History of naval art

After the defeat of the Swedes Alexander Nevskiy quarreled with the Novgorod boyars, who were afraid of reinforcement princely power, and was forced to leave Novgorod for his own destiny - Pereyaslavl Zalessky ... They took advantage of his departure German knights ... In the fall of 1240 they invaded the Russian land and captured fortress Izborsk and Koporye ... Against the Germans came out Pskov voivode Gavrila Borislavich with his squad and the Pskov militia. However, the Pskovites were defeated by superior enemy forces. The voivode and many warriors fell in the battle. The Russians retreated to Pskov. When attacking Pskov, the knights mercilessly plundered and killed the Russian population, burned villages and churches. For a week, the Germans unsuccessfully besieged Pskov... And only after a handful of traitorous boyars headed by Tverdila entered into an agreement with the Germans and opened the gates of the city for them, Pskov was taken.

In this difficult time for the entire Russian land, at the request of the people, the boyars were forced to call Alexander Nevsky to Novgorod again.

Alexander Yaroslavich returned to Novgorod. On his behalf, the vigilantes called: "Get together everything from small to large: whoever has a horse is on a horse, and whoever does not have a horse, let him go on a boat." In a short time he created a strong army from Novgorodians, Ladoga residents, Izhorians and Karelians.

Gathering an army, Alexander Nevsky, with a sudden blow, knocked the Germans out of Koporye, an important strategic point, from where they sent their troops deep into the Novgorod possessions. Foreseeing the fierce resistance of the enemy, Alexander Nevsky turned to his father, the Grand Duke, for help, asking him to send the Vladimir-Suzdal regiments. Help was rendered to him: Nevsky's brother, Andrei Yaroslavich, brought him to Novgorod "Grassroots" shelves ... Having united with these regiments, Alexander Nevsky went to Pskov, surrounded and took it by storm. The capture in such a short time of such a fortress as Pskov testified to the high level of Russian military art and to the availability of improved siege and military equipment among our ancestors. The traitors-boyars were executed, the captured knights were sent to Novgorod.

Having strengthened the borders of the liberated Novgorod land, Alexander Nevskiy led his army to the land of the Estonians where the eye powers of the German knights were located. Facing the threat of mortal danger, the knights increased their armed forces, at the head of which was himself master of the order .

In the second half of March 1242 the advance detachment of the Russians under the command of Domash Tverdislavovich scouted the main forces of the Germans, but, forced to engage with them in battle, was defeated by a numerically superior enemy and retreated to his main forces. Guided by the intelligence report, Alexander Nevskiy decided to give battle to the enemy on ice Lake Peipsi. To this end, he transferred his troops to the eastern shore of this lake and placed them in the Uzmen region, at the Crow Stone.

Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky knew the weak and strengths your opponent. He chose a convenient position for battle on the ice of Lake Peipsi.

The spring ice was strong enough to withstand Russian soldiers armed with spears, swords, axes and axes, but the ice, as it soon became clear, could not withstand the knightly cavalry with armored horsemen.

The strength of the knights lay not only in their excellent weapons, but also in their combat formation. The battle formation of the German knights was in the form of a wedge, or, as the Russian chronicle calls it, “pigs”.

According to the description of historians, "pig" had the following appearance: in front were lined up from three to five mounted knights; behind them, in the second rank, were already five or seven knights; subsequent rows increased by two or three people. The total number of rows that made up the "pig" could reach ten, and the number of knights - up to 150. The rest of the knights were built in a column after the "pig".

Such a formation was repeatedly successfully used by knights to break through the center of the enemy and encircle his flanks.

Together with the knights, the infantry also acted, which consisted of squires, servants and partly from the population of the conquered countries. The infantry came into action when the "pig" tore apart the formation of the enemy's central regiment and went out to its flanks. But the infantry was always followed by a line of knights, for the crusaders did not pin special hopes on it.

Contrary to the usual formation of the battle formation of the Russian troops, when in the center was placed large regiment , and on the flanks weaker right and left hand shelves , Alexander Nevskiy Considering the tactics of the enemy, he deliberately weakened his center, concentrating the main forces of the Russian army on the flanks. Forward was pushed a long distance insignificant vanguard , which, retreating, was supposed to lure the Germans on the ice of Lake Peipsi ... Alexander Nevsky placed the elite part of his squad behind the Crow Stone. This detachment was supposed to strike the enemy in the rear.

On the morning of April 5, 1242, the bulk of the German troops moved on the Russians, who were standing in battle formation at the Crow Stone. As expected, the Germans used their favorite order of battle this time too - wedge formation... The vanguard of the Russians retreated, dragging the knights with them. The Germans, as usual, struck at the Russian center, which they easily managed to break through. But at this time, the main forces of the Russians, concentrated on the flanks, suddenly attacked them. Russian soldiers attacked swiftly and acted decisively. In a relatively short time, they managed to surround the German wedge and confuse the ranks of the knights. The cavalry of the Germans, trapped in pincers by the Russians, began to retreat, crushing their infantry. The ice could not bear the weight of the knights, horses and enemy infantry huddled together. Many knights fell through the ice and died, along with their horses. The blow of the vigilantes from behind the Crow Stone to the rear of the Germans completed their defeat. "There was a wicked slaughter," the chronicler writes, living with the German knights, "and the Russian soldiers whipped them, as if chasing through the air, and they had nowhere to hide." 500 knights were killed and 50 taken prisoner.

