Battle on the Ice 1242 battle diagram. Battle on the Ice - briefly

In a fierce battle on Lake Peipsi on April 5, 1242, Novgorod warriors under the command of Prince Alexander Nevsky won a significant victory over the army Livonian Order. To put it briefly " Ice battle", then even a fourth grade student will understand what we are talking about. The battle under this name has great historical significance. That is why its date is one of the days of military glory.

At the end of 1237, the Pope proclaimed the 2nd Crusade in Finland. Taking advantage of this plausible pretext, in 1240 the Livonian Order captured Izborsk, and then Pskov. When a threat loomed over Novgorod in 1241, at the request of the city's residents, Prince Alexander led the defense of Russian lands from invaders. He led an army to the Koporye fortress and took it by storm.

In March of the following year, his younger brother, Prince Andrei Yaroslavich, came to his aid from Suzdal with his retinue. By joint actions the princes recaptured Pskov from the enemy.

After this, the Novgorod army moved to the Dorpat bishopric, which was located on the territory of modern Estonia. Dorpat (now Tartu) was ruled by Bishop Hermann von Buxhoeveden, brother of the military leader of the order. The main forces of the crusaders were concentrated in the vicinity of the city. The German knights met with the vanguard of the Novgorodians and defeated them. They were forced to retreat to the frozen lake.

Troop formation

The combined army of the Livonian Order, Danish knights and Chuds (Baltic-Finnish tribes) was built in the shape of a wedge. This formation is sometimes called a boar's head or pig's head. The calculation is made to break battle formations enemy and wedge into them.

Alexander Nevsky, assuming a similar formation of the enemy, chose a scheme for placing his main forces on the flanks. The correctness of this decision was shown by the outcome of the battle on Lake Peipsi. The date April 5, 1242 is of crucial historical significance.

Progress of the battle

At sunrise, the German army under the command of Master Andreas von Felfen and Bishop Hermann von Buxhoeveden moved towards the enemy.

As can be seen from the battle diagram, the archers were the first to enter the battle with the crusaders. They fired at the enemies, who were well protected by armor, so under the pressure of the enemy the archers had to retreat. The Germans began to press the middle of the Russian army.

At this time, a regiment of the left and right hands attacked the crusaders from both flanks. The attack was unexpected for the enemy, his battle formations lost order, and confusion ensued. At this moment, Prince Alexander’s squad attacked the Germans from the rear. Now the enemy was surrounded and began a retreat, which soon turned into a rout. Russian soldiers pursued those who fled for seven miles.

Losses of the parties

As with any military action, both sides suffered big losses. Information about them is quite contradictory - depending on the source:

The Livonian rhymed chronicle mentions 20 knights killed and 6 captured;
The Novgorod First Chronicle reports about 400 Germans killed and 50 prisoners, as well as large quantities those killed among the Chudi “and the Pade Chudi were beschisla”;
The Chronicle of Grandmasters provides data on the fallen seventy knights of the “70 Lords of the Order”, “seuentich Ordens Herenn”, but this total number killed in the battle on Lake Peipsi and during the liberation of Pskov.

Most likely, the Novgorod chronicler, in addition to the knights, also counted their warriors, which is why such large differences are observed in the chronicle: we're talking about about different people killed.

Data on the losses of the Russian army are also very vague. “Many brave warriors fell,” our sources say. The Livonian Chronicle says that for each dead German accounted for 60 killed Russians.

As a result of two historical victories of Prince Alexander (on the Neva over the Swedes in 1240 and on Lake Peipus), it was possible to prevent the seizure of the Novgorod and Pskov lands by the crusaders. In the summer of 1242, ambassadors from the Livonian department of the Teutonic Order arrived in Novgorod and signed a peace treaty in which they renounced encroachment on Russian lands.

About these events in 1938 was created feature film"Alexander Nevsky". The Battle of the Ice went down in history as an example of military art. The brave prince was canonized as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church.

For Russia, this event plays a big role in the patriotic education of youth. At school they begin to study the topic of this fight in the 4th grade. Children will find out what year the Battle of the Ice took place, who they fought with, and mark on the map the place where the Crusaders were defeated.

In 7th grade, students are already working on this in more detail. historical event: draw tables, diagrams of battles with symbols, give messages and reports on this topic, write abstracts and essays, read the encyclopedia.

The significance of the battle on the lake can be judged by the way it is presented in different types arts:

According to the old calendar, the battle took place on April 5, and according to the new calendar, on April 18. On this date, the day of victory of the Russian soldiers of Prince Alexander Nevsky over the crusaders was legally established. However, the discrepancy of 13 days is valid only in the interval from 1900 to 2100. In the 13th century the difference would have been only 7 days. Therefore, the actual anniversary of the event falls on April 12. But as you know, this date was “staken out” by the astronauts.

According to Doctor of Historical Sciences Igor Danilevsky, the significance of the Battle of Lake Peipus is greatly exaggerated. Here are his arguments:

A well-known expert on medieval Rus' Englishman John Fennel and German historian specializing in Eastern Europe, Dietmar Dahlmann. The latter wrote that the significance of this ordinary battle was inflated in order to form a national myth, in which Prince Alexander was appointed the defender of Orthodoxy and Russian lands.

The famous Russian historian V.O. Klyuchevsky did not even mention this battle in his scientific works, probably due to the insignificance of the event.

Data on the number of participants in the fight are also contradictory. Soviet historians believed that about 10-12 thousand people fought on the side of the Livonian Order and their allies, and the Novgorod army was about 15-17 thousand warriors.

Currently, most historians are inclined to believe that there were no more than sixty Livonian and Danish knights on the side of the order. Taking into account their squires and servants, this is approximately 600 - 700 people plus the Chud, the number of which is not available in the chronicles. According to many historians, there were no more than a thousand miracles, and there were about 2,500 - 3,000 Russian soldiers. There is another curious circumstance. Some researchers reported that Alexander Nevsky was helped in the Battle of Lake Peipus by Tatar troops sent by Batu Khan.

In 1164, a military clash took place near Ladoga. At the end of May, the Swedes sailed to the city on 55 ships and besieged the fortress. Less than a week later, the Novgorod prince Svyatoslav Rostislavich arrived with his army to help the Ladoga residents. He committed a real Ladoga massacre on uninvited guests. According to the testimony of the First Novgorod Chronicle, the enemy was defeated and put to flight. It was a real rout. The winners captured 43 ships out of 55 and many prisoners.

