Before my first year at university, I was sure that I knew the history of the Battle of the Ice. The legend that Russian warriors defeated the knights of the Livonian Order by cunning. And then at the university they ask me to find and analyze a problematic historical article. And then I am surprised to learn that everything I knew about the Battle of the Ice was a lie.

What year was the Battle of the Ice?

Perhaps the only truth from my knowledge was that Ice battle happened in 1242. Presumably early April. The matter is old, so, you understand, the exact date cannot be determined. However, historians, based on chronicles, saythat the battle took place on the 5th. What other facts are known for certain about the battle:

The Danish king and the Master of the Order decided to divide Estonia and, with the help of the Swedes, defeat the power of Rus'. The Swedes, as you know, lost on the Neva, and Order came out after them.
Rus' was defended by Novgorodians and representatives of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality in the amount of 15-17 thousand people.
The Livonian Order and Denmark were represented by 10-12 thousand people.

The battle led by Alexander Nevsky is also called the Battle of Lake Peipsi. It is this very lake that haunts the Russian people and creates one of the main myths of Russian history.

The myth of the Battle of the Ice

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you remember the Battle of the Ice? I am sure that many will answer that the battle on Lake Peipsi was won because the knights wore too heavy armor. The ice cracked. And the warriors bravely sank. And the Russians, dressed in lighter chain mail, of course, avoided this fatal trouble. For some reason, it even seems to me that we were told about this at school. But - everything is a lie. The knights did not drown. And here's why:

there is no mention of this in historical sources (chronicles) at all;
weight of equipment of the Livonian warrior and the Russian approximately same;
the exact geographical location of the battle has never been found, the battle most likely took place on a dry bank.

So where did the beautiful tale come from that the knights sank under the weight of their armor? This legend has no ancient roots. Everything is much more prosaic. In 1938 Eisenstein and Vasiliev made the film “Alexander Nevsky”, which included a scene with the drowning of enemies for entertainment purposes. This is the story of the battle, which took place in 1242 and became overgrown with a beautiful legend already in the 20th century.

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Last year we vacationed on the shores of Lake Peipsi. Before the trip, I decided to refresh my memory of the history of our country, and the further I plunged into the study of the famous Battle of the Ice, the more I realized that my idea of many significant facts of the battle was very different from how it actually happened.

When was the Battle of the Ice?

Perhaps the only thing historians agree on regarding this battle is its year. The Battle of the Ice took place in April 1242 on Lake Peipus between the knights of the Livonian Order and Novgorod troops led by Alexander Nevsky.

It is worth noting that a number of scientists believe that there was no battle at all. In their theory, they rely on the fact that its exact location has not yet been determined; no knightly armor or other traces of the battle were found in the vicinity of the lake. Others argue that the significance of this historical event is greatly exaggerated, but in fact it was an ordinary inter-feudal skirmish. But these theories are refuted by data from Russian and German chronicles.

Truth and myths about the Battle of the Ice

The main myth goes like this: Prince Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod meets hordes of German knights on the ice of a lake, where heavily armed knights suffer a crushing defeat and, retreating, fall through the ice.

Real facts look a little different:

No more than 90 knights could participate in the battle. In the Baltics, the Order had exactly this number of castles by 1290. The rest of the army was a retinue, which could reach up to 100 people for each noble warrior.
Nevsky entered into an alliance with Batu Khan, who helped Novgorod defeat the foreign invaders.
The prince did not specifically plan to lure the knights onto thin ice so that they would drown under the weight of their armor. The Russian warriors were no worse equipped than the Germans, and such a strategy would have been suicidal.
The victorious strategy was that Nevsky lined up the weakest part of his army - the infantry - in the central part of his army, and the main forces struck the flanks of the enemy moving like a pig.

The victory in the Battle of the Ice helped stop the expansion of the Livonian Order into Rus'. This was the first example of the defeat of a knightly army by infantry.

