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 the 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. According to the Rhymed Chronicle, 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 army returned back. 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 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 expel 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 Lake Pskov and Lake Peipsi. 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 States 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" headed by the master, plus Danish vassals "with a significant detachment." The militia from Dorpat also took part in the battle. The latter consisted of a large number of Estonians, but the knights were few. 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 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.

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 were “brothers” 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 Lake Warm, 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 by the 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 perished on Lake Peipsi), and the battle of Rakovor in 1268; contemporary sources even describe the battle of the Neva in more detail and attach more importance to it. 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, in many respects, formed the idea of ​​the battle in the modern viewer.

In 1992, a documentary film "In memory of the past and in the name of the future" was shot. 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 the Russian, Canadian and Japanese studios filmed the animated film "First Squad", where the Battle of the Ice plays a key role in setting 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 gradually collapsed under the influence of unfavorable weather conditions. In July 2006, to the 600th anniversary of the first mention of the village. Mare Settlement in the Pskov Chronicles, it was replaced with a bronze one.

A bronze bow cross was cast in St. Petersburg at the expense of 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 leadership 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 sculptor V. Reshchikov.

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, in many places in the North-West, memorial signs were erected 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.

The Battle on the Ice on Lake Peipsi took place on April 5, 1242. It became known as one of the most important victories in the history of the country. The date of this battle put an end to the claims of the Livonian Order to the Russian lands. But, as often happens, many facts related to an event that occurred in the distant past are controversial for modern scientists. And the reliability of most of the sources can be questioned. As a result, modern historians do not know the exact number of troops involved in the battle. This information is not in the Life of Alexander Nevsky, or in the annals. Presumably, the number of Russian soldiers who took part in the battle is 15 thousand, the Livonian knights brought with them about 12 thousand soldiers, mostly militias.

The choice of the ice of Lake Peipsi (near the Crow Stone) as a place for Alexander's battle was of great importance. First of all, the position taken by the soldiers of the young prince made it possible to block the approaches to Novgorod. Surely, Alexander Nevsky also remembered that heavy knights are more vulnerable in winter conditions... So, the Battle on the Ice can be briefly described as follows.

The Livonian knights formed a well-known battle wedge. Heavy knights are stationed on the flanks, and warriors with light weapons are inside this wedge. Russian chronicles call such a construction "the great pig." But, about what kind of construction Alexander Nevsky chose, modern historians do not know anything. It could well have been a "regiment line" traditional for Russian squads. On the offensive by open ice the knights made up their minds, even without having accurate data on either the number or the location of the enemy's troops.

The scheme of the Battle on the Ice is absent in the chronicle sources that have come down to us. But, it is quite possible to reconstruct it. The knight's wedge attacked the guard regiment and moved on, quite easily breaking through its resistance. However, the attackers encountered many unexpected obstacles along the way. It can be assumed that this success of the knights was prepared in advance by Alexander Nevsky.

The wedge was caught in the pincers and almost completely lost its maneuverability. The attack of the ambush regiment finally tipped the scales on Alexander's side. The knights, clad in heavy armor, were completely helpless, dragged from their horses. Those who were able to escape after the battle, the Novgorodians pursued, according to the chronicles, "to the Falcon Coast."

Alexander won the Battle of the Ice, which forced the Livonian Order to conclude peace and renounce all territorial claims. The warriors captured in battle were returned by both sides.

It should be noted that the battle on Lake Peipsi is unique in its own way. For the first time in history, a foot army was able to defeat a heavily armed cavalry. Undoubtedly, important role played by weather conditions, terrain, and surprise.

Thanks to the victory of Alexander Nevsky, the threat of the seizure of the northwestern Russian territories by the Order was eliminated. Also, this allowed the Novgorodians to save trade links with Europe.

September 4th, 2015

Original taken from mihalchuk_1974 in the Battle of the Ice. Tactical features, formation and number of troops.

Dear friends, we offer you an article by A.N. Kirpichnikov.

The battle on April 5, 1242 on the ice of Lake Peipsi is one of the glorious episodes of Russian history. Naturally, it constantly attracted the attention of researchers and popularizers of science. But the assessment of this event was often influenced by ideological tendencies. The description of the battle was overgrown with speculation and myths. It is said that between 10,000 and 17,000 people participated in this battle from each side, which equates the battle to be extremely crowded. According to official military historians, the Battle of the Ice is the first major case in the history of military art, when heavy knightly cavalry was defeated in the field by an army consisting mainly of infantry, 1 and is evidence of the unconditional superiority of Russian military affairs over the West. The exaggeration of the role of the battle is now undergoing the other extreme: they tend to view it as episodic and insignificant.2

For the sake of objectivity, it should be noted that positive results have been achieved in the study of the Battle of the Ice. They are associated with clarifying the place of the battle, bringing into the system all the surviving Russian and foreign sources3.

The main reliable information about the battle of 1242 is contained in the Novgorod First Chronicle of the Elder edition. Her recording is contemporary to the event. The chronicler gave general information about the war between Novgorod and the Livonian Order in 1242. He gave a few brief remarks to the battle itself. The next Russian source is The Life of Alexander Nevsky, created in the 1280s. largely based on the stories of witnesses who knew and watched Prince Alexander Yaroslavich as a commander, slightly supplements the chronicle. Only the testimony of a "self-seeker" is cited, who allegedly saw a favorable sign in heaven - "the regiment of God" 4.

