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Battle on the Ice, artist V.A. Serov (1865-19110

When did the event take place? : April 5, 1242

Where did the event take place? : Lake Peipsi (near Pskov)

Participants:

The army of the Novgorod Republic and the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality under the leadership of Alexander Nevsky and Andrei Yaroslavich

Livonian Order, Denmark. Commander - Andres von Velven

Causes

Livonian Order:

Capture of Russian territories in the northwest

Spread of Catholicism

Russian troops:

Defense of the northwestern borders from German knights

Prevention of subsequent threats of attack on Rus' by the Livonian Order

Defending access to the Baltic Sea, trade opportunities with Europe

Defense of the Orthodox Faith

Move

In 1240, Livonian knights captured Pskov and Koporye

In 1241, Alexander Nevsky recaptured Koporye.

At the beginning of 1242, Nevsky and his brother Andrei Yaroslavich of Suzdal took Pskov.

The knights were lined up in a battle wedge: heavy knights on the flanks, and light knights in the center. In Russian chronicles, this formation was called the “great pig.”

First, the knights attacked the center of the Russian troops, thinking to surround them from the flanks. However, they themselves found themselves caught in pincers. Moreover, Alexander brought in an ambush regiment.

The knights began to be pushed towards the lake, where the ice was no longer strong. Most of the knights drowned. Only a few managed to escape.

Results

The threat of capture of the northwestern lands has been eliminated

Trade ties with Europe were preserved, Rus' defended access to the Baltic Sea.

According to the agreement, the knights left all conquered lands and returned prisoners. The Russians also returned all the prisoners.

Western raids on Rus' ceased for a long time.

Meaning

The defeat of the German knights is a bright page in the history of Rus'.

For the first time, Russian foot soldiers were able to defeat heavily armed cavalry.

The significance of the battle is also great in the sense that the victory took place during the period of the Mongol-Tatar yoke. In case of defeat, it would be much more difficult for Rus' to get rid of double oppression.

The Orthodox faith was protected, since the crusaders wanted to actively introduce Catholicism in Rus'. But it was Orthodoxy during the period of fragmentation and yoke that was the connecting link that united the people in the fight against the enemy.

During the Battle of the Ice and the Battle of the Neva, military leadership talent was revealed young Alexander Nevsky. He used proven tactics:

before the battle inflicted whole line successive blows to the enemy and only then the decisive battle took place.

used the surprise factor

successfully and on time introduced an ambush regiment into battle

the disposition of the Russian troops was more flexible than the clumsy “pig” of the knights.

skillful use of terrain features: Alexander deprived the enemy of freedom of space, while he himself used the terrain to deliver a strong blow to the enemy.

This is interesting

April 18 (according to the old style - April 5) is the Day military glory Russia. The holiday was established in 1995.

Material prepared by: Melnikova Vera Aleksandrovna

Monument to the squads of Alexander Nevsky on Mount Sokolikha in Pskov

Battle on the Ice, artist Matorin V.

Battle on the Ice, artist Nazaruk V.M., 1982

Alexander Nevskiy. Battle on the Ice, artist Kostylev A., 2005

As a rule, they are associated with an attempt to expand Christianity into the Middle East, and the fight against Muslims, but this interpretation is not entirely correct.

When the episode crusades began to gain momentum, the papacy, which was their main initiator, realized that these campaigns could serve Rome to achieve political goals not only in the fight against Islam. This is how the multi-vector nature of the crusades began to take shape. Expanding their geography, the crusaders turned their gaze to the north and northeast.

By that time at the borders of Eastern Europe A fairly strong stronghold of Catholicism was formed in the person of the Livonian Order, which was the product of the merger of two German spiritual Catholic orders - the Teutonic and the Order of the Sword.

Generally speaking, the prerequisites for the advance of German knights to the east existed for a long time. Back in the 12th century, they began to seize Slavic lands beyond the Oder. Also within their sphere of interests was the Baltic region, inhabited by Estonians and Karelians, who at that time were pagans.

The first germs of the conflict between the Slavs and the Germans took place already in 1210, when the knights invaded the territory of modern Estonia, entering into a struggle with the Novgorod and Pskov principalities for influence in this region. The retaliatory measures of the principalities did not lead the Slavs to success. Moreover, the contradictions in their camp led to a split and a complete lack of interaction.

The German knights, the backbone of which were the Teutons, on the contrary, managed to gain a foothold in the occupied territories and began to consolidate their efforts. In 1236, the Order of the Sword and Teutonic united into the Livonian, and already in next year authorized new campaigns against Finland. In 1238, the Danish king and the head of the order agreed on joint actions against Rus'. The moment was chosen most appropriately, because by that time the Russian lands had been drained of blood Mongol invasion.