For comparison: in the famous battle on the Neva River in 1240, Prince Alexander took neither prisoners nor enemy ships. The Swedes buried the dead, grabbed the stolen goods and went home, but now this event is forever associated with the name of Alexander.

Some researchers question the fact that the battle took place on ice. It is also considered speculation that during the flight the crusaders fell through the ice. In the first edition of the Novgorod Chronicle and in the Livonian Chronicle, nothing is written about this. This version is also supported by the fact that at the bottom of the lake at the supposed location of the battle, nothing was found confirming the “under-ice” version.

In addition, it is unknown where exactly the Battle of the Ice took place. You can read briefly and in detail about this in different sources. According to the official point of view, the battle took place on the western shore of Cape Sigovets in the southeastern part Lake Peipsi. This place was determined based on the results of a scientific expedition of 1958−59 led by G.N. Karaev. At the same time, it should be noted that no archaeological finds were found that clearly confirm the scientists’ conclusions.

There are other points of view about the location of the battle. In the eighties of the twentieth century, an expedition led by I.E. Koltsov also explored the supposed site of the battle using dowsing methods. The supposed burial places of fallen soldiers were marked on the map. Based on the results of the expedition, Koltsov put forward the version that the main battle took place between the villages of Kobylye Gorodishche, Samolva, Tabory and the Zhelcha River.

Prince of Novgorod (1236-1240, 1241-1252 and 1257-1259), and later the Grand Duke of Kiev (1249-1263), and then Vladimir (1252-1263), Alexander Yaroslavich, known in our historical memory as Alexander Nevsky, - one of the most popular heroes in the history of Ancient Rus'. Only Dmitry Donskoy and Ivan the Terrible can compete with him. A big role in this was played by Sergei Eisenstein’s brilliant film “Alexander Nevsky”, which turned out to be in tune with the events of the 40s of the last century, and more recently also by the “Name of Russia” competition, in which the prince won a posthumous victory over other heroes of Russian history.

The glorification of Alexander Yaroslavich by the Russian Orthodox Church as a noble prince is also important. Meanwhile, popular veneration of Alexander Nevsky as a hero began only after the Great Patriotic War. Before that, even professional historians paid much less attention to him. For example, in pre-revolutionary general courses on the history of Russia, the Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice are often not mentioned at all.

Now it is critical and even neutral attitude to the hero and saint is perceived by many in society (both in professional circles and among history buffs) very painfully. However, active debate continues among historians. The situation is complicated not only by the subjectivity of each scientist’s view, but also by the extreme complexity of working with medieval sources.

All information in them can be divided into repetitive (quotes and paraphrases), unique and verifiable. Accordingly, you need to trust these three types of information varying degrees. Among other things, the period from approximately the middle of the 13th to the middle of the 14th century is sometimes called “dark” by professionals precisely because of the scarcity of the source base.

In this article we will try to consider how historians evaluate the events associated with Alexander Nevsky, and what, in their opinion, is his role in history. Without delving too deeply into the arguments of the parties, we will nevertheless present the main conclusions. Here and there, for convenience, we will divide part of our text about each major event into two sections: “for” and “against”. In reality, of course, there is a much greater range of opinions on each specific issue.

Battle of Neva

The Battle of the Neva took place on July 15, 1240 at the mouth of the Neva River between the Swedish landing force (the Swedish detachment also included a small group of Norwegians and warriors of the Finnish tribe Em) and the Novgorod-Ladoga squad in alliance with the local Izhora tribe. Estimates of this collision, like the Battle of the Ice, depend on the interpretation of the data from the First Novgorod Chronicle and the “Life of Alexander Nevsky”. Many researchers treat information in life with great distrust. Scientists also differ on the question of the dating of this work, on which the reconstruction of events greatly depends.

For
The Battle of the Neva is a fairly large battle that had great value. Some historians even talked about an attempt to blockade Novgorod economically and close access to the Baltic. The Swedes were led by the son-in-law of the Swedish king, the future Earl Birger and/or his cousin Earl Ulf Fasi. The sudden and quick attack of the Novgorod squad and Izhora warriors on the Swedish detachment prevented the creation of a stronghold on the banks of the Neva, and, possibly, a subsequent attack on Ladoga and Novgorod. This was a turning point in the fight against the Swedes.

6 Novgorod warriors distinguished themselves in the battle, whose exploits are described in the “Life of Alexander Nevsky” (there are even attempts to connect these heroes with specific people known from other Russian sources). During the battle, the young Prince Alexander “put a seal on his face,” that is, he wounded the Swedish commander in the face. For his victory in this battle, Alexander Yaroslavich subsequently received the nickname “Nevsky”.

Against
The scale and significance of this battle are clearly exaggerated. There was no talk of any kind of blockade. The skirmish was clearly minor, since, according to sources, 20 or less people died in it on the Russian side. True, we can only talk about noble warriors, but this hypothetical assumption is unprovable. Swedish sources do not mention the Battle of the Neva at all.

It is characteristic that the first large Swedish chronicle - “Eric's Chronicle”, which was written much later than these events, mentioning many Swedish-Novgorod conflicts, in particular the destruction of the Swedish capital of Sigtuna in 1187 by Karelians incited by the Novgorodians, is silent about this event.

Naturally, there was no talk of an attack on Ladoga or Novgorod either. It is impossible to say exactly who led the Swedes, but Magnus Birger, apparently, was in a different place during this battle. It is difficult to call the actions of Russian soldiers fast. The exact location of the battle is unknown, but it was located on the territory of modern St. Petersburg, and from it to Novgorod it is 200 km in a straight line, and longer over rough terrain. But it was still necessary to gather the Novgorod squad and connect somewhere with the Ladoga residents. This would take at least a month.

It is strange that the Swedish camp was poorly fortified. Most likely, the Swedes were not going to go deeper into the territory, but to baptize the local population, for which they had clergymen with them. This determines the great attention paid to the description of this battle in The Life of Alexander Nevsky. The story about the Battle of the Neva in the life is twice as long as about the Battle of the Ice.

For the author of the life, whose task is not to describe the deeds of the prince, but to show his piety, we are talking, first of all, not about military, but about spiritual victory. It is hardly possible to talk about this clash as a turning point if the struggle between Novgorod and Sweden continued for a very long time.