Livonia map. It shows territories controlled by various rulers. The Order lands are located a fair distance from Dorpat. The map was published by Turbull S. Crusader Castles of the Teutonic Knights. The stone castles of Latvia and Estonia 1185-1560. Fortress 19. Osprey Publiching, 2004 P. 6. In turn, it is based on data from Soviet historical works.

The data of the two named sources were reflected in many later chronicles. The latter rarely contain new factual additions, 5 but add a number of decorative details. Summing up the annalistic and hagiographic messages, we can state that they are rather laconic. We learn about the campaign of 1242, the failure of the reconnaissance detachment, the withdrawal of Russian troops to the ice of Lake Peipsi, the formation of a German detachment, its defeat and flight. Details of the battle are not given. There is no usual data on the disposition of their regiments, the exploits of the combatants, the behavior of the commander. The chiefs of the German army were not mentioned either. There are no names of the dead Novgorodians, which was usually noted if their number was significant. Apparently, a certain etiquette of the chronicler had an effect here, who often bypassed many details of military clashes, taking them for granted and unnecessary for weather records.

The laconicism of Russian sources is partly made up for by the presentation of the "Elder Livonian Rhymed Chronicle" written in the last decade of the 13th century. on the military side of the matter.

The Battle of the Neva in 1240 marked the beginning of the successful struggle of the Novgorodians to defend their northwestern borders. In 1241 the Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich managed to clear the Vodskaya land and liberate the Koporye captured by the Livonian Order. This operation showed that the forces of the united army of Novgorodians and some Finnish tribes can achieve success. In 1242, the Novgorodians, who had quarreled with Prince Alexander, again invited him to continue the war with the Livonian Order. The moment of the new campaign was well chosen. The Germans, who captured Pskov and its regions, did not have time to fortify there. Part of their forces fought against the Curonians and Lithuanians. The march of the Russian troops came as a surprise to the Order. As a result, the knights were expelled from Pskov without a fight, and Alexander's army, after achieving this important goal, invaded the Livonian borders. By this time, the army consisted of Novgorodians (black people - townspeople, as well as boyars and city foremen), the princely squad of Alexander himself, and finally, the "lower men" from the Vladimir-Suzdal land - the detachment of the Grand Duke Yaroslav Vsevolodich, detached under the leadership of his brother Alexander, Andrei Yaroslavich (in this detachment, according to the "Rhymed Chronicle", there were people of Suzdal). In addition, according to the Pskov First Chronicle, there were Pskovites7 in the army, who apparently joined after the liberation of the city. The total number of Russian troops is not known, but for its time it seemed significant. According to Zhitia, the regiments were "in great strength." The German source generally testifies to the 60-fold superiority of the Russian forces, which is clearly exaggerated.

The invasion of the Livonian land pursued limited, "probing" goals. However, the Novgorodians were ready to accept a field battle. In anticipation of the enemy, reconnaissance was conducted, food supplies were replenished, and the full was captured. The regiments reached the Dorpat bishopric, but did not lay siege to castles and cities, but held on to the coastal part of Lake Peipsi. The brothers-knights of the Livonian Order and the Dorpatians (the chronicle calls them chudyu), possibly with the support of the Danes who ruled Northern Estonia, hastily set out to meet the Russian army.

The Novgorodians carried out an unusual maneuver: they retreated to the ice of Lake Peipus “on Uzmen near Voronei Kameni.” 9 The Order's army also approached there in battle formation. Thus, the site of the battle was proposed by the Russian side with an explicit calculation to carry out against the German formation, called the "pig", a maneuverable battle at the same time by several detachments. The order of battle of the Russians is not described in the sources, however, according to indirect data, it lends itself to interpretation. In the center was the princely regiment of the commander-in-chief, next to it were the regiments of the right and left hand. In front of the main regiment, according to the "Rhymed Chronicle", there were archers. Before us is a three-part division of the main army, typical for its time, which could, however, be more complex.

The Russian army, which was built in order of battle on the ice of Lake Peipsi, judging by its mobility, significant marching movements on Estonian soil, the desire to measure strength with the mounted knights, finally, the choice of the battle bridge, which created freedom of maneuver on open space, was, for the most part, equestrian.

In the chronicle description of the Battle on the Ice it is noted main feature Livonian troops. It entered the battle built in the form of a "pig". Historians considered the "pig" to be a kind of wedge-shaped formation of the army - a sharp column. The Russian term in this respect was an exact translation of the German Schweinkopfn from the Latin caput porci. In turn, the mentioned term is related to the concept of wedge, edge, cuneus, acies. The last two terms have been used in sources since Roman times.11 But they cannot always be interpreted figuratively. This was often the name of individual military detachments, regardless of the method of their formation. For all that, the very name of such units hints at their peculiar configuration. Indeed, the wedge-shaped structure is not a product of the theoretical fantasy of ancient writers. Such a construction was actually used in combat practice in the 13th-15th centuries. in Central Europe, and fell out of use only at the end of the 16th century.

