When did the battle on the Neva River take place? The East is a delicate matter

The legendary Russian commander Alexander Nevsky gained military glory in several battles, which will be discussed in this article. An entire literary story was written about his life and deeds, and he also received the honor of being canonized by the church after his death. The name of this man inspired many generations living several centuries later. It can be assumed that the commander’s talent was passed on to Prince Dmitry Donskoy, whose great-grandfather was Alexander Nevsky. The Battle of Kulikovo, where his great-grandson won a brilliant victory, became the first serious defeat of the Tatar-Mongol troops and the complete defeat of Mamai’s hordes.

Background

Still unknown exact date the birth of Alexander Yaroslavich, whom the people later nicknamed Nevsky. According to one version, he was born in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky in May, and according to another - in November 1220. He was the second son of Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, who was the great-grandson of Monomakh. Almost all of Alexander’s childhood and youth were spent in Novgorod.

In 1225, Prince Yaroslav performed the rite of princely tonsure, or initiation into warriors, over his sons. After this, his father left Alexander and his older brother in Veliky Novgorod, and he himself went to Pereyaslavl-Zalessky on urgent matters. His children were placed in a great reign, which took place under the supervision of trusted boyars led by Fyodor Danilovich.

In 1233, an unexpected event occurred. The eldest son of Prince Yaroslav, Fedor, died. Soon, Alexander’s first military campaign against Dorpat, which at that time was in the hands of the Livonians, took place. The march, led by his father, ended with the victory of Russian weapons on the Omovzha River.

3 years after the death of his eldest son, Yaroslav left to rule in Kyiv, the capital of all Rus'. It was from this moment that Alexander became a full-fledged prince of Novgorod. At the beginning of his reign, he was exclusively concerned with strengthening his city. In 1239, his father married him to the daughter of Bryachislav, the Prince of Polotsk, and the very next year Alexander had his first child, who was named Vasily.

Reasons for the attack

It must be said that the Pskov and Novgorod lands were practically free from Tatar-Mongol rule. Therefore, they were famous for their wealth: fur-bearing animals were found in abundance in the forests, merchants were extremely enterprising, and artisans were known as great craftsmen. It is not surprising that these territories were constantly encroached upon by greedy neighbors: Lithuania, Swedish feudal lords and German crusading knights. The latter constantly went on military campaigns, either to the promised land or to Palestine.

Gregory IX, the then Pope, blessed European knights to war with the pagans, which, in their opinion, included residents of the Novgorod and Pskov lands. He absolved the soldiers in advance of all the sins they committed during their campaigns.

Enemy plans

Alexander Nevsky's first battle as a commander took place in 1240. He was only 20 years old then. It should be noted that the Swedes began to prepare for war 2 years before it began. They were the first to attempt to conquer Russian lands. To do this, in 1238, King Erich Burr of Sweden enlisted the support and blessing of the Pope to begin a Crusade against the Principality of Novgorod. And according to established tradition, those who took part in hostilities were guaranteed remission of all sins.

A year later, the Germans and the Swedes were engaged in intensive negotiations regarding the offensive plan. It was decided that the first would go to Novgorod through Pskov and Izborsk, and the second, who had already captured Finland, would come from the north, from the Neva River. The Swedish warriors were commanded by the king's son-in-law, Jarl (Prince) Birger, who later founded Stockholm, and Ulf Fasi. In addition, the crusaders were also planning to convert the Novgorodians into Catholic faith, and this was considered more terrible Mongol yoke. Alexander Nevsky also knew about these plans. The Battle of the Neva was thus a foregone conclusion.

Offensive

Summer 1240. Birger's ships appeared on the Neva and stopped at the mouth of the Izhora River. His army consisted not only of Swedes. It also included Norwegians and representatives of Finnish tribes. In addition, the conquerors took with them Catholic bishops, who carried a cross in one hand and a sword in the other. Birger intended to get to Ladoga, and from there go down to Novgorod.

The Swedes and their allies landed on the shore and set up camp in the area where Izhora flows into the Neva. After this, Birger sent a message to the Novgorod prince declaring war on him. It turned out that Alexander Yaroslavich learned about the arrival of the Swedes before this message was delivered to him. He decides to suddenly attack the enemy. Time to collect large army, there was none, so the prince set out against the enemy with his army, slightly replenishing it with Novgorod volunteers. But before setting off on a campaign, he, according to ancient custom, visited St. Sophia Cathedral, where he received a blessing from Bishop Spyridon.