In 1256, the Swedes again tried to strengthen themselves on the coast. In 1300 they managed to build the Landskrona fortress on the Neva, but a year later they abandoned it due to constant enemy raids and the difficult climate. The confrontation took place not only on the banks of the Neva, but also on the territory of Finland and Karelia. Suffice it to recall the Finnish winter campaign of Alexander Yaroslavich in 1256-1257. and campaigns against the Finns by Earl Birger. Thus, at best, we can talk about stabilizing the situation for several years.

The description of the battle as a whole in the chronicle and in the “Life of Alexander Nevsky” should not be taken literally, since it is full of quotations from other texts: “The Jewish War” by Josephus, “The Acts of Eugenius”, “Trojan Tales”, etc. As for the duel between Prince Alexander and the leader of the Swedes, almost the same episode with a wound to the face appears in “The Life of Prince Dovmont,” so this plot is most likely transferable.

Some scientists believe that the life of the Pskov prince Dovmont was written earlier than the life of Alexander and, accordingly, the borrowing came from there. Alexander’s role is also unclear in the scene of the death of part of the Swedes on the other side of the river - where the prince’s squad was “impassable.”

Perhaps the enemy was destroyed by Izhora. The sources speak of the death of the Swedes from the angels of the Lord, which is very reminiscent of an episode from Old Testament(Chapter 19 of the Fourth Book of Kings) about the destruction by an angel of the Assyrian army of King Sennacherib.

The name “Nevsky” appears only in the 15th century. More importantly, there is a text in which the two sons of Prince Alexander are also called “Nevsky”. Perhaps these were proprietary nicknames, meaning the family owned land in the area. In sources close in time to the events, Prince Alexander bears the nickname “Brave”.

Russian-Livonian conflict 1240 - 1242 and Battle on the Ice

The famous battle, known to us as the “Battle of the Ice,” took place in 1242. In it, troops under the command of Alexander Nevsky and German knights with their subordinate Estonians (Chud) met on the ice of Lake Peipus. There are more sources for this battle than for the Battle of the Neva: several Russian chronicles, “The Life of Alexander Nevsky” and “Livonian Rhymed Chronicle”, reflecting the position of the Teutonic Order.

For
In the 40s of the 13th century, the papacy organized a crusade to the Baltic states, in which Sweden (Battle of the Neva), Denmark and the Teutonic Order took part. During this campaign in 1240, the Germans captured the Izborsk fortress, and then on September 16, 1240, the Pskov army was defeated there. According to the chronicles, between 600 and 800 people died. Next, Pskov was besieged, which soon capitulated.

As a result, the Pskov political group led by Tverdila Ivankovich submits to the Order. The Germans rebuild the Koporye fortress and raid the Vodskaya land, controlled by Novgorod. The Novgorod boyars ask the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yaroslav Vsevolodovich to return them to reign young Alexander Yaroslavich, expelled by “lesser people” for reasons unknown to us.

Prince Yaroslav first offers them his other son Andrei, but they prefer to return Alexander. In 1241, Alexander, apparently, with an army of Novgorodians, Ladoga, Izhorians and Karelians, conquered the Novgorod territories and took Koporye by storm. In March 1242, Alexander with a large army, including Suzdal regiments brought by his brother Andrei, expelled the Germans from Pskov. Then the fighting moves to enemy territory in Livonia.

The Germans defeat the advance detachment of Novgorodians under the command of Domash Tverdislavich and Kerbet. Alexander's main troops retreat to the ice of Lake Peipsi. There, on Uzmen, at the Raven Stone (the exact place is unknown to scientists, discussions are ongoing) on April 5, 1242, a battle takes place.

The number of Alexander Yaroslavich's troops is at least 10,000 people (3 regiments - Novgorod, Pskov and Suzdal). The Livonian Rhymed Chronicle says that there were fewer Germans than Russians. True, the text uses rhetorical hyperbole that there were 60 times fewer Germans.

Apparently, the Russians carried out an encirclement maneuver, and the Order was defeated. German sources report that 20 knights died and 6 were captured, and Russian sources tell of German losses of 400-500 people and 50 prisoners. Countless people died. The Battle of the Ice was a major battle that significantly influenced the political situation. In Soviet historiography it was even customary to talk about “the largest battle of the early Middle Ages.”

Against
General version crusade doubtful. The West at that time did not have sufficient forces or a general strategy, which is confirmed by the significant difference in time between the actions of the Swedes and the Germans. In addition, the territory, which historians conventionally call the Livonian Confederation, was not united. Here were the lands of the archbishoprics of Riga and Dorpat, the possessions of the Danes and the Order of the Sword (since 1237, the Livonian Landmaster of the Teutonic Order). All these forces were in very complex, often conflicting relationships with each other.

The knights of the order, by the way, received only a third of the lands they conquered, and the rest went to the church. There were difficult relations within the order between the former swordsmen and the Teutonic knights who came to reinforce them. The policies of the Teutons and former Swordsmen in the Russian direction were different. Thus, having learned about the beginning of the war with the Russians, the head of the Teutonic Order in Prussia, Hanrik von Winda, dissatisfied with these actions, removed the Landmaster of Livonia, Andreas von Woelven, from power. The new Landmaster of Livonia, Dietrich von Gröningen, after the Battle of the Ice, made peace with the Russians, freeing all occupied lands and exchanging prisoners.

In such a situation, there could be no talk of any united “Onslaught on the East”. Clash 1240-1242 - this is the usual struggle for spheres of influence, which either intensified or subsided. Among other things, the conflict between Novgorod and the Germans is directly related to Pskov-Novgorod politics, first of all, with the history of the expulsion of the Pskov prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich, who found refuge with the Dorpat Bishop Herman and tried to regain the throne with his help.

The scale of the events appears to have been somewhat exaggerated by some modern scholars. Alexander acted carefully so as not to completely ruin relations with Livonia. So, having taken Koporye, he executed only the Estonians and the leaders, and released the Germans. Alexander's capture of Pskov is actually the expulsion of two knights of the Vogts (that is, judges) with their retinue (hardly more than 30 people), who were sitting there under an agreement with the Pskovites. By the way, some historians believe that this treaty was actually concluded against Novgorod.

In general, Pskov’s relations with the Germans were less conflictual than those of Novgorod. For example, Pskovites took part in the Battle of Siauliai against the Lithuanians in 1236 on the side of the Order of the Swordsmen. In addition, Pskov often suffered from German-Novgorod border conflicts, since German troops sent against Novgorod often did not reach Novgorod lands and plundered closer Pskov possessions.

