Ice battle. On what lake did the Battle of the Ice take place? Battle of the Ice: date, description, monument

Hey....now I'm even more confused...

All Russian chronicles on the directly posed question " And with whom did Alexander Nevsky fight in 1241-1242? give us the answer - with the "Germans" or more modern version "German knights".

Even later historians, from among the same chroniclers, already report that our Alexander Nevsky waged war with the Livonian knights from Livonian Order!

But this is what is typical for Russian historiography, its historians at all times try to present their opponents as if they were an impersonal mass - a “crowd” without a name, rank or other data identifying them.

So I write “GERMANS,” they say, they came, plundered, killed, captured! Although the Germans as a nation often have nothing to do with this.

And if so, then let’s not take anyone’s word for it, but let’s try to figure out this rather complicated issue ourselves.

The same story is present in the description of the “exploits” of young Alexander Nevsky! Like, he fought with the Germans for Holy Rus', and Soviet historians also added the epithet “with the German “dog knights”!

Therefore, I suggest that the reader still delve into the question of the opponents of Alexander Nevsky.

Who are they? How were they organized? Who commanded them? How were they armed and what methods did they fight in?

And a comprehensive answer to this question will help us better understand why the troops of Novgorod the Great could not do anything to oppose the “Germans” who captured Izborsk, Pskov and a number of other small towns.

And then, these same Novgorod troops, having lost the battles of 1241 three times, suddenly in 1242 won Lake Peipsi complete victory?

And in search of an answer to the questions posed when turning to the historical annals, we find that:

firstly, Alexander Nevsky and all his predecessors, in the positions of the hired prince of Novgorod, fought not with the “Germans”, but specifically with the knights "ORDER OF THE SWORDS"!

Help: Brotherhood of Soldiers of Christ(lat. Fratres militiæ Christi de Livonia), better known as the Order of the Sword or the Order of the Brothers of the Sword, is a German Catholic spiritual knightly order founded in 1202 in Riga by Theodoric of Toreid (Dietrich), who at that time replaced Bishop Albert von Buxhoeveden (Albert von Buxhöwden 1165-1229) (Theodoric was the bishop's brother) for missionary activity in Livonia.

The existence of the order was confirmed by a papal bull in 1210, but back in 1204 the formation of the “Brotherhood of the Warriors of Christ” was approved by Pope Innocent III.

The common name of the Order comes from the image on their cloaks of a red sword with a Maltese cross.

Unlike large spiritual knightly orders, the Swordsmen retained a nominal dependence on the bishop.

The Order was guided by the statutes of the Templar Order.

Members of the order were divided into knights, priests and servants.

Knights most often came from families of small feudal lords (most often from Saxony).

Their uniform was a white cloak with a red cross and sword..

Servants (squires, artisans, servants, messengers) were recruited from free people and townspeople.

The head of the order was the master; the most important affairs of the order were decided by the chapter.

The first master of the order was Winno von Rohrbach (1202-1209), the second and last was Volkwin von Winterstein (1209-1236).

The Swordsmen built castles in the occupied territories. The castle was the center of an administrative unit - the castelatury.

And if you look at the map of the territory of Livonia in the historical period of interest to us (1241 -1242) that belonged to the Order of the Sword, then their possessions cover exactly the current borders of Estonia and most of Latvia.

Moreover, the map clearly shows three autonomous territories for the Order of the Sword - the Bishopric of Courland, the Bishopric of Dorpat and the Bishopric of Ezel.

So, 34 years passed in the history of the order’s missionary activities, and in order to conquer Lithuania on February 9, 1236, Pope Gregory IX declared a Crusade against Lithuania in which he sent the knights of the Order of the Sword.

On September 22 of the same year, the Battle of Saul (now Siauliai) took place, ending in the complete defeat of the Swordsmen. The master of the order Volguin von Namburg (Volquin von Winterstatten) was killed there.

In connection with the heavy losses suffered by the Order of the Swordsmen among the knights and the death of the Master of the Order, on May 12, 1237 in Viterbo, Gregory IX and the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Hermann von Salza performed the rite of joining the remnants of the Order of the Swordsmen to the Teutonic Order.