The Russian victory at Lake Peipsi was of historical significance. She saved Russia from German slavery. Karl Marx highly appreciated this victory of Alexander Nevsky. "Alexander Nevsky opposes the German knights, breaks them on the ice of Lake Peipsi, so that the scoundrels (die Lumpacii) were finally thrown back from the Russian border ".

conclusions

Alexander Nevsky is a great Russian commander. His combat activities are inextricably linked with the heroic struggle of the Russian people for their national independence.

In the fight against the Swedes and Germans, he showed high examples of strategic and tactical art. His strategy was active, it fully met the interests of the people, who sought to protect themselves from foreign invaders.

If, as a strategist, Alexander Nevsky accurately determined the main direction of the strike, then as a tactician he was no less skillfully able to concentrate the main forces and means in the decisive sector of the battle. Alexander Nevsky fought according to a premeditated and carefully prepared plan. His tactics were active and offensive.

"Prince Alexander won everywhere, was invincible" , - wrote a contemporary of the prince in "Lives of Alexander Nevsky".

In the Battle of the Neva, the Russians struck a surprise blow at the Swedish troops, which were completely defeated, despite their numerical superiority.

At the first stage of the fight against the Germans, Alexander Nevsky showed high military art, having taken the fortresses of Koporye and Pskov by storm.

Having liberated their cities, the Russians shifted their actions to enemy territory. Then, having lured his main forces to a preselected position on Lake Peipsi, inflicted a decisive blow on the enemy in Battle on the ice .

After the Battle of the Ice, the knights recognized that the Russian people could neither be conquered nor enslaved. On the ice of Lake Peipsi, a limit was placed on the advance of the Germans to the east.

“Whoever comes to us with a sword,” said Alexander Nevsky, “will die by the sword. The Russian land stands and will stand on that. "

Alexander Nevsky was not only a great military leader, but also a great statesman. During the Tatar invasion, he managed to subordinate the interests of the most important state centers of northwestern Russia to the common cause of saving the Russian people from German-Swedish aggression. At the same time, he upset the machinations of the Pope, who provoked the Russian people into an open armed uprising against the Tatars. Alexander Nevsky understood that a premature action against the Tatars could break the resistance of the Russian people and would enable the Germans and Swedes to seize the northwestern part of the Russian land, not conquered by the Tatars.

***

After the defeat of the Swedes and Germans, Novgorod for a long time secured its possessions from invaders. The crushing blows of Alexander Nevsky were so strong that the enemies of Russia could not recover from them for a long time. Only 44 years after the Battle of the Neva did the Swedes resume their predatory campaigns against Novgorod. In 1248 they organized a campaign against the possessions of Novgorod with the aim of capturing Ladoga. But this campaign ended for them completeroutmom. The Novgorodians freely let the Swedish ships into the Neva, blocked them and then destroyed them.

In 1300, the Swedes, taking advantage of the difficult internal situation in Russia (the Tatar yoke) and the weakening of Novgorod itself in connection with the intensified struggle of boyar groups for power, decided to cut off Novgorod from the Baltic Sea. To this end, they sent their fleet of 111 ships to the Gulf of Finland and the Neva. Climbing up the Neva, the Swedes stopped at the mouth of the Okhta River, where, under the supervision of Italian engineers, they built the Landskronu fortress.

The Novgorodians, having learned about the arrival of the enemy fleet in the Neva, decided to destroy it with the help of burning ships launched downstream. But the Swedes, warned by their intelligence, managed to prevent this danger by driving piles above the parking lot of their fleet. Then the Novgorodians were forced to strengthen their land force, which took Landskrona by storm and destroyed it (1301).

In order to prevent the enemy from entering the Neva in the future, the Novgorodians built in 1323 at its source on the island of Orekhov the fortress Oreshek (now Petrokrepost).

Due to the increased resistance of the Novgorodians, the Swedes suffered constant setbacks in their costly campaigns against Russia, so in 1323 they sent their representatives to the Novgorodians in Oreshek with peace proposals. The latter accepted the offer of the Swedes, and peace was signed in the Oreshek fortress.

According to the Orekhovsky Peace Treaty, the Sestra River became the border of Novgorod possessions on the Karelian Isthmus, and the Narova River on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland.

The peace treaty of 1323 remained in force until 1348, when the Swedish king Magnus decided to cut off the Russians' access to the Baltic Sea, seize their land, and turn them into catholic faith and enslave. In 1348, a large Swedish fleet under the command of the king himself entered the Gulf of Finland and, climbing up the Neva, took the Oreshek fortress.

To liberate Oreshk, the Novgorodians gathered a large militia and moved on water and land against the Swedes. The Swedish king, having learned about the movement of a large Russian army, left a strong garrison in Oreshka, and fled to Sweden with his retinue. In 1349 the Novgorodians took the Oreshek fortress by storm.

After the liberation of Oreshk, Novgorodians at the mouth of the Okhta River, on the site of the former Swedish fortress Landskrona, founded a new fortress, Kantsy.

Myths about the Battle of the Ice

Snow-covered landscapes, thousands of warriors, a frozen lake and crusaders falling under the ice under the weight of their own armor.

For many, the battle, according to the chronicles that took place on April 5, 1242, is not much different from the shots from Sergei Eisenstein's film "Alexander Nevsky".

But was it really so?

The myth of what we know about the Battle of the Ice

Battle on the Ice really became one of the most resonant events of the 13th century, reflected not only in "domestic", but also in Western chronicles.

And at first glance it seems that we have a sufficient number of documents in order to thoroughly study all the "components" of the battle.

But upon closer examination, it turns out that the popularity of the historical plot does not at all guarantee its comprehensive study.

Thus, the most detailed (and most cited) description of the battle, recorded "hot on the trail," is contained in the Novgorod First Chronicle of the older edition. And this description is just over 100 words long. The rest of the references are even more concise.