Birger was completely confident in his military superiority and did not even suspect that he might be subject to a surprise attack, so the Swedes' camp was not guarded. On the morning of July 15, he was attacked by the Russian army. It was commanded by Alexander Nevsky himself. The Battle of the Neva, which began so suddenly, took Birger by surprise. He did not even have time to line up his army for battle and provide organized resistance.

Battle of Alexander Nevsky with the Swedes

Immediately, Russian troops, using the element of surprise, began to push the enemy back to the river. Meanwhile, foot militia were cutting down the bridges that connected the Swedish ships to the shore. They even managed to capture and destroy several enemy ships.

It must be said that the Russian troops fought selflessly. According to the chronicle, Prince Alexander himself killed countless Swedes. The Battle of Neva showed that Russian warriors were strong and very brave warriors. This is evidenced by numerous facts. For example, Novgorodian Sbyslav Yakunovich, with only one ax in his hands, boldly rushed into the midst of his enemies, while mowing them down left and right. Another of his compatriots, Gavrilo Oleksich, chased Birger himself to the ship, but he was thrown into the water. He rushed into battle again. This time he managed to kill the bishop, as well as one of the noble Swedes.

Results of the battle

During the battle, Novgorod volunteers sank Swedish ships. The surviving remnants of the troops, led by Birger, fled on the surviving ships. Russian losses were very insignificant - only 20 people. After this battle, the Swedes loaded three ships with the bodies of only some nobles, and abandoned the rest on the shore.

The victory won during the battle showed everyone that Russian army has not lost its former valor and will be able to adequately defend its land from the attacks of an external enemy. Success in this battle also contributed to the increase in military authority that Alexander Nevsky gained for himself. The Neva Battle also had a huge political significance. The plans of the German and Swedish conquerors at this stage were thwarted.

Battle of Alexander Nevsky - Battle of the Ice

The Knights of the Livonian Order invaded Russian lands in the summer of that year. They approached the walls of Izborsk and took the city by storm. After that, they crossed the Velikaya River and set up camp right under the walls of the Pskov Kremlin. They besieged the city for a whole week, but it didn’t come to an assault: the residents themselves surrendered it. After this, the knights took hostages and left their garrison there. But the Germans' appetites were growing, and they were not going to stop there. The crusaders gradually approached Novgorod.

Prince Alexander gathered an army and in March 1242 went on a campaign again. Soon he was already near Pskov with his brother Andrei Yaroslavich and his Suzdal squad. They surrounded the city and captured the knightly garrison. The Novgorod prince decided to transfer military operations to enemy territory. In response to this, the Order assembled a large army, which included almost all of its knights and bishops, as well as Swedish soldiers.

The two warring parties met on April 5 of the same year near Lake Peipsi. The Germans chose a poor position for attack. In addition, they expected that the Russian troops would deploy in the usual order, but Alexander Nevsky was the first to decide to break such a stereotype. The Battle of the Lake ended with the complete victory of the Russians and the encirclement of the Germans. Those who managed to escape from the ring fled across the ice, and on the opposite bank they fell under it, since the warriors were wearing heavy knightly armor.

Consequences

The result of this battle is the conclusion of a peace treaty between the Order and the Novgorod principality. The Germans were forced to return all previously conquered territories. In addition, the battle of Alexander Nevsky with the crusader troops on Lake Peipsi was unique in its own way. For the first time in the history of military art, troops consisting of by and large from one infantry, they managed to defeat the heavy knightly cavalry.

Canonization and veneration

In November 1283, returning from the Golden Horde, Prince Alexander suddenly fell ill and soon died within the walls of the Gorodets Monastery. But before that, he managed to accept the monastic schema under the name Alexia. His remains were supposed to be transported to Vladimir. The journey from the monastery to the city lasted 9 days, during which the body remained incorrupt.

The merits of Prince Alexander Yaroslavich were appreciated. Russian Orthodox Church canonized him in 1547. And under Catherine I, the Order of Alexander Nevsky was established - one of the highest awards in Russia.

The battle of Alexander Nevsky with the Swedish conquerors, and then with the knights Livonian Order made it possible to preserve not only the cultural heritage of Rus', but also the Orthodox faith, preventing the establishment of the Catholic Church led by the Pope on this land.

In the summer of 1240, a small Swedish military detachment landed at the mouth of the Neva River, arriving on 6-7 ships (and in this case, the sources are contradictory).

How did we learn about the Battle of the Neva? The descendants of the Vikings often staged surprise attacks on neighboring territories. Unfortunately, few sources testify to the events of the summer of 1240. In Swedish sources there is no information about the Battle of the Neva; a brief account of the Novgorod First Chronicle and a more extensive text of the “Life” of Alexander Nevsky, which was created in the 1280s, have been preserved in Russian. and probably contained eyewitness accounts of the deeds of the great Russian prince.