Warband sent his knights there and therefore, a branch of the Teutonic Order in the lands former order sword bearers became known as the "Livonian Landmaster of the Teutonic Order"

Although the Livonian Landmaster (the sources use the term "Teutonic Order in Livonia" enjoyed some autonomy, it was only part of the single Teutonic Order!

In Russian historiography, the incorrect name of the "Livonian Landmaster of the Teutonic Order" as an independent knightly order - "Livonian Order" (Here is a typical example http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CB%E8%E2%EE%ED% F1%EA%E8%E9_%EE%F0%E4%E5%ED)

As for the Order of the Sword, the Pope and the German Kaiser were patrons and, at least in theory, its supreme leaders.

Formally, the grandmaster of the Teutonic Order performed only control functions.

At first this did not matter much, since until 1309 his permanent residence was in Venice, and even after moving to Marienburg he did not greatly restrict its autonomy, since he rarely visited Livonia in person or sent representatives there for control.

However, the grandmaster's power was enormous, his advice for a long time was considered equal to an order and his instructions were obeyed unquestioningly.

But the Landmasters of the Teutonic Order in Livonia from 1241 to 1242 were two people:

Dietrich von Grüningen 1238-1241 and from 1242-1246 (secondary) and Andreas von Felben 1241-1242

Well, since we have new ones, character, then let me introduce them, this is probably the first time this has been done in Russian literature for descriptions of events related to Alexander Nevsky and his battle on Lake Peipus!

Dietrich von Grüningen, also known as Dietrich Groningen (1210, Thuringia - September 3, 1259) - Landmaster of the Teutonic Order in Germany (1254-1256), in Prussia (1246-1259) and Livonia (1238-1242 and 1244-1246). He founded several castles in what is now Latvia and spread Catholicism to the pagan tribes of the Baltic states.

Biography

His ancestors were Landgraves of Thuringia. Having entered the Order of the Sword, already in 1237 he was noticed by the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, Hermann von Salza, and applied for the position of Landmaster in Livonia. However, he was unable to occupy such an important post immediately due to his age (27 years) and short service in the order (since 1234).

In 1238, he replaced Hermann von Balk in this post (as an “acting official”), he was in power in Livonia for more than ten years (in some sources even until 1251).

In 1240 he began active fighting on the territory of the Curonians. This is evidenced by the Livonian Chronicle by Hermann Wartberg:

In the year of the Lord 1240, brother Dietrich Groningen, who was holding the post of master, conquered Courland again, built two castles in it, Goldingen (Kuldiga) and Amboten (Embute), and prompted the Kurons to accept holy baptism with kindness and force, for which he received from the legate of the pope His Eminence William and then from the Most Holy Pope Innocent the approval of the right to own two-thirds of Courland, so that the previous agreement concluded about Courland with the brothers of the knighthood, or any other, was no longer valid in comparison with this.

He also concluded a condition with the Bishop of Ezel about the lands of Svorve and Kotse, further that the village of Legals should half belong to the brothers.

In addition, he founded the Latvian Dundaga Castle. In honor of this event, at the entrance to the castle there is a full-length sculpture of Dietrich von Grüningen.

His presence within Livonia was inconsistent.

In 1240 he begins military operations against Novgorod Republic, however, he himself went to Venice to elect the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order instead of Hermann von Salza.

On April 7, 1240, he was in Margentheim surrounded by Conrad of Thuringia, who had been chosen for the post of Grand Master.

Despite the fact that he was the Livonian Landmaster during the Battle of the Ice, he did not take part in it, since he was with the order troops operating against the Curonians and Lithuanians on the territory of Courland.

Very important fact! It turns out that Alexander Nevsky and his troops fought only with part of the Teutonic knights of the Livonian Landmaster.

And the main forces, led by Ladmeister, fought in a completely different area.

The order's troops in the Battle of the Ice were commanded by Andreas von Felben, vice-landmaster of the order in Livonia.

