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From Kievan Rus to Lesser Rus The Mongol invasion of 1237–1241 dealt a terrible blow to the entire ancient Russian civilization, as a result of which a total redrawing of the political map of Eastern Europe took place. The immediate political consequences of this event are very

Neva battle(July 15, 1240) - a battle on the Neva River between the Novgorod militia under the command of Prince Alexander Yaroslavich and the Swedish detachment. Alexander Yaroslavich received the honorary nickname "Nevsky" for his victory and personal courage in battle.

Sources

Sources telling about the Battle of the Neva are very few. These are the Novgorod first chronicle of the older version, several variants of the hagiographic Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky, written no later than the 80s. XIII century, as well as the later Novgorod first chronicle of the younger version, depending on the two sources indicated above. There is no mention of a major defeat in Scandinavian sources, although in 1240 a small Scandinavian detachment really took place against Rus' (as part of a crusade to Finland).

Battle

background

In the first half of the 13th century, the Swedes and Novgorodians carried out aggressive campaigns against the Finnish tribes of Sum and Em, which caused their protracted conflicts. The Swedes tried to baptize these tribes, converting them to the Catholic faith.

In this confrontation, both sides sought to take control of Ingermanland - the territory adjacent to the Neva River, as well as the Karelian Isthmus.

Before the battle

In the summer of 1240, Swedish ships arrived at the mouth of the Izhora River. Having landed on the shore, the Swedes and their allies pitched their tents in the place where the Izhora flowed into the Neva. The Novgorod First Chronicle of the older edition reports this as follows:

According to this report, the Swedish troops included Norwegians (Murmans) and representatives of Finnish tribes (Sum and Em); Catholic bishops were also in the army. According to the assumption of N. I. Kostomarov, the son-in-law of the king, Birger Magnusson, could lead the Swedish army. However, Swedish sources do not contain any mention of either the battle itself or Birger's participation in it. Interestingly, Birger's wife was Alexander Nevsky's at least fourth cousin.

The borders of the Novgorod land were guarded by "watchmen": in the Neva region, on both banks of the Gulf of Finland, there was a "sea guard" of the Izhorians. At dawn on a July day in 1240, the elder of the Izhora land, Pelgusius, while on patrol, discovered the Swedish flotilla and hastily sent Alexander to report everything.

The “Life of Alexander Nevsky” refers to the vision of Pelgusius, in which he recognized the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb, sailing on the sea on a ship, and heard Boris say: “Brother Gleb, they were rowing, so we will help our relative, Prince Alexander.”

Having received such news, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich decided to suddenly attack the enemy. There was no time to wait for reinforcements, and Alexander began to gather his own squad. Novgorod militia also joined the army.

According to the accepted custom, the soldiers gathered at the Hagia Sophia and received a blessing from Archbishop Spiridon. Alexander inspired the squad with a speech, the phrase of which has survived to this day and has become winged:

Alexander's detachment advanced along the Volkhov to Ladoga, then turned to the mouth of the Izhora. Along the way, local residents joined the detachment. The army mainly consisted of mounted warriors, but there were also foot forces in it, which, in order not to waste time, also traveled on horseback.

The Swedish camp was not guarded, as the Swedes did not think about the possibility of attacking them. Taking advantage of the fog, Alexander's troops secretly approached the enemy and took him by surprise: without the ability to create a battle formation, the Swedes could not offer full resistance.

The course of the battle

On July 15, 1240, the battle began. The message of the First Novgorod Chronicle of the senior edition is quite short:

Russian horse spearmen attacked the center of the Swedish camp, and the foot army hit the flank along the coast and captured three ships. In the course of the battle, Alexander's army owned the initiative, and the prince himself, according to chronicles, “left the mark of his sharp spear on the face of the king himself ..”

In the insert made in the Biography of Alexander Nevsky according to the Laurentian Chronicle, six warriors who performed feats during the battle are mentioned:

Gavrilo Oleksich, “seeing the prince, dragged by the arms, rode up to the ship along the gangway along which they ran with the prince,” boarded, was thrown down, but then again entered the battle. Sbyslav Yakunovich, armed with only one ax, rushed to the very center of the enemy army, followed by the hunter Alexander; - Yakov Polochanin brandished his long sword. The lad Savva penetrated the center of the Swedish camp, "broke into the large royal golden-domed tent and cut down the tent pillar"; Having lost its support, the tent fell to the ground. Novgorodian Mesha with his squad sank three enemy ships. The sixth warrior mentioned - the servant of Alexander Yaroslavich Ratmir fought on foot against several Swedes, was wounded and died.

