Ice battle on Lake Chudskoe. Anything Impossible Is Possible

Losses

Monument to the squads of A. Nevsky on Mount Sokolikha

Controversial is the issue of the losses of the parties in the battle. It is said vaguely about Russian losses: "many brave soldiers fell." Apparently, the losses of the Novgorodians were really heavy. The losses of the knights are indicated by specific numbers, which cause controversy. Russian chronicles, and after them domestic historians say that about five hundred people were killed by the knights, and the chudi "pade beschisla", allegedly fifty "brothers", "deliberate governors" were taken prisoner. Four hundred to five hundred killed knights is a completely unrealistic figure, since there was not such a number in the entire 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 Rhymed Chronicle specifically says that twenty knights died and six were taken prisoner. Most likely, the "Chronicle" means only the "brothers" - knights, not taking into account their squads and the Chud recruited into the army. The Novgorod First Chronicle says that 400 "Germans" fell in the battle, 50 were taken prisoner, and the "Chud" was also discarded: "beshisla". Apparently, they suffered really serious losses.

So, it is possible that on the ice of Lake Peipsi 400 German cavalry soldiers did indeed fall (twenty of them were real "brothers" - knights), and 50 Germans (of them 6 "brothers") were captured by the Russians. The Life of Alexander Nevsky asserts that the prisoners walked alongside their horses during the joyful entry of Prince Alexander into Pskov.

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 advantageous for the Order's heavy cavalry, 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), was of great importance for Pskov and Novgorod, holding back the pressure of three serious enemies from the west - at the very time when the rest of Russia suffered heavy losses from the princely strife and the consequences of the Tatar conquest. Novgorod has long remembered the Battle of the Germans on the Ice: together with the Neva victory over the Swedes, it was recalled in litanies in all Novgorod churches back in the 16th century.

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 Siauliai (g.), In which the master of the order and 48 knights were killed by the Lithuanians (20 knights perished on Lake Peipsi), and to 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

Music

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

Monument to Alexander Nevsky and Poklonny cross

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, a raid expedition has been carried out annually to the places of feats of arms of the 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.

The Battle on the Ice is one of the greatest battles in 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 into the eastern Baltic states, between the Russian principalities on the one hand, and Sweden, Denmark and the German Livonian Order, on the other, constant tension persisted, which from time to time escalated into hostilities.

So, in 1240, 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 an offensive operation on 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.

The choice of the place of the battle. The patrols reported to Prince Alexander that an insignificant detachment of the enemy moved towards Izborsk, and most of the army turned towards Lake Pskov. Having received this news, Alexander turned his troops east to the shore of Lake Peipsi. The choice was dictated by strategic and tactical calculations. In this position, Alexander Nevsky with his regiments cut off all possible routes of approach to Novgorod for the enemy, thus finding himself in the very center of all possible enemy routes. Probably, the Russian commander knew how 8 years ago, on the ice-bound waters of the Embach River, his father, Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, defeated the knights, knew about the advantages of fighting heavily armed knights in winter conditions.

Alexander Nevsky decided to give battle to the enemy on Lake Peipsi, north of the Uzmen tract, near the island of Voroniy Kamen. Several important sources have come down to us about the famous "Battle on the Ice". From the Russian side - these are the Novgorod Chronicles and "Life" of Alexander Nevsky, from Western sources - "Rhymed Chronicle" (the author is unknown).

The question of the number. One of the most difficult and controversial issues is the number of enemy armies. The chroniclers of both sides did not provide accurate data. Some historians believed that the number of German troops was 10-12 thousand people, and Novgorodians - 12-15 thousand people. It is likely that few knights took part in the ice battle, and most of the German army was made up of Estonian and Livonian militias.

Preparing the parties for battle. On the morning of April 5, 1242, the knights-crusaders lined up in battle formation, ironically called by the Russian chroniclers "the great pig" or wedge. The tip of the "wedge" was directed at the Russians. On the flanks of the fighting structure, knights clad in heavy armor stood, and lightly armed soldiers were stationed inside.

There is no detailed information about the military disposition of the Russian army in the sources. Probably, it was a "regiment row" with a guard regiment in front of the military practice of the Russian princes of that time. The battle formations of the Russian troops were facing the steep bank, and behind one of the flanks in the forest was the squad of Alexander Nevsky. The Germans were forced to advance on open ice, not knowing the exact location and number of Russian troops.