Andreas von Felben(Felfen) (born in Styria, Austria) - Vice-Landmaster of the Livonian department of the Teutonic Order, known for commanding knights during the famous "Battle on the Ice".

What is also known about him is that while in the position of Landmaster of the Order in Prussia in 1246, together with a military detachment German city Lübeck made a trip to the Sambian lands.

And in 1255, during the campaign of the Czech king Ottokar II Přemysl to Prussia, he joined the main army near the mouth of the Vistula.

During his command of the brothers of the order in Prussia, he had the most vice-landmasters (deputies) under his command due to the fact that at almost the same time Dietrich von Grüningen was the landmaster of all three “large” parts of the order.

But he himself did not personally fight on Lake Peipus, entrusting command to the commanders, he preferred to be on safe distance, that's why he wasn't captured.

Another important fact! It turns out that the Teutonic knights, before entering into battle with the united Novgorod and Vladimus-Suzdal armies, did not have a single commander!!!

In the life of Alexander Nevsky he appears under the name “Andreyash”.

But, be that as it may, namely the Teutonic knights, who were part of the “Livonian Landmaster of the Teutonic Order” under the leadership of the two aforementioned LADMEISTERS, at the end of August 1240, having gathered part of their forces and enlisting the support of the papal curia, invaded the Pskov lands, and first captured the city of Izborsk .

The attempt of the Pskov-Novgorod militia to recapture the fortress ended in failure.

Then the knights besieged the city of Pskov itself and soon took it, taking advantage of the uprising among the besieged.

Two German Vogts were planted in the city.

(IN Western Europe- vassal of the bishop, a secular official in the church estate, endowed with judicial, administrative and fiscal functions (administrator of church lands).

At the same time, at the beginning of 1241, Alexander Nevsky and his retinue returned to Novgorod, again invited to the VECHE to the post of Novgorod prince, after which, commanding the Novgorod troops, he liberated Koporye.

After this, he returned to Novgorod, where he spent the winter awaiting the arrival of reinforcements from Vladimir.

In March, a united army (the Novgorod militia and several regiments of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality under the command of Prince Andrei Yaroslavovich liberated the city of Pskov.

It ended in the defeat of the knights. The Order was forced to make peace, according to which the crusaders abandoned the captured Russian lands.

But this general description of the course of military operations has long been known and understood by everyone.

At the same time, until now, and especially in Russian historiography, no attention has been paid to the study of the tactical features of the war both by A. Nevsky and with the Teutonic knights in the period from 1241 to 1242.

The only exception here is a small work by A.N. Kirpichnikov

"Battle on the Ice. Tactical features, formation and number of troops"published in the magazine Zeighaus N6 1997.

And this is what this author writes, which is quite fair and true, on issues that interest us.

"In the chronicle description of the Battle of the Ice it is noted main feature Livonian army.

(THIS IS A TYPICAL BUT INCORRECT CONSTRUCTION SCHEME of the Teutonic Knights!)

It entered the battle built in the shape of a “pig.”

Historians considered the “pig” to be a kind of wedge-shaped formation of an army - a sharp column.

The Russian term in this regard was exact translation German Schweinkopfn Latin caput porci.

In turn, the mentioned term is related to the concept of wedge, tip, cuneus, acies.

The last two terms have been used in sources since Roman times.11 But they cannot always be interpreted figuratively.

Individual military units were often called this way, regardless of the method of their formation.

For all that, the very name of such units hints at their unique configuration.

Indeed, the wedge-shaped structure is not the fruit of the theoretical imagination of ancient writers.

This formation was actually used in combat practice in the 13th-15th centuries. in Central Europe, but fell out of use only in late XVI centuries.

Based on the surviving written sources, which have not yet attracted the attention of domestic historians, the construction with a wedge (in the chronicle text - “pig”) lends itself to reconstruction in the form of a deep column with a triangular crown.

This construction is confirmed by a unique document - a military manual - " Preparing for the hike" written in 1477 for one of the Brandenburg military leaders.

It lists three divisions-banners.