Interests of the Swedes. Historians disagree about the plans and course of the military operation of the Swedish knights in 1240. Some of them believe that the Swedish military expedition was in the nature of an ordinary predatory raid that did not have far-reaching goals. Others believe that the Swedish "landing" had strategic objectives. The fact is that the interests of the Swedish nobility and the Novgorod boyars collided on the Karelian Isthmus, over which both equally tried to establish control.

In the second half of the 12th century, Swedish knights conquered Southwestern Finland, and from the beginning of the 13th century. They also brought under their control the Em tribe, whose territory Novgorod also laid claim to. The clash between the Novgorodians and the Swedes in the struggle for disputed territories was inevitable. The Swedes' landing at the mouth of the Neva was of a reconnaissance nature. If successful, the Swedish conquerors could not only gain a foothold on the lines north of the Neva, but also prepare a springboard for the gradual occupation of the Novgorod territories. Close interest in northern territories, inhabited by pagans (for example, the Finnish tribe of Tavasts) and “schismatics” - Orthodox, the Catholic Church also showed. Of course, the Swedes knew about the situation in Rus' after the Tatar pogrom, they understood that Novgorod would not receive the usual military assistance from the southern Russian lands.

The capture of the banks of the Neva was supposed to help the Swedes complete the capture of Finland, but for Novgorod the loss of the Neva also meant the loss of the only access to the Baltic Sea and the collapse of all foreign trade.

Sum is getting ready to go on a hike. The campaign was carried out by Swedish knights with detachments of the Sumy tribe under their control. The expedition was led by the noble Swedish knight Ulf Fasi. At this time Sweden did not have navy, therefore, a militia gathered at the organization of the sea military campaign. Each coastal region had to equip, equip and provide provisions and sailors for a certain number of ships. The crossing of the sea, the loading of a military detachment from the Sumi tribe onto the ships, and finally the journey from South-Western Finland probably took at least two weeks, so the start of the campaign should be dated to the end of June.

The initial target of the Swedish landing was the Ladoga fortress located at the mouth of the Volkhov River, the capture of which opened up broad prospects for the conquest of the entire Northwestern Territory and the spread of Catholicism.

The movement of the Swedes was first “guarded” by the Izhora elder Pelgusy, who was on patrol in the Neva delta. He sent messengers, who arrived in Novgorod on replacement horses within 10 hours.

Prince Alexander acts quickly and secretly. The sudden landing of the Swedish "landing" put Prince Alexander in a difficult position. Without time for lengthy preparations, he had to attack the enemy as soon as possible with his squad and the forces that could be collected in the immediate vicinity. The preparations for the Russian military commander took no more than a day. Apparently, most of his troops were foot detachments, transported to the scene of events on river boats along the Volkhov and Neva rivers to the mouth of the Izhora, where the Swedish camp was located. For Alexander Yaroslavich, with a small number of troops, surprise was very important. But from the upper reaches of the Neva to the mouth of the Izhora there was an excellent overview of the river flow for many kilometers. Naturally, Swedish patrols would have easily detected the enemy. Therefore, Russian troops landed ashore a few kilometers from the site of the upcoming battle.

Alexander gathered his troops far from the enemy's location; Russian squads managed to secretly approach the enemy camp. The Swedes, camped at the mouth of the Neva, clearly did not expect the enemy to appear.

The sources do not contain accurate information about the number of Russian and Swedish troops. Considering that for the Swedes the campaign was to a greater extent reconnaissance in nature, and the Prince of Novgorod gathered his troops as soon as possible; no more than 3-5 thousand people took part in the battle on both sides.

Fight. The defeat of the Swedes. Alexander Nevsky brilliantly exploited the confusion of the enemy, who was not prepared for battle. The Russian army consisted of no less than five detachments, each of which had its own task. The Swedes maintained a typical battle formation, when ordinary warriors were surrounded by knights in a strictly defined order.

The battle began with an attack by spearmen (foot troops armed with long spears), which inflicted serious damage on the enemy. Another part of the army, wielding axes, cut into the very thick of the enemy, cutting off the base of the tent, a kind of headquarters of the Swedish military leader. While the prince's equestrian squad was methodically destroying the Swedes' camp, the militia blocked the enemy's path to retreat.

The battle consisted of many skirmishes, attacks, and clashes between Swedish and Russian troops. The initiative belonged to the Russians, but the Swedes also offered desperate resistance, since a panicked flight to the ships would have meant certain death.

