The Battle on the Ice main events. Battle on the ice on Lake Peipsi: date, description, monument

In the first third of the XIII century, a formidable danger hung over Russia from the West, from the Catholic spiritual and knightly orders. After the founding of the Riga fortress at the mouth of the Dvina (1198), frequent clashes began between the Germans on the one hand, and the Pskovites and Novgorodians on the other.

In 1237, the knights-monks of two orders, the Teutonic and the Sword-bearers, created a single Livonian order and began to carry out extensive forcible colonization and Christianization of the Baltic tribes. The Russians helped the pagan Balts, who were tributaries of Veliky Novgorod and did not want to receive baptism from the Catholic Germans. After a series of minor skirmishes, it came to war. Pope Gregory IX blessed the German knights in 1237 to conquer the indigenous Russian lands.

In the summer of 1240, German crusaders, gathered from all the fortresses of Livonia, invaded the Novgorod land. The invading army consisted of Germans, Bears, Yurievites and Danish knights from Revel. With them was a traitor - Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich. They appeared under the walls of Izborsk and took the city by storm. The Pskovites rushed to the rescue of their fellow countrymen, but their militia was defeated. More than 800 people were killed alone, including the governor G. Gorislavich.

In the footsteps of the fugitives, the Germans approached Pskov, crossed the river. Great, they smashed their camp under the very walls of the Kremlin, lit the posad, began to destroy churches and surrounding villages. For a whole week, they held the Kremlin under siege, preparing for the assault. But it did not come to that, the Pskovite Tverdilo Ivanovich surrendered the city. The knights took hostages I left their garrison in Pskov.

The appetite of the Germans was growing. They have already said: “Let's reproach the Slovenian language ... for ourselves, that is, we will subjugate the Russian people. In the winter of 1240-1241, the knights again appeared as uninvited guests to the Novgorod land. This time they captured the territory of the Vod tribe, to the east of Narov, fighting everything and imposing tribute on them. " Having captured the Vogskaya 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 Izborsk - Pskov - Tesov - Koporye region was in the hands of the Germans.

The Germans already considered the bordering Russian lands their property in advance; Pope "transferred" the coast of the Neva and Karelia under the jurisdiction of the Ezel bishop, who concluded a treaty with the knights and stipulated a tenth of everything that the land gives, and all the rest - fishing, mowing, arable land - was given to the knights.

Then Novgorodians remembered about Prince Alexander. The Vladyka of Novgorod himself went to ask the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yaroslav Vsevolodovich to let his son go, and Yaroslav, realizing the danger of the threat coming from the West, agreed: the matter concerned not only Novgorod, but all of Russia.

Alexander organized an army from Novgorodians, Ladians, Karelians and Izhorians. First of all, it was necessary to decide the question of the mode of action. Pskov and Koporye were in the hands of the enemy. Alexander understood that simultaneous performance in two directions would dissipate forces. Therefore, having identified the Koporye direction as a priority - the enemy was approaching Novgorod, - the prince decided to strike the first blow at Koporye, and then liberate Pskov from the invaders.

In 1241, the army under the command of Alexander set out on a campaign, reached Koporye, took possession of the fortress “and vomited hail from the base, and beat the Germans themselves, and drive some with them to Novgorod, and let others free, be merciful more than measure, and the leaders and izvesha (hanged) the chyuds of the betrayers (that is, the traitors). " Volskaya pyatina was cleared of the Germans. The right flank and rear of the Novgorod army were now safe.

In March 1242, the Novgorodians again set out on a campaign 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 ("lower") squads, who soon approached. The order did not manage to send reinforcements to their knights. Pskov was surrounded, and the knightly garrison was taken prisoner. Alexander sent the governors of the order to Novgorod in chains. In the battle, 70 noble order brothers and many ordinary knights were killed.

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 "maester" (master) at the head, with the help of the queen, ”that is, there were German knights, the local population and the army of the Swedish king.

Alexander decided to transfer the war to the territory of the Order itself "And go," the chronicler says, "to the German land, although Christian blood will take revenge." The Russian army set out for Izborsk. Alexander sent ahead several reconnaissance squads... One of them, under the command of the mayor's brother Domash Tverdislavich and Kerbet (one of the "lower" governors), ran into German knights and Chud (Estonians), was defeated and retreated, while Domash died. Meanwhile, intelligence found out that the enemy had sent insignificant forces to Izborsk, and his main forces were moving towards Lake Peipsi.

The Novgorod army turned to the lake, "the Germans and the monsters followed them." The Novgorodians tried to repel the flanking maneuver of the German knights. Coming out to Lake Peipsi, the Novgorod army was in the center possible ways enemy movement to Novgorod. There Alexander decided to give battle and stopped at Lake Peipsi north of the Uzmen tract, near the island of Voroniy Kamen. "Howling to the Grand Duke Alexander, filled with the spirit of the battle, byahu their heart is like a lion," and they were ready to "lay down their heads." The forces of the Novgorodians were slightly larger than the knightly army. "According to the various dates in the chronicle, it can be assumed that the army of the German knights was 10-12 thousand, and the Novgorod army was 15-17 thousand people." (Razin 1 Decree. Op. P. 160.) According to L. N. Gumilyov, the number of knights was small - only a few dozen; they were supported by foot temniks, armed with spears, and the allies of the Order - the Livs. (Gumilev L.N. From Russia to Russia. M., 1992. S. 125.)

At dawn on April 5, 1242, the knights formed a "wedge" and a "pig". In chain mail and helmets, with long swords, they seemed invulnerable. Alexander lined up the Novgorod army, about the battle rush, which is not available. It can be assumed that it was a "regimental row": a guard regiment in front. Judging by the chronicle miniatures, the battle formation was turned with its rear to the steep, steep eastern shore of the lake, and Alexander's best squad took refuge in ambush behind him from the flanks. The chosen position was advantageous because the Germans advancing on open ice, were deprived of the opportunity to determine the location, number and composition of the Russian army.