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I live in the Pskov region, so I was lucky enough to visit places more than once great battle. On excursions, I always experienced twofold sensations: on the one hand, pride in the glorious warriors, on the other, sadness. After all, war is war - it means human sacrifices, first of all.

How did the Battle of the Ice take place?

The Battle of the Ice is famous battle, which took place on the ice of Lake Peipus, the treasury of knowledge about it is replenished with new facts every year. Sometimes fictitious.

But, nevertheless, it is known for sure that in 1238, Landmaster Herman Balk and the Danish king Valdemar decided to divide Estonia among themselves and seize Rus'. It was during this period protective forces The Russians were weaker than ever. They were exhausted by constant Mongol invasions.

The following military forces took part in the struggle:

Swedes and Livonian knights;
squad of Yaroslav Vladimirovich;
Estonian army;
Dorpat army.

The year in which the Battle of the Ice took place

They began their offensive in 1240. In the same year, Swedish troops were completely overthrown on the Neva.

The land battle continued for another 2 years, until in 1242 the main Russian troops entered the ice of Lake Peipsi to conduct the final battle. An important event took place on April 5, 1242 under the leadership of Alexander Nevsky (from the Russian side) and the military of the Livonian Order from the enemy.

Results

But there is still debate on whose side won. Some claim that she was behind Nevsky, others that she was not on a draw at all. Because in the same year Herman Balk and the Teutonic Order:

abandoned all previously captured Russian territories;
concluded a peace agreement with Novgorod;
returned the prisoners to their homeland.

True, 10 years later they attacked Pskov again, but that’s a completely different story...

In memory of the Battle of the Ice

It was quite an important event in the life of Russia, so April 5 is considered one of the memorable days in our country.

In honor of the battle, many interesting and instructive films were made, beautiful songs and books were written.

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Some consider the Battle of the Ice one of the main events of our ancient history, others attribute it to local battles that were not distinguished by either scale or historical significance. For me, this is a good reason to get to know this corner of Russia better, where knightly armor once thundered and harrowed native Rus' Novgorodians and Suzdalians under the leadership of Alexander Nevsky.

When did the Battle of the Ice happen?

It is this date that is indicated in the Novgorod First Chronicle, which describes the massacre in more detail. The day of the week when it happened is even indicated - Saturday. But in the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle (Russian troops fought with the knights of the Livonian Order, which was an offshoot of the Teutonic Order), where the battle is mentioned, it is noted that the dead fell into the grass. It turns out that the battle took place later, since there is still no grass in these parts at the beginning of April

Historical places

They remind us of the affairs of long-ago years in the Pskov region:

the “Battle on the Ice” monument, which was opened in 1993 near Pskov, on Mount Sokolikha;

Kobylye Settlement is an ancient village not far from the battle site;

a museum in the village of Samolva, where materials from a scientific expedition that studied the events of 1242 were collected.

There are not even two dozen inhabitants in Kobylye Settlement now. But this place has been inhabited since time immemorial and is mentioned in ancient chronicles. The Church of the Archangel Michael, built in 1462, testifies to its past prosperity. The Poklonny Cross and the monument to Alexander Nevsky remind us of the Battle of the Ice.

The motor rally became a new chance for the development of these places." Silver ring Alexander Nevsky”, which was invented and implemented by St. Petersburg residents. Every summer, since 1997, they start from the northern capital and make their way through the preserved fortresses and monasteries of the Leningrad, Novgorod, and Pskov regions to Kobylye Gorodishche. The rally participants have already improved this historical place and installed a new chapel.

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 quite 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. At 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 warriors could be fielded by the Livonians and Estonians, the Germans themselves could have numbered 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 - formed regiments on the flanks " right hand" and "left hand". 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 Russian sleighs coupled and lined up in a row. 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, “and 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 Peipus.