The “Battle of the Ice” itself took place on the lands not of the Order, but of the Dorpat Archbishop, so most of the troops most likely consisted of his vassals. There is reason to believe that a significant part of the Order’s troops were simultaneously preparing for war with the Semigallians and Curonians. In addition, it is usually not customary to mention that Alexander sent his troops to “disperse” and “heal”, that is, saying modern language, rob the local population. The main method of conducting a medieval war was to inflict maximum economic damage on the enemy and capture booty. It was during the “dispersal” that the Germans defeated the advance detachment of the Russians.

Specific details of the battle are difficult to reconstruct. Many modern historians believe that the German army did not exceed 2,000 people. Some historians speak of only 35 knights and 500 foot soldiers. The Russian army may have been somewhat larger, but it was unlikely to be significant. The Livonian Rhymed Chronicle only reports that the Germans used a “pig”, that is, a wedge formation, and that the “pig” broke through the Russian formation, which had many archers. The knights fought bravely, but they were defeated, and some of the Dorpatians fled to save themselves.

As for losses, the only explanation why the data in the chronicles and the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle differ is the assumption that the Germans counted only losses among full-fledged knights of the Order, and the Russians counted the total losses of all Germans. Most likely, here, as in other medieval texts, reports about the number of dead are very conditional.

Even the exact date of the “Battle on the Ice” is unknown. The Novgorod Chronicle gives the date April 5, the Pskov Chronicle – April 1, 1242. And whether it was “ice” is unclear. In the “Livonian Rhymed Chronicle” there are the words: “On both sides the dead fell on the grass.” Political and military significance The “Battle of the Ice” is also exaggerated, especially in comparison with the larger battles of Siauliai (1236) and Rakovor (1268).

Alexander Nevsky and the Pope

One of the key episodes in the biography of Alexander Yaroslavich is his contacts with Pope Innocent IV. Information about this is in two bulls of Innocent IV and “The Life of Alexander Nevsky”. The first bull is dated January 22, 1248, the second – September 15, 1248.

Many believe that the fact of the prince’s contacts with the Roman Curia greatly harms his image as an irreconcilable defender of Orthodoxy. Therefore, some researchers even tried to find other recipients for the Pope's messages. They offered either Yaroslav Vladimirovich, an ally of the Germans in the 1240 war against Novgorod, or the Lithuanian Tovtivil, who reigned in Polotsk. However, most researchers consider these versions to be unfounded.

What was written in these two documents? In the first message, the Pope asked Alexander to notify him through the brothers of the Teutonic Order in Livonia about the offensive of the Tatars in order to prepare for resistance. In the second bull to Alexander “the most serene prince of Novgorod”, the Pope mentions that his addressee agreed to join the true faith and even allowed to build in Pleskov, that is, in Pskov, cathedral and perhaps even establish an episcopal see.

No reply letters have been preserved. But from the “Life of Alexander Nevsky” it is known that two cardinals came to the prince to persuade him to convert to Catholicism, but received a categorical refusal. However, apparently, for some time Alexander Yaroslavich maneuvered between the West and the Horde.

What influenced his final decision? It is impossible to answer precisely, but the explanation of the historian A. A. Gorsky seems interesting. The fact is that, most likely, the second letter from the Pope did not reach Alexander; at that moment he was on his way to Karakorum - the capital Mongol Empire. The prince spent two years on the trip (1247 - 1249) and saw the power of the Mongol state.

When he returned, he learned that Daniel of Galicia, who received the royal crown from the Pope, did not receive the promised help from the Catholics against the Mongols. In the same year, the Catholic Swedish ruler Jarl Birger began the conquest of Central Finland - the lands of the Em tribal union, which was previously part of the sphere of influence of Novgorod. And finally, a mention Catholic Cathedral in Pskov should have evoked unpleasant memories of the conflict of 1240–1242.

Alexander Nevsky and the Horde

The most painful point in discussing the life of Alexander Nevsky is his relationship with the Horde. Alexander did travel to Sarai (1247, 1252, 1258 and 1262) and Karakorum (1247-1249). Some hotheads declare him almost a collaborator, a traitor to the fatherland and Motherland. But, firstly, such a formulation of the question is a clear anachronism, since such concepts did not even exist in Old Russian language XIII century. Secondly, all the princes went to the Horde for labels to reign or for other reasons, even Daniil Galitsky, who offered direct resistance to it for the longest time.

The Horde people, as a rule, received them with honor, although the chronicle of Daniil Galitsky stipulates that “Tatar honor is worse than evil.” The princes had to observe certain rituals, walk through lit fires, drink kumiss, worship the image of Genghis Khan - that is, do things that desecrated a person according to the concepts of a Christian of that time. Most of the princes and, apparently, Alexander too, submitted to these demands.

Only one exception is known: Mikhail Vsevolodovich of Chernigov, who in 1246 refused to obey and was killed for it (canonized according to the rank of martyrs at the council of 1547). In general, events in Rus', starting from the 40s of the 13th century, cannot be considered in isolation from the political situation in the Horde.

One of the most dramatic episodes of Russian-Horde relations occurred in 1252. The course of events was as follows. Alexander Yaroslavich goes to Sarai, after which Batu sends an army led by commander Nevryuy (“Nevryuev’s army”) against Andrei Yaroslavich, Prince Vladimirsky - Alexander’s brother. Andrei flees from Vladimir to Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, where their younger brother Yaroslav Yaroslavich rules.

The princes manage to escape from the Tatars, but Yaroslav’s wife dies, the children are captured, and ordinary people“Countless” were killed. After Nevruy leaves, Alexander returns to Rus' and sits on the throne in Vladimir. There are still discussions about whether Alexander was involved in Nevruy’s campaign.

For
The English historian Fennell has the harshest assessment of these events: “Alexander betrayed his brothers.” Many historians believe that Alexander specifically went to the Horde to complain to the khan about Andrei, especially since similar cases are known from a later time. The complaints could be the following: Andrei, the younger brother, unfairly received the great reign of Vladimir, taking for himself his father’s cities, which should belong to the eldest of the brothers; he does not pay extra tribute.

