Alexander Nevsky is a great Russian ruler, commander, thinker and, finally, a saint, especially revered by the people. His life, icons and prayers are in the article!

Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky (1220 - November 14, 1263), Prince of Novgorod, Pereyaslavsky, Grand Duke of Kyiv (from 1249), Grand Duke of Vladimir (from 1252).

Canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in the guise of the faithful under Metropolitan Macarius at the Moscow Council of 1547.

Memorial Day of Alexander Nevsky

Commemorated on December 6 and September 12 according to the new style (transfer of relics from Vladimir-on-Klyazma to St. Petersburg, to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery (from 1797 - Lavra) on August 30, 1724). In honor of the memory of St. Alexander Nevsky, many churches have been built throughout Russia, where prayer services are held these days. There are such temples outside our country: the Patriarchal Cathedral in Sofia, Cathedral in Tallinn, temple in Tbilisi. Alexander Nevsky is such a significant saint for the Russian people that even in Tsarist Russia an order was established in his honor. It is surprising that in the Soviet years the memory of Alexander Nevsky was also honored: on July 29, 1942, the Soviet military order of Alexander Nevsky was established in honor of the great commander.

Alexander Nevsky: just the facts

- Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich was born in 1220 (according to another version - in 1221) and died in 1263. In different years of his life, Prince Alexander had the titles of Prince of Novgorod, Kyiv, and later Grand Duke of Vladimir.

- Prince Alexander won his main military victories in his youth. During the Battle of the Neva (1240), he was at most 20 years old, during the Battle of the Ice - 22 years old. Subsequently, he became more famous as a politician and diplomat, but occasionally acted as a military leader. In all his life, Prince Alexander did not lose a single battle.

— Alexander Nevsky canonized as a noble prince. Lay people who have become famous for their sincere deep faith and good deeds, as well as Orthodox rulers who managed to remain faithful to Christ in their public service and in various political conflicts, are ranked among this saint. Like any Orthodox saint, the noble prince is not at all an ideal sinless person, but he is first of all a ruler who was guided in his life primarily by the highest Christian virtues, including mercy and philanthropy, and not by a thirst for power and not self-interest.

- Contrary to popular belief that the Church canonized almost all the rulers of the Middle Ages as the faithful, only a few of them were glorified. Thus, among the Russian saints of princely origin, the majority are glorified as saints for their martyrdom for the sake of their neighbors and for the sake of preserving the Christian faith.

—Through the efforts of Alexander Nevsky, the preaching of Christianity spread to the northern lands of the Pomors. He also managed to contribute to the creation of an Orthodox diocese in the Golden Horde.

- The modern idea of ​​​​Alexander Nevsky was influenced by Soviet propaganda, which spoke exclusively about his military merits. As a diplomat who built relations with the Horde, and even more so as a monk and saint, he was completely inappropriate for the Soviet government. Therefore, Sergei Eisenstein's masterpiece "Alexander Nevsky" does not tell about the whole life of the prince, but only about the battle on Lake Peipsi. This gave rise to a common stereotype that Prince Alexander was canonized for his military merits, and holiness itself became something of a “reward” from the Church.

- The veneration of Prince Alexander as a saint began immediately after his death, at the same time a rather detailed "Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky" was compiled. The official canonization of the prince took place in 1547.

Life of the Holy Right-Believing Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky

Portal "Word"

Prince Alexander Nevsky is one of those great people in the history of our Fatherland, whose activities not only influenced the fate of the country and people, but changed them in many ways, predetermined the course of Russian history for many centuries to come. It fell to him to rule Russia at the most difficult, turning point that followed the devastating Mongol conquest, when it was about the very existence of Russia, about whether it would be able to survive, maintain its statehood, its ethnic independence, or disappear from the map, like many other peoples of Eastern Europe that were invaded at the same time.

He was born in 1220 (1), in the city of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, and was the second son of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, at that time the prince of Pereyaslavl. His mother Theodosius, apparently, was the daughter of the famous Toropets prince Mstislav Mstislavich Udatny, or Udaly (2).

Very early, Alexander was involved in the turbulent political events that unfolded around the reign in Veliky Novgorod - one of largest cities medieval Russia. Most of his biography will be connected with Novgorod. For the first time, Alexander came to this city as a baby - in the winter of 1223, when his father was invited to reign in Novgorod. However, the reign was short-lived: at the end of that year, having quarreled with the Novgorodians, Yaroslav and his family returned to Pereyaslavl. So Yaroslav will either put up, then quarrel with Novgorod, and then the same will happen again in the fate of Alexander. This was explained simply: the Novgorodians needed a strong prince from North-Eastern Russia, close to them, so that he could protect the city from external enemies. However, such a prince ruled Novgorod too harshly, and the townspeople usually soon quarreled with him and invited some South Russian prince who did not annoy them too much to reign; and everything would be fine, but, alas, he could not protect them in case of danger, and he cared more about his southern possessions - so the Novgorodians had to again turn to the Vladimir or Pereyaslav princes for help, and everything was repeated anew.

Again Prince Yaroslav was invited to Novgorod in 1226. Two years later, the prince again left the city, but this time he left his sons in it as princes - nine-year-old Fyodor (his eldest son) and eight-year-old Alexander. The boyars of Yaroslav, Fedor Danilovich and the princely tyun Yakim, remained with the children. They, however, failed to cope with the Novgorod "freemen" and in February 1229 had to flee with the princes to Pereyaslavl. For a short time, Prince Mikhail Vsevolodovich Chernigov, a future martyr for the faith and a revered saint, established himself in Novgorod. But the southern Russian prince, who ruled remote Chernigov, could not protect the city from outside threats; besides, severe famine and pestilence began in Novgorod. In December 1230, the Novgorodians invited Yaroslav for the third time. He hastily arrived in Novgorod, concluded an agreement with the Novgorodians, but stayed in the city for only two weeks and returned to Pereyaslavl. His sons Fedor and Alexander again remained in reign in Novgorod.

Novgorod reign of Alexander

So, in January 1231, Alexander formally became the Prince of Novgorod. Until 1233 he ruled together with his older brother. But this year Fedor died (his sudden death happened just before the wedding, when everything was already ready for the wedding feast). The real power remained entirely in the hands of his father. Probably, Alexander took part in his father's campaigns (for example, in 1234 near Yuryev, against the Livonian Germans, and in the same year against the Lithuanians). In 1236, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich took the vacant throne of Kyiv. From that time on, sixteen-year-old Alexander became the independent ruler of Novgorod.

The beginning of his reign fell on a terrible time in the history of Russia - the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars. The hordes of Batu, who attacked Russia in the winter of 1237/38, did not reach Novgorod. But most of North-Eastern Russia, its Largest cities- Vladimir, Suzdal, Ryazan and others - were destroyed. Many princes died, including Alexander's uncle, the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yuri Vsevolodovich and all his sons. Alexander's father Yaroslav (1239) received the Grand Duke's throne. The catastrophe that occurred turned the whole course of Russian history upside down and left an indelible mark on the fate of the Russian people, including, of course, Alexander. Although in the first years of his reign he did not have to directly face the conquerors.

The main threat in those years came to Novgorod from the west. From the very beginning of the 13th century, the princes of Novgorod had to hold back the onslaught of the growing Lithuanian state. In 1239, Alexander built fortifications along the Shelon River, protecting the southwestern borders of his principality from Lithuanian raids. In the same year it happened an important event in his life - Alexander married the daughter of the Polotsk prince Bryachislav, his ally in the fight against Lithuania. (Later sources give the name of the princess - Alexandra (3).) The wedding was arranged in Toropets - important city on the Russian-Lithuanian border, and the second wedding feast - in Novgorod.

An even greater danger for Novgorod was the advance from the west of the German crusader knights from the Livonian Order of the Sword (merged in 1237 with the Teutonic Order), and from the north - Sweden, which in the first half of the 13th century intensified the offensive on the lands of the Finnish tribe em (tavasts), traditionally included in the sphere of influence of the Novgorod princes. One can think that the news of the terrible defeat of Batu Rus prompted the rulers of Sweden to transfer military operations to the territory of Novgorod proper.