The battle lasted until evening; By nightfall, the enemies dispersed. The Swedes were defeated, and by morning they retreated to the surviving ships, and crossed to the other side. It is known that the Russian soldiers did not interfere with the flight. The losses of the Novgorod army were insignificant. They amounted to twenty people, while the Swedes, on the three ships remaining with them, loaded the bodies of their dead soldiers, and left the rest on the shore. Reports of further events are conflicting. On the other side of the Neva, the next day, local residents found many unburied bodies of the Swedes, although it is indicated that they sank two ships with the dead, after which the remnants of the army sailed to Sweden.

Result of the battle

Having won, the Russian troops did not allow the Swedes to cut off Novgorod from the sea and capture the coast of the Neva and the Gulf of Finland. In addition, the plan of joint actions of the Swedish and German knights was destroyed: now, after the victory, Novgorod could not be surrounded from two sides.

However, because of the fear that after the victory the role of Alexander in the conduct of business could increase, the Novgorod boyars began to build all sorts of intrigues for the prince. Alexander Nevsky went to his father, but a year later the Novgorod residents again invited the prince to continue the war with the Livonian Order, which had approached Pskov.

The memory of the Neva battle

Architecture

Alexander Nevsky Lavra

In 1710, Peter I, in memory of the Battle of the Neva, founded the Alexander Nevsky Monastery at the mouth of the Black River (now the Monastyrka River) in St. Petersburg. At that time, it was erroneously believed that the battle took place exactly at this place. The construction of the monastery was carried out according to the project of Domenico Trezzini. In the future, the ensemble of the monastery developed according to the plan of other architects.

On August 30, 1724, the remains of Alexander Yaroslavich were brought here from Vladimir. In 1797, under Emperor Paul I, the Alexander Nevsky Monastery was awarded the degree of Lavra. The architectural ensemble of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra includes: the Church of the Annunciation, the Fedorov Church, the Trinity Cathedral and others. Now the Alexander Nevsky Lavra is a state reserve, on the territory of which the Museum of Urban Sculpture is located with an 18th-century necropolis (Lazarevsky cemetery) and a necropolis of art masters (Tikhvin cemetery). Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov, Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov, Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin, Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, Ivan Andreevich Krylov, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka, Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky and many other figures who entered the history of Russia are buried in the Lavra.

In honor of the victory in the Battle of the Neva in Ust-Izhora in 1711, a wooden church was built.

Until the beginning of the new century, the church burned several times and was restored several times. In 1798, a stone church with a bell tower and a cast-iron grate was erected at the expense of local residents.

In 1934 the temple was closed and used as a warehouse. During the siege of Leningrad, the bell tower of the church was blown up because it served as a guide for the German artillery.

In 1990, work began on the restoration of the temple, and in 1995, on September 12, it was consecrated. At the temple there is a small churchyard cemetery, where on December 6, 2002, a monument-chapel with a half-length (bronze) image of Alexander Nevsky was installed and consecrated.

The church is located in the Kolpinsky district of St. Petersburg at the address: Ust-Izhora, 217, 9th January Ave.

Screen adaptation

In 2008, the feature film “Alexander. Neva battle.

• At present, at the place where the Swedish ships stopped and the knights set up their camp, the village of Ust-Izhora is located.

Criticism

At present, the reliability of evidence about the Battle of the Neva is being questioned. The arguments given are as follows:

• There is no mention of the battle in the Ipatiev Chronicle, as well as in Swedish sources.
• In the Laurentian Chronicle, the mention of the battle is placed in the entry for 1263 and is a borrowing from the Life. For 1240 there is no mention of the battle.
• Swedish sources state that Birger did not leave Sweden during the year of the battle.
• Swedish sources do not mention the death of any bishop in the year of the battle.
• The description of the wound in the face may have been borrowed from the Life of Dovmont of Novgorod.
• There is no explanation for the contradictory behavior of the Swedes, who did not advance deep into enemy territory and did not build a fortified camp.
• There is no explanation for the strange behavior of Alexander, who did not notify Yaroslav of the attack and did not gather the Novgorod militia.
• It is not clear why, after the battle, the Swedes remained on the battlefield and were able to bury the dead.
• There is no information about captured Swedes.
• The information about the sinking of three Swedish ships looks implausible.
• It is not clear who killed the Swedes on the other side of the river.
• The deceased commander of the Swedes bears the Russian name Spiridon.
• A hypothesis is put forward about a joint attack by Alexander and the Karelians on the camp of Swedish merchants.