Moreover, sometimes they include mutually exclusive information. For example, in the most authoritative Western source - the Elder Livonian Rhymed Chronicle - there is not a word about the battle taking place on the lake.

The lives of Alexander Nevsky can be considered a kind of "synthesis" of early chronicle references to the collision, but, according to experts, they are a literary work and therefore can be used as a source only with "great restrictions."

As for the historical works of the 19th century, it is believed that they did not bring anything fundamentally new to the study of the Battle of the Ice, mainly retelling what was already stated in the annals.

The beginning of the 20th century is characterized by the ideological rethinking of the battle, when the symbolic meaning of the victory over the "German-knightly aggression" was highlighted. According to the historian Igor Danilevsky, before the release of Sergei Eisenstein's film "Alexander Nevsky", the study of the Battle of the Ice was not even included in university lecture courses.

The myth of united Russia

In the minds of many, the Battle of the Ice is a victory of the united Russian troops over the forces of the German crusaders. Such a "generalizing" idea of the battle was formed already in the XX century, in the realities of the Great Patriotic War when Germany was the main rival of the USSR.

However, 775 years ago, the Battle of the Ice was more of a "local" rather than a nationwide conflict. In the XIII century, Russia was going through a period of feudal fragmentation and consisted of about 20 independent principalities. Moreover, the policies of cities that formally belonged to one territory could differ significantly.

So, de jure, Pskov and Novgorod were located in the Novgorod land, one of the largest territorial units of Russia at that time. De facto, each of these cities was an "autonomy", with its own political and economic interests. This also applied to relations with the closest neighbors in the Eastern Baltic.

One of these neighbors was catholic order of the sword-bearers, after the defeat at the Battle of Saul (Siauliai) in 1236, joined to the Teutonic Order as the Livonian Landmaster. The latter became part of the so-called Livonian Confederation, which, in addition to the Order, included five Baltic bishoprics.

As noted by the historian Igor Danilevsky, the main reason for the territorial conflicts between Novgorod and the Order was the land of the Estonians who lived on the western shore of Lake Peipsi (the medieval population of modern Estonia, in most Russian-language chronicles referred to as "Chud"). At the same time, the campaigns organized by the Novgorodians practically did not affect the interests of other lands in any way. The exception was the "border" Pskov, which was constantly subjected to retaliatory raids by the Livonians.
According to the historian Alexei Valerov, it was precisely the need to simultaneously resist both the forces of the Order and the regular attempts of Novgorod to encroach on the independence of the city that could force Pskov in 1240 to "open the gates" to the Livonians. In addition, the city was seriously weakened after the defeat at Izborsk and, presumably, was not capable of long-term resistance to the crusaders.

At the same time, according to the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle, in 1242 there was not a full-fledged presence in the city " german army", but only two knight-vogt (presumably accompanied by small detachments), who, according to Valerov, performed judicial functions on the controlled lands and monitored the activities of the" local Pskov administration. "
Further, as we know from the chronicles, the Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich, together with his younger brother Andrei Yaroslavich (sent by their father, Vladimir prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich), "expelled" the Germans from Pskov, after which they continued their campaign, going "to the chud" (i.e. e. in the lands of the Livonian Landmaster).
Where they were met by the combined forces of the Order and the Dorpat bishop.

The myth of the scale of the battle

Thanks to the Novgorod Chronicle, we know that April 5, 1242 was a Saturday. Everything else is not so straightforward.
Difficulties begin already when trying to establish the number of participants in the battle. The only figures at our disposal tell us about the losses in the ranks of the Germans. Thus, the Novgorod First Chronicle reports about 400 killed and 50 prisoners, the Livonian rhymed chronicle - that "twenty brothers remained killed and six were taken prisoner."
The researchers believe that these data are not as controversial as they seem at first glance.

Historians Igor Danilevsky and Klim Zhukov agree that several hundred people participated in the battle.
So, on the part of the Germans, these are 35-40 knight brothers, about 160 knights (on average, four servants per knight) and Estonian mercenaries ("chud without number"), who could "expand" the detachment by another 100-200 soldiers ... At the same time, by the standards of the XIII century, such an army was considered a rather serious force (presumably, during the heyday, the maximum number of the former Order of the Swordsmen, in principle, did not exceed 100-120 knights). The author of the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle also complained that there were almost 60 times more Russians, which, according to Danilevsky, although an exaggeration, still suggests that Alexander's army significantly outnumbered the forces of the crusaders.
So, the maximum number of the Novgorod city regiment, the princely squad of Alexander, the Suzdal detachment of his brother Andrei and the Pskovites who joined the campaign hardly exceeded 800 people.

We also know from the chronicles that the German detachment was built by a "pig".
According to Klim Zhukov, it is most likely not about the "trapezoidal" pig, which we are used to seeing on the diagrams in textbooks, but about the "rectangular" (since the first description of the "trapezoid" in written sources appeared only in the 15th century). Also, according to historians, the estimated number of the Livonian army gives grounds to speak of the traditional construction of the "gonfalon hound": 35 knights, making up the "gonfalon wedge", plus their units (up to 400 people in total).
As for the tactics of the Russian army, the Rhymed Chronicle mentions only that "the Russians had many riflemen" (who, apparently, constituted the first formation), and that "the army of the brothers was surrounded."
We do not know anything more about this.

The myth that a Livonian warrior is heavier than a Novgorod one

There is also a stereotype according to which the military attire of Russian soldiers was many times lighter than the Livonian one.
According to historians, if the difference in weight was, it was extremely insignificant.
After all, on both sides, exclusively heavily armed horsemen participated in the battle (it is believed that all assumptions about the infantrymen are the transfer of the military realities of subsequent centuries to the realities of the 13th century).