The Swedish army invaded Novgorod in the summer of 1240. Their ships entered the Neva and stopped at the mouth of its tributary, the Izhora. Later Russian sources report that the Swedish army was led by the future Jarl Birger, the son-in-law of the Swedish king Erik Erikson and the long-term ruler of Sweden, but researchers are doubtful about this news. According to the chronicle, the Swedes intended to "capture Ladoga, simply say Novgorod, and the entire Novgorod region."

Battle with the Swedes on the Neva

This was the first truly serious test for the young Novgorod prince. And Alexander withstood it with honor, showing the qualities of not only a born commander, but also a statesman. It was then, upon receipt of the news of the invasion, that his famous words sounded: “ God is not in power, but in truth!»

Having gathered a small squad, Alexander did not wait for help from his father and went on a campaign. On the way, he connected with the Ladoga residents and on July 15 suddenly attacked the Swedish camp. The battle ended with a complete victory for the Russians. The Novgorod chronicle reports huge losses on the part of the enemy: “And many of them fell; they filled two ships with the bodies of the best husbands and let them go ahead of them on the sea, and for the rest they dug a hole and threw it there without a number. The Russians, according to the same chronicle, lost only 20 people. It is possible that the losses of the Swedes are exaggerated (it is significant that there is no mention of this battle in Swedish sources), and the Russians are underestimated. A synodicon of the Novgorod church of Saints Boris and Gleb in Plotniki, compiled in the 15th century, has been preserved with the mention of “princely governors, and Novgorod governors, and all our beaten brethren” who fell “on the Neva from the Germans under Grand Duke Alexander Yaroslavich”; their memory was honored in Novgorod in the 15th and 16th centuries, and later. Nevertheless, the significance of the Battle of the Neva is obvious: the Swedish onslaught in the direction of North-Western Russia was stopped, and Russia showed that, despite the Mongol conquest, it was able to defend its borders.

The life of Alexander highlights the feat of six "brave men" from Alexander's regiment: Gavrila Oleksich, Sbyslav Yakunovich, Yakov from Polotsk, Misha from Novgorod, Sava's combatant from the younger squad (who cut down the golden-domed royal tent) and Ratmir, who died in the battle. The Life also tells about a miracle performed during the battle: on the opposite side of Izhora, where there were no Novgorodians at all, subsequently they found many corpses of fallen enemies, who were struck by the angel of the Lord.

This victory brought loud glory to the twenty-year-old prince. It was in her honor that he received the honorary nickname - Nevsky.

Shortly after the victorious return, Alexander quarreled with the Novgorodians. In the winter of 1240/41, the prince, together with his mother, wife and "his court" (that is, the army and the prince's administration), left Novgorod for Vladimir, to his father, and from there - "to reign" in Pereyaslavl. The reasons for his conflict with the Novgorodians are unclear. It can be assumed that Alexander sought to dominate Novgorod, following the example of his father, and this caused resistance from the Novgorod boyars. However, having lost a strong prince, Novgorod could not stop the advance of another enemy - the crusaders. In the year of the Neva victory, the knights, in alliance with the “chud” (Estonians), captured the city of Izborsk, and then Pskov, the most important outpost on the western borders of Russia. The following year, the Germans invaded the Novgorod lands, took the city of Tesov on the Luga River and set up the Koporye fortress. Novgorodians turned to Yaroslav for help, asking him to send his son. Yaroslav first sent his son Andrei, Nevsky's younger brother, to them, but after a repeated request from the Novgorodians, he agreed to let Alexander go again. In 1241, Alexander Nevsky returned to Novgorod and was enthusiastically received by the inhabitants.

Battle on the Ice

Once again, he acted decisively and without any delay. In the same year, Alexander took the fortress of Koporye. He captured the Germans in part, and sent them home in part, but hanged the traitors of the Estonians and the leaders. The next year, with the Novgorodians and the Suzdal squad of his brother Andrei, Alexander moved to Pskov. The city was taken without much difficulty; the Germans who were in the city were killed or sent as booty to Novgorod. Developing success, Russian troops entered Estonia. However, in the first clash with the knights, Alexander's guard detachment was defeated. One of the governors, Domash Tverdislavich, was killed, many were taken prisoner, and the survivors fled to the prince's regiment. The Russians had to retreat. April 5, 1242 on ice Lake Peipus(“on Uzmeni, at the Raven Stone”) there was a battle that went down in history as the Battle of the Ice. The Germans and Estonians, moving in a wedge (in Russian, “pig”), pierced the advanced Russian regiment, but were then surrounded and completely defeated. “And they chased after them, beating them, seven miles across the ice,” the chronicler testifies.

In assessing the losses of the German side, Russian and Western sources differ. According to the Novgorod chronicle, countless "chuds" and 400 (in another list 500) German knights died, and 50 knights were captured. “And Prince Alexander returned with a glorious victory,” says the Life of the Saint, “and there were many prisoners in his army, and those who call themselves “God’s knights” were led barefoot near the horses.” There is also a story about this battle in the so-called Livonian rhymed chronicle of the end of the 13th century, but it reports only 20 dead and 6 captured German knights, which is, apparently, a strong understatement. However, the differences with Russian sources can partly be explained by the fact that the Russians considered all the killed and wounded Germans, and the author of the Rhyming Chronicle - only "knight brothers", that is, full members of the Order.

The battle on the ice was of great importance for the fate of not only Novgorod, but the whole of Russia. Crusader aggression was stopped on the ice of Lake Peipsi. Russia received peace and stability on its northwestern borders. In the same year, a peace treaty was concluded between Novgorod and the Order, according to which an exchange of prisoners took place, and all Russian territories occupied by the Germans were returned. The chronicle conveys the words of the German ambassadors addressed to Alexander: “What we occupied by force without Prince Vod, Luga, Pskov, Latygol - we retreat from that. And that your husbands were captured - they are ready to exchange them: we will let yours go, and you will let ours go.

Battle with the Lithuanians

Success accompanied Alexander in battles with the Lithuanians. In 1245, he inflicted a severe defeat on them in a series of battles: near Toropets, near Zizhich and near Usvyat (near Vitebsk). Many Lithuanian princes were killed, and others were captured. “His servants, mocking, tied them to the tails of their horses,” says the author of the Life. “And from that time on they began to fear his name.” So the Lithuanian raids on Russia were also stopped for a while.

There is another, later campaign of Alexander against the Swedes - in 1256. It was undertaken in response to a new attempt by the Swedes to invade Russia and establish a fortress on the eastern, Russian, bank of the Narova River. By that time, the fame of Alexander's victories had already spread far beyond the borders of Russia. Having learned not even about the performance of the Russian rati from Novgorod, but only about the preparations for the performance, the invaders "ran away across the sea." This time, Alexander sent his squads to Northern Finland, recently annexed to the Swedish crown. Despite the hardships of the winter passage through the snowy desert terrain, the campaign ended successfully: “And Pomorie fought everything: they killed some, and took others in full, and returned back to their land with a lot of full.”

But Alexander not only fought with the West. Around 1251, an agreement was concluded between Novgorod and Norway on the settlement of border disputes and the delimitation of the collection of tribute from the vast territory inhabited by the Karelians and the Saami. At the same time, Alexander was negotiating the marriage of his son Vasily to the daughter of the Norwegian king Hakon Hakonarson. True, these negotiations were unsuccessful due to the invasion of Russia by the Tatars - the so-called "Nevryuev rati."

In the last years of his life, between 1259 and 1262, Alexander, on his own behalf and on behalf of his son Dmitry (proclaimed prince of Novgorod in 1259) "with all Novgorodians" concluded a trade agreement with the "Gotsky coast" (Gotland), Lubeck and German cities; this agreement played an important role in the history of Russian-German relations and proved to be very durable (it was referred to even in 1420).