The Battle of the Neva is a battle on the Neva River, between the Novgorod army under the command of the Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich and the Swedish army, which took place on July 15, 1240.

Battle of the Neva - briefly (article review)

Before the battle: 1240, summer - the Swedish flotilla led by Ulf Fasi and the son-in-law of King Eric XI Birger Magnusson entered the mouth of the Neva.

Goal: mastering the Neva, Ladoga in the lower reaches of the Volkhov, and then Novgorod.

The course of the battle: 1240, July 15, in the morning - the Russians suddenly attacked the Swedes. The Swedish army was dismembered by an unexpected attack into several large and small units, which the Novgorodians began to destroy, pressing one by one to the shore. The Swedes fled to their ships and moved away from the coast, having lost more than 200 noble warriors in the battle, and others "without number".

The meaning of victory: this battle began the struggle of Rus' to maintain access to the sea, which is very important for the future of the Russian people. The victory prevented the loss of the shores of the Gulf of Finland and did not stop trade with other states, thereby facilitating the struggle for the Russian people to overthrow the Tatar-Mongol yoke. She stopped the Swedish aggression to the east for a long time, retained Russia's access to the Baltic coast.

And now in more detail ...

Causes

In the 1230s, a formidable danger hung over Russia from the West. The German crusaders (knights of the Teutonic Order and the Order of the Sword, who united in 1237 into the Livonian Order), carrying out extensive forced colonization and Christianization of the Baltic tribes, approached the borders of Rus'. Meanwhile, the Swedes, having subjugated the Finnish tribes of sum and em, did not leave long-standing claims to the Novgorod lands - the Neva and Ladoga. The main organizer of campaigns with the aim of conquering Russian lands was the head of the Catholic Church - the Pope, who sought to unite the forces of the Order, the bishops of Riga and Dorpat, as well as Sweden and Denmark.

How it all began

The Swedish and German knights took advantage of the fact that after the ruin of North-Eastern Rus' by the Mongols, Novgorod and Pskov had nowhere to expect help, stepped up their expansion in North-Western Rus', counting on an easy victory. The Swedes made the first attempt to conquer Russian lands. 1238 - the Swedish king received a "blessing" from the pope for a crusade; against the Novgorodians. All who agreed to take part in the campaign were promised remission of sins.

1239 - the Swedes negotiated with the Germans, outlining the plan of the campaign: the Swedes, who captured Finland at that time, were to advance on Novgorod from the north, from the Neva River, and the Germans - through Izborsk and Pskov. The Swedish government of King Erich Burr allocated an army under the command of Jarl (Prince) Ulf Fasi and the royal son-in-law, Birger, for the campaign.

Meanwhile, Alexander reigned in Novgorod - the son of the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. He was an intelligent, energetic and brave man. Alexander was already known as a skilled politician and understood that the weakened Russian principalities did not have the strength to fight on two fronts. Therefore, the prince tried to maintain peaceful relations with the Tatars, which ensured a safe rear for himself in the event of a fight against German-Swedish aggression.

Novgorodians knew about the plans of the Swedes, as well as that they boasted of converting them, like pagans, into the Latin faith (Catholicism). The Swedes seemed to them more terrible than the Mongols, because they went to plant an alien faith.

On the eve of the battle

1240, summer - the Swedish army under the command of Birger "in great strength, puffing with the spirit of the military", appeared on the Neva River on ships that became at the mouth of the river. Izhora. The army included Swedes, Norwegians, representatives of the Finnish tribes, who intended to go straight to Ladoga in order to go down to Novgorod from there. There were also Catholic bishops in the enemy army; they walked with a cross in one hand and a sword in the other.

Having landed, the Swedes and their allies pitched their tents at the confluence of the Izhora with the Neva. “Bridges were thrown from the moored ships, the Swedish nobility went ashore, including Birger and Ulf Fasi, accompanied by bishops, ... knights landed behind them” (V.T. Pashuto) Birger, not doubting his victory, sent to Prince Alexander with the statement: "If you can resist me, then I'm already here, fighting your land."

Novgorod borders were guarded in those days by "watchmen". They were also on the sea coast, where local tribes served. So, in the area of ​​the Neva, on both banks of the Gulf of Finland, there was a "sea watchman" of the Izhora, who guarded the routes to Novgorod from the sea. The social elite of this small people already owned the land and adopted Christianity. Somehow, at the dawn of a July day in 1240, the elder of the Izhora land, Pelgusy, while on patrol, discovered the Swedish flotilla and hastily sent to inform the prince about everything.