The subtlety here was that Alexander Yaroslavich, being great Prince of Kyiv, formally had more power than the Grand Duke of Vladimir Andrei, but in fact Kyiv, devastated back in the 12th century by Andrei Bogolyubsky and then by the Mongols, had by that time lost its importance, and therefore Alexander sat in Novgorod. This distribution of power was consistent with the Mongol tradition, according to which the younger brother receives the father's property, and the older brothers conquer the lands for themselves. As a result, the conflict between the brothers was resolved in such a dramatic way.

Against
There are no direct references to Alexander’s complaint in the sources. The exception is Tatishchev’s text. But recent research has shown that this historian did not use, as previously thought, unknown sources; he did not distinguish between the retelling of the chronicles and his comments. The statement of complaint appears to be the writer's commentary. Analogies with later times are incomplete, since later princes who successfully complained to the Horde themselves took part in punitive campaigns.

Historian A. A. Gorsky offers the following version of events. Apparently, Andrei Yaroslavich, relying on the label for the reign of Vladimir, received in 1249 in Karakorum from the khansha Ogul-Gamish, hostile to Sarai, tried to behave independently of Batu. But in 1251 the situation changed.

Khan Munke (Mengu) comes to power in Karakorum with the support of Batu. Apparently, Batu decides to redistribute power in Rus' and summons the princes to his capital. Alexander is going, but Andrey is not. Then Batu sends Nevryu’s army against Andrei and at the same time Kuremsa’s army against his rebellious father-in-law Daniil Galitsky. However, for a final resolution of this controversial issue, as usual, there are not enough sources.

In 1256-1257, a population census was carried out throughout the Great Mongol Empire in order to streamline taxation, but it was disrupted in Novgorod. By 1259, Alexander Nevsky suppressed the Novgorod uprising (for which some in this city still do not like him; for example, the outstanding historian and leader of the Novgorod archaeological expedition V.L. Yanin spoke very harshly about him). The prince ensured that the census was carried out and that the “exit” was paid (as tribute to the Horde is called in sources).

As we see, Alexander Yaroslavich was very loyal to the Horde, but then this was the policy of almost all princes. In a difficult situation, compromises had to be made with the irresistible power of the Great Mongol Empire, about which the papal legate Plano Carpini, who visited Karakorum, noted that only God could defeat them.

Canonization of Alexander Nevsky

Prince Alexander was canonized at the Moscow Council of 1547 among the faithful.
Why did he become revered as a saint? There are different opinions on this matter. So F.B. Schenk, who wrote a fundamental study on the changing image of Alexander Nevsky over time, states: “Alexander became the founding father of a special type of Orthodox holy princes who earned their position primarily through secular deeds for the good of the community...”.

Many researchers prioritize the prince’s military successes and believe that he was revered as a saint who defended the “Russian land.” Also interesting is the interpretation of I.N. Danilevsky: “Under the conditions of terrible trials that befell the Orthodox lands, Alexander was perhaps the only secular ruler who did not doubt his spiritual righteousness, did not waver in his faith, and did not renounce his God. Refusing joint actions with Catholics against the Horde, he unexpectedly becomes the last powerful stronghold of Orthodoxy, the last defender of everything Orthodox world.

Could such a ruler Orthodox Church not to be recognized as a saint? Apparently, this is why he was canonized not as a righteous man, but as a faithful (listen to this word!) prince. The victories of his direct heirs in the political field consolidated and developed this image. And the people understood and accepted this, forgiving the real Alexander for all the cruelties and injustices.”

And finally, there is the opinion of A.E. Musin, a researcher with two educations - historical and theological. He denies the importance of the prince’s “anti-Latin” policy, loyalty to the Orthodox faith and social activities in his canonization, and tries to understand what qualities of Alexander’s personality and features of life became the reason for his veneration by the people of medieval Rus'; it began much earlier than the official canonization.

It is known that by 1380 the veneration of the prince had already taken shape in Vladimir. The main thing that, according to the scientist, was appreciated by his contemporaries is “the combination of the courage of a Christian warrior and the sobriety of a Christian monk.” To others important factor there was the very unusualness of his life and death. Alexander may have died of illness in 1230 or 1251, but he recovered. He was not supposed to become a Grand Duke, since he initially occupied second place in the family hierarchy, but his older brother Fedor died at the age of thirteen. Nevsky died strangely, having taken monastic vows before his death (this custom spread to Rus' in the 12th century).

In the Middle Ages they loved unusual people and passion-bearers. The sources describe miracles associated with Alexander Nevsky. The incorruptibility of his remains also played a role. Unfortunately, we don’t even know for sure whether the prince’s real relics have been preserved. The fact is that in the lists of the Nikon and Resurrection Chronicles of the 16th century it is said that the body burned down in a fire in 1491, and in the lists of the same chronicles for the 17th century it is written that it was miraculously preserved, which leads to sad suspicions.

The choice of Alexander Nevsky

Recently, the main merit of Alexander Nevsky is considered not to be the defense of the northwestern borders of Rus', but, so to speak, the conceptual choice between the West and the East in favor of the latter.

For
Many historians think so. Often given famous saying Eurasian historian G.V. Vernadsky from his journalistic article “Two Labors of St. Alexander Nevsky": "...with his deep and brilliant hereditary historical instinct, Alexander understood that in his historical era the main danger to Orthodoxy and the originality of Russian culture came from the West, and not from the East, from Latinism, and not from Mongolism."

Further, Vernadsky writes: “Alexander’s submission to the Horde cannot be assessed otherwise than as a feat of humility. When the times and deadlines were fulfilled, when Rus' gained strength, and the Horde, on the contrary, was crushed, weakened and weakened, and then Alexander’s policy of subordination to the Horde became unnecessary... then the policy of Alexander Nevsky naturally had to turn into the policy of Dmitry Donskoy.”

Against
Firstly, such an assessment of the motives of Nevsky’s activities - an assessment based on the consequences - suffers from the point of view of logic. He couldn't have foreseen further development events. In addition, as I. N. Danilevsky ironically noted, Alexander did not choose, but he was chosen (Batu chose), and the choice of the prince was “a choice for survival.”