Apparently, already at the western shore of the lake, the runners 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 numbers, 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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Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword.
Alexander Nevsky

The Battle of the Ice is one of the most famous battles in Russian history. The battle took place in early April 1242 on Lake Peipsi, on the one hand, the troops of the Novgorod Republic, led by Alexander Nevsky, took part in it, on the other hand, it was opposed by the troops of the German crusaders, mainly representatives of the Livonian Order. If Nevsky had lost this battle, the history of Russia could have gone a completely different way, but the prince of Novgorod was able to win. Now let's look at this page of Russian history in more detail.

Preparing for battle

To understand the essence of the Battle of the Ice, it is necessary to understand what preceded it and how the opponents approached the battle. So... After the Swedes lost the Battle of the Neva, the German crusaders decided to more carefully prepare for a new campaign. The Teutonic Order also allocated part of its army to help. Back in 1238, Dietrich von Grüningen became the master of the Livonian Order; many historians attribute to him the decisive role in shaping the idea of a campaign against Rus'. The crusaders were further motivated by Pope Gregory IX, who in 1237 declared a crusade against Finland, and in 1239 called on the princes of Rus' to respect the border orders.

At this point the Novgorodians already had good experience wars with the Germans. In 1234, Alexander's father Yaroslav defeated them in the battle on the Omovzha River. Alexander Nevsky, knowing the plans of the crusaders, began to build a line of fortifications along the southwestern border in 1239, but the Swedes made minor adjustments to his plans by attacking from the northwest. After their defeat, Nevsky continued to strengthen the borders, and also married the daughter of the Prince of Polotsk, thereby enlisting his support in case of a future war.

At the end of 1240, the Germans began a campaign against the lands of Rus'. In the same year they took Izborsk, and in 1241 they besieged Pskov. At the beginning of March 1242, Alexander helped the residents of Pskov liberate their principality and drove the Germans northwest of the city, to the region of Lake Peipus. It was there that the decisive battle took place, which went down in history as the Battle of the Ice.

The course of the battle briefly

The first clashes of the ice battle began in early April 1242 on the northern shore of Lake Peipsi. The crusaders were led by a famous commander Andreas von Felfen who was twice as old Prince of Novgorod. Nevsky's army numbered 15-17 thousand soldiers, while the Germans had about 10 thousand. However, according to chroniclers, both in Rus' and abroad, the German troops were much better armed. But as shown further development events, this played a cruel joke on the crusaders.

The Battle of the Ice took place on April 5, 1242. German troops, mastering the “pigs” attack technique, that is, a strict and disciplined formation, directed the main blow to the enemy’s center. However, Alexander first attacked the enemy army with the help of archers, and then ordered a strike on the flanks of the crusaders. As a result, the Germans were forced forward onto the ice of Lake Peipsi. The winter at that time was long and cold, so at the time of April the ice (very fragile) remained on the reservoir. After the Germans realized that they were retreating onto the ice, it was already too late: the ice began to crack under the pressure of the heavy German armor. That is why historians called the battle the “Battle of the Ice.” As a result, some of the soldiers drowned, others were killed in battle, but most still managed to escape. After this, Alexander's troops finally drove the crusaders out of the territory of the Pskov principality.

The exact location of the battle has not yet been established, this is due to the fact that Lake Peipus has very variable hydrography. In 1958-1959, the first archaeological expedition was organized, but no traces of the battle were found.
Historical background

Result and historical significance of the battle

The first result of the battle was that the Livonian and Teutonic orders signed a truce with Alexander and renounced their claims to Rus'. Alexander himself became the de facto ruler of Northern Rus'. After his death, in 1268, the Livonian Order violated the truce: the Battle of Rakovsk took place. But this time, too, the Russian troops achieved victory.

After the victory in the “Battle on the Ice,” the Novgorod Republic, led by Nevsky, was able to move from defensive tasks to the conquest of new territories. Alexander undertook several successful campaigns against the Lithuanians.

As for the historical significance of the Battle of Lake Peipus, then main role Alexander is that he managed to stop the advance of a powerful army of crusaders on Russian lands. The famous historian L. Gumelev argues that the fact of conquest by the crusaders would have meant the end for the very existence of Rus', and therefore the end of the future Russia.

