Nevsky won the victory over Lake Peipus. Russian Military Glory Day – victory on Lake Peipsi

April 18 is the Day of Military Glory of Russia, the day of the victory of Russian soldiers of Prince Alexander Nevsky over the German knights on Lake Peipsi (the so-called Battle of the Ice, 1242). The date is celebrated in accordance with the Federal Law “On the Days of Military Glory (Victory Days) of Russia” dated March 13, 1995 No. 32-FZ.

In the early 40s. XIII century, taking advantage of the weakening of Rus', which occurred as a result of the devastating invasion of the Mongol-Tatars, German crusaders, Swedish and Danish feudal lords decided to seize its northeastern lands. By joint efforts they hoped to conquer the Novgorod feudal republic. The Swedes, with the support of the Danish knights, tried to capture the mouth of the Neva, but were defeated by the Novgorod army in the Battle of the Neva in 1240.

At the end of August - beginning of September 1240, the Pskov land was invaded by the crusaders of the Livonian Order, which was formed by the German knights of the Teutonic Order in 1237 in the Eastern Baltic on the territory inhabited by the Livonian and Estonian tribes. After a short siege, German knights captured the city of Izborsk. Then they besieged Pskov and, with the assistance of the traitor boyars, soon occupied it too. After this, the crusaders invaded the Novgorod land, captured the coast of the Gulf of Finland and built their own on the site of the ancient Russian fortress of Koporye. Having not reached Novgorod 40 km, the knights began plundering its surroundings.

(Military Encyclopedia. Military Publishing House. Moscow. in 8 volumes - 2004)

An embassy was sent from Novgorod to the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yaroslav, so that he would release his son Alexander (Prince Alexander Nevsky) to help them. Alexander Yaroslavovich ruled in Novgorod from 1236, but due to the machinations of the Novgorod nobility, he left Novgorod and went to reign in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky. Yaroslav, realizing the danger of the threat emanating from the West, agreed: the matter concerned not only Novgorod, but all of Rus'.

In 1241, Prince Alexander Nevsky, returning to Novgorod, gathered an army of Novgorodians, Ladoga, Izhora and Karelians. Having secretly made a quick transition to Koporye, it took this strong fortress by storm. By capturing Koporye, Alexander Nevsky secured the northwestern borders of the Novgorod lands, secured his rear and northern flank for further struggle against the German crusaders. At the call of Alexander Nevsky, troops from Vladimir and Suzdal under the command of his brother Prince Andrei arrived to help the Novgorodians. United Novgorod-Vladimir army in the winter of 1241-1242. undertook a campaign in the Pskov land and, cutting off all roads from Livonia to Pskov, took this city, as well as Izborsk, by storm.

After this defeat, the Livonian knights, having gathered a large army, marched to the Pskov and Peipsi lakes. The basis of the army of the Livonian Order was the heavily armed knightly cavalry, as well as infantry (bollards) - detachments of peoples enslaved by the Germans (Estonians, Livonians, etc.), which many times outnumbered the knights.

Having found out the direction of movement of the enemy’s main forces, Alexander Nevsky sent his army there too. Having reached Lake Peipus, Alexander Nevsky’s army found itself in the center of possible enemy routes to Novgorod. At this place it was decided to give battle to the enemy. The opposing armies converged on the shores of Lake Peipsi near the Crow Stone and the Uzmen tract. Here, on April 5, 1242, a battle took place that went down in history as the Battle of the Ice.

At dawn, the crusaders approached the Russian position on the ice of the lake at a slow trot. The army of the Livonian Order, according to established military tradition, advanced with an “iron wedge”, which appears in Russian chronicles under the name “pigs”. At the forefront was the main group of knights, some of them covered the flanks and rear of the “wedge”, in the center of which the infantry was located. The wedge had as its task the fragmentation and breakthrough of the central part of the enemy troops, and the columns following the wedge were supposed to defeat the enemy's flanks. In chain mail and helmets, with long swords, they seemed invulnerable.

Alexander Nevsky contrasted this stereotypical tactics of knights with the new formation of Russian troops. He concentrated his main forces not in the center ("chele"), as Russian troops always did, but on the flanks. In front was an advanced regiment of light cavalry, archers and slingers. The Russian battle formation was turned with its rear to the steep, steep eastern shore of the lake, and the princely cavalry squad hid in ambush behind the left flank. The chosen position was advantageous in that the Germans, advancing on open ice, were deprived of the opportunity to determine the location, number and composition of the Russian army.

The knight's wedge broke through the center of the Russian army. Having stumbled upon the steep shore of the lake, the sedentary, armor-clad knights were unable to develop their success. The flanks of the Russian battle formation ("wings") squeezed the wedge into pincers. At this time, Alexander Nevsky's squad struck from the rear and completed the encirclement of the enemy.

Under the onslaught of Russian regiments, the knights mixed their ranks and, having lost freedom of maneuver, were forced to defend themselves. A brutal battle ensued. Russian infantrymen pulled the knights off their horses with hooks and chopped them down with axes. Hemmed in on all sides in a limited space, the crusaders fought desperately. But their resistance gradually weakened, it became disorganized, and the battle broke up into separate centers. Where large groups of knights accumulated, the ice could not withstand their weight and broke. Many knights drowned. The Russian cavalry pursued the defeated enemy over 7 km, to the opposite shore of Lake Peipus.

The army of the Livonian Order suffered a complete defeat and suffered huge losses for those times: up to 450 knights died and 50 were captured. Several thousand knechts were killed. The Livonian Order was faced with the need to conclude a peace, according to which the crusaders renounced their claims to Russian lands, and also renounced part of Latgale (a region in eastern Latvia).