Logically, even the weight of a war horse, excluding the rider, would have been enough to break through the fragile April ice.
So, did it make sense in such conditions to withdraw troops to it?

The myth of the battle on ice and the drowned knights

Let's disappoint right away: there is no description of how the German knights fall through the ice in any of the early chronicles.
Moreover, the Livonian Chronicle contains a rather strange phrase: "On both sides, the dead fell on the grass." Some commentators believe that this is an idiom meaning "to fall on the battlefield" (version of the medieval historian Igor Kleinenberg), others - that we are talking about thickets of reeds that made their way from under the ice in shallow water, where the battle took place (version of the Soviet military historian Georgy Karaev, displayed on the map).
As for the chronicle mentions that the Germans were driven "on the ice", modern researchers agree that the Battle on the Ice could "borrow" this detail from the description of the later Battle of Rakovorskoy (1268). According to Igor Danilevsky, reports that the Russian troops drove the enemy seven miles ("to the Subolichi coast") are quite justified for the scale of the Rakhor battle, but they look strange in the context of the battle on Lake Peipsi, where the distance from coast to coast is in the supposed place the battle is no more than 2 km.

Speaking about the "Crow Stone" (a geographical landmark mentioned in some of the chronicles), historians emphasize that any map indicating a specific battle site is nothing more than a version. Where exactly the massacre took place, no one knows: the sources contain too little information to draw any conclusions.
In particular, Klim Zhukov is based on the fact that during archaeological expeditions in the region of Lake Peipsi, not a single "confirming" burial was found. The researcher associates the lack of evidence not with the mythical nature of the battle, but with looting: in the 13th century, iron was highly valued, and it is unlikely that the weapons and armor of the dead soldiers could lie safe to this day.

The myth of the geopolitical significance of the battle

In the view of many, the Battle of the Ice "stands apart" and is almost the only "action-packed" battle of its time. And it really became one of the most significant battles of the Middle Ages, which "suspended" the conflict between Russia and the Livonian Order for almost 10 years.
Nevertheless, the XIII century is rich in other events.
From the point of view of a clash with the crusaders, they include the battle with the Swedes on the Neva in 1240, and the already mentioned Battle of Rakovor, during which the united army of seven North Russian principalities opposed the Livonian Land Mastership and Danish Estland.

Also, the XIII century is the time of the Horde invasion.
Despite the fact that the key battles of this era (the Battle of Kalka and the capture of Ryazan) did not directly affect the North-West, they significantly influenced the further political structure of medieval Russia and all its components.
In addition, if we compare the scale of the Teutonic and Horde threats, then the difference is calculated in tens of thousands of soldiers. So, the maximum number of crusaders who ever participated in campaigns against Russia rarely exceeded 1000 people, while the estimated maximum number of participants in the Russian campaign from the Horde was up to 40 thousand (version of the historian Klim Zhukov).

TASS would like to thank the historian and specialist in Ancient Russia Igor Nikolaevich Danilevsky and the military historian-medievalist Klim Aleksandrovich Zhukov for their help in preparing the material.
© TASS INFOGRAPHICA, 2017

Worked on the material:

On April 5, 1242, the Battle of the Ice took place - a battle between Novgorodians and Vladimirtsy under the leadership of Alexander Nevsky against the knights of the Livonian Order on the ice of Lake Peipsi.

The beginning of the war

Taking the Koporsky churchyard, the crusaders built a fortress here. In 1241 they planned to seize Veliky Novgorod, Karelia and lands in the Neva region. At the request of the veche, Prince Alexander Nevsky arrived in Novgorod, who left him in the winter of 1240 after a quarrel with part of the Novgorod boyars.

Arriving in Novgorod in 1241, Alexander found Pskov and Koporye in the hands of the Order and immediately began retaliatory actions. Gathering an army from Novgorod, Ladoga, Izhora and Karelian, he set out on Koporye, took it by storm and killed most of the garrison. Some of the knights and mercenaries from the local population were taken prisoner, but released, and the traitors from among the Chudi were executed. The Novgorod army, which was joined by the Vladimir-Suzdal regiments, entered the land of the Estonians.

The order did not manage to quickly collect reinforcements and send them to the besieged. Pskov was taken, the garrison was killed, and the governors of the order (2 brother knights) were sent in chains to Novgorod.

Preparing for battle

In March 1242 the knights could only concentrate their forces in the Dorpat bishopric. Novgorodians outplayed them in time.

Alexander led his troops to Izborsk, his reconnaissance crossed the border of the Order. One of the reconnaissance detachments was defeated in a clash with the Germans, but in general, Alexander was able to determine that the main forces of the knights moved much further north, to the junction between Pskov and Peipsi lakes.

Thus, they took a short road to Novgorod and cut off the Russian troops in the Pskov region.

Ice battle

The knights have gathered great forces. Near the village of Hammast, the Russian advance detachment of Domash and Kerbet discovered a large army of knights; in battle, the detachment was defeated, but the survivors reported the approach of the crusaders. Russian army retreated.

Alexander Nevsky located the Russian army (15-17 thousand people) in the narrow southern part of Lake Peipsi. south-west of about. Crow Stone and imposed a battle on the enemy in the place he had chosen, covering the path to Veliky Novgorod and Pskov. The enemy's army - Livonian knights, knights and bollards (soldiers) of Dorpat and other bishoprics, Danish crusaders - formed a "wedge" ("pig", according to Russian chronicles). The enemy's plan was to crush and crush the Russian regiments with a blow from a powerful armored "wedge".

