home Folk remedies Play plants vs zombies garden mega battle. The movement of Western invaders was stopped. Actions of Alexander Yaroslavich

Play plants vs zombies garden mega battle. The movement of Western invaders was stopped. Actions of Alexander Yaroslavich

The Battle of the Ice or the Battle of Peipus is the battle between the Novgorod-Pskov troops of Prince Alexander Nevsky and the troops of the Livonian knights on April 5, 1242 on the ice of Lake Peipus. In 1240, the knights of the Livonian Order (see Spiritual Knightly Orders) captured Pskov and advanced their conquests to Vodskaya Pyatina; their travels approached 30 versts to Novgorod, where at that time there was no prince, because Alexander Nevsky, having quarreled with the veche, retired to Vladimir. Constrained by the knights and Lithuania, which had raided the southern regions, the Novgorodians sent envoys to ask Alexander to return. Arriving at the beginning of 1241, Alexander cleared the Vodskaya Pyatina of the enemy, but decided to liberate Pskov only after combining the Novgorod detachments with the grassroots troops that arrived in 1242 under the command of his brother, Prince Andrei Yaroslavich. The Germans did not have time to send reinforcements to their small garrison, and Pskov was taken by storm.

However, the campaign could not be ended with this success, since it became known that the knights were preparing for the fight and that they were concentrated in the Dorpat (Tartu) bishopric. Instead of the usual waiting for the enemy in the fortress, Alexander decided to meet the enemy halfway and inflict a decisive blow on him with a surprise attack. Having set out along the well-worn path to Izborsk, Alexander sent a network of advanced reconnaissance detachments. Soon one of them, probably the most significant, under the leadership of the mayor's brother Domash Tverdislavich, came across the Germans and Chud, was defeated and forced to retreat. Further reconnaissance discovered that the enemy, having sent a small part of his forces to the Izborsk road, moved with his main forces straight to the ice-covered Lake Peipsi in order to cut off the Russians from Pskov.

Then Alexander “backed towards the lake; The Germans just walked over them,” that is, with a successful maneuver, the Russian army avoided the danger that threatened it. Having turned the situation in his favor, Alexander decided to take the fight and remained near Lake Peipus on the Uzmen tract, at the “Voronei Kameni”. At dawn on April 5, 1242, the knightly army, together with the contingents of the Estonians (Chudi), formed a kind of closed phalanx, known as the “wedge” or “iron pig”. In this battle formation, the knights moved across the ice towards the Russians and, crashing into them, broke through the center. Carried away by their success, the knights did not even notice that both flanks were being encircled by the Russians, who, holding the enemy in pincers, defeated him. The pursuit after the Battle of the Ice was carried out to the opposite Sobolitsky shore of the lake, at which time the ice began to break under the crowded fugitives. 400 knights fell, 50 were captured, and the bodies of the lightly armed miracle lay 7 miles away. The astonished master of the order waited with trepidation for Alexander under the walls of Riga and asked the Danish king for help against “cruel Rus'.”

Battle on the Ice. Painting by V. Matorin

After the Battle of the Ice, the Pskov clergy greeted Alexander Nevsky with crosses, the people called him father and savior. The prince shed tears and said: “People of Pskov! If you forget Alexander, if my most distant descendants do not find a faithful refuge in your misfortune, then you will be an example of ingratitude!”

The victory in the Battle of the Ice was of great importance in the political life of the Novgorod-Pskov region. The confidence of the pope, the Bishop of Dorpat and the Livonian knights in the quick conquest of the Novgorod lands crumbled for a long time. They had to think about self-defense and prepare for a century-long stubborn struggle, which ended with the conquest of the Livonian-Baltic Sea by Russia. After the Battle of the Ice, the order's ambassadors made peace with Novgorod, abandoning not only Luga and the Vodskaya volost, but also ceding a considerable part of Letgalia to Alexander.

Great commanders and their battles Venkov Andrey Vadimovich

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

BATTLE ON LAKE CHUDSKY (Battle of the Ice)

Arriving in Novgorod in 1241, Alexander found Pskov and Koporye in the hands of the Order. Without taking a long time to gather himself, he began to respond. Taking advantage of the difficulties of the Order, distracted by the fight against the Mongols, Alexander Nevsky marched to Koporye, took the city by storm and killed most of the garrison. Some of the knights and mercenaries from the local population were captured, but released (by the Germans), traitors from among the “Chudi” were hanged.

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

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

Alexander hurried with his entire army to the north, got ahead of the Germans and blocked their road. Late spring and preserved ice on the lakes made the surface the most convenient road for movement, and at the same time for maneuver warfare. It was on the ice of Lake Peipus that Alexander began to wait for the approach of the order’s army. At dawn on April 5, the opponents saw each other.

The troops that opposed the knights on the ice of Lake Peipus were of a consolidated nature. The squads that came from the “lower lands” had one principle of recruitment. The Novgorod regiments are different. The consolidated nature of the army led to the fact that there was no unified control system. Traditionally, in such cases, a council of princes and governors of city regiments gathered. In this situation, the primacy of Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky, based on high authority, was undeniable.

The “lower regiments” consisted of princely squads, boyar squads, and city regiments. The army deployed by Veliky Novgorod had a fundamentally different composition. It included the squad of the prince invited to Novgorod (i.e. Alexander Nevsky), the squad of the bishop (“lord”), the garrison of Novgorod, who served for a salary (gridi) and was subordinate to the mayor (however, the garrison could remain in the city itself and not participate in battle), Konchansky regiments, militia of posads and squads of “povolniki”, private military organizations of boyars and rich merchants.