Scheme of the Battle on the Ice in the form as it was presented to G.N. Karaev, the head of the complex expedition

Based on the surviving written sources that have not yet attracted the attention of Russian historians, the construction of a wedge (in the chronicle text - "pig") lends itself to reconstruction in the form of a deep column with a triangular crown. This construction is confirmed by a unique document - a military instruction - "Preparation for a campaign", written in 1477 for one of the Brandenburg military leaders12. It lists three Banner divisions. Their names are typical - "Hound", "St. George" and "Great". The banners numbered respectively 400, 500 and 700 mounted warriors. At the head of each detachment, a standard bearer and selected knights were concentrated, located in 5 ranks. In the first rank, depending on the number of banners, there were from 3 to 7-9 mounted knights, in the last - from 11 to 17. The total number of warriors of the wedge ranged from 35 to 65 people. The ranks were lined up so that each subsequent one on its flanks increased by two knights. Thus, the extreme warriors in relation to each other were placed as if on a ledge and guarded the one riding in front from one of the sides. This was the tactical feature of the wedge - it was adapted for an assembled frontal strike and at the same time was difficult to vulnerable from the flanks.

The second, columnar part of the banner, according to "Preparation for the campaign", consisted of a quadrangular structure that included bollards. The number of bollards in each of the three above-mentioned detachments was 365, 442 and 629 (or 645), respectively. They were located in depth from 33 to 43 ranks, in each of which there were from 11 to 17 cavalry. Among the bollards were servants who were part of the knight's combat retinue: usually an archer or a crossbowman and a squire. All together they formed the lowest military unit - "spear" - numbering 35 people, rarely more. During the battle, these warriors, equipped no worse than a knight, came to the aid of their master, changed his horse.13 The advantages of the columnar-wedge-shaped banner include its cohesion, the flank coverage of the wedge, the ramming force of the first strike, and precise controllability. The formation of such a banner was convenient both for movement and for starting a battle. When in contact with the enemy, the tightly closed ranks of the detachment's head did not have to turn around to protect their flanks. The wedge of the advancing army made a frightening impression, it could cause confusion in the ranks of the enemy at the first onslaught. The wedge detachment was designed to break the formation of the opposing side and a quick victory.

The described system also had disadvantages. In the course of the battle, if it dragged on, the best forces - the knights - could be the first to be incapacitated. As for the bollards, during the battle of the knights they were in a wait-and-see passive state and had little effect on the result of the battle. A wedge-shaped column, judging by one of the battles of the 15th century. (1450 at Pillenreith), was the last in the rank of knights, 14 because the bollards, apparently, were not very reliable. The weak and strong sides of the pointed column, however, are difficult to judge by the lack of material. V different regions Europe, it obviously differed in its features and weapons.

Let's touch on the issue of the number of wedge-shaped columns. According to the "Preparation for the campaign" in 1477, such a column consisted of 400 to 700 horsemen. But the number of tactical units of that time, as you know, was not constant, and in combat practice even the 1st floor. XV century was distinguished by a great variety. For example, according to J. Dlugosh, seven Teutonic banners that fought at Grunwald in 1410 had 570 copies, 15 i.e., each banner had 82 spears, which, taking into account the knight and his retinue, corresponded to 246 combatants. According to other data, in the five banners of the Order in 1410, when paying salaries, there were from 157 to 359 copies and from 4 to 30 riflemen.16 Later, in one clash in 1433, the Bavarian detachment - "pig" consisted of 200 units in three ranks were 3, 5 and 7 knights. Under Pillenreith (1450), the wedge-column numbered 400 mounted knights and bollards.17 All the above data indicate that the knightly detachment of the 15th century. could reach one thousand horsemen, but more often included several hundred combatants. In the military episodes of the XIV century. the number of knights of the detachment, in comparison with later times, was even smaller - from 20 to 80 (excluding the bollards). For example, in 1331, there were 350 cavalry soldiers in five Prussian banners, that is, 70 in each banner (or about 20 copies).

We also have the opportunity to more specifically determine the size of the Livonian combat detachment of the 13th century. In 1268, in the battle of Rakovor, as the chronicle mentions, the German "iron regiment, the great pig" marched. According to the Rhymed Chronicle, 34 knights and the militia took part in the battle.19 This number of knights, if added by the commander, will amount to 35 people, which exactly corresponds to the composition of the knightly wedge of one of the detachments noted in the above-mentioned Preparation for the March 1477. (true for the "Hound" banner, not the "Great"). In the same "Preparation for the campaign" the number of bollards of such a banner is given - 365 people. Taking into account the fact that the numbers of the warheads of the detachments according to the data of 1477 and 1268. practically coincided, it can be assumed without the risk of a big mistake that, in terms of their overall numerical composition, these divisions also approached each other. In this case, we can, to a certain extent, judge the usual size of the German wedge-shaped banners that took part in the Livonian-Russian wars of the 13th century.

As for the German detachment in the battle of 1242, its composition was hardly superior to the Rakor "great pig". During the period under review, the Livonian Order, distracted by the struggle in Courland, could not send a large army.20

On the morning of April 5, 1242, the Russian and Livonian armies met in battle. The first blow of the German formation was taken by the arrow-archers: “And the regiment went through with a pig." In this case, according to the Rhymed Chronicle, “the Russians had many shooters who courageously took the first onslaught, (being) in front of the prince's squad. One could see how the band (banner) of the knight brothers defeated the riflemen. ”22 At this stage of the confrontation, the initiative was in the hands of the Germans. Following the rapprochement and outbreak of the battle, the main forces were included in the battle and hand-to-hand combat ensued. Here, on both sides, horse spearmen converged, who, after the collision, switched to using bladed weapons. The author of "Life" conveys the fierceness of the struggle in rather accurate, however, familiar expressions to him: "There is a slash of evil, and a crackle from copying, and the sound of a sword cut, as if the lake is freezing. And you will not see ice: covered with blood. ”23

