The Battle of Neva briefly. Battle of the Neva River: causes and consequences

On July 15, 1240, the Battle of the Neva took place - an important event in the history of Rus' in the 13th century and fateful for the Orthodox Russian people. The battle between Christian warriors for the holy faith and Catholic ones ended in victory for the former. During the Battle of the Neva River, an attempt to seize Russian lands was prevented, which could have led to the consolidation of the German and Swedish knightly orders on the territory of Rus'.

Battle of the Neva River

Historical sources do not have information about the exact number of troops on both sides. The message of the first chronicle about the composition of the Novgorod army described them quite briefly:

princely detachment;
Ladoga detachment;
3 detachments of noble Novgorodians who had their own squads.

Location and number of troops

In the same summer of 1240, three strong Western European countries came together to attack Russian lands: Sweden, Germany and Denmark.

Taking advantage of the fact that after the devastation of North-Eastern Rus' by the Tatars, the devastated Novgorod and Pskov principalities had nowhere to wait for help, and the invaders counted on an easy victory.

Swedish troops took upon themselves to strike Novgorod from the sea across the Neva River, and German knights began to strike from land - through Izborsk and Pskov.

If successful, the Swedish knightly order hoped to capture the banks of the Neva - the only access to the sea - in order to take control of the foreign trade of Novgorod, which was a section of the route “from the Varangians to the Greeks,” and also made big plans for the final conquest of Finland.

As leader of the Swedish army performed by Birger Magnusson- a descendant of the noble Folkung family and son-in-law of the Swedish king.

Progress of the battle

At that time, the second son of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, Alexander, reigned in the city of Novgorod, who was only 20 years old at the time of the Battle of the Neva. Alexander was distinguished by bold, tactical decisions, military valor and a great desire to protect and save his people from the misfortune that was coming upon them in the form of the German Order of Knighthood.

According to a few sources and chronicles, Swedish troops arrived at the mouth of Izhora a week before the battle. The army also included Catholic bishops, Norwegians (Murmans) and representatives of Finnish tribes (Em and Sumy) led by Birger Magnusson. Having landed on the shore in the area where the Izhora River flows into the Neva, the Swedes and their allies pitched their tents.

Residents of the Izhora land reported to Alexander Yaroslavich about the arrival of the enemy flotilla.

Prince Alexander made a decision don't wait for reinforcements, to suddenly attack the enemy, for this he hastily began to assemble his own squad for the campaign. Novgorod and Ladoga militias also joined the prince’s army.

Alexander and his army received a blessing for the campaign from the Novgorod Archbishop Spiridon in the Hagia Sophia Cathedral.

The path of the Russian soldiers lay on boats along the Volkhov River to Ladoga, and then to the mouth of Izhora. Along the way, the Ladoga local residents, on foot and on horseback, joined Prince Alexander’s detachment.

Early on the morning of Sunday, July 15, 1240, taking advantage of the fog, the detachment secretly approached the enemy. The Swedes did not think about the possibility of an attack on them, so they could not provide full resistance.

Russian cavalry with spears attacked the center of the camp, and foot militia armed with swords struck from the flanks, capturing three ships.

During the entire battle, the Russian army had the initiative, destroyed several enemy ships, and Prince Alexander himself personally hit Magnusson Birger in the face with a spear, after which the army of knights was left without a leader.

The battle continued until late in the evening and ended with the complete victory of the Novgorodians. The Russian soldiers did not interfere with the escape of the knights, who by morning retreated to the surviving ships and sailed to Sweden.

The losses of the Russian detachment amounted to only 20 militiamen, while the Swedes, according to the First Novgorod Chronicle, lost almost their entire army, with the exception of several dozen people.

Result of the battle

Having won the victory, the young Prince Alexander and his retinue returned to Novgorod to the sound of bells, and among the people he earned the glorious nickname Nevsky.

Alexander Nevsky was canonized in 1547 like a holy noble prince. Orthodox rulers who dedicated their lives to the preservation and spread of the Christian faith are counted among this rank of saints.