The course of the battle. Despite the scant coverage of the famous battle in the sources, the course of the battle is schematically clear. Having extended their long spears, the knights attacked the "chelo", i.e. center of Russian rati. Showered with a hail of arrows, the "wedge" crashed into the location of the guard regiment. The author of the "Rhymed Chronicle" wrote: "Here the brothers' banners penetrated the ranks of the riflemen, you could hear the clink of swords, and you could see how the helmets were chopped off, the dead were falling on both sides." The Russian chronicler also wrote about the breakthrough of the guard regiment by the Germans: "The Germans and others have made their way through the regiment as a pig."

This first success of the crusaders was, apparently, foreseen by the Russian commander, as well as the difficulties encountered after this, insurmountable for the enemy. Here is how one of the best Russian military historians wrote about this stage of the battle: "... Having stumbled upon the steep shore of the lake, the sedentary knights clad in armor could not develop their success. who had nowhere to turn to fight. "

Russian troops did not allow the Germans to develop their success on the flanks, and the German wedge was firmly clamped in the pincers, losing the harmony of the ranks and freedom of maneuver, which turned out to be fatal for the crusaders. At the most unexpected moment for the enemy, Alexander ordered the ambush regiment to attack and surround the Germans. “And that slash of evil was great and a German and a fellow,” the chronicler reported.

Armed with special hooks, Russian militias and warriors pulled the knights from their horses, after which the heavily armed "noblemen of God" became completely helpless. Under the weight of the crowded knights, the melted ice began to crack and crack in some places. Only a part of the crusader army managed to escape from the encirclement, trying to flee. Some of the knights drowned. At the end of the "Battle on the Ice" Russian regiments pursued the enemy "seven miles to the Sokolitsky coast" retreating across the ice of Lake Peipsi. The defeat of the Germans was crowned with an agreement between the order and Novgorod, according to which the crusaders left all the captured Russian lands and returned the prisoners; for their part, the Pskovites also released the captured Germans.

The meaning of the battle, its unique result. The defeat of the Swedish and German knights is a bright page in the military history of Russia. In the Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice, the Russian troops under the command of Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky, performing an essentially defensive mission, were distinguished by decisive and consistent offensive actions. Each subsequent campaign of Alexander Nevsky's regiments had its own tactical task, but the commander himself did not lose sight of the general strategy. So, in the battles of 1241-1242. the Russian commander inflicted a number of successive blows at the enemy before the decisive battle took place.

The Novgorod troops in all battles with the Swedes and Germans perfectly used the surprise factor. An unexpected attack destroyed the Swedish knights who had landed at the mouth of the Neva, by a swift and unexpected blow the Germans were driven out of Pskov, and then from Koporye, finally, a quick and sudden attack by an ambush regiment in the Battle of Ice, which led to the complete confusion of the enemy's fighting ranks. The battle formations and tactics of the Russian troops turned out to be more flexible than the notorious formation of the order's troops in a wedge. Alexander Nevsky, using the terrain, managed to deprive the enemy of space and freedom of maneuver, to surround and destroy.

The unusual nature of the battle on Lake Peipsi also lies in the fact that for the first time in the military practice of the Middle Ages, heavy cavalry was defeated by a foot army. As a historian of military art justly remarked, “the tactical encirclement of the German knightly army by the Russian army, that is, the use of one of their complex and decisive forms of military art, is the only case of the entire feudal period of the war. a strong, well-armed enemy. "

The victory over the German knights was extremely important in military-political terms. The German onslaught on Eastern Europe was delayed for a long time. Novgorod the Great retained the ability to maintain economic and cultural ties with European countries, defended the possibility of access to the Baltic Sea, and defended the Russian lands in the Northwest region. The defeat of the crusaders pushed other peoples to resist the crusading aggression. This is how the famous historian of Ancient Russia M.N. Tikhomirov: "The Battle of the Ice is the greatest date in the history of the struggle against the German conquerors. This battle can only be compared with the Grunwald defeat of the Teutonic knights in 1410. The struggle against the Germans continued further, but the Germans could never do any significant harm to the Russian lands. , and Pskov remained a formidable stronghold against which all subsequent attacks of the Germans were broken. " Despite the fact that we see the author's well-known exaggeration of the significance of the victory at Lake Peipsi, we can agree with him.