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

The principle of recruiting a regiment at the “ends” was carried out as follows: two residents assembled a third, a foot warrior, for a campaign. The wealthy exhibited a mounted warrior. Owners of a certain amount of land were required to provide a certain number of horsemen. The unit of measurement was the “plow” - the amount of land that could be plowed with three horses and two assistants (the owner himself was the third). Usually ten plows gave one mounted warrior. In extreme situations, the horseman was fielded with four plows.

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

The command staff was represented by centurions and governors who commanded one or two regiments; The governors were subordinate to the prince, who, in addition, directly commanded his squad.

In tactical terms, these units constituted a guard regiment, “forehead” and “wings” on the battlefield. Each regiment had its own banner - a banner and military music. In total, the Novgorod army had 13 banners.

The supply system was primitive. When setting out on a campaign, each warrior had a supply of food with him. Supplies, along with tents, battering machines, etc., were carried in a convoy (“in goods”). When supplies ran out, special detachments of “rich people” (foragers) were sent to collect them.

Traditionally, the battle began with a guard regiment, then with a foot army, then with the mounted Novgorod army and the squads of princes. The system of ambushes, tracking down the enemy, etc. was widely used.

In general, the army fielded by Veliky Novgorod and the “lower” lands was a fairly powerful force, distinguished by a high fighting spirit, aware of the importance of the moment, the significance of the fight against the invasion of crusader knighthood. The number of the army reached 15–17 thousand. Researchers are unanimous in this. Most of it was made up of foot Novgorod and Vladimir militias.

The Order, advancing on the Slavic lands, was a powerful military organization. The head of the Order was a master. Subordinate to him were commanders, commandants of strong points in the conquered lands, managing these areas. The knights - “brothers” - were subordinate to the commander. The number of "brothers" was limited. Three centuries after the events described, when the Order was thoroughly strengthened in the Baltic states, there were 120–150 full members, “brothers”. In addition to full members, the Order included “merciful brothers,” a kind of sanitary service, and priests. Most of the knights who fought under the banners of the Order were “half-brothers” who had no right to spoils.

The weapons and armor of European chivalry are described in the chapter dedicated to the Battle of Liegnitz.

Unlike knights who were not part of knightly orders, the Teutons and Swordsmen were united by discipline and could, to the detriment of their unique ideas about knightly honor, form deep battle formations.

Particularly important is the question of the number of troops of the Order who set foot on the ice of Lake Peipsi. Domestic historians usually cited a figure of 10–12 thousand people. Later researchers, citing the German “Rhymed Chronicle,” generally name 300–400 people. Some offer a “compromise option”: up to ten 10 thousand soldiers could be fielded by the Livonians and Estonians, the Germans themselves could number no more than 2 thousand, mostly these were hired squads of noble knights, most likely on foot, there were only a few hundred cavalry, of which There are only thirty to forty of them - direct knights of the order, “brothers”.

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

On Lake Peipus, Alexander formed his troops in the traditional battle formation for Russian troops. In the center there was a small Vladimir foot militia, in front of it there was an advanced regiment of light cavalry, archers and slingers. There were also Vladimir residents here. In total, one third of the entire army was located in the center of the battle formation. Two-thirds of the army - the Novgorod foot militia - became regiments of the “right hand” and “left hand” on the flanks. Behind the regiment of the “left hand” an ambush was hidden, consisting of a princely equestrian squad.

Behind the entire formation, according to a number of researchers, were located the coupled sleighs of the convoy. Some believe that the rear of the Russian army simply rested on the high, steep shore of the lake.

The Order's troops formed a wedge, a "boar's head". The Russians called this battle formation a “pig.” The spearhead, sides and even the last ranks of the formation were made up of the knights themselves. Infantry stood densely inside the wedge. Some researchers consider such a formation to be the most acceptable for the Order’s troops at that time - otherwise it would have been impossible to keep the numerous “chud” in the ranks.

Such a wedge could only move at a walk or a “shovel” (i.e., a “trick”, a quick step), and attack from close range - 70 paces, otherwise the horses that had risen to a gallop would have broken away from the infantry and the formation would have disintegrated at the most crucial moment .

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

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

As stated in the “Rhymed Chronicle,” “the Russians had many riflemen who bravely took the first onslaught, standing in front of the prince’s squad. It was seen how a detachment of brother knights defeated the shooters.” Having broken through the archers and the advanced regiment, the knights cut into the Great Regiment. It is clear that the Big Regiment was cut up, and some of the soldiers of the Russian army rolled back behind the coupled carts and sleighs. Here, naturally, a “third line of defense” was formed. The knight's horses did not have enough speed and acceleration space to overcome the coupled and lined up Russian sleighs. And since the back rows of the clumsy wedge continued to press, the front ones probably made a heap in front of the Russian sleigh train, collapsing along with the horses. The Vladimir militia who retreated behind the sleigh mixed with the knights who had lost formation, the regiments of the “right” and “left” hands, slightly changing the front, hit the flanks of the Germans, who also mixed with the Russians. As the author who wrote “The Life of Alexander Nevsky” reports, “there was a swift slashing of evil, and a crackling sound from the breaking of spears, and a sound from the cutting of a sword, like a frozen lake moving. And you won’t see the ice: you’re covered in blood.”

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

The “Rhymed Chronicle” admits: “... those who were in the army of the brother knights were surrounded... The brother knights resisted quite stubbornly, but they were defeated there.”

Several ranks of knights covering the wedge from the rear were crushed by the blow of the Russian heavy cavalry. “Chud”, who made up the bulk of the infantry, seeing their army surrounded, ran to their native shore. It was easiest to break through in this direction, since there was a horse battle here and the Russians did not have a united front. The “Rhymed Chronicle” reports that “some of the Derpt residents (Chudi) left the battle, this was their salvation, they were forced to retreat.”

Left without the support of the bulk of the infantry, having broken the formation, the knights and, possibly, their warriors, the Germans, were forced to fight back in all directions.

