The most popular commander in Russian history - an enemy of the Germans and Swedes or an ally of the Horde? Terrible ruler or holy monk? We are figuring out whether it is true that …
The poster for the film "Alexander Nevsky". Artist Anatoly Belsky. 1938 year
Russian prince Alexander Yaroslavich was adopted by Khan Batu
No. This myth was replicated by the Soviet orientalist Lev Gumilyov. In the book "From Russia to Russia" the researcher wrote: "In 1251 Alexander came to the Batu Horde, made friends, and then fraternized with his son Sartak, as a result of which he became the adopted son of the khan. The union of the Horde and Russia was realized thanks to the patriotism and dedication of Prince Alexander."
Not a single historical source about Alexander Nevsky contains such information.
This story was invented even before Gumilyov, its origin is not known for certain.
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Saint Alexander Nevsky was a merciful ruler
Not always. In 1257, Alexander Yaroslavich arrived in Novgorod with Tatar-Mongol tribute collectors, who intended to conduct a population census in order to collect payments in favor of the Horde. Since Novgorod was not conquered by Batu, its inhabitants were outraged. The chronicler reports about the unrest in the city, which was supported by Alexander's son Vasily, who was left by the prince as his representative. The young man managed to escape to Pskov.
And with the rest of the opponents of the census, Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich dealt with mercilessly: he cut off his noses and gouged out his eyes, and executed the leader.
Battle of the Neva. Miniature from the Observational Codex. XVI century
Alexander Nevsky was tonsured a monk
and. In 1263, Alexander, having overwintered in the Horde, where he arrived for the next negotiations, fell seriously ill. Still not cured, the prince got to Gorodets (a city on the territory of the modern Nizhny Novgorod region), took monastic vows under the name of Alexy and died that night.
The tradition of taking the dying tonsure was widespread in Byzantium and from there entered the everyday life of Russian princes and tsars. During the tonsure, the prince or princess took a second name, but they could keep the old one. Often a monastic name began with the same letter as the baptismal one.
Embroidered cover with the image of St. Alexander Nevsky. 17th century
He negotiated with the Pope to convert to Catholicism
Yes. Two papal epistles to Alexander have survived, dating from 1248. In one, Pope Innocent IV suggested that "Alexander, Prince of Suzdal" unite with the Roman Church, and in the event of another attack by the Tatars, seek help from the Teutonic Order and the Holy See itself.
From the text of the second message, we can conclude that the first received a positive response. In addition, Alexander suggested building a Catholic church in Pskov.
The prince probably hesitated. In "The Tale of the Life and Courage of the Blessed and Grand Duke Alexander," written by a person familiar with him, it is said that the prince rejected the cardinals' proposal.
It is spoken of in the Icelandic saga
Yes. In the Saga of Hakone Hakonarson, written by Sturla Thordarson in 1264–1265, there is a story about how ambassadors from King Alexander of Holmgard, that is from the Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich, arrived to the Norwegian king Hakon the Old in Trondheim.
The main goal of the embassy was to stop the attacks of Norwegian tribute collectors on the Karelians in Finnmark, since the mentioned Karelians paid tribute to Novgorod.
Another goal of the embassy was to see the king's daughter named Christine and ask if he would like to give her to Alexander's son as a wife. However, it never came to a wedding.
He bowed to pagan idols in the Horde
No. Alexander's contemporary, Prince Mikhail of Chernigov, according to his life, was beaten to death in the Horde, since at the request of the Tatars he refused to pass between the fires, and then bow to the sun and idols. On this basis, they conclude that Alexander Yaroslavich, who did not suffer the same fate, performed this ritual, deviating from the Christian faith.
But there is no reason to believe that the pagan rite was forced to perform in the Horde every Russian prince. As the monk Plano Carpini wrote about the Horde people, "since they do not observe any law of worship, then, as far as we know, they have not forced anyone to renounce their faith or law, with the exception of Michael."
The latter was probably simply meant to be destroyed.
Fragment of the triptych "Alexander Nevsky". Pavel Korin. 1942-1943 years
Alexander was called Nevsky during his lifetime
No. This nickname is not found in the oldest chronicles: he is simply referred to as Alexander in the Novgorod Chronicle, as well as the “Novgorod Prince” and “Grand Duke” in the Laurentian Chronicle.
In the Commission List of the First Novgorod Chronicle, Alexander Yaroslavich is called "formidable" at all: "The formidable Prince Alexander went to the Tatars to the Tsar Batu." And his arrival in Vladimir from the Horde was called “formidable”.
Alexander's nickname Nevsky appears in the all-Russian vaults of the late 15th century.
Pushkin was nicknamed "the sun of Russian poetry" thanks to the life of Alexander Nevsky
Yes. On January 30, 1837, in the Literary Additions, an appendix to the Russian Invalid newspaper, a notice of the poet's death was published, which began as follows: “The sun of our poetry has set! Pushkin died, died in the prime of his years, in the middle of his great career!"
The expression “the sun of our poetry” is a paraphrase of words from “The Story of a Life …”, said on the occasion of the death of Prince Alexander Yaroslavich. “Metropolitan Kirill said:“My children, know that the sun has already set on the land of Suzdal!” Whether the author of the obituary used the text of the life itself or its retelling in historical works is unknown.
On the set of Sergei Eisenstein's film "Alexander Nevsky". 1938 year
The famous film "Alexander Nevsky" was removed from the rental in the year of release
Yes. Sergei Eisenstein's most famous Soviet patriotic film was banned from showing eight months after its release in 1938, even though the director soon received the Stalin Prize.
The reason for this was the conclusion of a non-aggression pact between Germany and the Soviet Union. With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, "Alexander Nevsky" returned to the screens.
Immediately after the announcement of the German attack on the USSR, the song "Get up, Russian people!", Written for this film by composer Sergei Prokofiev, sounded on the radio.
On the Soviet order of Alexander Nevsky - a portrait of the prince
No. Life images of Alexander Yaroslavich have not survived.
The sketch for the order was created in 1942 by a young architect Igor Telyatnikov, who specialized in projects of military-defense structures and had never done such work before. During the night he made sketches, one of which was accepted. At Mosfilm, the architect saw photographs of Nikolai Cherkasov, who played the role of the prince in Sergei Eisenstein's film Alexander Nevsky. So the actor's profile got on the sketch, and then on the order itself.