Russian heroes. The detachments converged and dispersed more than once, therefore, the opposing troops maintained military discipline throughout the battle, battle formations, ability to manage. The Swedes, realizing the hopelessness of the situation, fought with the despair of the doomed. As the chronicle tells, many Novgorodians distinguished themselves with military prowess in battle. Sbyslav Yakunovich fought among many enemies and “without fear in his heart, he struck down many of them”; Gavrila Oleksich, whom A.S. Pushkin considered him his ancestor, pursued the noble Swede all the way to the ship, was thrown into the water, but managed to swim out and continued to fight; Novgorodian Misha and his detachment destroyed three light Swedish ships, and Savva cut down the tent of the leader of the Swedish detachment.

A typical medieval battle. It is unlikely that the conclusion of some historians is correct that Alexander Yaroslavich’s squad went behind enemy lines and cut off the enemy’s path to retreat, since in this case the entire Swedish detachment would have been cut off from their ships and destroyed, which, as follows from the text of the chronicle and " Life..." did not happen. In addition, in medieval battles, as a rule, the goal was not the complete destruction of the enemy. The losing side left the battlefield, which the winners did not hinder at all. In this sense, the Battle of the Neva was a typical medieval battle.

The battle on July 15, 1240 lasted from 10 a.m. until late in the evening. With the onset of darkness, the Swedes gathered the remnants of the army and went home on the surviving ships, not forgetting to pick up the bodies of the dead noble warriors.

The scale of the battle and its significance. The Battle of the Neva is not one of the largest in military history. The Novgorod chronicles indicate the number of Novgorodians killed at 20 people, while the Swedes allegedly loaded three ships with the bodies of the dead, which is undoubtedly an exaggeration. Losses on both sides apparently amounted to several hundred people. Among the legends is the chronicle tale of the death of the noble Swedish military leader, Jarl Birger, from the sword of Alexander Nevsky.

Nevertheless, the brilliant victory of Rus' over foreign conquerors had a great historical significance. Firstly, the Swedes failed to capture Ladoga and begin the systematic seizure of Russian territories. Secondly, the possibility of accidental or planned interaction between Swedish and German knights on Russian soil was excluded. Finally, the Swedes failed to cut off the Russian north-west from Baltic Sea and bring under control the trade route to the "lower lands".

Read also other topics Part IX "Rus between East and West: battles of the 13th and 15th centuries." section "Rus and Slavic countries in the Middle Ages":

• 39. “Who is the essence and the split-off”: Tatar-Mongols by the beginning of the 13th century.
• 41. Genghis Khan and the “Muslim front”: campaigns, sieges, conquests
• 42. Rus' and the Polovtsians on the eve of Kalka
  • Polovtsy. Military-political organization and social structure of the Polovtsian hordes
  • Prince Mstislav Udaloy. Princely Congress in Kyiv - the decision to help the Polovtsians
• 44. Crusaders in the Eastern Baltic

It often happens that we know about a particular historical event not because it played an important role in the fate of the state and the people, but because historians described it and teachers included it in the school curriculum.

For example, few people have not heard of Battle of Neva 1240 and its winner, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich , who, after winning it, received the honorary title Nevsky .

Painting by N. Roerich
"Alexander Nevsky's fight with Jarl Birger"

Beautiful, isn't it? But this picture should have been called a little differently. For example, like this, albeit a little long: “The fight between Alexander Nevsky and Jarl Birger, fictionalized by the authors of the Life, who did not participate at all in the Swedish expedition to the mouth of the Neva in 1240, being in Sweden at that time, and was not struck in the eye by the young Novgorod prince, but let this remain on his conscience those who came up with all this, and I am an artist, therefore I have the right to fiction!

On the contrary, few people have heard of Battle of Ladoga 1164 (and even more so, it’s unlikely that anyone will be able to name the names of the winners).
But it was precisely this battle that prevented the conquest of the Novgorod land three quarters of a century before famous battle on the Neva. And the enemies were the same - the Swedes, and their goals were similar - conquest of new territories and conversion of their population to Catholicism .

If you want to learn about the Battle of Ladoga and why it was erased from our history, then go to the cut and...

Veliky Novgorod And Sweden (The Kingdom of the Svei, Goths and Wends) were neighboring states, and their centuries-long life side by side in the Middle Ages was not without military conflicts, the culprits of which, in fairness, were both sides. For the time being, these conflicts had the character of small skirmishes, primarily over mining, when the Swedes penetrated into lands controlled by Novgorod, and the Novgorodians, in turn, penetrated into Swedish territories. There was no talk about the conquest of the territory of a neighboring state, and even more so about the forced conversion of local residents to their faith.