How the battle unfolded in detail is anyone's guess. However, its turning point is known. According to the Rhymed Chronicle, “those who were in the army of the knight brothers were surrounded ... The knight brothers resisted quite stubbornly, but they were defeated there.” the opposing regiment, while the side regiments were able to cover the flanks of the German army. The Rhymed Chronicle writes that “some of the Dorpatites (“ Chudi ”of the Russian chronicle) withdrew from the battle, this was their salvation, they were forced to retreat.” 25 It is about the bollards who covered the knights from the rear. Thus, the striking force of the German army - the knights - was left without cover. Surrounded, they could not, apparently, keep the formation, rebuild for new attacks and, moreover, were left without reinforcements. This predetermined the complete defeat of the German army, first of all, its most organized and combat-ready force.

Reconstruction of the possible equipment of the troops of Prince Alexander Yaroslavich and his allies during the Battle of Lake Peipsi
1. Voivode (prince).
2. Standard bearer.
3. Heavy spearman (representative of the senior squad) of the 1st line
4. Mounted heavy archer
5. Prussian equestrian warrior (emigrants in the service of Novgorod)
6. Foot heavy spearman (Novgorod militia)
7. Foot crossbowman (Novgorod militia)

Reconstruction of the possible equipment of the troops of the Livonian Order, the Dorpat episcopate and their allies during the Battle of Lake Peipsi

1. Heavy "knight of the first line (commander) of the Livonian Order.
2. Order knight-bearer.
3. A vassal knight with linen under the Dorpat episcopate.
4. Equestrian "sergement" or squire.
5. Equestrian crossbowman or squire
6. Foot squire of the Livonian Order.
7. Peipsi militia (order vassal ally).

The battle ended with the pursuit of the fleeing enemy in panic. At the same time, some of the enemies died in the battle, some were captured, and some, finding themselves in the place of thin ice - "sigovice", fell through the ice. The Russians also suffered losses: "This victory cost him (Prince Alexander - A.K.) many brave people." losses seem to be exaggerated. According to the "Rhymed Chronicle" 20 knights were killed and 6 were taken prisoner. Taking into account the composition of an ordinary knight's spear (3 combatants), the number of killed and captured knights and bollards could reach 78 people. An unexpectedly close figure - 70 dead order knights - is given by German sources of the second half of the 15th-16th centuries.28 It is not known where such an exact figure of "damage" was taken. Did not the "late" German chronicler triple the losses indicated in the "Rhymed Chronicle" (20 + 6 x 3 = 78)?

The figures of the incapacitated soldiers cited by the "Rhymed Chronicle" are probably close to the true ones. The killed and captured knights, as mentioned, were 26. Probably almost all of them were part of the wedge: these people were the first to enter the battle and were most in danger. Taking into account the five-ranked formation, it can be assumed that the number of the wedge was no more than 30-35 knights. Not surprisingly, most of them died on the battlefield. This composition of the wedge assumes its maximum width in the form of a line of 11 fighters. The number of bollards in such columns was slightly more than 300 people. As a result, with all the calculations and assumptions, the total number of the German-Chud army that took part in the battle of 1242 hardly exceeded three or four hundred people, but most likely was even smaller.

The Livonians were opposed, perhaps, by a somewhat larger Russian force. In general, the Battle of the Ice has no reason to be considered crowded, which, however, does not diminish it. historical significance... The overwhelming majority of military operations in the Middle Ages, both in our country and in western Europe, were conducted by small forces, not much exceeding the scale of the battle on Lake Peipsi.

Great commanders and their battles Venkov Andrey Vadimovich

BATTLE ON WONDERFUL LAKE (Battle of the Ice) (April 5, 1242)

BATTLE ON WONDERFUL LAKE (Battle of the Ice)

Arriving in Novgorod in 1241, Alexander found Pskov and Koporye in the hands of the Order. Without getting ready for a long time, he began to retaliate. Taking advantage of the difficulties of the Order, distracted by the fight against the Mongols, Alexander Nevsky set out on Koporye, took the city by storm and killed most of the garrison. Some of the knights and mercenaries from the local population were taken prisoner, but released (the Germans), the traitors from among the "Chudi" were hanged.

By 1242, both the Order and Novgorod had accumulated forces for a decisive clash. Alexander waited for his brother Andrei Yaroslavich with the "grassroots" troops (the Vladimir principality). When the "grassroots" army was still on its way, Alexander marched with Novgorod forces near Pskov. The city was surrounded. The order did not manage to quickly collect reinforcements and send them to the besieged. Pskov was taken, the garrison was killed, the governors of the order were sent in chains to Novgorod.

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

Alexander hastened with all his army to the north, outstripped the Germans and blocked their way. Late spring and the remaining ice on the lakes made the surface the most convenient road for moving, and at the same time for mobile warfare. It was on the ice of Lake Peipsi that Alexander waited for the order's army to approach. At dawn on April 5, the opponents saw each other.

The troops opposing the knights on the ice of Lake Peipsi were of a composite nature. The squads who came from the "lower lands" had one principle of recruitment. The Novgorod regiments are different. The combined character of the troops led to the fact that there was no unified command and control system. Traditionally, in such cases, a council of princes and governors of city regiments gathered. In this situation, the supremacy of Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky, based on high authority, was indisputable.

