Ice battle on Lake Peipus. Myths about the Ice Battle

Battle on the Ice, artist Serov V.A. (1865-19110

When the event happened : 5 April 1242

Where did the event take place : Lake Peipus (near Pskov)

Members:

The troops of the Novgorod Republic and the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality under the leadership of Alexander Nevsky and Andrei Yaroslavich

Livonian Order, Denmark. Commander - Andres von Velven

Causes

Livonian order:

Capture of Russian territories in the northwest

Spread of Catholicism

Russian troops:

Defense of the northwestern borders from the German knights

Prevention of subsequent threats of attack on Russia by the Livonian Order

Defending access to the Baltic Sea, the possibility of trade with Europe

Defense of the Orthodox Faith

move

In 1240, the Livonian knights captured Pskov and Koporye

In 1241, Alexander Nevsky recaptured Koporye.

At the beginning of 1242, Nevsky with his brother Andrei Yaroslavich of Suzdal took Pskov.

The knights were lined up in a battle wedge: heavy knights on the flanks, and light ones in the center. In Russian chronicles, such a formation was called a "great pig."

First, the knights attacked the center of the Russian troops, thinking to surround them from the flanks. However, they themselves were trapped in pincers. Moreover, Alexander introduced an ambush regiment.

The knights began to be pushed to the lake, on which the ice was no longer strong. Most of the knights drowned. Only a few managed to escape.

Results

Eliminated the threat of the capture of the northwestern lands

Saved trade relations with Europe, Russia defended access to the Baltic Sea.

According to the agreement, the knights left all the conquered lands and returned the prisoners. The Russians also returned all the prisoners.

For a long time the raids of the West on Russia stopped.

Meaning

The defeat of the German knights is a bright page in the history of Russia.

For the first time, foot Russian soldiers were able to defeat heavily armed cavalry.

The significance of the battle is also great in the sense that the victory took place during the period of the Mongol-Tatar yoke. In the event of a defeat, it would be much more difficult for Russia to get rid of the double oppression.

The Orthodox faith was protected, as the crusaders wanted to actively introduce Catholicism in Russia. But it was precisely Orthodoxy in the period of fragmentation and the yoke that was the link that united the people in the struggle against the enemy.

During the battle on the ice and the Battle of the Neva, the military talent of the young Alexander Nevsky manifested itself. He used proven tactics:

inflicted before the battle whole line successive blows to the enemy, and only then did the decisive battle take place.

used the surprise factor

successfully and on time introduced an ambush regiment into battle

the location of the Russian troops was more flexible than the clumsy "pig" of the knights.

skillful use of terrain features: Alexander deprived the enemy of freedom of space, he himself used the terrain for a strong blow to the enemy.

It is interesting

April 18 (according to the old style - April 5) is the Day of Military Glory of Russia. The holiday was established in 1995.

Material prepared: Melnikova Vera Aleksandrovna

Monument to the squads of Alexander Nevsky on Mount Sokolikha in Pskov

Battle on the Ice, artist Matorin V.

Battle on the Ice, artist Nazaruk V.M., 1982

Alexander Nevskiy. Battle on the Ice, artist Kostylev A., 2005

Alexander Nevsky and Battle of the Ice

Alexander Nevsky: Brief Biography

To the Prince of Novgorod and Kiev and Grand Duke Vladimirsky, Alexander Nevskiy best known for stopping the advance of the Swedes and the knights of the Teutonic Order to Russia. At the same time, instead of confronting the Mongols, he paid tribute to them. Such a position, many considered cowardice, but perhaps Alexander simply sensibly assessed his capabilities.

A son Yaroslav II Vsevolodovich, Grand Duke of Vladimir and all-Russian leader, Alexander, was elected Prince of Novgorod in 1236 (primarily a military position). In 1239 he married Alexandra, daughter of the prince of Polotsk.

Some time ago, the Novgorodians invaded Finnish territory, which was under the control of the Swedes. In response to this, and also wanting to block Russian access to the sea, in 1240 the Swedes invaded Russia.

Alexander won a significant victory over the Swedes at the mouth of the Izhora River, on the banks of the Neva, as a result of which he received the honorary title Nevsky. However, a few months later, Alexander was expelled from Novgorod due to a conflict with the Novgorod boyars.

A little later, the Pope Gregory IX began to call on the Teutonic Knights to “Christianize” the Baltic region, although the peoples living there were already Christians. In the face of this threat, Alexander was invited to return to Novgorod, and, after several clashes, in April 1242, he won a famous victory over the knights on the ice of Lake Peipsi. Thus, Alexander stopped the advance to the east of both the Swedes and the Germans.

But there was another serious problem, in the east. Mongolian troops conquered most of Russia, which at that time was not politically unified. Alexander's father agreed to serve the new Mongol rulers, but died in September 1246. As a result of this, the throne of the Grand Duke was free and Alexander and his younger brother Andrei went to Batu(Batu), Mongol Khan of the Golden Horde. Batu sent them to the great Kagan, who, perhaps in spite of Batu, who preferred Alexander, violated Russian custom, appointed Andrei the Grand Duke of Vladimir. Alexander became the prince of Kiev.

Andrei entered into an agreement with other Russian princes and western neighbors, against the Mongol rulers, and Alexander took the opportunity to report on his brother Sartak, the son of Batu. Sartak sent an army to overthrow Andrew and soon Alexander took his place as Grand Duke.

As the Grand Duke, Alexander sought to restore the prosperity of Russia through the construction of fortifications, temples and the adoption of laws. He continued to control Novgorod with the help of his son Vasily. This violated the established traditions of government in Novgorod (veche and invitation to reign). In 1255, the inhabitants of Novgorod expelled Vasily, but Alexander gathered an army and returned Vasily back to the throne.

In 1257, in connection with the upcoming census and taxation, an uprising broke out in Novgorod. Alexander helped force the city into submission, probably fearing that the Mongols would punish all of Russia for Novgorod's actions. In 1262, uprisings began to take place against Muslim tribute collectors from the Golden Horde, but Alexander managed to avoid reprisals by going to Saray, the capital of the Horde on the Volga, and discussing the situation with the khan. He also achieved the release of Russia from the obligation to supply soldiers for the khan's army.

On the way home, Alexander Nevsky died in Gorodets. After his death, Russia broke up into warring principalities, but his son Daniel received Moscow as a principality, which, in the end, led to the reunification of the northern Russian lands. In 1547, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Alexander Nevsky as a saint.

Battle on the Ice

The Battle on the Ice (Lake Peipsi) took place on April 5, 1242, during the Northern Crusades (12th-13th centuries).

Armies and Generals

crusaders

German of Dorpat
1,000 - 4,000 people

Prince Alexander Nevsky
Prince Andrei II Yaroslavich
5,000 – 6,000 people

Ice Battle - prehistory

In the thirteenth century, the papacy tried to force the Orthodox Christians living in the Baltic region to accept papal sovereignty. Despite the fact that previous efforts were unsuccessful, in the 1230s a new attempt was made to create an ecclesiastical state in the Baltics.

