people killed. There is no exact information about how many Swedes died. But if you believe historical sources, then most of the troops were destroyed and the count goes to tens and hundreds of dead. In some chronicles, there is a mention of the fact that the day after the battle on the other side of the Neva River, the Swedes buried those who died in the battle. After that, they left the Russian land on ships that survived after the battle.

Participants in the battle

The problem in studying the Neva battle is that very few historical sources have survived, where this battle is described in full. In fact, it remains for us to study this historical event only on the basis of chronicles, which are very contradictory. In particular, there is very little information about the historical figures who took part in this battle.

In addition to Alexander, who as a result of this battle received the nickname Nevsky, the following people took part in the battle:

• Gavrilo Oleksich - fought on ships, several times he was thrown off the ships, but he returned.
• Sbyslav Yakunovich - fought in the center of events with one ax, but, skillfully using his weapon, brought panic into the ranks of the enemy.
• Yakov Polochanin - also fought in the very center of events, but wielded a sword.
• Sawa - noted that he cut down the tent of the Swedish commander Birger.
• Misha - commanded a detachment of militias, with whom he sank 3 ships.
• Ratmir is the personal servant of Prince Alexander, who fought in the battle, but was killed.

There is no other information about the individuals who took part in this battle.

The historical significance of the Battle of the Neva

The historical significance of the Battle of the Neva, which we briefly reviewed in this article, is very contradictory. The main thing that should be said is that the young Prince Alexander was able to defeat the Swedes, thereby securing Novgorod from attempts to seize by Western countries. On the other hand, there is an absolute contradiction in the actions of the Novgorodians themselves. Despite the brilliant victory of the prince, and also despite the fact that the significance of his victory was recognized by everyone, which is expressed, for example, in giving him the nickname "Nevsky", the Novgorodians expelled Alexander from the city almost immediately after the battle. He returned only a year later, when Novgorodkovka was threatened by a military threat in the person of the Livonian Order.

Weaknesses and criticism

Above, we have already partially considered the issues of the fact that even a cursory study of the Battle of the Neva indicates that this is a very controversial event. In particular, a number of modern historians say that it was not some kind of general and super important historical battle, but a simple border conflict. It is quite difficult to verify this, but this statement is not devoid of logic, since it is difficult to imagine an important historical confrontation and an important historical battle in which less than 100 people died. No, we have no precise information about the losses of the Swedes. This figure, depending on the sources, varies from a few dozen people to a hundred. But this is just one of the aspects to consider. There are other important factors as well:

• Controversy in the annals. If we consider Western sources, then they have no mention at all of the battle that took place in 1240. If we consider the Russian chronicles, then in the Ipatiev Chronicle there is also no mention of the battle, and the Laurentian Chronicle describes very briefly the Neva battle in 1263, and not in 1240.
• The illogical behavior of the Swedes. It is absolutely incomprehensible why the army, which came with the aim of conquest, did not move in the direction of Novgorod, and also did not build a fortified camp. If we consider the classical idea of ​​what happened, then one gets the impression that the Swedes did not come to the war, but to a picnic. It is also unclear why, after the defeat, the Swedes remained at the battle site for another day, having managed to save all the dead.
• Swedish historical sources say that Birger did not leave the country in 1240. Also this year, none of the lists of this country died, and if you believe the generally accepted version, the Swedish bishop died in the battle.

These conflicting sides are presented in order to form a clear idea that this historical event is not as unambiguous as it is customary to talk about it. The fact is that the Battle of the Neva really took place, but all the details of this event are described very little, and a huge number of questions remain, the answers to which, most likely, no one will give. But in any case, we talked about the victory of the Russian troops over the Vedas from various points of view, and each reader makes his own conclusions.

Battle of the Neva (July 15, 1240) - a battle on the Neva River between the Novgorod army under the command of Prince Alexander Yaroslavich and a Swedish detachment. Alexander Yaroslavich received the honorary nickname "Nevsky" for his victory and personal courage in battle.