Having received news of the appearance of the enemy, Alexander decided to attack him unexpectedly. There was no time to organize the troops, and the convocation of the veche would drag out the matter and could lead to a disruption of the suddenness of the impending attack. Therefore, Alexander did not wait until his father's squads arrived or the warriors gathered from the Novgorod volosts. He decided to oppose the Swedes with his squad, reinforcing it with Novgorod volunteers. These were at least three detachments of noble Novgorodians who had their own squads, and the Ladoga detachment.

According to an old custom, they gathered at St. Sophia, prayed, received a blessing from their master Spyridon and set out on a campaign. We walked along the Volkhov to Ladoga, where a detachment of Ladoga residents, contractors of Veliky Novgorod, joined the Prince of Novgorod. From Ladoga, Alexander's army turned left, heading towards the mouth of the river. Izhora.

"Duel of Alexander Nevsky and Birger" (F. Moller 1856)

The course of the Neva battle

The Swedish camp, located at the mouth of the Izhora, was not guarded, because the Swedes did not suspect that the Russians were approaching. Enemy boats rocked, tied to the shore; tents were white all over the coast, and between them was Birger's golden-domed tent. 1240, July 15 at 11 o'clock the battle began. Novgorodians unexpectedly attacked the Swedes. Their attack was so sudden that the Swedes did not have time to "gird their swords on their loins."

Birger's troops were taken by surprise. Unable to line up for battle, they were unable to offer 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 banks of the Neva, not only cut down the bridges that connected the Swedish ships with land, but even managed to capture and destroy three enemy augers.

The Battle of the Neva lasted until evening; By nightfall, the enemies dispersed. The Swedes were defeated, and by morning they retreated on the surviving ships, and crossed to the other side.

The withdrawal of the remnants of the Swedish troops was not prevented. Whether the chivalrous methods of warfare, which made it possible to bury their own during a respite, or the Novgorodians considered further bloodshed in vain, or the Prince of Novgorod did not want to risk his army, who had suffered losses, had an effect here - none of these explanations should be ruled out.

Losses

The losses of the Novgorodians were insignificant, only 20 wealthy soldiers (to this number we must add their dead warriors). Whereas the Swedes loaded three ships with the bodies of only the initial people, and left the rest on the shore. In addition, according to the "Life", on the other side of the Neva the next day, the local population found many unburied bodies of the Swedes.

The meaning of the battle

The victory over the Swedish army was of great political importance. She was able to show all the Russian people that they have not yet lost their former valor and can stand up for their land. The Swedes were unable to cut off Novgorod from the sea, capture the coast of the Neva and the Gulf of Finland. Having repulsed the attack of the Swedes from the north, the Russians thwarted the possible interaction of the Swedish and German feudal lords. To combat German aggression, the right flank and rear of this theater of operations were now reliably secured.

In tactical terms, it is necessary to note the role of the "watchman" who discovered the enemy and promptly informed the prince about his appearance. Of great importance was the surprise factor in the attack on Birger's camp, whose army was taken by surprise and could not offer organized resistance. The chronicler noted the extraordinary courage of Russian soldiers. For this victory, Alexander Yaroslavich was nicknamed "Nevsky". By that time he was only 22 years old.

But the victory in the Battle of the Neva calmed the vigilance of many Novgorodians. Because of the fear of strengthening the role of the prince in Novgorod affairs, intrigues began against Alexander Nevsky on the part of the boyars. The winner of the Swedes had to leave Novgorod for a while and go to his father.

The battle on the Neva in 1240 not only gave Rus' a new saint - Prince Alexander Nevsky. Its historical significance lies in preventing the capture of significant Russian territories by the aggressive feudal lords of Northern Europe.

Reasons and background

The reasons for the Battle of the Neva in 1240 lie in the policy of "onslaught to the east", carried out in the XII-XIII centuries by the top of the northern European countries (primarily Germany, Sweden and Denmark). The Slavic peoples were considered by them as "savages", occupying large areas of land in vain. The situation was aggravated by the religious factor - Rome called the knights of Northern Europe not just to war, but to crusade against the "schismatics" (in 1054, the formally united Christian church, as a result of the "schism", was officially divided into Catholic and Orthodox). The transformation of robbery into a charitable deed is a common ideological device of the era of the Crusades.