The Swedes also took advantage of this and decided to capture Novgorod in 1240. Having landed, they met resistance in the person of Prince Alexander Yaroslavich, who managed to defeat the interventionists and it was after this victory that he began to be called Alexander Nevsky. The Battle of Lake Peipus was next important milestone in the biography of this prince.

However, before this, there was a fierce struggle between Russia and the German orders for two more years, which brought success to the latter; in particular, Pskov was captured, and Novgorod was also under threat. It was under these conditions that the Battle of Lake Peipus took place, or, as it is commonly called, the Battle of the Ice.

The battle was preceded by the liberation of Pskov by Nevsky. Having learned that the main enemy units were heading towards the Russian forces, the prince blocked the path to the lake.

The Battle of Lake Peipus took place on April 5, 1242. The knightly forces managed to break through the center of the Russian defense and ran into the shore. Attacks from the flank by the Russians took the enemy in a vice and decided the outcome of the battle. This is exactly how the battle on Nevsky ended and reached the peak of its glory. He remained in history forever.

Battle of Lake Peipsi for a long time was considered almost turning point in the entire struggle of Rus' against the crusaders, however modern tendencies question such an analysis of events, which is more typical of Soviet historiography.

Some authors note that after this massacre the war became protracted, but the threat from the knights remained still tangible. In addition, even the role of Alexander Nevsky himself, whose successes in the Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice raised him to unprecedented heights, is disputed by historians such as Fenell, Danilevsky and Smirnov. The Battle of Lake Peipus and, according to these researchers, are embellished, however, as is the threat from the crusaders.

Battle on the Ice, artist V.A. Serov (1865-19110

When did the event take place? : April 5, 1242

Where did the event take place? : Lake Peipsi (near Pskov)

Participants:

The army of the Novgorod Republic and the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality under the leadership of Alexander Nevsky and Andrei Yaroslavich

Livonian Order, Denmark. Commander - Andres von Velven

Causes

Livonian Order:

Capture of Russian territories in the northwest

Spread of Catholicism

Russian troops:

Defense of the northwestern borders from German knights

Prevention of subsequent threats of attack on Rus' by the Livonian Order

Defending access to the Baltic Sea, trade opportunities with Europe

Defense of the Orthodox Faith

Move

In 1240, Livonian knights captured Pskov and Koporye

In 1241, Alexander Nevsky recaptured Koporye.

At the beginning of 1242, Nevsky and his brother Andrei Yaroslavich of Suzdal took Pskov.

The knights were lined up in a battle wedge: heavy knights on the flanks, and light knights in the center. In Russian chronicles, this formation was called the “great pig.”

First, the knights attacked the center of the Russian troops, thinking to surround them from the flanks. However, they themselves found themselves caught in pincers. Moreover, Alexander brought in an ambush regiment.

The knights began to be pushed towards the lake, where the ice was no longer strong. Most of the knights drowned. Only a few managed to escape.

Results

The threat of capture of the northwestern lands has been eliminated

Trade ties with Europe were preserved, Rus' defended access to the Baltic Sea.

According to the agreement, the knights left all conquered lands and returned prisoners. The Russians also returned all the prisoners.

Western raids on Rus' ceased for a long time.

Meaning

The defeat of the German knights is a bright page in the history of Rus'.

For the first time, Russian foot soldiers were able to defeat heavily armed cavalry.

The significance of the battle is also great in the sense that the victory took place during the period of the Mongol-Tatar yoke. In case of defeat, it would be much more difficult for Rus' to get rid of double oppression.

The Orthodox faith was protected, since the crusaders wanted to actively introduce Catholicism in Rus'. But it was Orthodoxy during the period of fragmentation and yoke that was the connecting link that united the people in the fight against the enemy.

During the Battle of the Ice and the Battle of the Neva, the military leadership talent of the young Alexander Nevsky was revealed. He used proven tactics:

Before the battle, he inflicted a number of successive blows on the enemy, and only then did the decisive battle take place.

used the surprise factor

successfully and on time introduced an ambush regiment into battle

the disposition of the Russian troops was more flexible than the clumsy “pig” of the knights.

skillful use of terrain features: Alexander deprived the enemy of freedom of space, while he himself used the terrain to deliver a strong blow to the enemy.

This is interesting

April 18 (old style - April 5) is the Day of Military Glory of Russia. The holiday was established in 1995.

Material prepared by: Melnikova Vera Aleksandrovna

Monument to the squads of Alexander Nevsky on Mount Sokolikha in Pskov

Battle on the Ice, artist Matorin V.

Battle on the Ice, artist Nazaruk V.M., 1982

Alexander Nevskiy. Battle on the Ice, artist Kostylev A., 2005

Battle on the Ice(German) SchlachtaufdemEise), Also Battle of Lake Peipsi(German) SchlachtaufdemPeipussee) - the battle that took place on April 5 (in terms of Gregorian calendar (A new style) - April 12) 1242 (Saturday) between the Novgorodians and Vladimirites under the leadership of Alexander Nevsky and the knights of the Livonian Order, which by that time included the Order of the Sword Bearers (after the defeat at Saul in 1236), on the ice of Lake Peipsi. The general battle of the Order's unsuccessful conquest campaign of 1240-1242.