In wars with Western opponents - the Germans, Swedes and Lithuanians - Alexander Nevsky's military leadership talent was clearly manifested. But his relationship with the Horde developed in a completely different way.

Relations with the Horde

After the death in 1246 of Alexander's father, the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, who was poisoned in faraway Karakorum, the throne passed to Alexander's uncle, Prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich. However, a year later, Alexander's brother Andrei, a warlike, energetic and decisive prince, overthrew him. Subsequent events are not entirely clear. It is known that in 1247 Andrei, and after him Alexander, made a trip to the Horde, to Batu. He sent them even further, to Karakorum, the capital of the vast Mongol Empire (“to the Kanovichi,” as they said in Russia). The brothers returned to Russia only in December 1249. Andrei received from the Tatars a label to the grand-ducal throne in Vladimir, while Alexander received Kyiv and "the whole Russian land" (that is, Southern Russia). Formally, the status of Alexander was higher, because Kyiv was still considered the main capital city of Russia. But ruined by the Tatars and depopulated, he completely lost his significance, and therefore Alexander could hardly be satisfied with the decision made. Even without stopping in Kyiv, he immediately went to Novgorod.

Negotiations with the papacy

By the time of Alexander's trip to the Horde are his negotiations with the papal throne. Two bulls of Pope Innocent IV, addressed to Prince Alexander and dated 1248, have survived. In them, the primate of the Roman Church offered the Russian prince an alliance to fight against the Tatars - but on condition that he accepted the church union and transferred under the protection of the Roman throne.

Papal legates did not find Alexander in Novgorod. However, one can think that even before his departure (and before receiving the first papal message), the prince held some kind of negotiations with representatives of Rome. In anticipation of the upcoming trip "to the Kanovichi," Alexander gave an evasive answer to the pope's proposals, calculated to continue negotiations. In particular, he agreed to the construction of a Latin church in Pskov - a church, which was quite common for ancient Russia (such a Catholic church - the "Varangian goddess" - existed, for example, in Novgorod since the 11th century). The pope regarded the prince's consent as a readiness to agree to a union. But this assessment was deeply erroneous.

The prince probably received both papal messages already upon his return from Mongolia. By this time, he had made a choice - and not in favor of the West. According to researchers, what he saw on the way from Vladimir to Karakorum and back made a strong impression on Alexander: he was convinced of the invincible power of the Mongol Empire and the impossibility of ruined and weakened Russia to resist the power of the Tatar "kings".

This is how the Life of his prince conveys famous response to papal envoys:

“Once upon a time, ambassadors from the pope from great Rome came to him with these words: “Our dad says this: We heard that you are a worthy and glorious prince and your land is great. That is why they sent two of the most skillful cardinals to you ... so that you listen to their teaching about the law of God.

Prince Alexander, having thought with his wise men, wrote to him, saying: “From Adam to the flood, from the flood to the division of languages, from the confusion of languages ​​\u200b\u200bto the beginning of Abraham, from Abraham to the passage of Israel through the Red Sea, from the exodus of the sons of Israel to death King David, from the beginning of the kingdom of Solomon to August the king, from the beginning of August to the Nativity of Christ, from the Nativity of Christ to the Passion and Resurrection of the Lord, from His Resurrection to the Ascension to heaven, from the Ascension to heaven and to the kingdom of Constantine, from the beginning of the kingdom of Constantine to the first council, from the first council to the seventh - all that we know well, but we do not accept teachings from you". They returned home."

In this answer of the prince, in his unwillingness to even enter into debate with the Latin ambassadors, it was by no means some kind of his religious narrow-mindedness, as it might seem at first glance. It was a choice both religious and political. Alexander was aware that the West would not be able to help Russia in liberation from the Horde yoke; the struggle with the Horde, to which the papal throne called, could be disastrous for the country. Alexander was not ready to go to a union with Rome (namely, this was an indispensable condition for the proposed union). Acceptance of the union - even with the formal consent of Rome to the preservation of all Orthodox rites in worship - in practice could mean only simple submission to the Latins, and at the same time both political and spiritual. The history of the dominance of the Latins in the Baltics or in Galicia (where they briefly established themselves in the 10s of the XIII century) clearly proved this.

So Prince Alexander chose a different path for himself - the path of refusing any cooperation with the West and at the same time the path of forced obedience to the Horde, accepting all its conditions. It was in this that he saw the only salvation both for his power over Russia - albeit limited by the recognition of the Horde's sovereignty - and for Russia itself.

The period of the short great reign of Andrei Yaroslavich is very poorly covered in Russian chronicles. However, it is clear that a conflict was brewing between the brothers. Andrei - unlike Alexander - showed himself to be an opponent of the Tatars. In the winter of 1250/51, he married the daughter of the Galician prince Daniel Romanovich, a supporter of resolute resistance to the Horde. The threat of unification of the forces of North-Eastern and South-Western Russia could not but alarm the Horde.

The denouement came in the summer of 1252. Again, we do not know exactly what happened then. According to the chronicles, Alexander again went to the Horde. During his stay there (and perhaps already after returning to Russia), a punitive expedition was sent from the Horde against Andrei under the command of Nevruy. In the battle near Pereyaslavl, the squad of Andrei and his brother Yaroslav, who supported him, was defeated. Andrei fled to Sweden. The northeastern lands of Russia were plundered and devastated, many people were killed or taken prisoner.

In the Horde

St. blgv. book. Alexander Nevskiy. From the site: http://www.icon-art.ru/

The sources at our disposal are silent about any connection between Alexander's trip to the Horde and the actions of the Tatars (4). However, one can guess that Alexander's trip to the Horde was associated with changes on the khan's throne in Karakorum, where in the summer of 1251 Mengu, an ally of Batu, was proclaimed great khan. According to sources, “all the labels and seals that were indiscriminately issued to princes and nobles in the previous reign,” the new khan ordered to be taken away. So, those decisions, in accordance with which Alexander's brother Andrei received a label for the great reign of Vladimir, also lost their force. Unlike his brother, Alexander was extremely interested in revising these decisions and getting into his own hands the great reign of Vladimir, to which he - as the eldest of the Yaroslavichs - had more rights than his younger brother.

One way or another, but in the last open military clash between the Russian princes and the Tatars in the history of the turning point of the 13th century, Prince Alexander found himself - perhaps through no fault of his own - in the camp of the Tatars. Since that time, one can definitely talk about the special "Tatar policy" of Alexander Nevsky - the policy of appeasement of the Tatars and unquestioning obedience to them. His subsequent frequent trips to the Horde (1257, 1258, 1262) were aimed at preventing new invasions of Russia. The prince strove to regularly pay a huge tribute to the conquerors and not allow speeches against them in Russia itself. Historians assess the Horde policy of Alexander in different ways. Some see in it a simple servility to a ruthless and invincible enemy, the desire by any means to keep power over Russia in their hands; others, on the contrary, consider the most important merit of the prince. “Two feats of Alexander Nevsky - the feat of warfare in the West and the feat of humility in the East,” wrote G.V. Vernadsky, the largest historian of the Russian Diaspora, “had one goal: the preservation of Orthodoxy as the moral and political strength of the Russian people. This goal was achieved: the growth of the Russian Orthodox kingdom took place on the soil prepared by Alexander. The Soviet researcher of medieval Russia V. T. Pashuto also gave a close assessment of the policy of Alexander Nevsky: “With his cautious prudent policy, he saved Russia from final ruin by the armies of nomads. Armed with struggle, trade policy, selective diplomacy, he avoided new wars in the North and West, a possible, but disastrous for Russia, alliance with the papacy and the rapprochement of the curia and the crusaders with the Horde. He bought time, allowing Russia to get stronger and recover from the terrible devastation.