On December 9, 1237, Pope Gregory IX announced a crusade against the pagan Finns and Russians. The Pope, in the name of the Almighty, promised forgiveness of sins to all participants in the campaign, and eternal bliss to those who fell in battle. The preparations continued for more than two years.

Swedish feudal lords strove to seize Novgorod, cut off Russia from the sea, and seize the river routes connecting the Baltic Sea with the Russian land. The most important such waterway was the path along the rivers Neva and Volkhov. With the seizure of the river routes, all trade between Eastern Europe and the West would have passed into the hands of Sweden. Near the mouth of the Volkhov, along which the waterway from Novgorod to the Baltic Sea passed, was located the most ancient Russian city - Ladoga. It was an important trade and storage point. The Novgorodians built a fortress here. It was like a castle to Novgorod, covering it from the Swedes.

For the campaign against Russia, very significant forces were collected, the whole "color" of the knighthood of Sweden. Since the campaign was considered a "crusade", in addition to the large feudal lords and their troops, the bishops and their knights also took part in it. To ensure their full success, the Swedes also recruited numerous units from the Finnish tribes subordinate to them and the Norwegian knights. The crusade against Orthodoxy was led by the most powerful feudal lord of Sweden - Jarl (Duke) Birger. Having collected a lot of troops, as if on the Turks in the Holy Land, with the singing of sacred psalms, with a cross in front, the militia went to the ships. The crossing of the Baltic Sea to the mouth of the Neva was completed quite safely, and the enemy fleet proudly entered its waters.

Crusaders

Hoping for the large number of troops, the Swedish Jarl Birger hoped first of all to attack Ladoga and, having become a firm foot here, to strike at Novgorod. The conquest of the Novgorod land and the conversion of Russians to Latinism was the ultimate goal of the campaign. The performance of the Swedish crusaders, no doubt, was coordinated with the actions of the Livonian knights, when in 1240, contrary to custom, not in winter, but in summer, they launched an offensive against Izborsk and Pskov. As a result, in the summer of 1240 Novgorod was attacked from two directions: German knights invaded from the southwest, and the Swedes pressed on from the north.

At this time, a young, 19-year-old prince Alexander Yaroslavich ruled in Novgorod ...

Sharabarov A.V. Alexander Nevskiy. Road to the future

The moment for the invasion was chosen well for the invaders: Russia lay in ruins after the terrible invasion of the Mongol-Tatars and was going through difficult times. Russia was fragmented into a number of principalities. On a huge stretch from Kiev to Vladimir, many cities and villages were destroyed, a significant part of the population was exterminated or taken prisoner. The remaining residents were hiding in the woods. Only the north-western outskirts of Russia - the Novgorod land, which did not reach the hordes of Batu - escaped general ruin. If, following the defeat of the northeastern and southern Russian principalities by the Mongols, Pskov and Novgorod fell under the blows of the Swedes and Germans, this would mean the end of the existence of the Russian land.

But Alexander Yaroslavich wasted no time either. From the very beginning of his reign, he built defensive lines. For three years, a line of fortifications was built along the Sheloni River, which covered Novgorod from the invasion of the troops of the Teutonic Order.

In the north, things were much worse: there was only one powerful fortress - Ladoga. But this was not enough - the enemy could simply bypass this fortress. But the prince had neither the strength nor the time to build new fortifications, so he sharply increased the patrol service in the lower reaches of the Neva, imputing to the elders of the Izhora tribe a constant watch over the sea. A system for transmitting important messages to Novgorod was also established. Nevertheless, the beginning of the Swedish invasion came as an unpleasant surprise for the prince.

In the first half of July 1240, the patrols noticed a fleet moving along the bay. Approaching the mouth of the Neva, he lined up in an endless row and began to be pulled into the Neva channel.

Swedish navy

At the same hour the patrol sent a messenger to Novgorod. The journey from the Neva to Novgorod took the rider a whole day, but by nightfall in Novgorod they knew about the invasion. Young and impetuous Alexander took action immediately.