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

Apparently, already at the western shore of the lake, those running began to fall through the ice (near the shores the ice is always thinner, especially if streams flow into the lake in this place). This completed the defeat.

No less controversial is the issue of the losses of the parties in the battle. The Russian losses are spoken of vaguely - “many brave warriors fell.” The losses of the knights are indicated by specific figures, which cause controversy. Russian chronicles, followed by domestic historians, say that 500 knights were killed, and the Chuds “fell beschisla,” 50 knights, “deliberate commanders,” were taken prisoner. 500 killed knights is a completely unrealistic figure; there was no such number in the entire Order, moreover, much fewer of them took part in the entire First Crusade. The Rhymed Chronicle estimates that 20 knights were killed and 6 were captured. Perhaps the Chronicle means only the brother knights, leaving out their squads and the “chud” recruited into the army. There is no reason not to trust in this Chronicle. On the other hand, the Novgorod First Chronicle says that 400 “Germans” fell in the battle, 90 were taken prisoner, and “chud” is also discounted - “beschisla”. Apparently, 400 German soldiers actually fell on the ice of Lake Peipsi, 20 of them were brother knights, 90 Germans (of which 6 “real” knights) were captured.

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

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April 18 is the Day of Military Glory of Russia, the day of the victory of Russian soldiers of Prince Alexander Nevsky over the German knights on Lake Peipus (the so-called Battle of the Ice, 1242). The date is celebrated in accordance with the Federal Law “On the Days of Military Glory (Victory Days) of Russia” dated March 13, 1995 No. 32-FZ.

In the early 40s. XIII century, taking advantage of the weakening of Rus', which occurred as a result of the devastating invasion of the Mongol-Tatars, German crusaders, Swedish and Danish feudal lords decided to seize its northeastern lands. By joint efforts they hoped to conquer the Novgorod feudal republic. The Swedes, with the support of the Danish knights, tried to capture the mouth of the Neva, but were defeated by the Novgorod army in the Battle of the Neva in 1240.

At the end of August - beginning of September 1240, the Pskov land was invaded by the crusaders of the Livonian Order, which was formed by the German knights of the Teutonic Order in 1237 in the Eastern Baltic on the territory inhabited by the Livonian and Estonian tribes. After a short siege, German knights captured the city of Izborsk. Then they besieged Pskov and, with the assistance of the traitor boyars, soon occupied it too. After this, the crusaders invaded the Novgorod land, captured the coast of the Gulf of Finland and built their own on the site of the ancient Russian fortress of Koporye. Having not reached Novgorod 40 km, the knights began plundering its surroundings.

(Military encyclopedia. Military publishing house. Moscow. in 8 volumes - 2004)

An embassy was sent from Novgorod to the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yaroslav, so that he would release his son Alexander (Prince Alexander Nevsky) to help them. Alexander Yaroslavovich ruled in Novgorod from 1236, but due to the machinations of the Novgorod nobility, he left Novgorod and went to reign in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky. Yaroslav, realizing the danger of the threat emanating from the West, agreed: the matter concerned not only Novgorod, but all of Rus'.

In 1241, Prince Alexander Nevsky, returning to Novgorod, gathered an army of Novgorodians, Ladoga, Izhora and Karelians. Having secretly made a quick transition to Koporye, it took this strong fortress by storm. By capturing Koporye, Alexander Nevsky secured the northwestern borders of the Novgorod lands, secured his rear and northern flank for further struggle against the German crusaders. At the call of Alexander Nevsky, troops from Vladimir and Suzdal under the command of his brother Prince Andrei arrived to help the Novgorodians. United Novgorod-Vladimir army in the winter of 1241-1242. undertook a campaign in the Pskov land and, cutting off all roads from Livonia to Pskov, took this city, as well as Izborsk, by storm.

After this defeat, the Livonian knights, having gathered a large army, marched to the Pskov and Peipsi lakes. The basis of the army of the Livonian Order was the heavily armed knightly cavalry, as well as infantry (bollards) - detachments of peoples enslaved by the Germans (Estonians, Livonians, etc.), which many times outnumbered the knights.

Having found out the direction of movement of the enemy’s main forces, Alexander Nevsky sent his army there too. Having reached Lake Peipsi, Alexander Nevsky’s army found itself in the center of possible enemy routes to Novgorod. At this place it was decided to give battle to the enemy. The armies of opponents converged on the shores of Lake Peipsi near the Crow Stone and the Uzmen tract. Here, on April 5, 1242, a battle took place that went down in history as the Battle of the Ice.

At dawn, the crusaders approached the Russian position on the ice of the lake at a slow trot. The army of the Livonian Order, according to established military tradition, advanced with an “iron wedge”, which appears in Russian chronicles under the name “pigs”. At the forefront was the main group of knights, some of them covered the flanks and rear of the “wedge”, in the center of which the infantry was located. The wedge had as its task the fragmentation and breakthrough of the central part of the enemy troops, and the columns following the wedge were supposed to defeat the enemy’s flanks. In chain mail and helmets, with long swords, they seemed invulnerable.

Alexander Nevsky contrasted this stereotypical tactics of knights with the new formation of Russian troops. He concentrated his main forces not in the center ("chele"), as Russian troops always did, but on the flanks. In front was an advanced regiment of light cavalry, archers and slingers. The Russian battle formation was turned with its rear to the steep steep eastern shore of the lake, and the princely cavalry squad hid in ambush behind the left flank. The chosen position was advantageous in that the Germans, advancing on open ice, were deprived of the opportunity to determine the location, number and composition of the Russian army.

The knight's wedge broke through the center of the Russian army. Having stumbled upon the steep shore of the lake, the sedentary, armor-clad knights were unable to develop their success. The flanks of the Russian battle formation ("wings") squeezed the wedge into pincers. At this time, Alexander Nevsky's squad struck from the rear and completed the encirclement of the enemy.