Putting out long spears, the Germans attacked the center ("chelo") of the order of the Russians. “Here the brothers' banners penetrated the ranks of the riflemen, swords could be heard clinking, and helmets were seen chopping off, the dead were falling on both sides.” A Russian chronicler writes about the breakthrough of the Novgorodian regiments: "The Germans and the chud made their way through the regiment as a pig." However, having stumbled upon the steep shore of the lake, the sedentary, armored knights could not develop their success. On the contrary, the knightly cavalry crowded together, as the rear ranks of the knights pushed the front ranks, which had nowhere to turn 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 a wedge. At this time, Alexander's squad struck from the rear and assured the encirclement of the enemy. "The brothers' army was surrounded."

The warriors, who had special spears with hooks, pulled the knights from their horses; warriors armed with knives incapacitated horses, after which the knights became easy prey. "And the slash of evil was fast and great by the German and the chyudi, and the truncation of a copy of the breaking, and the sound of the sword cut, as if the lake was frozen to move, and you could not see the ice, covered in fear of blood." The ice began to crack under the weight of the heavily armed knights brought together in a heap. Some knights managed to break through the encirclement, and they tried to flee, but many of them drowned.

The Novgorodians pursued the remnants of the knightly troops who had fled in disarray across the ice of Lake Peipsi up to the opposite shore, seven miles. The pursuit of the remnants of a defeated enemy outside the battlefield was a new phenomenon in the development of Russian military art. Novgorodians did not celebrate the victory "on the dice", as was customary before.

The German knights were completely defeated. In the battle, more than 500 knights and "countless" other troops were killed, 50 "deliberate governors", that is, noble knights, were taken prisoner. All of them on foot followed the victors' horses to Pskov.

In the summer of 1242, the "order brothers" sent ambassadors to Novgorod with a bow: we will let yours in, and you let ours in, and we will let the Pskov go. " The Novgorodians agreed to these conditions, and the peace was concluded.

The "Battle on the Ice" was the first time in the history of military art when a heavy knightly cavalry was defeated in a field battle by an army, which consisted mostly of infantry. The Russian battle formation ("regiment line" in the presence of a reserve) turned out to be flexible, as a result of which it was possible to encircle the enemy, the battle formation of which was a sedentary mass; the infantry successfully interacted with their cavalry.

The victory over the army of the German feudal lords was of great political and military-strategic importance, postponing their offensive to the East, which was the leitmotif of German policy from 1201 to 1241. Northwest border Novgorod land was reliably provided just by the time the Mongols returned from the campaign to Central Europe... Later, when Batu returned to Eastern Europe, Alexander showed the necessary flexibility and agreed with him to establish peaceful relations, eliminating any reason for new invasions.

Alexander Nevsky - Defender of Russia

We won

Alexander Nevsky enters Pskov

"Whoever comes to us with a sword will perish by the sword."

April 5, 1242 Russian army under the leadership of Prince Alexander Nevsky, she defeated the Livonian knights in the Battle of the Ice on the ice of Lake Peipsi. In the 13th century, Novgorod was the richest city in Russia. From 1236 the young prince Alexander Yaroslavich reigned in Novgorod.

In 1240, when the Swedish aggression against Novgorod began, he was not yet 20 years old.

Nevertheless, by that time he already had some experience of participating in his father's campaigns, was fairly well-read and had an excellent command of the art of war, which helped him win the first of his great victories: on July 21, 1240, by the forces of his small squad and the Ladoga militia, he suddenly and with a swift attack he defeated the Swedish army, which landed at the mouth of the Izhora River (at its confluence with the Neva). For the victory in the battle, named afterwards, in which the young prince showed himself to be a skilled military leader, showed personal valor and heroism, Alexander Yaroslavich received the nickname Nevsky. But soon, due to the intrigues of the Novgorod nobility, Prince Alexander left Novgorod and went to reign in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky.

However, the defeat of the Swedes on the Neva did not completely eliminate the danger hanging over Russia: the threat from the north, from the Swedes, was replaced by the threat from the west - from the Germans.

In pursuit of new lands and free labor, under the guise of an intention to convert pagans to Christianity, crowds of German nobles, knights and monks marched eastward. With fire and sword, they suppressed the resistance of the local population, settling comfortably on its lands, building castles and monasteries here and imposing unbearable extortions and tribute on the Russian people. By the beginning of the 13th century, the entire Baltic region was in the hands of the Germans. The population of the Baltics groaned under the whip and yoke of warlike newcomers.

And already at the beginning of autumn 1240, the Livonian knights invaded the Novgorod possessions and occupied the city of Izborsk. Soon Pskov also shared his fate - the Germans were helped to take him by the betrayal of the Pskov mayor Tverdila Ivankovich, who went over to the side of the Germans.

Subjugating the Pskov volost, the Germans built a fortress in Koporye. It was an important foothold, allowing to control the Novgorod trade routes along the Neva, to plan further advance to the East. After that, the Livonian aggressors invaded the very center of the Novgorod possessions, captured Luga and the Novgorod suburb of Tesovo. In their raids, they approached Novgorod for 30 kilometers.

Neglecting past grievances, Alexander Nevsky, at the request of the Novgorodians, returned to Novgorod at the end of 1240 and continued to fight the invaders. V next year he recaptured Koporye and Pskov from the knights, returning most of their western possessions to the Novgorodians. But the enemy was still strong, and the decisive battle was still ahead.

In the spring of 1242, intelligence of the Livonian Order was sent from Dorpat (the former Russian Yuryev, now the Estonian city of Tartu) in order to "probe" the strength of the Russian troops. In 18 versts south of Dorpat, the order reconnaissance detachment managed to defeat the Russian "dispersal" under the command of Domash Tverdislavich and Kerebet. It was a reconnaissance detachment moving ahead of the troops of Alexander Yaroslavich in the direction of Dorpat. The surviving part of the detachment returned to the prince and informed him of what had happened. The victory over a small detachment of Russians inspired the order's command. He developed a tendency to underestimate the Russian forces, and the conviction was born in the possibility of their easy defeat. The Livonians decided to give the Russians a battle and for this they set out from Dorpat to the south with their main forces, as well as their allies, led by the master of the order himself. main part troops consisted of knights clad in armor.

