November 15, 2000

Alexander Nevsky


Alexander Nevsky

Aleksandre Yaroslavich was born in Vladimir and died in Gorodets. He was the prince of Novgorod {1236-52}, of Kiev {1246-52} and grand prince of Vladimir {1252-63}. He was the son of Yaroslav II, grand prince of Vladimir and a member of the Rurik Dynasty . At age ca. sixteen, Aleksandre was appointed prince of Novgorod. This was little more than a military commission. Three years later, he married the daughter of the prince of Polotsk.

In 1240, Sweden invaded Russia, attempting to block her access to the Baltic Sea. Aleksandre defeated the Swedes at the juncture of the Izhora and Neva Rivers. This victory gained him the nickname Nevsky, or of the Neva. Having defended his people well, Aleksandre took upon himself to become involved in local affairs. Historically, the people of Novgorod did not welcome such intervention into their city's life from the princes. They expelled the young prince in ca. 1241.

The Roman pontiff at the time was Gregory IX . He insisted that the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania ) be "Christianized." The region of Kiev Rus had been associated with the Byzantine Church of Constantinople since 988. This was due to the actions of another Rurik, Vladimir I. In response to the pope's request, the Tuetonic Knights invaded Russia. Novgorod, lacking military leadership, begged Aleksandre to return. In 1242, Aleksandre defeated the Tuetonic Knights in ,what is known as, the massacre on the ice, on the channel between Peipus and Pskov Lakes. He continued to fight the Swedes, stopping altogether their efforts to establish a foothold in Russia.

Meanwhile, the Mongols had invaded and conquered much of the politically fragmented eastern region of Russia. Aleksandre's father, the prince of Yaroslav, agreed to submit to the Mongol rulers. He was murdered in September 1246 when he returned home from a meeting with the Great Khan in Mongolia. This created a battle between his sons, Aleksandre and Andrew, the younger. By Russian protocol, the elder, Aleksandre, should have automatically become the Grand Prince. However, the decision lay with the Great Khan who appointed Andrew grand prince of Vladimir and Aleksandre, prince of Kiev, the center of modern Ukraine.

Andrew wasted little time before he began comspiring against the Mongols. This caused extreme hardship for the Russian people. Aleksandre reported the comspiracy to Khan Batu who deployed an army to dispose of Andrew, making Aleksandre the grand prince. Aleksandre allowed the Mongols to take a census of Russia and to tax the people. By doing so, he was able to rebuild Russia's cities and churches and to govern his people directly. When various towns revolted against the Mongol yoke, Aleksandre would travel to Mongolia to plead for their deliverance from reprisal. He succeeded in protecting his people and achieved exemption from the Mongol desire to draft Russian men into their army which was at war with Iran.

Thanks to Aleksandre's efforts, the Russian Orthodox Church enjoyed Mongol protection and a tax-free status. Aleksandre protected the Church against aggression from the Baltic princes who, with the backing of Rome, conspired against the Mongols. It may seem, on the surface, that Aleksandre sold out to the Mongols. In reality, his actions and intervention on behalf of his people, greatly improved the common mans' quality of life. The alternative would have been what happened after Aleksandre's death in 1263. Russia basically fell apart and turned into a collection of feuding states and principalities with no central power or unifying purpose.

Aleksandre managed to maintain the Russian way of life, religious freedom and averted much potential bloodshed. For these reasons, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Alesksandre Nevsky in 1547. His feast days are November 23rd and August 30th. In 1725, the Order of Aleksandre Nevsky was formed by Empress Catherine I , as an award for superior military service. The Order was re-established by the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet, in 1942, to honor Soviet Commanders in WWII (medal).

In the early 1700's, Peter the Great of Russia {Tsar; 1721-1725}, established the Alexander Nevsky Lavra {monastery} in St. Petersburg to honor of the saint and his 1240 victory over the Swedes. This is the home of the city's central church, the Holy Trinity Cathedral. Such notables as Dostoevsky, Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky are buried in the monastery cemetery.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955