Under the onslaught of Russian regiments, the knights mixed their ranks and, having lost freedom of maneuver, were forced to defend themselves. A brutal battle ensued. Russian infantrymen pulled the knights off their horses with hooks and chopped them down with axes. Hemmed in on all sides in a limited space, the crusaders fought desperately. But their resistance gradually weakened, it became disorganized, and the battle broke up into separate centers. Where large groups of knights accumulated, the ice could not withstand their weight and broke. Many knights drowned. The Russian cavalry pursued the defeated enemy over 7 km, to the opposite shore of Lake Peipus.

The army of the Livonian Order suffered a complete defeat and suffered huge losses for those times: up to 450 knights died and 50 were captured. Several thousand knechts were killed. The Livonian Order was faced with the need to conclude a peace, according to which the crusaders renounced their claims to Russian lands, and also renounced part of Latgale (a region in eastern Latvia).

The victory of the Russian army on the ice of Lake Peipus was of great political and military significance. The Livonian Order was dealt a crushing blow, and the crusaders' advance to the East stopped. The Battle of the Ice was the first example in history of the defeat of knights by an army consisting mainly of infantry, which testified to the advanced nature of Russian military art.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

April 18th The next Day of Military Glory of Russia is celebrated - the Day of the victory of Russian soldiers of Prince Alexander Nevsky over the German knights on Lake Peipsi (Battle of the Ice, 1242). The holiday was established by Federal Law No. 32-FZ of March 13, 1995 “On the days of military glory and memorable dates of Russia.”

According to the definition of all modern historical reference books and encyclopedias,

Battle on the Ice(Schlacht auf dem Eise (German), Prœlium glaciale (Latin), also called Ice battle or Battle of Lake Peipsi- the battle of the Novgorodians and Vladimirites led by Alexander Nevsky against the knights of the Livonian Order on the ice of Lake Peipus - took place on April 5 (in terms of the Gregorian calendar - April 12) 1242.

In 1995, Russian parliamentarians, when adopting a federal law, did not particularly think about the dating of this event. They simply added 13 days to April 5 (as is traditionally done to recalculate the events of the 19th century from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar), completely forgetting that the Battle of the Ice did not happen at all in the 19th century, but in the distant 13th century. Accordingly, the “correction” to the modern calendar is only 7 days.

Today, anyone who has studied in high school is sure that the Battle of the Ice or the Battle of Lake Peipus is considered the general battle of the conquest campaign of the Teutonic Order in 1240-1242. The Livonian Order, as is known, was the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order, and was formed from the remnants of the Order of the Sword in 1237. The Order waged wars against Lithuania and Rus'. Members of the order were "brothers-knights" (warriors), "brothers-priests" (clergy) and "brothers-servants" (squires-artisans). The Knights of the Order were given the rights of the Knights Templar (templars). The distinctive sign of its members was a white robe with a red cross and a sword on it. The battle between the Livonians and the Novgorod army on Lake Peipus decided the outcome of the campaign in favor of the Russians. It also marked the actual death of the Livonian Order itself. Every schoolchild will enthusiastically tell how, during the battle, the famous Prince Alexander Nevsky and his comrades killed and drowned almost all the clumsy, ponderous knights in the lake and liberated the Russian lands from the German conquerors.

If we abstract from the traditional version set out in all school and some university textbooks, it turns out that practically nothing is known about the famous battle, which went down in history as the Battle of the Ice.

Historians to this day break their spears in disputes about what were the reasons for the battle? Where exactly did the battle take place? Who took part in it? And did she exist at all?..

Next, I would like to present two not entirely traditional versions, one of which is based on an analysis of well-known chronicle sources about the Battle of the Ice and concerns the assessment of its role and significance by contemporaries. The other was born as a result of a search by amateur enthusiasts for the immediate site of the battle, about which neither archaeologists nor specialist historians still have a clear opinion.

An imaginary battle?

The “Battle on the Ice” is reflected in a lot of sources. First of all, this is a complex of Novgorod-Pskov chronicles and the “Life” of Alexander Nevsky, which exists in more than twenty editions; then - the most complete and ancient Laurentian Chronicle, which included a number of chronicles of the 13th century, as well as Western sources - numerous Livonian Chronicles.

However, having analyzed domestic and foreign sources for many centuries, historians have not been able to come to a common opinion: do they tell about a specific battle that took place in 1242 on Lake Peipsi, or are they about different ones?

Most domestic sources record that some kind of battle took place on Lake Peipus (or in its area) on April 5, 1242. But it is not possible to reliably establish its causes, the number of troops, their formation, composition on the basis of annals and chronicles. How did the battle develop, who distinguished himself in the battle, how many Livonians and Russians died? No data. How did Alexander Nevsky, who is still called “the savior of the fatherland”, finally show himself in the battle? Alas! There are still no answers to any of these questions.

Domestic sources about the Battle of the Ice

The obvious contradictions contained in the Novgorod-Pskov and Suzdal chronicles telling about the Battle of the Ice can be explained by the constant rivalry between Novgorod and the Vladimir-Suzdal lands, as well as the difficult relationship between the Yaroslavich brothers - Alexander and Andrey.

The Grand Duke of Vladimir Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, as you know, saw his youngest son, Andrei, as his successor. In Russian historiography, there is a version that the father wanted to get rid of the elder Alexander, and therefore sent him to reign in Novgorod. The Novgorod “table” at that time was considered almost a chopping block for the Vladimir princes. The political life of the city was ruled by the boyar “veche”, and the prince was only a governor, who in case of external danger must lead the squad and militia.