The Battle on Lake Peipsi, which went down in history as the Battle of the Ice, began on the morning of April 5, 1242. At sunrise, noticing a small detachment of Russian riflemen, the knightly "pig" rushed at him. Alexander opposed the German wedge with the Russian heel - a system in the form of the Roman numeral "V", that is, the angle facing the enemy with the hole. This very hole was covered by the "chelo", which consisted of archers, who took the brunt of the "iron regiment" and, with courageous resistance, noticeably upset its advance. Still, the knights managed to break through the defensive lines of the Russian "chela".

A fierce hand-to-hand fight ensued. And at the very height of it, when the "pig" was completely involved in the battle, at the signal of Alexander Nevsky, the regiments of the left and right hands hit its flanks with full force. Not expecting the appearance of such Russian reinforcements, the knights were confused and, under their powerful blows, began to gradually retreat. And soon this retreat took on the character of a disorderly flight. Suddenly, from behind cover, a cavalry ambush regiment rushed into battle. The Livonian troops suffered a crushing defeat.

The Russians drove them across the ice for another seven miles to the western shore of Lake Peipsi. 400 knights were destroyed and 50 were taken prisoner. Part of the Livonians drowned in the lake. Those who escaped from the encirclement were pursued by the Russian cavalry, completing their defeat. Only those who were in the tail of the "pig" and were on horseback managed to escape: the master of the order, the commanders and the bishops.

The victory of the Russian troops under the leadership of Prince Alexander Nevsky over the German "knight-dogs" has an important historical meaning... The order asked for peace. Peace was concluded on terms dictated by the Russians. Order ambassadors solemnly renounced all encroachments on Russian lands, which were temporarily captured by the order. The movement of Western invaders to Russia was stopped.

The western borders of Russia, established after the Battle of the Ice, held out for centuries. The Battle on the Ice went down in history as a wonderful example military tactics and strategy. Skillful formation of battle formation, clear organization of interaction of its individual units, especially infantry and cavalry, constant reconnaissance and consideration of the enemy's weaknesses when organizing a battle, right choice place and time, good organization tactical pursuit, the destruction of most of the superior enemy - all this determined the Russian military art as advanced in the world.

April 18th another Day is celebrated military glory Russia - Day of the victory of Russian soldiers of Prince Alexander Nevsky over the German knights on Lake Peipsi (Battle on the Ice, 1242). The holiday was established by Federal Law No. 32-FZ of March 13, 1995 "On the days of military glory and memorable dates in Russia."

According to the definition of all modern historical reference books and encyclopedias,

Battle on the Ice(Schlacht auf dem Eise (German), Prœlium glaciale (Latin), also called Ice battle or battle on Lake Peipsi- the battle of Novgorodians and Vladimirs under the leadership of Alexander Nevsky against the knights of the Livonian Order on the ice of Lake Peipsi - took place on April 5 (in terms of the Gregorian calendar - April 12) 1242.

In 1995, Russian parliamentarians, when adopting a federal law, did not particularly think about the dating of this event. They simply added 13 days to April 5 (as is traditionally done to recount the events of the 19th century from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar), completely forgetting that the Battle of the Ice happened not at all in the 19th, but in the distant 13th century. Accordingly, the "correction" for the modern calendar is only 7 days.

Today, any person who studied in high school is sure that the Battle on the Ice or the Battle of Lake Peipsi is considered the general battle of the conquest campaign of the Teutonic Order in 1240-1242. The Livonian Order, as you know, was the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order, and was formed from the remnants of the Order of the Swordsmen in 1237. The order waged wars against Lithuania and Russia. The members of the order were "brothers-knights" (warriors), "brothers-priests" (clergy) and "servants-brothers" (squires-artisans). The Knights of the Order were given the rights of Knights Templar (Templar). The distinctive mark of its members was a white robe with a red cross and a sword on it. The battle between the Livonians and the Novgorod army on Lake Peipsi decided the outcome of the campaign in favor of the Russians. It also marked the actual death of the Livonian Order itself. Each schoolboy will tell with rapture how during the battle the famous prince Alexander Nevsky and his comrades interrupted and drowned almost all the clumsy, heavy knights in the lake and liberated the Russian lands from the German conquerors.

If we abstract from the traditional version set forth in all school and some university textbooks, it turns out that practically nothing is known about the famous battle that went down in history as the Battle on the Ice.

Historians to this day break their spears in disputes about what were the reasons for the battle? Where exactly did the battle take place? Who took part in it? And was she even there? ..

Further, I would like to present two not quite traditional versions, one of which is based on an analysis of well-known chronicle sources about the Battle of the Ice and concerns the assessment of its role and significance by contemporaries. The other was born as a result of the search by amateur enthusiasts for the immediate site of the battle, a definite opinion about which neither archaeologists nor historians have yet.

A contrived battle?

The "Battle on the Ice" was reflected in the mass of sources. First of all, this is the complex of the Novgorod-Pskov chronicles and the "Life" of Alexander Nevsky, which exists in more than twenty editions; then - the most complete and ancient Laurentian Chronicle, which included a number of chronicles of the 13th century, as well as Western sources - numerous Livonian chronicles.

However, analyzing domestic and foreign sources for many centuries, historians have not been able to come to a common opinion: are they telling about a specific battle that took place in 1242 on Lake Peipsi, or are they different?

Most domestic sources record that some kind of battle took place on Lake Peipsi (or in its area) on April 5, 1242. But it is not possible to establish reliably its reasons, the number of troops, their structure, composition on the basis of chronicles and chronicles. How did the battle develop, who distinguished themselves in the battle, how many Livonians and Russians died? There is no data. How, finally, did Alexander Nevsky, who is still called "the savior of the fatherland", show himself in battle? Alas! There are still no answers to any of these questions.

Domestic sources about the Battle on the Ice

The obvious contradictions that are contained in the Novgorod-Pskov and Suzdal chronicles telling about the Battle of the Ice can be explained by the constant rivalry between Novgorod and the Vladimir-Suzdal lands, as well as the uneasy relationship between the Yaroslavich brothers - Alexander and Andrey.

The Grand Duke of Vladimir Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, as you know, saw his younger son, Andrei, as his successor. V Russian historiography there is a version that his father wanted to get rid of the elder Alexander, and therefore sent him to reign in Novgorod. The Novgorod "table" at that time was considered almost a chopping block for the Vladimir princes. Political life the cities were ruled by the boyar "veche", and the prince was only a voivode, who, in case of external danger, had to lead the squad and the militia.

