Swedish army birger. Battle of Neva

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 of 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 an important historical event, which is as important as it is controversial. 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, suffering heavy 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 previously been glorified by any great deeds.

As a result, in July 1240, the Swedish army led its 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 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 the 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 be captured by outsiders 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 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.

Alexander, while still a boy, together with his older brother Fyodor and under the supervision of his close boyar Fyodor Danilovich, was placed to reign in Free Novgorod, who maintained close ties with the Vladimir-Suzdal land, from where he received the missing part of the grain, and usually invited its rulers to reign. In case of external danger, Novgorodians also received military assistance.

Free from Tatar-Mongol rule, the Novgorod and Pskov lands were distinguished by their wealth - the forests in the Russian North abounded in fur-bearing animals, Novgorod merchants were famous for their enterprise, and city artisans were famous for their art of work. Therefore, the Novgorod and Pskov lands were constantly coveted by German crusading knights, greedy for profit, Swedish feudal lords - descendants of warlike Vikings - and nearby Lithuania.

The Crusaders went on overseas campaigns not only to the Promised Land, to Palestine. Pope Gregory IX blessed European knighthood for campaigns in the lands of pagans on the Baltic shores, including the Pskov and Novgorod possessions. He absolved them in advance of all the sins that they might have committed during the campaigns.

Battle of Neva

The first to set off on a campaign against North-Western Rus' from across the Varangian Sea were the Swedish knights-crusaders. The royal army of Sweden was led by the second and third persons of the state - Jarl (Prince) Ulf Fasi and his cousin, royal son-in-law Birger Magnusson. The army of the Swedish crusaders (in Rus' they were called “svei”) was huge at that time - approximately 5 thousand people. The largest Catholic bishops of Sweden took part in the campaign with their troops.

The royal army (sea ledung) left Stockholm on 100 single-masted ships with 15-20 pairs of oars - augers (each carrying from 50 to 80 people), they crossed the Baltic Sea and entered the mouth of the Neva. The Novgorod lands - Pyatina - began here, and the small tribe of Izhorians who lived here paid tribute to the Free City of Novgorod.

The message about the appearance of a huge flotilla of Swedes at the Nevsky estuary was delivered to Novgorod by an envoy from the elder of the Izhorians, Pelgusius, whose small squad carried out marine patrol service here. The Swedes landed on the high bank of the Neva, where the Izhora River flows, and set up a temporary camp. This place is called Bugry. Researchers suggest that they waited here for calm weather, repairing the damage, and then overcoming the Neva rapids and entering Lake Ladoga, and then into the Volkhov River. And from there it was a stone's throw to Novgorod itself.

Twenty-year-old Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich decided to forestall the enemy and did not waste time collecting the entire city and rural militia. At the head of the princely squad, in armor and fully armed, Alexander arrived for prayer in the St. Sophia Cathedral and listened to the blessing for the campaign against the enemy of Bishop Spyridon.

After the church service, the prince on the square in front of the cathedral “strengthened” the squad and the assembled Novgorodians with a passionate speech of a warrior, telling them: “Brothers! God is not in power, but in truth..."

At the head of a small, hastily assembled army of about 1,500 warriors - the prince's squad, the Free City militia and Ladoga warriors - he quickly moved towards the Swedes along the bank of the Volkhov, past the stone Novgorod fortress of Ladoga, which guarded the trade routes to the Vladimir-Suzdal land. The cavalry moved along the river bank. The foot soldiers moved on ships that had to be abandoned on the Neva.

On June 15, 1240, with a sudden and swift attack, Novgorod horse and foot warriors (they attacked the enemy along the coast) crushed the royal army of Sweden. During the Battle of the Neva, the prince fought in a knight's duel with Earl Birger and wounded him. The Swedes lost several augers, and on the remaining ships they left the banks of the Neva and returned home.

The Novgorod prince showed himself in the Battle of the Neva as a talented military leader, defeating the Swedes not with numbers, but with skill. For this brilliant victory, the 20-year-old Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich was nicknamed Nevsky by the people.

After the crushing defeat, the Kingdom of Sweden hastened to conclude a peace treaty with the Free City. Historians believe that the battle of 1240 prevented Russia from losing the shores of the Gulf of Finland and stopped Swedish aggression on the Novgorod-Pskov lands.

Fight against German crusaders

Due to the aggravation of relations with the Novgorod boyars, who did not tolerate strong princely power, the winner of the crusaders left Novgorod and with his retinue went to the family estate - Pereslavl-Zalessky. However, soon the Novgorod veche again invited Alexander Yaroslavich to reign. The Novgorodians wanted him to lead the Russian army in the fight against the German crusaders invading Rus' from the west. They already ruled not only the Pskov lands, having captured the Pskov fortress by cunning with the help of traitorous boyars, but also in the possessions of Novgorod itself.

In 1241, Alexander Nevsky, at the head of the Novgorod army, stormed the stone fortress of Koporye. Then, together with the Suzdal squad that arrived in time, the prince captured Pskov, whose residents opened the city gates to the liberators, showing the high art of storming powerful stone fortresses. With the liberation of the border town of the fortress of Izborsk, he completed the expulsion of German knights from Russian soil.

However, on the other side of Lake Peipus were the possessions of the German Livonian Order, which, together with the Catholic bishops of the Baltic states - Dorpat, Riga, Ezel - did not even think of abandoning new invasions of the Pskov and Novgorod regions. Preparing for a crusade to the east against the “pagans,” the brothers of the order called knighthood from German and other lands into their ranks.

The united knightly army was commanded by the experienced military leader Vice Master (Vice Master) of the Livonian Order Andreas von Velven. An army of up to 20 thousand people, huge in size for that time, gathered under his hand. It was based on heavily armed knightly cavalry.

To end the threat of a new crusade against Rus', the Russian commander decided to strike the Livonians himself and challenge them to battle.

Ice battle

At the head of the Russian army, Prince Alexander Nevsky set out on a campaign, moving towards Livonia south of Lake Peipus and sending forward a strong reconnaissance detachment led by Domash Tverdislavich and governor Kerbet. The detachment was ambushed and almost all of them died, but now the prince knew exactly the direction of attack of the main forces of the German crusaders. He quickly led the Russian army across the ice of Lake Peipus to the Pskov shore itself.

When the army of the Livonian Order moved across the ice of the lake to the Pskov borders, the Russians were already standing in their way, lined up for battle.

Alexander Nevsky placed his regiments right next to the shore in a battle formation familiar to ancient Russian military art: a guard, an advanced large (“brow”) regiment, and regiments of the right and left arms stood on the flanks (“wings”). The prince's personal squad and part of the heavily armed mounted warriors formed the ambush regiment.

The German knights lined up in their usual battle formation - a wedge, which in Rus' was called a “pig”. The wedge, whose head consisted of the most experienced warriors, rammed the guard and advanced regiments of the Russians, but got stuck in the dense mass of foot Novgorod militia of a large regiment. The “pig” has lost its maneuverability and strength. At this time, according to the conventional signal of the left shelf and right hand surrounded the wedge, and the Russian ambush completed the envelopment of the enemy army.