Having landed at the mouth of the Neva, Jarl Birger sent a letter to the young prince: "If you can, resist, but I am already here and will capture your land."

The Russian detachment was far inferior to the Swedes not only in number, but also in armament. The guards still had horses, swords, shields and armor, but most of the volunteers were armed only with axes and spears. 19-year-old Alexander Yaroslavich did not long indulge in grief over the small number of his squad. According to the accepted custom, the soldiers gathered at the Cathedral of St. Sophia in Novgorod and received a blessing from Archbishop Spiridon. After that, Alexander turned to his squad with words that became winged: "Brothers! God is not in power, but in truth!" The prince's holy enthusiasm was passed on to the people and the army, everyone had confidence in the triumph of a just cause.

Having set out from Novgorod, the army moved to Izhora. We walked along the Volkhov and Ladoga. Here a detachment of Ladoga joined, then the Izhorians joined. By the morning of July 15, the entire army, having overcome 150 km of the path, approached the landing site of the Swedes.

Alexander needed a sudden blow, a double blow along the Neva and Izhora, according to the prince's plan, was to squeeze the most important part of the enemy army formed by these rivers into a corner and at the same time cut off the knights' escape route and deprive them of ships.

The battle began at eleven o'clock in the morning, lining up from marching to battle formation, the Russian army suddenly attacked the enemy from the riverine forest. The entry of the regiments into battle was not a chaotic swoop. Knowing in detail the location of the Swedish camp, Alexander developed a clear battle plan. Its main idea was to combine the main attack on the knightly part of the Swedish army located on the coast with cutting off the rest of the forces remaining on the ships. Following this plan, the main forces of the Russians - the squadron cavalry - struck the center of the Swedish camp, where his command and the best part of the crusader knighthood were located.

Soon the Novgorod prince found himself in the very heart of the battle, not far from the golden-domed tent, in which the earl and the prince rested that night. Here, surrounded by several dense rings of bodyguards, they retreated, fighting off the Novgorodians, to the royal ship. In the course of the battle, foot and horse raids, having united, must throw the enemy into the water. It was then that the famous duel between Prince Alexander and Jarl Birger took place.

The jarl raced with a raised sword, the prince - with a spear put forward. Birger was sure that the spear would either break on his armor, or slide to the side. But the sword - he will not give out. But Alexander, at full gallop, hit the Swede in the nose under the visor of the helmet, the visor fell back and the spear pierced deeply into the jarl's cheek. The slain knight fell into the arms of the squires.

Not far from Alexander fought and the Novgorodian Sbyslav Yakunovich. His strength and courage amazed many in Novgorod. And in this battle he showed himself to be a fearless fighter. Sbyslav had neither a spear nor a sword. A powerful battle-ax gleamed in his strong hand, and he used it to cut from right to left, crushing the advancing enemies. Shields cracked and broke from powerful blows, battle helmets split, swords knocked out of their hands fell to the ground ... "Si, too, having run over many times, beating with a single ax, having no fear in his heart. And he pade a little from his hand, and marveled at his strength and courage."

Along the Neva, Novgorod pesky cut down the bridges, beating off the Swedes both from land and from the water, capturing and sinking enemy augers. The left wing, with Yakov Polochanin at the head, captured the horses and cut through almost to the mouth of Izhora. And in the center of the camp there was a difficult battle, here the Swedes fought to death.

The Swedish army was dismembered by a surprise attack into several large and small parts, which the Novgorodians crushed, pressing them one by one to the shore. Panic gripped the Swedes. And then suddenly the jarl's golden-domed tent collapsed! This is a young Novgorodian Sava, having swept the Swedes, burst into him and in a few blows cut down the pillar of the tent. The entire Novgorod army greeted the fall of the Swedish tent with a victory cry. There is a separate, albeit short story about this in the chronicle: "The fifth of his young, named Sava. This, having come across a great and golden-domed tent, undercutting the pillar of the tent. And Alexandrov's regiments saw the fall of the tent and was delighted."