The victory of the Russian army on the ice of Lake Peipus was of great political and military significance. The Livonian Order was dealt a crushing blow, and the crusaders' advance to the East stopped. The Battle of the Ice was the first example in history of the defeat of knights by an army consisting mainly of infantry, which testified to the advanced nature of Russian military art.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

Many memorable battles have taken place throughout history. And some of them are famous for the fact that Russian troops inflicted a devastating defeat on enemy forces. All of them carried great significance for the history of the country. It is impossible to cover absolutely all the battles in one short review. There is not enough time or energy for this. However, one of them is still worth talking about. And this battle is an ice battle. We will try to talk briefly about this battle in this review.

A battle of great historical significance

On April 5, in 1242, a battle took place between Russian and Livonian troops (German and Danish knights, Estonian soldiers and Chud). This happened on the ice of Lake Peipsi, namely in its southern part. As a result, the battle on the ice ended with the defeat of the invaders. The victory that took place on Lake Peipus is of great historical significance. But you should know that German historians to this day are unsuccessfully trying to downplay the results that were achieved in those days. But Russian troops managed to stop the advance of the crusaders to the East and prevented them from achieving the conquest and colonization of Russian lands.

Aggressive behavior on the part of the Order's troops

In the period from 1240 to 1242, aggressive actions were intensified by the German crusaders, Danish and Swedish feudal lords. They took advantage of the fact that Rus' was weakened due to regular attacks from the Mongol-Tatars under the leadership of Batu Khan. Before the battle on the ice broke out, the Swedes had already suffered defeat during the battle at the mouth of the Neva. However, despite this, the crusaders launched a campaign against Rus'. They were able to capture Izborsk. And after some time, with the help of traitors, Pskov was conquered. The crusaders even built a fortress after taking the Koporye churchyard. This happened in 1240.

What preceded the ice battle?

The invaders also had plans to conquer Veliky Novgorod, Karelia and those lands that were located at the mouth of the Neva. The Crusaders planned to do all this in 1241. However, Alexander Nevsky, having gathered the people of Novgorod, Ladoga, Izhora and Korelov under his banner, was able to drive the enemy out of the lands of Koporye. The army, together with the approaching Vladimir-Suzdal regiments, entered the territory of Estonia. However, after this, unexpectedly turning to the East, Alexander Nevsky liberated Pskov.

Then Alexander again moved the fighting to the territory of Estonia. In this he was guided by the need to prevent the crusaders from gathering their main forces. Moreover, by his actions he forced them to attack prematurely. The knights, having gathered sufficiently large forces, set out to the East, being fully confident of their victory. Not far from the village of Hammast, they defeated the Russian detachment of Domash and Kerbet. However, some warriors who remained alive were still able to warn of the approach of the enemy. Alexander Nevsky placed his army at a bottleneck in the southern part of the lake, thus forcing the enemy to fight in conditions that were not very convenient for them. It was this battle that later acquired such a name as the Battle of the Ice. The knights simply could not make their way towards Veliky Novgorod and Pskov.

The beginning of the famous battle

The two opposing sides met on April 5, 1242, early in the morning. The enemy column, which was pursuing the retreating Russian soldiers, most likely received some information from the sentinels sent ahead. Therefore, the enemy soldiers took to the ice in full battle order. In order to get close to the Russian troops, the united German-Chud regiments, it was necessary to spend no more than two hours, moving at a measured pace.

Actions of the Order's warriors

The battle on the ice began from the moment when the enemy discovered Russian archers about two kilometers away. Order Master von Velven, who led the campaign, gave the signal to prepare for military operations. By his order, the battle formation had to be compacted. All this was done until the wedge came within range of a bow shot. Having reached this position, the commander gave an order, after which the head of the wedge and the entire column set off their horses at a fast pace. A ramming attack performed by heavily armed knights on huge horses, completely clad in armor, was supposed to bring panic to the Russian regiments.

When there were only a few tens of meters left to the first rows of soldiers, the knights set their horses into a gallop. They performed this action in order to enhance the fatal blow from the wedge attack. The Battle of Lake Peipus began with shots from archers. However, the arrows bounced off the chained knights and did not cause serious damage. Therefore, the riflemen simply scattered, retreating to the flanks of the regiment. But it is necessary to highlight the fact that they achieved their goal. Archers were placed on the front line so that the enemy could not see the main forces.

An unpleasant surprise that was presented to the enemy

The moment the archers retreated, the knights noticed that Russian heavy infantry in magnificent armor was already waiting for them. Each soldier held a long pike in his hands. It was no longer possible to stop the attack that had begun. The knights also did not have time to rebuild their ranks. This was due to the fact that the head of the attacking ranks was supported by the bulk of the troops. And if the front rows had stopped, they would have been crushed by their own people. And this would lead to even greater confusion. Therefore, the attack was continued by inertia. The knights hoped that luck would accompany them, and the Russian troops simply would not hold back their fierce attack. However, the enemy was already psychologically broken. The entire force of Alexander Nevsky rushed towards him with pikes at the ready. The Battle of Lake Peipus was short. However, the consequences of this collision were simply terrifying.

You can't win by standing in one place

There is an opinion that the Russian army was waiting for the Germans without moving. However, it should be understood that the strike will only be stopped if there is a retaliatory strike. And if the infantry under the leadership of Alexander Nevsky had not moved towards the enemy, it would have simply been swept away. In addition, it is necessary to understand that those troops that passively wait for the enemy to strike always lose. History clearly demonstrates this. Therefore, the Battle of the Ice of 1242 would have been lost by Alexander if he had not taken retaliatory actions, but had waited for the enemy, standing still.

The first infantry banners that collided with German troops were able to extinguish the inertia of the enemy wedge. The striking force was spent. It should be noted that the first onslaught was partially extinguished by archers. However, the main blow still fell on the front line of the Russian army.

Fighting against superior forces

It was from this moment that the Battle of the Ice of 1242 began. The trumpets began to sing, and Alexander Nevsky’s infantry simply rushed onto the ice of the lake, raising their banners high. With one blow to the flank, the soldiers were able to cut off the head of the wedge from the main body of the enemy troops.

