Taking advantage of the fact that after the devastation of North-Eastern Rus' by the Mongols, Novgorod and Pskov had nowhere to wait for help, the Swedish and German knights intensified their expansion in Northwestern Rus', counting on an easy victory. The Swedes were the first to attempt to seize Russian lands. In 1238, the Swedish king Erich Burr received permission (“blessing”) from the Pope for a crusade against the Novgorodians. Everyone who agreed to take part in the campaign was promised absolution.
In 1239, the Swedes and Germans negotiated, outlining a campaign plan: the Swedes, who had by that time captured Finland, were to attack Novgorod from the north, from the Neva River, and the Germans - through Izborsk and Pskov. Sweden allocated an army for the campaign under the leadership of Jarl (Prince) Ulf Fasi and the king's son-in-law, Earl Birger, the future founder of Stockholm.
The Novgorodians knew about the plans of the Swedes, as well as the fact that the Swedes were going to baptize them, like pagans, into the Catholic faith. Therefore, the Swedes, who went to instill an alien faith, seemed to them more terrible than the Mongols.
In the summer of 1240, the Swedish army under the command of Birger, “in great strength, puffing with a military spirit,” appeared on the Neva River on ships that stood at the mouth of the Izhora River. The army consisted of Swedes, Norwegians, and representatives of Finnish tribes, who intended to go straight to Ladoga and from there descend to Novgorod. There were also Catholic bishops in the army of the conquerors. They walked with a cross in one hand and a sword in the other. Having landed on the shore, the Swedes and their allies pitched their tents and tents at the confluence of the Izhora and the Neva. Birger, confident of his victory, sent to Prince Alexander with the statement: “If you can resist me, then I am already here, fighting your land.”
The Novgorod borders at that time were guarded by "watchmen". They were also located on the sea coast, where local tribes served. So, in the Neva area, on both banks of the Gulf of Finland, there was a “sea guard” of the Izhorians, guarding the routes to Novgorod from the sea. The Izhorians had already converted to Orthodoxy and were an ally of Novgorod. One day at dawn of a July day in 1240, the elder of the Izho land Pelgusius, while on patrol, discovered a Swedish flotilla and hastily sent to report everything to Alexander.
Having received news of the enemy's appearance, the Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavovich decided to suddenly attack him. There was no time to gather troops, and convening a veche (national assembly) could delay the matter and lead to the disruption of the surprise of the impending operation. Therefore, Alexander did not wait for the squads sent by his father Yaroslav to arrive, or for the warriors from the Novgorod lands to gather. He decided to oppose the Swedes with his squad, strengthening it only with Novgorod volunteers. According to ancient custom, they gathered at the Cathedral of St. Sophia, prayed, received a blessing from their ruler Spyridon and set out on a campaign. They walked along the Volkhov River to Ladoga, where Alexander was joined by a detachment of Ladoga residents, allies of Veliky Novgorod. From Ladoga, Alexander's army turned to the mouth of the Izhora River.
The Swedish camp, set up at the mouth of the Izhora, was not guarded, since the Swedes did not suspect the approach of Russian troops. The enemy ships rocked, tied to the shore; all along the coast there were white tents, and between them was the golden-topped tent of Birger. On July 15 at 11 a.m. the Novgorodians suddenly attacked the Swedes. Their attack was so unexpected that the Swedes did not have time to “gird their swords around their loins.”
Birger's army was taken by surprise. Deprived of the opportunity to form up for battle, it could not provide organized resistance. With a bold onslaught, the Russian squad passed through the enemy camp and drove the Swedes to the shore. The foot militia, moving along the bank of the Neva, not only cut down the bridges connecting the Swedish ships to land, but even captured and destroyed three enemy ships.
The Novgorodians fought "in the rage of their courage." Alexander personally “beat up countless countless Swedes and put a seal on the face of the king himself with your sharp sword.” The prince's henchman, Gavrilo Oleksich, chased Birger all the way to the ship, rushed onto the Swedish boat on horseback, was thrown into the water, remained alive and again entered the battle, killing on the spot the bishop and another noble Swede named Spiridon. Another Novgorodian, Sbyslav Yakunovich, with only an ax in his hand, boldly crashed into the very thick of the enemies, mowed them down right and left, clearing the way, as if in a thicket. Behind him, the princely hunter Yakov Polochanin was waving his long sword. These fellows were followed by other warriors. The princely youth Savva, having made his way to the center of the enemy camp, cut down the high pillar of Birger’s own tent: the tent fell down. A detachment of Novgorod volunteers sank three Swedish ships. The remnants of Birger's defeated army fled on surviving ships. The losses of the Novgorodians were insignificant, amounting to 20 people, while the Swedes loaded three ships with the bodies of only noble people, and left the rest on the shore.