According to official version Novgorod First Chronicle (NPL), the Novgorodians for some reason expelled Alexander from Novgorod after the victorious Battle of the Neva (1240). And when the knights of the Livonian Order captured Pskov and Koporye, they again asked the Vladimir prince to send them Alexander.

Yaroslav, on the contrary, intended to send Andrey, whom he trusted more, to resolve the difficult situation, but the Novgorodians insisted on Nevsky's candidacy. There is also a version that the story of Alexander's "expulsion" from Novgorod is fictitious and later in nature. Perhaps it was invented by the "biographers" of Nevsky to justify the surrender of Izborsk, Pskov and Koporye to the Germans. Yaroslav feared that Alexander would also open the Novgorod gates to the enemy in the same way, but in 1241 he managed to recapture the fortress of Koporye from the Livonians, and then take Pskov. However, some sources attribute the date of the liberation of Pskov to the beginning of 1242, when the Vladimir-Suzdal army, led by his brother Andrei Yaroslavich, had already arrived to help Nevsky, and some - to 1244.

According to modern researchers based on the Livonian chronicles and other foreign sources, the Koporye fortress surrendered to Alexander Nevsky without a fight, and the Pskov garrison consisted of only two Livonian knights with their squires, armed servants and some militias from local peoples who joined them (chud, water, etc.). The composition of the entire Livonian Order in the 40s of the XIII century could not exceed 85-90 knights. This is how many castles existed on the territory of the Order at that moment. One castle, as a rule, exhibited one knight and squires.

The earliest Russian source that has come down to us, mentioning the Battle of the Ice, is the Laurentian Chronicle, written by a Suzdal chronicler. It does not mention the participation of the Novgorodians in the battle at all, but as the main character Prince Andrey speaks:

“The Grand Duke Yaroslav sent his son Andrey to Novgorod to help Alexander against the Germans. Having defeated Pskov on the lake and taking many prisoners, Andrei returned with honor to his father. "

The authors of numerous editions of Alexander Nevsky's Life, on the contrary, argue that it was after "The Battle of the Ice" became famous for the name of Alexander "in all countries from the Varangian Sea to the Pontic Sea, and to the Egyptian Sea, and to the Tiberias country, and to the Ararat Mountains, even to Rome the Great ...".

According to the Laurentian Chronicle, it turns out that even his closest relatives did not suspect Alexander's world fame.

The most detailed story about the battle is contained in the Novgorod First Chronicle (NPL). It is believed that in the earliest list of this chronicle (Synodal), the entry about the "Battle on the Ice" was made already in the 30s years XIV century. The Novgorod chronicler does not mention a word about the participation of Prince Andrei and the Vladimir-Suzdal squad in the battle:

“Alexander and the Novgorodians built regiments on Lake Peipsi on Uzmen near the Crow Stone. And the Germans and Chud ran into the regiment, and made their way like a pig through the regiment. And there was a great slaughter of the Germans and Chudi. God helped Prince Alexander. The enemy was driven and beaten seven miles to the Subolichi coast. And countless Chudi fell, and the Germans 400(Later scribes rounded this figure to 500, and as such it was included in history textbooks). Fifty prisoners were brought to Novgorod. The battle took place on Saturday 5th April. "

In later versions of Alexander Nevsky's "Life" (end of the 16th century) discrepancies with the chronicle news are deliberately eliminated, details borrowed from the NPL are added: the place of the battle, its course and data on losses. The number of killed enemies increases from edition to edition up to 900 (!). In some editions of the "Life" (and there are more than twenty in total) there are reports of the participation in the battle of the Master of the Order and his capture, as well as the absurd invention that the knights were drowning in water because they were too heavy.

Many historians, who analyzed in detail the texts of Alexander Nevsky's "Life", noted that the description of the massacre in the "Life" gives the impression of a clear literary borrowing. V. I. Mansikka ("The Life of Alexander Nevsky", St. Petersburg, 1913) believed that the description of the battle between Yaroslav the Wise and Svyatopolk the Damned was used in the story about the Battle on the Ice. Georgy Fedorov notes that Alexander's Life "is a heroic military story inspired by Roman-Byzantine historical literature (Palea, Joseph Flavius)" War ”by Josephus Flavius.

I. Grekov and F. Shakhmagonov believe that "the appearance of the battle in all its positions is very similar to the famous battle of Cannes" ("World of History", p. 78). In general, the story about the Battle on the Ice from the early edition of Alexander Nevsky's Life is just a general passage that can be successfully applied to the description of any battle.

In the XIII century there were many battles that could become a source of “literary borrowing” for the authors of the story about the Battle of the Ice. For example, ten years before the supposed date of writing the Life (80s of the XIII century), February 16, 1270, a major battle took place between the Livonian knights and the Lithuanians at Karusen. It also took place on ice, but not on the lake, but on the Gulf of Riga. And his description in the Livonian rhymed chronicle is like two peas in a pod similar to the description of the "Battle on the Ice" in the NPL.

In the Battle of Karusen, as in the Battle of the Ice, the knightly cavalry attacks the center, where the cavalry "gets stuck" in the carts, and the enemy completes their defeat by bypassing from the flanks. At the same time, in neither case, the winners do not try to take advantage of the result of the defeat of the enemy army in any way, but calmly go home with the loot.