Their names are typical - “Hound”, “St. George” and “Great”. The banners consisted of 400, 500 and 700 mounted warriors, respectively.

At the head of each detachment were concentrated a standard bearer and selected knights, located in 5 ranks.

In the first rank, depending on the size of the banner, from 3 to 7-9 mounted knights lined up, in the last - from 11 to 17.

The total number of wedge warriors ranged from 35 to 65 people.

The ranks were lined up in such a way that each subsequent one on its flanks increased by two knights.

Thus, the outermost warriors in relation to each other were placed as if on a ledge and guarded the one riding in front from one of the sides. This was the tactical feature of the wedge - it was adapted for a concentrated frontal attack and at the same time was difficult to be vulnerable from the flanks.

The second, column-shaped part of the banner, according to “Preparation for the Campaign,” consisted of a quadrangular structure that included bollards.

(cf.: German Knecht “servant, worker; slave.” - author)

The number of bollards in each of the three detachments mentioned above was 365, 442 and 629 (or 645), respectively.

They were located in depth from 33 to 43 ranks, each of which contained from 11 to 17 cavalry.

Among the bollards were servants who were part of the knight's battle retinue: usually an archer or crossbowman and a squire.

All together they formed a lower military unit - a “spear” - numbering 35 people, rarely more.

During the battle, these warriors, equipped no worse than a knight, came to the aid of their master and changed his horse.

The advantages of the column-wedge banner include its cohesion, flank coverage of the wedge, ramming power of the first strike, and precise controllability.

The formation of such a banner was convenient both for movement and for starting a battle.

The tightly closed ranks of the leading part of the detachment did not need to turn around to protect their flanks when they came into contact with the enemy.

The wedge of the approaching army made a terrifying impression and could cause confusion in the ranks of the enemy at the first onslaught. The wedge detachment was intended to break the opposing side's formation and achieve a quick victory.

The described system also had disadvantages.

During the battle, if it dragged on, best forces- knights - could be the first to be put out of action.

As for the bollards, during the fight between the knights they were in a wait-and-see state and had little influence on the outcome of the battle.

A wedge-shaped column, judging by one of the battles of the 15th century. (1450 under Pillenreith), the rank of knights brought up the rear, since the bollards, apparently, were not very reliable.

However, it is difficult to judge the strengths and weaknesses of the pointed column based on the lack of material. IN different regions In Europe, it was obviously distinguished by its features and weapons.

Let us also touch upon the question of the number of wedge-shaped columns.

(impressive but erroneous Russian diagram)

According to the “Preparations for the Campaign” of 1477, such a column ranged from 400 to 700 horsemen.

But the number of tactical units of that time, as is known, was not constant, and in combat practice even the 1st floor. XV century was very diverse.

For example, according to J. Dlugosz, in the seven Teutonic banners that fought at Grunwald in 1410, there were 570 spears, i.e., each banner had 82 spears, which, taking into account the knight and his retinue, corresponded to 246 combatants.

According to other sources, in the five banners of the Order in 1410, when salaries were paid, there were from 157 to 359 copies and from 4 to 30 archers.

Later, in one clash in 1433, the Bavarian “pig” detachment consisted of 200 warriors: in its head unit there were 3, 5 and 7 knights in three ranks.

Under Pillenreith (1450), the wedge column consisted of 400 mounted knights and bollards.

All the data presented indicate that the knightly detachment of the 15th century. could reach one thousand horsemen, but more often included several hundred combatants.

In military episodes of the 14th century. the number of knights in the detachment, compared to later times, was even smaller - from 20 to 80 (excluding bollards).

For example, in 1331, there were 350 mounted warriors in five Prussian banners, i.e., 70 in each banner (or approximately 20 copies).

We also have the opportunity to more specifically determine the number of Livonian combat detachment XIII century

In 1268, in the battle of Rakovor, as the chronicle mentions, the German “iron regiment, the great pig,” fought.

According to the Rhymed Chronicle, 34 knights and militia took part in the battle.