A hot battle began, which threatened the crusaders with complete destruction. The knights, clad in heavy metal, had to fight in very close quarters, where it was not even possible to turn around the war horse, which also wore iron armor.

In the battle on spring ice Lake Peipsi, the Russians completely defeated the main forces of the Livonian Order. Only a few brothers managed to find salvation, as they were persistently pursued all the way to the Livonian coast.

Battle on Lake Peipsi, which occurred on April 5, 1242, entered the military chronicle of Russia under the name of the Battle of the Ice, so great were the losses of the Livonian Order. According to chronicles, 400 crusader knights were killed in the battle, and 40 were captured. No one counted the ordinary Livonian warriors who died in the Battle of the Ice. After the defeat, the German knighthood immediately asked the Free City for peace and for a long time then they did not dare to try the fortress of the Russian border again. The victory in the Battle of the Ice glorified Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky as a great commander of Rus'.

This battle entered the world military history as an example of the encirclement and defeat of large forces of a heavily armed knightly army of the Middle Ages.

Diplomatic victories

After this, Prince Alexander inflicted a series of defeats on the Lithuanians, whose troops devastated the Novgorod border. With energetic military and diplomatic actions, he strengthened the northwestern borders of Rus', and in 1251 he concluded the first peace treaty with Norway to delimit borders in the North. He made a successful campaign in Finland against the Swedes, who made a new attempt to close the Russians' access to the Baltic Sea (1256).

In the conditions of terrible trials that befell the Russian lands, Alexander Nevsky managed to find the strength to resist the Western conquerors, gaining fame as a great Russian commander, and also laid the foundations for relations with the Golden Horde. He showed himself to be a cautious and far-sighted politician. He rejected the attempts of the papal curia to cause a war between Rus' and the Golden Horde, since he understood the futility of the war with the Tatars at that time. Through skillful policies he helped prevent the devastating invasions of the Tatars into Rus'. He traveled to the Horde several times and achieved the release of the Russians from the obligation to act as troops on the side of the Tatar khans in their wars with other peoples. Alexander Nevsky made a lot of efforts to strengthen the grand ducal power in the country to the detriment of the influence of the boyars, while at the same time he resolutely suppressed anti-feudal protests (uprising in Novgorod 1259).

On November 14, 1263, on the way back from the Golden Horde, the prince fell ill and died in the Gorodets monastery. But before you complete your life path, he accepted the monastic schema with the name Alexy. His body was to be delivered to Vladimir - this journey lasted nine days, but all this time the body remained incorrupt.

Recognition of merits, veneration and canonization of Alexander Nevsky

Already in the 1280s, the veneration of Alexander Nevsky as a saint began in Vladimir, and he was later officially canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. Alexander Nevsky became the first Orthodox secular ruler in Europe who did not compromise with the Catholic Church in order to maintain power.

With the participation of Metropolitan Kirill and Alexander Nevsky's son Dmitry, a hagiographical story was written - The Life of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, which became increasingly popular over the years (15 editions have survived).

In 1724, Peter I founded a monastery in St. Petersburg in honor of his great compatriot (now the Alexander Nevsky Lavra). He also decided on August 30 - the day of the conclusion of the victorious Peace of Nystadt with Sweden, which became the completion Northern War(1700-1721) - to celebrate the memory of Alexander Nevsky. Then, in 1724, the holy relics of the prince were delivered from Vladimir and installed in the Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, where they rest to this day.

In 1725, Empress Catherine I established the Order of Alexander Nevsky, one of the highest awards in Russia that existed until 1917.

During the Great Patriotic War in 1942, the Soviet Order of Alexander Nevsky was established, which was awarded to commanders from platoons to divisions inclusive, who showed personal courage and ensured the successful actions of their units.

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Alexander Nevsky's father, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, left Novgorod in 1236, where he had ruled before and took the throne in Kyiv. At the same time, he does not want to lose control over Novgorod. So his second son Alexander Yaroslavovich ended up on the Novgorod throne. Yaroslav's eldest son was Fedor, but he died a little earlier than the events that took place.

So Alexander, who in the future would be given the nickname “Nevsky,” ended up in Novgorod as a prince. Later, his name will go down in Russian history as a man who defended the Russian land from invasion from the West. In this article we will look at two battles of Alexander Nevsky - the Battle of Neva and the Battle of Lake Peipsi.

Prince Alexander Nevsky and neighbors

In 1236, Alexander turned 15 years old. He had already become an adult and could reign on his own. As soon as he began to rule in Novgorod, he encountered some problems.

The problem of the relationship between Novgorod and its Western neighbors - the republic bordered on the Norwegian, Swedish and Danish kingdoms and the German Order of the Sword;
The problem of invasions from the southwest of the Lithuanian state;

Novgorod and the Kingdom of Sweden have long been at odds. This was primarily due to the Swedish invasion of the territory of the Finnish tribes. At the same time, the boyars of Novgorod, using the support of the local nobility, subjugated some of the Finnish tribes. They forced them to pay tribute. But the Novgorodians no longer encroached on the Finnish tribes. No strongholds or centers for the spread of Christianity were built. The Swedish feudal lords sought to gain a foothold in the Finnish lands, building fortresses there, introducing their own laws and forcibly converting to Catholicism.

At first, the Finnish tribes perceived Swedish expansion positively. Playing on contradictions, they wanted to get rid of tribute from Novgorod. But then I understand the danger, they began to organize uprisings against the Swedes, this happened in 1236-1237. Novgorod and Prince Alexander Nevsky did not stand aside. They also helped the Finnish tribes to oppose Swedish expansion at this time.

Relations with the Baltic Germans developed differently. The Germans first appeared in the Eastern Baltic in the 1180s. They preached sermons, but without success they began to forcibly impose Catholicism. At the beginning of the 13th century, Theodoric founded the Order of the Sword in the Baltic states; it was later recognized by Pope Innocent III. The Swordsmen captured the lands of the Prince of Polotsk, and then began to encroach on Novgorod. Namely in the Peipus land to the city of Yuryev.

It is interesting that many are mistaken about who founded Yuryev and in whose honor it received its name. It is generally accepted that it bears its name in honor of Yuri Dolgorukov and was actually founded by him. But that's not true. It was founded by Yaroslav the Wise in the first halfXI century, George was considered the heavenly ruler. The names Georgy and Yuri at that time in Rus' were identical. This is how the city of Yuryev got its name - it became the main stronghold of Rus' in the Peipus land.

Battle of the Neva Alexander Nevsky

In the summer of 1240, the Swedish fleet under the command of King Erik Lespe invaded the territory of the Novgorod Republic. The Swedes chose the right time to attack Novgorod. At this time, Batu’s troops also caused inconvenience to the Russians. Alexander Nevsky had no one to expect help from.

It was lucky that the news that Swedish troops had arrived at the mouth of the Neva River reached Novgorod and Alexander in a timely manner. There they decided that the Swedes' goal on the campaign was Ladoga. The problem was that the republic could not afford a huge army. Alexander Yaroslavovich had to be content with only a small number of soldiers. Gathering a squad, he went to Ladoga; there were no Swedes there. The prince then moved with his army to the Neva.