The attack took place in several directions. A large regiment was to deliver the main blow. It was he who attacked the enemy wedge head-on. The mounted squads attacked the flanks of the German troops. The warriors were able to create a gap in the enemy forces. There were also mounted detachments. They were assigned the role of striking the chud. And despite the stubborn resistance of the surrounded knights, they were broken. It should also be taken into account that some of the miracles, having found themselves surrounded, rushed to run away, only noticing that they were being attacked by cavalry. And, most likely, it was at that moment that they realized that it was not an ordinary militia that was fighting against them, but professional squads. This factor did not give them any confidence in their abilities. The battle on the ice, pictures of which you can see in this review, also took place due to the fact that the soldiers of the Bishop of Dorpat, who most likely never entered the battle, fled from the battlefield after the miracle.

Die or surrender!

The enemy soldiers, who were surrounded on all sides by superior forces, did not expect help. They didn't even have the opportunity to change lanes. Therefore, they had no choice but to surrender or die. However, someone was still able to break out of the encirclement. But the best forces of the crusaders remained surrounded. The Russian soldiers killed the main part. Some of the knights were captured.

The history of the Battle of the Ice claims that while the main Russian regiment remained to finish off the crusaders, other soldiers rushed to pursue those who were retreating in panic. Some of those who fled ended up on thin ice. It happened on Teploe Lake. The ice could not stand it and broke. Therefore, many knights simply drowned. Based on this, we can say that the site of the Battle of the Ice was chosen successfully for the Russian army.

Duration of the battle

The First Novgorod Chronicle says that about 50 Germans were captured. About 400 people were killed on the battlefield. The death and capture of such a large number of professional warriors, by European standards, turned out to be a rather severe defeat that borders on catastrophe. Russian troops also suffered losses. However, compared to the enemy’s losses, they turned out to be not so heavy. The entire battle with the head of the wedge took no more than an hour. Time was still spent pursuing the fleeing warriors and returning to their original position. This took about 4 more hours. The ice battle on Lake Peipsi was completed by 5 o'clock, when it was already getting a little dark. Alexander Nevsky, with the onset of darkness, decided not to organize persecution. Most likely, this is due to the fact that the results of the battle exceeded all expectations. And there was no desire to risk our soldiers in this situation.

The main goals of Prince Nevsky

1242, the Battle of the Ice brought confusion to the ranks of the Germans and their allies. After a devastating battle, the enemy expected that Alexander Nevsky would approach the walls of Riga. In this regard, they even decided to send ambassadors to Denmark to ask for help. But Alexander, after the won battle, returned to Pskov. In this war, he sought only to return the Novgorod lands and to strengthen power in Pskov. This is exactly what was successfully accomplished by the prince. And already in the summer, ambassadors of the order arrived in Novgorod with the aim of concluding peace. They were simply stunned by the Battle of the Ice. The year when the order began to pray for help is the same - 1242. This happened in the summer.

The movement of Western invaders was stopped

The peace treaty was concluded on the terms dictated by Alexander Nevsky. The ambassadors of the order solemnly renounced all the encroachments on Russian lands that occurred on their part. In addition, they returned all the territories that had been captured. Thus, the movement of Western invaders towards Rus' was completed.

Alexander Nevsky, for whom the Battle of the Ice became the determining factor in his reign, was able to return the lands. The western borders, which he established after the battle with the order, were held for centuries. The Battle of Lake Peipsi has gone down in history as a remarkable example of military tactics. There are many determining factors in the success of Russian troops. This includes the skillful construction of a combat formation, the successful organization of the interaction of each individual unit with each other, and clear actions on the part of intelligence. Alexander Nevsky also took into account the enemy’s weaknesses and was able to make the right choice in favor of the place for the battle. He correctly calculated the time for the battle, well organized the pursuit and destruction of superior enemy forces. The Battle of the Ice showed everyone that Russian military art should be considered advanced.

The most controversial issue in the history of the battle

The losses of the parties in the battle - this topic is quite controversial in the conversation about the Battle of the Ice. The lake, together with Russian soldiers, took the lives of approximately 530 Germans. About 50 more warriors of the order were captured. This is said in many Russian chronicles. It should be noted that the numbers indicated in the “Rhymed Chronicle” are controversial. The Novgorod First Chronicle indicates that about 400 Germans died in the battle. 50 knights were captured. During the compilation of the chronicle, the Chud were not even taken into account, since, according to the chroniclers, they simply died in huge numbers. The Rhymed Chronicle says that only 20 knights died, and only 6 warriors were captured. Naturally, 400 Germans could fall in the battle, of which only 20 knights could be considered real. The same can be said about captured soldiers. The chronicle “The Life of Alexander Nevsky” says that in order to humiliate the captured knights, their boots were taken away. Thus, they walked barefoot on the ice next to their horses.

The losses of Russian troops are quite vague. All chronicles say that many brave warriors died. It follows from this that losses on the part of the Novgorodians were heavy.

What was the significance of the Battle of Lake Peipsi?

In order to determine the significance of the battle, it is worth taking into account the traditional point of view in Russian historiography. Such victories of Alexander Nevsky, such as the battle with the Swedes in 1240, with the Lithuanians in 1245 and the Battle of the Ice, are of great importance. It was the battle on Lake Peipsi that helped hold back the pressure of quite serious enemies. It should be understood that in those days in Rus' there were constantly civil strife between individual princes. One could not even think about cohesion. In addition, constant attacks from the Mongol-Tatars took their toll.

However, the English researcher Fannell said that the significance of the battle on Lake Peipus is quite exaggerated. According to him, Alexander did the same as many other defenders of Novgorod and Pskov in maintaining long and vulnerable borders from numerous invaders.