This number of knights, if supplemented by a commander, will be 35 people, which exactly corresponds to the composition of the knightly wedge of one of the detachments noted in the above-mentioned “Preparation for the Campaign” of 1477 (though for the “Hound” banner, not the “Great”).

In the same “Preparation for the Campaign” the number of bollards of such a banner is given - 365 people.

Taking into account the fact that the numbers of the head units of the detachments according to the data of 1477 and 1268. practically coincided, we can assume without the risk of a big mistake that, in their general quantitative composition these units were also approaching each other.

In this case, we can to a certain extent judge the usual size of the German wedge-shaped banners that took part in the Livonian-Russian wars of the 13th century.

As for the German detachment in the battle of 1242, its composition was hardly superior to the Rakovor “great pig”.

From here we can draw our first conclusions:

The total number of Teutonic knights who took part in the Battle of the Ice was from 34 to 50 people and 365-400 bollards!

It was still separate detachment from the city of Dorpat, but nothing is known about its numbers.

During the period under review, the Teutonic Order, distracted by the struggle in Courland, could not field large army. But the knights already had losses at Izborsk, Pskov and Kloporye!

Although other Russian scientists insist that the German army consisted of 1,500 mounted warriors (this also included 20 knights), 2-3,000 bollards and Estonian and Chud militia.

And A. Nevsky’s army is the same Russian historians, for some reason they estimate only 4-5000 warriors and 800-1000 mounted warriors.

Why are the regiments brought from the Vladimir-Suzdal principality by Prince Andrei not taken into account?!

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 don’t know where our ancestors actually fought with

Official point According to legend, 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 Peipsi, 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 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. Chud, 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 local history museums The Pskov region is very skeptical about the widespread assertion 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 the massive armor, which can be found everywhere in miniatures of the Battle of the Ice in history textbooks, appeared only in XIV-XV 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 battle site is considered to be a small area of Teploe 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 direct participant that same expedition managed 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 anyway?

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 for himself the image of a winner in order to give his figure more weight on 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 Slavic and German dialects that time, cartographers. 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, schoolchildren from local historical societies. 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 meaning. Finally he was discovered. It turned out that it was a rather high stone ledge on the western tip of Gorodets Island. For seven centuries not too 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, “grass” in this case could be an idiom denoting the very fact of falling, 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 happened in those places all the time.

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 delivered in 1993. It is located in the city of Pskov, installed on Mount Sokolikha. From theoretical place The battle monument is more than a hundred kilometers away. This stele is dedicated to the “Druzhinniks of Alexander Nevsky”. Patrons raised money for it, which was an incredibly difficult task in those years. And therefore this monument also has great 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". Just look at this magnificent (with artistic point point of view) the film is definitely not worthwhile as a historical guide. Absurdities and obviously unreliable facts are present there in abundance.

On April 5, 1242, the famous Battle of the Ice took place on Lake Peipus. Russian soldiers under the command of Prince Alexander Nevsky defeated the German knights who were planning to strike Veliky Novgorod. This date for a long time did not have official recognition as public holiday. Only on March 13, 1995 was it adopted the federal law No. 32-FZ "On the days military glory(victorious days) of Russia." Then, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, Russian authorities again became concerned with the issue of reviving patriotism in the country. In accordance with this law, the day of celebration of the victory over Lake Peipsi was set on April 18. Officially memorable date received the name “Victory Day of the Russian soldiers of Prince Alexander Nevsky over the German knights on Lake Peipsi.”

Interestingly, in the same 1990s, Russian political parties nationalist sense, at the instigation of the well-known followers of the writer Eduard Limonov, April 5 began to be celebrated as “Russian Nation Day”, also dedicated to victory on Lake Peipus. The difference in dates was due to the fact that the Limonovites chose the date April 5 to celebrate Julian calendar, and the official memorial date is considered according to the Gregorian calendar. But the most interesting thing is that according to the proleptic Gregorian calendar, which covers the period before 1582, this date should have been celebrated on April 12. But in any case, the decision itself to set a date in memory of such a large-scale event in national history. Moreover, this was one of the first and most impressive episodes of the collision of the Russian world with the West. Subsequently, Russia will fight more than once with Western countries, but the memory of the soldiers of Alexander Nevsky, who defeated the German knights, is still alive.