On July 15, 1240, early in the morning, Russian regiments unexpectedly attacked the Swedish army. The Swedes were unable to build their regiments; they only managed to escape to their ships or cross to the other side. As a result, the entire Swedish army was unable to build strategically important fortress. Instead, the Swedes were defeated - this event went down in history as the Battle of the Neva or the Battle of the Neva River.

As a result, the Swedes took the dead nobles with them onto their ships and then sailed away. The victory in the Battle of the Neva brought serious blow according to the pride of the Swedes. They now had to radically reconsider their policy; it became clear that they would not be able to simply take control of the Novgorod lands. And this victory was the first major one for Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich, he was 19 years old.

Alexander Nevsky Battle of Lake Peipsi

Alexander Nevsky and the Battle of Lake Peipsi are still a subject of debate among historians. In particular, the main subject of controversy is the number of losses on one side and the other.

If we analyze the works of the 60-70s. in Soviet historiography, then there we're talking about about 15,000-17,000 people;
Russian chronicles say about 400 died and 50 were taken prisoner;
Foreign chronicle XIII states that the Order lost 20 people killed and 6 prisoners.

If we evaluate more soberly, then we can say for sure that 15-17 thousand killed in the battle is clearly an exaggeration. One thing is clear that the battle at Peipus is considered important in history, and by the standards of the Middle Ages, quite large. It was believed that a battle was large if several dozen people were involved.

At the beginning of 1242, Alexander Nevsky and his brother Andrei, with the help of their father Yaroslav, invaded the Peipus land. They managed to take the Order of the Sword by surprise and recapture Pskov. The Germans began to gather forces. The crusaders and Alexander's army met on Lake Peipsi. The battle took place on April 5, 1242. Yes, it was already spring. But some historians explain that the winter of 1241 - 1242. was very harsh, which is why the battle on the ice of Lake Peipsi became possible. In a fierce battle, the German knights suffered a crushing defeat. Still, it would be more realistic to adhere to the version of the Russian chronicles about those killed and captured.

The Russian army was expecting the approach of German troops. The Order's regiments were built in battle formations, which Russian chronicles call “pig”. At the head of the army is a closed triangle, which consists of heavily armed mounted warriors. Next comes close light cavalry and infantry. This part of the army is surrounded by two rows of heavily armed knights.

The significance of Alexander Nevsky's victories

The significance of Alexander Nevsky's victories is very great. He managed to stop the penetration of the threat from the West, preserve the Russian lands, and prevent the forcible catalization of the population. Western states ceased to lay claim to the territory of Rus', and in this the decisive role was given to Alexander Nevsky.

At the end of 1237, Pope Gregory IX declared another crusade against heretical Russians and pagan Finns. Naturally, all participants were promised forgiveness of sins, “heavenly paradise” and all that. The German order forces and their allies began to prepare for a new campaign to the Novgorod border. But they were not the only ones who heard the papal call. The Swedes have long been looking for an opportune moment to once and for all gain a foothold in the Ladoga region and at the mouth of the Neva River and secure their territories in the Finnish regions from the Novgorodians. In 1164, the Swedes already tried to attack with large forces, besieging the city of Ladoga - now Staraya Ladoga, but were defeated by the Ladoga residents and the Novgorodians who came to the rescue. In 1187, with a return greeting, the Novgorodians and Karelians took and destroyed the Swedish city of Sigtuna.

The Mongol-Tatars had just swept through Rus' with fire and sword, the Germans were clearly gaining strength in the Baltic states. The defense capability of Novgorod at this time could not help but weaken. And the German, Danish, and Swedish crusaders considered that the time for reckoning had come. The Pope gave his blessing. The Swedish king Eric Kartavy (Lisping), bishops in Livonia and Scandinavia, announced the recruitment of volunteers for the “Army of Christ”.

They struck in the summer of 1240 at the same time.

The Swedish fleet entered the mouth of the Neva in mid-July 1240. As it is said in the chronicle “The Life of Alexander Nevsky,” “if you want to perceive Ladoga, just the river and Novgorod, and the entire Novgorod region.” Papal legates sailed with them to give the campaign the status of a crusade. The army was led by cousins - Earl Ulf Fasi and the king's son-in-law, Earl Birger Magnusson - Historical literature often indicates that Earl Birger was at the head of the Swedish troops during the campaign on the Neva. I. P. Shaskolsky convincingly proves that until 1248 Birger was simply a large Swedish feudal lord. Jarl and ruler of the Swedish state from the 1230s. and before 1248 there was Birger's cousin Ulf Fasi. Birger became jarl and de facto ruler of the Swedish state in 1248. Therefore, most likely, Ulf Fasi was at the head of the Swedish troops. Cm.: Shaskolsky I. P. Decree. Op. P. 177-178.. In total, according to the chronicle, there were five thousand warriors

Alexander Yaroslavich then reigned in Novgorod. The necessarily loyal policy of his father, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, towards the Mongols - in 1238, Yaroslav, after the death of his brother Yuri, as the eldest of the family, with the approval of the khan, took the Vladimir grand-ducal throne, allowed us to hope for relative calm on this side and focus on threat from the west. Just like his father, he expected the Crusaders to invade.

Despite the fact that Alexander Yaroslavich was still quite a young man - in 1240, Alexander Yaroslavich was 19 years old. , he possessed qualities important for the prince, such as foresight and foresight. In alliance with wisdom, prudence and love for the Motherland, at all times they make a person indispensable for his fatherland. And even more so during a time of constant military threat.

Understanding the situation pushed Alexander Yaroslavich to take preventive measures. Fortifications grew on the Novgorod lands. New fortified towns along the Sheloni River were to be protected from restless Lithuania. The chronicle says: “That same summer, Prince Alexander and the Novgorodians cut down the towns along Shelona.” All border fortified cities had strong garrisons. In anticipation of the Swedes and Germans, there were permanent posts on the lines that were supposed to report the attack, provide an opportunity to prepare for defense and gather forces for a retaliatory strike.

However, the self-confident Swedes did not hide their intentions. Birger Magnusson sent Alexander Yaroslavich a message directly declaring war. “If you can, resist, but know that I am here and will take your land captive!” - said the arrogant Swede to the prince. Birger calculated everything correctly. He knew that Alexander would not have time to gather a large militia. And the Vladimir regiments of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich will not have time to help his son.

But the Swedes were noticed before they reached the end of their voyage. On the Neva River, more precisely, at the mouth of the Neva, there had long been allies of the Novgorodians - the Izhora “watchmen”. They noticed the Swedish fleet. Sergeant Major Pelgusy, while on patrol, was the first to see the “Svei boats” and immediately sent a messenger to Novgorod. The Izhora watchmen closely watched as the Swedes, battered by the long journey, reached the mouth of the Izhora on their ships. Confident in their superiority, Birger and Fasi decide to stop and give their people a rest. A camp was set up on the shore for noble knights and papal legates, those who were simpler remained on the ships. The watchmen, having calculated the strength of the Swedes, also reported this to Novgorod.