The victory over the Swedes was of great political significance. She showed all the Russian people that they had not yet lost their former valor and could stand up for themselves. The Swedes failed to cut off Novgorod from the sea and capture the coast of the Neva and the Gulf of Finland. Having repelled a Swedish attack from the north, Russian army disrupted the possible interaction of the Swedish and German conquerors. To combat German aggression, the right flank and rear of the Pskov theater of military operations are now reliably secured.
In tactical terms, it is worth noting the role of the “watchman,” who discovered the enemy and promptly informed Alexander about his appearance. The factor of surprise was important in the attack on Birger's camp, whose army was taken by surprise and could not provide organized resistance. The chronicler noted the extraordinary courage of Russian soldiers. For this victory, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich was called “Nevsky”. At that time he was only twenty-one years old.
Battle of Lake Peipus ("Battle of the Ice") in 1242.
In the summer of 1240, German knights from Livonian Order, created from the Orders of the Sword and Teutonic. Back in 1237, Pope Gregory IX blessed the German knights to conquer the indigenous Russian lands. The army of the conquerors consisted of Germans, bears, Yuryevites and Danish knights from Revel. With them was a traitor - the Russian prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich. They appeared under the walls of Izborsk and took the city by storm. The Pskovites rushed to the aid of their fellow countrymen, but their militia was defeated. Over 800 people were killed alone, including the governor Gavrila Gorislavich.
Following in the footsteps of those who fled, the Germans approached Pskov, crossed the Velikaya River, set up their camp under the very walls of the Kremlin, set fire to the city and began to destroy churches and surrounding villages. For a whole week they kept the Kremlin under siege, preparing for the assault. But it didn’t come to that: Pskov resident Tverdilo Ivanovich surrendered the city. The knights took hostages and left their garrison in Pskov.
The Germans' appetite increased. They have already said: “We will reproach the Slovenian language ... to ourselves,” that is, we will subjugate the Russian people. In the winter of 1240-1241, the knights again appeared as uninvited guests in the Novgorod land. This time they captured the territory of the Vod (vozhan) tribe, east of the Narva River, "waging everything and placing tribute on them." Having captured the “Vodskaya Pyatina”, the knights took possession of Tesov (on the Oredezh River), and their patrols appeared 35 km from Novgorod. Thus, a vast territory in the region of Izborsk - Pskov - Sabel - Tesov - Koporye was in the hands of the Livonian Order.
The Germans already considered the Russian border lands to be their property; the pope “transferred” the coast of the Neva and Karelia under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Ezel, who entered into an agreement with the knights: he agreed for himself a tenth of everything that the land gives, and left everything else - fishing, mowing, arable land - to the knights.
Novgorodians again remembered Prince Alexander, already Nevsky, who left after a quarrel with the city boyars for his native Pereslavl-Zalessky. The Metropolitan of Novgorod himself went to ask the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yaroslav Vsevolodovich to release his son, and Yaroslav, realizing the danger of the threat emanating from the West, agreed: the matter concerned not only Novgorod, but all of Rus'.
Alexander organized an army of Novgorodians, Ladoga residents, Karelians and Izhorians. First of all, it was necessary to decide the question of the method of action.
In 1241, the army under the command of Alexander set out on a campaign, reached Koporye, took possession of the fortress, and tore the hail from the foundations, and beat the Germans themselves, and brought others with them to Novgorod, and released others with mercy, for he was more merciful than measure, and the leaders and chudtsev perevetniks (i.e. traitors) was hanged (hanged).” Vodskaya Pyatina was cleared of Germans. The right flank and rear of the Novgorod army were now safe.
In March 1242, the Novgorodians set out on a campaign again and were soon near Pskov. Alexander, believing that he did not have enough strength to attack a strong fortress, was waiting for his brother Andrei Yaroslavich with the Suzdal squads, who soon arrived. The Order did not have time to send reinforcements to its knights. Pskov was surrounded, and the knightly garrison was captured. Alexander sent the order's governors in chains to Novgorod. 70 noble order brothers and many ordinary knights were killed in the battle.
After this defeat, the Order began to concentrate its forces within the Dorpat bishopric, preparing an offensive against the Russians. The Order gathered great strength: here were almost all of its knights with a master at their head, with all the bishops, a large number of local warriors, as well as warriors of the Swedish king.