Another important consequence of the Battle on the Ice should be assessed within the framework of the general position of Russia in the 40s. XIII century In the event of the defeat of Novgorod, a real threat of seizure of the northwestern Russian lands by the troops of the order would be created, and if we consider that Russia had already been conquered by the Tatars, then it would probably be twice as difficult for the Russian people to get rid of the double oppression of the Russian people.

For all the severity of the Tatar oppression, there was one circumstance that ultimately turned out to be in favor of Russia. The Mongol-Tatars who conquered Russia in the XIII century. remained pagans, respecting and wary of someone else's faith and not encroaching on it. The Teutonic army, supervised personally by the Pope, tried by all means to introduce Catholicism in the conquered territories. The destruction or at least undermining of the Orthodox faith for the scattered, lost unity of Russian lands would mean the loss of cultural identity and the loss of all hope of restoring political independence. It was Orthodoxy in the era of Tatar and political fragmentation, when the population of numerous lands and principalities of Russia almost lost the sense of unity, was the basis for the revival of national identity.

Read also other topics part IX "Russia between East and West: battles of the 13th and 15th centuries." section "Russia and Slavic countries in the Middle Ages":

• 39. "Who is the essence and the secession of the issue": the Tatar-Mongols by the beginning of the XIII century.
• 41. Genghis Khan and the "Muslim front": campaigns, sieges, conquests
• 42. Russia and Cumans on the eve of Kalka
  • Polovtsi. Military-political organization and social structure of the Polovtsian hordes
  • Prince Mstislav Udaloy. Princely Congress in Kiev - the decision to help the Polovtsians
• 44. Crusaders in the Eastern Baltic

by The Wild Mistress's Notes

Many books and articles have been written about the famous battle on the ice of Lake Peipsi in April 1242, but it itself has not been fully studied - and our information about it is replete with white spots ...

At the beginning of 1242, German Teutonic knights captured Pskov and advanced towards Novgorod. On Saturday, April 5, at dawn, the Russian squad, led by the Novgorod prince Alexander Nevsky, met the crusaders on the ice of Lake Peipsi, near the Crow Stone.

Alexander skillfully captured the knights, built in a wedge, from the flanks, and with the blow of the ambush regiment took them into the ring. The Battle of the Ice, glorified in Russian history, began. “And there was a wicked slash, and a crack from the breaking of spears, and a sound from a sword cut, and the frozen lake moved. And there was no ice: it was covered with blood ... "The chronicle reports that the ice cover could not withstand the retreating heavily armed knights and collapsed. Under the weight of their armor, the enemy warriors quickly sank to the bottom, choking on the icy water.

Some of the circumstances of the battle remained a real "blank spot" for researchers. Where does truth end and where does fiction begin? Why did the ice collapse under the feet of the knights and withstand the weight of the Russian army? How could the knights fall through the ice, if its thickness at the shores of Lake Peipsi at the beginning of April reaches a meter? Where did the legendary battle take place?

Russian chronicles (Novgorod, Pskov, Suzdal, Rostov, Lavrentievskaya, etc.) and the "Elder Livonian Rhymed Chronicle" describe in detail both the events preceding the battle and the battle itself. Its landmarks are indicated: "On Lake Peipsi, near the Uzmen tract, near the Voroniy Kamen". Local legends specify that the warriors fought just outside the village of Samolva. The chronicle miniature drawing depicts the confrontation of the parties before the battle, and in the background defensive ramparts, stone and other structures are shown. 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, while ice is mentioned only in the final part of the battle.

In search of answers to numerous questions of researchers, Leningrad archaeologists headed by military historian Georgy Karaev were the first to go to the shores of Lake Peipsi in the late 1950s. Scientists were going to recreate the events of more than seven hundred years ago.

In the beginning, chance helped. Once, talking with fishermen, Karaev asked why they call the area of ​​the lake near Cape Sigovets "a cursed place." The fishermen explained: in this place, until the most severe frosts, there remains a wormwood, "whitefish", because whitefish have been caught in it for a long time. In frosty weather, of course, the "whitefish" will be grabbed with ice, only it is fragile: a person goes in there and disappears ...

This means that it is no coincidence that the locals call the southern part of the lake Warm Lake. Perhaps this is where the crusaders drowned? Here is the answer: the bottom of the lake in the area of ​​"whitefish" is replete with outlets of groundwater, which prevent the formation of a durable ice cover.