According to the official version of the Novgorod First Chronicle (NPL), for some reason the Novgorodians expelled Alexander from Novgorod after the victorious Battle of the Neva (1240). And when the knights of the Livonian Order captured Pskov and Koporye, they again asked the Vladimir prince to send them Alexander.

Yaroslav, on the contrary, intended to send Andrei, whom he trusted more, to resolve the difficult situation, but the Novgorodians insisted on Nevsky’s candidacy. There is also a version that the story of the “expulsion” of Alexander from Novgorod is fictitious and of a later nature. Perhaps it was invented by Nevsky’s “biographers” to justify the surrender of Izborsk, Pskov and Koporye to the Germans. Yaroslav feared that Alexander would open the Novgorod gates to the enemy in the same way, but in 1241 he managed to recapture the Koporye fortress from the Livonians, and then take Pskov. However, some sources date the liberation of Pskov to the beginning of 1242, when the Vladimir-Suzdal army led by his brother Andrei Yaroslavich had already arrived to help Nevsky, and some - to 1244.

According to modern researchers, based on the Livonian Chronicles and other foreign sources, the Koporye fortress surrendered to Alexander Nevsky without a fight, and the Pskov garrison consisted of only two Livonian knights with their squires, armed servants and some militias from local peoples who joined them (Chud, water, etc.). The composition of the entire Livonian Order in the 40s of the 13th century could not exceed 85-90 knights. That is exactly how many castles existed on the territory of the Order at that moment. One castle, as a rule, fielded one knight with squires.

The earliest surviving domestic source mentioning the “Battle of the Ice” is the Laurentian Chronicle, written by a Suzdal chronicler. It does not mention the participation of the Novgorodians in the battle at all, and Prince Andrei appears as the main character:

“Grand Duke Yaroslav sent his son Andrei to Novgorod to help Alexander against the Germans. Having won on the lake beyond Pskov and taken many prisoners, Andrei returned with honor to his father.”

The authors of numerous editions of Alexander Nevsky’s Life, on the contrary, argue that it was after “The Battle of the Ice” made the name of Alexander famous “across all countries from the Varangian Sea and to the Pontic Sea, and to the Egyptian Sea, and to the country of Tiberias, and to the Ararat Mountains, even to Rome the Great...”.

According to the Laurentian Chronicle, it turns out that even his closest relatives did not suspect Alexander’s worldwide fame.

The most detailed account of the battle is contained in the Novgorod First Chronicle (NPL). It is believed that in the earliest list of this chronicle (Synodal) the entry about the “Battle on the Ice” was made already in the 30s of the 14th century. The Novgorod chronicler does not mention a word about the participation of Prince Andrei and the Vladimir-Suzdal squad in the battle:

“Alexander and the Novgorodians built regiments on Lake Peipus on Uzmen near the Crow Stone. And the Germans and Chud drove into the regiment, and fought their way through the regiment like a pig. And there was a great slaughter of the Germans and Chuds. God helped Prince Alexander. The enemy was driven and beaten seven miles to the Subolichi coast. And countless Chuds fell, and 400 Germans(later scribes rounded this figure to 500, and in this form it was included in history textbooks). Fifty prisoners were brought to Novgorod. The battle took place on Saturday, April 5th.”

In later versions of the “Life” of Alexander Nevsky (late 16th century), discrepancies with the chronicle information are deliberately eliminated, details borrowed from the NPL are added: the location of the battle, its course and data on losses. The number of killed enemies increases from edition to edition to 900 (!). In some editions of the “Life” (and there are more than twenty of them in total) there are reports about the participation of the Master of the Order in the battle and his capture, as well as the absurd fiction that the knights drowned in the water because they were too heavy.

Many historians who analyzed in detail the texts of the “Life” of Alexander Nevsky noted that the description of the massacre in the “Life” gives the impression of obvious literary borrowing. V.I. Mansikka (“The Life of Alexander Nevsky”, St. Petersburg, 1913) believed that the story about the Battle of the Ice used a description of the battle between Yaroslav the Wise and Svyatopolk the Accursed. Georgy Fedorov notes that the “Life” of Alexander “is a military heroic story inspired by Roman-Byzantine historical literature (Palea, Josephus),” and the description of the “Battle on the Ice” is a tracing of Titus’ victory over the Jews at Lake Gennesaret from the third book of the “History of the Jews.” wars" by Josephus.

I. Grekov and F. Shakhmagonov believe that “the appearance of the battle in all its positions is very similar to the famous Battle of Cannes” (“World of History”, p. 78). In general, the story about the “Battle on the Ice” from the early edition of Alexander Nevsky’s “Life” is just a general place that can be successfully applied to the description of any battle.

In the 13th century there were many battles that could have become a source of “literary borrowing” for the authors of the story about the “Battle on the Ice.” For example, about ten years before the expected date of writing the “Life” (80s of the 13th century), on February 16, 1270, a major battle took place between the Livonian knights and the Lithuanians at Karusen. It also took place on ice, but not on a lake, but on the Gulf of Riga. And its description in the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle is exactly like the description of the “Battle on the Ice” in the NPL.

In the Battle of Karusen, as in the Battle of the Ice, the knightly cavalry attacks the center, there the cavalry “gets stuck” in the convoys, and by going around the flanks the enemy completes their defeat. Moreover, in neither case do the winners try to take advantage of the result of the defeat of the enemy army in any way, but calmly go home with the spoils.