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Alexander decided to transfer the war to the territory of the Order itself. The Russian army marched to Izborsk. Prince Alexander Nevsky sent forward several reconnaissance detachments. One of them, under the command of the mayor's brother Domash Tverdislavich and Kerbet, came across German knights and Chud (Ests), was defeated and retreated; Domash died in the process. Meanwhile, intelligence found out that the enemy sent insignificant forces to Izborsk, and his main forces were moving towards Lake Peipus.
The Novgorod army turned towards the lake, “and the Germans walked on them like crazy.” The Novgorodians tried to repel the outflanking maneuver of the German knights. Having reached Lake Peipsi, the Novgorod army found itself in the center possible ways enemy movements towards Novgorod. Now Alexander decided to give battle and stopped at Lake Peipsi north of the Uzmen tract, near the island of Voroniy Kamen. The forces of the Novgorodians were little more than the knightly army. According to various available data, we can conclude that the army of German knights amounted to 10-12 thousand, and the Novgorod army - 15-17 thousand people. According to L.N. Gumilev, the number of knights was small - only a few dozen; they were supported by foot mercenaries armed with spears and the Order's allies, the Livs.
At dawn on April 5, 1242, the knights formed a “wedge” or “pig”. The wedge consisted of armored horsemen and its task was to crush and break through the central part of the enemy troops, and the columns following the wedge were supposed to defeat the enemy’s flanks. In chain mail and helmets, with long swords, they seemed invulnerable. Alexander Nevsky contrasted this stereotypical tactics of the knights, with the help of which they won many victories, with a new formation of Russian troops, directly opposite to the traditional Russian system. Alexander concentrated his main forces not in the center (“chele”), as Russian troops always did, but on the flanks. In front was an advanced regiment of light cavalry, archers and slingers. The Russian battle formation was turned with its rear to the steep, steep eastern shore of the lake, and the princely cavalry squad hid in ambush behind the left flank. The chosen position was advantageous in that the Germans, advancing along open ice, were deprived of the opportunity to determine the location, number and composition of the Russian army.
Putting out long spears and breaking through the archers and the advanced regiment, the Germans attacked the center ("brow") of the Russian battle formation. The center of the Russian troops was cut, and some of the soldiers retreated back to the flanks. However, having stumbled upon the steep shore of the lake, the sedentary, armor-clad knights could not develop their success. On the contrary, the knightly cavalry was crowded together, since the rear ranks of knights pushed the front ranks, which had nowhere to turn around for battle.
The flanks of the Russian battle formation ("wings") did not allow the Germans to develop the success of the operation. The German wedge was caught in pincers. At this time, Alexander’s squad struck from the rear and completed the encirclement of the enemy. Several ranks of knights covering the wedge from the rear were crushed by the blow of the Russian heavy cavalry.
Warriors who had special spears with hooks pulled the knights off their horses; warriors armed with special knives disabled the horses, after which the knight became an easy prey. And as it is written in “The Life of Alexander Nevsky,” “and there was a swift slashing of evil, and a cracking sound from the breaking spears, and a sound from the cutting of a sword, as if a frozen lake were moving. And you couldn’t see the ice: it was covered with blood.”
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Chud, who made up the bulk of the infantry, seeing his army surrounded, ran to his native shore. Some knights, together with the master, managed to break through the encirclement and tried to escape. The Russians pursued the fleeing enemy 7 miles to the opposite shore of Lake Peipsi. Already near the western shore, those running began to fall through the ice, since the ice is always thinner near the coast. The pursuit of the remnants of a defeated enemy outside the battlefield was a new phenomenon in the development of Russian military art. The Novgorodians did not celebrate the victory "on the bones", as was customary before.
The German knights suffered a complete defeat. The issue of the parties' losses is still controversial. The Russian losses are spoken of vaguely - “many brave warriors fell.” In Russian chronicles it is written that 500 knights were killed, and there were countless miracles; 50 noble knights were taken prisoner. Much fewer knights took part in the entire First Crusade. In German chronicles the figures are much more modest. Recent research suggests that about 400 German soldiers actually fell on the ice of Lake Peipsi, 20 of them were brother knights, 90 Germans (of which 6 “real” knights) were captured.
In the summer of 1242, the Order concluded a peace treaty with Novgorod, returning all the lands it had seized from it. Prisoners on both sides were exchanged.
