Everyone knows about the glorious Russian prince Alexander Yaroslavovich from his school years. For courage and love for the Fatherland, he received the nickname "Nevsky" among the people, defeating the Swedes at the mouth of the Neva. During the defeat of the German knight-dogs, the battle with which took place on Lake Peipsi, the young Prince Alexander showed himself to be a talented strategist and commander. But the unexpected and mysterious death of Prince Alexander at the age of 43 is still shrouded in mystery. In addition, a lot of speculation is associated with the relationship between Alexandrov Nevsky and the Golden Horde.
History turned out to be unfavorable to such an outstanding historical figure as Prince Alexander Nevsky: some considered him a true hero, while others considered him a vile traitor. As a rule, any person is judged by his deeds, which means that you need to know not only how the prince acted in this or that case, but also the reasons for his actions - this will be fair.
Alexander Nevsky is the second son of the Grand Duke Yaroslav II and the Ryazan princess Feodosia. From an early age, the princes in the family of Yaroslav II were trained to govern the principality. Alexander received a very good education, and also mastered the military business. He possessed not only the skill of a simple vigilante, but also mastered the princely military skills: he learned to build regiments for battle, set up patrols, set ambushes and learned ways to protect himself from enemy traps. In 1235 he took part with his father in the war against the Lithuanians and Germans.
After the death of his eldest son, Yaroslav II appointed Alexander as his heir. Veliky Novgorod was transferred to the reign of the young prince, and Yaroslav II himself left for Kiev.
In 1237, a mortal threat hung over Russia. Hordes of Mongols under the command of Batu conquered the Ryazan land and moved to Novgorod. But a miracle happened: before reaching Novgorod only 100 miles, Batu's troops turned back. And in the spring of 1238, the Tatar-Mongols left the borders of Russia. But the invaders still did not abandon the conquest of the Russians. Simultaneously with the invasion of the Batu hordes, the northwestern lands of Russia were under the threat of attack by the knights-crusaders. The Pope's envoy traveled between Denmark, Livonia and Sweden, organizing a joint campaign against Russia. The Danish and German knights planned to strike at Russia from the Livonian possessions, and the Swedes decided to attack from the sea.
In the summer of 1240, a Swedish army of five thousand suddenly appeared on the banks of the Neva. Prince Alexander understood that he did not have time to assemble the Novgorod militia, and therefore he set out to meet the enemy only with his mounted squad and a few foot soldiers. Prince Alexander struck an unexpected and decisive blow to the Swedes and immediately retreated, realizing that the forces were not equal. But the blow of the Russians for the Swedes was very strong, and they quickly left the bank of the Neva. After this victorious battle, the people gave the name "Nevsky" to their prince. Even if the battle was not the largest, in which the prince participated, this battle remained in the memory of generations. The victory of the young prince gave hope to the entire Russian people for liberation from the raids of the conquerors, they saw in him a great warrior for the Russian land. But the German knights did not abandon their plans and more than once approached the Russian borders.
During his short life, Alexander Nevsky participated in numerous military operations and battles, from which he always emerged victorious.
But Prince Alexander not only fought with the conquerors, he skillfully conducted foreign policy. And the result was the conclusion of a number of peace treaties. Thanks to him, the long-awaited peace and tranquility came to the western borders of the Novgorod lands.
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The Pope has repeatedly sent his embassies to Russia, persuading to recognize the primacy of the Roman throne, and for this he promised help to the Russians against the knights and Tatars. On the other hand, Batu also wrote to the Russian prince: “God has subdued many nations to me: do you alone do not want to submit to my power? But if you want to keep your land for yourself, come to me: you will see the honor and glory of my kingdom."
Alexander Nevsky faced a difficult task - to make a choice between East and West. Two of the strongest princes of Russia made a difficult decision, but in different ways: Daniil Galitsky chose the West and this was his fatal mistake - the Pope deceived him and did not help in the fight against enemies; Alexander Nevsky chose the East and achieved stunning political results. He understood that it was about the very existence of Russia and, with the help of the Horde, he defended the borders of his land from Western invaders, while preserving national identity within the country.
Prince Alexander hated the Tatar conquerors, but he understood that the time for open confrontation had not come. Exhausted, scattered Russia could not win a victory over a numerous and powerful enemy. As a vassal of the Golden Horde, he often had to visit the Horde's headquarters. He understood their tactics of conquest: first, the Tatar-Mongols inspired fear with their exorbitant cruelty, and then tolerated the preservation of the religion and national culture of the conquered peoples. There was only one condition - regularly pay tribute to the Golden Horde. For the sake of peace in his lands, Alexander Nevsky had to restrain popular anger within the state, sometimes by rather harsh methods, because of which, now, historians are labeling him as a despot.