The victory on July 15, 1240 over foreign opponents, although not the largest in Russian history, played an important role in preserving the Russian state. On the banks of the Neva River, for the first time, the movement of Western peoples into the Orthodox eastern lands and into Holy Rus' was rebuffed.

On July 15, 1240, an epoch-making battle took place on the Neva River. Russian troops under the command won a crushing victory over the Swedish army. After this event, Alexander received the famous nickname Nevsky. This name is known to every Russian to this day.

Background

The Battle of the Neva River in 1240 did not start spontaneously. It was preceded by a number of important political and historical events.

In the first half of the 13th century, the Swedes, united with the Novgorodians, carried out regular raids on Finnish tribes. They called them punitive campaigns, the purpose of which was to subjugate more and more people to their will. The Sumy and Em tribes suffered the most from the Swedes. This became the cause of protracted conflicts. The Swedes feared a blow from the Finns, so they sought to baptize them and make them their allies.

The conquerors did not stop there. They periodically carried out predatory raids on the lands along the Neva, as well as directly on Novgorod territory. Sweden was significantly weakened by internal conflicts, so it sought to attract as many warriors and nobles as possible to its side. They did not hesitate to persuade those who liked easy money to win over to their side. For a long time, Finno-Karelian troops raided Swedish lands, and in 1187 they completely united with the Novgorodians. They burned Sigtuna, the ancient capital of Sweden.

This confrontation lasted for a long time. Each side, both Swedish and Russian, sought to establish its power on the Izhora land, which was located along the Neva, as well as on the Karelian Isthmus.

A significant date preceding such a famous event as the Battle of the Neva River was the proclamation of the second crusade against Finland by Pope Gregory IX in December 1237. In June 1238, King Waldemar II of Denmark and Master of the United Order Hermann von Balck agreed to divide the Estonian state, as well as to begin military operations against Rus' in the Baltic states with the involvement of the Swedes. This is what provoked the Battle of the Neva River. The date, the events of which are still known today, became the starting point in the history of Rus' and its relations with neighboring states. The battle showed the ability of our state to repel the powerful army of the enemy. It should be taken into account that the Battle of the Neva River took place at a difficult time. The Russian lands were just beginning to recover after many years of the Mongol invasion and the strength of the troops was significantly weakened.

Battle of the Neva River: sources

Historians have to collect information about such ancient events literally bit by bit. Many researchers are interested in the date of such events as the Battle of the Neva River. The battle is briefly described in chronological documents. Of course, such sources are few in number. One of the most famous can be called the Novgorod First Chronicle. Information can also be gleaned from the story about the life of Alexander Nevsky. It is assumed that it was written by contemporaries of those events no later than the eighties of the 13th century.

If we consider Scandinavian sources, they do not contain detailed information about such significant battles as the Battle of the Neva River and the Battle of the Ice. You can only read that a small Swedish detachment was defeated as part of the Finnish Crusade.

It is also not known for certain who led the Scandinavian army. Based on Russian sources, scholars say that it was the king's son-in-law Birger Magnusson.

But he became the jarl of Sweden only in 1248, and at the time of the battle he was Ulf Fasi, who most likely led the campaign. At the same time, Birger did not participate in it, although there is an opposite opinion. Thus, the results of archaeological excavations indicate that Birger was wounded in the facial part of the head during his lifetime. This coincides with information that Alexander Nevsky wounded the king himself in the eye.

Battle of the Neva River: date

Historical events until the 16th century were not recorded in certain official sources. Very often, historians cannot establish the exact day or even the approximate period when a particular battle took place. But this does not apply to such an important event as the Battle of the Neva River. In what year did it happen? Historians know the exact answer to this question. This battle dates back to July 15, 1240.

Events before the battle

No battle starts spontaneously. A number of events also occurred that led to such a difficult moment as the Battle of the Neva River. The year in which it occurred began for the Swedes with their unification with the Novgorodians. In the summer, their ships arrived at the mouth of the Neva. The Swedes and their allies landed on the coast and pitched their tents. This happened in the place where Izhora flows into the Neva.