The events discussed below unfolded against the backdrop of the total weakening of the Russian principalities during the Mongol invasion. In 1237-1240 Rus' was invaded again Mongol hordes. This time was prudently used by Pope Gregory IX for another expansion to the northeast. Then Holy Rome was preparing, firstly, a crusade against Finland, at that time still inhabited mainly by pagans, and secondly, against Rus', which was considered by the pontiff as the main competitor of Catholics in the Baltic states.

The Teutonic Order was ideally suited for the role of executor of expansionist plans. The times in question were the era of the order's heyday. It was later, already during the Livonian War of Ivan the Terrible, that the order was far from better condition, and then, in the 13th century, the young military-religious formation represented a very strong and aggressive enemy, controlling impressive territories on the banks of Baltic Sea. The Order was considered the main conductor of the influence of the Catholic Church in North-Eastern Europe and directed its attacks against the Baltic and Slavic peoples who lived in these areas. The main task the order was enslavement and conversion to Catholicism local residents, and if they did not want to accept the Catholic faith, then the “noble knights” mercilessly destroyed the “pagans.” Teutonic knights appeared in Poland, called Polish prince to help in the fight against the Prussian tribes. The conquest of the Prussian lands by the order began, which occurred quite actively and rapidly.

It should be noted that the official residence of the Teutonic Order during the events described was still located in the Middle East - in the Montfort Castle in the territory of modern Israel (the historical land of the Upper Galilee). Located in Montfort grand master Teutonic Order, archive and order treasury. Thus, the top leadership managed the order's possessions in the Baltic states remotely. In 1234, the Teutonic Order absorbed the remnants of the Dobrin Order, created in 1222 or 1228 on the territory of Prussia to protect the Prussian bishopric from attacks by Prussian tribes.

When in 1237 the remnants of the Order of the Swordsmen (Brotherhood of the Warriors of Christ) joined the Teutonic Order, the Teutons also gained control over the possessions of the Swordsmen in Livonia. The Livonian Landmastership of the Teutonic Order arose on the Livonian lands of the Swordsmen. Interestingly, the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, back in 1224, declared the lands of Prussia and Livonia to be subordinate directly to Holy Rome, and not to local authorities. The Order became the main viceroy of the papal throne and the exponent of the papal will in the Baltic lands. At the same time, the course for further expansion of the order in Eastern Europe and the Baltic states continued.

Back in 1238, the Danish king Valdemar II and the Grand Master of the Order Herman Balk agreed on the division of the lands of Estonia. Velikiy Novgorod was the main obstacle for the German-Danish knights and it was against him that the main blow was directed. Sweden entered into an alliance with the Teutonic Order and Denmark. In July 1240, Swedish ships appeared on the Neva, but already on July 15, 1240, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich struck on the banks of the Neva Swedish knights a crushing defeat. For this he was nicknamed Alexander Nevsky.

The defeat of the Swedes did not greatly contribute to the abandonment of their allies from their aggressive plans. The Teutonic Order and Denmark were going to continue the campaign against North-Eastern Rus' with the aim of introducing Catholicism. Already at the end of August 1240, Bishop Herman of Dorpat set off on a campaign against Rus'. He gathered an impressive army of knights of the Teutonic Order, Danish knights from the Revel fortress and the Dorpat militia, and invaded the territory of the modern Pskov region.

The resistance of the Pskov residents did not give the desired result. The knights captured Izborsk and then besieged Pskov. Although the first siege of Pskov did not bring the desired result and the knights retreated, they soon returned and were able to take the Pskov fortress, using the help of the former Pskov prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich and the traitor boyars led by Tverdilo Ivankovich. Pskov was taken and a knightly garrison was stationed there. Thus, the Pskov land became a springboard for the actions of the German knights against Veliky Novgorod.