Having received news from Pelgusius, Alexander immediately assembles a council of boyars and noble warriors. There was no longer time to argue and reason. Here begins the flowering of the genius of Alexander Yaroslavich as a skilled speaker. He convinces the Novgorodians not to waste time and strike at the “guests” with all available forces before the enemy waits for them. Strike with the small princely squad and the Novgorod militia against a stronger enemy. Surprisingly, the irreconcilable boyar council approved the prince's plan. The Novgorod militia was hastily assembled.

At the Church of St. Sophia Alexander pronounces his famous words: “Brothers! God is not in power, but in truth! Let us remember the words of the psalmist: these are in arms, and these are on horses; but in the name of the Lord our God we will call... We will not be afraid of the multitude of warriors, for God is with us.” Having received the blessing of Bishop Spiridon, a small army (about 1300 people) set off to meet the enemy.

But they did not go the direct route, but along the Volkhov River to Ladoga. Reinforcements awaited them there in the form of the Ladoga militia. Foot soldiers sailed on ships along the river, and cavalry moved parallel along the shore.

It is unknown where the young prince got such confidence in his abilities. But the chronicle says that Pelgusius not only reported the arrival of the Swedes. They also talk about the vision that the Izhora elder saw. It was a vision of the slain saints Boris Gleb in red robes, sailing on a boat on the sea. And Boris said: “Brother Gleb, let’s row, let’s help our relative Alexander,” after which the boat disappeared from sight. Maybe this vision inspired Prince of Novgorod, or maybe it’s just time for him to reveal himself as a Great Commander.

Having been replenished with Ladoga residents and Izhora residents, Alexander’s 1,500-strong variegated army, hidden by fog, approached unnoticed to the mouth of the Izhora River, where the unsuspecting crusaders were resting before their future campaign against Ladoga. They were so sure that no one could disturb them that they did not post a guard. Some of the Swedes were on the ships.

The talent of a commander is to take the only the right decision. And it was accepted by Alexander Yaroslavich. He, secretly looking around the camp of the crusaders, immediately noted weak point their locations. All that remains is to slam the trap that the Swedes have created for themselves.

On the morning of July 15, 1240, the Russians rushed at the Swedes. Divided into three detachments, two mounted and one on foot, they struck at once from three sides. A detachment of mounted spearmen of Gavrilo Oleksich broke through the Swedes' camp and ended up at their ships. The foot warriors of Misha Novgorod struck from the other flank, finally cutting off the knights’ path to salvation. Alexander himself and his squad attacked the Swedes head-on, aiming at the golden-domed tent of Earl Birger. And the “fierce slaughter” began. The effect of surprise was achieved, but having numerical superiority, the crusaders fought with despair. Many feats were accomplished that day by the Novgorodians. The chronicle says this about the Battle of the Neva:

“Six brave men like him from Alexandrov’s regiment showed themselves here. The first one is named Gavrilo Oleksich. He attacked the auger and, seeing the prince being dragged by the arms, rode all the way to the ship along the gangplank along which he and the prince were running; those pursued by him grabbed Gavrila Oleksich and threw him off the gangplank along with his horse. But by God's mercy he emerged from the water unharmed, and again attacked them, and fought with the commander himself in the midst of their army. The second, named Sbyslav Yasukovich, is from Novgorod. This one attacked their army many times and fought with one ax, having no fear in his soul; and many fell by his hand, and they marveled at his strength and courage. The third - Yakov, a native of Polotsk, was a hunter for the prince. This one attacked the regiment with a sword, and the prince praised him. The fourth is a Novgorodian named Mesha. This man on foot and his retinue attacked the ships and sank three ships. The fifth is from the younger squad, named Savva. This one burst into the large royal golden-domed tent and cut down the tent pole. The Alexandrov regiments, seeing the fall of the tent, rejoiced. The sixth is from the servants of the Alexandrovs, named Ratmir. This one fought on foot, and many enemies surrounded him. He fell from many wounds and died at the Battle of the Neva” - Military Tales of Ancient Rus' pp. 130-131

The battle continued all day and ended by nightfall. Many Swedes were beaten that day - about 200 noble knights, and others - “without number” (Life of Al. Nevsk.). Earl Birger was wounded in the face by Alexander and was carried to the ship.

During the night, the surviving Swedes collected the bodies of their fallen fellow tribesmen and in the morning, quickly boarding the surviving ships, sailed to Sweden. The Russians did not pursue them, which was probably very humane on their part. It is mentioned that the Russians collected the bodies of the killed Scandinavians, whom their fellow countrymen did not have time to pick up, and, having loaded several ships with them, sent them down the Neva, following the survivors.

Returning to Novgorod as a hero, Alexander Yaroslavich received the popular nickname “Nevsky”.

So, the Swedish crusaders failed to capture the fortress of Ladoga and Novgorod. Having received a powerful rebuff, they left the Russian lands alone for a while. This was very important for Northern Rus'. Now, in the face of German order aggression, she was calm about her rear. Neither Novgorod nor Pskov could fight on two fronts.

All of us from school are familiar with the exploits of the holy prince Alexander Yaroslavovich Nevsky. His two great victories, which secured Rus' from Catholic expansion, are considered the true heritage of our history and one of the pillars of our national pride. His exploits are sung by many historians, journalists, writers, artists and filmmakers.

It would seem that the Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice, to which almost as much space is devoted in the school textbook as to the description of the entire Great Patriotic War, have been thoroughly analyzed by dozens of historians. However, if you take a closer look at these events, operating with those few historical sources, which we have, and a bit of common sense, and not template descriptions of these battles, copying each other, then suddenly many questions appear.

When taking up this article, the author first of all set himself the goal of criticizing the “official” version of those episodes of history so far from us. Naturally, refuting one or another interpretation of events, the author tries to offer his own vision of them. However, he does not force anyone to accept his logical constructions as truth. He merely suggests that the standard view of these “fateful” battles for Russia, now accepted as an axiom, should not be considered the truth, since it is often logical to a much lesser extent. However, it is, of course, up to you to decide.

Battle of the Neva. Background.

In our society, there is a strong opinion that all the western neighbors of Rus', starting from ancient times, did nothing but plot some kind of intrigues against it, trying to seize its territories, convert its inhabitants to the “true faith” and, in general, do all kinds of damage . The apogee of this attitude of the Western powers towards Rus' in general and Novgorod in particular in the 13th century was the “united aggression of the Swedes, Danes and Germans,” coordinated, of course, by the Vatican.

However, upon closer examination of Novgorod's relations with its western neighbors, such a theory does not stand up to criticism. Speaking about the vile attack of the Swedes on Novgorod land in 1240, our historians and journalists most often carefully omit the background of this invasion. Let's start with the fact that the military and economic potential of Sweden at that time was not comparable to that of Novgorod. Since the 11th century, there have been wars in Sweden between pagans and Christians; the Swedes were constantly at war with the surrounding tribes.

During the short respites between the religious and feudal wars within the country, they tried to expand their possessions at the expense of the pagan lands bordering Sweden. In essence, the Swedes were trying to regain what they had lost in the 11th century. There was no talk of any plans to conquer Novgorod, due to the complete superiority of the Novgorod Republic over Sweden. All that the Swedes could afford were rare attacks on one or another Novgorod possessions in order to capture key points that would allow the Swedes to defend themselves against campaigns against Sweden by the Novgorod youths and their tributaries. And such campaigns happened no less often than the Swedes’ campaigns against Rus'. One of the most famous of them is the campaign of 1188.