The composition of the army was varied. It included Swedes, Novgorodians, Norwegians, representatives of Finnish tribes and, of course, Catholic bishops. The borders of the Novgorod lands were protected by maritime guards. It was provided by the Izhorians at the mouth of the Neva, on both sides of the Gulf of Finland. It was the elder of this guard, Pelgusius, at dawn of a July day who discovered that the Swedish flotilla was already close. The messengers hastened to inform Prince Alexander about this.

The Livonian campaign of the Swedes against Rus' began only in August, which suggests that they took a wait-and-see attitude, as well as the immediate and lightning-fast reaction of Prince Alexander. Having received news that the enemy was already close, he decided to act independently, without resorting to the help of his father. Alexander Yaroslavovich went into battle with a small squad. The Battle of the Neva River became a chance for the young prince to prove himself as a commander. Therefore, many troops did not have time to join him. The Ladoga militias, who joined him along the way, also took Alexander’s side.

According to the customs that existed at that time, the entire squad gathered at the Hagia Sophia Cathedral, where they were blessed by Archbishop Spyridon. At the same time, Alexander delivered a parting speech, quotes from which are still known today: “God is not in power, but in truth!”

The detachment moved overland along the Volkhov all the way to Ladoga. From there he turned to the mouth of the Izhora. For the most part, the army consisted of mounted warriors, but there was also infantry. To save travel time, this part of the detachment also rode horses.

Chronology of the battle

The battle began on July 15, 1940. It is known that in the Russian army, in addition to the princely squad, at least three more detachments of noble Novgorod commanders, as well as Ladoga residents, took part.

The Life mentions the names of six warriors who committed heroic deeds during the battle.

Gavrilo Olekseich boarded an enemy ship, from where he was dropped wounded, but despite this he boarded again and continued to fight. Sbyslav Yakunovich was armed only with an ax, but nevertheless rushed into the thick of the battle. Alexander's hunter Yakov Polochanin fought no less bravely. The youth Savva burst into the enemy camp and cut down the Swedes’ tent. Misha from Novgorod took part in the battle on foot and sank three enemy ships. Ratmir, the servant of Alexander Yaroslavovchia, fought bravely with several Swedes, after which he was wounded and died on the battlefield.

The battle continued from morning until evening. By nightfall the opponents dispersed. The Swedes, realizing that they had suffered a crushing defeat, retreated on their surviving ships and crossed to the opposite bank.

It is known that the Russian army did not pursue the enemy. The reason for this is unknown. Perhaps the knightly custom of not interfering with burying his fighters during a respite had an effect. Perhaps Alexander did not see the need to finish off the handful of remaining Swedes and did not want to risk his army.

The losses of the Russian detachment amounted to XX noble warriors, and their warriors should also be added here. There were many more dead among the Swedes. Historians talk about dozens, if not hundreds of soldiers killed.

Results

The Battle of the Neva River, the date of which will be remembered for centuries, made it possible to prevent the danger of an attack by Sweden and the Order on Rus' in the near future. Alexander's army decisively stopped their invasion of Ladoga and Novgorod.

However, the Novgorod boyars began to fear that Alexander's power over them would increase. They began to plot various intrigues against the young prince, eventually forcing him to go to his father Yaroslav. However, very soon they asked him to return to continue the battle with which he approached Pskov.

Memory of the battle

In order not to forget about distant events on the Neva, Alexander's descendants sought to perpetuate the memories of them. Thus, monumental architectural monuments were created, which were restored several times. In addition, the image of Alexander Nevsky is also depicted on coins and commemorative stamps.

Alexander Nevsky Lavra

This monolithic building was erected by Peter I in 1710. The Alexander Nevsky Monastery was built at the mouth of the Black River in St. Petersburg. At that time it was mistakenly assumed that the battle took place in this very place. The inspiration and creator of the monastery was Subsequently, other architects continued the work.