Be that as it may, it is indisputable that the policy of Alexander for a long time determined the relationship between Russia and the Horde, largely determined the choice of Russia between East and West. Subsequently, this policy of appeasing the Horde (or, if you like, currying favor with the Horde) will be continued by the Moscow princes - the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Alexander Nevsky. But the historical paradox - or rather, the historical pattern - lies in the fact that it is they, the heirs of the Horde policy of Alexander Nevsky, who will be able to revive the power of Russia and eventually throw off the hated Horde yoke.

The prince erected churches, built cities

... In the same 1252, Alexander returned from the Horde to Vladimir with a label for a great reign and was solemnly placed on the grand throne. After the terrible ruin of Nevryuev, he first of all had to take care of the restoration of the destroyed Vladimir and other Russian cities. The prince “erected churches, rebuilt cities, gathered dispersed people into their houses,” testifies the author of the princely Life. The prince showed special care in relation to the Church, decorating churches with books and utensils, favoring them with rich gifts and land.

Novgorod unrest

Novgorod gave Alexander a lot of anxiety. In 1255, the Novgorodians expelled the son of Alexander Vasily and put Prince Yaroslav Yaroslavich, brother of Nevsky, to reign. Alexander approached the city with his squad. However, bloodshed was avoided: as a result of negotiations, a compromise was reached, and the Novgorodians submitted.

New unrest in Novgorod occurred in 1257. It was caused by the appearance in Russia of Tatar "numerals" - census takers of the population, who were sent from the Horde to more accurately tax the population with tribute. Russian people of that time treated the census with mystical horror, seeing in it the sign of the Antichrist - a harbinger of the last times and the Last Judgment. In the winter of 1257, the Tatar “numeralists” “counted the entire land of Suzdal, and Ryazan, and Murom, and appointed foremen, and thousands, and temniks,” the chronicler wrote. From the "number", that is, from the tribute, only the clergy - "church people" were exempted (the Mongols invariably exempted the servants of God in all the countries they conquered, regardless of religion, so that they could freely turn to various gods with words of prayer for their conquerors).

In Novgorod, which was not directly affected by either the Batu invasion or the Nevryuev army, the news of the census was met with particular bitterness. Unrest in the city continued for a whole year. Even the son of Alexander, Prince Vasily, turned out to be on the side of the townspeople. When his father appeared, who accompanied the Tatars, he fled to Pskov. This time, the Novgorodians avoided the census, limiting themselves to paying a rich tribute to the Tatars. But their refusal to fulfill the will of the Horde provoked the wrath of the Grand Duke. Vasily was exiled to Suzdal, the instigators of the riots were severely punished: some, on the orders of Alexander, were executed, others had their noses cut off, and others were blinded. Only in the winter of 1259 did the Novgorodians finally agree to "give a number." Nevertheless, the appearance of Tatar officials caused a new rebellion in the city. Only with the personal participation of Alexander and under the protection of the princely squad, the census was carried out. “And the accursed ones began to ride through the streets, copying Christian houses,” reports the Novgorod chronicler. After the end of the census and the departure of the Tatars, Alexander left Novgorod, leaving his young son Dmitry as prince.

In 1262, Alexander made peace with the Lithuanian prince Mindovg. In the same year, he sent a large army under the nominal command of his son Dmitry against the Livonian Order. The squads of the younger brother of Alexander Nevsky Yaroslav (with whom he managed to reconcile), as well as his new ally, the Lithuanian prince Tovtivil, who settled in Polotsk, took part in this campaign. The campaign ended with a major victory - the city of Yuryev (Tartu) was taken.

At the end of the same 1262, Alexander went to the Horde for the fourth (and last) time. “In those days there was great violence from the infidels,” says the princely Life, “they drove Christians, forcing them to fight on their side. The great prince Alexander went to the king (the Horde Khan Berke. - A.K.) to pray for his people from this misfortune. Probably, the prince also sought to rid Russia of a new punitive expedition of the Tatars: in the same 1262, a popular uprising broke out in a number of Russian cities (Rostov, Suzdal, Yaroslavl) against the excesses of the Tatar tribute collectors.

Last days Alexandra

Alexander apparently succeeded in achieving his goals. However, Khan Berke detained him for almost a year. Only in the autumn of 1263, already sick, Alexander returned to Russia. Getting to Nizhny Novgorod, the prince fell ill. In Gorodets on the Volga, already feeling the approach of death, Alexander took monastic vows (according to later sources, with the name of Alexei) and died on November 14. His body was transported to Vladimir and on November 23 he was buried in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God of the Vladimir Nativity Monastery with a huge gathering of people. The words with which Metropolitan Kirill announced to the people about the death of the Grand Duke are known: “My children, know that the sun of the land of Suzdal has already set!” In a different way - and perhaps more accurately - the Novgorod chronicler put it: Prince Alexander "worked for Novgorod and for the whole Russian land."

church veneration

Church veneration of the holy prince apparently began immediately after his death. The Life tells of a miracle that happened at the very burial: when the prince’s body was placed in the tomb and Metropolitan Kirill, as usual, wanted to put a spiritual letter in his hand, people saw how the prince, “as if alive, stretched out his hand and accepted the letter from the hand metropolitan... So God glorified his saint.”

A few decades after the death of the prince, his Life was compiled, which subsequently was repeatedly subjected to various alterations, revisions and additions (in total there are up to twenty editions of the Life dating from the 13th-19th centuries). The official canonization of the prince by the Russian Church took place in 1547, at a church council convened by Metropolitan Macarius and Tsar Ivan the Terrible, when many new Russian miracle workers, previously revered only locally, were canonized as saints. The Church equally glorifies the military prowess of the prince, “in no way is conquered in battles, always conquering,” and his feat of meekness, patience “more than courage” and “invincible humility” (according to the outwardly paradoxical expression of the Akathist).

If we turn to the subsequent centuries of Russian history, then we will see, as it were, a second, posthumous biography of the prince, whose invisible presence is clearly felt in many events - and above all in the turning points, the most dramatic moments in the life of the country. The first acquisition of his relics took place in the year of the great Kulikovo victory, won by the great-grandson of Alexander Nevsky, the great Moscow prince Dmitry Donskoy in 1380. In miraculous visions, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich appears as a direct participant in both the Battle of Kulikovo itself and the Battle of Molodi in 1572, when the troops of Prince Mikhail Ivanovich Vorotynsky defeated the Crimean Khan Devlet Giray just 45 kilometers from Moscow. The image of Alexander Nevsky is seen over Vladimir in 1491, a year after the final overthrow of the Horde yoke. In 1552, during a campaign against Kazan, which led to the conquest of the Kazan Khanate, Tsar Ivan the Terrible performed a prayer service at the tomb of Alexander Nevsky, and during this prayer service a miracle occurred, regarded by everyone as a sign of the coming victory. The relics of the holy prince, which remained until 1723 in the Vladimir Nativity Monastery, exuded numerous miracles, information about which was carefully recorded by the monastery authorities.

A new page in the veneration of the holy and faithful Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky began in the 18th century, under the emperor Peter the Great. The winner of the Swedes and the founder of St. Petersburg, which became a “window to Europe” for Russia, Peter saw in Prince Alexander his immediate predecessor in the fight against Swedish dominance in the Baltic Sea and hastened to transfer the city he founded on the banks of the Neva under his heavenly patronage. Back in 1710, Peter ordered that the name of St. Alexander Nevsky be included in the holidays during divine services as a prayer representative for the “Neva Country”. In the same year, he personally chose a place to build a monastery in the name of the Holy Trinity and St. Alexander Nevsky - the future Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Peter wanted to transfer the relics of the holy prince here from Vladimir. The wars with the Swedes and the Turks slowed down the fulfillment of this desire, and only in 1723 did they begin to fulfill it. On August 11, with all due solemnity, the holy relics were carried out of the Nativity Monastery; the procession went to Moscow, and then to St. Petersburg; everywhere she was accompanied by prayers and crowds of believers. According to Peter's plan, the holy relics were supposed to be brought to the new capital of Russia on August 30 - on the day of the conclusion of the Nishtad peace with the Swedes (1721). However, the distance of the journey did not allow this plan to be carried out, and the relics arrived in Shlisselburg only on October 1. By order of the emperor, they were left in the Shlisselburg Church of the Annunciation, and their transfer to St. Petersburg was postponed until next year.