The “Battle of the Ice” was the first time in the history of military art when heavy knightly cavalry was defeated in a field battle by an army consisting mostly of infantry. The new battle formation of the Russian troops, invented by Alexander Nevsky, turned out to be flexible, as a result of which it was possible to encircle the enemy, whose battle formation was a sedentary mass. The infantry successfully interacted with the cavalry.
The death of so many professional warriors greatly undermined the power of the Livonian Order in the Baltic states. The victory over the German army on the ice of Lake Peipsi saved the Russian people from German enslavement and was of great political and military-strategic significance, delaying the further German offensive in the East for almost several centuries, which was the main line of German policy from 1201 to 1241. This is the enormous historical significance of the Russian victory on April 5, 1242.
References.
1. Life of Alexander Nevsky.
2. 100 great battles/res. ed. A. Agrashenkov and others - Moscow, 2000.
3. The World History. Crusaders and Mongols. - Volume 8 - Minsk, 2000.
4. Venkov A.V., Derkach S.V. Great commanders and their battles. - Rostov-on-Don, 1999
Alexander Nevsky and Battle of the Ice
Alexander Nevsky: Brief biography
Prince of Novgorod and Kyiv and Grand Duke Vladimirsky, Alexander Nevskiy He is best known for stopping the advance of the Swedes and the knights of the Teutonic Order into Rus'. At the same time, instead of resisting the Mongols, he paid them tribute. This position was considered by many to be cowardice, but perhaps Alexander simply sensibly assessed his capabilities.
Son Yaroslav II Vsevolodovich, The Grand Duke of Vladimir and all-Russian leader, Alexander, was elected Prince of Novgorod in 1236 (a primarily military position). In 1239 he married Alexandra, daughter of the Prince of Polotsk.
Some time ago, the Novgorodians invaded Finnish territory, which was under the control of the Swedes. In response to this, and also wanting to block Russian access to the sea, in 1240 the Swedes invaded Rus'.
Alexander won a significant victory over the Swedes at the mouth of the Izhora River, on the banks of the Neva, as a result of which he received the honorary nickname Nevsky. However, a few months later, Alexander was expelled from Novgorod due to a conflict with the Novgorod boyars.
A little later, the Pope Gregory IX began to call on the Teutonic knights to “Christianize” the Baltic region, although the peoples living there were already Christians. In the face of this threat, Alexander was invited to return to Novgorod, and, after several skirmishes, in April 1242, he won a famous victory over the knights on the ice of Lake Peipsi. Thus, Alexander stopped the advance of both the Swedes and the Germans to the east.
But there was another serious problem in the east. Mongol troops conquered most of Russia, which was not politically unified at the time. Alexander's father agreed to serve the new Mongol rulers, but died in September 1246. As a result of this, the throne of the Grand Duke was free and Alexander and younger brother Andrei went to Batu(Batu), Mongol Khan of the Golden Horde. Batu sent them to the great Kagan, who, perhaps out of spite to Batu, who preferred Alexander, violating Russian custom, appointed Andrei Grand Duke of Vladimir. Alexander became the Prince of Kyiv.
Andrei entered into a conspiracy with other Russian princes and western neighbors against the Mongol rulers and Alexander took the opportunity to denounce his brother to Sartak, the son of Batu. Sartak sent an army to overthrow Andrei and Alexander soon took his place as Grand Duke.
As Grand Duke, Alexander sought to restore the prosperity of Rus' by building fortifications, temples, and passing laws. He continued to control Novgorod with the help of his son Vasily. This violated the established traditions of government in Novgorod (veche and invitation to reign). In 1255, the residents of Novgorod expelled Vasily, but Alexander gathered an army and returned Vasily back to the throne.
In 1257, in connection with the upcoming census and taxation, an uprising broke out in Novgorod. Alexander helped force the city into submission, probably fearing that the Mongols would punish all of Rus' for Novgorod's actions. In 1262, uprisings began to occur against Muslim tribute collectors from the Golden Horde, but Alexander managed to avoid reprisals by going to Sarai, the Horde's capital on the Volga, and discussing the situation with the khan. He also achieved the release of Rus' from the obligation to supply soldiers for the Khan's army.
On the way home, Alexander Nevsky died in Gorodets. After his death, Rus' fell apart into warring principalities, but his son Daniil received the principality of Moscow, which ultimately led to the reunification of the northern Russian lands. In 1547 the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Alexander Nevsky.
Battle on the Ice
The Battle of the Ice (Lake Peipus) occurred on April 5, 1242, during the Northern Crusades (12-13 centuries).