In some places Danilevsky speaks out even more harshly, believing that Nevsky’s policy influenced the duration of Rus'’s dependence on the Horde (he refers to the successful struggle of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with the Horde) and, along with more early politics Andrei Bogolyubsky, on the formation of a type of statehood North-Eastern Rus' as a "despotic monarchy". Here it is worth citing a more neutral opinion of the historian A. A. Gorsky:

“In general, it can be stated that in the actions of Alexander Yaroslavich there is no reason to look for some kind of conscious fateful choice. He was a man of his era, acted in accordance with the worldview of the time and personal experience. Alexander was, in modern terms, a “pragmatist”: he chose the path that seemed to him more profitable for strengthening his land and for him personally. When it was a decisive battle, he fought; when an agreement with one of Rus'’s enemies seemed most useful, he agreed to an agreement.”

"Favorite Childhood Hero"

This is what historian I.N. called one of the sections of a very critical article about Alexander Nevsky. Danilevsky. I confess that for the author of these lines, along with Richard I the Lionheart, he was a favorite hero. The “Battle on the Ice” was “reconstructed” in detail with the help of soldiers. So the author knows exactly how it all really happened. But if we speak coldly and seriously, then, as was said above, we do not have enough data for a holistic assessment of the personality of Alexander Nevsky.

As is most often the case in the study of early history, we more or less know that something happened, but often we do not know and will never know how. The author’s personal opinion is that the argumentation of the position, which we conventionally designated as “against,” looks more serious. Perhaps the exception is the episode with “Nevryuev’s Army” - nothing can be said for sure there. The final conclusion remains with the reader.

Soviet Order of Alexander Nevsky, established in 1942.

Bibliography
Lyrics
1. Alexander Nevsky and the history of Russia. Novgorod. 1996.
2. Bakhtin A.P. Internal and foreign policy problems of the Teutonic Order, in Prussia and Livonia in the late 1230s - early 1240s. Battle on the Ice in the Mirror of the Age//Collection scientific works dedicated 770th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Peipsi. Comp. M.B. Bessudnova. Lipetsk. 2013 pp. 166-181.
3. Begunov Yu.K. Alexander Nevsky. The life and deeds of the holy noble Grand Duke. M., 2003.
4. Vernadsky G.V. Two labors of St. Alexander Nevsky // Eurasian temporary book. Book IV. Prague, 1925.
5. Gorsky A.A. Alexander Nevsky.
6. Danilevsky I.N. Alexander Nevsky: Paradoxes of historical memory // "Chain of Times": Problems of historical consciousness. M.: IVI RAS, 2005, p. 119-132.
7. Danilevsky I.N. Historical reconstruction: between text and reality (thesis).
8. Danilevsky I.N. Battle on the Ice: change of image // Otechestvennye zapiski. 2004. - No. 5.
9. Danilevsky I.N. Alexander Nevsky and the Teutonic Order.
10. Danilevsky I.N. Russian lands through the eyes of contemporaries and descendants (XII-XIV centuries). M. 2001.
11. Danilevsky I.N. Modern Russian discussions about Prince Alexander Nevsky.
12. Egorov V.L. Alexander Nevsky and Chingizids // Domestic history. 1997. № 2.
13. Prince Alexander Nevsky and his era: Research and materials. St. Petersburg 1995.
14. Kuchkin A.V. Alexander Nevsky – statesman and commander of medieval Rus' // Domestic History. 1996. No. 5.
15. Matuzova E. I., Nazarova E. L. Crusaders and Rus'. End of XII - 1270. Texts, translation, commentary. M. 2002.
16. Musin A.E. Alexander Nevsky. The mystery of holiness.// Almanac "Chelo", Veliky Novgorod. 2007. No. 1. P.11-25.
17. Rudakov V.N. “He worked hard for Novgorod and for the whole Russian land” Book review: Alexander Nevsky. Sovereign. Diplomat. Warrior. M. 2010.
18. Uzhankov A.N. Between two evils. Historical choice of Alexander Nevsky.
19. Fennel. D. The crisis of medieval Rus'. 1200-1304. M. 1989.
20. Florya B.N. At the origins of the confessional schism of the Slavic world ( Ancient Rus' and its western neighbors in the 13th century). In the book: From the history of Russian culture. T. 1. (Ancient Rus'). – M. 2000.
21. Khrustalev D.G. Rus' and the Mongol invasion (20-50s of the 13th century) St. Petersburg. 2013.
22. Khrustalev D.G. Northern Crusaders. Rus' in the struggle for spheres of influence in the Eastern Baltics in the 12th – 13th centuries. vol. 1, 2. St. Petersburg. 2009.
23. Schenk F. B. Alexander Nevsky in Russian cultural memory: Saint, ruler, national hero(1263–2000) / Authorized trans. with him. E. Zemskova and M. Lavrinovich. M. 2007.
24. Urban. W.L. The Baltic Crusade. 1994.

Video
1. Danilevsky I.G. Historical reconstruction between text and reality (lecture)
2. The hour of truth - Golden Horde- Russian choice (Igor Danilevsky and Vladimir Rudakov) transfer 1st.
3. Hour of Truth - Horde Yoke - Versions (Igor Danilevsky and Vladimir Rudakov)
4. Hour of Truth - Frontiers of Alexander Nevsky. (Petr Stefanovich and Yuri Artamonov)
5. Battle on the ice. Historian Igor Danilevsky about the events of 1242, about Eisenstein’s film and the relationship between Pskov and Novgorod.

Borders modern Russia historically associated with borders Russian Empire, which were influenced by certain events. And therefore, the significance of the Battle of the Ice is very great: thanks to it, the Teutonic Order forever abandoned serious claims to Russian lands. Although this did not protect our ancestors from the Golden Horde, it helped to defend, at least, the western borders, and showed people in difficult times that they were capable of winning victories.

However, before the Battle of the Ice occurred, it was preceded by other events that largely predetermined it. In particular, the Battle of the Neva, which clearly demonstrated the military leadership talent of the then young Prince Alexander. Therefore, it’s worth starting with it.

The Battle of the Neva itself is directly determined by the claims of both the Swedes and Novgorodians to the Karelian Isthmus and to the Finnish tribes. What was connected with the influence and with the advance of the crusaders to the west. Here historians differ in their assessments of what happened. Some believe that Alexander Nevsky stopped the expansion with his actions. Others disagree, believing that the significance of his victories was greatly exaggerated and that the crusaders actually had no real intention of advancing in earnest. So the Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice still cause a lot of controversy. But it is worth returning to the first event.