The Russian army met the German Livonian knights at dawn on April 5, 1242 on the ice of the southern part of Lake Peipsi. The German column, pursuing the retreating Russian detachments, apparently received some information from the patrols sent ahead, and on the ice of Lake Peipsi they had already entered the battle formation, the bollards were in front, behind them was a discordant column of "Chudins", after which there was a line knights and sergeants of the Dorpat bishop. Apparently, even before the collision with the Russian troops, a small gap formed between the head of the column and the chud.

Having crushed the forward detachment, the crusaders "ran a pig through the regiment" (through the large regiment), considered the battle won.

But Alexander, striking the enemy from the side, mixed their ranks and defeated.

Russian troops won a decisive victory: 400 knights were killed and 50 were taken prisoner, much more bollards fell on the battlefield, as well as warriors from Chudi and Estonians. The broken knights fled west; Russian soldiers pursued them across the ice of the lake.

Ice myth

There is a persistent myth that the ice of Lake Peipsi could not withstand the weight of the armor of the Teutonic Knights and cracked, as a result of which most of knights just drowned.

This myth has been reflected in historical literature since the 16th century, and in the 20th century it has been repeated in cinematography.

However, if the battle really took place on the ice of the lake, then it was more profitable for the Order, since the flat surface made it possible to maintain formation during a massive horse attack, which the sources describe.

Both armies had extensive experience in fighting in this region at all seasons of the year, that is, it is unlikely that the Teutonic camp did not know about the degree of freezing of rivers and about the possibilities of their use in spring.

In addition, the weight of the full armor of the Russian warrior and the order knight of that time were approximately comparable to each other, and the Russian cavalry could not gain an advantage due to lighter equipment.

It is quite possible that the battle itself took place not on the ice of the lake, but on its shore, and only the retreat of the German soldiers went along the lake. It is almost impossible to establish whether this is true or not, since the shores of Lake Peipsi are unstable and constantly change their position.

*) Due to the variability of the hydrography of Lake Peipsi, historians long time it was not possible to accurately determine the place where the Battle of the Ice took place. As a result of careful research of the expedition of the Institute of Archeology of the USSR Academy of Sciences, the real place of the battle was established. It is submerged in water in summer and is located about 400 meters from the island of Sigovets.

*) In 1938, Sergei Eisenstein shot the feature film "Alexander Nevsky", in which the Battle of the Ice was filmed. The film is considered one of the most prominent representatives historical films. It was he who, in many respects, formed the idea of the battle in the modern viewer.

*) Day of Military Glory of Russia - The Day of the Victory of Russian soldiers of Prince Alexander Nevsky over the crusaders is celebrated on April 18 instead of the correct April 12 due to incorrect calculation of the date of the Battle of the Ice according to the New Style. the difference between the old (Julian) and new (Gregorian) styles in the dates of the XIII century was 7 days (relative to April 5 according to the old style), and 13 days - only in the dates of the XX - XXI centuries.

*) In 1993 a monument was erected to the Russian squads of Alexander Nevsky, who defeated the German knights, on Mount Sokolikha in Pskov. This is almost 100 km away from the real place of the battle, and after all, it was originally planned to create a monument on Voronyi Island, which geographically would have been a more accurate solution.

*) The Battle on the Ice is depicted in the painting by V. A. Serov "The Battle on the Ice", on the miniature of the Observatory of the Chronicle (mid-16th century).

*) Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword... It is generally accepted that these words belong to the Novgorod prince Alexander Nevsky, the hero of the Battle on the Ice. This phrase is based on the well-known Gospel expression: "Those who take the sword will perish by the sword."

Prince Alexander Nevsky

Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky (1221-1263); Prince of Novgorod (1236-1240, 1241-1252 and 1257-1259), Grand Duke Kievsky (1249-1263), Grand Duke of Vladimir (1252-1263), the famous Russian commander.

The second son of the Pereyaslavl prince (later the Grand Duke of Kiev and Vladimir) Yaroslav Vsevolodovich and Rostislava (Feodosia) Mstislavna, Princess Toropetskaya, daughter of the prince of Novgorod and Galician Mstislav Udatny. Born in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky in May 1221.

Originally buried in the Rozhdestvensky Monastery in Vladimir. In 1724, by order of Peter I, the relics of Alexander Nevsky were solemnly transferred to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery (since 1797 - Lavra) in St. Petersburg.

According to the canonical version, Alexander Nevsky is regarded as a saint, as a kind of golden legend of medieval Russia. In the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, on one of the columns on a fresco in 1666, St. Alexander Nevsky is depicted (fig. On the left).

One of the most significant events of the medieval Russian history was the Battle of the Ice in 1242, which took place on April 5 on the ice of Lake Peipsi. The battle summed up the war that had lasted for almost two years between the Livonian Order and the northern Russian lands - the Novgorod and Pskov republics. This battle went down in history as vivid example heroism of Russian soldiers who defended the freedom and independence of the country from foreign invaders.

Historical context and the beginning of the war

The end of the first half of the 13th century was very difficult and tragic for Russia. In 1237-1238 it swept through the northeastern principalities. Dozens of cities were destroyed and burned, people were killed or taken prisoner. The territory of the country was in great desolation. In 1240, the western campaign of the Mongols began, during which the blow fell on the southern principalities. The western and northern neighbors of Russia - the Livonian Order, Sweden and Denmark - decided to take advantage of this situation.