Some historians criticize Nevsky for his truce with the Mongols, and that he did not help defend Rus' from them. In this discussion, most historians still side with Nevsky, because in the situation in which he found himself, it was necessary either to negotiate with the khan or to fight two powerful enemies at once. And as a competent politician and commander, Nevsky made a wise decision.

The exact date of the Battle of the Ice

The battle took place on April 5, old style. In the 20th century, the difference between the styles was 13 days, which is why the holiday was assigned to April 18. However, from the point of view of historical justice, it is worth recognizing that in the 13th century (when the battle took place) the difference was 7 days. Based on this logic, the Battle of the Ice took place on April 12, according to the new style. Nevertheless, today is April 18th - this is public holiday in the Russian Federation, Day military glory. It is on this day that the Battle of the Ice and its significance in the history of Russia are remembered.

Participants in the battle after

Having achieved victory, the Novgorod Republic begins its rapid development. However, in the 16th century there was a decline in both the Livonian Order and Novgorod. Both of these events are associated with the ruler of Moscow, Ivan the Terrible. He deprived Novgorod of the privileges of the Republic, subordinating these lands to a single state. After the Livonian Order lost its strength and influence in Eastern Europe, Grozny declared war on Lithuania to strengthen his own influence and expand the territories of his state.

An alternative view of the Battle of Lake Peipsi

Due to the fact that during the archaeological expedition of 1958-1959 no traces and exact location of the battle were found, and also taking into account the fact that the chronicles of the 13th century contain very little information about the battle, two alternative views on the Battle of the Ice of 1242 were formed, which briefly discussed below:

According to the first glance, there was no battle at all. This is an invention of historians of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, in particular Solovyov, Karamzin and Kostomarov. According to historians who share this point of view, the need to create this battle was caused by the fact that it was necessary to justify Nevsky’s cooperation with the Mongols, as well as to show the strength of Rus' in relation to Catholic Europe. Basically, a small number of historians adhere to this theory, since it is very difficult to deny the very fact of the existence of the battle, because the battle on Lake Peipsi is described in some chronicles of the late 13th century, as well as in the chronicles of the Germans.
Second alternative theory: The Battle of the Ice is briefly described in the chronicles, which means it is a greatly exaggerated event. Historians who adhere to this point of view say that there were much fewer participants in the massacre, and the consequences for the Germans were less dramatic.

If professional Russian historians deny the first theory, how historical fact, as for the second version, they have one weighty argument: even if the scale of the battle is exaggerated, this should not reduce the role of the victory over the Germans in the history of Russia. By the way, in 2012-2013 archaeological expeditions were carried out, as well as studies of the bottom of Lake Peipsi. Archaeologists have found several new probable sites of the Battle of the Ice, in addition, a study of the bottom showed the presence of a sharp decrease in depth near Raven Island, which suggests the existence of the legendary “Raven Stone”, that is, the approximate location of the battle, named in the chronicle of 1463.

The Battle of the Ice in the country's culture

1938 has great value in the history of covering historical events in modern culture. This year famous Russian writer Konstantin Simonov wrote the poem “Battle of the Ice,” and director Sergei Eisenstein shot the film “Alexander Nevsky,” in which he highlighted the two main battles of the Novgorod ruler: on the Neva River and Lake Peipus. The image of Nevsky was of particular importance during the Great Patriotic War. Patriotic War. Poets, artists, directors turned to him to show citizens Soviet Union an example of a successful war with the Germans and thereby raise the morale of the army.

In 1993, a monument was erected on Mount Sokolikha near Pskov. A year earlier, in the village of Kobylye, a settlement (as close as possible to the battle site) locality) erected a monument to Nevsky. In 2012, a museum of the Battle of the Ice of 1242 was opened in the village of Samolva, Pskov region.