While preaching the Crusade in the late 1230s, William of Modena organized a Western coalition to invade Novgorod. This papal action against Russia coincided with the desire of the Swedes and Danes to expand their territories to the east, so both states began to supply troops for the campaign, as well as the knights of the Teutonic Order.

The trade center of the region, Novgorod, like most of Russia, was invaded by the Mongols in the recent past (Novgorod lands were only partially destroyed, and the Mongols did not go to Novgorod itself per.). Formally remaining independent, in 1237 Novgorod accepted Mongol rule. The Western invaders calculated that the Mongol invasion would divert the attention of Novgorod and that this was the right time to attack.

In the spring of 1240, Swedish troops began to advance into Finland. The alarmed residents of Novgorod called the recently exiled Prince Alexander back to the city to lead the army (Alexander was expelled and called back after the Battle of Neva per.). Having planned a campaign against the Swedes, Alexander defeated them in the Battle of the Neva and received the honorary title Nevsky.

Campaign in the south

Although the crusaders were defeated in Finland, they were more fortunate in the south. Here, at the end of 1240, a mixed force of the Livonian and Teutonic Knights, Danish, Estonian and Russian troops managed to capture Pskov, Izborsk, and Koporye. But in 1241 Alexander conquered the eastern lands of the Neva, and in March 1242 he liberated Pskov.

Wanting to strike back at the crusaders, he raided the lands of the Order in the same month. Having finished with this, Alexander began to retreat to the East. Gathering his troops in this region together, Hermann, Bishop of Derpt, went in pursuit.

Battle on the Ice

Although Herman's troops were smaller, they were better equipped than their Russian opponents. The pursuit continued, and on April 5, Alexander's army set foot on the ice of Lake Peipus. Crossing the lake, in the narrowest place, he was looking for a good defensive position and it turned out to be the eastern shore of the lake, with ice blocks protruding from uneven ground. Turning around on this spot, Alexander drew up his army, placing the infantry in the center and the cavalry on the flanks. Arriving on the west bank, the crusader army formed a wedge, placing heavy cavalry at the head and on the flanks.

Moving on the ice, the crusaders reached the location of the Russian army of Alexander. Their movement slowed down as they had to overcome bumps and suffer casualties from archers. When both armies clashed, hand-to-hand combat began. As the battle raged, Alexander ordered his cavalry and mounted archers to flank the Crusaders. Rushing forward, they soon successfully surrounded Herman's army and began to beat him. As the battle took this turn, many crusaders began to fight their way back across the lake.

According to the myths, the crusaders began to fall through the ice, but most likely there were few who failed. Seeing that the enemy was retreating, Alexander allowed them to pursue him only to the western shore of the lake. Defeated, the crusaders were forced to flee to the West.

Consequences of the Battle of the Ice

While Russian casualties are not known with sufficient accuracy, it is established that about 400 crusaders died and another 50 were captured. After the battle, Alexander offered generous peace terms, which were quickly accepted by Herman and his allies. The defeats on the Neva and Lake Peipsi actually stopped the attempts of the West to subjugate Novgorod. Based on a minor event, the Battle on the Ice subsequently formed the basis of Russian anti-Western ideology. This legend was promoted by the film Alexander Nevskiy, taken by Sergei Eisenstein in 1938.

The legend and iconography of the Battle of the Ice was used for propaganda purposes during World War II as a description of Russia's defense against German invaders.

On April 5, 1242, the famous Battle of the Ice took place on Lake Peipus. Russian soldiers under the command of Prince Alexander Nevsky defeated the German knights, who were about to strike at Veliky Novgorod. This date has not been officially recognized as a public holiday for a long time. Only on March 13, 1995 was adopted the federal law No. 32-FZ "On the days of military glory (victorious days) of Russia". Then, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the Russian authorities again took care of the issue of reviving patriotism in the country. In accordance with this law, April 18 was appointed as the day of celebration of the victory over Lake Peipsi. The official commemorative date was called "The Victory Day of the Russian soldiers of Prince Alexander Nevsky over the German knights on Lake Peipus."

Interestingly, in the same 1990s, Russian political parties nationalist persuasion, at the suggestion of the well-known followers of the writer Eduard Limonov, April 5 began to be celebrated as the "Day of the Russian Nation", also dedicated to the victory on Lake Peipus. The difference in dates was due to the fact that the "Limonovites" chose to celebrate the date April 5 Julian calendar, and the official memorable date is considered according to the Gregorian calendar. But the most interesting thing is that according to the proleptic Gregorian calendar, extending to the period up to 1582, this date should have been celebrated on April 12. But in any case, the very decision to set a date in memory of such a large-scale event in the national economy was very correct. Moreover, it was one of the first and most impressive episodes of the clash between the Russian world and the West. Subsequently, Russia will fight more than once with Western countries, but the memory of the soldiers of Alexander Nevsky, who defeated the German knights, is still alive.

The events that will be discussed below unfolded against the background of the total weakening of the Russian principalities during the Mongol invasion. In 1237-1240. Mongol hordes again invaded Russia. This time was prudently used by Pope Gregory IX for another expansion to the northeast. At that time, Holy Rome was preparing, firstly, a crusade against Finland, which at that time was still predominantly populated by pagans, and secondly, against Russia, which was considered by the pontiff as the main competitor of the Catholics in the Baltics.

The Teutonic Order was ideally suited for the role of the executor of expansionist plans. The times that will be discussed were the era of the order's heyday. Later, already during the Livonian War of Ivan the Terrible, the order was in far from the best condition, and then, in the XIII century, the young military-religious formation was a very strong and aggressive enemy that controlled impressive territories on the banks of Baltic Sea. The order was considered the main conductor of the influence of the Catholic Church in North-Eastern Europe and directed its attacks against the Baltic and Slavic peoples living in these parts. The main task of the order was the enslavement and conversion to Catholicism of local residents, and if they did not want to accept the Catholic faith, then the "noble knights" mercilessly destroyed the "pagans". Teutonic knights appeared in Poland, called by the Polish prince to help in the fight against the Prussian tribes. The conquest of the Prussian lands by the order began, which took place quite actively and rapidly.

It should be noted that the official residence of the Teutonic Order during the events described was still in the Middle East - in Montfort Castle on the territory of modern Israel (the historical land of Upper Galilee). Montfort housed the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, the archive and the order's treasury. Thus, the top leadership managed the order's possessions in the Baltics remotely. In 1234, the Teutonic Order absorbed the remnants of the Dobrinsky Order, created in 1222 or 1228 on the territory of Prussia to protect the Prussian bishopric from the raids of the Prussian tribes.