Back in 1237, Pope Gregory IX announced another crusade against the "pagans" inhabiting Finland. The fighting of the Order of the Swordsmen against the local population in the Baltics continued throughout the first half of the 13th century. Repeatedly the German knights undertook campaigns against Pskov and Novgorod. In 1236, the Swordsmen became part of the more powerful Teutonic Order. The new formation was named the Livonian Order.

In July 1240, the Swedes attacked Russia. Prince of Novgorod Alexander Yaroslavich quickly set out with a squad and defeated the invaders at the mouth of the Neva. It was for this feat of arms that the commander received the honorary nickname of Nevsky. In August of the same year, the Livonian knights began fighting. First, they captured the fortress of Izborsk, and after the siege - and Pskov. In Pskov, they left their governors. The following year, the Germans began to ravage the Novgorod lands, rob merchants, and drive the population into captivity. Under these conditions, the Novgorodians asked the Vladimir prince Yaroslav to send their son Alexander, who reigned in Pereyaslavl.

Actions of Alexander Yaroslavich

Arriving in Novgorod, Alexander first of all decided to ward off the immediate threat. To this end, a campaign was undertaken against the Livonian fortress Koporye, built near the Gulf of Finland, on the territory of the Vod tribe. The fortress was taken and destroyed, and the remnants of the German garrison were taken prisoner.

Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich Nevsky. Lived 1221 - 1263

In the spring of 1242, Alexander set out on a campaign against Pskov. In addition to his squad, the Vladimir-Suzdal squad of his younger brother Andrei and a regiment of the Novgorod militia were with him. Having freed Pskov from the Livonians, Alexander strengthened his army with the Pskovs who joined and continued the campaign. Having crossed into the territory of the Order, reconnaissance was sent ahead. The main forces were deployed "in the welfare", that is, in local villages and villages.

Battle progress

The advance detachment met the German knights and entered into battle with them. Before superior forces, the Russian soldiers had to retreat. After the return of reconnaissance, Alexander deployed his troops, "heaped up" back to the shore of Lake Peipsi. A convenient place for battle was chosen here. Russian troops became on the eastern bank of Uzmen (a small lake or strait between the Chudskoye and Pskovskoye lakes), not far from the Voroniy Kamen.

Battle map

The place was chosen so that right behind the backs of the soldiers there was a wooded snow-covered coast, on which the movement of the cavalry was impeded. At the same time, the Russian troops were in shallow water, which was frozen to the very bottom and could easily withstand many armed people. But on the territory of the lake itself there were areas with loose ice- whitefish.

The battle began with a ramming strike by heavy Livonian cavalry directly into the center of the Russian formation. It is believed that Alexander deployed a weaker Novgorod militia here, and put professional squads on the flanks. This arrangement gave a serious advantage. After the blow, the knights got stuck in the center, who broke through the ranks of the defenders could not turn around on the shore, having no room for maneuver. At this time, the Russian cavalry attacked the flanks, encircling the enemy.

The Chud warriors allied to the Livonians walked behind the knights and were the first to rush scatteringly. The chronicle notes that a total of 400 Germans were killed, 50 were taken prisoner, and Chudi died “without number”. The Sofia Chronicle says that some of the Livonians died in the lake. Having defeated the enemy, the Russian army returned to Novgorod, taking prisoners.

The meaning of the battle

The first brief information the battle is contained in the Novgorod Chronicle. Subsequent chronicles and lives of Nevsky provide additional information. Today there is a lot of popular literature dedicated to the description of the battle. Here, the emphasis is often more on colorful pictures than on conformity. real events. Summary books for children rarely allow to fully describe the entire historical outline of the battle.

Historians have different assessments of the strengths of the parties. Traditionally, the number of troops is called about 12-15 thousand people on each side. At that time, these were very serious armies. True, German sources claim that only a few dozen "brothers" were killed in the battle. However, here we are talking only about the members of the Order, of which there were never many. In fact, these were officers, under whose command were ordinary knights and auxiliary soldiers - bollards. In addition, along with the Germans, the Chud allies took part in the war, which the Livonian sources all the more did not take into account.

The defeat of the German knights in 1242 had great importance for the situation in northwest Russia. In the conditions it was very important to stop the offensive of the Order on the Russian lands for a long time. The next serious war with the Livonians will take place only in more than 20 years.

Prince Alexander Nevsky, who commanded the combined forces, was subsequently canonized. In the history of Russia, the Order named after the famous commander was established twice - for the first time, and for the second time - during the Great Patriotic War.

Of course, it should be said that the roots of this event go back to the era of the Crusades. And it is not possible to analyze them in more detail within the text. However, in our preparation courses there is a 1.5 hour video lesson that, in the form of a presentation, examines all the nuances of this difficult topic. Become a member of our training courses

Battle on the Ice


	Lake Peipsi
	Novgorod victory

Novgorod, Vladimir	Teutonic Order, Danish Knights, Derpt Militia
Commanders
Alexander Nevsky, Andrey Yaroslavich	Andreas von Velven
Forces of the parties
15-17 thousand people	10-12 thousand people

Significant	400 Germans (including 20 "brothers" of the Teutonic Order) killed, 50 Germans (including 6 "brothers") taken prisoner

Battle on the Ice(it. SchlachtaufdemEise), also battle on Lake Peipsi(it. SchlachtaufdemPeipussee) - the battle that took place on April 5 (in terms of Gregorian calendar (New style) - April 12) 1242 (Saturday) between Novgorod and Vladimir under the leadership of Alexander Nevsky and the knights of the Livonian Order, which by that time included the Order of the Sword Bearers (after the defeat at Saul in 1236), on the ice of Lake Peipsi. The general battle of the unsuccessful conquest campaign of the Order of 1240-1242.