In 1724, the remains of Alexander Yaroslavovich were transported here. Now the territory of the Lavra is a state national reserve. The ensemble includes several churches, a museum and a cemetery. Such famous people as Mikhail Lomonosov, Alexander Suvorov, Nikolai Karamzin, Mikhail Glinka, Modest Mussorgsky, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Fyodor Dostoevsky rest on it.

Church of Alexander Nevsky in Ust-Izhora

This building was erected in honor of the victory in the battle of 1240. Date of construction - 1711. The church burned violently several times and was rebuilt. At the end of the 18th century, a stone church with a bell tower was built by parishioners.

The church was closed in 1934 and was used as a warehouse for a long time. During the Leningrad siege, the temple tower was blown up, as it served as a landmark for German artillery.

In 1990, work began on the restoration of the church, and a few years later it was consecrated. There is a small cemetery near the temple, as well as a monument-chapel with an image of Alexander Nevsky.

Printing coins and stamps

From time to time, the image of Alexander Yaroslavovich is also used in printing. So, in 1995, a commemorative coin with his image was issued. In the anniversary years following the battle, significant stamps are also issued, which are of great interest to philatelists.

Film adaptations

The film starred such actors as Svetlana Bakulina and Director Igor Kalenov.

Battle of the Neva. Pavel Ryzhenko (born 1970)

When the event took place: July 15, 1240

Where the event took place: on the Neva River

Event participants: Russian troops (Novgorod militia) under the leadership of the Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich and Swedish knights under the leadership Jarl Birger.

Causes

German knights:

Close Rus''s access to the Baltic Sea

Cut off access to Karelian and Finnish lands

Capture at least part of the Novgorod land, especially at the mouth of the Neva and the city of Ladoga, as one of the centers of trade.

Control the trade route “from the Varangians to the Greeks”

Spread Catholicism in Rus'

Russian troops:

Prevent land grabs

Stop the spread of Catholicism

Progress of the battle

Swedish troops were on the banks of the Izhora River, where the river flowed into the Neva. They arrived here at the beginning of summer.

Alexander's goal: to squeeze the Swedes between Izhora and the Neva, cutting off their path to the ships. He attacked the Swedes by surprise.

The horsemen with spears moved to the center of the camp. And the foot soldiers from the flanks came from the shore, capturing three ships.

The enemy was pushed back to the river; few were able to escape on their ships.

Results

Rus' defended its lands in the northwest

The Swedes were unable to penetrate deep into the country

The victory raised the spirit of the people, because at this time the countries were subjected to devastating raids by the Mongol-Tatars.

Rus' defended the Orthodox faith.

Meaning

The significance of the battle was great. During the period of the seizure of a large territory by the Mongol-Tatars, Alexander Nevsky was able to fight back in the West, demonstrating the power of Russian weapons. The Orthodox faith was protected. This was primarily the reason that Nevsky was canonized by the Russian Church in 1547.

This is interesting

It was for his victory in the Battle of Neva that Alexander was nicknamed Nevsky. And he was only 19 years old at that time.

Alexander's words to his soldiers before the battle: “Brothers! God is not in power, but in truth! Let us remember the words of the psalmist: these are in arms, and these are on horses; but in the name of the Lord our God we will call... We will not fear the multitude of warriors, for God is with us.”

Material prepared by: Melnikova Vera Aleksandrovna

Battle of the Neva. The feat of Gavrila Aleksic. Facial chronicle vault of the 16th century

1240 On July 15, the Battle of the Neva took place, in which the squad led by Prince Alexander Yaroslavich defeated the Swedish troops of Eric XI Birger.

The goal of the Swedes was to capture the mouth of the Neva, which would allow them to control the northern part of the route “from the Varangians to the Greeks.” For his victory over Birger's army, Alexander received the nickname Nevsky.