In the early 1260s, the Horde split into two. Prince Alexander tried to take advantage of this. He went to the Horde and spent half a year there, trying to negotiate that the khan would free the Russian soldiers from participating in the war as part of the Mongol troops. During his stay in the Horde, the health of the Russian prince was shaken (there is an assumption that he was poisoned with a slow-acting poison). Sick he returned home, and on November 14, 1263, Alexander Nevsky died. The people met the body of the Grand Duke of Russia near Bogolyubov. Alexander Nevsky was buried in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Vladimir.
Historians are trying to hush up the main conflict of the era of Alexander Nevsky - the crusade of the West to Russia, the reason for which lay in the refusal of Prince Alexander to accept Catholicism. The main alliance of the era is deliberately distorted - the political and military alliance of the Horde and Russia.
The accusation of Alexander Nevsky of conspiracy against Russia at the conclusion of a treaty with the Horde is untenable. Yes, the great Russian prince faithfully served the Horde, but with this he achieved real support in the struggle against the crusaders sent to Russia by the hand of the Pope. Western historians are also silent about the fact that the Roman Church declared an economic blockade of Russia: Catholic pastors forbade trade with Russian cities, called the Russians "enemies of the faith", and in 1256 the West launched a military campaign against Russia and the Horde. And the Russians and Tatars fought back together from the Swedish, Lithuanian, German knights. And the Horde did not encroach on the Russian Orthodox faith, in contrast to the papal conquerors. Now a question arises and at the same time an answer: so what kind of relations were there in reality between the Horde and Russia - was it still an alliance or a yoke?
Some historical studies speak of several wives of Prince Alexander. The first wife of the prince is the daughter of the Polotsk prince Bryachislav. At baptism, she received the name Alexander. Karamzin in his work "History of the Russian State" argued that after the death of his wife, the prince married a second time and her name was Vassa. You can treat with all respect the opinion of the great historian Karamzin, but there is a fairly convincing version that Vassa is the monastic name of Alexandra Bryacheslavovna, the first and only wife of Alexander Nevsky. But this riddle still awaits its answer.
Historians talk a lot about the conflict between the brothers - Alexander and Andrey, accusing Prince Alexander of forcefully expelling his brother from the Kiev throne by the hands of the Horde army. It should be borne in mind that relations in the Horde itself were quite cruel, and their actions were unpredictable. At some point, Andrei fell out of favor with the Horde nobility and paid for it, but he survived, fled abroad in time. And the reasons for disfavor are another historical mystery.
Alexander Nevsky is reproached for paying tribute to the Horde regularly. In 1252 in Novgorod, under the leadership of Prince Alexander's son, Prince Vasily, a riot rose up against the payment of tribute to the Horde. Alexander Nevsky puts Vasily in shackles and cracks down on his associates. What was it - unjustified cruelty or a wise step of the ruler who prevented the war of the Horde against Novgorod? What would become of the large population of Novgorod lands if the Horde set foot on the Russian lands with fire and sword? Or maybe it was from that moment that Russia began to free itself from dependence?
There are many inconsistencies in the information about the Battle of the Ice. Thus, it is assumed that numerous troops participated in the battle: from the Russians - 17 thousand people, from the Germans - 12 thousand. But the Novgorod chronicle refutes these figures. According to her, no more than a thousand soldiers participated from each side. Perhaps the result of the battle does not always depend on the number of participants?
Another secret. On the helmet of Alexander Nevsky, adorned, as befits a prince, with rubies and diamonds, was the inscription of a verse from the Koran: "Please the faithful with the promise of help from Allah and a quick victory." Until now, the mystery why the Orthodox prince wore a helmet with Islamic letters awaits a clue.
Over the centuries that have passed since the era of Alexander Nevsky, there have always been people who destroyed history, or systematically distorted it.
And the accusations that are trying to express against the great Russian prince Alexander Nevsky, who did not spare his life, defending the Fatherland, and who worthily carried the heavy princely cross in a difficult time for Russia, are not worth a penny. The time has come to give a worthy rebuff to the slander so cleverly disguised as historical research.
It must be admitted that in fact, we know little about the unusually strong, intelligent Russian ruler - Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich. This means that interesting historical discoveries await us.