Taking advantage of the fact that another round of bloody civil strife broke out in Sweden, the Karelians and Novgorodians attacked the Swedish capital, Sigtuna, plundered and burned the city and killed Bishop John of Uppsala. Before this campaign, Sigtuna was the center of economic, political and cultural life in Sweden. Situated on the shores of Lake Mälaren ( historical center country) the city was known far beyond the borders of Sweden: “Civitas magna Sictone (“the great city of Sigtuna”) is repeatedly called by Adam of Bremen (1060s). When describing the countries lying along the shores of the Baltic Sea, the Arab geographer Idrisi mentions Sigtuna (1140s)." (Shaskolsky I.P., “The struggle of Rus' against crusader aggression on the shores of the Baltic in the XII-XIII centuries.”).

But after the Karelian attack, this “great city” was never restored. Instead, the Swedes are on an island in the strait connecting Mälaren with Baltic Sea, built Stockholm, and Sigtuna is now a small village in the suburbs of the Swedish capital. The campaign against Sigtuna was perfectly executed militarily: the passage of ships through extremely difficult skerries for navigation, a surprise attack, and the capture of the city. This was undoubtedly an outstanding Russian victory. But here’s the problem: the Russians themselves know almost nothing about it. They don’t write about it in textbooks, they don’t make films. Why?

It's simple: it in no way fits into the theory of "Western aggression" so tenderly cherished by our historians. However, this trip was not the only one of its kind. In 1178, the Karelians took the city of Nousi, the center of the Swedish part of Finland, capturing Bishop Rodulf. As a result, Nosy fell into decline, the capital of Swedish Finland was moved to Åbo, and the bishop was killed. 20 years later, the sad fate of Nowsi and Sigtuna befell Abo: in 1198, Novgorod-Karelian troops landed in Finland and marched through the Swedish possessions with fire and sword, ending their victorious march with the capture of Abo, where Bishop Folkvin repeated the fate of his predecessor from Nowsi. The question of the relationship between Novgorod and the ancestors of the Finns - the Em tribe (Swedish name - Tavasta) is also interesting.

They had even more complaints against the Novgorodians than the Swedes. Novgorodians and Karelians went to em in 1032, 1042, 1123, 1143, 1178 (the same one when Nousi was taken), 1186, 1188, 1191, 1198 (capture of Abo), 1227. It is not surprising that after all these predatory campaigns no had especially warm feelings for the Novgorodians. And it becomes clear why Emi warriors also took part in the Swedish campaign against Ladoga in 1164. And again, it becomes clear why the Novgorod chronicler described the nationality of the “aggressors” who came to the Neva in 1240 in this way: “Svea came in great strength, and Murman, and Sum, and Em.”

True, if their participation in the campaign of 1164 does not raise any doubts, then with their help the Swedes in the Battle of the Neva have these doubts in abundance, but more on that later. As we see, there is no need to talk about the incessant attacks of the Swedes on Novgorod and, in general, the aggressive actions of the “Sweevs” against their Russian neighbor. One can only say that Novgorod and Sweden organized campaigns against each other. That is, aggression (although it is not entirely correct to talk about aggression in the context of medieval relations and with the information we have - such clashes between neighbors were the norm at that time, and one would not dare call it “aggression”) was mutual.

Battle of the Neva. Purpose of the invasion.

Most domestic historians, following the Novgorod First Chronicle (NPL), claim that the goal of the Swedish campaign was Ladoga, which the Swedes, let me remind you, had already attempted in 1164. Well, after Ladoga, the “aggressors” naturally wanted to take Novgorod and subjugate the entire Novgorod land. Some particularly patriotic-minded talents modestly keep silent about the first part of the Swedes’ evil plan and move straight to the second. That is, in their minds scary descendants The Vikings immediately sailed to Novgorod. To claim that the Swedes' goal was Novgorod is, of course, absurd.

Such a campaign was pure suicide: the Swedes at that time were simply unable to assemble the army necessary to take Novgorod. In fact, they never tried to do this. Taking Ladoga looks like a much more feasible task. And the strategic importance of Ladoga is quite great. However, if this city was the goal of the Swedes, the very fact of the battle in the place in which it took place becomes completely incomprehensible. According to the NPL and the Life, the Swedes, having entered the Neva, set up camp at the place where the river flows into it. The Izhorians remained there until the arrival of Alexander. If the goal of the Swedes was to capture Ladoga, such behavior seems extremely illogical.

Ladoga was a perfectly fortified city, which (especially in the absence of siege weapons, which the Swedes did not have) could only be taken by an unexpected attack or a long siege. In our case, a long siege is not an option, simply because Novgorod would not allow Ladoga to be besieged for a long time, but would simply gather a sufficiently large militia and expel the Swedes. Actually, this is exactly what happened in 1164: the Swedes were unable to achieve a surprise attack, and as a result the Ladoga residents “burned their mansions and shut themselves into the city?” When the Swedes began to besiege the city, Novgorod troops approached and destroyed the Swedes' army. Therefore, the only way available to the Swedes to take Ladoga is a surprise attack.

Then what is the point of camping on the Neva, waiting for Novgorod to receive news of your arrival? But the Swedes stood there for about a week. As we know from the Life, Alexander received news of the arrival of the Swedes from the baptized Izhora elder Pelgusius, who headed the “sea guard”. The organization of such a guard seems quite realistic and reasonable. Most likely, it was something like an equestrian relay race. Given the distance from the mouth of Izhora to Novgorod is about 150 km, Alexander should have received news of the arrival of the Swedes a few hours later. It took him another day to gather his troops. After this, the army had to overcome the same distance of 150 km to get to the enemy.

And if we take into account the fact that the Novgorod army most likely passed through Ladoga in order to join the local squad, then the path lengthens by several tens of kilometers. Considering the terrain conditions that were not the most favorable for forced marches, Alexander was supposed to reach the Swedes in five days. And the Swedes had to stand still all this time. But during this time they could quite easily get to Ladoga. What was stopping them? Apparently, the only thing is that Ladoga was not the goal of their voyage at all. Moreover, if the Swedes were really moving towards Ladoga, then why did Alexander suddenly go to Izhora? After all, he should have understood that during the time he was marching towards the Swedes with a forced march, they should have ended up in a completely different place.

Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that the Swedes did not seek to capture Ladoga. What else could have brought the Swedes to the Novgorod possessions? A. Nesterenko in his book "Alexander Nevsky. Who won the Battle of the Ice?" makes the assumption that no Swedish troops were on the Neva in 1240, and Alexander robbed merchants who stopped at the mouth of Izhora to trade with the locals. However, with all due respect to the remarkable work of Alexander Nikolaevich, I have to admit that such a development of events is extremely unlikely. Firstly, because trade was the basis for the prosperity of Novgorod, which, by the way, was the only Russian member of the Hanseatic League (which domestic historians really don’t like to remember - apparently, it also doesn’t fit with the idea of the West as exclusively the enemy of the Russian people), and such behavior of the Novgorod prince would have caused terrible blow by the prestige of the city.