Soon the Russians along the entire length of the camp came to the Neva, the Swedes pressed to the water were finished off one by one, some started swimming, but quickly drowned in heavy armor. Several groups of Swedes managed to reach the ships. Throwing the gangway into the sea, not paying attention to the wounded calling for help, they pushed off the bank of Izhora, rushed to the middle of this small river, and then to the wide expanse of the Neva. But not all of them managed to get through to the augers. Lagging loners, and there were many of them, threw themselves into the river, swam across it and rushed into the forest, hoping to hide there. But few succeeded. On the left bank of the Izhora, where Alexander's regiment did not pass, detachments of Izhora warriors acted, completing the defeat of the invading troops.

The swiftly carried out battle brought a brilliant victory to the Russian army. The talent and courage of the young commander, the heroism of the Russian soldiers ensured a quick and glorious victory with minimal losses. Alexander's squad returned with glory to Novgorod. For the courage shown in the battle, the people called Alexander Yaroslavich "Nevsky". This battle began the struggle of Russia to preserve the outlet to the sea, which is so important for the future of the Russian people. The victory prevented the loss of the shores of the Gulf of Finland and did not allow the interruption of trade exchange with other countries, and thereby facilitated the struggle for the Russian people to overthrow the Tatar-Mongol yoke.

This is how the battle, which was decisive for the life of our country, ended, in which the Russian soldiers, under the leadership of a still young prince, defended their Orthodox faith, their country, and their independence. Two years later, on the ice of Lake Peipsi, the final point will be set in the anti-Slavic, anti-Orthodox crusade launched by the Swedish and German invaders with the "blessing" of the Pope.

In response to the knightly expansion, Alexander Nevsky turned to the Golden Horde for help, entered into an alliance with it and fraternized with Batu's son Sartak, who may have converted to Christianity.

Prepared by Sergey Shulyak

The Battle of the Neva is a battle between Russian and Swedish troops on the Neva River. The purpose of the Swedes' invasion was to seize the mouth of the Neva River, which made it possible to seize the most important section of the route "from the Varangians to the Greeks", which was under the control of Veliky Novgorod. Taking advantage of the fog, the Russians unexpectedly attacked the Swedish camp and defeated the enemy; only the onset of darkness ended the battle and allowed the remnants of Birger's Swedish army, who was wounded by Alexander Yaroslavich, to escape. Prince Alexander Yaroslavich was nicknamed Nevsky for the military leadership and courage shown in the battle. The military-political significance of the Battle of the Neva consisted in preventing the threat of an enemy invasion from the north and in ensuring the security of Russia's borders from Sweden during the Batu invasion.

NOVGOROD FIRST CHRONICLES OF THE OLDER Izvod

The Holy One came to the power of great, and Murman, and Sum, and I am in the ships, a multitude of many evil; Holy, eat the prince, and eat your bishops; and stasha in the Neva estuary of the Izhera, although even ascending Ladoga, just the river and Novgorod and the entire Novgorod region. But still the most good, gracious and human lover, God is bored and protected from foreigners, as if working in vain without God's command: when you come to Novgorod, as if you are going to Ladoz. Prince Oleksandr did not hesitate a little from Novgorodians and people from Ladies to come to nya, and I conquer by the power of St. Sophia and prayers our mistress of the Mother of God and the ever-present Mary, from the month of July at 15, in memory of St. Kyurik and Ulita, not at the Gathering of the Holy Fathers 630 , others like Chalcedon; and that byst is great Scha Svem. And that one was killed by their governor, named Spiridon; but the creatures of the world, as if the bishop would be killed the same; and many, many pade; and overlaid the ship two vyathih husband, before himself empty and to the sea; and their prok, who had dug a hole, brought the metasha into nyu beshis; but there were many ulcers; and on that night, without waiting for the Holy of Monday, the shame of the otidosh.