However, in 1164 year, the Swedes made the first fairly large (for those times, of course) military sea campaign ( ledung ) to the Novgorod lands, which marked the beginning of a centuries-long rivalry between Russians and Swedes, which ended only in 1809 year of military victory Russian Empire and the separation of Finland from Sweden.

But before we begin the story about this campaign of the Swedes, it is necessary to go back a little in time to find out what preceded it.

IN 1155 year Karl, son of Sverker , became jarl (military ruler, prince, in Russian) of Götaland (“the land is ready”). He was a talented ruler, smart and, most importantly, lucky. In 1161, at the Battle of Örebro, he defeated the usurper king originally from Denmark, Magnus Henriksen. That same year he was elected king of Svealand , which became the center of the unification of Sweden.

In the history of Sweden Karl Sverkersson known by the name Charles VII (reigned 1161 - 1667) .

Royal Seal of Karl Sverkersson:

Actually, his serial number more than conditional, since the previous six Charles were legendary kings, and whether they existed at all is not entirely clear.
In any case, in a dispute with Tsar Ivan the Terrible , who accused the Swedish King Johan III in artistry, he cited precisely "King Carlos" , whom he called the first Swedish king, from whom he is counted royal dynasty. (However, in this ideological dispute, King Johan III was hopelessly losing. Ivan IV, who openly mocked Johan’s “peasant” origins, made a damning argument that he, the Russian Tsar, traces his ancestry to the very first Roman emperor, Caesar Octavian Augustus).

However, it was during the not too long reign of Karl Sverkersson that the process of turning Sweden into single state. And it was under Charles that Sweden received its own archbishop - in 1164 In the year he became the monk Stefan from the Alvastra monastery. The center of the archbishopric became the city of Uppsala.
In the same year, the Swedes began a campaign against Southern Finland with the goal of annexing Finnish lands to their state, and the pagan Sumi and Em tribes that inhabited these lands (the self-name of Finland is “Suomi”, if anyone doesn’t know, that is, “Sum” in Old Russian) convert to Catholicism. This crusade will drag on for years, but as a result, a bishopric will be founded on Finnish lands with its center in Abo (the Finnish name for this city is Turku, but the Swedes still call it Abo).

Apparently, out of courage, the Swedes then decided to test the Novgorodians for “weakness”. Moreover, there was a reason for the conflict: once upon a time Ladoga city (Aldeygyuborg) was transferred Grand Duke Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise to the management of the Swedish Earl Rognvald as a wedding ransom for Ingigerda, the daughter of a Swedish King Olaf Shotkonung . And now, more than a century later, the Swedes remembered their “legal” rights.

LADOGA MASSACRE

May 30 (new style) 1164 The Swedish flotilla consisting of 55 augers approached Ladoga. (Auger is a sailing and rowing ship with from 10 to 40 oars, with a crew of up to 100 people).

This is how the Norman ship is depicted - a drakkar on the famous
French tapestry from Bayeux (late 11th century):

The Swedish augers looked, of course, not exactly like the longships depicted in this tapestry, but we must take into account the conventions of the art of the Middle Ages.

The Ladoga residents were warned about the Swedish campaign (possibly by the Karelians or Izhorians who hated the Swedish invaders), and therefore managed to burn the wooden settlement, and they themselves, led mayor Nezhata Tverdyatich took refuge behind the fortress walls, sending for help to Novgorod.

Ladoga since the semi-legendary times Rurik has not been the capital for a long time, but thanks to the efforts Mstislav the Great (son of Vladimir Monomakh) was a strong fortress covering Novgorod from the north.
However, how strong she was, we can only judge from her remains that have survived to this day and from the wonderful photographs of S. Prokudin-Gorsky from 1909:

"Staraya Ladoga Fortress. Entrance to the fence of the Church of St. George"

Swedes "... having approached the city on Saturday and having made no progress towards the city, he suffered a greater wound; and retreated into the Voronai River", - this is how he describes Novgorod first chronicle of the older edition an attempt to capture Ladoga on the move.
When they failed, the Swedes began a siege of the fortress. But June 4, 1164 the Novgorod army led by Prince Svyatoslav Rostislavich (the paternal uncle of Mstislav Mstislavich Udatny) and Novgorod mayor Zakhary .
It seems that the Swedes did not expect such a quick appearance of the Novgorodians, because from Novgorod to Ladoga it was about 230 kilometers), so they were defeated in one moment: "...And having won and with God's help, some were cut down, and others were taken away: the auger came at half past six, taking out the 43 auger; but few of them escaped and they ulcerated"(from the same chronicle source).

