Prince Alexander Nevsky: a biography of a great man

Prince Alexander Nevsky, whose biography is very remarkable, became one of those Russian rulers, who are not only remembered until now, but also revered. His battles and exploits own the minds and representatives of modern generations, although he himself lived a long time ago.

Birth and family

Alexander Nevsky (his biography is known, in principle, quite well) was born on May 13 in 1221 near the prince's couple Yaroslav Vsevolodich and Feodosia Mstislavovna (daughter of Mstislav Udalogo). Edit in his beloved Novgorod, the young prince became already from 1236, and all his reign is full of disputes with wayward townspeople. Novgorod was a free city, not wishing to obey unconditionally anyone. Alexander married in 1239, electing to his wife the Polotsk princess Alexander Bryachislavna. This marriage brought three sons: Daniel later became a Moscow prince, and Dimitri and Andrew - Vladimir.

The Battle of Neva and the Battle of Lake Peipsi

A glorious battle, for which the prince also received his nickname, occurred July 15, 1240 on the banks of the Neva. Alexander managed to repel an attack by Swedish detachments under the command of the famous Jarl Birger (later he will become the ruler of Poland), to preserve the territories on the coast of the Gulf of Finland and for a long time to close the question of the Swedes' claims to these lands. Alexander Nevsky (his biography describes this fact) soon after the battle leaves Novgorod, again not getting along with the residents (and, as always, it was in the freedom of Novgorod), and moves to Pereslavl-Zalessky.

However, this opal did not last long. Novgorod could not do without a glorious commander, because there were always willing to encroach on his land. This time it was the forces of the Lithuanian prince and the Livonian Order. Strictly speaking, the Order itself was not officially hostile to the Russian princes. In its ranks for a long time the rift was ripening. Part of the knights advocated the continuation of campaigns to the Holy Land, while the other wanted the crusades to be moved eastward to the lands of Russia and its neighbors. Actually, Livonian knights in the famous battle participated a little, most of the troops belonged to the Lithuanian prince. Prince Alexander Nevsky, whose biography is described in the article, responded to the plea of the Novgorodians and returned. The battle that was glorified in the centuries took place on the Chudskoe lake, which was chained in the ice (although the exact place is not known until now) in 1242 on April 5. The rout of the enemy forces proved to be uttermost, the order was hard to defeat. Thus, Prince Alexander Nevsky (his biography is filled with such acts) ensured the security of the western borders of Russia.

Rome and the Horde

Two of these battles - on the Neva and Lake Peipsi - are so glorified in the centuries also because they were the only ones for Russia at that time. In the east, things were terrible. Russian princes could not unite in time and repel an attack of a powerful enemy - the Horde, and now they had to obey the khans, go to their capital to get labels on the right of reign in their native lands. For the same after the death of his father, the brothers Alexander and Andrei went to the Horde. Senior to the board went to the southern lands of Russia, including Kiev, and the younger - the northern. However, the prince returns to his beloved Novgorod anyway. And here there is one more event, which Alexander Nevsky's biography (the brief content of it should also include this fact) emphasizes especially. Despite the power of the Mongols and their own turmoil, the prince does not accept help from the West in exchange for accepting the Catholic faith. Such a proposal makes him Pope Innocent IV, but receives a categorical refusal.

After internal turmoil in the Horde (the overthrow of Khanshi Ogul Gashim Khan Munke) Alexander receives a label for the reign of Novgorod in 1242. But he did not succeed in reviving in the city - his brother Andrey, having secured the support of the Galician prince Daniil Romanovich and Prince Tver, refused to give up power. However, soon Alexander could still get to Novgorod. Alexander Nevsky (his biography is full of glorious victories and in the diplomatic field) during his trip to the Golden Horde managed to knock out to his soldiers the opportunity not to participate in the aggressive Mongol campaigns. However, on the return journey, the prince falls ill and dies in Gorodets, located on the Volga River, on November 14, 1263. The version of poisoning by the Mongols exists, but there is no way to prove it today.

Veneration of the saint

In Vladimir, he began to read in the 1280's, but the official canonization came later. Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky became the patron of not only Russia, but later Russia, and his exploits were reflected not only in folklore and folk legends, but later in literature and cinema.