The meeting of the shrine in St. Petersburg on August 30, 1724 was distinguished by special solemnity. According to legend, on the last leg of the journey (from the mouth of the Izhora to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery), Peter personally ruled the galley with a precious cargo, and his closest associates, the first dignitaries of the state, were at the oars. At the same time, the annual celebration of the memory of the holy prince was established on the day of the transfer of relics on August 30.

Today the Church celebrates the memory of the holy and faithful Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky twice a year: on November 23 (December 6, New Style) and on August 30 (September 12).

Days of the celebration of St. Alexander Nevsky:

May 23 (June 5, New Style) - Cathedral of the Rostov-Yaroslavl Saints
August 30 (September 12, New Style) - the day of the transfer of relics to St. Petersburg (1724) - the main
November 14 (November 27, New Style) - death day in Gorodets (1263) - canceled
November 23 (December 6, New Style) - the day of burial in Vladimir, in the schema of Alexy (1263)

Myths about Alexander Nevsky

1. The battles for which Prince Alexander became famous were so insignificant that they are not even mentioned in the Western chronicles.

Not true! This idea was born out of pure ignorance. The battle on Lake Peipus is reflected in German sources, in particular, in the "Senior Livonian Rhymed Chronicle". Based on it, some historians talk about the insignificant scale of the battle, because the Chronicle reports the death of only twenty knights. But here it is important to understand that we are talking about the "knight brothers" who performed the role of high commanders. Nothing is said about the death of their warriors and the representatives of the Baltic tribes recruited into the army, who formed the backbone of the army.
As for the Battle of the Neva, it did not find any reflection in the Swedish chronicles. But, according to the largest Russian specialist in the history of the Baltic region in the Middle Ages, Igor Shaskolsky, “... this should not be surprising. In medieval Sweden, until the beginning of the 14th century, no major narrative works on the history of the country were created, such as Russian chronicles and large Western European chronicles. In other words, the traces of the Battle of Neva among the Swedes are nowhere to be found.

2. The West did not pose a threat to Russia at that time, unlike the Horde, which Prince Alexander used solely to strengthen his personal power.

Not so again! It is hardly possible to speak of a “united West” in the 13th century. Perhaps it would be more correct to speak of the world of Catholicism, but in its entirety it was very motley, heterogeneous and fragmented. Russia was really threatened not by the "West", but by the Teutonic and Livonian orders, as well as the Swedish conquerors. And for some reason they smashed them on Russian territory, and not at home in Germany or Sweden, and, therefore, the threat emanating from them was quite real.
As for the Horde, there is a source (the Ustyug Chronicle), which makes it possible to assume the organizing role of Prince Alexander Yaroslavich in the anti-Horde uprising.

3. Prince Alexander did not defend Russia and the Orthodox faith, he simply fought for power and used the Horde to physically eliminate his own brother.

These are just speculations. Prince Alexander Yaroslavich primarily defended what he had inherited from his father and grandfather. In other words, with great skill he performed the task of a guard, a keeper. As for the death of his brother, before such verdicts, it is necessary to study the question of how he, in recklessness and youthfulness, laid down the Russian rati to no avail and in what way he acquired power in general. This will show: not so much Prince Alexander Yaroslavich was his destroyer, but he himself claimed the role of the soon destroyer of Russia ...

4. Turning to the east, not to the west, Prince Alexander laid the foundations for the future rampant despotism in the country. His contacts with the Mongols made Russia an Asian power.

This is completely baseless journalism. All the Russian princes then contacted the Horde. After 1240, they had a choice: to die themselves and expose Russia to a new ruin, or to survive and prepare the country for new battles and, ultimately, for liberation. Someone headlong rushed into battle, but 90 percent of our princes of the second half of the XIII century chose a different path. And here Alexander Nevsky is no different from our other sovereigns of that period.
As for the "Asian power", there really are different points of view today. But I, as a historian, believe that Russia never became one. It was not and is not part of Europe or Asia, or something like a mixture, where European and Asian take on different proportions depending on the circumstances. Russia is a cultural and political essence, sharply different from both Europe and Asia. Just as Orthodoxy is neither Catholicism, nor Islam, nor Buddhism, nor any other denomination.

Metropolitan Kirill about Alexander Nevsky - the name of Russia

On October 5, 2008, in a TV show dedicated to Alexander Nevsky, Metropolitan Kirill delivered a fiery 10-minute speech in which he tried to reveal this image so that it became accessible to a wide audience. The Metropolitan began with questions: Why can a noble prince from the distant past, from the 13th century, become the name of Russia? What do we know about him? Answering these questions, the metropolitan compares Alexander Nevsky with the other twelve applicants: “You need to know history very well and you need to feel history in order to understand the modernity of this person ... I carefully looked at the names of all. Each of the candidates is a representative of his guild: a politician, scientist, writer, poet, economist... Alexander Nevsky was not a representative of the guild, because he was at the same time the greatest strategist... a man who sensed not political, but civilizational dangers for Russia. He fought not with specific enemies, not with the East or the West. He fought for national identity, for national self-understanding. Without him, there would be no Russia, there would be no Russians, there would be no our civilizational code.”

According to Metropolitan Kirill, Alexander Nevsky was a politician who defended Russia with "very subtle and courageous diplomacy." He understood that it was impossible at that moment to defeat the Horde, which “twice ironed Russia”, captured Slovakia, Croatia, Hungary, entered the Adriatic Sea, invaded China. “Why doesn’t he raise the fight against the Horde? the Metropolitan asks. – Yes, the Horde captured Russia. But the Tatar-Mongols did not need our soul and did not need our brains. The Tatar-Mongols needed our pockets, and they turned these pockets inside out, but did not encroach on our national identity. They were not able to overcome our civilizational code. But when the danger arose from the West, when the armored Teutonic knights went to Russia, there was no compromise. When the Pope writes a letter to Alexander, trying to get him on his side... Alexander says no. He sees the danger of civilization, he meets these armored knights on Lake Peipus and smashes them, just as he, by a miracle of God, smashes the Swedish soldiers who entered the Neva with a small squad.

Alexander Nevsky, according to the metropolitan, gives away “superstructural values”, allowing the Mongols to collect tribute from Russia: “He understands that this is not scary. Mighty Russia will get all this money back. It is necessary to preserve the soul, national self-consciousness, national will, and it is necessary to give the opportunity for what our wonderful historiosophist Lev Nikolaevich Gumilyov called "ethnogenesis". Everything is destroyed, it is necessary to accumulate strength. And if they hadn’t accumulated strength, if they hadn’t pacified the Horde, if they hadn’t stopped the Livonian invasion, where would Russia be? She wouldn't exist."

According to Metropolitan Kirill, following Gumilyov, Alexander Nevsky was the creator of that multinational and multi-confessional "Russian world" that exists to this day. It was he who "tore the Golden Horde from the Great Steppe"*. With his cunning political move, he “convinced Batu not to pay tribute to the Mongols. And the Great Steppe, this center of aggression against the whole world, was isolated from Russia by the Golden Horde, which began to be drawn into the area of ​​Russian civilization. These are the first inoculations of our alliance with the Tatar people, with the Mongolian tribes. These are the first inoculations of our multinationality and multi-religiousness. This is where it all started. He laid the foundation for such a world existence of our people, which determined the further development of Russia as Russia, as a great state.

Alexander Nevsky, according to Metropolitan Kirill, is a collective image: he is a ruler, a thinker, a philosopher, a strategist, a warrior, a hero. Personal courage is combined in him with deep religiosity: “At a critical moment, when the power and strength of the commander should be shown, he enters into single combat and strikes Birger in the face with a spear ... And how did it all start? I prayed at Hagia Sophia in Novgorod. Nightmare, hordes many times greater. What kind of resistance? He goes out and addresses his people. With what words? God is not in power, but in truth... Can you imagine what words? What strength!