Preparing for war

The war began with the campaign of Bishop Herman, master of the Teutonic Order and their allies against Russia. As the "Rhymed Chronicle" reports, during the capture of Izborsk, "not a single Russian was allowed to leave unharmed," "a great lamentation began everywhere in that land." Pskov was captured without a fight, a small garrison remained in it, most of the troops returned. Arriving in Novgorod in 1241, Alexander found Pskov and Koporye in the hands of the Order and immediately began retaliatory actions. Alexander Nevsky marched on Koporye, took it by storm and killed most of the garrison. Some of the knights and mercenaries from the local population were taken prisoner, but released, and the traitors from among the Chudi were executed.

By the beginning of 1242, Alexander waited for his brother Andrei Yaroslavich with the "grassroots" troops of the Suzdal principality. When the "grassroots" army was still on its way, Alexander marched with Novgorod forces near Pskov. The city was surrounded by it. The order did not manage to quickly collect reinforcements and send them to the besieged. Pskov was taken, the garrison was killed, and the governors of the order (2 brother knights) were sent in chains to Novgorod. According to the Novgorod first chronicle of the older edition (came down to us as part of the parchment Synodal list of the XIV century, containing records of the events of 1016-1272 and 1299-1333) “In the summer of 6750 (1242/1243). Prince Oleksandr will go from Novgorod and his brother Andrey, and from the lower ranks to the Chyud land to Nemtsi and Chyud and zaya all the way to Plyskov; and drive out Prince Plskov, seize Nemtsi and Chud, and pin the streams to Novgorod, and he himself will go to Chud. "

All these events took place in March 1242. The knights could only concentrate their forces in the Dorpat bishopric. Novgorodians outplayed them in time. Alexander then led his troops to Izborsk, his reconnaissance crossed the border of the Order. One of the reconnaissance detachments was defeated in a clash with the Germans, but in general Alexander was able to determine that the main forces of the knights moved much further north, to the junction between the Pskov and Peipsi lakes. Thus, they took a short road to Novgorod and cut off the Russian troops in the Pskov region.

The same chronicle says that “And as if you were on the ground (chudi), let the regiment go into prosperity; and Domash of Tverdislavichi Kerbet was in the rod, and I sat down with Nemtsi and Chyud at the bridge and beish that; and she killed that Domash, the brother of the posadnich, her husband was honest, and I beat him with him, and I got him with my hands, and I came to the prince in the regiment; the prince will return to the lake "

Position of Novgorod

The troops opposing the knights on the ice of Lake Peipsi had a heterogeneous composition, but a single command in the person of Alexander.

"Grassroots regiments" consisted of princely squads, boyars squads, city regiments. The army, fielded by Novgorod, had a fundamentally different composition. It included the squad of the prince invited to Novgorod (that is, Alexander Nevsky), the squad of the bishop ("lord"), the garrison of Novgorod, who served for a salary (greedy) and subordinate to the mayor (however, the garrison could remain in the city itself and not participate in the battle) , Konchansk regiments, militia of posadov and squads of "volunteers", private military organizations of boyars and wealthy merchants.

On the whole, the army exposed by Novgorod and the "grassroots" lands was a rather powerful force, distinguished by a high fighting spirit. The total number of the Russian army was 15-17 thousand people, similar numbers were indicated by Henry of Latvia when describing the Russian campaigns in the Baltic in the 1210-1220s.

Position of the Order

According to the Livonian chronicle, for the campaign it was necessary to collect "many brave heroes, brave and excellent", led by the master, plus Danish vassals "with a significant detachment." The militia from Dorpat also took part in the battle. The latter included a large number of Estonians, but there were few knights. The Livonian rhymed chronicle reports that at the moment the knights were surrounded by the Russian squad, “the Russians had such an army that each German was attacked, perhaps, by sixty people”; even if the number "sixty" is a gross exaggeration, the numerical superiority of the Russians over the Germans, most likely, did take place. The number of the Order's troops in the battle on Lake Peipsi is estimated at 10-12 thousand people.

Unresolved is the question of who commanded the troops of the Order in battle. Given the heterogeneous composition of the troops, it is possible that there were several commanders. Despite the recognition of the defeat of the Order, Livonian sources do not contain information that any of the Order leaders were killed or taken prisoner.

Battle

The opposing armies met on the morning of April 5, 1242. The details of the battle are poorly known, and much can only be guessed at. The German column, pursuing the retreating Russian detachments, apparently received some information from the patrols sent forward, and on the ice of Lake Peipsi had already entered the battle formation, the bollards were in front, followed by a discordant column of "Chudins", after which there was a line knights and sergeants of the Dorpat bishop. Apparently, even before the collision with the Russian troops, a small gap formed between the head of the column and the chud.

The Rhymed Chronicle describes the moment of the beginning of the battle as follows:

Apparently, the archers did not inflict serious losses. Having fired at the Germans, the archers had no choice but to retreat to the flanks of the large regiment. However, as the "chronicle" continues,

In Russian chronicles, this is shown as follows:

Then the troops of the Teutonic Order were surrounded by the Russians and destroyed, other German troops retreated to avoid the same fate:

There is a persistent myth, reflected in the cinema, that the ice of Lake Peipsi could not withstand the weight of the armor of the Teutonic Knights and cracked, as a result of which most of the knights simply drowned. Meanwhile, if the battle really took place on the ice of the lake, then it was more profitable for the Order, since the flat surface made it possible to maintain formation during a massive horse attack, which the sources describe. The weight of the full armor of the Russian warrior and the order knight of that time were approximately comparable to each other and the Russian cavalry could not gain an advantage due to lighter equipment.