Livontsev version

The Livonian Rhymed Chronicle (LRH), telling about a certain battle with the Novgorod-Suzdal army, is inclined to make the aggressors not at all the knights of the order, but their opponents - Prince Alexander and his brother Andrey. The authors of the chronicle constantly emphasize the superior forces of the Russians and the small number of the knightly army. According to LRH, the Order had lost twenty knights in the Battle of the Ice. Six were captured. This chronicle does not say anything about the date or place of the battle, but the minstrel's words that the dead fell on the grass (ground) suggests that the battle was fought not on the ice of the lake, but on land. If the author of the Chronicle understands "grass" (gras) not figuratively (the German idiomatic expression is "fall on the battlefield"), but literally, it turns out that the battle took place when the ice on the lakes had already melted, or the opponents were not fighting on the ice, but in coastal reeds:

“In Dorpat they learned that Prince Alexander had come with an army to the land of brothers-knights, causing robberies and fires. The bishop ordered the men of the bishopric to hurry into the army of the brothers-knights to fight against the Russians. They brought too few people, the army of the knight brothers was also too small. However, they agreed to attack the Russians. The Russians had many riflemen who bravely took the first onslaught. It was seen how a detachment of knight brothers defeated the riflemen; there the clinking of swords was heard, and the helmets were seen to be cut. On both sides, the dead fell to the grass. Those who were in the army of the knight brothers were surrounded. The Russians had such an army that perhaps sixty men attacked each German. The knight brothers stubbornly resisted, but they were defeated there. Some of the Dorpat residents escaped by leaving the battlefield. There were killed twenty knight brothers, and six were taken prisoner. That was the course of the battle. "

The author of LRH does not express the slightest admiration for Alexander's military leadership. The Russians managed to encircle part of the Livonian army not because of the talent of Alexander, but because there were much more Russians than the Livonians. Even with an overwhelming numerical superiority over the enemy, according to LRH, the troops of Novgorod could not surround the entire Livonian army: some of the Dorpatians escaped by retreating from the battlefield. Only an insignificant part of the “Germans” got into the encirclement - 26 brothers-knights, who preferred death to a shameful flight.

A more recent source, The Chronicle of Hermann Wartberg, was written one hundred and fifty years after the events of 1240-1242. Rather, it contains an assessment by the descendants of the broken knights of the importance that the war with Novgorod had on the fate of the Order. The author of the chronicle tells about the capture and subsequent loss of Izborsk and Pskov by the Order, as about major events of this war. However, the Chronicle does not mention any battle on the ice of Lake Peipsi.

The Livonian Chronicle of Ryussov, published in 1848 on the basis of earlier editions, says that during the time of Master Konrad ( Grand Master Of the Teutonic Order in 1239-1241 He died of wounds received in the battle with the Prussians on April 9, 1241) King Alexander was in Novgorod. He (Alexander) learned that under Master Hermann von Salt (Master of the Teutonic Order in 1210-1239), the Teutons captured Pskov. Alexander takes Pskov with a large army. The Germans fight hard but are defeated. Seventy knights and many Germans were killed. Six knight brothers are captured and tortured to death.

Some Russian historians interpret the messages of the Chronicle of Ryussov in the sense that seventy knights, whose death he mentions, fell during the capture of Pskov. But it's not right. In the Chronicle of Ryussov, all the events of 1240-1242 are combined into one whole. This Chronicle does not mention such events as the capture of Izborsk, the defeat of the Pskov army near Izborsk, the construction of a fortress in Koporye and its capture by Novgorodians, the invasion of Russians into Livonia. Thus, "seventy knights and many Germans" are the total losses of the Order (more precisely, the Livonians and Danes) during the entire war.

Another difference between the Livonian Chronicles and the NPL is the number and fate of the captured knights. The Chronicle of Ryussov reports about six prisoners, and the Novgorod chronicle - about fifty. The captured knights, whom Alexander proposes to exchange for soap in Eisenstein's film, were "tortured to death" according to LRH. NPL writes that the Germans offered peace to the Novgorodians, one of the conditions of which was the exchange of prisoners: "what if we captured your husbands, we exchange them: we will let yours in, and you will let ours in." But did the captive knights live to see the exchange? There is no information about their fate in Western sources.

Judging by the Livonian chronicles, the clash with the Russians in Livonia was a minor event for the knights of the Teutonic Order. It is reported only in passing, and the death of the Livonian Laymaster of the Teutons (Livonian Order) in the battle on Lake Peipsi does not find any confirmation at all. The order continued to exist successfully until the 16th century (defeated during the Livonian War in 1561).

Battle site

according to I.E. Koltsov

Until the end of the 20th century, the burial places of the soldiers who died during the Battle of the Ice, as well as the place of the battle itself, remained unknown. The landmarks of the place where the battle took place are indicated in the Novgorod First Chronicle (NPL): "On Lake Peipsi, Uzmen tract, near the Crow Stone". Local legends specify that the battle took place just outside the village of Samolva. In the ancient chronicles, there is no mention of Voroniy Island (or another island) near the site of the battle. They talk about fighting on the ground, on the grass. Ice is mentioned only in later editions of Alexander Nevsky's Life.

The past centuries have erased from the history and memory of human information about the location of mass graves, the Crow Stone, the Uzmen tract and the degree of population of these places. Over the centuries, the Crow Stone and other structures have been wiped off the face of the earth in these places. The elevations and monuments of mass graves were leveled to the surface of the earth. The attention of historians was attracted by the name of the Voroniy Island, where they hoped to find the Raven Stone. The hypothesis that the massacre took place near Voroniy Island was taken as the main version, although it contradicted the chronicle sources and common sense... The question remained unclear what road Nevsky went to Livonia (after the liberation of Pskov), and from there to the place of the upcoming battle at the Crow Stone, near the Uzmen tract, behind the village of Samolva (it must be understood that on the opposite side of Pskov).

Reading the existing interpretation of the Battle on the Ice, the question involuntarily arises: why did the troops of Nevsky, as well as the heavy cavalry of the knights, have to go across Lake Peipsi on the spring ice to Voroniy Island, where even in severe frosts the water does not freeze in many places? It should be noted that the beginning of April for these places is a warm period of time. Testing the hypothesis about the site of the battle at Voroniy Island dragged on for many decades. This time was enough for it to take a firm place in all history textbooks, including the military. These textbooks are used to gain knowledge for our future historians, military men, commanders ... Taking into account the low validity of this version, in 1958 a complex expedition of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR was created to determine the true place of the battle on April 5, 1242. The expedition worked from 1958 to 1966. Large-scale studies were carried out, a number of interesting discoveries, who expanded knowledge about this region, about the presence of an extensive network of ancient waterways between the Chudskoye and Ilmen lakes. However, it was not possible to find the burials of the warriors who died in the Battle of the Ice, as well as the Crow's Stone, the Uzmen tract and traces of the battle (including those near Voroniy Island). This is clearly stated in the report of the complex expedition of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. The secret remained unsolved.