The events of 1240 were not the first conflict - intermittent wars had been fought since the 9th century. However, in the century the situation changed in favor of the invaders from the West - Rus' was forced to repel the Mongol invasion, suffered defeats, its military power was in doubt.

The failure of the Swedish plans

The goals of the parties in the war of 1240 are obvious. The Swedes needed to cut off Russian possessions from the Finnish lands and the Baltic coast. This made it possible to further advance inland, as well as control over maritime trade, a significant part of which was in the hands of Novgorod and Pskov merchants. In turn, Rus' could not allow the loss of the coast and the prolongation of the conflict in the West in the face of serious problems with the Mongols in the southeast.

The Swedish army, having entered the Neva on ships, settled down at the confluence of the Izhora. According to the available descriptions, it can be understood that the commanders (Jarl Ulf Fosi and the royal son-in-law Birger) intended to calmly land and then move deep into the Novgorod possessions.

But the course of the battle immediately turned not in favor of the Swedes - the battle went according to the plan of Prince Alexander. It took place on July 15th. The reasons for the Russian victory in the Battle of the Neva lie in several factors at once - good intelligence work, speed and surprise.

The scout was Pelgusy, the foreman of the Izhora, who informed Novgorod in time about the approach of the enemy army. Prince Alexander decided to attack as quickly as possible, while part of the enemy troops had not yet unloaded from the ships. His army consisted of a princely cavalry squad and a city militia on foot. The blow was struck in two directions at once - in the center of the enemy camp and along the river bank, which made it possible to cut off the people on the ships from the command.

History has preserved the names of some of the participants in the battle - the combatant Gavrila Oleksich, who boarded the Swedish ship on horseback, and Savva's militia. This ax contrived to cut the pillars of Birger's tent. He collapsed on the head of the royal son-in-law, causing panic in the Swedish ranks.

East is a delicate matter

The results of the Battle of the Neva were not very comforting for the invaders - they suffered a crushing defeat. The young winner (Alexander was 20 years old) was awarded the nickname Nevsky by history. He consolidated his success after 2 years, having won a brilliant victory on Lake Peipus.

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Neva battle. 1240

NEVA BATTLE - the battle of the Russian rati under the command of Prince Alexander Yaroslavich of Novgorod with the Swedish detachment on July 15, 1240 on the river. The Neva at the confluence of the Izhora.

Late 30s - early 40s. 13th century - one of the most difficult periods in the history of the Russian land. The invasion of the Mongol Khan Batu turned Rus' from a flourishing country into a huge ashes.

Taking advantage of this, the troops of the crusaders and Swedish feudal lords invaded the northwestern borders of Rus'. Their onslaught to the east began long ago.

The expansion of Novgorod's influence in Karelia and Finland caused widespread dissatisfaction with the papal curia, which planted Catholicism in the Baltics with fire and sword. Since the end of the twelfth century, the Catholic Church has been closely and with growing anxiety following the advance of Orthodoxy here and, in contrast to this, provided all possible assistance to the advance of the German and Swedish conquerors to the east.

The activity of Rome especially increased with the election to the papal throne of Gregory IX, obsessed with the idea of ​​world domination. Already in 1229, with his direct participation, a commercial blockade of Novgorod was organized. In this way, the pope tried to break Novgorod's long-standing trade ties with northwestern Europe and deprive it of supplies of weapons and metals. And in November 1232, Gregory IX sent a message to the Livonian Knights of the Sword, urging them to crusade to Finland to protect its inhabitants from infidel Russians. In his next message of February 27, 1233, the Russians (Rutheni) are directly called "enemies" (inimici).

By the middle of the 13th century, with the active participation of Catholic Rome, an agreement was reached between the three feudal Catholic forces - the Livonian (German) Order, the Danes and the Swedes, on a joint action against Novgorod with the aim of conquering the northwestern Russian lands and planting Catholicism there. According to the papal curia, after the “Batu ruin”, bloodless and plundered Rus' could not offer any resistance. This was the main motive for the performance of the Swedes, Teutons and Danes in 1240. The German and Danish knights were to attack Novgorod from land, from their Livonian possessions, and the Swedes were going to support them from the sea through the Gulf of Finland.