A difficult situation at this time it was also taking shape in Novgorod itself. In the winter of 1240/1241, the townspeople expelled Prince Alexander from Novgorod. Only when the enemy approached the city very close did they send messengers to Pereslavl-Zalessky to call Alexander. In 1241, the prince marched to Koporye, captured it by storm, killing the knightly garrison located there. Then, by March 1242, Alexander, having waited for the help of the troops of Prince Andrew from Vladimir, marched on Pskov and soon took the city, forcing the knights to retreat to the Bishopric of Dorpat. Then Alexander invaded the order's lands, but when the advanced forces were defeated by the knights, he decided to retreat back and prepare in the area of Lake Peipsi for the main battle. The balance of forces of the parties, according to sources, was approximately 15-17 thousand soldiers from the Russian side, and 10-12 thousand Livonian and Danish knights, as well as the militia of the Dorpat bishopric.

The Russian army was commanded by Prince Alexander Nevsky, and the knights were commanded by the Landmaster of the Teutonic Order in Livonia, Andreas von Felfen. A native of Austrian Styria, Andreas von Felfen was Komtur (commandant) of Riga before taking up the post of viceroy of the order in Livonia. What kind of commander he was is evidenced by the fact that he decided not to personally participate in the battle on Lake Peipus, but remained at a safe distance, transferring command to the younger order military leaders. The Danish knights were commanded by the sons of King Valdemar II himself.

As is known, the crusaders of the Teutonic Order usually used order of battle the so-called “pig” or “boar’s head” - a long column, at the head of which was a wedge from the ranks of the strongest and most experienced knights. Behind the wedge were detachments of squires, and in the center of the column - infantry of mercenaries - people from the Baltic tribes. On the sides of the column followed heavily armed knightly cavalry. The meaning of this formation was that the knights wedged themselves into the enemy’s formation, splitting it into two parts, then breaking it into smaller parts, and only then finishing it off with the participation of their infantry.

Prince Alexander Nevsky took a very interesting move - he placed his forces on the flanks in advance. In addition, the cavalry squads of Alexander and Andrei Yaroslavich were placed in ambush. The Novgorod militia stood in the center, and in front was a chain of archers. They put it behind chained convoys, which were supposed to deprive the knights of the opportunity to maneuver and evade the blows of the Russian army. On April 5 (12), 1242, Russians and knights came into combat contact. The archers were the first to take the onslaught of the knights, and then the knights were able to break through the Russian system with the help of their famous wedge. But that was not the case - the heavily armed knightly cavalry got stuck near the convoy and then the regiments of the right and left moved towards it from the flanks. Then they entered the battle princely squads, which put the knights to flight. The ice broke, unable to withstand the weight of the knights, and the Germans began to drown. Alexander Nevsky's warriors chased the knights across the ice of Lake Peipus for seven miles. The Teutonic Order and Denmark suffered complete defeat in the Battle of Lake Peipsi. According to the Simeonovskaya Chronicle, 800 Germans and Chuds “without number” died, 50 knights were captured. The losses of Alexander Nevsky's troops are unknown.

The defeat of the Teutonic Order had an impressive effect on its leadership. The Teutonic Order abandoned all territorial claims to Veliky Novgorod and returned all the lands captured not only in Rus', but also in Latgale. Thus, the effect of the defeat inflicted on the German knights was colossal, primarily in politically. To the West, the Battle of the Ice demonstrated that in Rus' a strong enemy awaited the famous crusaders, ready to fight for their native lands to the last. Later, Western historians tried in every possible way to downplay the significance of the battle on Lake Peipus - either they argued that in reality much smaller forces met there, or they characterized the battle as the starting point for the formation of the “myth of Alexander Nevsky.”

The victories of Alexander Nevsky over the Swedes and over the Teutonic and Danish knights were of great significance for further Russian history. Who knows how the history of the Russian land would have developed if Alexander’s soldiers had not won these battles then. After all, the main goal of the knights was to convert the Russian lands to Catholicism and their complete subordination to the rule of the order, and through it, Rome. For Rus', therefore, the battle was of decisive importance in terms of preserving national and cultural identity. We can say that the Russian world was forged, among other things, in the battle on Lake Peipsi.