As we see, even brief history The Battle of the Ice is not only the battle of April 5, 1242 between the Novgorodians and the Germans. This is very important event in the history of Russia, since thanks to the talent of Alexander Nevsky it was possible to save Rus' from conquest by the crusaders.

Rus' in the 13th century and the arrival of the Germans

In 1240, Novgorod was attacked by the Swedes, by the way, allies of the Livonians, future participants in the Battle of the Ice. Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich, who at that time was only 20 years old, defeats the Swedes on Lake Neva, for which he received the nickname “Nevsky”. In the same year, the Mongols burned Kyiv, that is, most of Rus' was busy with the war with the Mongols, Nevsky and its Novgorod Republic were left alone with strong enemies. The Swedes were defeated, but a stronger and more powerful opponent awaited Alexander ahead: the German crusaders. In the 12th century, the Pope created the Order of the Swordsmen and sent them to the Baltic Sea coast, where they received from him the right to own all the conquered lands. These events went down in history as the Northern Crusade. Since most of the members of the Order of the Sword were immigrants from Germany, this order was therefore called German. At the beginning of the 13th century, the order split into several military organizations, the main ones of which were the Teutonic and Livonian orders. In 1237, the Livonians recognized their dependence on the Teutonic Order, but had the right to choose their master. It was the Livonian Order that was the closest neighbors of the Novgorod Republic.

10th century in a densely populated - by medieval standards, of course - Western Europe marked the beginning of expansion. Subsequently, from century to century, this expansion expanded, taking on a wide variety of forms.

The European peasant, bent under the burden of duties to the lord, ventured into the unruly forests. He cut down trees, cleared the land of bushes and drained swamps, extracting additional arable land.

The Europeans were pushing back the Saracens (the Arabs who captured Spain), and the reconquista (“reconquest” of Spain) was underway.

Inspired high idea liberation of the Holy Sepulcher and the crusaders, overwhelmed by a thirst for riches and new lands, stepped into the Levant - as the territories located along the Eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea were called in the Middle Ages.

The European “push to the east” began; peasants, skilled city craftsmen, experienced traders, and knights appeared en masse in Slavic countries, for example, in Poland and the Czech Republic, and began to settle and settle there. This contributed to the rise of the economy, social and cultural life of the Eastern European countries, but at the same time gave rise to problems, creating rivalry and confrontation between the newcomer and indigenous populations. Especially big wave settlers poured from the German lands, where the rulers of the German Empire (following Emperor Frederick Barbarossa) supported the “onslaught on the East.”

Soon the eyes of Europeans were drawn to the Baltic states. It was perceived as a forest desert, lightly populated by wild Letto-Lithuanian and Finno-Ugric pagan tribes who did not know state power. Since ancient times, Rus' and the Scandinavian countries have been expanding here. They colonized the areas bordering them. Local tribes were subject to tribute. Back in the time of Yaroslav the Wise, the Russians built their fortress Yuriev beyond Lake Peipsi in the land of the Finno-Ugric-Estonians (named after Yaroslav the Wise at his baptism, the name George). The Swedes advanced into the possessions of the Finns until they reached the borders of the Karelian land controlled by Novgorod.

At the end of the 12th - beginning of the 13th centuries, people from Western Europe appeared in the Baltic states. The first to come were Catholic missionaries carrying the word of Christ. In 1184, monk Maynard unsuccessfully tried to convert the Livs (ancestors of modern Latvians) to Catholicism. Monk Berthold in 1198 preached Christianity with the help of the swords of the crusading knights. Canon Albert of Bremen, sent by the Pope, captured the mouth of the Dvina and founded Riga in 1201. A year later, an order of monastic knights was created on the Livonian lands conquered around Riga. It was called Order of the Swordsmen in the shape of a long cross, more like a sword. In 1215-1216, the Swordsmen captured Estonia. This was preceded by their struggle with the Russians and Lithuanian princes, as well as enmity with Denmark, which had laid claim to Estonia since the beginning of the 12th century.