Novgorod the same pad: Kostyantin Lugotinits, Gyuryata Pineschinich, Namѣst, Jerk Nizdylov is the son of a tanner, and all 20 husbands are from Ladoga, or God knows me. Prince Oleksandr from Novgorodians and from Ladoga came all healthy in his si, save God and Saint Sophia and the prayers of all the saints.

ON THE EVE OF THE NEVSKY BATTLE

1238 was a turning point in the fate of Alexander Yaroslavich. In the battle with the Tatars on the City River, the fate of not only the Grand Duke, the entire Russian land, but also his father and himself was decided. After the death of Yuri Vsevolodovich, it was Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, as the eldest in the family, who became the Grand Duke of Vladimir. Alexander's father identified all the same Novgorod. Then, in 1238, seventeen-year-old Alexander married Princess Praskovya, daughter of the Polotsk prince Bryachislav. Thus, Alexander acquired in the person of the Polotsk prince an ally on the western borders of Rus. The wedding took place in the homeland of the mother and grandfather, in the city of Toropets, and the wedding dinner took place twice - in Toropets and in Novgorod. Alexander demonstrated his respect for the city, where he first set out on an independent princely path.

This year and the following year were turning points for Alexander in another sense. The invasion of the Tatar-Mongols and the cruel destruction of the Russian lands by them, as it were, underlined the long-standing political disintegration of Russia, its ever-increasing military weakness. The defeat of the Russian lands by Batu naturally coincided with the intensification of aggression against Russia by all of its neighbors. It seemed to them that now it was worth making only a small effort, and it would be possible to get their hands on everything that was left behind the line of the Tatar-Mongol conquest.

The Lithuanians captured Smolensk, the Teutonic knights, tearing apart the old world, began an offensive on Pskov. First, they captured the fortress of Izborsk, and then laid siege to Pskov itself. It was not possible to take it, but the city gates were opened to the knights by their supporters from among the Pskov boyars. At the same time, the Danes attacked the Chudi (Estonian) lands on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, which were under the rule of Novgorod. The last stronghold of free and still independent Russia - the Novgorod lands - was brought to the brink of disaster. In essence, Alexander Yaroslavich and the Grand Duke standing behind him were opposed by a block of Western countries, whose striking forces were "servants of God" from the German lands. In the rear lay Rus' devastated by the Tatars. The young prince found himself at the center of Eastern European politics. The decisive stage in the struggle of the Russians for the lands still independent had come.

The Swedes, longtime enemies of Novgorod, were the first to openly attack the Novgorod possessions. They gave the campaign a crusade character. They loaded onto ships accompanied by the singing of religious hymns, Catholic priests blessed them on the way. In early July 1240, the fleet of the Swedish king Eric Lespe headed for the Russian shores. At the head of the royal army were Jarl Ulf Fasi and the king's son-in-law Jarl Birger. According to some reports, several thousand people walked with both Jarls. Soon the Swedes dropped anchors at the place where the Izhora River flows into the Neva. Here they spread out their camp and began to dig battle ditches, presuming, apparently, to gain a foothold for a long time and in the future to lay a fortress, their stronghold in the Izhora land, as they had already done in the lands of Emi and Sumi.

An ancient legend preserved the appeal of the Swedish leader to the Novgorod prince: “If you want to resist me, then I have already come. Come and bow, ask for mercy, and I will give it as much as I want. And if you resist, I will enslave and destroy all and enslave your land, and you will be my slave and your sons. " It was an ultimatum. The Swedes demanded unconditional obedience from Novgorod. They were convinced of the success of their venture. According to them, Russia, broken by the Tatars, could not offer them serious resistance. However, events did not develop in the way that the Swedish crusaders expected. Even at the entrance to the Neva, their augers were noticed by local Izhora patrolmen. The Izhora elder Pelgusy immediately informed Novgorod about the appearance of the enemy and later informed Alexander about the place of residence and the number of Swedes.