Preparing for war

The war began with the campaign of Bishop Herman, the Master of the Teutonic Order and their allies to Rus'. As the Rhymed Chronicle reports, during the capture of Izborsk, “not a single Russian was allowed to escape unharmed,” and “a great cry began everywhere in that land.” Pskov was captured without a fight, a small garrison remained in it, most of the troops returned. Arriving in Novgorod in 1241, Alexander found Pskov and Koporye in the hands of the Order and immediately began retaliatory actions. Alexander Nevsky marched on Koporye, took it by storm and killed it most garrison. Some of the knights and mercenaries from the local population were captured, but released, and the traitors from among the Chud were executed.

By the beginning of 1242, Alexander waited for his brother Andrei Yaroslavich with the “grassroots” troops of the Suzdal principality. When the “grassroots” army was still on the way, Alexander and the Novgorod forces advanced to Pskov. The city was surrounded by it. The Order did not have time to quickly gather reinforcements and send them to the besieged. Pskov was taken, the garrison was killed, and the order's governors (2 brother knights) were sent in chains to Novgorod. According to the Novgorod First Chronicle of the older edition (came down to us as part of the parchment Synodal list of the 14th century, containing records of the events of 1016-1272 and 1299-1333) “In the summer of 6750 (1242/1243). Prince Oleksandr went with the people of Novgorod and with his brother Andrey and with the Nizov people to the Chyud land to Nemtsi and Chyud and Zaya all the way to Plskov; and the prince of Plskov expelled, seized Nemtsi and Chud, and bound them to Novgorod, and he himself went to Chud.”

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

The same chronicle says that “And as if there were on earth (Chudi), let the entire regiment prosper; and Domash Tverdislavichy Kerbet was in the crackdown, and I found Nemtsi and Chud at the bridge and fought that one; and killed that Domash, the brother of the mayor, an honest husband, and beat him with him, and took him away with his hands, and ran to the prince in the regiment; the prince turned back to the lake"

Position of Novgorod

The troops that opposed the knights on the ice of Lake Peipus had a heterogeneous composition, but a single command in the person of Alexander.

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

In general, the army fielded by Novgorod and the “lower” lands was a fairly powerful force, distinguished by high fighting spirit. The total number of the Russian army was 15-17 thousand people, similar numbers were indicated by Henry of Latvia when describing Russian campaigns in the Baltic states in the 1210-1220s.

Position of the Order

According to the Livonian chronicle, for the campaign it was necessary to gather “many brave heroes, brave and excellent,” led by the master, plus Danish vassals “with a significant detachment.” Militia from Dorpat also took part in the battle. The latter included a large number of Estonians, but there were few knights. The Livonian rhymed chronicle reports that at the moment the knights were surrounded by the Russian squad, “the Russians had such an army that perhaps sixty people attacked each German”; even if the number “sixty” is a strong exaggeration, the numerical superiority of the Russians over the Germans most likely actually occurred. The number of troops of the Order in the Battle of Lake Peipsi is estimated at 10-12 thousand people.

The question of who commanded the Order’s troops in the battle is also unresolved. Given the heterogeneous composition of the troops, it is possible that there were several commanders. Despite the recognition of the Order's defeat, Livonian sources do not contain information that any of the Order leaders were killed or captured

Battle

The opposing armies met on the morning of April 5, 1242. The details of the battle are poorly known, and much can only be guessed at. The German column, which was pursuing the retreating Russian detachments, apparently received some information from the patrols sent forward, and had already entered the ice of Lake Peipsi in battle formation, with bollards in front, followed by a disorganized column of “chudins”, followed by a line knights and sergeants of the Bishop of Dorpat. Apparently, even before the collision with the Russian troops, a small gap had formed between the head of the column and the Chud.

The Rhymed Chronicle describes the moment the battle began as follows:

Apparently, the archers did not inflict serious losses. Having fired at the Germans, the archers had no other choice but to retreat to the flanks of a large regiment. However, as the chronicle continues,

In Russian chronicles it is depicted as follows:

Then the troops of the Teutonic Order were surrounded by the Russians and destroyed, other German troops retreated to avoid the same fate:

There is a persistent myth, reflected in cinema, that the ice of Lake Peipus could not withstand the weight of the armor of the Teutonic Knights and cracked, as a result of which most of the knights simply drowned. Meanwhile, if the battle really took place on the ice of the lake, then it was more advantageous for the Order, since the flat surface made it possible to maintain formation during a massive cavalry attack, which the sources describe. The weight of the full armor of the Russian warrior and the order knight of that time were approximately comparable to each other, and the Russian cavalry could not gain an advantage due to lighter equipment.