Armies and Generals
Crusaders
- Herman of Dorpat
- 1,000 – 4,000 people
- Prince Alexander Nevsky
- Prince Andrei II Yaroslavich
- 5,000 – 6,000 people
Battle on the Ice - background
In the thirteenth century, the papacy attempted to force Orthodox Christians living in the Baltic region to accept papal sovereignty. Despite the fact that previous efforts were unsuccessful, in the 1230s a new attempt was made to create a church state in the Baltic states.
Preaching Crusade in the late 1230s, William of Modena organized a Western coalition to invade Novgorod. This papal action against Rus' coincided with the desire of the Swedes and Danes to expand their territories to the east, so both states began to supply troops for the campaign, as did the knights of the Teutonic Order.
The trading center of the region, Novgorod, like most of Rus', was invaded by the Mongols in the recent past (the Novgorod lands were only partially devastated, and the Mongols did not attack Novgorod itself lane). Formally remaining independent, Novgorod accepted Mongol rule in 1237. The Western invaders hoped that the Mongol invasion would distract the attention of Novgorod and that this would be the right time to attack.
In the spring of 1240, Swedish troops began advancing into Finland. Alarmed residents of Novgorod called the recently exiled Prince Alexander back to the city to lead the army (Alexander was expelled and called back after the Battle of the Neva lane). Having planned a campaign against the Swedes, Alexander defeated them in the Battle of the Neva and received an honorary title Nevsky.
Campaign in the South
Although the Crusaders were defeated in Finland, they had better luck in the south. Here, at the end of 1240, the mixed forces of the knights of the Livonian and Teutonic orders, Danish, Estonian and Russian troops managed to capture Pskov, Izborsk, and Koporye. But in 1241 Alexander recaptured eastern lands Neva, and in March 1242 he liberated Pskov.
Wanting to strike back at the crusaders, he launched a raid on the lands of the Order that same month. Having finished this, Alexander began to retreat to the East. Having gathered his troops in this region together, Hermann, Bishop of Dorpat, went in pursuit.
Battle on the Ice
Although Hermann's troops were smaller in number, they were better equipped than their Russian opponents. The chase continued, and on April 5, Alexander’s army set foot on the ice of Lake Peipsi. Crossing the lake at its narrowest point, he looked for a good defensive position and it turned out to be the eastern shore of the lake, with ice blocks protruding from the uneven ground. Turning around at this point, Alexander lined up his army, placing the infantry in the center and the cavalry on the flanks. Arriving on the west bank, the crusader army formed a wedge, placing heavy cavalry at the head and on the flanks.
Moving on the ice, the crusaders reached the location of Alexander's Russian army. Their progress slowed as they had to overcome rough terrain and suffered casualties from archers. When both armies collided, hand-to-hand combat began. As the battle raged, Alexander ordered his cavalry and horse archers to attack the crusaders' flanks. Rushing forward, they soon successfully surrounded Herman's army and began beating him. As the battle took such a turn, many of the crusaders began to fight their way back across the lake.
According to myths, the crusaders began to fall through the ice, but most likely there were few who failed. Seeing that the enemy was retreating, Alexander allowed them to pursue him only to the western shore of the lake. Having been defeated, the crusaders were forced to flee to the West.
Consequences of the Battle of the Ice
While Russian casualties are not known with any certainty, it is estimated that about 400 Crusaders died and another 50 were captured. After the battle, Alexander offered generous peace terms, which were quickly accepted by Germanus and his allies. Defeats on the Neva and Lake Peipsi effectively stopped the West's attempts to subjugate Novgorod. Based on a minor event, the Battle of the Ice subsequently formed the basis of Russian anti-Western ideology. This legend was promoted by the film Alexander Nevskiy, filmed by Sergei Eisenstein in 1938.
The legend and iconography of the Battle of the Ice was used for propaganda purposes during World War II as a description of Russia's defense against German invaders.
The defeat of the German knights by the Novgorodians in 1241–1242.
In the summer of 1240, German knights invaded the Novgorod land. They appeared under the walls of Izborsk and took the city by storm. “None of the Russians were left alone; those who only resorted to defense were killed or taken prisoner, and cries spread throughout the land,” according to the “Rhymed Chronicle.” The Pskovites rushed to the rescue of Izborsk: “the whole city came out against them (the knights - E.R.)” - Pskov. But the Pskov city militia was defeated. The killed Pskovites alone numbered more than 800 people. The knights pursued the Pskov militia and captured many. Now they approached Pskov, “and they set the whole town on fire, and there was a lot of evil, and the churches were burned... many villages were abandoned near Plskov. I stood under the city for a week, but didn’t take the city, but took the children from good husbands in the waist, and left the rest.”