The memory of the battle will be preserved

What else can you say about the Battle of the Ice? A monument to this great battle was erected in 1993. This happened in Pskov on Mount Sokolikha. It is almost 100 kilometers away from the real battle site. The monument is dedicated to the “Druzhina of Alexander Nevsky”. Anyone can visit the mountain and see the monument.

In 1938, Sergei Eisenstein made a feature film, which it was decided to call “Alexander Nevsky.” This film depicts the Battle of the Ice. The film became one of the most striking historical projects. It was thanks to him that it was possible to shape the idea of ​​the battle in modern viewers. It examines, almost to the smallest detail, all the main points that are associated with the battles on Lake Peipsi.

In 1992, a documentary film entitled “In Memory of the Past and in the Name of the Future” was shot. In the same year, in the village of Kobylye, in a place as close as possible to the territory where the battle took place, a monument to Alexander Nevsky was erected. He was located near the Church of the Archangel Michael. There is also a worship cross, which was cast in St. Petersburg. For this purpose, funds from numerous patrons were used.

The scale of the battle is not so huge

In this review, we tried to consider the main events and facts that characterize the Battle of the Ice: on what lake the battle took place, how the battle took place, how the troops behaved, what factors were decisive in victory. We also looked at the main points related to losses. It should be noted that although the Battle of Chud went down in history as one of the most grandiose battles, there were wars that surpassed it. It was inferior in scale to the Battle of Saul, which took place in 1236. In addition, the battle of Rakovor in 1268 also turned out to be larger. There are some other battles that are not only not inferior to the battles on Lake Peipus, but also surpass them in grandeur.

Conclusion

However, it was for Rus' that the Battle of the Ice became one of the most significant victories. And this has been confirmed by numerous historians. Despite the fact that many specialists who are quite attracted to history perceive the Battle of the Ice from the perspective of a simple battle, and also try to downplay its results, it will remain in everyone’s memory as one of the largest battles that ended in a complete and unconditional victory for us. We hope that this review helped you understand the main points and nuances that accompanied the famous massacre.

The Battle of the Ice or the Battle of Lake Peipus is a battle between the Novgorod-Pskov army of Prince Alexander Nevsky and the troops of the Livonian knights, which took place on April 5, 1242 on the ice of Lake Peipus. It put a limit to the advance of German knighthood to the East. Alexander Nevsky - Prince of Novgorod, Grand Duke of Kiev, Grand Duke of Vladimir, legendary commander, saint of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Causes

In the middle of the 13th century, Russian lands were threatened from all sides by foreign invaders. The Tatar-Mongols were advancing from the east, and the Livonians and Swedes were laying claim to Russian soil from the northwest. In the latter case, the task of fighting back fell to powerful Novgorod, which had a vested interest in not losing its influence in the region and, most importantly, in preventing anyone from controlling trade with the Baltic countries.

How it all began

1239 - Alexander took measures to protect the Gulf of Finland and the Neva, which were strategically important for the Novgorodians, and therefore was ready for the Swedish invasion in 1240. In July, on the Neva, Alexander Yaroslavich, thanks to extraordinary and swift actions, was able to defeat the Swedish army. A number of Swedish ships were sunk, but Russian losses were extremely insignificant. After that, Prince Alexander was nicknamed Nevsky.

The Swedish offensive was coordinated with the next attack of the Livonian Order. 1240, summer - they took the border fortress of Izborsk, and then captured Pskov. The situation for Novgorod was becoming dangerous. Alexander, not counting on help from Vladimir-Suzdal Rus', devastated by the Tatars, imposed large expenses on the boyars in preparation for the battle and tried to strengthen his power in the Novgorod Republic after the victory on the Neva. The boyars turned out to be stronger and in the winter of 1240 they were able to remove him from power.

Meanwhile, German expansion continued. 1241 - the Novgorod land of Vod was imposed with tribute, then Koporye was taken. The Crusaders intended to capture the coast of the Neva and Karelia. A popular movement broke out in the city for an alliance with the Vladimir-Suzdal principality and the organization of resistance to the Germans, who were already 40 versts from Novgorod. The boyars had no choice but to ask Alexander Nevsky to return. This time he was given emergency powers.

With an army of Novgorodians, Ladoga, Izhorians and Karelians, Alexander knocked out the enemy from Koporye, and then liberated the lands of the Vod people. Yaroslav Vsevolodovich sent the Vladimir regiments, newly formed after the Tatar invasion, to help his son. Alexander took Pskov, then moved to the lands of the Estonians.

Movement, composition, disposition of troops

The German army was located in the Yuryev area (aka Dorpat, now Tartu). The Order gathered significant forces - there were German knights, the local population, and the troops of the King of Sweden. The army that opposed the knights on the ice of Lake Peipus had a heterogeneous composition, but a single command in the person of Alexander. The “lower regiments” consisted of princely squads, boyar squads, and city regiments. The army that Novgorod fielded had a fundamentally different composition.

When the Russian army was on the western shore of Lake Peipus, here in the area of ​​the village of Mooste, a patrol detachment led by Domash Tverdislavich scouted out the location of the main part of the German troops, started a battle with them, but was defeated. Intelligence managed to find out that the enemy sent minor forces to Izborsk, and the main parts of the army moved to Lake Pskov.

In an effort to prevent this movement of enemy troops, the prince ordered a retreat to the ice of Lake Peipsi. The Livonians, realizing that the Russians would not allow them to make a roundabout maneuver, went straight to their army and also set foot on the ice of the lake. Alexander Nevsky positioned his army under the steep eastern bank, north of the Uzmen tract near the island of Voroniy Kamen, opposite the mouth of the Zhelcha River.

Progress of the Battle of the Ice

The two armies met on Saturday, April 5, 1242. According to one version, Alexander had 15,000 soldiers at his disposal, and the Livonians had 12,000 soldiers. The prince, knowing about the German tactics, weakened the “brow” and strengthened the “wings” of his battle formation. Alexander Nevsky's personal squad took cover behind one of the flanks. A significant part of the prince's army was made up of foot militia.