Map of the Battle of the Neva on July 15, 1240. Source - Beskrovny L.G. Atlas of maps and diagrams of Russian military history. - M.: Military publishing house of the People's Commissariat of the Armed Forces of the USSR, 1946. Sheet 4

Battle of the Neva. Facial chronicle vault of the 16th century 4

Fight between Gavrila Aleksic and the Swedish governor. Facial chronicle vault of the 16th century

The flight of the Swedes to the ships. Facial chronicle vault of the 16th century

“Since 1236, young Alexander Nevsky, the son of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, reigned in Novgorod, or rather, served as prince (i.e., leader of the army). Generally speaking, the phrase Alexander Nevsky first appeared in the chronicles of the 15th century. Even in “The Tale of the Life and Courage of the Blessed and Grand Duke Alexander,” created 40 years after the events described, Alexander is never called Nevsky. But since our reader is accustomed to this phrase, we will continue to call Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich Nevsky.

According to the “Tale of the Life and Courage of the Blessed and Grand Duke Alexander,” Birger, having arrived with an army at the mouth of the Neva, sent his ambassadors to Novgorod to tell the prince: “If you are able to resist me, then I am already here, captivating your land.” However, this message is most likely an interpolation by the compiler of the “Tale of the Life...”, since surprise of an attack was often a decisive factor in battles in the north.

In fact, the Swedes were noticed by the Novgorod “sea guards”. This function was performed by the Izhora tribe, led by their elder Pelugius. According to the version of the "Tale of Life..." Pelugius was supposedly already Orthodox and had the Christian name Philip, and the rest of his tribe remained pagan. The Izhora naval guard discovered the Swedes in the Gulf of Finland and quickly reported them to Novgorod. Surely there was a system of operational communication from the mouth of the Neva to Novgorod, otherwise the very existence of the sea guard becomes meaningless. Perhaps these were signal lights on the mounds; perhaps a horse relay race; but, in any case, the warning system worked quickly.

Subsequently, the naval guards conducted secret surveillance of the Swedish ships that entered the Neva. In the “Tale of Life...” it is described as follows: “He (Pelugius) stood on the seashore, watching both routes, and spent the whole night without sleep. When the sun began to rise, he heard a strong noise on the sea and saw one boat floating on the sea, and standing in the middle of the boat were the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb in red robes, holding their hands on each other’s shoulders. The rowers sat as if dressed in darkness. Boris said: “Brother Gleb, tell us to row, let us help our relative the prince Alexander." Seeing such a vision and hearing these words of the martyrs, Pelugius stood trembling until the attack disappeared from his eyes."

Prince Alexander, who was about 20 years old, quickly gathered a squad and moved on boats along the Volkhov to Ladoga, where he was joined by the Ladoga squad.

Earl Birger was completely unaware of the movement of the Novgorod army and decided to give rest to the army on the southern bank of the Neva, not far from the confluence of the Izhora River.

On July 15, 1240, “at six o’clock in the afternoon,” the Russian army suddenly attacked the Swedes. According to the "Tale of Life...", Alexander Yaroslavovich personally wounded Earl Birger in the face with a spear. The surprise of the attack and the loss of the commander decided the matter. The Swedes began to retreat to the ships.

The "Tale of Life..." describes the exploits of six Russian warriors. The first of them, Gavrila Oleksich, rode on horseback along the gangplank onto the Swedish ship (auger) and began to chop down the enemy there. The Swedes threw him from his horse into the water, but he emerged from the water unharmed and attacked the enemy again. The second, named Sbyslav Yakunovich, a Novgorodian, attacked the army of the Swedes many times and fought with one ax, without fear, and many fell by his hand, and they marveled at his strength and courage. The third, Yakov, a Polotsk resident, was a hunter for the prince. He attacked the regiment with a sword, and the prince praised him. The fourth, Mesha, a Novgorodian, on foot with his squad attacked the ships and sank three ships. The fifth, Sava, from the junior squad, burst into the jarl’s golden-domed tent and cut down the tent pole. The sixth, Ratmir, from Alexander’s servants, fought on foot simultaneously with several Swedes, fell from multiple wounds and died.