Metropolitan Kirill calls Alexander Nevsky "an epic hero": "He was 20 years old when he defeated the Swedes, 22 years old when he drowned the Livonians on Lake Peipsi ... A young, handsome guy! .. Brave ... strong". Even his appearance is the "face of Russia." But the most important thing is that, being a politician, strategist, commander, Alexander Nevsky became a saint. “My God! Metropolitan Kirill exclaims. – If there were holy rulers in Russia after Alexander Nevsky, what would our history be like! This is a collective image as much as a collective image can be at all ... This is our hope, because even today we need what Alexander Nevsky did ... We will give our not only voices, but also our hearts to the holy noble Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky - the savior and organizer of Russia !"

(From the book of Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) "Patriarch Kirill: life and outlook")

Answers of Vladyka Metropolitan Kirill to the questions of the audience of the project "Name of Russia" about Alexander Nevsky

Wikipedia calls Alexander Nevsky "the beloved prince of the clergy." Do you share this assessment and, if so, what is the reason for it? Semyon Borzenko

Dear Semyon, it’s hard for me to say what exactly the authors of the free encyclopedia Wikipedia were guided by when they named St. Alexander Nevsky. It is possible that the prince was canonized and revered in the Orthodox Church, solemn services are performed in his honor. However, other holy princes are also revered by the Church, for example, Dimitry Donskoy and Daniel of Moscow, and it would be wrong to single out the “beloved” from among them. I believe that such a naming could also be adopted by the prince because during his lifetime he favored the Church and patronized it.

Unfortunately, the rhythm of my life and the amount of work allow me to use the Internet exclusively for official purposes. I regularly visit, say, information sites, but I have absolutely no time left to look at those sites that would be personally interesting to me. Therefore, I could not take part in the voting on the site "Name of Russia", but supported Alexander Nevsky by voting by phone.

The descendants of Rurik defeated (1241), fighting for power in civil wars participated, betrayed his own brother to the pagans (1252), scratched out the eyes of the Novgorodians with his own hand (1257). Is the ROC ready to canonize Satan in order to maintain the schism of the churches? Ivan Nezabudko

Speaking about certain acts of Alexander Nevsky, it is necessary to take into account many different factors. This is also the historical era in which St. Alexander - then many actions that today seem strange to us were completely commonplace. This is the political situation in the state - remember that at that time the country was under a serious threat from the Tatar-Mongols, and St. Alexander did everything possible to reduce this threat to a minimum. As for the facts you cite from the life of St. Alexander Nevsky, historians still cannot confirm or refute many of them, and even more so - give them an unambiguous assessment.

For example, in the relationship between Alexander Nevsky and his brother Prince Andrei, there are many ambiguities. There is a point of view according to which Alexander complained to the khan about his brother and asked to send an armed detachment in order to deal with him. However, this fact is not mentioned in any ancient source. The first time this was reported only by V.N. Tatishchev in his “Russian History”, and there is every reason to believe that the author here was carried away by historical reconstruction - he “thought out” something that actually did not exist. N.M. Karamzin, in particular, thought so: “According to the invention of Tatishchev, Alexander informed the Khan that his younger brother Andrei, having appropriated the Great Reign, was deceiving the Moghuls, giving them only part of the tribute, and so on.” (Karamzin N.M. History of the Russian state. M., 1992.V.4. S. 201. Note 88).

Many historians today tend to adhere to a different point of view than Tatishchev. Andrew, as you know, pursued a policy independent of Batu, while relying on the khan's rivals. As soon as Batu took power into his own hands, he immediately dealt with his opponents, sending detachments not only to Andrei Yaroslavich, but also to Daniil Romanovich.

I am not aware of a single fact that could at least indirectly testify that the veneration of St. Alexander Nevsky is a reason for a church schism. In 1547, the noble prince was canonized, and his memory is sacredly honored not only in Russia, but also in many other Local Orthodox Churches.

Finally, let's not forget that when deciding to canonize a person, the Church takes into account such factors as prayerful veneration by the people and miracles performed through these prayers. Both that, and another in set took place and takes place in connection with Alexander Nevsky. As for the mistakes made by such a person in life, or even his sins, it must be remembered that "there is no person who will live and not sin." Sins are expiated by repentance and sorrows. Both that and especially the other were present in the life of the right-believing prince, as was present in the life of such sinners who became saints, such as Mary of Egypt, Moses Murin and many others.

I am sure that if you carefully and thoughtfully read the life of St. Alexander Nevsky, you will understand why he was canonized as a saint.

How does the Russian Orthodox Church feel about the fact that Prince Alexander Nevsky handed over his brother Andrei to the Tatars for reprisal and threatened his son Vasily with war? Or is it just as consistent with the canons as the consecration of warheads? Alexey Karakovsky

Alexey, in the first part, your question echoes the question of Ivan Nezabudko. As for the "consecration of warheads", I do not know of any such case. The Church has always blessed its children for the defense of the Fatherland, guided by the commandment of the Savior. It is for these reasons that the rite of consecrating weapons has existed since ancient times. At every Liturgy we pray for the militia of our country, realizing how heavy a responsibility lies with the people who, with weapons in their hands, stand guard over the security of the Fatherland.

Isn't it so, Vladyka, that by choosing Nevsky Alexander Yaroslavich we will choose a myth, a film image, a legend?

I'm sure not. Alexander Nevsky is a very specific historical figure, a person who did a lot for our Fatherland and laid the foundations for the very existence of Russia for a long time. Historical sources allow us to know quite definitely about his life and work. Of course, during the time that has elapsed since the day of the death of the saint, people's rumors have introduced a certain element of legend into his image, which once again testifies to the deep reverence that the Russian people have always paid to the prince, but I am convinced that this shade of the legend cannot serve as an obstacle to so that today we perceive St. Alexander as a real historical character.

Dear Vladyka. What, in your opinion, are the qualities of the Russian hero of the holy faithful Alexander Nevsky that the current Russian government could pay attention to, and, if possible, adopt them? What principles of government are relevant to this day? Viktor Zorin

Victor, Saint Alexander Nevsky belongs not only to his time. His image is relevant for Russia today, in the 21st century. The most important quality, which, it seems to me, should be inherent in power at all times, is boundless love for the Fatherland and its people. All the political activity of Alexander Nevsky was determined precisely by this strong and sublime feeling.

Dear Vladyka, answer whether Alexander Nevsky is close to the souls of the people of today's modern Russia, and not only Ancient Russia. Especially nations professing Islam, not Orthodoxy? Sergei Krainov

Sergei, I am sure that the image of St. Alexander Nevsky is close to Russia at all times. Despite the fact that the prince lived several centuries ago, his life and his activities are relevant to us today. Do such qualities as love for the Motherland, for God, for one's neighbor, as the readiness to lay down one's life for the sake of peace and the well-being of the Fatherland, really have a statute of limitations? Can they be inherent only to the Orthodox and be alien to Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, who have long been living peacefully, side by side in multinational and multi-confessional Russia - a country that has never known wars on religious grounds?

As for the Muslims themselves, I will give you just one example that speaks for itself - in the program “The Name of Russia”, shown on November 9, there was an interview with a Muslim leader who spoke in support of Alexander Nevsky because it was the holy prince who laid the foundations of the dialogue East and West, Christianity and Islam. The name of Alexander Nevsky is equally dear to all people living in our country, regardless of their national or religious affiliation.

Why did you decide to take part in the "Name of Russia" project and act as Alexander Nevsky's "lawyer"? In your opinion, why do most people today choose the name of Russia not as a politician, scientist or cultural figure, but as a saint? Vika Ostroverkhova

Vika, several circumstances prompted me to participate in the project as a “defender” of Alexander Nevsky.