Needless to say - a complete victory!
The enemies fled, losing 4/5 of their ships and soldiers (up to 4,300 people); the winners captured prisoners and significant trophies - 43 augers out of 55.
For comparison - in the famous Battle of Neva, according to the testimony of the same Novgorod first chronicle of the older version (not to consider the “Life of Alexander Nevsky” as a serious historical source), the Russian squad under the leadership of Prince Alexander Yaroslavich failed to capture a single auger and a single prisoner, and the Swedes, Having buried the dead and taken the loot, they were able to return home relatively calmly. But we remember the Battle of the Neva, but not the larger and more significant Battle of Ladoga!

I was able to find only one single painting dedicated to this battle. This is work Nikolai Mikhailovich Kochergin (1897 - 1974), now an almost forgotten artist, known only to those art critics who specialize in the work of illustrators of folklore works for children. (Although this is unfair to this wonderful artist, especially considering his biography. However, perhaps I will dedicate a separate post to him).
Here is the picture:

"The battle of the Novgorodians with the Swedes at the Ladoga fortress in 1164"

Why did Russian history forget about such a significant victory?
Thus, in "History of the Russian State" N. M. Karamzina The Battle of Ladoga is not even mentioned!

And the explanation, in my opinion, is quite simple.
The winner over the Swedes, Prince Svyatoslav Rostislavich, was an appanage prince who did not belong (unlike Alexander Nevsky) to the clan of Vladimir-Suzdal princes, from which the great princes and kings of Moscow later emerged. And when it was written official history Russia, there was no one to write an ode of laudatory about him, which he deserves much more than some other princes of that time, whose names are well known to everyone. In addition, both Prince Svyatoslav Rostilavich and his comrade-in-arms, the Novgorod mayor Zakhary, were at enmity with the powerful Vladimir prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. And that explains a lot, doesn't it?

Thank you for your attention.
Sergey Vorobiev.

At the beginning of the 13th century, Rus' found itself between two fires: the Tatar-Mongols came from the East, and from the West came the Germans, Swedes, Danes and armies of other countries who wanted to conquer new lands, taking advantage of the weakness Kievan Rus. In this article we will talk about the invasion from the West, in particular, we will briefly consider the Battle of the Neva. This is important historical event, which is as important as it is contradictory. But let's talk about everything in order...

Reasons for the battle

In 1240, Batu's invasion began. Taking advantage of these events, the Swedish king decided to attack Rus', capturing the large trading city of Novgorod. There were a huge number of prerequisites for this:

• The enemy got stuck in heavy battles, carrying big losses. The Mongols destroyed most of the male population of Rus'.
• Novgorod, despite the fact that it did not see the invasion, remained alone, without the support of other principalities.
• Novgorod was ruled by the young prince Alexander Yaroslavich, who had not been glorified by any great deeds before.

As a result, in July 1240 Swedish army led his fleet to the mouth of the Neva. The command of the army was taken over by the son-in-law of the Swedish king, Birger. Moving inland, his army stopped on the left bank of the Neva, not far from the mouth of the Izhora. The Swedes were so confident of their victory that, according to some sources, they sent a message to the young Prince Alexander that said “We are here and we will capture you and your land.”

As for Alexander’s actions, he had accurate information about the movements of the Swedish army, since reconnaissance activities were well established in Novgorod. The young prince decided to use the factor of surprise by gathering the city militia and making a rapid march to the place where the Swedish army stopped. During the movement of troops, more and more new detachments joined him.

Map of the Neva Battle

The Battle of Neva took place on July 15, 1240. In this battle, the Russians and the Swedes came together. On this day, Alexander's troops secretly approached the camp where the Swedes were staying.

The young prince's plan was as follows:

• The militia were supposed to cut off the Swedes' path to retreat to the ships.
• A sudden and powerful attack from the cavalry was supposed to inflict a decisive defeat on the enemy.

The Russian army launched a surprise attack on the developed plan. The Swedes did not expect such a turn of events, as a result of which panic began in their ranks. This panic was aggravated by the fact that short terms After the battle began, the Swedish bishop was killed, Birger's tent was destroyed, and the militia destroyed 3 Swedish ships. The suddenness of the attack, as well as the major successes of the Russian army, forced the Swedes to retreat.

The Battle of the Neva continued until evening. During the battle, the Russian army lost 20 people killed. There is no exact information about how many Swedes died. But if you believe historical sources, most of the army was destroyed and the number of dead is tens and hundreds. Some chronicles mention that the day after the battle, on the other side of the Neva River, the Swedes buried those who died in the battle. After that, they left Russian soil on ships that were preserved after the battle.