In 1212, the Swordsmen came close to the borders of Pskov and Novgorod lands. Mstislav Udaloy, who reigned in Novgorod, successfully resisted them. Then, during the reign of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich's father in Novgorod, the Sword Bearers were defeated near Yuryev (modern Tartu). The city remained with the crusaders, subject to payment of tribute to Novgorod for it (Yuriev's tribute). By 1219, Denmark had reconquered Northern Estonia, but 5 years later the Swordsmen regained it.

The activity of the crusaders pushed the Lithuanian tribes (Lithuania, Zhmud) to unite. They, the only Baltic peoples, began to form their own state.

In the land of the Baltic tribe of Prussians, which was located near the Polish border, another order of crusaders was founded - the Teutonic. Previously, he was in Palestine, but the Polish king invited the Teutons to the Baltic states, hoping for their help in the fight against the pagan Prussians. The Teutons soon began to seize Polish possessions. As for the Prussians, they were exterminated.

But defeat in 1234 by Alexander Nevsky's father Yaroslav, and in 1236 by the Lithuanians led to the reform of the Order of the Sword. In 1237 it became a branch of the Teutonic Order, and it began to be called Livonian.

Batu’s invasion gave rise to the hope among the crusaders that expansion could be expanded to the northern lands of the Orthodox, who in the West had long been considered heretics after the split of the churches in 1054. Mister Veliky Novgorod was especially attractive. But the crusaders were not the only ones who were seduced by the Novgorod land. The Swedes were also interested in it.

Mr. Veliky Novgorod and Sweden fought more than once when their interests in the Baltic states collided. At the end of the 1230s, news was received in Novgorod that the son-in-law of the Swedish king, Jarl (title of the Swedish nobility) Birger, was preparing a raid on the Novgorod possessions. Alexander, the 19-year-old son of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, was then sitting as prince in Novgorod. He ordered the Izhora elder Pelgusius to monitor the coast and report the Swedish invasion. As a result, when the Scandinavian boats entered the Neva and stopped at the confluence of the Izhora River, the Prince of Novgorod was notified in time. July 15, 1240 Alexander arrived at the Neva and, with the help of a small Novgorod detachment and his squad, unexpectedly attacked the enemy.

Against the backdrop of the devastation of northeastern Rus' by the Mongol Khan Batu, this battle opened a difficult circle for his contemporaries: Alexander brought victory to Rus' and with it hope, faith in one’s own strength! This victory brought him the honorary title of Nevsky.

Confidence that the Russians were capable of winning helped to withstand the difficult days 1240, when a more dangerous enemy - the Livonian Order - invaded the Novgorod borders. Ancient Izborsk fell. The Pskov traitors opened the gates to the enemy. The crusaders scattered across the Novgorod land and plundered in the outskirts of Novgorod. Not far from Novgorod, the crusaders built a fortified outpost, carried out raids near Luga and Sabelny Pogost, which was located 40 versts from Novgorod.

Alexander was not in Novgorod. He quarreled with the independent Novgorodians and left for Pereyaslavl Zalessky. Under pressure from circumstances, the Novgorodians began to ask the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yaroslav for help. The Novgorodians wanted to see Alexander Nevsky at the head of the Suzdal regiments. Grand Duke Yaroslav sent another son, Andrei, with a cavalry detachment, but the Novgorodians stood their ground. In the end, Alexander arrived and brought his Pereyaslav squad and the Vladimir-Suzdal militia, which consisted mainly of peasants. Novgorodians also assembled shelves.

In 1241, the Russians launched an offensive, recapturing Koporye from the crusaders. The fortress built by the knights in Koporye was destroyed. In the winter of 1242, Alexander Nevsky unexpectedly appeared near Pskov and liberated the city.

Russian troops entered the Order, but soon their vanguard was defeated by the knights. Alexander took his regiments to the eastern shore of Lake Peipus and decided to give battle.