Archaeologists have established that the waters of Lake Peipsi are gradually advancing on the shores, this is the result of a slow tectonic process. Many ancient villages were flooded, and their inhabitants moved to other, higher, banks. The lake level rises at a rate of 4 millimeters per year. Consequently, since the time of the faithful prince Alexander Nevsky, the water in the lake has risen by a good three meters!

G.N. Karaev removed the depth of less than three meters from the map of the lake, and the map became "younger" by seven hundred years. This map suggested: the narrowest point of the lake in ancient times was just in the vicinity of the "whitefish". This is how the chronicle "Uzmen", a name that does not exist on the modern map of the lake, received an exact reference.

The most difficult thing was to determine the location of the "Crow Stone", because on the map of the Crow Stone Lake, rocks and islands, there are more than a dozen. Karaev's divers examined Voroniy Island near Uzmen and found that it was nothing more than the top of a huge sheer underwater cliff. A stone rampart was unexpectedly discovered next to her. Scientists decided that the name "Raven Stone" in ancient times referred not only to the rock, but also to a fairly strong border fortification. It became clear: the battle began here on that distant April morning.

The members of the expedition came to the conclusion that the Crow Stone several centuries ago was a high fifteen-meter hill with steep slopes, it was visible from afar and served as a good landmark. But time and waves did their job: the once high hill with steep slopes disappeared under the water.

The researchers also tried to explain why the fleeing knights fell through the ice and drowned. Indeed, at the beginning of April, when the battle was taking place, the ice on the lake is still quite thick and strong. But the secret was that not far from the Crow Stone from the bottom of the lake, warm springs are beating, forming "whitefish", so the ice is less strong here than in other places. Earlier, when the water level was lower, the underwater springs undoubtedly hit right on the ice sheet. The Russians, of course, knew about this and avoided dangerous places, while the enemy ran straight ahead.

So this is the solution to the riddle! But if it is true that in this place the ice abyss has swallowed up a whole army of knights, then somewhere here his trace must be hidden. The archaeologists set themselves the task of finding this last evidence, but the prevailing circumstances prevented the achievement of the final goal. It was not possible to find the burial places of the soldiers who died in the Battle of the Ice. This is clearly stated in the report of the complex expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences. And soon there were statements that in ancient times the dead were taken with them for burial at home, therefore, they say, their remains cannot be found.

Several years ago, a new generation of search engines - a group of Moscow enthusiasts-lovers of the ancient history of Russia - again tried to solve the centuries-old mystery. She had to find burials hidden in the ground related to the Battle of the Ice on a large territory of the Gdovsky district of the Pskov region.

Studies have shown that in those distant times in the area south of the currently existing village of Kozlovo there was a fortified outpost of the Novgorodians. It was here that Prince Alexander Nevsky went to join the detachment of Andrei Yaroslavich, hidden in ambush. At the critical moment of the battle, the ambush regiment could go behind the lines of the knights, surround them and ensure victory. The place is relatively flat here. The troops of the Nevsky from the north-western side were protected by the "whitefish" of Lake Peipsi, and from the eastern side - by the wooded part, where the Novgorodians settled in the fortified town.

At Lake Peipsi, scientists were going to recreate the events of more than seven hundred years ago

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 spread "nets". From here it can be seen that the battle itself was on land, not far from the shore of the lake. By the end of the battle, the knightly army was driven back to the spring ice of the Zhelchinsky Bay, where many of them died. Their remains and weapons are still at the bottom of this bay.

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

Alexander Nevskiy

The Battle on the Ice is one of the most famous battles in the history of Russia. The battle took place in early April 1242 on Lake Peipsi, on the one hand, the troops of the Novgorod Republic, led by Alexander Nevsky, took part in it, on the other hand, it was opposed by the troops of the Germanic Crusaders, mainly representatives of the Livonian Order. If Nevsky had lost this battle, the history of Russia could have taken a completely different path, but the prince of Novgorod was able to win. Now let's look at this page of the history of Russia in more detail.