After that, statements appeared that in ancient times the dead were taken with them for burial at home, therefore, they say, it is impossible to find burials. But did they take all the dead with them? What did you do with the dead enemy soldiers, with the dead horses? A clear answer was not given to the question of why Prince Alexander went from Livonia not under the protection of the walls of Pskov, but to the area of ​​Lake Peipsi - to the place of the upcoming battle. At the same time, historians for some reason tormented the path for Alexander Nevsky and the knights across Lake Peipsi, ignoring the presence of an ancient crossing near the village of Mosty in the south of Lake Warm. The history of the Battle on the Ice is of interest to many local historians and amateurs. national history.

For many years, a group of Moscow enthusiasts have also been independently engaged in researching the Battle of Chudskoy. ancient history Russia with the direct participation of I.E. Koltsov. The task before this group was seemingly almost insoluble. It was necessary to find burials hidden in the ground related to this battle, the remains of the Crow Stone, the Uzmen tract, etc. on a large territory of the Gdovsky District of the Pskov Region. It was necessary to "look" into the earth and choose what was directly related to the Battle of the Ice. Using methods and devices widely used in geology and archeology (including biolocation, etc.), the group members plotted the alleged places of the mass graves of the soldiers of both sides who died in this battle on the terrain plan. 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 Tabora and one and a half kilometers from Samolva. The second zone with the largest number of burials is 1.5-2 km north of the village of Tabory and about 2 km east of Samolva.

It can be assumed that the wedging of knights into the ranks of Russian soldiers took place in the area of ​​the first burial (first zone), and in the area of ​​the second zone the main battle and the encirclement of the knights took place. The encirclement and defeat of the knights was facilitated by additional troops from the Suzdal archers, who arrived here the day before from Novgorod, led by A. Nevsky's brother, Andrei Yaroslavich, but were in ambush before the battle. Research has shown that in those distant times in the area south of the currently existing village of Kozlovo (more precisely, between Kozlov and Tabory) there was some kind of fortified outpost of the Novgorodians. It is not excluded that there was an old "town" (before the transfer, or the construction of a new town on the site where the Kobylye Gorodishche is now located). This outpost (Gorodets) was located 1.5-2 km from the village of Tabory. He was hidden behind the trees. Here, behind the earthen ramparts of the now defunct fortification, was the detachment of Andrei Yaroslavich, hidden in ambush before the battle. Here and only here Prince Alexander Nevsky strove to unite with him. At the critical moment of the battle, the ambush regiment could go behind the lines of the knights, surround them and ensure victory. This was repeated later during the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380.

The discovery of the burial area of ​​the dead soldiers made it possible to make a confident conclusion that the battle was fought here, between the villages of Tabory, Kozlovo and Samolva. The place is relatively flat. The troops of Nevsky from the northwestern side (on the right hand) were protected by a weak spring ice Lake Peipsi, and from the eastern side (along left hand) - a wooded part, where the fresh forces of the Novgorodians and Suzdalians, who settled in the fortified town, were ambushed. The knights were advancing from the south (from the village of Tabora). Unaware of the Novgorod reinforcements and feeling their military superiority in force, they, without hesitation, rushed into battle, falling into the "nets" set apart. From this it is clear that the battle itself was on land, not far from the shore of Lake Peipsi. By the end of the battle, the knightly army was driven back to the spring ice of the Zhelchinsky Bay of Lake Peipsi, where many of them died. Their remains and weapons are now located half a kilometer north-west of the Mare Settlement Church at the bottom of this bay.

Our research has also determined the location of the former Crow Stone on the northern outskirts of the village of Tabory - one of the main landmarks of the Battle on the Ice. Centuries have destroyed the stone, but its underground part still rests under the layers of cultural layers of the earth. This stone is presented in the miniature of the chronicle of the Battle on the Ice in the form of a stylized statue of a raven. In ancient times, it had a cult purpose, symbolizing wisdom and longevity, like the legendary Blue Stone, which is located in the city of Pereslavl-Zalessky on the shore of Lake Pleshcheyevo.

In the area where the remains of the Crow Stone were located, there was an ancient temple with underground passages that went to the Uzmen tract, where there were fortifications. The traces of former ancient underground structures indicate that there were once ground religious and other structures made of stone and brick.

Now, knowing the burial places of the warriors of the Battle of the Ice (the place of the battle) and again referring to the chronicle materials, it can be argued that Alexander Nevsky with his troops went to the area of ​​the upcoming battle (to the Samolva area) from the southern side, on the heels of which the knights followed. In the "Novgorod First Chronicle of the Elder and the Younger" it is said that, having freed Pskov from the knights, Nevsky himself went into the possession of the Livonian Order (pursuing the knights west of Lake Pskov), where he allowed his soldiers to live. The Livonian Rhymed Chronicle testifies that the invasion was accompanied by fires and the withdrawal of people and livestock. Learning of this, the Livonian bishop sent an army of knights to meet. The place where Nevsky stopped was somewhere halfway between Pskov and Dorpat, not far from the border of the confluence of the Pskov and Teploe lakes. There was a traditional ferry near the village of Mosty. A. Nevsky, in turn, having found out about the performance of the knights, did not return to Pskov, but, having crossed to the eastern shore of Teploe Lake, hurried northward to the Uzmen tract, leaving the detachment of Domash and Kerbet in the rear guard. This detachment entered into battle with the knights and was defeated. The burial place of warriors from the Domash and Kerbet detachment is located at the southeastern outskirts of Chudskiye Zakhod.

Academician Tikhomirov M.N. believed that the first skirmish of the detachment of Domash and Kerbet with the knights occurred on the eastern shore of the Teploe Lake near the village of Chudskaya Rudnitsa (see "Battle on the Ice", published by the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, series "History and Philosophy", M., 1951, No. 1 , vol. VII, pp. 89-91). This area is much to the south of the village. Samolva. The knights also crossed at Mosty, pursuing A. Nevsky to the village of Tabory, where the battle began.