"Grassroots regiments" consisted of princely squads, boyars squads, city regiments. The army, fielded by Veliky 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 battle), Konchansk regiments, militia posadov and squads of "volunteers", private military organizations of boyars and wealthy merchants.

The Konchansk regiments were named after the five “ends” of the city of Novgorod. Each regiment represented a certain "end", was divided into two hundred, one hundred was completed with several streets. Posad regiments were formed according to the same principle.

The principle of recruiting the regiment at the "ends" was carried out as follows: two residents gathered in a campaign a third - a foot soldier. The well-to-do exhibited an equestrian warrior. The owners of a certain amount of land had to exhibit a certain number of horsemen. The unit of measurement was "plow" - the amount of land that could be plowed on three horses with two assistants (the owner was the third himself). Usually ten plows were given to one equestrian warrior. V extreme situations the horseman put up four plows.

The armament of the Novgorodian soldiers was traditional for the Russian lands, but with one exception - the Novgorodians did not have special archers. Every warrior had a bow. Any attack was preceded by a volley of bows, then the same warriors went hand-to-hand to approach. In addition to bows, the Novgorod soldiers had ordinary swords, spears (since the foot army often collided with horse princely squads, spears with hooks at the end were widespread for pulling the enemy's soldiers off the horse), boot knives, which were widely used in close combat, especially when the infantry overturned cavalry; the fallen cut the enemy's horses (veins, belly).

The commanding staff were represented by centurions and voivods, who commanded one or two regiments; the governors obeyed the prince, who, in addition, directly commanded his squad.

Tactically, these units made up a patrol regiment, "brow" and "wings" on the battlefield. Each regiment had its own banner - a banner and military music. In total, the Novgorod army had 13 banners.

The supply system was primitive. When setting out on a campaign, each warrior had a supply of food with him. The supplies, along with tents, battering machines, etc., were transported in a wagon train ("in goods"). When stocks ran out, special detachments of "wealthy" (foragers) were sent to collect them.

Traditionally, the battle was started by the guard regiment, then by the foot army, then by the cavalry army of Novgorod and the squads of the princes. The system of ambushes, tracking the enemy, etc. was widely used.

In general, the army exposed by Veliky Novgorod and the "grassroots" lands was a rather powerful force, distinguished by a high fighting spirit, realizing the importance of the moment, the importance of fighting the invasion of the crusader knighthood. Numerically, the army reached 15-17 thousand. The researchers are united in this. Most of it was made up of foot militias from Novgorod and Vladimir.

The Order, which attacked the Slavic lands, was a powerful military organization. At the head of the Order was the master. He was subordinate to the commanders, commandants of strong points in the conquered lands, who governed these areas. The knights - "brothers" obeyed the commander. The number of "brothers" was limited. Three centuries after the events described, when the Order was thoroughly entrenched in the Baltics, there were 120-150 full members, “brothers”. In addition to full-fledged members, the Order included "merciful brothers", a kind of sanitary service, and priests. Most of the knights who fought under the banner of the Order were "half-brothers" who did not have the right to prey.

Weapons and armor of European knighthood are described in the chapter on the Battle of Liegnitz.

Unlike the knights who were not part of the knightly orders, the Teutons and swordsmen were soldered by discipline and could, to the detriment of the original ideas of knightly honor, be built into deep battle formations.

Of particular importance is the question of the number of troops of the Order who set foot on the ice of Lake Peipsi. Domestic historians usually cited a figure of 10-12 thousand people. Later researchers, referring to the German "Rhymed Chronicle", generally name 300-400 people. Some offer a "compromise option": up to ten 10 thousand soldiers could have been fielded by the Livs and Estonians, the Germans themselves could have been no more than 2 thousand, mostly hired squads of noble knights, most likely on foot, there were only a few hundred horsemen, of there are only thirty or forty of them - directly order knights, "brothers".

Considering the recent terrible defeat of the Teutons near Lignitsa and nine bags of severed ears collected by the Mongols on the battlefield, one can agree with the proposed alignment of forces in the army put up by the Order against Alexander Nevsky.

On Lake Peipsi, Alexander built his troops in a battle formation traditional for the Russian troops. In the center there was a small footing Vladimir militia, in front of it was an advanced regiment of light cavalry, archers and slingers. There were also residents of Vladimir. In total, one third of the entire army was in the center of the battle formation. Two-thirds of the troops - the Novgorod foot militia - became "right hand" and "left hand" regiments along the flanks. An ambush was concealed behind the regiment of the "left hand", which consisted of a mounted princely squad.

Behind the entire structure, according to a number of researchers, there were linked sleds of the convoy. Some believe that the rear of the Russian army simply rested against the high steep shore of the lake.

The troops of the Order lined up in a wedge, "boar's head". The Russians called this order of battle "a pig." The edge, sides and even the last ranks of the formation were the knights themselves. The infantry stood densely inside the wedge. Some researchers consider such a formation to be the most acceptable for the troops of the Order at that time - otherwise it was impossible to keep the numerous "monsters" in line.

Such a wedge could only move with a step or "chlyntsa" (that is, a "trick", a quick step), and attack from a close distance - 70 steps, otherwise the horses galloping would break away from the infantry and the formation would disintegrate at the most crucial moment ...

The purpose of the formation was a ramming strike, dissecting and scattering the enemy.