And the Novgorodians would never have forgiven Alexander for this, and he could have forgotten about his reign forever. And Alexander also had to understand this. Well, secondly, because the Novgorodians would not allow foreigners to trade with their tributaries. Whatever one may say, Novgorod had a monopoly on trade with the tribes under its control, and Swedish merchants would not violate this privilege of Novgorod. There remains only one more or less clear hypothesis: the purpose of the Swedish invasion was to establish its own fortress at the mouth of the Izhora, which would serve as a reliable outpost of Sweden on the lands of its ancestral enemy.

Such a fortress would be an obstacle to the predatory campaigns of the Karelians and Izhoras into the Swedish lands, and in the future could serve as a center for the expansion of the Swedes into the territory of these tribes with the aim of Christianizing them. If we accept this theory, then it becomes quite clear why the Swedes spent a week in one place: they simply started building a fortress.

What is characteristic: in order to attribute the battle an even more epic scale, and the West - even more “aggressiveness”, the authors of various panegyrics to Nevsky try to present the Swedish campaign of 1240 as a crusade, while referring to some papal bulls (the same fate, by the way, will befall and the Teutonic knights: they also went on the Crusade against Rus', but more on that later), however, there was no talk of any crusade, and not a single papal bull called for it. The bull of 1237, to which would-be patriots most often refer, calls for a march to Tavast, which is somewhat far from the Neva.

Battle of the Neva. Composition and number of participants.

If you believe the NPL, then in 1240 a united army of Swedes, Norwegians and Finnish tribes found themselves on the Neva. True, Sokolsky also wondered how the Novgorodians distinguished the Norwegians from the Swedes (M. Sokolsky “Conspiracy of the Middle Ages”). Speaking about the inconsistency of the version of Norwegian participation in the campaign, Sokolsky also gives the following arguments: “The Norwegians (“Murmans”) were at that time in extremely hostile relations with Sweden, a protracted war actually took place between them, and only a year later, in the summer of 1241, with The Swedish side made an attempt at reconciliation, and then unsuccessfully; moreover, in Norway itself it was a time of intense internal struggle between the king and a powerful group of feudal lords" (Ibid.).

Moreover, if we accept the version that the Swedes undertook a campaign to found a city on the Neva. The participation of the Norwegians in this campaign is all the more incomprehensible: why would they take part in the construction of someone else’s fortress. For the same reason, it is unlikely that the Finns will participate in the campaign: building cities is not their favorite activity. As we remember, in 1164 they went to Ladoga for a completely different purpose - to plunder. Thus, the “national composition” of this “crusade” is quite clear: only Swedes participated in it. As for the numbers, everything is more complicated here: neither the NPL, nor even the “Life” provide data on the number of the Swedish army, and the Swedish chronicles are simply silent about this campaign, so we can judge the numerical strength of the Swedes only by indirect factors. One of these factors is precisely the absence of any information about the Battle of the Neva in Swedish chronicles.

It seems quite logical to assume that if the Swedes really undertook a major campaign in 1240 (for example, with the participation of 5,000 soldiers, which Pashuto speaks of), this would certainly have been reflected in Swedish primary sources (fortunately, the Swedes organized such large enterprises extremely rarely) . Another indirect source for a rough estimate of the number of Swedes can be the number of their troops in other campaigns. Pokhlebkin, for example, writes that the number of Swedes in their campaigns did not much exceed 1000 people (V.V. Pokhlebkin “Relations between the Swedish state and the Russian state”).

In 1292, the Swedes invaded Karelia with 800 soldiers, and Marshal Knutson founded Landskorna with 1,100 Swedes in 1300. An indirect estimate of the number of Swedes can be judged by the number of Novgorod troops and the course of the battle, which we will talk about a little later. As a result, summing up the pieces of information that we have, we can assume that, most likely, the number of Swedish troops was approximately 2000-2500 people. There is no need to talk about more.

It is somewhat easier to understand the number of Novgorodians: the NPL directly indicates that Alexander fought with the Swedes along with the Novgorodians and Ladoga residents. True, "Life" refutes this, claiming that the prince went to beat the "Romans" only with a "small squad." However, in this case, an entry into the NPL is much more credible. Firstly, for reasons of banal logic, there was no point in Alexander neglecting the Novgorod militia, since at least part of it could get ready for a campaign in the same time that the prince’s squad would have needed for this. Secondly, simply because the “Life” is a kind of akathist, and its author sought in every possible way to glorify the personality of Alexander and his victories.

And what, if not the victory of a “small squad” over many times superior enemy forces, can best serve this purpose? So reality is probably where to a greater extent reflects NPL. Thus, we can make certain assumptions about the size of the Russian army: 200-400 princely warriors, about 1000 Novgorod and Ladoga soldiers and several hundred Izhorians who joined the Russians (indeed, it is unlikely that they would have stood aside when the Swedes began to build their fortress on their tribal lands). As a result, the number of Novgorod troops is approximately 1500-2000 people.

As we can see, the fact that the Swedes outnumbered their enemy several times is just a myth. If the Swedish army had a certain advantage over the Novgorodians, it was not too great.

It is, apparently, worth talking about the command staff of the Swedes in this campaign. NPL tells us that among the Swedes there was a prince, a governor with the original Swedish name Spiridon and bishops. “Life” indicates the participation of the king, prince and governor in the battle (without naming his name). If everything is clear with the governor, except perhaps the name (the army must have a leader), then with the rest of the eminent leaders it is much more difficult to understand. Firstly, it is completely unclear how “Life” and the NPL know that there was a king, a prince, a prince and a bishop in the army.

It is unlikely that in the heat of battle the Novgorodians sought ranks and titles from their opponents. How then could a simple Novgorodian distinguish a “prince” (whom most of our historians identify with a jarl) from another, albeit noble, feudal lord? It is equally unclear how the Novgorodians understood the ecclesiastical ranks of the participants in the campaign and why they assumed that the representative of the Church (whose participation in the campaign did not represent anything unusual) was precisely a bishop. Of course, at that time there was a Catholic Church of St. Peter in Novgorod, but it is unlikely that the Novgorodians were well acquainted with its hierarchy.

And in general it is unlikely that bishops were ever seen. In addition, the chronicle says that one of the bishops was killed, but we know that all seven Swedish bishops survived 1240 safely. The participation of bishops in general seems extremely unlikely. As we have already established above, this Swedish enterprise was not a “crusade” and did not have any serious religious significance. The Swedes came to the Neva primarily with the goal of building a fortress, and the baptism of local tribes (which, of course, was planned in the distant future, as without this) was the tenth thing.

Thus, it can be assumed that the bishops did not participate in this campaign after all. The same can be said about the king and prince: the Swedish king Erik XI Eriksson did not participate in any campaigns (besides, the Chronicle of Erik calls him “lame”), and he had no children at all. Apparently, the author of the Life forced the king to participate in this battle in order to give greater significance to the Swedish campaign, and therefore to Alexander’s victory. As for the “prince” who led the campaign, in Russian historiography he was long considered to be Jarl Birger, the king’s son-in-law.