The site of the Battle on the Ice in our time is located away from busy roadways. You can get here by cross-posts, and then on foot. This is probably why many authors of numerous articles and scientific works we have never been to Lake Peipsi about this battle, preferring the silence of an office and a fantasy far from life. It is curious that this area near Lake Peipsi is interesting in historical, archaeological and other aspects. In these places there are ancient burial mounds, mysterious dungeons, etc. There are also periodic sightings of UFOs and the mysterious "Bigfoot" (north of the Zhelcha River). So, an important stage of work has been carried out to determine the location of the mass graves (burials) of soldiers who died in the Battle of the Ice, the remains of the Crow Stone, the area of ​​the old and new settlements and a number of other objects associated with the battle. More detailed studies of the battle area are now needed. It's up to archaeologists.

Battle on the Ice
	Lake Peipsi
	Novgorod victory
Novgorod, Vladimir	Teutonic Order, Danish Knights, Derpt Militia
Commanders
Alexander Nevsky, Andrey Yaroslavich	Andreas von Velven
Forces of the parties
15-17 thousand people	10-12 thousand people
Significant	400 Germans (including 20 "brothers" of the Teutonic Order) killed, 50 Germans (including 6 "brothers") taken prisoner

Battle on the Ice(it. SchlachtaufdemEise), also battle on Lake Peipsi(it. SchlachtaufdemPeipussee) - the battle that took place on April 5 (in terms of the Gregorian calendar (New style) - April 12) 1242 (Saturday) between Novgorodians and Vladimirs under the leadership of Alexander Nevsky and the knights of the Livonian Order, which by that time included the Order of the Swordsmen (after defeat at Saul in 1236), on the ice of Lake Peipsi. The general battle of the unsuccessful conquest campaign of the Order of 1240-1242.

Preparing for war

The war began with the campaign of Bishop Herman, master of the Teutonic Order and their allies against Russia. As the "Rhymed Chronicle" reports, during the capture of Izborsk, "not a single Russian was allowed to leave unharmed," "a great lamentation began everywhere in that land." Pskov was captured without a fight, a small garrison remained in it, most of the army returned. Arriving in Novgorod in 1241, Alexander found Pskov and Koporye in the hands of the Order and immediately began retaliatory actions. Alexander Nevsky marched on Koporye, took it by storm and killed most of the garrison. Some of the knights and mercenaries from the local population were taken prisoner, but released, and the traitors from among the Chudi were executed.

By the beginning of 1242, Alexander waited for his brother Andrei Yaroslavich with the "grassroots" troops of the Suzdal principality. When the "grassroots" army was still on its way, Alexander marched with Novgorod forces near Pskov. The city was surrounded by it. The order did not manage to quickly collect reinforcements and send them to the besieged. Pskov was taken, the garrison was killed, and the governors of the order (2 brother knights) were sent in chains to Novgorod. According to the Novgorod first chronicle of the older edition (came down to us as part of the parchment Synodal copy of the XIV century, containing records of the events of 1016-1272 and 1299-1333) “In the summer of 6750 (1242/1243). Prince Oleksandr will go from Novgorod and his brother Andrey, and from the lower ranks to the Chyud land to Nemtsi and Chud and zaya all the way to Plskov; and drive out prince Plskov, confiscate Nemtsi and Chud, and fetter the streams to Novgorod, and he himself will go to Chud. "

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

The same chronicle says that “And as if you were on the ground (chudi), let the regiment go into prosperity; and the Domash of Tverdislavichi Kerbet was in the rod, and I sat down with Nemtsi and Chyud at the bridge and beish that; and killed that Domash, the brother of the posadnich, her husband was honest, and I beat him with him, and I got him with my hands, and I came to the prince in the regiment; the prince will return to the lake "

Position of Novgorod

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

"Grassroots regiments" consisted of princely squads, boyars squads, city regiments. The army, fielded by Novgorod, had a fundamentally different composition. It included the squad of the prince invited to Novgorod (that is, Alexander Nevsky), the squad of the bishop ("lord"), the garrison of Novgorod, who served for a salary (greedy) and subordinate to the mayor (however, the garrison could remain in the city itself and not participate in the battle) , Konchansk regiments, militia posadov and squads of "volunteers", private military organizations of boyars and wealthy merchants.

On the whole, the army exposed by Novgorod and the "grassroots" lands was a rather powerful force, distinguished by a high fighting spirit. Total number Russian troops numbered 15-17 thousand people, similar numbers were indicated by Henry of Latvia when describing Russian campaigns in the Baltic States in the 1210-1220s.

Position of the Order

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

Unresolved is the question of who commanded the troops of the Order in battle. Given the heterogeneous composition of the troops, it is possible that there were several commanders. Despite the recognition of the defeat of the Order, Livonian sources do not contain information that any of the Order leaders was killed or taken prisoner.

Battle

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

The Rhymed Chronicle describes the moment of the beginning of the battle as follows:

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

In Russian chronicles, this is shown as follows:

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

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

Losses

Controversial is the question of the losses of the parties in the battle. About Russian losses it is said vaguely: "many brave soldiers fell." Apparently, the losses of the Novgorodians were really heavy. The losses of the "Germans" are indicated by specific numbers, which cause controversy. Russian chronicles say: "And pade Chyudi was beshisla, and Nѣmets 400, and 50 with the hands of a yash and brought him to Novgorod ".

The Rhymed Chronicle specifically says that twenty knights died and six were taken prisoner. The discrepancy in assessments can be explained by the fact that the Chronicle has in mind only the "brothers" - knights, not taking into account their squads, in this case, out of 400 Germans who fell on the ice of Lake Peipsi, twenty were real "brothers" - knights, and of 50 prisoners were “brothers” 6.

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

Effects

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 Zhiztsa and near Usvyat), had great importance for Pskov and Novgorod, holding back the onslaught of three serious enemies from the west - at the very time when the rest of Russia was greatly weakened by the Mongol invasion. In Novgorod, the Battle of the Ice, together with the Neva victory over the Swedes, was recalled in the 16th century at litanies in all Novgorod churches.

The English researcher J. Fannel believes that the significance of the Battle of the Ice (and the Battle of the Neva) is greatly exaggerated: “Alexander did only what the 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 the detachments of invaders ". Russian professor I. N. Danilevsky agrees with this opinion. He notes, in particular, that the battle was inferior in scale to the battles of Saul (1236), in which the master of the order and 48 knights were killed by the Lithuanians (20 knights perished on Lake Peipsi), and the battle of Rakovor in 1268; contemporary sources even describe the battle of the Neva in more detail and attach more importance to it. However, even in the Rhymed Chronicle, the Battle of the Ice is unambiguously described as a defeat for the Germans, in contrast to Rakovor.