When in 1237 the remnants of the Order of the Swordsmen (Brotherhood of the Warriors of Christ) joined the Teutonic Order, the Teutons also gained control over the possessions of the Swordsmen in Livonia. On the Livonian lands of the Sword-bearers, the Livonian Landmaster of the Teutonic Order arose. Interestingly, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire Frederick II back in 1224 declared the lands of Prussia and Livonia subordinate directly to Holy Rome, and not to local authorities. The order became the chief viceroy of the papal throne and the spokesman for the papal will in the Baltic lands. At the same time, the course for the further expansion of the order in Eastern Europe and the Baltic states continued.

Back in 1238, the Danish king Valdemar II and the Grand Master of the Order Hermann Balk agreed on the division of Estonian lands. Veliky Novgorod was the main obstacle for the German-Danish knights, and it was against him that the main blow was directed. Sweden came out in alliance with the Teutonic Order and Denmark. In July 1240, Swedish ships appeared on the Neva, but already on July 15, 1240, on the banks of the Neva, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich inflicted a crushing defeat on the Swedish knights. For this he was nicknamed Alexander Nevsky.

The defeat of the Swedes did not greatly contribute to the abandonment of their allies from their aggressive plans. The Teutonic Order and Denmark were going to continue the campaign against North-Eastern Russia with the aim of planting Catholicism. Already at the end of August 1240, Bishop Herman of Derpt went on a campaign against Russia. He gathered an impressive army of knights of the Teutonic Order, Danish knights from the Reval fortress and the Dorpat militia, and invaded the territory of the modern Pskov region.

The resistance of the Pskovites did not give the proper result. The knights captured Izborsk and then laid siege to Pskov. Although the first siege of Pskov did not bring desired result and the knights retreated, they soon returned and were able to take the Pskov fortress, using the help of the former Pskov prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich and the traitorous boyars led by Tverdilo Ivankovich. Pskov was taken, it housed a knight's garrison. Thus, the Pskov land became a springboard for the actions of the German knights against Veliky Novgorod.

A difficult situation at that time was also developing in Novgorod itself. The townspeople drove Prince Alexander out of Novgorod in the winter of 1240/1241. Only when the enemy came very close to the city, they sent messengers to Pereslavl-Zalessky to call Alexander. In 1241, the prince marched on Koporye, captured it by storm, killing the knights' garrison located there. Then, by March 1242, Alexander, having waited for the help of the troops of Prince Andrei from Vladimir, marched on Pskov and soon took the city, forcing the knights to retreat to the Derpt bishopric. Then Alexander invaded the order's lands, but when the advanced forces were defeated by the knights, he decided to retreat back and prepare in the area of Lake Peipus for the main battle. The ratio of forces of the parties, according to sources, was approximately 15-17 thousand soldiers from Russia, and 10-12 thousand Livonian and Danish knights, as well as the militia of the Derpt bishopric.

The Russian army was commanded by Prince Alexander Nevsky, and the knights were commanded by Landmaster of the Teutonic Order in Livonia Andreas von Velfen. A native of the Austrian Styria, Andreas von Velfen, before taking up the post of viceroy of the order in Livonia, was the commander (commandant) of Riga. What kind of commander he was is evidenced by the fact that he decided not to personally participate in the battle on Lake Peipsi, but remained at a safe distance, transferring command to more junior order commanders. The Danish knights were commanded by the sons of King Valdemar II himself.

As you know, the crusaders of the Teutonic Order usually used the so-called "pig" or "boar's head" as a battle formation - a long column, at the head of which was a wedge from the ranks of the strongest and most experienced knights. Behind the wedge were detachments of squires, and in the center of the column - infantry from mercenaries - immigrants from the Baltic tribes. On the sides of the column followed a heavily armed knightly cavalry. The meaning of this formation was that the knights wedged into the enemy’s formation, splitting it into two parts, then breaking it into smaller parts, and only then finished off with the participation of their infantry.

Prince Alexander Nevsky took a very interesting move - he placed his forces on the flanks in advance. In addition, the cavalry squads of Alexander and Andrei Yaroslavich were placed in an ambush. In the center stood the Novgorod militia, and in front - a chain of archers. Behind them, chained convoys were placed, which were supposed to deprive the knights of the opportunity to maneuver and evade the blows of the Russian army. On April 5 (12), 1242, Russians and knights entered into combat contact. The archers were the first to take the onslaught of the knights, and then the knights were able to break through the Russian system with the help of their famous wedge. But it wasn’t there - the heavily armed knightly cavalry got stuck at the convoy and then the regiments of the right and left hands moved from the flanks. Then the princely squads entered the battle, which put the knights to flight. The ice broke, unable to bear the weight of the knights, and the Germans began to sink. The soldiers of Alexander Nevsky pursued the knights on the ice of Lake Peipsi for seven miles. The Teutonic Order and Denmark suffered a complete defeat in the battle on Lake Peipsi. According to the Simeon Chronicle, 800 Germans and Chuds "without number" died, 50 knights were captured. The losses of the troops of Alexander Nevsky are unknown.

The defeat of the Teutonic Order had an impressive impact on its leadership. The Teutonic Order renounced all territorial claims to Veliky Novgorod and returned all the lands seized not only in Russia, but also in Latgale. Thus, the effect of the defeat inflicted on the German knights was colossal, primarily politically. The Battle on the Ice demonstrated to the West that a strong enemy awaits the famous crusaders in Russia, ready to fight on their native lands to the last. Already later, Western historians tried in every possible way to belittle the significance of the battle on Lake Peipus - either they claimed that in reality there were much smaller forces, then they characterized the battle as the starting point for the formation of the "myth of Alexander Nevsky".

The victories of Alexander Nevsky over the Swedes and over the Teutonic and Danish knights were of great importance for the further Russian history. Who knows how the history of the Russian land would have developed if the soldiers of Alexander had not won these battles then. After all main goal knights was the conversion of Russian lands to Catholicism and their complete subordination to the dominion of the order, and through it - and Rome. For Russia, therefore, the battle was of decisive importance in terms of preserving national and cultural identity. We can say that the Russian world was forged, including in the battle on Lake Peipus.

Alexander Nevsky, who defeated the Swedes and the Teutons, entered Russian history forever both as a church saint and as a brilliant commander and defender of the Russian land. It is clear that the contribution of the countless warriors of the Novgorod and princely combatants was no less. History has not preserved their names, but for us, living 776 years later, Alexander Nevsky is, including those Russian people who fought on Lake Peipsi. He became the personification of the Russian military spirit, power. It was under him that Russia showed the West that it was not going to obey him, that it was a special land with its own way of life, with its people, with its own cultural code. Then the Russian soldiers had more than once to "beat" the West in the teeth. But the starting point was precisely the battles won by Alexander Nevsky.

Followers of political Eurasianism say that Alexander Nevsky predetermined Russia's Eurasian choice. During his reign, Russia developed more peaceful relations with the Mongols than with the German knights. At least the Mongols did not seek to destroy the identity of the Russian people by imposing their beliefs on them. In any case, the political wisdom of the prince was that in difficult times for the Russian land, he was able to relatively secure Novgorod Russia in the east, winning battles in the west. This was his military and diplomatic talents.