However, the trouble is that Birger became jarl only in 1248, and in 1240 his cousin Ulf Fasi was jarl. When this information surfaced, Russian historians began to attribute the command of the Swedish forces to Fasi. Although Birger, without being a jarl, was quite a significant figure in the political life of Sweden. In general, the issue with the head of the Swedish campaign still remains open, and it is problematic to speculate on this matter.

Battle of the Neva. Progress of the battle.

We know very little about the course of the battle from primary sources. According to the Life, the battle began on July 15, 1240 at the “sixth hour of the day.” In Russian chronicles, the “day” is counted from sunrise, that is, the “sixth hour” is somewhere around 11 o’clock. That is, at 11 o’clock in the afternoon, Alexander’s army suddenly attacks the Swedes. In general, the surprise of this attack, apparently, was relative. Indeed, it is quite difficult to imagine that an army of one and a half thousand men clad in steel could “suddenly” attack the army of the Swedes. Especially considering that the Swedes are experienced warriors and they could not afford not to post sentinels in front of the camp.

So it turns out that Alexander’s warriors, with the clank of armor and the crunch of branches, hardly went unnoticed by the Swedish army. Another thing is that this attack was unexpected for the Swedes. They probably really expected that Alexander would begin to gather a larger army and would not appear on the Neva until two or three weeks later. Therefore, it is unlikely that the camp was in constant combat readiness.

In other words, we can draw the following conclusion: the Swedes did not expect an attack and were not ready for it, but the Novgorodians could not sneak up on the Swedes unnoticed, therefore the insinuations of some of our historians that the Swedes supposedly did not even have time to take up arms represent are purely fictions.

Further in the “Life” there is a description of the exploits of Alexander, who, of course, “killed countless Romans,” and “left the mark of his spear” on the face of the “king.” As we already know, there was no king on the banks of the Neva. However, this did not confuse our historians, who forced Birger to take the blow of Alexander’s spear. It has already been said above that Birger’s participation in the campaign is a fact in itself dubious. In addition, portraits of Birger have reached us, and in them no scars can be seen on Birger’s face. But at that time it was not customary to hide scars received in battle. Even if this battle ended in defeat for the owner of the scar.

After the next praises of Alexander, the “Life” comes with a description of the exploits of six “brave like him” warriors. The first among these glorious men is named Gavrila Oleksich, who “attacked the auger and, seeing the prince being dragged by the arms, rode all the way to the ship along the gangplank along which they fled with the prince, pursued by him. Then they grabbed Gavrila Oleksich and threw him off the gangway along with horse. But by God’s mercy he came out of the water unharmed, and again attacked them, and fought as a commander himself in the midst of their army.” In general, the behavior of the heroic Gavrila looks rather strange.

Let's start with the fact that it is completely unclear who he was chasing, because the Swedes could not have princes. Gavrila’s desire to ride onto the auger on horseback also seems strange - it should be noted that this is a futile activity: in a ship battle, a rider is an extremely vulnerable target. And the horse would simply break its legs on the deck. Such an experienced warrior as the “brave man from Alexander’s regiment” should have understood this. But the monk who wrote his life, far from military affairs, hardly imagined this well. Willy-nilly, the conclusion suggests itself that the exploits in the “Life” are just an invention of the author. The chronicle says nothing about them.

Another hero, Novgorodian Misha and his squad “attacked the ships” and sank three of them. Why Misha needed to fight the ships is unclear. It is equally unclear how he did it. Chopped with axes right in the water? Where were the Swedes at the same time and what prevented them from shooting the storm of ships Misha with bows?

In general, judging by the “Life”, it turns out that the Novgorodians fought with anything except the Swedes themselves. Another hero, Savva, “burst into the large royal golden-domed tent and cut down the tent pole.” An original maneuver. While Savva’s comrades fought with a “multiple superior enemy,” our brave warrior valiantly fought with the tent. I wonder what Savva did after he cut down the tent pole? Perhaps he remained under the tent that collapsed right on top of him?

Two more warriors, Sbyslav Yakunovich and Yakov, earned the admiration of the author of the Life by “attacking” the Swedes with an ax and a sword, respectively. In fact, hand-to-hand battles are different in that each warrior must attack the enemy - some with a sword, some with an ax, some with something else. It is not clear why the author of the Life mentioned these particular warriors. Is the fantasy over?

However, there is a much more interesting passage in the Life: “The rest took flight, and threw the corpses of their dead soldiers into ships and sank them into the sea.” How it is possible to “take flight” and at the same time attend to the funeral of one’s fallen is known, apparently, only to the author. We can only make assumptions. Based on the fact that the NPL also claims that the Swedes buried their soldiers (not only by throwing them into ships, but also by burying them), we can conclude that the Swedes did not flee at all. What really happened then? Apparently, the most likely scenario is this: the Novgorodians, taking advantage of the surprise of their attack, cut deep into the Swedish defenses, passing through their entire camp all the way to the ships.

At first, the Swedes only retreat. However, after a few minutes, retreating to their ships, they come to their senses, create a certain line of defense and give a worthy rebuff to the Novgorodians. After this, the Novgorod army retreats. During this battle, the Novgorodians, as we know from the chronicles, lost 20 people. Apparently, several dozen more deaths were among the lighter-armed Izhorians. In general, we can assume that Alexander’s total losses amounted to 50 people. The Swedes’ losses, apparently, were 3-4 hundred. Based on this, one can judge the size of the Swedish army, as we discussed above. After this battle, the Swedes should have remained not much more than the Novgorodians, since the Swedes, instead of launching a counterattack and crushing the Russian army, retreated.

However, there should not have been fewer Swedes left than Novgorodians, because the latter, instead of finishing off the Swedish army, allowed the Swedes to bury the fallen and sail away calmly. Simply put, after the battle a certain parity should have been established between the Swedish and Russian troops, as a result of which the Swedes considered it best not to continue the battle, but to go home. Again, the number of Swedes should have been sufficient to bury several hundred corpses, board the ships and sail the same day. That is, we again come to the above estimate of the number of Swedish troops: 2000-2500 people, depending on the number of Russians.

So, what we have: Alexander did not defeat the Swedes at all in the Battle of the Neva - the battle ended in a draw. As a result of the unexpected attack of the Novgorodians, the Swedes suffered heavy losses (several times greater than the Russians), but managed to give a worthy rebuff, after which the Novgorodians considered it best to retreat. After this battle, the number of troops was approximately equal, so the Swedes did not dare to go on the offensive against the Novgorodians, and they, in turn, due to the fact that they had neither superiority in strength nor the advantage of surprise, did not dare to repeat their attack. Therefore, the Swedes, having buried the dead, loaded onto the augers and sailed away, and the Novgorodians returned home victorious.

There is another interesting passage in the Life: “When he (Alexander) defeated the king, on the opposite side of the Izhora River, where Alexander’s regiments could not pass, here they found a countless number of those killed by the angel of the Lord.” Historians usually explain this fact by saying that the Swedish camp, located on the other side of the river, was attacked by the Izhorians. But this theory does not stand up to criticism.