Losses

The issue of the losses of the parties in the battle is controversial. The Russian losses are spoken of vaguely: “many brave warriors fell." Apparently, the losses of the Novgorodians were really heavy. The losses of the “Germans” are indicated by specific figures, which cause controversy. Russian chronicles say: “and Pade Chudi was beschisla, and NI had 400, and with 50 hands I arrived and brought it to Novgorod".

The Rhymed Chronicle specifically says that twenty knights were killed and six were captured. The discrepancy in assessments can be explained by the fact that the Chronicle refers only to “brothers”-knights, without taking into account their squads; in this case, out of 400 Germans who fell on the ice of Lake Peipsi, twenty were real “brothers”-knights, and from 50 prisoners were “brothers” 6.

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

Consequences

According to the traditional point of view in Russian historiography, this battle, together with the victories of Prince Alexander over the Swedes (July 15, 1240 on the Neva) and over the Lithuanians (in 1245 near Toropets, near Lake Zhitsa and near Usvyat), had great importance for Pskov and Novgorod, holding back the pressure of three serious enemies from the west - at the very time when the rest of Rus' was greatly weakened by the Mongol invasion. In Novgorod, the Battle of the Ice, together with the Neva victory over the Swedes, was remembered in litanies in all Novgorod churches back in the 16th century.

English researcher J. Funnel believes that the meaning Battle on the Ice(and the Battle of the Neva) is greatly exaggerated: “Alexander did only what numerous defenders of Novgorod and Pskov did before him and what many did after him - namely, they rushed to protect the long and vulnerable borders from the invaders.” Russian professor I.N. Danilevsky also agrees with this opinion. He notes, in particular, that the battle was inferior in scale to the battles of Saul (1236), in which the Lithuanians killed the master of the order and 48 knights (20 knights died on Lake Peipsi), and the battle of Rakovor in 1268; contemporary events sources even describe the Battle of the Neva in more detail and give it higher value. However, even in the “Rhymed Chronicle,” the Battle of the Ice is clearly described as a defeat of the Germans, unlike Rakovor.

Memory of the battle

Movies

In 1938, Sergei Eisenstein filmed Feature Film"Alexander Nevsky", in which the Battle of the Ice was filmed. The film is considered one of the most prominent representatives historical films. It was he who largely shaped the modern viewer’s idea of ​​the battle.

Filmed in 1992 documentary"In memory of the past and in the name of the future." The film tells about the creation of a monument to Alexander Nevsky for the 750th anniversary of the Battle of the Ice.

In 2009, jointly by Russian, Canadian and Japanese studios, animated film“The First Squad”, where the Battle on the Ice plays a key role in the plot.

Music

The musical accompaniment for Eisenstein's film, written by Sergei Prokofiev, is a symphonic suite, dedicated to events battles.

The rock band Aria released the song “Hero of Asphalt” on the album “ Ballad about an ancient Russian warrior", telling about the Battle of the Ice. This song has gone through many different arrangements and re-releases.

Monuments

Monument to the squads of Alexander Nevsky on the town of Sokolikha

The monument to the squads of Alexander Nevsky was erected in 1993, on Mount Sokolikha in Pskov, almost 100 km away from the real site of the battle. Initially, it was planned to create a monument on Vorony Island, which would have been a more accurate solution geographically.

Monument to Alexander Nevsky and Worship Cross

In 1992, in the village of Kobylye Gorodishche, Gdovsky district, in a place as close as possible to the supposed site of the Battle of the Ice, a bronze monument to Alexander Nevsky and a wooden worship cross were erected near the Church of the Archangel Michael. The Church of the Archangel Michael was founded by Pskov residents in 1462. In the chronicles, the last mention of the legendary “Crow Stone” is associated with this church (Pskov Chronicle of 1463). The wooden cross gradually collapsed under the influence of unfavorable weather conditions. In July 2006, on the 600th anniversary of the first mention of the village. Kobylye Gorodishche in the Pskov Chronicles it was replaced with bronze.

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

Cultural and sports educational raid expedition

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

Due to the variability of the hydrography of Lake Peipsi, historians for a long time were unable to accurately determine the place where the Battle of the Ice took place. Only thanks to long-term research carried out by an expedition from the Institute of Archeology of the USSR Academy of Sciences, the location of the battle was established. The battle site is submerged in water in summer and is located approximately 400 meters from the island of Sigovets.

“The men did not hesitate long, but they brought a small army to the lines. And the brothers were unable to gather a large army. But they decided, trusting this common strength, to launch a cavalry formation against the Russians, and a bloody battle began. And the Russian riflemen boldly entered the game in the morning, but the brothers’ banner detachment broke through the front Russian rank. And the clash of swords was heard there. And steel helmets were cut in half. The battle was going on - and you could see bodies falling into the grass from both sides.”