Memory of the battle

Films

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

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

In 2009, the joint efforts of the Russian, Canadian and Japanese studios filmed the animated film "First Squad", where the Battle of the Ice plays a key role in setting the plot.

Music

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

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

Monuments

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

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

Monument to Alexander Nevsky and Poklonny cross

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

A bronze bow cross was cast in St. Petersburg at the expense of the 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. A bronze sign was cast under the direction of D. Gochiyayev by the foundry workers of ZAO NTTSKT, architects B. Kostygov and S. Kryukov. During the implementation of 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 to places feats of arms squads of Alexander Nevsky. During these trips, the participants of the check-in help with the improvement of territories related to the monuments of cultural and historical heritage. Thanks to them, in many places in the North-West, memorial signs were erected in memory of the exploits of Russian soldiers, and the village of Kobylye Gorodishche became known throughout the country.

Due to the variability of the hydrography of Lake Peipsi, historians for a long time could not accurately determine the place where the Battle on the Ice took place. Only thanks to long-term research carried out by the expedition of the Institute of Archeology of the USSR Academy of Sciences, the site of the battle was established. The battle site is immersed in water in summer and is located about 400 meters from the island of Sigovets.

The Battle on the Ice is one of greatest battles v Russian history during which the prince of Novgorod Alexander Nevsky repelled the invasion of the knights of the Livonian Order on Lake Peipsi. For centuries, there has been debate among historians about the details of this battle. Some points remain unclear, including how exactly the Battle of the Ice took place. The scheme and reconstruction of the details of this battle will allow us to reveal the mystery over the mysteries of history associated with the great battle.

Background to the conflict

Beginning in 1237, when he announced the beginning of another crusade in the lands of the eastern Baltic, between the Russian principalities on the one hand, and Sweden, Denmark and the German Livonian Order on the other, it remained constant pressure, which from time to time escalated into hostilities.

So, in 1240, the Swedish knights, led by Jarl Birger, landed at the mouth of the Neva, but the Novgorod army under the leadership of Prince Alexander Nevsky defeated them in a decisive battle.

In the same year he undertook offensive operation to Russian lands. His troops took Izborsk and Pskov. Assessing the danger, in 1241 he summoned Alexander back to reign, although only recently expelled him. The prince gathered a squad and moved against the Livonians. In March 1242 he managed to free Pskov. Alexander moved his troops to the possessions of the Order, in the direction of the Dorpat bishopric, where the crusaders gathered significant forces. The parties prepared for the decisive battle.

The opponents met on April 5, 1242 on the then still ice-covered. That is why the battle later acquired the name - Battle on the Ice. The lake at that time was frozen deep enough to support the heavily armed warriors.

Forces of the parties

The Russian army was of a rather scattered composition. But his backbone, undoubtedly, was the Novgorod squad. In addition, the army included the so-called "grassroots regiments", which were led by the boyars. The total number of the Russian squad is estimated by historians at 15-17 thousand people.

The Livonian army was also motley. The backbone of it was made up of heavily armed knights, led by the master Andreas von Velvenem, who, however, did not take part in the battle itself. Also in the army were the Danish allies and the militia of the city of Dorpat, which included a significant number of Estonians. The total number of the Livonian army is estimated at 10-12 thousand people.

Battle progress

Historical sources have left us with rather scant information about how the battle itself unfolded. The battle on the ice began with the fact that the archers of the Novgorod army came forward and covered the line of knights with a hail of arrows. But the latter succeeded, using a military formation called the "pig", to crush the shooters and break the center of the Russian forces.

Seeing this situation, Alexander Nevsky ordered to cover the Livonian troops from the flanks. The knights were taken in pincers. Their general extermination by the Russian squad began. The auxiliary troops of the order, seeing that their main forces were defeated, rushed to flight. The Novgorod squad pursued the fleeing people for more than seven kilometers. The battle ended in complete victory for the Russian forces.

This was the story of the Battle on the Ice.

Battle scheme

It is not for nothing that in Russian textbooks on military affairs a worthy place was taken by the Scheme below, clearly demonstrates the military leadership gift of Alexander Nevsky and serves as an example of an excellently conducted military operation.

On the map, we clearly see the initial breakthrough of the Livonian army into the ranks of the Russian squad. It also shows the encirclement of the knights and the subsequent flight of the auxiliary forces of the Order, which ended the Battle of the Ice. The scheme allows you to build these events in a single chain and greatly facilitates the reconstruction of the events that took place during the battle.

Aftermath of the battle

After the Novgorodian army won a complete victory over the forces of the crusaders, in which no small merit was Alexander Nevsky, a peace agreement was signed in which the Livonian Order completely abandoned its recent acquisitions on the territory of the Russian lands. There was also an exchange of prisoners.

The defeat suffered by the Order in the Battle of the Ice was so serious that for ten years he licked his wounds and did not even think about a new invasion of the Russian lands.

The victory of Alexander Nevsky is no less significant in the general historical context. After all, it was then that the fate of our lands was decided and the actual end of the aggression of the German crusaders in the eastern direction was put. Of course, even after that, the Order more than once tried to tear off a piece of Russian land, but never did the invasion take on such a large-scale character.

Misconceptions and stereotypes associated with the battle

There is an idea that ice helped the Russian army in many ways in the battle on Lake Peipsi, which could not withstand the weight of the heavily armed German knights and began to fall under them. In fact, there is no historical confirmation of this fact. Moreover, according to the latest research, the weight of the equipment of the German knights and Russian knights participating in the battle was approximately equal.

The German crusaders in the view of many people, which is primarily inspired by the cinema, are heavily armed men at arms in helmets, often decorated with horns. In fact, the Order's charter prohibited the use of helmet-mounted jewelry. So the Livonians, in principle, could not have any horns.

Outcomes

Thus, we found out that one of the most important and significant battles in Russian history was the Battle of the Ice. The scheme of the battle allowed us to visually reproduce its course and determine the main reason for the defeat of the knights - an overestimation of their strength when they recklessly rushed into the attack.