April 5, 1242 year A great slaughter took place on the melted ice. The Russians stood in the traditional “eagle”: in the center was a regiment consisting of Vladimir-Suzdal militias, on the sides were regiments of the right and left hands - heavily armed Novgorod infantry and princely equestrian squads. The peculiarity was that a significant mass of troops were located on the flanks; usually the center was the strongest. Behind the militia was a steep bank covered with boulders. A convoy's sleigh, fastened with chains, was placed on the ice in front of the shore. This made the coast completely impassable for knightly horses and was supposed to keep the faint-hearted in the Russian camp from fleeing. A horse squad stood in ambush near the island of Voroniy Kamen.

The knights moved towards the Russians "boar's head" This was a special system that more than once brought success to the crusaders. In the center of the “boar’s head”, bollard infantrymen marched in closed ranks. On the sides of them and behind them, in 2-3 rows, rode riders clad in armor; their horses also had armor. Ahead, narrowing to a point, the ranks of the most experienced knights moved. The "boar's head", nicknamed the "pig" by the Russians, rammed the enemy and broke through the defense. Knights destroyed the enemy with spears, battle axes, and swords. When it was defeated, bollard infantrymen were released to finish off the wounded and those fleeing.

The chronicle story about the battle on the ice reports “the speed of the slashing of evil, and the crackling from the spears, and the breaking, and the sound from the cutting of the sword.”

The knights crushed the Russian center and began to spin around, breaking their own formation. They had nowhere to move. “Regiments of the right and left hands” pressed on the knights from the flanks. It was as if they were squeezing the “pig” with pincers. There were many dead on both sides of the fighting. The ice turned red with blood. The enemy suffered mainly from infantry. Killing a knight was difficult. But if he was pulled off his horse, he became defenseless - the weight of the armor did not allow him to stand up and move.

Suddenly the April ice cracked. The knights mingled. Those who fell into the water sank like stones to the bottom. Alexander Nevsky's troops struck with redoubled energy. The crusaders ran. Russian horsemen pursued them for several kilometers.

The ice battle was won. The crusaders' plan to establish themselves in Northern Rus' failed.

In 1243, ambassadors of the Order arrived in Novgorod. Peace was signed. The Crusaders recognized the borders of the Lord of Veliky Novgorod as inviolable and promised to regularly pay tribute to Yuryev. The terms for the ransom of several dozen knights who were captured were agreed upon. Alexander led these noble captives from Pskov to Novgorod next to their horses, barefoot, with their heads uncovered, and with a rope around their necks. It was impossible to think of a greater insult to knightly honor.

In the future, military skirmishes occurred more than once between Novgorod, Pskov and the Livonian Order, but the border of the possessions of both sides remained stable. For the possession of Yuryev, the Order continued to pay tribute to Novgorod, and from the end of the 15th century - to the Moscow unified Russian state.

In political and moral terms, victories over the Swedes and the knights of the Livonian Order were very important: the scale of the Western European onslaught on the northwestern borders of Rus' was reduced. The victories of Alexander Nevsky over the Swedes and the Crusaders interrupted the series of defeats of the Russian troops.

For Orthodox Church It was especially important to prevent Catholic influence on Russian lands. It is worth remembering that the crusade of 1204 ended with the capture by the crusaders of Constantinople, the capital of the Orthodox empire, which considered itself the Second Rome. For more than half a century, the Latin Empire existed on Byzantine territory. The Orthodox Greeks “huddled” in Nicaea, from where they tried to recapture their possessions from the Western crusaders. The Tatars, on the contrary, were allies of the Orthodox Greeks in their fight against the Islamic and Turkish onslaught on the eastern Byzantine borders. According to the practice that has developed since the 10th century, most of the highest hierarchs of the Russian Church were by origin Greeks or southern Slavs who came to Rus' from Byzantium. The head of the Russian church - the metropolitan - was appointed by the Patriarch of Constantinople. Naturally, the interests of the universal Orthodox Church were above all else for the leadership of the Russian Church. Catholics seemed much more dangerous than Tatars. It is no coincidence that before Sergius of Radonezh (second half of the 14th century), not a single prominent church hierarch blessed or called for the fight against the Tatars. The invasion of Batu and the Tatar armies were interpreted by the clergy as the “scourge of God,” the punishment of the Orthodox for their sins.