In the winter of 1240, German knights invaded the Novgorod land and captured the territory of the Vod tribe, east of the Narova River, “having fought everything and imposed tribute on them.” Having captured the “Vodskaya Pyatina”, the knights took possession of Tesov, and their patrols were 35 km from Novgorod. The German feudal lords turned the previously rich region into a desert. “There is nothing to plow (plow - E.R.) around the villages,” the chronicler reports.
In the same 1240, the “brethren of the order” resumed their attack on the Pskov land. The army of invaders consisted of Germans, bears, Yuryevites and Danish “royal men”. With them was a traitor to the motherland - Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich. The Germans approached Pskov, crossed the river. Great, they pitched tents right under the walls of the Kremlin, set fire to the settlement and began to destroy the surrounding villages. A week later, the knights prepared to storm the Kremlin. But the Pskovite Tverdilo Ivanovich surrendered Pskov to the Germans, who took hostages and left their garrison in the city.
The Germans' appetite increased. They have already said: “We will reproach the Slovenian language... to ourselves,” that is, we will subjugate the Russian people to ourselves. On Russian soil, the invaders settled in the Koporye fortress.
Despite the political fragmentation of Rus', the idea of protecting their land was strong among the Russian people.
At the request of the Novgorodians, Prince Yaroslav sent his son Alexander back to Novgorod. Alexander organized an army of Novgorodians, Ladoga residents, Karelians and Izhorians. First of all, it was necessary to decide the question of the method of action. Pskov and Koporye were in enemy hands. Actions in two directions scattered forces. The Koporye direction was the most threatening - the enemy was approaching Novgorod. Therefore, Alexander decided to strike the first blow at Koporye, and then liberate Pskov from the invaders.
The first stage of hostilities was the campaign of the Novgorod army against Koporye in 1241.
The army under the command of Alexander set out on a campaign, reached Koporye, took possession of the fortress, “and tore down the city from its foundations, and beat the Germans themselves, and brought some with them to Novgorod, and released others with a grant, for he was more merciful than measure, and informed the leaders and the people of the war. "...Vodskaya Pyatina was cleared of the Germans. The right flank and rear of the Novgorod army were now safe.
The second stage of hostilities is the campaign of the Novgorod army with the aim of liberating Pskov.
In March 1242, the Novgorodians set out on a campaign again and were soon near Pskov. Alexander, believing that he did not have enough strength to attack a strong fortress, was waiting for his brother Andrei Yaroslavich with the “grassroots” troops, who soon arrived. The Order did not have time to send reinforcements to its knights. Pskov was surrounded and the knightly garrison was captured. Alexander sent the order's governors in chains to Novgorod. 70 noble order brothers and many ordinary knights were killed in the battle.
After this defeat, the Order began to concentrate its forces within the Dorpat bishopric, preparing reprisals against the Russians. “Let’s go against Alexander and the imam will triumphantly with his hands,” said the knights. The Order gathered great strength: here were almost all its knights with the “master” (master) at the head, “with all their biskupi (bishops), and with all the multitude of their language, and their power, whatever is on this side, and with help the queen,” that is, there were German knights, the local population and the army of the king of Sweden.
“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 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, Orthodox faith Christian!”
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 Plskov 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 Peipus near the island of Voronii was accepted as the main version, although it contradicted chronicle sources and common sense (in the old chronicles there are no mentions 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, in a later period. Using methods and instruments widely used in geology and archeology (including dowsing), the team members plotted on the terrain plan the suspected sites of mass graves of soldiers from 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 leading Russian archers showered the attackers with clouds of arrows, but the “pig” steadily moved forward, and, in the end, swept away the archers and the poorly 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 in his poem “Battle on the Ice” described the climax of the battle as follows:
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 suffered really 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, of which 20 were real brother knights (after all, according to modern ranks, a brother knight is equal 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 Alexander’s victories 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 Rus' suffered from princely civil strife and consequences Tatar conquest big losses.
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 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 the real site of the battle, a monument to “Alexander Nevsky’s Squads” 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.
conclusions
There is an episode with the Crow Stone. According to ancient legend, he rose from the waters of the lake in moments of danger for the Russian land, helping to defeat enemies. This was the case in 1242. This date appears in all domestic historical sources, being inextricably linked with the Battle of the Ice.