So, the Battle of the Neva took place on July 15, 1240. It should be noted that the young Prince Alexander at that time was a very inexperienced commander; he participated in battles only with his father, Yaroslav. And this was, in fact, his first serious military test. Success was largely determined by the suddenness of the appearance of the prince along with his retinue. The Swedes, who landed at the mouth of the Neva, did not expect serious resistance. In addition, in the summer they experienced serious thirst, as a result, as many historians noted, they found themselves either drunk or hungover. A camp set up near the river meant the presence of tents, which turned out to be very easy to cut down, which is what the youth Savva did.

The timely warning of the Izhora elder Pelgusius, who monitored these lands and sent messengers to Alexander, thus came as a complete surprise to the Swedes. As a result, the Battle of the Neva ended in a real defeat for them. According to some reports, the Swedes loaded almost 3 ships with the bodies of the dead, while the Novgorodians killed about 20 people. It is worth noting that the battle began during the day and lasted until the evening; at night hostilities ceased, and in the morning the Swedes began to flee. No one pursued them: Alexander Nevsky did not see the need for this, in addition, he was afraid of increasing losses. Please note that he received his nickname precisely after this victory.

What happened between the Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice?

After the battle on the Neva River took place, the Swedes abandoned their claims. But this did not mean that the crusaders stopped thinking about conquering Rus'. Do not forget in which year the described event took place: our ancestors already had problems with the Golden Horde. Which, together with feudal fragmentation, significantly weakened the Slavs. Understanding the date is so important here because it allows you to relate some events to others.

Therefore, the Teutonic Order was not impressed by the defeat of the Swedes. The Danes and Germans decisively moved forward, captured Pskov, Izborsk, founded Koporye, where they decided to strengthen themselves, making it their fortpost. Even the summary of the Laurentian Chronicle, which tells about those events, makes it clear that the successes of the Order were significant.

At the same time, the boyars, who had considerable power in Novgorod, became alarmed about Alexander’s victory. They were afraid of his increasing power. As a result, the prince left Novgorod after a major quarrel with them. But already in 1242, the boyars called him back with his squad because of the Teutonic threat, especially since the enemy was approaching the Novgorodians closely.

How did the battle take place?

So, the famous battle on Lake Peipsi, the Battle of the Ice, took place in 1242 on April 5th. Moreover, the battle was carefully prepared by the Russian prince. This is also clear from the work of Konstantin Simonov dedicated to this event, which, although it cannot be called an impeccable historical source from the point of view of reliability, is quite well researched.

In short, everything happened according to a certain pattern: the knights of the Order, in full heavy armor, acted as a typical wedge for themselves. Such a ramming attack was intended to demonstrate the full power of the enemy, sweep him away, sow panic and break resistance. Such tactics have repeatedly proven successful in the past. But Alexander Nevsky really prepared the Battle of the Ice in 1242 well. He studied the enemy’s weak points, so the archers were first waiting for the German “pig”; their main task was simply to lure out the knights. Which then came across heavily armed infantry with long pikes.

In fact, it was difficult to call what happened next anything other than a massacre. The knights could not stop, because otherwise the front ranks would be crushed by the back ones. It was not possible to break the wedge at all. Therefore, the horsemen could only move forward, hoping to break the infantry. But the central regiment was weak, but the strong ones were placed on the sides, contrary to the then established military tradition. In addition, another detachment was placed in an ambush. In addition, Alexander Nevsky perfectly studied the area where the Battle of the Ice took place, so his warriors were able to drive some of the knights to where the ice was very thin. As a result, many of them began to drown.

There is another important factor. He is also shown in “Alexander Nevsky,” a famous painting; maps and pictures also depict him. This is the stampede of the monster who was helping the Order when she realized that professional warriors were fighting against her. Speaking even briefly about the Battle of the Ice, one cannot help but note the excellent knowledge of the knights’ weapons and weak points. So, they were frankly helpless when they were pulled off their horses. And that is why the prince armed many of his warriors with special hooks, which made it possible to throw the crusaders to the ground. At the same time, the battle that took place turned out to be very cruel to the horses. To deprive the horsemen of this advantage, many injured and killed the animals.

But what were the results of the Battle of the Ice for both sides? Alexander Nevsky managed to repel claims to Rus' from the west and strengthen the borders for centuries to come. What had special meaning taking into account how much the Slavs suffered from invasions from the east. In addition, the first battle in history took place where infantrymen defeated heavily armed horsemen in full armor in battle, demonstrating to the whole world that this was quite possible. And although the Battle of the Ice did not have a very large scale, from this point of view Alexander Nevsky demonstrated good talent as a commander. As a prince, he acquired a certain weight, they began to reckon with him.

As for the Order itself, it cannot be said that the defeat in question was critical. But 400 knights died on Lake Peipus, and about 50 were captured. So for its age, the Battle of the Ice still caused quite serious damage to the German and Danish knighthood. And for that year, this was not the only problem of the Order, which also faced the Galicia-Volyn and Lithuanian principalities.

Reasons for winning the battle

Alexander Nevsky won a convincing victory in the Battle of the Ice. Moreover, he forced the Teutonic Order to sign a peace treaty on his own terms. In this agreement, he forever renounced any claims to Russian lands. Since we were talking about spiritual brotherhood, which was also subordinate to the Pope, the Order could not break such an agreement without problems for itself. That is, even speaking briefly about the results of the Battle of the Ice, including diplomatic ones, one cannot fail to note that they were impressive. But let's return to the analysis of the battle.

Reasons for victory:

Well chosen place. Alexander's soldiers were lighter armed. Therefore, thin ice did not pose such a danger for them as for knights clad in full armor, many of whom simply drowned. In addition, the Novgorodians knew these places better.
Successful tactics. Alexander Nevsky was in complete control of the situation. He not only correctly used the advantages of the place, but also studied the weak points in the usual fighting style, which the Teutonic knights themselves repeatedly demonstrated, starting from the classic “pig” and ending with their dependence on horses and heavy weapons.
Underestimation of the Russians by the enemy. The Teutonic Order was accustomed to success. By this time, Pskov and other lands had already been captured, and the knights did not encounter any serious resistance. The largest of the conquered cities was taken thanks to betrayal.

The battle in question was of great cultural significance. In addition to Simonov's story, several films were made based on it, including documentaries. This event was covered in many books, both fiction and biographical, dedicated to the personality of Alexander Nevsky. Many consider it extremely important that the victory occurred during the onset of the Tatar-Mongol yoke.