“The German detachment was surrounded by Russians - and they were so outnumbered by the Germans that any of the brother knights fought with sixty.”

“Although the brothers fought stubbornly, they were defeated by the Russian army. Some of the Derpet residents, seeking salvation, hastily left the battle: After all, twenty brothers bravely gave their lives in battle, and captured six.”

“Prince Alexander, they say, was very happy with the victory with which he was able to return. But he left many warriors here as collateral - and none of them will go on a campaign. And the death of the brothers - what I just read about for you, was mourned with dignity, Like the death of heroes - those who fought wars at the call of God and sacrificed many brave lives in fraternal service. Fighting the enemy for God’s cause and heeding the duty of knighthood.”

Battle of Chud - on German Schlacht auf dem Peipussee. Battle on the Ice - in German Schlacht auf dem Eise.

"Rhymed Chronicle"

Invasion of the Order

In 1240, the Germans crossed the borders of the Pskov principality and on August 15, 1240, the crusaders captured Izborsk.
“The Germans took the castle, collected loot, took away property and valuables, took horses and cattle out of the castle, and what was left was set on fire... They left none of the Russians; those who only resorted to defense were killed or captured. Screams spread throughout the land.”

News of the enemy invasion and capture of Izborsk reached Pskov. All Pskovites gathered at the meeting and decided to move to Izborsk. A 5,000-strong militia was assembled, led by governor Gavrila Ivanovich. But there were also traitor boyars in Pskov, led by the landowner Tverdila Ivanokovich. They notified the Germans of the upcoming campaign. The Pskovites did not know that the knightly army was twice as large as the Pskov army. The battle took place near Izborsk. The Russian soldiers fought bravely, but about 800 of them died in this battle, and the survivors fled into the surrounding forests.

The army of the crusaders, pursuing the Pskovites, reached the walls of Pskov and attempted to break into the fortress. The townspeople barely had time to close the gates. Hot tar poured onto the Germans storming the walls, and logs rolled. The Germans were unable to take Pskov by force.

They decided to act through the traitor boyars and the landowner Tverdila, who persuaded the Pskovites to give their children hostage to the Germans. The Pskovites allowed themselves to be persuaded. On September 16, 1240, the traitors surrendered the city to the Germans.
Arriving in Novgorod in 1241, Alexander Nevsky found Pskov and Konopriye in the hands of the order and immediately began retaliatory actions.

Taking advantage of the difficulties of the order, which was distracted by the fight against the Mongols (the Battle of Legnica), Alexander marched to Koporye, took it by storm and killed most of the garrison. Some of the knights and mercenaries from the local population were captured, but released, and the traitors from among the Chud were executed.

Liberation of Pskov

“So the great Prince Alexander had many brave men, just like David of old, the king of strength and strength. Also, the will of Grand Duke Alexander will be fulfilled by the spirit of our honest and dear prince! Now the time has come for us to lay down our heads for you!” This is what the author of the Life of the Holy and Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky wrote.

The prince entered the temple and prayed for a long time “Judge me, God, and judge my quarrel with the lofty people (Livonian Germans) and help me, God, as You helped Moses in ancient times to defeat Amalek, and helped my great-grandfather Yaroslav to defeat the damned Svyatopolk.” Then he approached his squad and the entire army and made a speech: “We will die for Saint Sophia and the free city of Novgorod!” Let us die for the Holy Trinity and free Pskov! For now, the Russians have no other destiny than to harrow their Russian land, the Orthodox Christian faith!”
And all the soldiers answered him with a single cry: “With you, Yaroslavich, we will win or die for the Russian land!”

At the beginning of January 1241, Alexander set out on a campaign. He secretly approached Pskov, sent out reconnaissance, and cut off all the roads leading to Pskov. Then Prince Alexander launched an unexpected and swift attack on Pskov from the west. “Prince Alexander is coming!”- the Pskovites rejoiced, opening the western gates. The Russians burst into the city and began a battle with the German garrison. 70 knights [the figure is not at all real, the Germans could not have had so many knights left in the city. Usually in captured cities there remained 2-3 governors (brother knights) and a small garrison] were killed, and countless ordinary warriors - Germans and bollards. Several knights were captured and released: “Tell your people that Prince Alexander is coming and there will be no mercy for the enemies!” Six officials were tried. They were found guilty of abusing the Pskov population, and then immediately hanged. The traitorous boyar Tverdila Ivankovich did not run away either. After a short trial he was also hanged.