Scheme of the battle on the Neva. 15 July 1240

In the first days of July 1240, a large Swedish detachment on augers entered the mouth of the Neva. The arrival of the enemy almost immediately became known in Novgorod, where only a small squad constantly carried out military service. But the advance of the enemy had to be stopped as soon as possible, and therefore the young prince of Novgorod Alexander Yaroslavich hastened to act immediately. He formed a detachment of 300 princely warriors, 500 Novgorod horsemen and the same number of foot militias. According to the accepted custom, the soldiers gathered at the Hagia Sophia and received a blessing from the Archbishop of Novgorod Spiridon. Alexander inspired the squad with a speech, one of the phrases of which today has become winged: “Brothers! God is not in power, but in truth! ... We will not be afraid of many soldiers, as God is with us. Then they quickly headed towards Ladoga, where 150 Ladoga cavalry warriors joined the detachment.

Neva battle. The beginning of the battle. Front Chronicle of the 16th century.

The Swedes, after a long sea passage, stopped to rest and set up camp on the left bank of the Neva, just above the confluence of the Izhora River. Swedish ships moored here, and gangways were thrown from them to land. Part of the troops remained on the augers, the most noble soldiers settled in a hastily built camp. The Swedes set up posts that controlled the Neva waterway. War horses grazed in coastal meadows. The enemy did not expect an attack from land.

In the chronicle story about the Battle of the Neva, Alexander's plan is clearly recreated. A strike by a foot squad along the banks of the Neva would cut off the Swedes from the ships, and the cavalry, acting from the land side through the center of the camp, was supposed to drive the enemy into a corner formed by the banks of the Izhora and Neva, close the encirclement and destroy the enemy.

The young commander brilliantly implemented a bold plan. Early in the morning of July 15, secretly approaching the camp, the Novgorod squad attacked the enemy. Taken by surprise, the Swedes were completely demoralized and unable to give a proper rebuff. The combatant Savva made his way to the center of their camp and cut down the pillar that supported the golden-domed tent of the Swedish leader. The fall of the tent inspired the Russian warriors even more. Novgorodian Zbyslav Yakunovich, "having hoped many times, beats with a single ax, having no fear in his heart." The hero of the battle, Gavrilo Oleksich, pursuing the retreating Swedes, on horseback burst into the auger along the gangway and fought with the enemies there. Thrown into the river, he again climbed ashore and entered into battle with "the governor himself in the midst of their regiment, and their governor was quickly killed." Simultaneously with the equestrian squad, the foot militia of the Novgorodian Misha fought courageously. Attacking enemy ships, the pawns sank three of them.

Neva battle. Saint Alexander Nevsky inflicts a wound in the face of the Swedish leader. 1240 Artist A.D. Kivshenko

Prince Alexander was also in the thick of the battle: he ordered like a commander and fought like a simple warrior. The chronicle notes that the prince fought with the jarl himself and "put a seal on his face with your sharp spear."

According to the number of losses - 20 people died on the part of the Russians - it is clear that the battle cannot be classified as a large-scale one, although the Swedes “two more husbands than a ship, formerly a wasteland and to the sea; but the good of them, having dug a hole, vmetash in a nude, was beschisla.

Neva battle. End of the battle. The Swedes gathered the dead and wounded and loaded them onto augers. Miniature of the Illuminated Chronicle of the 16th century.

The significance of the victory on the Neva was something else - the success of such sorties by the Scandinavians could open the way for widespread aggressive actions of the Swedes. For this victory, the young prince Alexander received the honorary nickname Nevsky.

The Neva victory prevented the loss of the shores of the Gulf of Finland by Novgorod and did not allow interrupting the trade exchange of Rus' with the West. In a moment of general depression and confusion, the Russian people in the victory of Alexander Nevsky saw a reflection of the former glory of Russian weapons and an omen of their future liberation.

View of the Nevsky Monastery (Alexander Nevsky Lavra). Colorized engraving by I.A. Ivanova. 1815.

In memory of this victory, in 1710 Peter I founded the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St. Petersburg (now a Lavra).

The Church of Alexander Nevsky in Ust-Izhora is an active Orthodox church in Ust-Izhora near St. Petersburg. According to legend, it was built on the site of an ancient chapel in 1798-1799 at the expense of the inhabitants of Ust-Izhora and state-owned brick factories.

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The auger is a sailing and rowing vessel. It had 15-20 pairs of oars and could accommodate from 50 to 80 warriors. On the auger it was possible to place 8 war horses for the knights.

Cit. Quoted from: Novgorod First Chronicle of the Senior and Junior Editions. M., 1950. S. 291.

There. S. 449.

There.

There. S. 293.

There. Thus, the total number of dead Swedes was measured in tens, or even hundreds.

The material was prepared in the Research
Institute of Military History of the Military Academy
General Staff of the Armed Forces
Russian Federation