776 years have passed, but the memory of the feat of Russian soldiers in the battle on Lake Peipus remains. In the 2000s, a number of monuments to Alexander Nevsky were opened in Russia - in St. Petersburg, Veliky Novgorod, Petrozavodsk, Kursk, Volgograd, Alexandrov, Kaliningrad and many other cities. Eternal memory to the prince and all Russian soldiers who defended their land in that battle.

Losses

Monument to the squads of A. Nevsky on Mount Sokolikh

The question of the losses of the parties in the battle is controversial. About Russian losses, it is said vaguely: "many brave warriors fell." Apparently, the losses of the Novgorodians were really heavy. The losses of the knights are indicated by specific numbers, which cause controversy. Russian chronicles, and after them domestic historians, say that about five hundred people were killed by the knights, and the Chudi were “pade beschisla”, as if fifty “brothers”, “deliberate governors” were taken prisoner. Four hundred or five hundred killed knights is a completely unrealistic figure, since there were not such a number in the entire Order.

According to the Livonian chronicle, for the campaign it was necessary to collect "many brave heroes, brave and excellent" led by the master, plus Danish vassals "with a significant detachment." The Rhymed Chronicle specifically says that twenty knights died and six were taken prisoner. Most likely, the "Chronicle" refers only to the "brothers" - knights, not taking into account their squads and the Chud recruited into the army. The Novgorod First Chronicle says that 400 "Germans" fell in the battle, 50 were taken prisoner, and the "chud" is also discounted: "beschisla". Apparently, they suffered really serious losses.

So, it is possible that 400 German cavalry soldiers really fell on the ice of Lake Peipsi (twenty of them were real "brothers" - knights), and 50 Germans (of which 6 were "brothers") were captured by the Russians. The Life of Alexander Nevsky claims that the prisoners then walked near their horses during the joyful entry of Prince Alexander into Pskov.

According to the conclusions of the expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences led by Karaev, the immediate place of the battle can be considered a section of the Warm Lake, located 400 meters west of the modern shore 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 beneficial for the heavy cavalry of the Order, however, it is traditionally believed that Alexander Yaroslavich chose the place to meet the enemy.

Consequences

According to the point of view traditional 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 pressure of three serious enemies from the west - at the very time when the rest of Russia was suffering heavy losses from princely strife and the consequences of the Tatar conquest. In Novgorod, the Battle of the Germans on the Ice was remembered for a long time: together with the Neva victory over the Swedes, it was remembered in litanies in all Novgorod churches as early as the 16th century.

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 the numerous defenders of Novgorod and Pskov did before him and what many did after him - namely, they rushed to protect the extended and vulnerable borders from invaders. The Russian professor I. N. Danilevsky agrees with this opinion. He notes, in particular, that the battle was inferior in scale to the battles near Siauliai (city), in which the master of the order and 48 knights were killed by the Lithuanians (20 knights died on Lake Peipsi), and the battle near 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 unequivocally described as a defeat for the Germans, in contrast to Rakovor.

The memory of the battle

Movies

Music

The Eisenstein film score, composed by Sergei Prokofiev, is a symphonic suite commemorating the events of the battle.

Monument to Alexander Nevsky and Poklonny Cross

The bronze worship 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 direction of D. Gochiyaev by the foundry workers of ZAO NTTsKT, architects B. Kostygov and S. Kryukov. During the implementation of the project, fragments from the lost wooden cross by sculptor V. Reshchikov were used.

Cultural and sports educational raid expedition

Since 1997, an annual raid expedition has been conducted to the places of feats of arms of Alexander Nevsky's squads. During these trips, the participants of the race 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.

The battle of April 5, 1242 on the ice of Lake Peipus is one of the glorious episodes of Russian history. Naturally, it constantly attracted the attention of researchers and popularizers of science. But ideological tendencies often affected the assessment of this event. The description of the battle was overgrown with speculation and myths. It is claimed that from 10 to 17 thousand people participated in this battle from each side. This equates the battle to an exceptionally crowded one.

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

The main reliable information about the battle of 1242 is contained in Novgorod First Chronicle of the Elder Edition. Her record is contemporary to the event. The chronicler reported general data on the war between Novgorod and the Livonian Order in 1242. He also left a few brief remarks about 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 observed Prince Alexander Yaroslavich as a commander, slightly supplements the chronicle. Only the testimony of "an eyewitness who allegedly saw a favorable sign in heaven - the regiment of God" is given.

The data of the two named sources were reflected in many later chronicles. The latter rarely contain new factual additions, but add a number of embellishments. Summing up chronicle and hagiographic reports, we can state that they are rather concise. We learn about the campaign of 1242, the failure of the reconnaissance detachment, the withdrawal of Russian troops to the ice of Lake Peipus, the formation of the German detachment, its defeat and flight. The details of the battle are not given. There is no usual data on the alignment of their regiments, the exploits of combatants, the behavior of the commander. The chiefs of the German army are 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 not necessary for weather records.

The conciseness of Russian sources is partly supplemented by the exposition "The Elder Livonian Rhymed Chronicle". Compiled in the last decade of the thirteenth century. The chronicle was intended to be read among the Livonian brothers-knights, therefore, many of the poetic stories cited in it, despite the well-known stereotype, are documentary and very valuable for ideas about the military side of the matter.

Political and military situation

In the first half of the 13th century, in the north-west of Russia, weakened by the Mongol-Tatar invasion, the aggression of the German knights of the Livonian Order was a great danger. They entered into an alliance with the Swedish and Danish knights on a joint attack on Russia.

A formidable danger hung over Russia from the West, from the side of the Catholic spiritual and chivalric orders. After the founding of the Riga fortress at the mouth of the Dvina (1198), frequent clashes began between the Germans on the one hand, and the Pskovians and Novgorodians on the other.

In 1237, the Teutonic Order of the Knights of the Blessed Virgin Mary, having united into one with the Livonian Order, began to carry out a widespread forcible colonization and Christianization of the Baltic tribes. The Russians helped the pagan Balts, who were tributaries of Veliky Novgorod and did not want to be baptized by Catholic Germans. After a series of small skirmishes, it came to war. Pope Gregory IX blessed the German knights in 1237 to conquer native Russian lands.

In the summer of 1240, German crusaders, gathered from all the fortresses of Livonia, invaded the Novgorod land. The invading army consisted of Germans, Medvezhans, Yuryevites and Danish knights from Revel. With them was a traitor - Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich. They appeared under the walls of Izborsk and took the city by storm. The people of Pskov rushed to the rescue of their countrymen, but their militia was defeated. Some of the killed were over 800 people, including the voivode Gavrila Gorislavich.