"Livonians" version

The Livonian Rhymed Chronicle (LRH), telling about a certain battle with the Novgorod-Suzdal army, tends to make the aggressors not the knights of the order, but their opponents - Prince Alexander and his brother Andrei. The authors of the chronicle constantly emphasize the superior forces of the Russians and the small number of the knightly army. According to LRH, the Order's losses in the Battle of the Ice amounted to twenty knights. Six were captured. This chronicle says nothing about the date or place of the battle, but the minstrel’s words that the dead fell on the grass (ground) allows us to conclude that the battle was fought not on the ice of the lake, but on land. If the author of the Chronicle understands “grass” not figuratively (the German idiomatic expression is “to fall on the battlefield”), but literally, then it turns out that the battle took place when the ice on the lakes had already melted, or the opponents fought not on the ice, but in coastal reed thickets:

“In Dorpat they learned that Prince Alexander had come with an army to the land of the brother knights, causing robberies and fires. The bishop ordered the men of the bishopric to rush into the army of the brother knights to fight against the Russians. They brought too few people, the army of the brother knights was also too small. However, they came to a consensus to attack the Russians. The Russians had many shooters who bravely accepted the first onslaught. It was seen how a detachment of brother knights defeated the shooters; there the clanking of swords could be heard, and helmets could be seen being cut apart. On both sides the dead fell onto the grass. Those who were in the army of the brother knights were surrounded. The Russians had such an army that each German was attacked by perhaps sixty people. The brother knights stubbornly resisted, but were defeated there. Some of the Derpt residents escaped by leaving the battlefield. Twenty brother knights were killed there, and six were captured. This was the course of the battle."

The author LRH does not express the slightest admiration for Alexander’s military leadership talents. The Russians managed to encircle part of the Livonian army not thanks to Alexander’s talent, but because there were much more Russians than Livonians. Even with an overwhelming numerical superiority over the enemy, according to LRH, the Novgorodian troops were not able to encircle the entire Livonian army: some of the Dorpattians escaped by retreating from the battlefield. Only a small part of the “Germans” were surrounded - 26 brother knights who preferred death to shameful flight.

A later source in terms of the time of writing - “The Chronicle of Hermann Wartberg” was written one hundred and fifty years after the events of 1240-1242. It contains, rather, an assessment by the descendants of the defeated knights of the significance that the war with the Novgorodians had on the fate of the Order. The author of the chronicle talks about the capture and subsequent loss of Izborsk and Pskov by the Order as major events of this war. However, the Chronicle does not mention any battle on the ice of Lake Peipsi.

The Livonian Chronicle of Ryussow, published in 1848 on the basis of earlier editions, states that during the time of Master Conrad (Grand Master of the Teutonic Order in 1239-1241. Died from wounds received in the battle with the Prussians on April 9, 1241) there was King Alexander. He (Alexander) learned that under Master Hermann von Salt (Master of the Teutonic Order in 1210-1239), the Teutons captured Pskov. With a large army, Alexander takes Pskov. The Germans fight hard, but are defeated. Seventy knights and many Germans died. Six brother knights are captured and tortured to death.

Some Russian historians interpret the messages of the Chronicle of Ryussov in the sense that the seventy knights whose deaths he mentions fell during the capture of Pskov. But it's not right. In the Chronicle of Ryussow, all the events of 1240-1242 are combined into one whole. This Chronicle does not mention such events as the capture of Izborsk, the defeat of the Pskov army near Izborsk, the construction of a fortress in Koporye and its capture by the Novgorodians, the Russian invasion of Livonia. Thus, “seventy knights and many Germans” are the total losses of the Order (more precisely, the Livonians and Danes) during the entire war.

Another difference between the Livonian Chronicles and the NPL is the number and fate of captured knights. The Ryussov Chronicle reports six prisoners, and the Novgorod Chronicle reports fifty. The captured knights, whom Alexander proposes to exchange for soap in Eisenstein’s film, were “tortured to death,” according to LRH. NPL writes that the Germans offered peace to the Novgorodians, one of the conditions of which was the exchange of prisoners: “what if we captured your husbands, we will exchange them: we will let yours go, and you will let ours go.” But did the captured knights live to see the exchange? There is no information about their fate in Western sources.

Judging by the Livonian Chronicles, the clash with the Russians in Livonia was a minor event for the knights of the Teutonic Order. It is reported only in passing, and the death of the Livonian Lordship of the Teutons (Livonian Order) in the battle on Lake Peipsi does not find any confirmation at all. The order continued to exist successfully until the 16th century (destroyed during the Livonian War in 1561).

Battle site

according to I.E. Koltsov

Until the end of the 20th century, the burial places of soldiers who died during the Battle of the Ice, as well as the location of the battle itself, remained unknown. The landmarks of the place where the battle took place are indicated in the Novgorod First Chronicle (NPL): “On Lake Peipsi, near the Uzmen tract, at the Crow Stone.” Local legends specify that the battle took place just outside the village of Samolva. In ancient chronicles there is no mention of Voronii Island (or any other island) near the site of the battle. They talk about fighting on the ground, on the grass. Ice is mentioned only in later editions of the “Life” of Alexander Nevsky.

The past centuries have erased from history and human memory information about the location of mass graves, the Crow Stone, the Uzmen tract and the degree of population of these places. Over many centuries, the Crow Stone and other buildings in these places have been wiped off the face of the earth. The elevations and monuments of mass graves were leveled with the surface of the earth. The attention of historians was attracted by the name of Voroniy Island, where they hoped to find the Raven Stone. The hypothesis that the massacre took place near Voronii Island was accepted as the main version, although it contradicted chronicle sources and common sense. The question remained unclear which way Nevsky went to Livonia (after the liberation of Pskov), and from there to the site of the upcoming battle at the Crow Stone, near the Uzmen tract, behind the village of Samolva (one must understand that on the opposite side of Pskov).