So, on the morning of April 5, the wedge attacked the Russian army standing motionless. The attackers were fired upon by archers and slingers, but arrows and stones did not inflict any special damage on the knights covered with shields.

As stated in the Rhymed Chronicle, “the Russians had many riflemen who courageously took the first onslaught, being in front of the prince's retinue. It was seen how a detachment of knight brothers defeated the riflemen. " Breaking through the archers and the forward regiment, the knights cut into the Big Regiment. It is clear that the Big Regiment was cut, and some of the soldiers of the Russian army rolled back behind the chained carts and sledges. Here, naturally, a "third line of defense" was formed. The knights' horses did not have enough speed and space to accelerate to overcome the coupled and lined up sledges of the Russians. And since the rear rows of the clumsy wedge continued to push, the front ones, for sure, arranged a bunch of small ones in front of the Russian sled wagon, falling down together with the horses. The Vladimir militias retreating behind the sleds mingled with the knights who had lost their ranks, the regiments of the "right" and "left" hands, slightly changing the front, hit the flanks of the Germans, who also mingled with the Russians. As the author, who wrote The Life of Alexander Nevsky, informs, “there was a slash of evil, and the crackle from the spears of breaking, and the sound from the cross of the sword, as if the frozen lake would move. And you cannot see the ice: covered with fear of blood. "

The final blow that surrounded the Germans was delivered from an ambush by the prince personally formed and trained squad.

The Rhymed Chronicle admits: "... those who were in the army of the knight brothers were surrounded ... The knight brothers stubbornly resisted, but they were overpowered there."

Several ranks of knights, covering the wedge from the rear, were crushed by the blow of the Russian heavy cavalry. "Chud", which made up the bulk of the infantry, seeing their army surrounded, ran to their native shore. In this direction, it was easiest to break through, since there was a horse battle and the Russians did not have a united front. The Rhymed Chronicle reports that "a part of the Dorpatites (Chudi) withdrew from the battle, this was their salvation, they were forced to retreat."

Left without the support of the bulk of the infantry, breaking the line, the knights and, possibly, their vigilantes - the Germans were forced to fight back in all directions.

The balance of power has changed dramatically. It is known that the master himself with a part of the knights broke through. Another part of them died on the battlefield. The Russians pursued the fleeing enemy for 7 miles, to the opposite shore of Lake Peipsi.

Apparently, already at the western shore of the lake, the runners began to fall under the ice (near the shores, the ice is always thinner, especially if streams flow into the lake at this point). This completed the defeat.

No less controversial is the issue of the losses of the parties in the battle. About Russian losses it is said vaguely - "many brave soldiers fell." The losses of the knights are indicated by specific numbers, which cause controversy. Russian chronicles, and after them domestic historians, say that 500 knights were killed, and chudi "pade beshisla", 50 knights, "deliberate commanders" were taken prisoner. 500 killed knights is a completely unrealistic figure, there was not such a number in the entire Order, moreover, much less of them participated in the entire First Crusade. The Rhymed Chronicle estimates that 20 knights were killed and 6 were taken prisoner. Perhaps the "Chronicle" has in mind only the knight brothers, leaving out their squads and the "Chud" recruited into the army. In this "Chronicle" there is no reason not to trust. On the other hand, the Novgorod First Chronicle says that 400 "Germans" fell in the battle, 90 were taken prisoner, and the "chud" is also discarded - "beshisla". Apparently, 400 German soldiers actually fell on the ice of Lake Peipsi, 20 of them were knight brothers, 90 Germans (of which 6 were "real" knights) were taken prisoner.

Be that as it may, but the death of so many professional soldiers (even if the "Rhymed Chronicle" is correct, half of the knights who participated in the battle were killed) greatly undermined the power of the Order in the Baltic States and for a long time, practically for several centuries, stopped the further advance of the Germans to the East ...

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The 10th century in densely populated - by medieval, of course, standards - Western Europe was marked by the beginning of expansion. In the future, from century to century, this expansion expanded, taking on a variety of forms.

The European peasant, bent under the burden of duties before the lord, dared to invade the recalcitrant forests. He cut down trees, cleared the land from the bushes and drained the swamps, obtaining additional arable land.

The Europeans pushed the Saracens (the Arabs who seized Spain), there was a Reconquista ("reconquest" of Spain).

Inspired by the lofty idea of ​​freeing the Holy Sepulcher and overwhelmed by a thirst for wealth and new lands, the crusaders stepped into the Levant - this is how the territories located along the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean were called in the Middle Ages.

The European "push to the east" began; peasants, skilled urban craftsmen, experienced traders, knights en masse appeared in the Slavic countries, for example, in Poland and the Czech Republic, began to settle and settle down there. This contributed to the rise of the economy, social and cultural life of the Eastern European countries, but at the same time gave rise to problems, creating rivalry and opposition between the newcomers and the indigenous population. Especially a big wave immigrants flooded from the German lands, where the rulers of the German Empire (after the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa) supported the "onslaught to the East."

Soon, the eyes of the Europeans were riveted to the Baltic States. It was perceived as a forest desert, slightly inhabited by wild Letto-Lithuanian and Finno-Ugric pagan tribes who did not know the state power. Russia and the Scandinavian countries have been expanding here since ancient times. They colonized areas bordering on themselves. They imposed tribute on local tribes. Back in the days of Yaroslav the Wise, the Russians built their fortress Yuriev (named after the one given to Yaroslav the Wise at the baptism of the name of George) behind Lake Peipsi in the land of the Finno-Ugric Estonians. The Swedes moved into the possession of the Finns until they reached the borders of the Karelian land controlled by Novgorod.