It is no coincidence that we focus your attention on this stone. After all, it is precisely this that historians are guided by, who are still trying to understand on what lake it happened. After all, many specialists who work with historical archives still do not know where our ancestors actually fought with
The official point of view is that the battle took place on the ice of Lake Peipsi. Today, all that is known for certain is that the battle took place on April 5. The year of the Battle of the Ice is 1242 from the beginning of our era. In the chronicles of Novgorod and in the Livonian Chronicle there is not a single matching detail at all: the number of soldiers participating in the battle and the number of wounded and killed vary.
We don't even know the details of what happened. We have only received information that a victory was won on Lake Peipus, and even then in a significantly distorted, transformed form. This is in stark contrast to official version, but in last years The voices of those scientists who insist on full-scale excavations and repeated archival research are becoming louder. They all want not only to know about which lake the Battle of the Ice took place on, but also to find out all the details of the event.
Official description of the battle
The opposing armies met in the morning. It was 1242 and the ice had not yet broken up. The Russian troops had many riflemen who courageously came forward, bearing the brunt of the German attack. Pay attention to how the Livonian Chronicle speaks about this: “The banners of the brothers (German knights) penetrated the ranks of those who were shooting... many killed on both sides fell on the grass (!).”
Thus, the “Chronicles” and the manuscripts of the Novgorodians completely agree on this point. Indeed, in front of the Russian army stood a detachment of light riflemen. As the Germans later found out through their sad experience, it was a trap. “Heavy” columns of German infantry broke through the ranks of lightly armed soldiers and moved on. We wrote the first word in quotation marks for a reason. Why? We'll talk about this below.
Russian mobile units quickly surrounded the Germans from the flanks and then began to destroy them. The Germans fled, and the Novgorod army pursued them for about seven miles. It is noteworthy that even at this point there are disagreements in various sources. If we describe the Battle of the Ice briefly, then even in this case this episode raises some questions.
The Importance of Victory
Thus, most witnesses say nothing at all about the “drowned” knights. Part of the German army was surrounded. Many knights were captured. In principle, 400 Germans were reported killed, with another fifty people captured. Chudi, according to the chronicles, “fell without number.” That's all the Battle of the Ice in brief.
The Order took the defeat painfully. In the same year, peace was concluded with Novgorod, the Germans completely abandoned their conquests not only on the territory of Rus', but also in Letgol. There was even a complete exchange of prisoners. However, the Teutons tried to recapture Pskov ten years later. Thus, the year of the Battle of the Ice became extremely important date, since it allowed the Russian state to somewhat calm down its warlike neighbors.
About common myths
Even in the local history museums of the Pskov region they are very skeptical about the widespread statement about the “heavy” German knights. Allegedly, because of their massive armor, they almost drowned in the waters of the lake at once. Many historians say with rare enthusiasm that the Germans in their armor weighed “three times more” than the average Russian warrior.
But any weapons expert of that era will tell you with confidence that the soldiers on both sides were protected approximately equally.
Armor is not for everyone!
The fact is that massive armor, which can be found everywhere in miniatures of the Battle of the Ice in history textbooks, appeared only in the 14th-15th centuries. In the 13th century, warriors dressed in a steel helmet, chain mail or (the latter were very expensive and rare), and wore bracers and greaves on their limbs. It all weighed about twenty kilograms maximum. Most of the German and Russian soldiers did not have such protection at all.
Finally, in principle, there was no particular point in such heavily armed infantry on the ice. Everyone fought on foot; there was no need to fear a cavalry attack. So why take another risk by going out on thin April ice with so much iron?
But at school the 4th grade is studying the Battle of the Ice, and therefore no one simply goes into such subtleties.
Water or land?
According to the generally accepted conclusions made by the expedition under the leadership of the USSR Academy of Sciences (led by Karaev), the place of the battle is considered to be small area Warm Lake (part of Chudskoye), which is located 400 meters from the modern Cape Sigovets.
For almost half a century, no one doubted the results of these studies. The fact is that then scientists really did great job, having analyzed not only historical sources, but also hydrology and As the writer Vladimir Potresov, who was a direct participant in that very expedition, explains, it was possible to create a “complete vision of the problem.” So on what lake did the Battle of the Ice take place?
There is only one conclusion here - on Chudskoye. There was a battle, and it took place somewhere in those parts, but there are still problems with determining the exact localization.
What did the researchers find?