Participants in the battle

The problem in studying the Battle of the Neva is that very few historical sources have survived where this battle is described in full. In fact, we can only study this historical event on the basis of chronicles, which are very contradictory. In particular, there is very little information about historical figures who took part in this battle.

In addition to Alexander, who as a result of this battle received the nickname Nevsky, the following people took part in the battle:

• Gavrilo Oleksich - fought on ships, he was thrown off the ships several times, but he returned.
• Sbyslav Yakunovich - fought in the center of events with one ax, but, skillfully using his weapon, he brought panic to the enemy ranks.
• Yakov Polochanin also fought in the very center of events, but wielded a sword.
• Savva - noted for cutting down the tent of the Swedish commander Birger.
• Misha - commanded a detachment of militias, together with whom he sank 3 ships.
• Ratmir is the personal servant of Prince Alexander, who fought in the battle but was killed.

There is no other information about the individuals who took part in this battle.

Historical significance of the Battle of Neva

The historical significance of the Battle of the Neva, which we briefly reviewed in this article, is very controversial. The main thing that should be said is that the young Prince Alexander managed to defeat the Swedes, thereby securing Novgorod from attempts to seize it from outside Western countries. On the other hand, there is an absolute contradiction in the actions of the Novgorodians themselves. Despite the prince’s brilliant victory, and despite the fact that the significance of his victory was recognized by everyone, which is expressed, for example, in giving him the nickname “Nevsky,” the Novgorodians expelled Alexander from the city almost immediately after the battle. He returned only a year later, when Novgorodkovka was threatened military danger represented by the Livonian Order.

Weaknesses and criticism

Above, we have already partially examined the issues that even a cursory study of the Battle of the Neva indicates that this is a very controversial event. In particular, a number of modern historians say that this was not some kind of general and super important historical battle, but a simple border conflict. It is quite difficult to verify this, but this statement is not without logic, since it is difficult to imagine an important historical confrontation and an important historical battle, in which less than 100 people died. No, we do not have any exact information about the losses of the Swedes. This figure, depending on the sources, varies from several dozen people to hundreds. But this is only one aspect to consider. There are other important factors:

• Contradiction in the chronicles. If we consider Western sources, they have no mention at all of the battle that took place in 1240. If we consider the Russian chronicles, then in the Ipatiev Chronicle there is also no mention of the battle, and the Laurentian Chronicle very briefly describes the Battle of the Neva in 1263, and not in 1240.
• Illogical behavior of the Swedes. It is absolutely incomprehensible why the army that came with the goal of conquest did not move in the direction of Novgorod, and also did not build a fortified camp. If we consider the classic idea of ​​​​the event, we get the feeling that the Swedes came not to war, but to a picnic. It is also unclear why, after the defeat, the Swedes remained at the battle site for another day, managing to save all the dead.
• Swedish historical sources they say that Birger did not leave the country in 1240. Also this year, not a single one of the lists of this country died, but if you believe the generally accepted version, a Swedish bishop died in the battle.

These contradictory sides are presented in order to create a clear idea that this historical event is not as clear as it is commonly said. The fact is that the Battle of the Neva really took place, but all the details of this event are described very little, and a huge number of questions remain, the answers to which, most likely, no one will give. But in any case, we talked about the victory of the Russian troops over the Vedas from different points of view, and each reader draws his own conclusions.

On July 15, 1240, one of the most famous and mysterious battles V Russian history. Where St. Petersburg now stands, where the Izhora River flows into the Neva, a detachment under the command of the young prince Alexander Yaroslavich attacked the Swedish camp and put the enemy to flight. Both the battle itself and the prince, several centuries later, began to be called Nevsky.

Crusade against Rus'

Back on November 24, 1232, Pope Gregory the Ninth issued a bull in which he called on the knights of Livonia to “defend the new planting of the Christian faith against the infidel Russians.” A few months later, in February 1233, he directly calls the Russians enemies. In the 13th century, Rome tried to bring catholic church those tribes of the Baltic states and Finland that were still in paganism. Christianization came both by preaching and by sword. Along with faith came oppression, because not only the souls, but also the lands of the Finns were needed by the Church - and the tribes, already baptized, rebelled, and the unbaptized actively fought against the invaders. And in this they were supported by the Russians - that’s why the Pope called for protecting “the implantation of the Christian faith” from the Orthodox.
Actually, no one declared a crusade against Rus': main goal The knights were either Tavasts or a tribe. But the lands of the Sumi, Emi, and other tribes were in the sphere of interests of Novgorod, and all sides regularly robbed each other, so a clash between Catholics and Novgorodians was inevitable. True, in the mid-30s the Pope's messages remained unheeded: the Livonians had no time for Rus'.