The crusaders traditionally advanced with a wedge (“pig”) - a deep formation, shaped like a trapezoid, the upper base of which was facing the enemy. At the head of the wedge were the strongest of the warriors. The infantry, as the most unreliable and often not at all knightly part of the army, was located in the center of the battle formation, covered in front and behind by mounted knights.

At the first stage of the battle, the knights were able to defeat the leading Russian regiment, and then they broke through the “front” of the Novgorod battle formation. When, after some time, they scattered the “brow” and ran into a steep, steep shore of the lake, they had to turn around, which was quite difficult for a deep formation on the ice. Meanwhile, Alexander’s strong “wings” struck from the flanks, and his personal squad completed the encirclement of the knights.

A stubborn battle was going on, the entire neighborhood was filled with screams, crackling and clanging of weapons. But the fate of the crusaders was sealed. The Novgorodians pulled them off their horses with spears with special hooks, and ripped open the bellies of their horses with “booter” knives. Crowded together in a narrow space, the skilled Livonian warriors could not do anything. Stories about how the ice cracked under heavy knights are widely popular, but it should be noted that a fully armed Russian knight weighed no less. Another thing is that the crusaders did not have the opportunity to move freely and they were crowded into a small area.

In general, the complexity and danger of conducting combat operations with cavalry on the ice in early April leads some historians to the conclusion that the general course of the Battle of the Ice was distorted in the chronicles. They believe that no sane commander would take an iron-clanging and horse-riding army to fight on the ice. The battle probably began on land, and during it the Russians were able to push the enemy onto the ice of Lake Peipsi. Those knights who were able to escape were pursued by the Russians to the Subolich coast.

Losses

The issue of the losses of the parties in the battle is controversial. During the battle, about 400 crusaders were killed, and many Estonians, whom they recruited into their army, also fell. The Russian chronicles say: “and Chudi fell into disgrace, and Nemets 400, and with 50 hands he brought them to Novgorod.” The death and capture of such a large number of professional warriors, by European standards, turned out to be a rather severe defeat, bordering on catastrophe. It is said vaguely about Russian losses: “many brave warriors fell.” As you can see, the losses of the Novgorodians were actually heavy.

Meaning

The legendary massacre and the victory of Alexander Nevsky’s troops in it were of exceptional importance for the entire Russian history. The advance of the Livonian Order into Russian lands was stopped, the local population was not converted to Catholicism, and access to the Baltic Sea was preserved. After the victory, the Novgorod Republic, led by the prince, moved from defensive tasks to the conquest of new territories. Nevsky launched several successful campaigns against the Lithuanians.

The blow dealt to the knights on Lake Peipus was echoed throughout the Baltic states. The 30 thousand Lithuanian army launched large-scale military operations against the Germans. In the same year 1242, a powerful uprising broke out in Prussia. The Livonian knights sent envoys to Novgorod who reported that the order renounced its claims to the land of Vod, Pskov, Luga and asked for an exchange of prisoners, which was done. The words that were spoken to the ambassadors by the prince: “Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword” became the motto of many generations of Russian commanders. For his military exploits, Alexander Nevsky received the highest award - he was canonized by the church and declared a Saint.

German historians believe that, while fighting on the western borders, Alexander Nevsky did not pursue any coherent political program, but successes in the West provided some compensation for the horrors of the Mongol invasion. Many researchers believe that the very scale of the threat that the West posed to Rus' is exaggerated.

On the other hand, L.N. Gumilyov, on the contrary, believed that it was not the Tatar-Mongol “yoke”, but rather Catholic Western Europe in the person of the Teutonic Order and the Archbishopric of Riga that posed a mortal threat to the very existence of Rus', and therefore the role of Alexander’s victories Nevsky is especially great in Russian history.

Due to the variability of the hydrography of Lake Peipsi, historians for a long time could not accurately determine the place where the Battle of the Ice took place. Only thanks to long-term research carried out by an expedition from the Institute of Archeology of the USSR Academy of Sciences, they were able to establish the location of the battle. The battle site is submerged in water in the summer and is located approximately 400 meters from the island of Sigovec.

Memory

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

1992 - in the village of Kobylye Gorodishche, Gdovsky district, in a place close to the supposed site of the battle, 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. The wooden cross was destroyed over time under the influence of unfavorable weather conditions. 2006, July - on the 600th anniversary of the first mention of the village of Kobylye Gorodishche in the Pskov Chronicles, it was replaced with a bronze one.

Alexander Nevsky (1220 - 1263), an outstanding statesman and commander of Ancient Rus', Prince of Novgorod (1236-1251), Grand Duke of Vladimir from 1252. He led the struggle of the Russian people against the German-Swedish conquerors, who, taking advantage of the weakening of Rus' after the invasion of the troops of the Mongol Empire, they sought to seize its northwestern lands and deprive it of access to the Baltic Sea.

Back at the beginning of the 13th century. German and Scandinavian (Swedes and Danes) feudal lords, supported by the Roman Catholic Church, began active expansion in the Baltic states under the pretext of baptizing pagans. In 1201, the German fortress Riga arose at the mouth of the Western Dvina. In 1202, expanding their possessions, they founded the Order of the Sword. Gradually, the conquerors managed to form an army of 20 thousand people. Its core consisted of knights. The first major clash between Rus' and the Order of the Swordsmen occurred in 1224, when the Germans besieged and captured the city of Yuryev from Novgorod Rus' and renamed it Dorpat. In addition, raids by the Swordsmen began on the Pskov and Novgorod lands. In 1226, the Teutonic Order settled on the territory of East Prussia.