ALEXANDER NEVSKY DURING THE BATTLE

Fighting at the head of the squad of Pereyaslavts, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich from the height of his war horse managed to spy out the "prince" Birger, protected by the swords of several knights. The Russian warrior sent his horse directly to the enemy leader. The prince's close squad also deployed there.

"Korolevich" Birger, as a royal commander during the Battle of the Neva, undoubtedly confirmed the reputation of the ancient Folkung family. In the Russian chronicles there is no mention of his personal "precariousness" in a lost battle until the moment when he was seriously wounded in the face. Birger managed to rally around himself a personal squad, part of the knights-crusaders and tried to repel the friendly attack of the Russian cavalry.

The fact that the crusaders began to successfully fight off the Russian horsemen attacking them at the golden-domed tent, and forced Prince Alexander Yaroslavich to intensify the onslaught here. Otherwise, the Swedes, who began to receive reinforcements from the augers, could repel the attack, and then the outcome of the battle became difficult to predict.

The chronicler will say about that hour: "The battle was strong and evil." In the midst of a fierce battle, two leaders of the opposing forces met - the Novgorod prince and the future ruler of the Swedish kingdom, Birger. It was a knightly duel between two generals of the Middle Ages, on the outcome of which a lot depended. This is how the remarkable artist Nicholas Roerich portrayed him on his historical canvas.

Nineteen-year-old Alexander Yaroslavich boldly sent his horse towards Birger, who stood out in the ranks of the knights-crusaders, chained in armor and riding on a horse. Both were famous for their skill in hand-to-hand combat. Russian soldiers almost never wore helmets with visors, leaving their faces and eyes uncovered. Only a vertical steel arrow protected the face from being hit by a sword or spear. In hand-to-hand combat, this gave a great advantage, since the warrior had a better view of the battlefield and his opponent. In such a helmet, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich also fought on the banks of the Neva.

Neither Birger's squires, nor the prince's closest warriors began to interfere with the duel between the two commanders. Skillfully repulsing the blow of Birger with a heavy spear, the Novgorod prince contrived and aptly struck with his spear into the viewing slot of the lowered visor of the helmet of the leader of the Swedes. The tip of the spear stabbed into the face of the "prince" and blood began to pour over his face and eyes. The Swedish general swayed in the saddle from the blow, but held on to his horse.

Birger's squires and servants did not allow the Russian prince to repeat the blow. They repulsed the seriously wounded master, the knights-crusaders again closed the formation at the golden-domed tent and hand-to-hand fighting continued here. Birger hastened to be taken to the flagship auger. The royal army was left without a proven leader. Neither Earl Ulf Fasi, nor the warlike Catholic bishops in knightly armor could replace him.

The Russian chronicler described the knightly duel between the Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich and the Swedish commander as follows: "... Beat a lot of them madly, and the queen herself put a stamp on her face with her sharp copy."