With the onset of darkness, most of the Swedish ships went downstream of the Neva, and some were captured by the Russians. By order of Alexander, two captured augers were loaded with the bodies of the killed Swedes, and they were sent adrift into the sea, and “drowned into the sea,” and the rest of the killed enemies, “dug a hole, swept them into the nude without number.”

Russian losses turned out to be negligible, only 20 people. This fact, as well as the lack of mention of the Battle of the Neva in Swedish chronicles, gave rise to a number of Russophobic historians to reduce the battle to the level of a minor skirmish. In my opinion, the death of 20 selected warriors in a surprise attack is not such a small loss. In addition, the Izhora were also supposed to participate in the battle on the side of the Russians. After the battle, Orthodox Russians and pagan Izhorians were buried in different places and according to different rituals. The Izhorians burned the bodies of their fellow tribesmen. Therefore, the Russian participants in the battle hardly knew how many were killed among the Izhora.

Another thing is that the number of Swedes who came with Birger could be much smaller than our patriotic historians assumed. There could well have been about a thousand people. But, in any case, the Battle of the Neva became a good lesson for the Swedes.

The Novgorodians greeted Alexander and his squad with the ringing of bells. However, within a few weeks, the power-hungry prince and the restless citizens of free Novgorod quarreled. Alexander Yaroslavovich and his squad went home to his Pereslavl-Zalessky.”

Quoted from: Shirokorad A.B. Northern wars of Russia. — M.: ACT; Mn.: Harvest, 2001. p.65-67

History in faces

Novgorod first chronicle of the older edition:
In summer 6748. The Holy One has come in great strength, and Murman, and Sum, and there are many, many evils in the ships; Holy with the prince and with your scribes; and stasha in the Nestiye Izhera, wanting to receive Ladoga, just the river and Novgorod. and the entire Novgorod region. But even the most kind, most merciful people, the lover of God, were observed and protected from foreigners, as if they were working in vain without God’s command: when the news came to Novgorod, as if the Holy One was going to Ladoz. Prince Oleksandr did not hesitate to come to her from the people of Novgorod and Ladoga, and I conquered with the power of Saint Sophia and the prayers of our mistress the Mother of God and the ever-maiden Mary, the month of July in the 15th, in memory of Saints Kurik and Ulita, on the week of the Gathering of the Holy Fathers 630 , like in Chalcedon; and that speed was great with the Holy One. And their commander, named Spiridon, quickly killed her; and I did the same thing, as if the pissant killed the same thing; and plenty. there are many of them; and after laying down the ship, two men built it, leaving the wasteland and heading to the sea; and what good was it, having dug a hole, I swept it into the hole; and there were many ulcers; and that night, without waiting for Holy Monday, I left in shame.

Novgorodets fell: Kostyantin Lugotinits, Gyuryata Pineshchinich, Namst, Drochilo Nezdylov, the son of a tanner, and all 20 are husbands from Ladozhan, or God knows. Prince Oleksandr, from Novgorod and from Ladoga, came to all your health, preserved by God and Saint Sophia and the prayers of all saints.

Quoted from: Novgorod first chronicle of the older and younger editions. - M.-L., 1950.