It was the church tradition that created around the name of Alexander Nevsky, canonized after his death, the aura of an ideal prince, warrior, “sufferer” (fighter) for the Russian land. This is how he entered the national mentality. In this case, Prince Alexander is in many ways Richard’s “brother” Lionheart. The legendary “doubles” of both monarchs overshadowed their real historical images. In both cases, the “legend” was far removed from the original prototype.

In serious science, meanwhile, debates about the role of Alexander Nevsky in Russian history do not subside. Alexander’s position in relation to the Golden Horde, his participation in the organization of the Nevryuev army in 1252 and the spread of the Horde yoke to Novgorod, the cruel reprisals even for that time, characteristic of Alexander in the fight against his opponents, give rise to conflicting judgments regarding the results of the activities of this undoubtedly bright hero of Russian history .

For Eurasians and L.N. Gumilyov Alexander is a far-sighted politician who correctly chose an alliance with the Horde and turned his back to the West.

For other historians (for example, I.N. Danilevsky), Alexander’s role in Russian history is rather negative. This role is the actual conductor of Horde dependence.

Some historians, including S.M. Solovyova, V.O. Klyuchevsky, does not at all consider the Horde yoke to be a “useful alliance for Rus',” but notes that Rus' did not have the strength to fight. Supporters of continuing the fight against the Horde - Daniil Galitsky and Prince Andrei Yaroslavich, despite the nobility of their impulse, were doomed to defeat. Alexander Nevsky, on the contrary, was aware of the realities and was forced, as a politician, to seek a compromise with the Horde in the name of the survival of the Russian land.

Battle on the Ice (briefly)

Brief description of the ice battle

The Battle of the Ice takes place on April 5, 1242 on Lake Peipsi. This event became one of the most important battles in the history of Rus' and its victories. The date of this battle completely stopped any military actions on the part of the Livonian Order. However, as often happens, many facts that are associated with this event are considered controversial among researchers and historians.

As a result, today we do not know the exact number of soldiers in the Russian army, because this information is completely absent both in the Life of Nevsky himself and in the chronicles of that time. The estimated number of soldiers who took part in the battle is fifteen thousand, and the Livonian army has at least twelve thousand soldiers.

The position Nevsky chose for the battle was not chosen by chance. First of all, it made it possible to block all approaches to Novgorod. Most likely, Nevsky understood that knights in heavy armor were the most vulnerable in winter conditions.

Livonian warriors lined up in a fighting wedge, popular at that time, placing heavy knights on the flanks and light knights inside the wedge. This formation was called the “great pig” by Russian chroniclers. How Alexander positioned his army is unknown to historians. At the same time, the knights decided to advance into battle without having accurate information about the enemy army.

The guard regiment was attacked by a knightly wedge, which then moved on. However, the advancing knights soon encountered many unexpected obstacles on their way.

The knight's wedge was clamped in pincers, losing its maneuverability. With the attack of the ambush regiment, Alexander finally tipped the scales to his side. The Livonian knights, who were dressed in heavy armor, became completely helpless without their horses. Those who were able to escape were pursued according to chronicle sources “to the Falcon Coast.”

Having won the Battle of the Ice, Alexander Nevsky forced the Livonian Order to renounce all territorial claims and make peace. Warriors who were captured in the battle were returned by both sides.

It should be noted that the event called the Battle of the Ice is considered unique. For the first time in history, a foot army was able to defeat heavily armed cavalry. Of course, quite important factors that determined the outcome of the battle were surprise, terrain and weather conditions, which the Russian commander took into account.