Reading the existing interpretation of the Battle of the Ice, the question involuntarily arises: why did Nevsky’s troops, as well as the heavy cavalry of knights, have to go through Lake Peipsi on the spring ice to Voronii Island, where even in severe frosts the water does not freeze in many places? It is necessary to take into account that the beginning of April for these places is a warm period of time. Testing the hypothesis about the location of the battle at Voronii Island dragged on for many decades. This time was enough for it to take a firm place in all history textbooks, including military ones. Our future historians, military men, and generals gain knowledge from these textbooks... Considering the low validity of this version, in 1958 a comprehensive expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences was created to determine the true location of the battle of April 5, 1242. The expedition worked from 1958 to 1966. Large-scale research was carried out, a number of interesting discoveries were made that expanded knowledge about this region, about the presence of an extensive network of ancient waterways between Lakes Peipus and Ilmen. However, it was not possible to find the burial places of the soldiers who died in the Battle of the Ice, as well as the Voronye Stone, the Uzmen tract and traces of the battle (including at Voronii Island). This is clearly stated in the report of the complex expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences. The mystery remained unsolved.

After this, allegations appeared that in ancient times the dead were taken with them for burial in their homeland, therefore, they say, burials cannot be found. But did they take all the dead with them? How did they deal with the dead enemy soldiers and the dead horses? A clear answer was not given to the question of why Prince Alexander went from Livonia not to the protection of the walls of Pskov, but to the region of Lake Peipsi - to the site of the upcoming battle. At the same time, historians for some reason paved the way for Alexander Nevsky and the knights through Lake Peipus, ignoring the presence of an ancient crossing near the village of Mosty in the south of Lake Warm. The history of the Battle of the Ice is of interest to many local historians and lovers of Russian history.

For many years, a group of Moscow enthusiasts and lovers of the ancient history of Rus', with the direct participation of I.E., also independently studied the Battle of Peipus. Koltsova. The task before this group was seemingly almost insurmountable. It was necessary to find burials hidden in the ground related to this battle, the remains of the Crow Stone, the Uzmen tract, etc., on a large territory of the Gdovsky district of the Pskov region. It was necessary to “look” inside the earth and choose what was directly related to the Battle of the Ice. Using methods and instruments widely used in geology and archeology (including dowsing, etc.), the group members marked on the terrain plan the supposed locations of the mass graves of soldiers of both sides who died in this battle. These burials are located in two zones east of the village of Samolva. One of the zones is located half a kilometer north of the village of Tabory and one and a half kilometers from Samolva. The second zone with the largest number of burials is 1.5-2 km north of the village of Tabory and approximately 2 km east of Samolva.

It can be assumed that the wedge of knights into the ranks of Russian soldiers occurred in the area of the first burial (first zone), and in the area of the second zone the main battle and the encirclement of the knights took place. The encirclement and defeat of the knights was facilitated by additional troops from the Suzdal archers, who arrived here the day before from Novgorod, led by A. Nevsky’s brother, Andrei Yaroslavich, but were in ambush before the battle. Research has shown that in those distant times, in the area south of the now existing village of Kozlovo (more precisely, between Kozlov and Tabory) there was some kind of fortified outpost of the Novgorodians. It is possible that there was an old “gorodets” here (before the transfer, or the construction of a new town on the site where Kobylye Settlement is now located). This outpost (gorodets) was located 1.5-2 km from the village of Tabory. It was hidden behind the trees. Here, behind the earthen ramparts of a now defunct fortification, was the detachment of Andrei Yaroslavich, hidden in ambush before the battle. It was here and only here that Prince Alexander Nevsky sought to unite with him. At a critical moment in the battle, an ambush regiment could go behind the knights' rear, surround them and ensure victory. This happened again later during the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380.

The discovery of the burial area of the dead soldiers allowed us to confidently conclude that the battle took place here, between the villages of Tabory, Kozlovo and Samolva. This place is relatively flat. Nevsky's troops on the northwestern side (on the right hand) were protected by the weak spring ice of Lake Peipus, and on the eastern side (on the left) by the wooded part, where the fresh forces of the Novgorodians and Suzdalians, entrenched in a fortified town, were in ambush. The knights advanced from the southern side (from the village of Tabory). Not knowing about the Novgorod reinforcements and feeling their military superiority in strength, they, without hesitation, rushed into battle, falling into the “nets” that had been placed. From here it is clear that the battle itself took place on land, not far from the shore of Lake Peipsi. By the end of the battle, the knightly army was pushed back onto the spring ice of the Zhelchinskaya Bay of Lake Peipsi, where many of them died. Their remains and weapons are now located half a kilometer northwest of the Kobylye Settlement Church at the bottom of this bay.

Our research has also determined the location of the former Crow Stone on the northern outskirts of the village of Tabory - one of the main landmarks of the Battle of the Ice. Centuries have destroyed the stone, but its underground part still rests under the strata of cultural layers of the earth. This stone is presented in the miniature of the chronicle of the Battle of the Ice in the form of a stylized statue of a raven. In ancient times, it had a cult purpose, symbolizing wisdom and longevity, like the legendary Blue Stone, which is located in the city of Pereslavl-Zalessky on the shore of Lake Pleshcheevo.

In the area where the remains of the Crow Stone were located, there was an ancient temple with underground passages that led to the Uzmen tract, where there were fortifications. Traces of former ancient underground structures indicate that there were once above-ground religious and other structures made of stone and brick here.

Now, knowing the burial places of the soldiers of the Battle of the Ice (the place of the battle) and again turning to the chronicle materials, it can be argued that Alexander Nevsky with his troops walked to the area of the upcoming battle (to the Samolva area) from the south side, followed on the heels of the knights. In the “Novgorod First Chronicle of the Senior and Younger Editions” it is said that, having freed Pskov from the knights, Nevsky himself went to the possessions of the Livonian Order (pursuing the knights west of Lake Pskov), where he allowed his warriors to live. The Livonian Rhymed Chronicle testifies that the invasion was accompanied by fires and the removal of people and livestock. Having learned about this, the Livonian bishop sent troops of knights to meet him. The Nevsky stopping place was somewhere halfway between Pskov and Dorpat, not far from the border of the confluence of the Pskov and Tyoploye lakes. Here was the traditional crossing near the village of Mosty. A. Nevsky, in turn, having heard about the performance of the knights, did not return to Pskov, but, having crossed to the eastern shore of Lake Warm, hurried in a northern direction to the Uzmen tract, leaving a detachment of Domash and Kerbet in the rear guard. This detachment entered into battle with the knights and was defeated. The burial place of warriors from the detachment of Domash and Kerbet is located at the south-eastern outskirts of Chudskiye Zakhody.