In the footsteps of the fugitives, the Germans approached Pskov, crossed the Velikaya River, pitched their camp under the very walls of the Kremlin, set fire to the settlement and began to destroy churches and surrounding villages. For a whole week they kept the Kremlin under siege, preparing for an assault. But things did not come to this: the Pskovite Tverdilo Ivanovich surrendered the city. The knights took hostages and left their garrison in Pskov.

Prince Alexander Yaroslavich ruled in Novgorod from 1236. In 1240, when the aggression of the Swedish feudal lords against Novgorod began, he was not yet 20 years old. He participated in the campaigns of his father, was well read and had an idea about war and the art of war. But he didn't have much personal experience. Nevertheless, on July 21 (July 15), 1240, with the help of his small squad and the Ladoga militia, he defeated the Swedish army, which landed at the mouth of the Izhora River (at its confluence with the Neva), with a sudden and swift attack. For the victory in the Battle of the Neva, in which the young prince showed himself to be a skilled military leader, showed personal valor and heroism, he was nicknamed "Nevsky". But soon, due to the intrigues of the Novgorod nobility, Prince Alexander left Novgorod and went to reign in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky.

The defeat of the Swedes on the Neva did not completely eliminate the danger hanging over Russia. The appetite of the Germans increased. They have already said: "Let's reproach the Slovenian language ... to ourselves", that is, let's subdue the Russian people. Already in the early autumn of 1240, the Livonian knights occupied the city of Izborsk. Soon, his fate was shared by Pskov, captured with the help of traitors - the boyars .. In the same autumn of 1240, the Livonians captured the southern approaches to Novgorod, invaded the lands adjacent to the Gulf of Finland, and created the Koporye fortress here, where they left their garrison. It was an important foothold that allowed control of the Novgorod trade routes along the Neva, to plan further advance to the East. After that, the Livonian aggressors invaded the very center of the Novgorod possessions, captured the Novgorod suburb of Tesovo. In the winter of 1240-1241, the knights reappeared uninvited guests to the Novgorod land. This time they captured the territory of the Vod tribe, east of the river. Narova, "You have fought everything and laid tribute on them." Having captured the "Vodskaya Pyatina", the knights captured Tesov (on the Oredezh River), and their patrols appeared 35 km from Novgorod. Thus, a vast territory in the area of Izborsk - Pskov - Sabel - Tesov - Koporye was in the hands of the Germans.

The Germans had already considered the Russian border lands to be their property; the pope "transferred" the coast of the Neva and Karelia under the jurisdiction of the bishop of Ezel, who concluded an agreement with the knights: he negotiated for himself a tenth of everything that the land gives, and left everything else - fishing, mowing, arable land - to the knights.

Then the people of Novgorod remembered Prince Alexander. The lord of Novgorod himself went to ask the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yaroslav Vsevolodovich to let his son go, and Yaroslav, realizing the danger of the threat emanating from the West, agreed: the matter concerned not only Novgorod, but all of Russia.

Neglecting past grievances, at the request of the Novgorodians, Alexander Nevsky returned to Novgorod at the end of 1240 and continued the fight against the invaders. Alexander organized an army of Novgorodians, Ladoga, Karelians and Izhors. First of all, it was necessary to resolve the question of the method of action. In the hands of the enemy were Pskov and Koporye. Alexander understood that the simultaneous performance in two directions would scatter forces. Therefore, having determined the Koporye direction as a priority - the enemy was approaching Novgorod - the prince decided to strike the first blow at Koporye, and then free Pskov from the invaders.

This operation showed that the forces of the united troops of the Novgorodians and some Finnish tribes could be successful. The moment of the trip was well chosen. In the same 1241, the prince recaptured Pskov from the knights. 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. But the enemy was still strong, and the decisive battle was ahead.

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.

Preparing for war

Arriving in Novgorod in 1241, Alexander found Pskov and Koporye in the hands of the Order and immediately began retaliatory actions, taking advantage of the difficulties of the Order, which was then diverted to fight the Mongols (Battle of Legnica).

Before the campaign against the knights, Alexander Nevsky prayed in the church of Sophia, asking the Lord for help in victory: “Judge me, God, and judge my feud with the eloquent people (with the Livonian Germans), and help me, God, as You helped Moses in ancient times defeat Amalek, and helped my great-grandfather Yaroslav defeat the accursed Svyatopolk.

After this prayer, he left the temple and turned to the squad and the militia with the words: “We will die for St. Sophia and free Novgorod! Let's die for the Holy Trinity and free Pskov! Zane, the Russians have no other fate than to harrow their Russian land, the Orthodox Christian faith! And all the Russian soldiers answered him: “With you, Yaroslavich, we will win or die for the Russian land!”

Thus, in 1241, Alexander went on a campaign. 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 carried out, food supplies were replenished, and “full” was captured. The regiments comprehended the Derpt bishopric, but they did not begin to besiege castles and cities, but stayed in the coastal part of Lake Peipsi. The brother-knights of the Livonian Order and the Derptians (the chronicle calls them a miracle), perhaps with the support of the Danes who owned Northern Estonia, were preparing for retaliatory actions.

Alexander reached Koporye, took it by storm "and erupted the city from the base", killed most of the garrison: "and beat the Germans themselves, and bring others with them to Novgorod." Some of the knights and mercenaries from the local population were taken prisoner, but released: “and let others go, be more merciful than measure”, and the traitors from among the Chuds were hanged: “and the vozhans and chuds of peretniks (that is, traitors) were hanged (hung )". Vodskaya Pyatina was cleared of the Germans. The right flank and rear of the Novgorod army were now safe.

In March 1242, the Novgorodians again set out on a campaign and were soon near Pskov. Alexander, believing that he did not have enough strength to attack a strong fortress, was waiting for his brother Andrei Yaroslavich with the Suzdal ("lower") squads, which soon approached. When the "grassroots" army was still on the way, Alexander with the Novgorod forces marched near Pskov. The city was surrounded by them. The order did not have time to quickly gather reinforcements and send them to the besieged. The rati included Novgorodians (black people - wealthy citizens, as well as boyars and city foremen), the princely squad of Alexander himself, the "Nizovites" from the Vladimir-Suzdal land - a detachment of Grand Duke Yaroslav Vsevolodich, detached under the leadership of Alexander's brother, Andrei Yaroslavich (in this detachment, according to the Rhymed Chronicle, were Suzdalians). In addition, according to the Pskov First Chronicle, there were Pskovians 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 the Life, the regiments marched "in great strength." The German source generally testifies to a 60-fold superiority of Russian forces, which is clearly exaggerated.

Pskov

Pskov was taken, the garrison was killed, and the order's governors (2 knight brothers) in chains were sent to Novgorod. According to the Novgorod First Chronicle of the senior version (came down to us as part of the parchment Synodal list of the 14th century, containing records of the events of 1016-1272 and 1299-1333) "In the summer of 6750 (1242/1243). Poide Prince Oleksandr with Novgorodians and with his brother Andreem and from Nizovtsi to the Chud land on Nemtsi and Chud and zaya all the way to Plskov; and expel the prince of Plskov, seize Nemtsi and Chud, and shackle the streams to Novgorod, and go to Chud himself.