Preface to the Battle of Peipus

In the “Novgorod First Chronicle of the Senior and Younger Editions” it is said that, having freed Pskov from the knights, Nevsky himself went to the possessions of the Livonian Order (pursuing the knights west of Lake Pskov), where he allowed his warriors to live. (In the summer of 6750 (1242). Prince Oleksandr went with the Novgorodians and with his brother Andrei and from the Nizovtsi to the Chyud land on Nemtsi and Chyud and zaya all the way to Plskov; and the prince of Plsk expelled Nemtsi and Chyud, seizing Nemtsi and Chyud, and bound the stream to Novgorod , and I’ll go to Chud.” The Livonian Rhymed Chronicle testifies that the invasion was accompanied by fires and the removal of people and livestock. Having learned about this, the Livonian bishop sent troops of knights to meet him. The stopping place of Alexander's army was somewhere halfway between Pskov and Dorpat, not far from the borders of the confluence of the Pskov and Tyoploye lakes. Here was the traditional crossing near the village of Mosty.

And Alexander, in turn, having heard about the performance of the knights, did not return to Pskov, but having crossed to the eastern shore of Tyoploe Lake, he hurried in a northern direction to the Uzmen tract, leaving the detachment of Domish Tverdislavich Kerber (according to other sources, a reconnaissance detachment) in the rear guard.

And as if you were on earth (Chudi), let the entire regiment prosper; and Domash Tverdislavichy Kerbe was in the fray, and I found Nemtsi and Chyud at the bridge and that one was fighting; and killed that Domash, the brother of the mayor, an honest husband, and beat him with him, and took him away with his hands, and ran to the prince in the regiment; The prince turned back towards the lake.

This detachment entered into battle with the knights and was defeated. Domish was killed, but some of the detachment managed to escape and moved after Alexander’s army. The burial place of warriors from Domash Kerbert’s detachment is located at the south-eastern outskirts of Chudskiye Zakhody.

Battle tactics of Alexander Nevsky from Soviet history

Alexander knew well the favorite method of German tactics - an offensive in a battle formation in the form of a wedge or triangle, pointing forward. The tip and sides of the triangle, called the “pig,” were well-armed mounted knights in iron armor, and the base and center were a dense mass of foot soldiers. Having driven such a wedge into the center of the enemy's position and disrupted his ranks, the Germans usually directed the next attack on his flanks, achieving final victory. Therefore, Alexander lined up his troops in three echeloned lines, and on the northern side of the Raven Stone the cavalry army of Prince Andrei took refuge.

According to modern researchers, the Germans did not adhere to such tactics. In this case, not a significant part of the warriors, front and flank, would have participated in the battle. What should the rest of us do? “The wedge was used for a completely different purpose - getting closer to the enemy. Firstly, the knightly troops were distinguished by extremely low discipline due to lack of time for serious training, so if the rapprochement was carried out using a standard line, then there would be no talk of any coordinated actions - the knights would simply disperse throughout the entire field in search of the enemy and production But in the wedge the knight had nowhere to go, and he was forced to follow the three most experienced horsemen who were in the first row. Secondly, the wedge had a narrow front, which reduced losses from archer fire. The wedge approached at a walk, since horses are not able to gallop at the same speed. Thus, the knights approached the enemy, and 100 meters away they turned into a line, with which they struck the enemy.
P.S. Nobody knows whether the Germans attacked like that.

Battle site

Prince Alexander stationed his army between Uzmen and the mouth of the Zhelchi River, on the eastern shore of Lake Peipsi “on Uzmen, at the Raven Stone”, it says so in the chronicle.

The attention of historians was attracted by the name of Voroniy Island, where they hoped to find the Raven Stone. The hypothesis that the massacre took place on the ice of Lake Peipsi near Voronii Island was accepted as the main version, although it contradicted chronicle sources and common sense(in the old chronicles there is no mention of Voronii Island near the battle site. They talk about the battle on the ground, on the grass. Ice is mentioned only in the final part of the battle). But why did Nevsky’s troops, as well as the heavy cavalry of knights, have to go through Lake Peipus along spring ice to Voronii Island, where even in severe frosts the water does not freeze in many places? It should be taken into account that the beginning of April is a warm period for these places.

Testing the hypothesis about the location of the battle at Voronii Island dragged on for many decades. This time was enough for it to take a firm place in all textbooks. Considering the little validity of this version, in 1958 a comprehensive expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences was created to determine the true location of the battle. However, it was not possible to find the burial places of the soldiers who died in the Battle of Peipus, as well as the Crow Stone, the Uzmen tract and traces of the battle.

This was done by members of a group of Moscow enthusiasts - amateurs ancient history Rus', under the leadership of I. E. Koltsov, more late period. Using methods and instruments widely used in geology and archeology (including dowsing), the group members marked the proposed locations on the terrain plan mass graves warriors of both sides who died in this battle. These burials are located in two zones east of the village of Samolva. One of the zones is located half a kilometer north of the village of Tabory and one and a half kilometers from Samolva. Second zone with the largest number burials - 1.5-2.0 kilometers north of the village of Tabory and approximately 2 kilometers east of Samolva. It can be assumed that the wedging of knights into the ranks of Russian soldiers occurred in the area of ​​the first burial, and in the area of ​​the second zone the main battle and the encirclement of the knights took place.