At the end of the 12th - beginning of the 13th centuries, people from the west of Europe appeared in the Baltics. First came word-bearers Christ's Catholic missionaries. In 1184 the monk Maynard tried unsuccessfully to convert the Livs (the ancestors of modern Latvians) to Catholicism. Monk Berthold in 1198 preached Christianity with the swords of the knights-crusaders. Canon Albert of Bremen, sent by the Pope, captured the mouth of the Dvina and founded Riga in 1201. A year later, on the Livonian lands conquered around Riga, an order of knight-monks was created. He called Order of the Swordsmen in the shape of a long cross, more like a sword. In 1215-1216, the swordsmen conquered Estonia. This was preceded by their struggle with the Russian and Lithuanian princes, as well as enmity with Denmark, which from the beginning of the 12th century claimed Estonia.

In 1212, the sword-bearers came close to the borders of the Pskov and Novgorod lands. Mstislav Udaloy, who reigned in Novgorod, successfully resisted them. Then, during the reign of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich's father in Novgorod, the sword-bearers were defeated near Yuryev (modern Tartu). The city remained with the crusaders, subject to the payment of tribute to Novgorod (St. George's tribute). By 1219, Denmark had conquered Northern Estonia, but after 5 years the sword-bearers took it back to themselves.

The activity of the crusaders pushed the Lithuanian tribes (Lithuania, zhmud) to rally. They, the only Baltic peoples, began to form their own state.

In the land of the Baltic tribe of the Prussians, which was located near the Polish borderland, another order of the crusaders was founded - the Teutonic Order. Previously, he was in Palestine, but the Polish king invited the Teutons to the Baltic states, hoping for their help in the fight against the pagans of the Prussians. The Teutons soon began to seize Polish possessions as well. As for the Prussians, they were exterminated.

But defeat in 1234 from the father of Alexander Nevsky Yaroslav, and in 1236 - from the Lithuanians led to the reform of the Order of the Swordsmen. In 1237 it became a branch of the Teutonic Order, and they began to call it Livonian.

Batu's invasion gave rise to the hope of the crusaders that the expansion could be expanded to the northern lands of the Orthodox, who were considered heretics in the West for a long time - after the split of the churches in 1054. Especially attracted by Mr. Veliky Novgorod. But not only the crusaders were seduced by the Novgorod land. She was also interested in the Swedes.

Mr. Veliky Novgorod and Sweden fought more than once when their interests in the Baltic countries clashed. At the end of the 1230s, news was received in Novgorod that the son-in-law of the Swedish king Jarl (title of the Swedish nobility) Birger was preparing a raid on the Novgorod possessions. Prince in Novgorod then sat Alexander, the 19-year-old son of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. He ordered the Izhora elder Pelgusia to keep an eye on the coast and report the Swedish invasion. As a result, when the Scandinavian boats entered the Neva and stopped at the confluence of the Izhora River, Prince of Novgorod was notified in time. July 15, 1240 Alexander arrived at the Neva and with the forces of a small Novgorod detachment and his squad unexpectedly attacked the enemy.

Against the backdrop of the devastation of northeastern Russia by the Mongol Khan Batu, this battle broke a difficult circle for his contemporaries: Alexander brought Russia victory and, along with it, hope, faith in his own strength! This victory earned him the honorary title of Nevsky.

The belief that the Russians are capable of winning victories helped to withstand the difficult days of 1240, when a more dangerous enemy - the Livonian Order - invaded Novgorod. Ancient Izborsk fell. The Pskov traitors opened the gates for the enemy. The crusaders scattered across the Novgorod land and plundered in the vicinity of Novgorod. Not far from Novgorod, the crusaders built a fortified outpost, raided Luga and the Sabelny graveyard, which was located 40 versts from Novgorod.

Alexander was not in Novgorod. He fell out with the independent Novgorodians and left for Pereyaslavl Zalessky. Under the pressure of circumstances, the Novgorodians began to ask the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yaroslav for help. The Novgorodians wanted to see Alexander Nevsky at the head of the Suzdal regiments. Grand Duke Yaroslav sent another son - Andrei with a cavalry detachment, but the Novgorodians stood their ground. In the end, Alexander arrived, led his Pereyaslav squad and the Vladimir-Suzdal militia, which consisted mainly of peasants. Collected shelves and Novgorodians.

In 1241, the Russians launched an offensive, having recaptured Koporye from the crusaders. The fortress erected by the knights in Koporye was destroyed. In the winter of 1242, Alexander Nevsky unexpectedly appeared at Pskov and liberated the city.

Russian troops entered the borders of the Order, but soon their vanguard was defeated by the knights. Alexander took his regiments to the eastern shore of Lake Peipsi and decided to fight.

April 5, 1242 of the year a great slaughter took place on the melted ice. The Russians stood up as a traditional "eagle": in the center there was a regiment consisting of Vladimir-Suzdal militias, on the sides - regiments of the right and left hand - heavily armed Novgorod infantry and mounted princely squads. The peculiarity was that a significant mass of troops was located precisely on the flanks, usually the center was the strongest. Behind the back of the militia was a steep bank covered with boulders. On the ice in front of the shore, a sledge of a convoy was placed, fastened with chains. This made the coast completely impassable for knightly horses and was supposed to keep the faint-hearted in the Russian camp from fleeing. A horse squad stood in ambush at the island of Crow Stone.