All these events took place in March 1242. After this defeat, the Order began to concentrate its forces within the Derpt bishopric, preparing an offensive against the Russians. The order gathered a great force: almost all of its knights were here with the “meister” (master) at the head, “with all their biscops (bishops), and with all the multitude of their language, and their power, whatever is in this country, and with help of the queen”, that is, there were German knights, the local population and the army of the Swedish king. In the spring of 1242, reconnaissance of the Livonian Order was sent from Dorpat (Yuriev) in order to probe the strength of the Russian troops.

The Novgorodians outplayed them in time. Alexander decided to transfer the war to the territory of the Order itself, led troops to Izborsk, his intelligence crossed the border. “And go,” the chronicler reports, “to the German land, although Christian blood is to avenge.” Alexander sent forward several reconnaissance detachments. One of them, “dispersal” under the command of the brother of the posadnik Domash Tverdislavich and Kerbet (one of the “nizovsky” governors), came across German knights and Chuds (Ests), was defeated about 18 kilometers south of Dorpat by an order reconnaissance detachment. At the same time, Domash died: “And as if on the ground (chud), let the whole regiment live; and Domash Tverdislavich and Kerbet were dispersed, and I killed Nemtsi and Chud at the bridge and beat that one; and killed that Domash, the brother of the posadnik, husband is honest, and I beat him with him, and I took him with his hands, and I ran to the prince in the regiment; the prince went back to the lake.

The surviving part of the detachment returned to the prince and informed him of what had happened. The victory over a small detachment of Russians inspired the order command. He developed a tendency to underestimate the Russian forces, a conviction was born in the possibility of their easy defeat. The Livonians decided to give the Russians a battle and for this they set out from Derpt to the south with their main forces, as well as their allies, led by the master of the order himself. The main part of the troops consisted of armored knights.

Alexander was able to determine that the main forces of the knights moved much further north, to the junction between Pskov and Peipus Lakes. Alexander's reconnaissance found out that the enemy sent insignificant forces to Izborsk, and his main forces were moving towards Lake Peipus. Thus, they went out to Novgorod by a short road and cut off the Russian troops in the Pskov region.

The Novgorod army turned to the lake, "the Germans and Chud walked along them." The Novgorodians tried to repel the detour of the German knights by performing an unusual maneuver: they retreated to the ice of Lake Peipsi, north of the Uzmen tract, near the island of Voroniy Kamen: “to Uzmeniu Voronen Kameni”.

Having reached Lake Peipus, the Novgorod army found itself in the center of possible enemy movement routes to Novgorod. The order army also approached there in battle order. Thus, the place of the battle was proposed by the Russian side with a clear expectation to carry out a maneuver battle against the German formation, called the "pig", at the same time by several detachments. Now Alexander decided to give battle and stopped. “The howl of the Grand Duke Alexander, filled with the spirit of a warrior, beating their heart like a lion,” they were ready to “lay down their heads.” The forces of the Novgorodians were little more than a knight's army.

Position of Alexander Nevsky

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

The battle order of the Russians is not described in the sources, however, according to indirect data, it can be interpreted. In the center was the princely regiment of the commander-in-chief, next to it were the regiments of the right and left hands. Ahead of the main regiment, according to the Rhymed Chronicle, were archers. Before us is a three-part division of the main army, typical for its time, which could, however, be more complex.

"Grassroots regiments" consisted of princely squads, squads of boyars, city regiments. The army sent 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 (gridi) and was subordinate to the posadnik (however, the garrison could remain in the city itself and not participate in the battle) , Konchansky regiments, militia of settlements and squads of "freemen", private military organizations of boyars and wealthy merchants.

On the whole, the army deployed by Novgorod and the "grassroots" lands was a rather powerful force, distinguished by a high fighting spirit. A significant part of the Russian troops, judging by its mobility, significant marching movements across Estonian soil, the desire to measure strength with mounted knights, and finally, the choice of the battle site, which created freedom of maneuver in a large open space, could be mounted.

According to some historians, the total number of Russian troops reached 15 - 17 thousand people. However, this figure is likely to be too high. A real army could number up to 4 - 5 thousand people, of which 800 - 1000 people were on horseback princely squads. Most of it was made up of foot warriors of the militia.

Position of the Order

Of particular note is the question of the number of troops of the order that set foot on the ice of Lake Peipsi. Historians' opinions on the number of German knights also differ. Domestic historians usually gave a number of 10 - 12 thousand people. Later researchers, referring to the German "Rhyming Chronicle", name three hundred, four hundred people, with the support of foot mercenaries armed with spears, and the allies of the order - Livs. The figures available in chronicle sources are the losses of the order, which amounted to about twenty "brothers" killed and six captured. Considering that for one "brother" there were 3 - 5 "half-brothers" who did not have the right to booty, the total number of the Livonian army itself can be determined at 400 - 500 people.

Given the recent defeat that the Teutons suffered from the Mongols near Legnica on April 9, 1241, the order could not help its Livonian "branch". Also participating in the battle were Danish knights and a militia from Dorpat, which included a large number of Estonians, but knights, which could not be numerous. Thus, the order had a total of about 500 - 700 cavalry and 1000 - 1200 Estonian militia. Like the estimates of Alexander's troops, these figures are debatable.

The question of who commanded the troops of the order in battle is also unresolved. Given the heterogeneous composition of the troops, it is possible that there were several commanders.

Despite the defeat of the order, Livonian sources do not contain information that any of the order's chiefs was killed or captured.

Battle

The battle on Lake Peipus, which went down in history under the name "Battle on the Ice", began on the morning of April 5, 1242.

Alexander Nevsky placed the Russian army on the southeastern shore of Lake Peipsi, opposite the island of Voronii Kamen. There is no information about the order of battle of the troops. It can be assumed that it was a "regimental row" with a sentry regiment in front. Judging by the chronicle miniatures, the battle formation was facing the rear of the steep, steep eastern shore of the lake, and Alexander's best squad hid in an ambush behind one of the flanks. The chosen position was advantageous in that the Germans, advancing along open ice, were deprived of the opportunity to determine the location, number and composition of the Russian rati.

The army of the crusaders lined up in a “wedge” (“pig”, according to Russian chronicles). In chain mail and helmets, with long swords, they seemed invulnerable. The plan of the Livonian knights was to crush the large regiment of Alexander Nevsky with a powerful blow, and then the flank regiments. But Alexander guessed the enemy's plan. In the center of his formation, he placed the weaker regiments, and on the flanks, the strongest. An ambush regiment was hidden to the side.

At sunrise, noticing a small detachment of Russian shooters, the knightly "pig" rushed at him.