Firstly, why did the Swedes split their camp into two parts, because each of them, if necessary, became much more vulnerable. While the Swedes on the other side of the river could cross over to their attacked comrades, there might be nothing left of them. Secondly, why did Alexander need to split his army into two parts, attacking two camps at once, given that his army was inferior in number to the Swedish one?

It was easier to concentrate all forces on one camp, thereby achieving a numerical superiority in their favor. And finally, thirdly, why did the Swedes, having buried some of their soldiers, leave the other part lying on the shore? It should be recognized that the fragment of the “Life” describing the coming of the “angel of God” is an invention of the author, inserted into the narrative only for the purpose of giving Alexander’s campaign an aura of godliness.

Battle of the Neva. Consequences.

In Russian historiography, it is customary to assert that the Novgorodians on the Neva inflicted a severe defeat on the Swedes, as a result of which they forgot for a long time about the expansion of their possessions. However, oddly enough, the “utterly defeated Swedes” already in 1249 the Swedes organized a new, now truly crusade, campaign against Finland and founded Tavastoborg. And this despite the fact that in 1247 Finland was shocked by another outbreak of internal wars: a number of Swedish bonds, led by the noble Upland family of the Folkungs, rebelled.

The culmination of the rebellion was the Battle of Sparseter, in which the royal troops defeated the feudal lords. Subsequently, the confrontation between the Swedes and Novgorodians was the same constant exchange of raids on each other’s territory: the Swedes, for one purpose or another, organized campaigns in 1292, 1293, 1295, 1300, etc.; Novgorodians and Karelians, in turn - 1256, 1292, 1295, 1301, 1311, etc. In addition, Karelians and Novgorodians organized campaigns in Norway in 1271, 1279, 1302. As we can see, the Battle of the Neva changed little in the relationship between Svealand and Novgorod.

Battle of the Neva. Conclusions.

So, let's summarize. The Battle of the Neva was just another battle in a chain of mutual campaigns of Swedish and Novgorod troops against each other that lasted for centuries. In 1240, the Swedes came to the Neva with the goal of founding a city there, which would become a certain defense of the internal territory of Sweden from Novgorod and Karelian raids. However, Alexander, having learned about the arrival of the Swedes, quickly gathers an army and goes to the construction site of the city. Nevertheless, despite the short collection time, the Novgorod army was not much inferior in number to the Swedish one. Alexander managed to achieve the effect of surprise in his attack, but the Swedes still managed to repel the attack of the Novgorodians.

At the same time, the Swedes suffered quite serious losses and decided not to tempt fate and complete their campaign. Having buried the fallen, they boarded ships and sailed to Sweden. The victory in the Battle of the Neva was not some kind of outstanding battle and did not stand out against the background of other battles between the Novgorodians and the Swedes, either in scale, or in effect, or in significance. Battles such as the Battle of Ladoga in 1164 or the capture of Sigtuna in 1187 surpass the Battle of the Neva in all respects.

These battles were a much more clear example of the valor of Russian soldiers; these battles fully reflect the glory of Russian weapons. And it is these battles that are undeservedly forgotten by descendants, in whose memory only the Battle of the Neva remains, inflated to incredible proportions by Tsarist, Soviet and modern historians. But even the fact that Alexander Yaroslavovich received the nickname Nevsky for this battle is just a myth. He received this prefix to his name only in the 14th century. But Alexander’s contemporaries did not highlight his victory in any way. Only the Russian people’s “historical memory” has always been bad.

Ice battle. Background.

In our historiography it is generally accepted that the Livonian Confederation from ancient times was a state hostile to Rus' and was only engaged in subjugating local tribes in a barbaric manner. While Rus', of course, together with these tribes tried to resist Western expansion. It is precisely as the most striking episode of this resistance that the Battle of Lake Peipus is considered. However, if you study the history of Livonia more deeply, it suddenly turns out that Rus' was not always an ally of the Baltic tribes. And she was not always at enmity with Livonia. And if she was at enmity, then the roots of this enmity lay not at all in a clash of civilizations, but only in the same Rus'’s thirst to rob its neighbors.

Only two Russian principalities historically had certain plans for the Baltic states: Novgorod and Polotsk. These principalities always considered the Baltic states as an excellent target for plunder. For example, Novgorod organized campaigns for this purpose in 1030, 1054, 1060, 1068, 1130, 1131-1134, 1191-1192. However, the list is, of course, not complete. All these enterprises were established only for reasons of material gain. Only once did the Novgorodians try to gain a foothold in the Baltic states, building the city of Yuryev (the future Dorpat, and now Tartu) in 1030.

The first clash between Russians and Germans occurred in 1203. And this did not happen at all because the vile Catholics pursued an aggressive policy, far from it. The Germans then, in principle, did not have the opportunity to pursue an aggressive policy: in all of Livonia they had only a couple of poorly fortified castles and a couple of hundred soldiers. And it was precisely this weakness of Livonia that the appanage Polotsk principality of Herzike took advantage of, attacking the Livonian Ishkile. The Livonians preferred to pay off and the Polochans, having received what they wanted, went on to earn their bread further - this time to the next Livonian castle: Golm, but there the Germans managed to repel the Russian attack.

As we see, it was the Russian principalities that pursued an aggressive policy. However, it made no difference to them who to attack: the Germans, the Letts, the Estonians or anyone else - for them the determining factor in choosing a target was not nationality or religion, but “ability to pay.” But another appanage Polotsk prince, Vyachko from Kukenois, made peace with Riga in 1205. Both the Russians and the Germans had common enemies in the Baltic states - the extremely warlike Lithuanians. Therefore, both the Russians and, even more so, the extremely weak Germans at that time, considered it best to at least be friends from time to time.

But as soon as the Russians again had the opportunity to plunder the Catholics without hindrance, they did not fail to take advantage of it: in 1206 the Polotsk people again attacked Ishkile and Golm. However, in both cases the Russian attack was repulsed. After this failure, Vyachko (apparently also participating in the campaign) again in 1207 turned to Bishop Albert (then head of Catholic Livonia) with a peace proposal. Albert happily accepts this offer. However, an interesting incident soon occurs.

Vyachko, apparently, did not share something with his neighbor, the Livonian knight Daniil. As a result, Daniil attacks Kukenois, captures the city and takes Vyachko himself prisoner. It would seem that this is a blatant case of exceptional aggressiveness of the Germans! According to the logic of things, the godless Catholics now had to settle in the vilely captured Russian lands and forcibly convert their population to the “Latin” faith. However, the Germans do exactly the opposite. Albert orders the release of Vyachko, the return of the city and all seized property to him.

Moreover, Albert invited Vyachko to Riga, where he received him with honor and presented him with horses and rich clothes. And when Vyachko left for Kukenois, Albert sent with him 20 German craftsmen who were supposed to strengthen the fortification of the city. Albert himself at this time had to sail from Riga to Germany to return to their homeland the knights who had served in Livonia and pick up a new batch of pilgrims. Vyachko decided to take advantage of this weakening of Riga. First, he decided to deal with the Germans working in Kukenois. True, he solved even such a simple task with difficulty, managing to kill only 17 people, and 3 managed to escape. After this, Vyachko began to prepare for the campaign against Riga.