The knights moved on the Russians "Boar's head". It was a special system that more than once brought success to the crusaders. In the center of the "boar's head" marched, closing ranks, infantrymen-bollards. On the sides and behind them, horsemen, clad in armor, rode in 2-3 rows, their horses also had shells. Ahead, narrowing at the edge, the ranks of the most experienced knights moved. The "boar's head", nicknamed the "pig" by the Russians, rammed the enemy and broke through the defenses. Knights with spears, battle axes, swords destroyed the enemy. When he was defeated, the infantrymen of the bollards were released, finishing off the wounded and fleeing.

The chronicle tale of the battle on the ice reports "the swiftness of the slaughter of evil, and the crackle from the spears, and the breaking, and the sound of the sword cut."

The knights crushed the Russian center and spun in place, breaking their own formation. They had nowhere to move. From the flanks, the "regiments of the right and left hand" pressed on the knights. As if with ticks they squeezed a "pig". On both sides, those who fought had many deaths. The ice was red with blood. The enemy suffered mainly from the infantry. It was difficult to kill the knight. But if he was pulled off his horse, then he became defenseless - the weight of the armor did not allow him to get up and move.

Suddenly the April ice cracked. The knights mingled. Those who fell into the water went like a stone to the bottom. The troops of Alexander Nevsky struck with renewed vigor. The crusaders fled. Russian horsemen pursued them for several kilometers.

The ice battle was won. The plan of the crusaders to establish themselves in Northern Russia failed.

In 1243, ambassadors of the Order arrived in Novgorod. Peace was signed. The crusaders recognized the inviolable borders of the Lord of Veliky Novgorod, promised to regularly pay tribute to Yuryev. The terms of the ransom of several dozen knights who were captured were negotiated. Alexander led these noble captives from Pskov to Novgorod beside their horses, barefoot, bareheaded, with a rope around their necks. It was impossible to think of a greater insult to the honor of knighthood.

In the future, military clashes took place between Novgorod, Pskov and the Livonian Order more than once, but the border of the possessions of both sides remained stable. For the possession of Yuryev, the Order continued to pay tribute to Novgorod, and from the end of the 15th century - to the Moscow united Russian state.

Politically and morally, the victories over the Swedes and the knights of the Livonian Order were very important: the scale of the Western European onslaught on the northwestern borders of Russia decreased. Alexander Nevsky's victories over the Swedes and the Crusaders interrupted a series of defeats for the Russian troops.

For Orthodox Church especially important was the prevention of Catholic influence on the Russian lands. It is worth remembering that the crusade of 1204 ended with the capture of Constantinople by the crusaders, the capital of the Orthodox Empire, which considered itself the Second Rome. For more than half a century, the Latin Empire existed on Byzantine territory. Greek Orthodox "huddled" in Nicaea, from where they tried to win back their possessions from the Western crusaders. The Tatars, on the contrary, were allies of the Orthodox Greeks in their struggle against the Islamic and Turkish onslaught on the eastern Byzantine borders. According to the practice that has developed since the 10th century, most of the higher hierarchs of the Russian Church were by origin Greek or South Slavs who came to Russia from Byzantium. The head of the Russian Church, the Metropolitan, was appointed by the Patriarch of Constantinople. Naturally, the interests of the universal Orthodox Church were above all for the leadership of the Russian Church. Catholics seemed far more dangerous than Tatars. It is no coincidence that before Sergius of Radonezh (second half of the 14th century), not a single prominent church hierarch blessed or called for the fight against the Tatars. The invasion of Batu and the Tatar rats were interpreted by the clergy as "the scourge of God", the punishment of the Orthodox for their sins.

It was the church tradition that created around the name of Alexander Nevsky, canonized after death, the aura of an ideal prince, warrior, "sufferer" (fighter) for the Russian land. This is how he entered the national mentality. In this case, Prince Alexander is in many ways the "brother" of Richard the Lionheart. The legendary "doubles" of both monarchs overshadowed their real historical images. In both cases, the "legend" is far removed from the original prototype.

In serious science, meanwhile, disputes about the role of Alexander Nevsky in Russian history do not subside. Alexander's position in relation to the Golden Horde, his participation in the organization of the Nevruyeva army of 1252 and the spread of the Horde yoke to Novgorod, the cruel even for that time reprisals characteristic of Alexander in the fight against his opponents, cause conflicting judgments regarding the results of the activities of this undoubtedly bright hero of Russian history ...

For the Eurasians and L.N. Gumilyov Alexander is a far-sighted politician who correctly chose an alliance with the Horde, turned his back to the West.

For other historians (for example, I.N.Danilevsky) the role of Alexander in national history rather negative. This role is the actual conductor of the Horde dependence.

Some historians, including S.M. Solovyova, V.O. Klyuchevsky, does not at all consider the Horde yoke "a useful union for Russia," but notes that Russia did not have the strength to fight. Supporters of the continuation of the struggle against the Horde - Daniel Galitsky and Prince Andrey Yaroslavich, despite the nobility of their impulse, were doomed to defeat. Alexander Nevsky, on the contrary, was aware of the realities and was forced, as a politician, to seek a compromise with the Horde in the name of the survival of the Russian land.