Historians considered the "pig" a kind of wedge-shaped army formation - a sharp column. The Russian term in this respect was an exact translation of the German Schweinkopf of the Latin caput porci. In turn, the mentioned term is related to the concept of wedge, point, cuneus, acies. The last two terms have been used in sources since Roman times. But they can not always be interpreted figuratively. So often separate military detachments were called, regardless of the method of their construction. For all that, the very name of such detachments hints at their peculiar configuration. Indeed, the wedge-shaped system is not the fruit of the theoretical fantasy of ancient writers. Such a formation was actually used in the combat practice of the 13th - 15th centuries. in Central Europe, and went out of use only at the end of the 16th century.
Based on the surviving written sources, which have not yet attracted the attention of domestic 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 - the military instruction "Preparation for a Campaign", written in 1477. for one of the Brandenburg commanders. It lists three divisions - gonfalons (Banner). Their names are typical - "Hound", "St. George" and "Great". Banners numbered 400, 500 and 700 cavalry soldiers, respectively. At the head of each detachment, a standard-bearer and selected knights were concentrated, located in 5 ranks. In the first line, depending on the number of banners, from 3 to 7-9 mounted knights lined up, in the last - from 11 to 17. The total number of wedge warriors ranged from 35 to 65 people. The ranks were lined up in such a way that each subsequent one on its flanks increased by two knights. Thus, the extreme warriors in relation to each other were placed, as it were, in 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 a concentrated frontal strike and at the same time was difficult to vulnerable from the flanks.

The second, columnar part of the gonfalon, according to the "Preparation for the Campaign", consisted of a quadrangular construction, which included bollards. The number of knechts and each of the three above-mentioned detachments was 365, 442 and 629 (or 645), respectively. They were located in depth from 33 to 43 lines, each of which contained from 11 to 17 horsemen. Among the knechts were servants who were part of the knight's retinue: usually an archer or crossbowman and a squire. All together they formed the lowest military unit - "spear" - numbering 3-5 people, rarely more. During the battle, these warriors, equipped no worse than a knight, came to the aid of their master, changed his horse. The advantages of the column-wedge-shaped banner include its cohesion, flank cover of the wedge, ramming power of the first strike, and precise controllability. The formation of such a banner was convenient both for movement and for starting a battle. The tightly closed ranks of the head part of the detachment, when in contact with the enemy, did not have to turn around to protect their flanks. The wedge of the advancing army made a frightening impression, 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 an early victory.

The described system was both dry and shortcomings. During the battle, if it dragged on, the best forces - the knights, could be the first to be put out of action. As for the bollards, during the battle of the knights they were in an expectant-passive state and had little effect on the outcome of the battle.

It is also possible to more specifically determine the size of the Livonian combat detachment of the 13th century. In 1268 in the battle at Rakovor, as the chronicle mentions, a German iron regiment, the “great pig”, acted. According to the Rhyming Chronicle, 34 knights and a militia participated in the battle. This number of knights, if supplemented by the commander, will be 35 people, which exactly corresponds to the composition of the knightly wedge of one of the detachments noted in the "Preparation for the Campaign" of 1477. (true for "Hound" - banners, not "Great"). In the same "Preparation for the campaign" the number of knights 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 large error that, in terms of their overall quantitative 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, it is unlikely that its composition was superior to that of Rakovor - the "great pig". During the period under review, the Livonian Order, distracted by the struggle in Courland, could not field a large army.

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 already entered the ice of Lake Peipus in battle formation, the bollards walked ahead, followed by a discordant column of “chudins”, which was pressed from the rear a line of knights and sergeants of the Bishop of Dorpat. 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: “The Russians had many shooters who courageously stepped forward and were the first to take the onslaught in front of the prince’s retinue.” Apparently the archers did not inflict serious losses. Having fired at the Germans, the archers had no choice but to withdraw to the flanks of a large regiment. The riflemen took the brunt of the "iron regiment" and, with courageous resistance, noticeably upset its advance.

Putting out long spears, the Germans attacked the center (“brow”) of the Russian battle formation. Here is what is written in the "chronicle": "The banners of the brothers penetrated the ranks of the shooters, it was heard how swords rang, helmets were cut, how the fallen fell on the grass from both sides" most likely this was recorded from the words of an eyewitness who was in the rear ranks of the army, and it is quite possible that the warrior mistook some other Russian unit for the advanced archers.

The chosen tactics paid off. A Russian chronicler writes about the breakthrough of the Novgorod regiments by the enemy: "The Germans also made their way through the regiments like a pig." The knights broke through the defensive orders of the Russian "chela". However, having stumbled upon the steep shore of the lake, the inactive, armored knights could not develop their success. The knights' cavalry crowded together, as the rear ranks of the knights pushed the front ranks, which had nowhere to turn for battle. A fierce hand-to-hand fight ensued. And at its very height, when the "pig" was completely involved in the battle, at the signal of Alexander Nevsky, the regiments of the left and right hands hit its flanks with all their might.

The German "wedge" was clamped in pincers. At this time, Alexander's squad struck from the rear and completed the encirclement of the enemy. "The brothers' army was surrounded."

Warriors who had special spears with hooks pulled the knights off their horses; warriors armed with knives "booters" disabled horses, after which the knights became easy prey. “And there was that slash of evil and great Germans and people, and the betrusk from a copy of the breaking, and the sound from the sword section, as if the lake would freeze to move, and not see the ice, covered with blood.” The ice began to crack under the weight of heavily armed knights huddled together. The enemy was surrounded.

Then suddenly, from behind a shelter, a cavalry ambush regiment rushed into battle. Not expecting the appearance of such Russian reinforcements, the knights were confused and, under their powerful blows, began to gradually retreat. And soon this retreat took on the character of a disorderly flight. Some knights managed to break through the encirclement and tried to flee, but many of them drowned.

The order chronicler, wishing to somehow explain the fact of the defeat of the brothers in faith, extolled the Russian soldiers: “The Russians had countless bows, a lot of beautiful armor. Their banners were rich, their helmets radiated light." He spoke sparingly about the defeat itself: “Those who were in the army of the knight brothers were surrounded, the knight brothers defended themselves quite stubbornly. But they were defeated there.

From this we can conclude that the German formation was drawn into the battle with the central opposing regiment, while the side regiments managed to cover the flanks of the German army. The Rhymed Chronicle writes that “part of the Derptians (“Chuds” of the Russian chronicle) left the battle, this was their salvation, they were forced to retreat.” We are talking about the knights who covered the rear of the knights. Thus, the striking force of the German army - the knights - was left without cover. Surrounded, they were apparently unable to maintain formation, reorganize for new attacks, and, moreover, were left without reinforcements. This predetermined the complete defeat of the German army, in the first place - its most organized and combat-ready force.