First of all, they read the chronicle again. It said that the slaughter took place “at Uzmen, at the Voronei stone.” Imagine that you are telling your friend how to get to the stop, using terms that you and he understand. If you tell the same thing to a resident of another region, he may not understand. We are in the same position. What kind of Uzmen? What Crow Stone? Where was all this even?
More than seven centuries have passed since then. Rivers changed their courses in less time! So from the real ones geographical coordinates there was absolutely nothing left. If we assume that the battle, to one degree or another, actually took place on the icy surface of the lake, then finding something becomes even more difficult.
German version
Seeing the difficulties of their Soviet colleagues, in the 30s a group of German scientists hastened to declare that the Russians... invented the Battle of the Ice! Alexander Nevsky, they say, simply created the image of a winner in order to give his figure more weight in the political arena. But the old German chronicles also talked about the battle episode, so the battle really took place.
Russian scientists were having real verbal battles! Everyone was trying to find out the location of the battle that took place in ancient times. Everyone called “that” piece of territory either on the western or eastern shore of the lake. Someone argued that the battle took place in the central part of the reservoir. There was a general problem with the Crow Stone: either mountains of small pebbles at the bottom of the lake were mistaken for it, or someone saw it in every rock outcrop on the shores of the reservoir. There were a lot of disputes, but the matter did not progress at all.
In 1955, everyone got tired of this, and that same expedition set off. Archaeologists, philologists, geologists and hydrographers, specialists in the Slavic and German dialects of that time, and cartographers appeared on the shores of Lake Peipsi. Everyone was interested in where the Battle of the Ice was. Alexander Nevsky was here, this is known for certain, but where did his troops meet their adversaries?
Several boats with teams of experienced divers were placed at the complete disposal of the scientists. Many enthusiasts and schoolchildren from local historical societies also worked on the shores of the lake. So what did Lake Peipus give to researchers? Was Nevsky here with the army?
Crow Stone
For a long time, there was an opinion among domestic scientists that the Raven Stone was the key to all the secrets of the Battle of the Ice. His search was given special importance. Finally he was discovered. It turned out that it was a rather high stone ledge on the western tip of Gorodets Island. Over seven centuries, the not very dense rock was almost completely destroyed by winds and water.
At the foot of the Raven Stone, archaeologists quickly found the remains of Russian guard fortifications that blocked the passages to Novgorod and Pskov. So those places were really familiar to contemporaries because of their importance.
New contradictions
But determining the location of such an important landmark in ancient times did not at all mean identifying the place where the massacre took place on Lake Peipsi. Quite the opposite: the currents here are always so strong that ice as such does not exist here in principle. If the Russians had fought the Germans here, everyone would have drowned, regardless of their armor. The chronicler, as was the custom of that time, simply indicated the Crow Stone as the nearest landmark that was visible from the battle site.
Versions of events
If you return to the description of the events, which was given at the very beginning of the article, then you will probably remember the expression “... many killed on both sides fell on the grass.” Of course, the "grass" in in this case could be an idiom denoting the very fact of fall, death. But today historians are increasingly inclined to believe that archaeological evidence of that battle should be looked for precisely on the banks of the reservoir.
In addition, not a single piece of armor has yet been found at the bottom of Lake Peipsi. Neither Russian nor Teutonic. Of course, there was, in principle, very little armor as such (we have already talked about their high cost), but at least something should have remained! Especially when you consider how many diving dives were made.
Thus, we can draw a completely convincing conclusion that the ice did not break under the weight of the Germans, who were not very different in armament from our soldiers. In addition, finding armor even at the bottom of a lake is unlikely to prove anything for sure: more archaeological evidence is needed, since border skirmishes in those places happened constantly.
IN general outline It is clear on which lake the Battle of the Ice took place. The question of where exactly the battle took place still worries domestic and foreign historians.
Monument to the iconic battle
A monument in honor of this significant event was erected in 1993. It is located in the city of Pskov, installed on Mount Sokolikha. The monument is more than a hundred kilometers away from the theoretical site of the battle. This stele is dedicated to the “Druzhinniks of Alexander Nevsky”. Patrons raised money for it, which was an incredibly difficult task in those years. Therefore, this monument is of even greater value for the history of our country.
Artistic embodiment
In the very first sentence we mentioned the film by Sergei Eisenstein, which he shot back in 1938. The film was called "Alexander Nevsky". But it’s definitely not worth considering this magnificent (from an artistic point of view) film as a historical guide. Absurdities and obviously unreliable facts are present there in abundance.