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NEVSKY VICTORY

The losses of the Novgorodians were very insignificant, with a total of twenty people with the citizens of Ladoga. The glorious victory was so inexpensive! This news seems incredible to us, "and it is not surprising," the historian notes, "contemporaries and even eyewitnesses marveled at them." But what can a selfless daring and selfless love for the motherland, inspired by the hope of heavenly help, cannot accomplish! The success of the Russians depended a lot on the speed and surprise of the attack. In terrible confusion and commotion, the multi-tribal enemies, deceived in their hope for rich booty and irritated by the failure, perhaps rushed to beat each other and continued the bloody battle between themselves and on the other bank of Izhora. But most of all, without a doubt, the victory depended on the personal merits of the leader, who "was not victorious everywhere, but was invincible to none." No wonder contemporaries and posterity gave Alexander Yaroslavich the glorious name of Nevsky. His eagle eyes, his wise intelligence, his youthful enthusiasm and management during the battle, his heroic courage and reasonably taken precautions, and most importantly - heavenly assistance to him most surely ensured the success of the case. He managed to inspire the army and the people. His very personality made an enchanting impression on everyone who saw him. Not long before the glorious victory of the Neva, the master of Livonian Andrei Velven came to Novgorod, “although you see the courage and wondrous age of blessed Alexander, as the ancient queen of the south came to Solomon to see his wisdom. Likewise, this Andriyash, as if he saw the holy great prince Alexander, was terribly surprised at the beauty of his face and his wonderful age, especially seeing the wisdom and indispensable intelligence given to him by God, and did not know how to baptize him and in great bewilderment fast. When he returned from him, and came home, and they began to tell about him with surprise. Passed, speech, many countries and languages, and saw many kings and princes, and nowhere has such beauty and courage found neither in the tsars of the tsar, nor in the prince of the prince, like the Grand Duke Alexander. " To explain the secret of this charm, it is not enough to indicate only courage and foresight. Along with these qualities, there was something higher in him that irresistibly attracted to him: the seal of genius shone on his forehead. Like a bright lamp, the gift of God clearly burned in it for everyone. Everyone admired this gift of God in him. Let's add to this his sincere piety. Like the word of God about Nemrod, he was also a warrior "before the Lord." An inspired leader, he knew how to inspire the people and the army. The brightest image of the Neva hero is reflected in the annals written for the most part by his contemporaries. What a warm feeling, what, one might say, awe their artless stories breathe! "How dare I, thin, unworthy and sinful, write a story about the clever, meek, meaningful and brave Grand Duke Alexander Yaroslavich!" They exclaim. Depicting his exploits, they compare him with Alexander the Great, with Achilles, with Vespasian - the king who captured the land of Judah, with Sampson, with David, in wisdom - with Solomon. This is not a rhetorical embellishment. All this is prompted by a deeply sincere feeling. Suppressed by the terrible invasion of the Tatars, the Russian people instinctively sought consolation, consolation, longed for something that, although somewhat could lift and cheer up the fallen spirit, revive hopes, show him that not everything had perished in holy Russia. And he found all this in the person of Alexander Yaroslavich. Since the time of the Neva victory, he has become a bright guiding star on which the Russian people have focused their gaze with fervent love and hope. He became his fame, his hope, his joy and pride. Moreover, he was still so young, so much lay ahead of him.

The Romans are defeated and put to shame! - Novgorodians joyfully exclaimed, - without sowing, Murmansk, sum and em - the Romans and in this expression, in this name of the defeated enemies by the Romans, the people's instinct correctly guessed the meaning of the invasion. The people saw here the encroachment of the West on the Russian nationality and faith. Here, on the banks of the Neva, the Russians gave their first glorious rebuff to the formidable movement of Germanism and Latinism to the Orthodox East, to Holy Russia.

HISTORIANS ABOUT ALEXANDER NEVSKY

N.M. Karamzin:“Kind Russians included Nevsky in the face of their guardian angels and for centuries attributed to him, as the new heavenly patron of the fatherland, various favorable cases for Russia: such offspring believed the opinion and feelings of contemporaries in the reasoning of this prince! The name of the Saint, given to him, is much more expressive than the Great: for the Great are usually called the happy ones: Alexander, however, could only alleviate the cruel fate of Russia with his virtues, and the subjects, zealously glorifying his memory, proved that the people sometimes justly appreciate the dignity of sovereigns and do not always consider them to be the outward splendor of the state. "

N.I. Kostomarov: “The clergy most of all respected and appreciated this prince. His obsequiousness to the khan, his ability to get along with him ... and thereby deflect from the Russian people the calamities and devastation that would have befallen him in any attempt to liberation and independence - all this was in full accord with the teaching always preached by Orthodox pastors: to consider our goal as our life beyond the grave, resignedly to endure all sorts of injustices ... to submit to any authority, even if alien and unwillingly recognized. "

CM. Soloviev:"The observance of the Russian land from misfortune in the east, the famous feats for the faith and land in the west brought Alexander a glorious memory in Russia and made him the most prominent historical person in ancient history from Monomakh to the Donskoy."