Preparing for battle

To understand the essence of the Battle on the Ice, you need to understand what preceded it, and how the opponents went to battle. So ... After the Swedes lost the Battle of the Neva, the Germanic Crusaders decided to prepare more thoroughly for a new campaign. The Teutonic Order also contributed part of their army to aid. Back in 1238, Dietrich von Grüningen became the master of the Livonian Order; many historians attribute to him a decisive role in shaping the idea of ​​a campaign against Russia. Additionally, the crusaders were motivated by Pope Gregory IX, who in 1237 announced a crusade against Finland, and in 1239 called on the princes of Russia to respect the border orders.

The Novgorodians at this moment already had a successful experience of the war with the Germans. In 1234, Alexander's father Yaroslav defeated them in the battle on the Omovzha River. Alexander Nevsky, knowing the plans of the crusaders, in 1239 began to build a line of fortifications along the southwestern border, but the Swedes made minor adjustments to his plans, attacking from the northwest. After their defeat, Nevsky continued to strengthen the borders, and also married the daughter of the Polotsk prince, thereby enlisting his support in case of a future war.

At the end of 1240, the Germans began a campaign on the lands of Rus. In the same year they took Izborsk, and in 1241 they laid siege to Pskov. At the beginning of March 1242, Alexander helped the inhabitants of Pskov to liberate their principality and drove the Germans north-west of the city, to the region of Lake Peipsi. It was there that the decisive battle took place, which went down in history under the name of the Battle on the Ice.

Battle progress briefly

The first clashes of the ice battle began in early April 1242 on the northern shore of Lake Peipsi. The crusaders were led by a famous commander Andreas von Völfen, who was twice as old as the Novgorod prince. The army of Nevsky consisted of 15-17 thousand soldiers, while the Germans had about 10 thousand of them. However, according to the testimony of chroniclers, both in Russia and abroad, the German troops were much better armed. But as further developments showed, this played a cruel joke with the crusaders.

The Battle on the Ice took place on April 5, 1242. German troops, possessing the technique of attacking "pigs", that is, a strict and disciplined system, directed the main blow to the center of the enemy. However, Alexander first attacked the enemy army with the help of archers, and then ordered to strike at the flanks of the crusaders. As a result, the Germans were pushed forward onto the ice of Lake Peipsi. The winter at this time was long and cold, therefore, at the time of April, ice (rather crusty) remained on the reservoir. After the Germans realized that they were retreating onto the ice, it was too late: the ice began to crack under the pressure of heavy German armor. That is why historians have called the battle "the battle of ice". As a result, some of the soldiers drowned, the other part was killed in battle, but most of them managed to escape. After that, Alexander's troops finally drove out the crusaders from the territory of the Pskov principality.

The exact site of the battle has not yet been established, this is due to the fact that Lake Peipsi has a very variable hydrography. In 1958-1959, the first archaeological expedition was organized, but no traces of the battle were found.

Historical reference

The result and historical significance of the battle

The first result of the battle was that the Livonian and Teutonic orders signed a truce with Alexander and renounced their claims to Russia. Alexander himself became the de facto ruler of Northern Russia. After his death, in 1268, the Livonian Order broke the truce: the Battle of Rakov took place. But this time, too, the victory was won by the troops of Russia.

After the victory in the “ice battle”, the Novgorod Republic, led by Nevsky, was able to move from defensive tasks to the conquest of new territories. Alexander undertook several successful campaigns against the Lithuanians.

As for the historical significance of the battle on Lake Peipsi, the main role of Alexander is that he was able to stop the offensive of a powerful army of crusaders on Russian lands. The famous historian L. Gumelev argues that the fact of the conquest by the crusaders would mean the end for the very existence of Russia, and therefore the end of future Russia.

Some historians criticize Nevsky for his truce with the Mongols, that he did not help defend Russia from them. In this discussion, most historians are still on the side of Nevsky, because in the situation in which he found himself, it was necessary either to negotiate with the khan, or to fight with two powerful enemies at once. And as a competent politician and commander, Nevsky made a wise decision.

The exact date of the Battle of the Ice

The battle took place on April 5, Old Style. In the XX century, the difference between the styles consisted of 13 days, which is why the holiday was fixed on April 18. However, from the point of view of historical justice, it should be admitted that in the 13th century (when there was a battle) the difference was 7 days. Based on this logic, the Battle of the Ice took place on April 12 in a new style. Nevertheless, today it is April 18 - this is a public holiday in the Russian Federation, the Day of Military Glory. It is on this day that the Battle of the Ice and its significance in the history of Russia are remembered.