Swedes in Novgorod land

For the second time, the Pope addressed the Swedes with a call for a crusade against the Finnish tribes - on December 9, 1237. The Swedes responded and on June 7, 1238, agreed with the Danes and the knights of the Teutonic Order about a campaign against Rus'. They planned to march simultaneously with two armies: the Swedes (with the Norwegians, Sumyu and Emyu) in the north - to Ladoga, the Teutons and Danes - to Pskov. In 1239, for some reason, the campaign did not take place, and only in the summer of 1240 did the Swedes appear on the Neva. Camped at the mouth of the Izhora River, they apparently waited for news from the allies, not wanting to start fighting so as not to incur the main blow of the Russian army. And while they waited, they traded peacefully with local tribes or served as missionaries. Thus began the Swedish crusade against Rus', which ended with the Battle of the Neva.

Heavenly Host

The Swedish invasion later began to be interpreted in the light of the struggle between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. And the army of Prince Alexander turned from defenders of the land into defenders of the whole Orthodox faith. Therefore, in the Life of Alexander Nevsky, a legend appeared about the baptized pagan Pelugia, who was the first to see the approach of the Swedes and thanks to whom Novgorod prince was able to quickly arrive at their camp.
But besides the Swedes, Pelugius, a pious man, saw another army - a heavenly one, led by princes Boris and Gleb. “Brother Gleb, let us row, and let us help our relative Prince Alexander,” with these words, according to Pelugius, Prince Boris addressed his brother.

“God is not in power”

The young Prince Alexander, who was only twenty years old by July 15, 1240, seemed to immediately sense the significance of the future battle and addressed the army not as a defender of Novgorod, but precisely as a defender of Orthodoxy: “God is not in power, but in truth. Let us remember the Songmaker, who said: “Some with weapons, and others on horses, we will call on the name of the Lord our God; they, defeated, fell, but we resisted and stand upright.” A detachment of Novgorodians, Suzdalians and Ladoga residents set off for a holy cause - to defend the faith. Moreover, apparently knowing about the impending attack from the west on Izborsk and Pskov, Alexander was in a hurry to deal with the Swedes with small forces and did not even send to Vladimir for reinforcements.

Surprise attack

Obviously, the messenger who brought the news about the Swedes to Novgorod somewhat exaggerated their number. Expecting to see superior enemy forces, Alexander counted on the factor of surprise. To do this, having covered more than 150 miles in a few days, the Russian soldiers rested at some distance from the Swedish camp, and on the night of July 14-15, led by guides from the local population, they reached the mouth of the Izhora. And at 6 o’clock in the morning they attacked the sleeping Swedes. The surprise factor worked, but not completely: confusion arose in the camp, the Swedes rushed to the ships, many died - but, experienced warriors, they, under the command of a brave commander, were able to stop the flight. A heavy battle began that lasted several hours.

Heroes of the battle

The Russians, led by Saints Boris and Gleb, fought bravely. The Life of Alexander Nevsky talks about six heroes of the battle. Some historians are skeptical about their “exploits.” Perhaps in this way, through exploits, the course of the battle itself was described. At first, when the Russians were pushing the Swedes towards the boats, Gavrilo Oleksich tried to kill the Swedish prince and, chasing him, rushed along the gangway onto the deck on horseback. He was thrown into the river from there, but miraculously escaped and continued to fight. Thus, the Swedes defeated the first Russian attack.
Then several local battles ensued: the Novgorodian Sbyslav Yakunovich fearlessly fought with an ax, the princely hunter Yakov attacked the regiment with a sword, the Novgorodian Mesha (and - obviously - his detachment) sank three ships. The turning point in the battle occurred when the warrior Sava burst into the golden-domed tent and knocked it down. Moral superiority was on the side of our troops, the Swedes, desperately defending themselves, began to retreat. This is evidenced by the sixth feat of Alexander’s servant named Ratmir, who died “from many wounds”

Victory remained with the Orthodox army. The sides stopped fighting. Having buried the dead, who, according to the Novgorod chronicle, numbered “two ships,” the Swedes sailed home. Only “20 men from Ladoga” fell in the battle from Novgorod. Among them, the chronicler especially singles out: Kostyantin Lugotinets, Gyuryata Pineshchinich, Namestya and Drochil Nezdylov, the son of a tanner.
Thus, Alexander Yaroslavich secured the north of Novgorod land from attack and could concentrate on the defense of Izborsk. However, upon returning to Novgorod, he found himself at the center of yet another political intrigue in the fickle Novgorod and was forced to leave the city. A year later he was asked to return - and in 1242 he led the Russian army in another famous battle, which went down in history as the Battle of the Ice.