In response to the raids of the Swordsmen, the Russian army (Novgorod, Pskov and Pereslavl) in 1233, under the banner of Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, moved to Dorpat. In a fierce battle, where the young prince Alexander Yaroslavich also participated for the first time, it won and forced the Germans to retreat to the ice of the river. Embach. The thin ice could not stand it, and many knights drowned. The Germans asked for peace and pledged to pay tribute to the Novgorod prince.

On May 12, 1237, Pope Gregory IX approved the unification of the Teutonic and Livonian orders. By the middle of the 13th century, with the active participation of Catholic Rome, an agreement was reached between the three feudal-Catholic forces of northeastern Europe - the Teutonic (German) Order, the Danes and the Swedes - to jointly act against Novgorod Rus' in order to conquer the northwestern Russian lands and planting Catholicism there. According to the papal curia, after “Batu’s ruin,” bloodless and plundered Rus' could not offer any resistance. This was the main motivating reason for the joint action of the Swedes, Teutons and Danes. The German and Danish knights were supposed to strike Novgorod from land from the Livonian possessions, and the Swedes were going to support them from the sea through the Gulf of Finland. On the eve of his campaign, for a personal acquaintance with the Novgorod prince-warrior Alexander, and at the same time in order to reconnoiter the territory and situation, the German knight “God's servant Andriash” (Andreas von Velven, vice-master of the Livonian Order) visited Veliky Novgorod.

When the Vatican ambassadors came to seduce Alexander with an offer to submit to the Roman throne and be baptized into the Catholic faith, the prince categorically refused: “We know all this well, but we do not accept teaching from you”:

VICTORY OVER THE CRUSADERS IN THE BATTLE OF THE ICE

In the spring of 1242, an army of Catholic crusaders, consisting of knightly cavalry and infantry from the Livs, conquered by the Order of Chud and others (12 thousand people; vice-master of the Teutonic Order A. von Velven) moved to Rus'. The Novgorod prince decided to give a general battle in the most favorable conditions for himself. Alexander Nevsky occupied with his regiments the narrow strait between Lakes Peipus and Pskov. This position was very successful. The crusaders, walking on the ice of the frozen river. The Emajõgs to the lake could then go to Novgorod, bypassing Lake Peipus to the north, or Pskov - along the western coast of Lake Pskov to the south. In each of these cases, Alexander would have been able to intercept the enemy, moving along the eastern coast of the lakes. If the crusaders had decided to act directly and tried to cross the strait in the narrowest place, which is Teploe Lake, then they would have directly encountered the Novgorod troops.

According to the classical version, the Battle of the Ice took place near Fr. Voronyogo, adjacent to the eastern shore of the narrow southern part of Lake Peipsi. The chosen position took into account to the maximum extent all the favorable geographical features of the area and placed them at the service of the Russian army. Behind the back of the Novgorod army there was a bank overgrown with dense forest with steep slopes, which excluded the possibility of maneuver. The right flank was protected by a zone of water called Sigovica. Here, due to certain features of the flow and a large number of springs, the ice was very fragile. Local residents knew about this and undoubtedly informed Alexander. Finally, the left flank was protected by a high coastal cape, from which a wide panorama opened up all the way to the opposite shore.

Taking into account the peculiarity of the tactics of the knights, who usually carried out a frontal attack with an armored wedge, called a “pig” in Rus', Alexander Nevsky positioned his army (15-17 thousand people) on the eastern shore of Lake Peipsi. He decided to weaken the center of the combat formation of the Russian army and strengthen the regiments of the right and left hands; the prince divided the cavalry into two detachments and placed them on the flanks behind the infantry. Behind the “chelo” (the regiment of the center of the battle formation) was the prince’s squad.

April 5, 1242 AD (April 18, New Style) with sunrise, the knightly blade moved to attack. Russian archers met the enemy with a shower of arrows. But they caused almost no harm to the armored Teutons, although the Chud advancing next to the crusaders suffered significant losses. Gradually, the archers moved back towards the ranks of the infantry and finally merged with them in a single formation. The knights spurred their horses and figured out the location of the Novgorod foot army. An unequal battle began. The chronicler says about this critical episode for the Russian troops: “Both the Germans and the people fought their way like pigs through the regiments.”

The crusaders were already ready to celebrate the victory, but when they saw in front of them, instead of room for maneuver, a bank insurmountable for cavalry, they realized their mistake. For the first time, the enemy of the knights, after cutting the battle formation, did not run from the battlefield, dooming himself to death from the swords and spears of the crusaders. Immediately, both wings of the Russian army fell on the knightly wedge from the left and right, and from the rear, making a roundabout maneuver, the selected squad of Prince Alexander struck. “And that slaughter of evil was great and great for the Germans and the people, and there was a coward from the breaking spears, and the sound from the sword section, and you could not see the ice, for fear of being covered in blood.”

The ferocity of the battle increased. The Novgorodians pulled the surrounded, huddled knights off their horses with hooks. The dismounted crusader, clad in heavy armor, could not resist the deft Russian warriors.

The battle did not last long and ended in the complete defeat of the Teutons. The bollards ran first, followed by the armored knights who fled. Russian warriors drove part of the knightly army to Sigovitsa. The fragile ice could not stand it and broke under the weight of the armored crusaders and their horses. The knights went under the ice, and there was no salvation for them.

In this battle, not counting the many ordinary warriors, 500 noble knights died, and 50 Teutonic “deliberate commanders” were captured. At the prince's ceremonial entry into Novgorod, they all followed the prince's horse on foot.

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

In Russia, the date of the victory in the Battle of the Ice is immortalized as the Day of Military Glory of Russia - the Day of the Victory of Russian soldiers of Prince Alexander Nevsky over the German knights on Lake Peipsi (in the Federal Law of March 13, 1995 No. 32-FZ “On the days of military glory (victorious days) of Russia”, 13 days were added to the real day of the battle on April 5 and the date was indicated as April 18, 1242).

The military experience of their ancestors, acquired in battles and worthy of imitation, was subsequently widely used by the prince-military leaders of Rus' - the centralized Moscow Russian state.