Firstly, I am convinced that it is Saint Alexander Nevsky who should become the name of Russia. In my speeches, I repeatedly argued my position. Who, if not a saint, can and should be called "the name of Russia"? Holiness is a concept that has no time limits, extending into eternity. If our people choose a saint as their national hero, this testifies to the spiritual revival that is taking place in the minds of people. This is especially important today.

Secondly, this saint is very close to me. My childhood and youth were spent in St. Petersburg, where the relics of St. Alexander Nevsky rest. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to often resort to this shrine, to pray to the holy prince at his resting place. While studying at the Leningrad theological schools, which are located in close proximity to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, all of us, then students, clearly felt the grace-filled help that Alexander Nevsky provided to those who, with faith and hope, called him in their prayers. At the relics of the holy prince, I received ordination to all degrees of the priesthood. Therefore, deeply personal experiences are connected with the name of Alexander Nevsky.

Dear Lord! The project is called "The Name of Russia". For the first time, the word Russia sounded almost 300 years after the dormition of the prince! Under Ivan the Terrible. And Alexander Yaroslavich just reigned in one of the fragments of Kievan Rus - an upgraded version of Great Scythia. So what does St. Alexander Nevsky have to do with Russia?

The most immediate. Your question touches on a fundamentally important topic. Who do we think we are today? The heirs of what culture? The bearers of what civilization? From what point in history should we count our being? Really only since the reign of Ivan the Terrible? Much depends on the answer to these questions. We have no right to be Ivans who do not remember our kinship. The history of Russia begins long before Ivan the Terrible, and it is enough to open a school history textbook in order to be convinced of this.

Please tell us about the posthumous miracles of Alexander Nevsky from the moment of his death to the present day. Anisina Natalia

Natalia, there are a great many such miracles. You can read more about them in the life of the saint, as well as in many books dedicated to Alexander Nevsky. Moreover, I am sure that every person who sincerely, with deep faith called in prayers to the holy prince, had his own little miracle in his life.

Dear Vladyka! Is the ROC considering the issue of canonization of other Princes, such as Ivan IV the Terrible and I.V. Stalin? After all, they were autocrats who increased the power of the state. Alexey Pechkin

Alexei, many princes besides Alexander Nevsky are canonized as saints. When deciding on the canonization of a person, the Church takes into account many factors, and achievements in the political field do not play a decisive role here. The Russian Orthodox Church does not consider the canonization of Ivan the Terrible or Stalin, who, although they did a lot for the state, did not show in their lives qualities that could testify to their holiness.

Prayer to the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky

(to schema-monk Alexy)

A speedy helper to all those who zealously resort to you, and our warm intercessor before the Lord, holy noble Grand Duke Alexander! look graciously upon us, unworthy, who have created many iniquities unnecessarily for yourself, now flowing to your relics and crying out from the depths of your soul: you were a zealot and defender of the Orthodox faith in your life, and we are unshakably affirmed in it with your warm prayers to God. You carefully passed the great service entrusted to you, and with your help to stay every time, in what you are called to eat, instruct. You, having defeated the regiments of adversaries, drove you away from the limits of the Russian verse, and overthrow all the visible and invisible enemies who are taking up arms against us. You, having left the perishable crown of the kingdom of the earth, have chosen a silent life, and now, righteously crowned with an incorruptible crown, reigning in heaven, intercede for us, we humbly pray to you, a quiet and serene life, and to the eternal Kingdom of God, a steady march, build us. Standing with all the saints on the throne of God, praying for all Orthodox Christians, may the Lord God save them with His grace in peace, health, long life and all prosperity in the coming years, may we praise and bless God, in the Trinity of the Holy Glory, the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.

Troparion, Tone 4:
Recognize your brethren, Russian Joseph, not in Egypt, but reigning in heaven, faithful to Prince Alexandra, and accept their prayers, multiplying the life of people with the fruitfulness of your land, protecting the cities of your dominion with prayer, fighting with Orthodox people against resisting.

Ying troparion, Voice of the same:
Like a pious root, the most honorable branch was thou, blessed Alexandra, for Christ, as a kind of Divine treasure of the Russian land, the new miracle worker is glorious and God-pleasing. And today, having come down in your memory with faith and love, in psalms and singing, we rejoice in glorifying the Lord, who has given you the grace of healing. Pray him to save this city, and to our God-pleasing country, and to be saved by the sons of Russia.

Kontakion, Tone 8:
We honor the brightest star, which shone from the east and came to the west, enriching this whole country with miracles and kindness, and enlighten those who honor your memory with faith, blessed Alexandra. For this reason, today we are celebrating yours, your people, pray to save your Fatherland, and all those who flow to the race of your relics, and rightly crying out to you: Rejoice, affirmation of our city.

In kontakion, Tone 4:
It’s like your relatives, Boris and Gleb, appearing to help you from Heaven, who is ascetic to Veilger Svejsky and howling him: so are you now, blessed Alexandra, come to the aid of your relatives, and overcome us who fight.

Icons of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky

Alexander Nevsky (born May 30, 1220, died November 14, 1263) is a saint, the Grand Duke of Vladimir, who became famous for his glorious victories over the enemies of Russia. Son of Grand Duke Yaroslav Vsevolodovich and Feodosia, daughter Mstislav Udaly. Alexander spent his youth in Novgorod, where he reigned with his brother Fedor (d. 1233), under the leadership of two Suzdal boyars, and from 1236 on his own. In 1239 he married Alexandra, daughter of Bryachislav of Polotsk.

In 1240, the Swedes, who disputed Finland with the Novgorodians, moved, prompted by the papal bull on a crusade, led by Birger, to Novgorod, but Alexander defeated them at the confluence of the Izhora into the Neva (Birger "put a seal on his face with your sharp copy"). This battle gave Alexander the name of Nevsky (see - Neva Battle).

In the same year, he quarreled with the Novgorodians, who limited his power, and left for Pereyaslavl. But a war arose with the Sword-bearers, who united with the Teutonic Order, conquered the Pskov region in 1240, occupied Pskov in 1241, built a fortress in Koporye, took Tesov and imposed tribute on Vod. The Germans began to rob merchants 30 miles from Novgorod. The Novgorodians sent the lord with the boyars to Alexander; he returned, in 1241 he conquered Koporye, in 1242 - Pskov, moved to Livonia and on April 5, 1242 utterly defeated the Germans on the ice of Lake Peipus (""). According to the concluded peace, the Germans abandoned the conquests and returned the prisoners.

Battle on the Ice of Alexander Nevsky. Painting by V. Nazaruk, 1984

In 1242 and 1245 Alexander Nevsky won a number of victories over the Lithuanians; in 1256, to intimidate the Swedes, he devastated Yem (Finland).

After the death of his father, Alexander and his brother Andrei went in 1247 to the horde to Batu, and from there, by the will of the latter, to the great khan in Mongolia. Andrei received the first important Vladimir table, Alexander - Kyiv and Novgorod. Andrei did not get along with the Tatars; in 1252, the Tatar hordes of Nevruy were moved against him. Broken Andrei fled to Novgorod, and then to Sweden. At this time, Alexander was in the Horde and received a label on Vladimir.

The struggle of Alexander Nevsky with the Swedes and Germans

Sitting there, Alexander Nevsky prevented the emergence of uprisings that were useless under the then conditions and tried to deliver benefits to the Russian land by obedience to the khan. In Novgorod, Alexander planted his son, Vasily. In 1255, the Novgorodians expelled him, inviting Yaroslav Yaroslavich of Tver to reign. But Alexander moved to Novgorod and restored Basil. In 1257, unrest resumed in Novgorod, caused by rumors about the intention of the Tatars to conduct a census to tax the inhabitants with a general tribute. Vasily was on the side of the Novgorodians, but Alexander sent him to Suzdal and severely punished his advisers.