The battle ended with the pursuit of the fleeing enemy in a panic. At the same time, some of the enemies died in battle, some were captured, and some, once in place thin ice- "sigovine", fell through the ice. The cavalry of the Novgorodians pursued the remnants of the knightly army, which had fled in disarray, across the ice of Lake Peipsi up to the opposite shore, seven versts, completing their rout.

The Russians also suffered losses: "This victory cost Prince Alexander many brave men." The Novgorod First Chronicle reports that as a result of the battle, 400 Germans fell, 90 were taken prisoner, and "they were devastated." The given posters, apparently, are 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. Where such an exact figure of "damage" is taken from is unknown. Did the "late" German chronicler triple the losses indicated in the "Rhymed Chronicle" (20 + 6x3 = 78)?

The pursuit of the remnants of a defeated enemy outside the battlefield was a new phenomenon in the development of Russian military art. Novgorodians did not celebrate the victory "on the bones", as was customary before. The German knights were completely defeated. In the battle, more than 400 knights and "countless" other troops were killed, 50 "deliberate commanders", that is, noble knights, were captured. All of them on foot followed the horses of the winners to Pskov. Only those who were in the tail of the "pig" and were on horseback managed to escape: the master of the order, commanders and bishops.

The figures given by the "Rhymed Chronicle" of the disabled fighters may be close to the true ones. As mentioned, there were 26 knights killed and captured. Probably, almost all of them were part of the wedge: these people were the first to enter the battle and were in the greatest danger. Taking into account the five-rank formation, it can be assumed that the number of the wedge was no more than 30-35 knights. Not surprisingly, most of them laid down their lives on the battlefield. This composition of the wedge assumes its maximum width in the form of a line of 11 fighters.

The number of knights in this kind of columns was somewhat more than 300 people. As a result, with all the calculations and assumptions, the total number of the German-Chudian army that took part in the battle of 1242 was unlikely to exceed three or four hundred people, and most likely was even smaller.

After the battle, the Russian army went to Pskov, as it is said in the Life:. “And Alexander returned with a glorious victory, and many captives went in his army, and they were led barefoot near the horses, those who called themselves “God's knights.”

The Livonian troops suffered a crushing defeat. "Battle on the Ice" dealt a heavy blow to the order. This battle stopped the advance of the crusaders to the East, which was aimed at the conquest and colonization of Russian lands.

The significance of the victory of the Russian troops under the leadership of Prince Alexander Nevsky over the German knights was truly historical. The Order asked for peace. Peace was concluded on terms dictated by the Russians.

In the summer of 1242, the “order brothers” sent ambassadors to Novgorod with a bow: “I have entered Pskov, Vod, Luga, Latygolu with a sword, and we are retreating from everything, and what we have taken into the full of your people (captives), and we will change them, we will let yours in, and you will let ours in, and we will let Pskov full.” Order ambassadors solemnly renounced all encroachments on Russian lands, which were temporarily captured by the order. The Novgorodians agreed to these conditions, and peace was concluded.

The victory was won not only by the strength of Russian weapons, but also by the strength of the Russian faith. The squads continued to fight under the command of the glorious prince in 1245 with the Lithuanians, in 1253 again with the German knights, in 1256 with the Swedes, and in 1262 together with the Lithuanians against the Livonian knights. All this was later, and after the Battle of the Ice, Prince Alexander lost his parents one by one, remaining an orphan.

The battle on the ice went down in history as a remarkable example of military tactics and strategy and became the first case in the history of military art when heavy knightly cavalry was defeated in a field battle by an army consisting mostly of infantry. The Russian battle formation (“regimental formation” in the presence of a reserve) turned out to be flexible, as a result of which it was possible to encircle the enemy, whose battle formation was a sedentary mass; the infantry successfully interacted with their cavalry.

Skillful formation of a battle order, a clear organization of the interaction of its individual parts, especially infantry and cavalry, constant reconnaissance and accounting weaknesses enemy when organizing a battle, right choice place and time, the good organization of tactical pursuit, the destruction of most of the superior enemy - all this determined the Russian military art as the best in the world.

The victory over the army of the German feudal lords was of great political and military-strategic importance, postponing their offensive to the East - "Drang nach Osten", - which was the leitmotif of German policy from 1201 to 1241. The northwestern border of the Novgorod land was securely secured just in time for the Mongols to return from a campaign in Central Europe. Later, when Batu returned to Eastern Europe, Alexander showed the necessary flexibility and agreed with him on the establishment of peaceful relations, eliminating any reason for new invasions.

Losses

Russian chronicles, and after them domestic historians, say that about five hundred people were killed by the knights, and the Chudi were “pade beschisla”, as if fifty “brothers”, “deliberate governors” were taken prisoner. Five hundred killed knights is a completely unrealistic figure, since there were no such numbers in the entire Order.

According to the Livonian chronicle, the battle was not a major military clash, and the losses of the Order amounted to an insignificant amount. The Rhymed Chronicle specifically says that twenty knights died and six were taken prisoner. Perhaps the "Chronicle" has in mind only brother-knights, not taking into account their squads and the Chud recruited into the army. The Novgorod “First Chronicle” tells that 400 “Germans” fell in the battle, 50 were taken prisoner, and the “chud” is also discounted: “beschisla”. Apparently, they suffered really serious losses.

So, 400 German soldiers really fell on the ice of Lake Peipus (twenty of them were real knight brothers), and 50 Germans (of which 6 were brothers) were taken prisoner by the Russians. "The Life of Alexander Nevsky" claims that the prisoners then walked near their horses during the joyful entry of Prince Alexander into Pskov.

In the Rhymed Chronicle, the Livonian chronicler claims that the battle did not take place on the ice, but on the shore, on land. According to the conclusions of the expedition of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR under the leadership of Karaev, the site of the Warm Lake, located 400 meters west of the modern shore of Cape Sigovets, between its northern tip and the latitude of the village of Ostrov, can be considered the immediate place of the battle.

It should be noted that the battle on a flat surface of ice was more beneficial for the heavy cavalry of the Order, however, it is traditionally believed that Alexander Yaroslavich chose the place to meet the enemy.

Consequences

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 the numerous defenders of Novgorod and Pskov did before him and what many did after him - namely, they rushed to protect the extended and vulnerable borders from invaders. Russian professor I.N. Danilevsky agrees with this opinion. He notes, in particular, that the battle was inferior in scale to the battles near Siauliai (1236), in which the master of the order and 48 knights were killed by the Lithuanians (20 knights died on Lake Peipsi), and the battle near Rakovor in 1268; contemporary sources even describe the Battle of the Neva in more detail and attach more importance to it.

"Battle on the Ice" - a monument in honor of the victory of Russian soldiers over the German knights on April 5, 1242 on Lake Peipus.

It is located on Mount Sokolikha, Piskovichi volost, Pskov region. Opened in July 1993.

The main part of the monument is a bronze sculpture of Russian soldiers headed by A. Nevsky. The composition includes copper ensigns, which testify to the participation in the battle of Pskov, Novgorod, Vladimir and Suzdal warriors.