Academician Tikhomirov M.N. believed that the first skirmish of the detachment of Domash and Kerbet with the knights took place on the eastern shore of Lake Warm near the village of Chudskaya Rudnitsa (see “Battle of the Ice”, published by the USSR Academy of Sciences, series “History and Philosophy”, M., 1951, No. 1 , vol. VII, pp. 89-91). This area is significantly south of the village. Samolva. The knights also crossed at Mosty, pursuing A. Nevsky to the village of Tabory, where the battle began.

The site of the Battle of the Ice in our time is located away from busy roads. You can get here by transport and then on foot. This is probably why many authors of numerous articles and scientific works about this battle have never been to Lake Peipus, preferring the silence of the office and a fantasy far from life. It is curious that this area near Lake Peipus is interesting from historical, archaeological and other points of view. In these places there are ancient burial mounds, mysterious dungeons, etc. There are also periodic sightings of UFOs and the mysterious “Bigfoot” (north of the Zhelcha River). So, an important stage of work has been carried out to determine the location of the mass graves (burials) of soldiers who died in the Battle of the Ice, the remains of the Crow Stone, the area of the old and new settlements and a number of other objects associated with the battle. Now more detailed studies of the battle area are needed. It's up to archaeologists.

Losses

Monument to the squads of A. Nevsky on Mount Sokolikha

The issue of the losses of the parties in the battle is controversial. The Russian losses are spoken of vaguely: “many brave warriors fell.” Apparently, the losses of the Novgorodians were really heavy. The losses of the knights are indicated by specific figures, which cause controversy. Russian chronicles, followed by domestic historians, say that about five hundred knights were killed, and the miracles were “beschisla”; fifty “brothers,” “deliberate commanders,” were allegedly taken prisoner. Four hundred to five hundred killed knights is a completely unrealistic figure, since there was no such number in the entire Order.

According to the Livonian chronicle, for the campaign it was necessary to gather “many brave heroes, brave and excellent,” led by the master, plus Danish vassals “with a significant detachment.” The Rhymed Chronicle specifically says that twenty knights were killed and six were captured. Most likely, the “Chronicle” means only the “brothers”-knights, without taking into account their squads and the Chud recruited into the army. The Novgorod First Chronicle says that 400 “Germans” fell in the battle, 50 were taken prisoner, and “chud” is also discounted: “beschisla.” Apparently, they suffered really serious losses.

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

The immediate site of the battle, according to the conclusions of the expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences led by Karaev, can be considered a section of Warm Lake, located 400 meters west of the modern shore of Cape Sigovets, between its northern tip and the latitude of the village of Ostrov. It should be noted that the battle on a flat surface of ice was more advantageous for the heavy cavalry of the Order, however, it is traditionally believed that the place for meeting the enemy was chosen by Alexander Yaroslavich.

Consequences

According to the traditional point of view in Russian historiography, this battle, together with the victories of Prince Alexander over the Swedes (July 15, 1240 on the Neva) and over the Lithuanians (in 1245 near Toropets, near Lake Zhitsa and near Usvyat), was of great importance for Pskov and Novgorod, delaying the onslaught of three serious enemies from the west - at the very time when the rest of Rus' suffered great losses from princely strife and the consequences of the Tatar conquest. In Novgorod, the Battle of the Germans on the Ice was remembered for a long time: together with the Neva victory over the Swedes, it was remembered in the litanies of all Novgorod churches back in the 16th century.

The English researcher J. Funnel believes that the significance of the Battle of the Ice (and the Battle of the Neva) is greatly exaggerated: “Alexander did only what numerous defenders of Novgorod and Pskov did before him and what many did after him - namely, rushed to protect the extended and vulnerable borders from invaders." Russian professor I.N. Danilevsky also agrees with this opinion. He notes, in particular, that the battle was inferior in scale to the battles of Siauliai (city), in which the Lithuanians killed the master of the order and 48 knights (20 knights died on Lake Peipsi), and the battle of Rakovor in 1268; Contemporary sources even describe the Battle of the Neva in more detail and give it greater significance. However, even in the “Rhymed Chronicle,” the Battle of the Ice is clearly described as a defeat of the Germans, unlike Rakovor.

Memory of the battle

Movies

Music

The score for Eisenstein's film, composed by Sergei Prokofiev, is a symphonic suite dedicated to the events of the battle.

Monument to Alexander Nevsky and Worship Cross

The bronze worship cross was cast in St. Petersburg at the expense of patrons of the Baltic Steel Group (A. V. Ostapenko). The prototype was the Novgorod Alekseevsky Cross. The author of the project is A. A. Seleznev. The bronze sign was cast under the direction of D. Gochiyaev by the foundry workers of NTCCT CJSC, architects B. Kostygov and S. Kryukov. When implementing the project, fragments from the lost wooden cross by sculptor V. Reshchikov were used.

Cultural and sports educational raid expedition

Since 1997, an annual raid expedition has been conducted to the sites of military feats of Alexander Nevsky's squads. During these trips, participants in the race help improve areas related to monuments of cultural and historical heritage. Thanks to them, memorial signs were installed in many places in the North-West in memory of the exploits of Russian soldiers, and the village of Kobylye Gorodishche became known throughout the country.