Losses

Controversial is the issue of the losses of the parties in the battle. About Russian losses it is said vaguely: "many brave soldiers fell." Apparently, the losses of the Novgorodians were really heavy. The losses of the "Germans" are indicated by specific numbers, which cause controversy. Russian chronicles say: "And pade Chyudi was beschisla, and Nѣmets 400, and 50 with the hands of a yash and brought him to Novgorod ".

The Rhymed Chronicle specifically says that twenty knights died and six were taken prisoner. The discrepancy in assessments can be explained by the fact that the Chronicle has in mind only the "brothers" - knights, not taking into account their squads, in this case, out of 400 Germans who fell on the ice of Lake Peipsi, twenty were real "brothers" - knights, and of 50 prisoners "brothers" were 6.

The immediate place of the battle, according to the conclusions of the expedition of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR under the leadership of Karaev, can be considered a section of Teploe Lake, located 400 meters west of the modern coast of Cape Sigovets, between its northern tip and the latitude of the village of Ostrov. It should be noted that the battle on a flat surface of ice was more profitable for the heavy cavalry of the Order, but it is traditionally believed that the place for meeting the enemy was chosen by Alexander Yaroslavich.

Effects

According to the traditional point of view in Russian historiography, this battle, together with the victories of Prince Alexander over the Swedes (July 15, 1240 on the Neva) and over the Lithuanians (in 1245 near Toropets, near Lake Zhiztsa and near Usvyat), was of great importance for Pskov and Novgorod. , holding back the onslaught of three serious enemies from the west - at the very time when the rest of Russia was greatly weakened Mongol invasion... In Novgorod, the Battle of the Ice, together with the Neva victory over the Swedes, was recalled in the 16th century at litanies in all Novgorod churches.

The English researcher J. Fannel believes that the significance of the Battle of the Ice (and the Battle of the Neva) is greatly exaggerated: “Alexander did only what numerous defenders of Novgorod and Pskov did before him and what many did after him, namely, rushed to protect the extended and vulnerable borders from the detachments of invaders ". Russian professor I.N.Danilevsky agrees with this opinion. He notes, in particular, that the battle was inferior in scale to the battles of Saul (1236), in which the master of the order and 48 knights were killed by the Lithuanians (20 knights died on Lake Peipsi), and the battle of Rakovor in 1268; sources of modern events even describe the Battle of the Neva in more detail and give it greater importance... However, even in the Rhymed Chronicle, the Battle of the Ice is unambiguously described as a defeat for the Germans, in contrast to Rakovor.

Memory of the battle

Films

In 1938, Sergei Eisenstein shot the feature film "Alexander Nevsky", in which the Battle of the Ice was filmed. The film is considered one of the brightest representatives of historical films. It was he who largely shaped the idea of the battle in the modern viewer.

In 1992 withdrawn documentary"In memory of the past and in the name of the future." The film tells about the creation of a monument to Alexander Nevsky for the 750th anniversary of the Battle of the Ice.

In 2009, the joint efforts of Russian, Canadian and Japanese studios filmed animated film"First Squad", where the Battle of the Ice plays a key role in the plot of the plot.

Music

The musical score for Eisenstein's film, written by Sergei Prokofiev, is a symphonic suite dedicated to the events of the battle.

The rock group Aria on the "Hero of Asphalt" album released the song " Ballad about an ancient Russian warrior", Telling about the Battle on the Ice. This song has gone through many different adaptations and re-releases.

Monuments

Monument to the squads of Alexander Nevsky on the town of Sokolikha

The monument to the squads of Alexander Nevsky was erected in 1993, on Mount Sokolikha in Pskov, almost 100 km away from the real place of the battle. Initially, it was planned to create a monument on Voroniy Island, which would be a more accurate solution geographically.

Monument to Alexander Nevsky and Poklonny cross

In 1992, on the territory of the village of Kobylye Gorodische, Gdovskiy district, in a place as close as possible to the proposed site of the Battle on the Ice, a bronze monument to Alexander Nevsky and a wooden worship cross were erected near the Church of the Archangel Michael. The Church of the Archangel Michael was created by the Pskovites in 1462. In the chronicles this church is associated with the last mention of the legendary "Crow Stone" (Pskov Chronicle 1463). The wooden cross was gradually destroyed under the influence of unfavorable weather conditions. In July 2006, to the 600th anniversary of the first mention of the village. The Mare Settlement in the Pskov Chronicles has been replaced with a bronze one.

A bronze bow cross was cast in St. Petersburg at the expense of the patrons of the Baltic Steel Group (A. V. Ostapenko). The prototype was the Novgorod Alekseevsky cross. The author of the project is A. A. Seleznev. A bronze sign was cast under the direction of D. Gochiyayev by the foundry workers of ZAO NTTSKT, architects B. Kostygov and S. Kryukov. During the implementation of the project, fragments from the lost wooden cross by sculptor V. Reshchikov were used.

Cultural and sports educational raid expedition

Since 1997, a raid expedition has been carried out annually to the places of feats of arms of the squads of Alexander Nevsky. During these trips, the participants of the arrival help to improve the territories related to the monuments of cultural and historical heritage. Thanks to them, memorial signs were erected in many places in the North-West in memory of the exploits of Russian soldiers, and the village of Kobylye Gorodishche became known throughout the country.

Due to the variability of the hydrography of Lake Peipsi, historians for a long time could not accurately determine the place where the Battle on the Ice took place. Only thanks to long-term research carried out by the expedition of the Institute of Archeology of the USSR Academy of Sciences, the site of the battle was established. The battle site is submerged in the summer and is located about 400 meters from the island of Sigovets.