Alexander Nevsky, who defeated the Swedes and Teutons, forever entered Russian history both as a church saint and as brilliant commander and defender of the Russian land. It is clear that the contribution of countless Novgorod warriors and princely warriors was no less. History has not preserved their names, but for us, living 776 years later, Alexander Nevsky is, among other things, those Russian people who fought on Lake Peipsi. He became the personification of the Russian military spirit and power. It was under him that Rus' showed the West that it was not going to submit to it, that it was a special land with its own way of life, with its own people, with its own cultural code. Then Russian soldiers had to “punch” the West more than once. But the starting point was precisely the battles won by Alexander Nevsky.

Followers of political Eurasianism say that Alexander Nevsky predetermined Russia’s Eurasian choice. During his reign, Rus' developed more peaceful relations with the Mongols than with the German knights. At least the Mongols did not seek to destroy the identity of the Russian people by imposing their beliefs on them. In any case, the political wisdom of the prince was that in difficult times for the Russian land he was able to relatively secure Novgorod Rus' in the east, winning battles in the west. This was his military and diplomatic talent.

776 years have passed, but the memory of the feat of Russian soldiers in the Battle of Lake Peipsi remains. In the 2000s, a number of monuments to Alexander Nevsky were opened in Russia - in St. Petersburg, Veliky Novgorod, Petrozavodsk, Kursk, Volgograd, Alexandrov, Kaliningrad and many other cities. Everlasting memory to the prince and all Russian soldiers who defended their land in that battle.

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, a fairly strong stronghold of Catholicism had formed near the borders of Eastern Europe 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, contradictions in their camp led to a split and complete absence interactions.

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 by the 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 Peipsi became the 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.

The Battle of Lake Peipus has long been considered almost a turning point in the entire struggle of Rus' against the Crusaders, but modern trends call into 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 Peipsi and, according to these researchers, are embellished, however, as is the threat from the crusaders.

Losses

Monument to the squads of A. Nevsky on Mount Sokolikha

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 knights are indicated by specific numbers, which cause controversy. Russian chronicles, and after them domestic historians they say that about five hundred people were killed by the knights, and the Chuds were “beschisla”; fifty “brothers”, “deliberate commanders”, were allegedly taken prisoner. Four hundred to five hundred killed knights is a completely unrealistic figure, since there was no such number in the entire 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.” The Rhymed Chronicle specifically says that twenty knights were killed and six were captured. Most likely, the “Chronicle” means only “brothers”-knights, without taking into account their squads and the Chud recruited into the army. The Novgorod First Chronicle says that 400 “Germans” fell in the battle, 50 were taken prisoner, and “chud” is also discounted: “beschisla”. Apparently, they suffered really serious losses.

So, it is possible that 400 German cavalry soldiers (of which twenty were real “brothers” knights) actually fell on the ice of Lake Peipus, and 50 Germans (of which 6 “brothers”) were captured by the Russians. “The Life of Alexander Nevsky” claims that the prisoners then walked next to their horses during the joyful entry of Prince Alexander into Pskov.

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 the modern shore of 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 for meeting 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), was of great importance for Pskov and Novgorod, delaying the onslaught of three serious enemies from the west - at the very time when the rest of Rus' was suffering from princely strife and consequences Tatar conquest big losses. In Novgorod, the Battle of the Germans on the Ice was remembered for a long time: together with the Neva victory over the Swedes, it was remembered in the litanies of all Novgorod churches back in the 16th century.

The English researcher J. Funnel believes that the significance of the Battle of 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, rushed to protect the extended and vulnerable borders from invaders." I agree with this opinion Russian professor I. N. Danilevsky. He notes, in particular, that the battle was inferior in scale to the battles of Siauliai (city), 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

Music

The score for Eisenstein's film, composed by Sergei Prokofiev, is a symphonic suite dedicated to the events of the battle.

Monument to Alexander Nevsky and Worship Cross

Bronze worship cross cast in St. Petersburg with funds from 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 JSC "NTTsKT", 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.