The world at this time

“Over the centuries, the personality of Genghis Khan (1155 - 1227) has attracted constant interest. Assessments of his affairs are contradictory. In Russian historiography, the image of this commander and statesman is generally negative: it is believed that the formation of his power was accompanied by particular cruelty, that the “Mongol-Tatar yoke” slowed down the socio-economic development of the conquered countries, and the dispersion of the Mongols over a large territory led to their assimilation by other peoples , undermining the potential of Mongolia itself and its weakness after the collapse of the empire. These assessments are partly fair. At the same time, we should not forget that the Middle Ages (in general) were not distinguished by humanity - neither in Europe nor in Asia. Suffice it to recall the history of the Arab Caliphate, the Western European Inquisition, princely feuds in Russia and Japan during the period of feudal fragmentation, etc. Against this background, the cruelty of the Mongols was not something out of the ordinary. And the subsequent “yoke” was hardly anything other than ordinary feudal domination, especially since it was not aimed at destroying social traditions and structures. Moreover, the Mongols showed exceptional religious and national tolerance. Unlike many conquerors who came before and after, they did not set out to impose their religion or way of life with fire and sword, destroying the historical and cultural heritage of other peoples. The khans of the Mongol Empire patronized all religions equally, without imposing any of them. In this they were long ahead of their time. And, although the top of the ruling class of the state was formed from the Mongols, there was no nationalism or national oppression.

Thus, even centuries later, in our time of increasing religious and national intolerance, we can take an example from Genghis Khan and his successors.

We must not forget that it was during the short period of existence of the unified Mongol Empire that, thanks to the rigid order, the routes from West to East became safe, trade and missionary ties expanded, which contributed to mutual understanding and mutual enrichment of cultures. And one of the consequences of the “Mongol-Tatar yoke” was the centralization and consolidation of the Russian principalities, without which the formation of the Moscow Kingdom and, on its basis, the great Eurasian states - the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union would have been impossible (...)

Since the 13th century, extensive literature has appeared devoted to the biography of Genghis Khan and the Mongol conquests. But the most important source remains the “Secret Legend” (or “Secret History”), written in 1240, shortly after the death of the commander. This ancient chronicle has been known in Russia since the 19th century, when the head of the Russian spiritual mission in Beijing, Pallady Kafarov, first transcribed in Russian letters a Mongolian text written in Chinese characters and translated the Chinese text into Russian, and also published a translation in 1866. The second, more accurate and a commented translation from Mongolian with a transcription of the original was published by one of the leading Soviet orientalists S.A. Kozin (1879 - 1956).

Chinese edition of The Secret History of the Mongols 1908

Genghis Khan, 13th century image. National Palace Museum Taipei

Fragment of “The Hidden Legend”:

"The night sky is covered with clouds,
You are on duty, my faithful guard:
You guard my yurt with a smoker,
You wrap her tightly around her -
You bring deep sleep to my eyelids.
After all, you elevated me to the rank of king.

Stars, the night sky is lit.
You are my serene dream in bed
Watch carefully, my night guard,
Surrounding my yurt-palace.
To high rank now me
You, the guardian of the gospel, brought it up!

Will the rains weave like a network in bad weather,
Or the frost freezes all living things,
Is the rain pouring in a continuous stream -
You are all around my mesh yurt,
O blessed guard of the night.
You are a joy to my heart, my light-winged one,
My night guard, Kebteul!
You have elevated me to a joyful rank.
In a military storm and adversity
My yurt with its hem was surrounded
You, who rise in the blink of an eye,
My faithful guard, Kebteul!

Birch bark sajdak
Just touch with your hand -
Everything rises in the blink of an eye
My vigorous guard, Kebteul.

With a sonorous quiver of willow
Just hit it barely audibly -
You won't hesitate
My swift guard,
O my blessed one, Kebteul!

Glory to her old guards!
And call him a great tourhaut
Seventy of those tourhouts that are together
With the Cherbian Ogole they entered into service.

Glory to the old heroes
Bogatyrs under the command of Archai!
Also call Khorchin the Great
Esuntee with Bugidai archers!"