Research has shown that in those distant times, in the area south of the now existing village of Kozlovo (more precisely, between Kozlov and Tabory) there was some kind of fortified outpost of the Novgorodians. Presumably, here, behind the earthen ramparts of the now defunct fortification, there was a detachment of Prince Andrei Yaroslavich hidden in ambush before the battle. The group also managed to find the Crow Stone on the northern side of the village of Tabory. Centuries have destroyed the stone, but its underground part still rests under the strata of cultural layers of earth. In the area where the remains of the stone were located there was ancient temple with underground passages that went to the Uzman tract, where there were fortifications.

Army of Alexander Nevsky

At Uzmen, Alexander's troops were joined by Suzdal troops under the leadership of Alexander's brother Andrei Yaroslavich (according to other sources, the prince joined before the liberation of Pskov). The troops opposing the knights had a heterogeneous composition, but a single command in the person of Alexander Nevsky. The “lower regiments” consisted of Suzdal princely squads, boyar squads, and city regiments. The army deployed by Novgorod had a fundamentally different composition. It included the squad of Alexander Nevsky, the squad of the “lord”, the garrison of Novgorod, who served for a salary (gridi) and was subordinate to the mayor, the Konchan regiments, the militia of the towns and squads of the “povolniki”, private military organizations of boyars and rich merchants. In general, the army fielded by Novgorod and the “lower” lands was a fairly powerful force, distinguished by high fighting spirit.

The total number of Russian troops could be up to 4-5 thousand people, of which 800-1000 people were princely equestrian squads (Soviet historians estimated the number of Russian soldiers at 17,000 people). The Russian troops were lined up in three echeloned lines, and on the northern side of the Voronya Stone, in the Uzmen tract, the cavalry army of Prince Andrei took refuge.

Order army

The number of troops of the order in the Battle of Lake Peipsi was determined by Soviet historians to be usually 10-12 thousand people. Later researchers, referring to the German “Rhymed Chronicle,” name 300-400 people. The only figures available in chronicle sources are the losses of the order, which amounted to about 20 “brothers” killed and 6 captured.
Considering that for one “brother” there were 3-8 “half-brothers” who did not have the right to production, total number The actual army of the order can be defined as 400-500 people. Also participating in the battle were Danish knights under the command of princes Knut and Abel, and a militia from Dorpat, which included many Estonians and hired miracles. Thus, the order had a total of about 500-700 cavalry people and 1000-1200 Estonian and Chud militiamen. The encyclopedia says that the order’s army was commanded by Hermann I von Buxhoeveden, but not a single name of the German commander is mentioned in the chronicles.

Description of the battle from Soviet history

On April 5, 1242, early in the morning, as soon as the sun rose, the battle began. The advanced Russian archers showered the advancing with clouds of arrows, but the “pig” steadily moved forward, and, in the end, swept away the archers and badly organized center. Meanwhile, Prince Alexander strengthened the flanks and placed the best archers behind the first echelon, who sought to shoot the slowly approaching crusader cavalry.

The advancing “pig,” led into battle by the patrician of the order Siegfried von Marburg, ran into the high shore of Lake Peipsi, overgrown with willows and dusted with snow. There was nowhere to advance further. And then Prince Alexander - and from the Crow Stone he could see the entire battlefield - ordered the infantry to attack the “pig” from the flanks and, if possible, divide it into parts. The united offensive of Alexander Nevsky's troops shackled the Germans: they could not rush into the attack, the cavalry had nowhere to go, and it began to retreat back, squeezing and crushing its own infantry. Huddled together in a small area, mounted knights in heavy armor pressed with their entire mass on the ice, which began to crack. Horse and foot soldiers began to fall into the resulting ice holes.

The spearmen pulled the knights off their horses with hooks, and the infantry finished them off on the ice. The battle turned into a bloody mess, and it was unclear where ours were and where the foes were.

The chronicler writes from eyewitnesses: “And that slaughter will be evil and great for the Germans and the people, and the coward from the breaking spears and the sound from the sword section will move like a frozen sea. And if you can’t see the ice, everything is covered in blood.”

The decisive moment of the battle has arrived. Alexander took off his mitten and waved his hand, and then the Suzdal cavalry of Prince Andrei rode out from the northern side of the Raven Stone. She struck the Germans and the Chuds from the rear at full gallop. The bollards were the first to fail. They fled, exposing the rear of the knightly army, which was dismounted at that moment. The knights, seeing that the battle was lost, also rushed after the bollards. Some began to surrender, begging for mercy on their knees with their right hands raised.