Alexander Nevsky lived another 20 years after the glorious victory on the ice of Lake Peipsi. Continuing to pursue a competent policy, with his subsequent energetic military and diplomatic actions he strengthened the northwestern borders of Rus', concluded a peace agreement with Norway (1251), and made a successful campaign in Finland against the Swedes, who in 1256 made another attempt to close the Russian access to the Baltic Sea. The warrior prince did a lot to overcome feudal fragmentation, strengthen centralized grand-ducal power, and prevent ruinous raids by the Golden Horde troops on Rus'.

The canonization of Alexander Nevsky took place under Metropolitan Macarius at the Moscow Council in 1547.

“God is not in power, but in truth” - the holy prince firmly believed, and therefore, defending only the truth, he always won, even when, for human reasons, it was impossible to hope for victory.

The final words of the life of the holy prince express the essence of his heroic life: “So God glorified his saint, for he worked hard for the Russian land, and for Novgorod, and for Pskov, and for the whole Russian land, laying down his life for Orthodox Christianity.”

During the burial, a miracle was revealed by God. When the body of Saint Alexander was laid in the shrine, the housekeeper Sebastian and Metropolitan Kirill wanted to open his hand in order to enclose a parting spiritual letter. The holy prince, as if alive, himself stretched out his hand and took the letter from the hands of the metropolitan. “And horror seized them, and they barely retreated from his tomb. Who would not be surprised if he was dead, and his body was brought from afar in winter.” Thus God glorified his saint - the holy warrior-prince Alexander Nevsky.

In 1724, on the anniversary of the Peace of Nystadt, by order of Emperor Peter I, the relics of Alexander Nevsky were transported to the new capital of Russia - St. Petersburg, to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery opened on the initiative of the Tsar (now the Alexander Nevsky Lavra). With this step, Peter the Great made him the patron saint of the new empire and its northern capital. Three Russian emperors bore his name in the 19th century, which confirmed the exclusivity of his veneration and caused the appearance of many temples dedicated to him.

The following year, 1725, the Russian Order of St. Alexander Nevsky was established, which was subsequently awarded to famous Russian commanders and naval commanders: A.D. Menshikov, P.A. Rumyantsev, G.A. Potemkin, A.V. Suvorov, F.F. Ushakov, M.I. Kutuzov and many others.

During the difficult years of the Great Patriotic War, just like 700 years ago, they again turned to the name of the prince, establishing the Military Order of Alexander Nevsky on July 29, 1942. According to the statute, they were awarded “for showing, in accordance with the combat mission, the initiative to choose the right moment for a sudden, bold and swift attack on the enemy and inflicting a major defeat on him with small losses for his troops...”. During the war, 40,217 officers of the Red Army were awarded this order for personal bravery, bravery and skillful command.

Sincerely,
Moscow Suvorovites

(Serov V.A. Battle of the Ice)

Although the event itself took place on April 5 according to the old style, i.e. April 12 - according to the new one, 1242, but officially the holiday - Military Glory Day - is celebrated on April 18. This is the cost of converting dates from the old style to the new one. Apparently, when assigning the date, the rule was not taken into account: when converting dates of the 12th-13th centuries, 7 days are added to the old style (and out of habit they added 13 days).

Battle on the Ice(German) Schlacht auf dem Eise, lat. Prœlium glaciale - « Ice battle"), also the Battle of Lake Peipus (German: Schlacht auf dem Peipussee) - a battle that took place on the ice of Lake Peipus on April 5, 1242 (Saturday) between the Novgorodians and Vladimirites led by Alexander Nevsky, on the one hand, and the army of the Livonian Order, on the which in 1237 included the Order of the Sword (after the defeat at Saul), on the other hand.

The favorite tactic of the German knights was the offensive " pig"(as the Russians called this battle formation). It was a blunt wedge extended forward, with knightly cavalry in front and on the sides; a row of knights also stood behind, as if pushing the whole " pig».
The tip of the wedge, consisting of dense rows of heavily armed knights, was supposed to break the enemy’s formation in two, and the bollards were the foot soldiers standing inside “ pigs", - to complete the defeat. Resist against the iron-clad " pigs"was, as a rule, very difficult. In numerous battles with the peoples of the Baltic states, the knights more than once proved the lethal reliability of this tactic.

In the early spring of 1242, Alexander Nevsky sent out several reconnaissance detachments " to German land", near Dorpat (Yuryev, Tartu) along roads that were already familiar to him from the campaign with his father to the banks of the Emajõgi in 1234. One of the detachments, under the command of Domash Tverdislavich, encountered a knightly army. The detachment was defeated, but the surviving soldiers brought accurate information to the prince: the main forces of the Germans were heading towards Lake Pskov. It was then, apparently, that Prince Alexander decided to lure his enemy onto the melting lake ice.

Lake Pskov is connected to Lake Peipus (Estonian name Peipus) by a relatively small channel with banks covered with mixed forest. This is Uzmen, now Teploe Lake. Alexander chose the icy surface of Uzmen for a general battle. About two kilometers from here, the 15-meter dark brown bulk of the Raven Stone rose, a rock from which the order’s possessions on the other side were clearly visible, and it was possible to monitor the approach of enemy forces. It was also convenient to observe the progress of the battle from this height. Russian troops began to prepare for battle.
The most characteristic battle formation of Russian troops was a three-regiment strong " brow"of footmen and wings, where horse squads stood.

(scheme of the Battle of the Ice)

« Chelo“It was supposed to take the first, strongest blow of the enemy, stop him, tie him up in battle, and then the horse wings would attack from the flanks. Prince Alexander, of course, knew about this construction. But he knew, emphasizes researcher V.V. Kargalov, also that victory can only be achieved if " brow"will withstand the crushing onslaught of the German "pig".