5 April 1242, on Lake Peipsi, near the Crow Stone, a battle took place between the Russian squad led by Prince Alexander Nevsky with the knights of the Teutonic Order. This battle went down in history under the name “Battle of the Ice.”

After the defeat at the Battle of the Neva in 1240, the Swedes no longer accepted active participation in speeches against Rus', but the German knights sought to strengthen themselves on the borders of the Novgorod and Pskov lands. In 1240, the Russian fortresses of Izborsk and Pskov fell. Sensing a new danger, the Novgorodians, led by Prince Alexander Nevsky, rose up to fight the enemy. In March 1242, Pskov was liberated. Having recaptured Pskov from the enemy, the Russian army moved to Izborsk. Meanwhile, intelligence found out that the enemy sent insignificant forces to Izborsk, and sent the main ones to Lake Peipsi.

According to military historians, 10-12 thousand knights gathered on the ice of Lake Peipus. Alexander Nevsky had 15-17 thousand soldiers. The majority were foot soldiers, who were significantly inferior to the knights in weapons and combat training.

At dawn on April 5, the crusaders lined up their army in a triangle, with the sharp end facing the enemy (“pig”). Alexander Nevsky concentrated his main forces not in the center ("chele"), as Russian troops always did, but on the flanks. In front was an advanced regiment of light cavalry, archers and slingers. The Russian battle formation was turned with its rear to the steep steep eastern shore of the lake, and the princely cavalry squad hid in ambush behind the left flank.

As the troops approached, Russian archers showered the knights with a hail of arrows, but the armored knights managed to crush the front regiment. Having “cut through” the front troops, the knights ran into steep bank lakes and were unable to build on the success of the operation. Russian troops hit the “pig” right and left, and the selected squad of Alexander Nevsky himself rushed to the rear. As the chronicler wrote: “That slaughter was great... and you couldn’t see the ice: everything was covered in blood.” The battle continued until late in the evening. When the knightly army wavered and fled, the Russians drove them to the modern Cape Sigovets. Thin coastal ice broke under horses and heavily armed knights.

The immediate result of the Battle of Lake Peipus was the conclusion of an agreement between the Germans and Novgorod, according to which the crusaders left all Russian lands they had captured.

In the history of the fight against German conquerors, the Battle of the Ice is an important date. The Germans did not stop their campaigns against Rus', but they could no longer deal a significant blow to the northern lands.

Lit.: Begunov Yu. K., Kleinenberg I. E., Shaskolsky I. P. Written sources about the Battle of the Ice // Battle of the Ice 1242, M; L., 1966; Danilevsky I. Battle on the Ice: change of image // Otechestvennye zapiski. No. 5 (20) 2004; Zverev Yu. The battle on the ice took place: on land // Equipment and weapons. 1995. No. 1. P. 20-22; Kirpichnikov A.N. Battle of the Ice 1242: New understanding // Questions of history. 1994. No. 5. P. 162-166; Novgorod first chronicle of the older and younger editions. M; L., 1950. P. 72-85; Trusman Yu. I. About the place of the Battle of the Ice in 1242 // Journal of the Ministry of Public Education. 1884. No. 1. P. 44-46.

See also in the Presidential Library:

Belyaev I. D. Grand Duke Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky. M., 184? ;

Voskresensky N. A. Nikolai Alexandrovich Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky: in memory of the Tsar-Peacemaker: a brief biography. M., 1898;

The life of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky in the monastic life of Alexy. St. Petersburg, 1853 ;

Kazansky P.S. The Life of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky in the monastic life of Alexy: for public reading. St. Petersburg, 1871 ;

The site of the Battle of the Ice - a monument in honor of the 750th anniversary of the famous battle on Lake Peipus, installed as close as possible to the supposed site of the battle, in the village of Kobylye Gorodishche, Gdov district, Pskov region.

The Battle of the Ice is one of the largest military clashes of the 13th century. At a time when Rus' was weakened from the east by Mongol raids, the threat from the west came from the Livonian Order. The knights captured the fortresses and, as well as, got as close as possible to. In 1241, the Novgorodians turned to Prince Alexander Nevsky. From there the prince went to Novgorod, and then marched with an army to Koporye, liberating the fortress and destroying the garrison. In March 1242, having united with the troops of his younger brother- Prince of Vladimir and Suzdal Andrei Yaroslavich, Alexander marched to Pskov and freed him. Then the knights retreated to Dorpat (the modern Estonian city of Tartu). Alexander made an unsuccessful attempt to attack the Order's possessions, after which the prince's troops retreated to the ice of Lake Peipsi.

The decisive battle took place on April 5, 1242. The Livonian army numbered about 10-15 thousand soldiers, the forces of the Novgorodians and allies were superior to the German ones and numbered about 15-17 thousand soldiers. During the battle, the knights initially broke through to the center of the Russian defense, but were later surrounded and defeated. The remaining Livonian forces retreated, the Novgorodians pursued them for about 7 versts. The losses of the knights amounted to about 400 killed and 50 captured. Novgorodians lost from 600 to 800 killed (in various historical sources casualty figures on both sides vary greatly).

The significance of the victory on Lake Peipsi has not yet been fully determined. Some historians (mostly Western) believe that its importance is greatly exaggerated, and the threat from the west was insignificant compared to the Mongol invasion from the east. Others believe that it is the expansion Catholic Church carried the main threat to Orthodox Rus', and Alexander Nevsky is traditionally called one of the main defenders of Russian Orthodoxy.

For a long time, historians were unable to accurately determine the location of the battle. Research was complicated by the variability of the hydrography of Lake Peipsi. There is still no clear archaeological evidence (any finds related to the past major battle). However, it is believed that the most likely location was Tyoploye Lake, the narrowest point between Lake Peipus and Lake Pskov, near Voroniy Island (in legend, the island or “Raven Stone” is mentioned as the place from where Alexander Nevsky watched the battle progress).

In 1992, in the village of Kobylye Gorodishche, which is the closest point to the supposed site of the battle, a monument to Alexander Nevsky and a wooden cross were unveiled nearby, which in 2006 was replaced by a bronze one cast in .

In 1993, a museum dedicated to the victory in the Battle of the Ice was opened near Pskov. From a historical point of view, this position of the monument is not justified, since it is located 100 km away. from the battle site. But from a tourist point of view, the decision is quite successful, since the monument is located next to Pskov, as a result of which it immediately became one of the main attractions.