The German chronicler writes with undisguised sorrow: Those who were in the army of the brother knights were surrounded. The brother knights resisted quite stubbornly, but they were defeated there.

The poet Konstantin Simonov described it this way in his poem “Battle on the Ice” climax battles:

And, retreating before the prince,
Throwing spears and swords,
The Germans fell from their horses to the ground,
Raising iron fingers,
The bay horses were getting excited,
Dust kicked up from under the hooves,
Bodies dragged through the snow,
Stuck in narrow strims.

In vain, Vice-Master Andreas von Felven (not a single name of the German commanders is mentioned in the German chronicles) tried to stop the fleeing people and organize resistance. It was all in vain. One after another, the military banners of the order fell onto the ice. Meanwhile, Prince Andrei's horse squad rushed to pursue the fugitives. She drove them across the ice 7 miles to the Subolichesky coast, mercilessly beating them with swords. Some of the runners did not reach the shore. Where there was weak ice, on the Sigovitsa, ice holes opened up and many knights and bollards drowned.

Modern version of the Battle of Peipus

Having learned that the order's troops had moved from Dorpat to Alexander's army, he withdrew his troops to an ancient crossing near the village of Mosty in the south of Lake Warm. Having crossed to the eastern bank, he went to the Novgorod outpost that existed at that time in the area to the south modern village Kozlovo, where he expected the Germans. The knights also crossed at the Bridges and rushed in pursuit. They advanced from the southern side (from the village of Tabory). Not knowing about the Novgorod reinforcements and feeling their military superiority in strength, they, without thinking twice, rushed into battle, falling into the “nets” that had been placed. From here it can be seen that the battle itself took place on land, not far from the shore of Lake Peipsi.

The encirclement and defeat of the knights was facilitated by the additional troops of Prince Andrei Yaroslavich, who were in ambush for the time being. By the end of the battle, the knightly army was pushed back onto the spring ice of the Zhelchinskaya Bay of Lake Peipsi, where many of them drowned. Their remains and weapons are now located half a kilometer northwest of the Kobylye Settlement Church at the bottom of this bay.

Losses

The issue of the losses of the parties in the battle is controversial. The losses of the knights are indicated in the “Rhymed Chronicle” with specific numbers, which cause controversy. Some Russian chronicles, followed by Soviet historians, say that 531 knights were killed in the battle (there were not so many of them in the entire order), 50 knights were taken prisoner. The Novgorod First Chronicle says that 400 “Germans” fell in the battle, and 50 Germans were captured, and the “human” is even discounted: “beschisla.” Apparently, they really suffered heavy losses. “The Rhymed Chronicle says that 20 knights died and 6 were captured.” So, it is possible that 400 German soldiers actually fell in the battle, 20 of whom were real brother knights (after all, according to modern ranks, a brother knight is equivalent to a general), and 50 Germans, of which 6 brother knights, were taken prisoner. In “The Life of Alexander Nevsky” it is written that, as a sign of humiliation, the boots of the captured knights were removed and they were forced to walk barefoot on the ice of the lake near their horses. The Russian losses are discussed vaguely: “many brave warriors fell.” Apparently, the losses of the Novgorodians were really heavy.

The meaning of the battle

According to the traditional point of view in Russian historiography, together with the victories of Alexander over the Swedes on July 15, 1240 at Narva and over the Lithuanians in 1245 near Toropets, at Lake Zhitsa and near Usvyat, the Battle of Peipus was of great importance for Pskov and Novgorod, delaying the onslaught of three serious enemies from the west - at a time when the rest of Russia suffered great losses from princely civil strife and the consequences of the Tatar conquest.

The English researcher J. Funnell believes that the significance of the Battle of the Ice is greatly exaggerated: “ Alexander did only what numerous defenders of Novgorod and Pskov did before him and what many did after him - namely, they rushed to protect the long and vulnerable borders from the invaders.”

Memory of the battle

In 1938, Sergei Eisenstein shot the feature film “Alexander Nevsky”, in which the Battle of the Ice was filmed. The film is considered one of the most prominent representatives of historical films. It was he who, in many ways, shaped the modern viewer’s idea of ​​the battle. Phrase “Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword” what the film’s authors put into Alexander’s mouth has nothing to do with reality, given the realities of that time.

In 1992, a documentary film “In Memory of the Past and in the Name of the Future” was shot.
In 1993, on Mount Sokolikha in Pskov, almost 100 kilometers away from real place battle, a monument to the “Druzhin of Alexander Nevsky” was erected.

In 1992, in the village of Kobylye Gorodishche, Gdovsky district, in a place as close as possible to the supposed site of the Battle of the Ice, a bronze monument to Alexander Nevsky and a bronze worship cross were erected near the Church of the Archangel Michael. The cross was cast in St. Petersburg at the expense of patrons of the Baltic Steel Group.

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