In 1258, Alexander Nevsky traveled to the Horde to “honor” the influential dignitary Ulovchai, and in 1259 prompted the Novgorodians to agree to a Tatar census. In 1262, an uprising arose in Suzdal, Vladimir, Rostov, Pereyaslavl and Yaroslavl, caused by the Tatars - tax-farmers. Alexander again went to the Horde, averted the pogrom of Russian cities and secured for them an exemption from compiling militias for the Tatars.

Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky short biography for children

Alexander Yaroslavovich Nevsky, briefly, the son of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich and the grandson of Vsevolod the Big Nest, was born in May 1221. He received his nickname "Nevsky" for the victory on the Neva River. After the death of his brother Fedor, Alexander becomes the eldest son of Yaroslav and the main heir to his possessions. In 1236, Yaroslav goes to reign in Kyiv, and leaves Alexander on the throne in Novgorod.

During his leadership of the Novgorod lands, there was an active construction of fortresses in the South-West along the Shelon River to protect against the Lithuanians. His foreign policy was built in two main directions: the stabilization of relations with the Golden Horde and the strengthening of the western borders. And if Novgorod practically did not suffer from the Mongol-Tatar invasion, since the main hostilities took place south of the Novgorod lands, then a real threat was approaching from the west. The situation in the west was very tense. The permanent territorial conflict with neighbors led to regular ruins of the Pskov-Novgorod lands.

Pope Gregory IX proclaimed twice in five years crusade against the Finns, and in 1238 the Livonian Order, in alliance with the Danes and Swedes, with the support of the papal curia, began military operations against the Novgorod principality. Here, historians highlight several particularly important battles in which Alexander himself participated. It is worth paying attention to the military battle in July 1240 at the mouth of the Izhora River against the Danish conquerors.

Alexander acts decisively, and without waiting for reinforcements from the allied principalities, he goes to meet the enemy, as a result of this meeting, the Novgorod squad completely defeated the Danish army. In August, when the invasion began from the southwest, Alexander was in Pereyaslavl Zalessky, because due to internal turmoil Novgorodians expelled him from the city. He again assumes office and begins military operations against the conquerors, when, as a result of the military campaign of the Livonian Order with allies, Novgorod was under the threat of invasion and the boyars turned to Yaroslav for help.

In 1242, he managed to recapture Pskov, and in April of the same year, a decisive battle took place on Lake Peipsi. According to legend, Alexander's squad won and drove the German knights onto the ice of Lake Peipsi, where the ice could not stand it, and most of the fugitives went under the ice. The Lithuanian army was finally defeated only in 1245 in the area of ​​Lake Zhizhitskoe. According to the results of the peace, Alexander Nevsky returned all his pre-war possessions and received part of Latgale. After the death in 1246 of Father Yaroslav, Prince of Vladimir, the issue of assigning a label to the reign of Vladimir was decided. Batu Khan intended to give the throne of Vladimir to Alexander, but according to Yaroslav's will, his brother Andrei stands at the head of the Vladimir principality, and Novgorod is assigned to Alexander.

In 1251, Prince Andrei acts as an army in alliance with his brother Yaroslav against the Tatars invading their territory, but loses the battle and flees from Vladimir. This is the first historically recorded open opposition to the Golden Horde. After Andrei's military failure, in 1252 the label for the great reign of Vladimir was given to Alexander. Alexander stood at the head of the Vladimir principality, and left his eldest son Vasily in Novgorod. This provoked aggression western neighbors. Military clashes with the Lithuanians, Swedes, and the Teutons begin again. Novgorod, led by Vasily Aleksandrovich, successfully repels the enemy. In 1256, at the request of the Novgorodians, Alexander personally led a squad to defend the Novgorod lands.

In 1257, after the disruption of the Golden Horde census by Novgorod, Alexander sent Vasily to Suzdal, and here he left his second son, seven-year-old Dmitry, on the throne. In short, Alexander Nevsky, during his reign in Novgorod, and then in Vladimir, in his spring policy, adhered to the norms of the Tatar-Mongol yoke and stabilized the situation in the east, and followed a strict policy of respecting the territorial borders of the Russian principalities in the west. His foresight, ability to adapt to the existing political conditions, and at the same time, determination and courage in defending his vital interests allowed the Russian lands to recover from the long Tatar defeats and gain strength before the decisive battle for independence.

Such a sea exists in a country known to mankind since ancient times. This is the famous Dead Sea of ​​Palestine. Its waters are unusually salty, so much so that not a single living creature can live in them. The hot, rainless climate of Palestine causes a strong evaporation of water from the surface of the sea. But only pure water evaporates, while dissolved salts remain in the sea and increase the salinity of the water. That is why the water of the Dead Sea does not contain 2 or 3 percent salt (by weight), like most seas and oceans, but 27 percent or more; salinity increases with depth. So, the fourth part of the contents of the Dead Sea are salts dissolved in its water. The total amount of salts in it is estimated at 40 million tons.

The high salinity of the Dead Sea determines one of its features: the water of this sea is much heavier than ordinary sea water. It is impossible to drown in such a heavy liquid: the human body is lighter than it.

The weight of our body is noticeably less than the weight of an equal volume of thickly salty water and, therefore, according to the law of swimming, a person cannot drown in the Dead Sea; it floats in it, as a chicken egg floats in salt water (which sinks in fresh water)

The humorist Mark Twain, who visited this lake-sea, describes with comical thoroughness the extraordinary sensations that he and his companions experienced while swimming in heavy waters of the Dead seas:

“It was a fun swim! We couldn't drown. Here you can stretch out on the water at full length, lying on your back and folding your arms over your chest, with most of the body remaining above the water. At the same time, you can completely raise your head ... You can lie very comfortably on your back, raising your knees to your chin and clasping them with your hands - but you will soon turn over, as your head outweighs. You can stand on your head - and from the middle of the chest to the end of the legs you will remain out of the water, but you will not be able to maintain this position for a long time. You cannot swim on your back, moving any noticeably, because your legs stick out of the water and you have to push off only with your heels. If you are swimming face down, then you are not moving forward, but backward. The horse is so unstable that it can neither swim nor stand in the Dead Sea - it immediately lies on its side.

In the drawing you see a man quite comfortably positioned on the surface of the Dead Sea; the large specific gravity of the water allows him to read a book in this position, protecting himself with an umbrella from the burning rays of the sun.

A man on the surface of the Dead Sea (from a photograph).

The water of Kara-Bogaz-Gol (the bay of the Caspian Sea and the no less salty water of Lake Elton, containing 27% salts) has the same extraordinary properties.

Something of this kind is experienced by those patients who take salt baths. If the salinity of the water is very high, as, for example, in Starorussky mineral waters, then the patient has to make a lot of efforts to stay at the bottom of the bath. I heard a woman treated in Staraya Russa complain indignantly that the water "positively pushed her out of the bath." It seems that she was inclined to blame not the law of Archimedes, but the administration of the resort ...

The degree of salinity of water in different seas varies somewhat, and, accordingly, ships do not sit equally deep in sea water. Perhaps some of the readers happened to see on board the ship near the waterline the so-called "Lloyd's mark" - a sign showing the level of limiting waterlines in water of various densities. For example, the load line shown in the following figure indicates the level of the limiting waterline:

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Load line on board the ship. Brand designations are made at the waterline level. For clarity, they are also shown separately in an enlarged form. The meaning of the letters is explained in the text.

In our country, these stamps have been introduced as mandatory since 1909.

Let us note in conclusion that there is a variety of water, which, even in its pure form, without any impurities, is noticeably heavier than ordinary water; its specific gravity is 1.1, i.e., 10% more than ordinary; consequently, in a pool of such water, a person who could not even swim could hardly drown. Such water was called "heavy" water; its chemical formula is D 2 O (the hydrogen in its composition consists of atoms, twice as heavy as ordinary hydrogen atoms, and is denoted by the letter D). "Heavy" water is dissolved in a small amount in ordinary water: in a bucket drinking water it contains about 8 g.