Participants in the battle after

Having achieved victory, the Novgorod Republic begins its rapid development. However, in the 16th century there was a decline in both the Livonian Order and Novgorod. Both of these events are associated with the ruler of Moscow, Ivan the Terrible. He deprived Novgorod of the privilege of the Republic, subjecting these lands to a single state. After the Livonian Order lost its power and influence in Eastern Europe, Grozny declared war on Lithuania to strengthen its own influence and expand the territories of its state.

An alternative view of the battle on Lake Peipsi

Due to the fact that during the archaeological expedition of 1958-1959 no traces and the exact place of the battle were found, and also given the fact that the chronicles of the 13th century contain very little information about the battle, two alternative views of the Battle of the Ice in 1242 were formed, which briefly discussed below:

1. According to first glance, there was no battle at all. This is an invention of historians of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, in particular Soloviev, Karamzin and Kostomarov. According to historians who share this point of view, the need to create this battle was caused by the fact that it was necessary to justify the cooperation of Nevsky with the Mongols, as well as to show the strength of Russia in relation to Catholic Europe. Basically, a small number of historians adhere to this theory, since it is very difficult to deny the very existence of the battle, because the battle on Lake Peipsi is described in some chronicles of the end of 13, as well as in the chronicles of the Germans.
2. Second alternative theory: The Battle of the Ice was briefly described in the annals, which means it was a highly exaggerated event. Historians who adhere to this point of view say that there were much fewer participants in the massacre, and that the consequences for the Germans were less dramatic.

If professional Russian historians deny the first theory as a historical fact, then as for the second version, they have one weighty argument: even if the scale of the battle is exaggerated, this should not diminish the role of victory over the Germans in the history of Russia. By the way, in 2012-2013, archaeological expeditions were carried out, as well as studies of the bottom of Lake Peipsi. Archaeologists have found several new likely places of the Battle of the Ice, in addition, the study of the bottom showed a sharp decrease in depth near Crow Island, which suggests the existence of the legendary "Crow Stone", that is, the approximate site of the battle named in the chronicle of 1463.

Battle on the ice in the culture of the country

The year 1938 is of great importance in the history of the coverage of historical events in modern culture. This year the famous Russian writer Konstantin Simonov wrote the poem "The Battle on the Ice", and director Sergei Eisenstein shot the film "Alexander Nevsky", in which he singled out two main battles of the Novgorod ruler: on the Neva River and Lake Peipsi. Of particular importance was the image of Nevsky during the Great Patriotic War. Poets, artists, directors turned to him to show the citizens of the Soviet Union an example of a successful war with the Germans and thereby raise the morale of the army.

In 1993, a monument was erected on Mount Sokolikha near Pskov. A year earlier, a monument to Nevsky was erected in the village of Kobylye fortified settlement (the settlement as close as possible to the place of the battle). In 2012, the Museum of the Battle of the Ice of 1242 was opened in the village of Samolva, Pskov region.

As you can see, even a brief history of the ice battle is not only the battle on April 5, 1242 between the Novgorodians and the Germans. This is a very important event in the history of Russia, because thanks to the talent of Alexander Nevsky, Russia was saved from conquest by the crusaders.

Russia in the XIII century and the arrival of the Germans

In 1240, the Swedes attacked Novgorod, by the way, the allies of the Livonians, the future participants in the Battle on the Ice. Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich, who at that time was only 20 years old, defeats the Swedes on Lake Neva, for which he receives the nickname "Nevsky". In the same year, the Mongols burned Kiev, that is, most of Russia was occupied by the war with the Mongols, Nevsky and its Novgorod Republic were left alone with strong enemies. The Swedes were defeated, but ahead of Alexander was a stronger and more powerful rival: the Germanic Crusaders. In the XII century, the Pope created the Order of the Swordsmen and sent them to the coast of the Baltic Sea, where they received from him the right to own all the conquered lands. These events went down in history as the Northern Crusades. Since most of the participants in the Order of the Swordsmen were from Germany, therefore this order was called German. At the beginning of the 13th century, the order splits into several military organizations, the main ones of which were the Teutonic and Livonian orders. In 1237, the Livonians recognized their dependence on the Teutonic Order, but had the right to choose their master. It was the Livonian Order that were the closest neighbors of the Novgorod Republic.