Alexander Nevsky had no confidence in this: the foot militia from the Novgorod volosts were poorly armed and trained. It was necessary to find a counter to the first, most dangerous blow of the knightly cavalry, and the young commander found it by boldly violating the traditional formation of the army. He concentrated his main forces on the flanks, and placed his selected squad in an ambush to bypass the knightly " pigs", and on foot " brow"covered the high lake shore from behind: even if the knights broke through the foot formation in the center, they would have to stop in front of the steep slope. And then you can hit the mixed knightly army from the flanks and rear.
It should be noted that Alexander Nevsky made excellent use of other features of the theater of military operations. The right flank of the Russian army was covered by Sigovitsa, where there were underground springs, making the ice brittle and loose. If you apply a knightly " pig“a strong blow from the left and drive heavily armed knights there, the ice will not withstand.

This is how the army was built. In dark rows, the pawns stood in the center, shield to shield, with long spears extended forward. Archers lined up in front of them. On the flanks are mounted squads. The horse squad of Prince Alexander hid in the forest behind the left flank. The hour of the decisive battle has arrived.

According to military historians, the vice-master of the Livonian Order brought ten to twelve thousand troops onto the ice of Lake Peipus; Alexander Nevsky had a little more: fifteen to seventeen thousand warriors, but we must take into account that a significant part of his troops were foot militias of the Novgorod volost, inferior knights in weapons and combat training. In any case, not about any " overwhelming superiority “There was no question of a Russian army (and yet the Livonian chroniclers claimed that for every German knight there were sixty soldiers of Alexander Nevsky!). The outcome of the battle was decided by the military leadership of the young Novgorod prince, the courage and fortitude of ordinary Russians. warriors».

The defeat of the Teutons was crushing. The first to break down and take flight were the kiekhts on foot, then the mounted knights. Alexander Nevsky's warriors drove them five miles. The other part of the knightly army was forced onto the fragile ice of Sigowitz. Both the riders, clad in iron armor, and the horses drowned. In total, in that battle, as the chronicler reports, 500 knights and 50 “ deliberate governors“The prince took him prisoner and brought him to Novgorod. However, modern researcher A.V. Shishov considers the figures indicated in the chronicle to be greatly underestimated and proves that in reality 4-5 times more knights died - it’s not for nothing that this battle went down in history as “ carnage" Russian losses, as earlier in the Battle of the Neva, were significantly smaller. And this fact - the fact of victory with relatively little bloodshed - also clearly testifies to the deep military gift of Prince Alexander.

(Holy Righteous Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky)

Military historians, even through the centuries, do not cease to emphasize this high art of military leadership, with which victory was won in the Battle of the Ice. Alexander Nevsky used many tactical techniques for the first time. For example, writes V.V. Kargalov, " For the first time, the terrain conditions were fully exploited: the high bank, against which the Russian infantry formation was leaning, did not allow the Germans to develop their initial success after the breakthrough of the foot regiment. For the first time, the pursuit of a defeated enemy outside the battlefield was organized: Russian governors didn’t do this before. The tactical encirclement of the entire German army, which completed the defeat of the enemy, was the only such case for the entire Middle Ages. This most complex maneuver required skillful battle management and determination. Finally, for the first time, heavy knightly cavalry was defeated in a field battle by an army mainly consisting of infantry. And the German losses turned out to be incredible for knightly wars. For example, in the very famous battle of Brumel (1119) between the British and the French... three knights were killed! »

The victory on Lake Peipus was of outstanding significance both for Rus' and for many peoples historically connected with it. The researcher points out: “ She saved them from the cruel foreign yoke. It was this victory that for the first time put an end to the predatory “onslaught on the East” that German rulers had been carrying out for several centuries » [Pashuto V.T. Foreign policy of Ancient Rus'. M., 1968. P. 297.], just as the harsh expansion of the Roman Catholic Church, which had also been striving for world domination for centuries, was stopped.

From now on, wrote N.I. Kostomarov, " the idea of ​​conquering the northern Russian lands, of enslaving them on a par with Livonia, which would subject them to the fate of the Baltic Slavs, left the Germans forever " Although over time minor border conflicts resumed, the order was no longer able to go beyond the limit set by Alexander Nevsky.

The peace treaty of 1243, signed between Novgorod and the Livonian (Teutonic) Order, recorded the official recognition of the Germans: “ Because we entered Vod, Luga, Plskov, Lotgolu with the sword, we are retreating in all, but because we took your men, and with those we will exchange them: we will let yours in, and you will let ours go. " In other words, the order openly admitted its defeat in Rus', abandoned previously conquered territories and recognized the former Novgorod jurisdiction over these territories - i.e. Pskov, Vodsk and Latgall lands. He also agreed to the exchange of prisoners and hostages.

In 1992, in the village of Kobylye Gorodishche, Gdovsky district, in a place as close as possible to the supposed site of the Battle of the Ice, a bronze monument to Alexander Nevsky and a wooden worship cross were erected near the Church of the Archangel Michael.

(Monument to Alexander Nevsky, to the 750th anniversary of the Victory in the Battle of the Ice)

And in 1993, on Mount Sokolikha in Pskov, almost 100 km away from the real site of the battle, a monument to the squads of Alexander Nevsky was erected. Initially, it was planned to create a monument on Vorony Island, which would have been a more accurate solution geographically. You can read about the reason for this in an interview with the organizer of the work on creating this monument, A.A. Seleznev:
http://culture.pskov.ru/ru/objects/object/43/publications/98

(Monument to the Battle of the Ice Mountain Sokolikha (Pskov region))

Lord, through the prayers of the holy blessed Grand Duke Alexander and those like him, who fell in the fight for Rus' and the Orthodox faith, have mercy and protect our country Russia from all disorder, external and internal, from the invasion of foreigners and internecine warfare, from all enemies visible and invisible and the strength of the army Create our invincible weapons and protect them with Your Grace!

With love,
RB Dmitry