Quoted from: The Secret Legend. Mongolian chronicle of 1240 called Mongrol-un Niruca tobciyan. Yuan Chao Bi Shi. Mongolian everyday collection. M-L. 1941

1239–1240 Death of Kievan Rus

But nothing stopped Bata in front of the gates of the “mother of Russian cities” - Kyiv. In the spring of 1239, Batu moved to southern Rus'. First Pereyaslavl South fell, and then Chernigov perished in fire. The same fate awaited Kyiv. By the time the Mongol-Tatars arrived, it had already lost its former power, and when Batu Khan approached the Dnieper in the fall of 1240, not a single one of the princes who had previously fiercely fought for the Kiev gold table was in the city. The capital of Ancient Rus' stood doomed to destruction. And yet the townspeople desperately resisted the enemy for nine days. The last of them died during the assault on December 6, 1240 under the rubble of the Tithe Church, which collapsed from the blows of Mongol battering machines. Many centuries later, archaeologists found traces of the resistance and heroism of the people of Kiev: the remains of a city dweller literally studded with Tatar arrows, as well as the skeleton of another person who, covering the child, died with him. The terrible fate of Kyiv befell other cities: “And there was no one in Vladimir (Volynsky) who would remain alive,” the chronicler wrote. We know nothing at all about how many cities perished. The finds of archaeologists in the Volyn and Galician lands are sad: the ashes and coal of terrible fires compacted by time, human skeletons with severed bones and skulls pierced by large iron nails... Those who fled from Rus' from the Tatars brought terrible news to Europe about the horrors of the invasion.

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From the book History of Russia from ancient times to the beginning of the 20th century author Froyanov Igor Yakovlevich

Culture of Kievan Rus The culture of Kievan Rus, not shackled by feudal shackles, has reached a high level of development. There is no reason to see in it “two cultures” - the culture of the ruling class and the exploited class, for the simple reason that the classes in

From the book Pre-Letopic Rus'. Pre-Horde Rus'. Rus' and the Golden Horde author Fedoseev Yuri Grigorievich

Chapter 4 Ladder order of succession to the throne. Outcasts. Tribal viceroy. Division of Rus' under Yaroslavich Civil strife. Vladimir Monomakh. Reasons for the collapse of Kievan Rus. Population outflow In the initial period of statehood in Rus' there were problems with

From the book History of Russia from ancient times to the end of the 20th century author Nikolaev Igor Mikhailovich

Culture of Kievan Rus Kievan Rus was characterized by a high, by medieval standards, level of cultural development. Slavic writing and the alphabet, created by Cyril and Methodius in the second half of the 9th century, already in the 10th century. spread to Rus'. Thus, the treaty of 911 between Oleg

From the book Russian Lands through the Eyes of Contemporaries and Descendants (XII-XIV centuries). Lecture course author Danilevsky Igor Nikolaevich

Lecture 1: FROM KIEVAN Rus' TO APART Rus' In domestic historiography, the boundary between the first and second is considered to be the boundary of the existence of that very shaky and rather amorphous association, which is loudly called Kievan Rus or the Old Russian state

From the book Rus' between two fires - against Batu and the “dog knights” author Eliseev Mikhail Borisovich

New raid Winter 1239–1240 Then there was great confusion throughout the whole land, and the people themselves did not know who was running where. Laurentian Chronicle While fierce battles rumbled in Southern Rus' and the earth shook from the tramp of the Mongol cavalry, in North-Eastern Rus' it was surprisingly

From the book Chronology of Russian history. Russia and the world author Anisimov Evgeniy Viktorovich

1240 Establishment of the Mongol-Tatar yoke in Rus'. Consequences of the defeat of Rus' by the Mongol-Tatars in 1237–1240. turned out to be terrible, and many losses were irreparable. In those years, the historical path of Rus' changed abruptly and dramatically, the country entered a different, terrible time. In the fight against

author Choysamba Choyzhilzhavyn

Attack on Southern Rus' and Crimea (1239–1240) In the winter of 1239, Batu Khan's army invaded Southern Rus'. Berke Khan's corps approached the walls of Pereyaslavl at the end of February. This city was known as an outpost on the Russian-Polovtsian border. Surrounded by the Trubezh River, which flows into

From the book The Conquests of Batu Khan author Choysamba Choyzhilzhavyn

The death of Kyiv (1240) Military operations in the Crimea and the North Caucasus, the uprising of the Bulgars delayed the Mongol offensive for a long time. And only in the fall of 1240 was Batu Khan freed to continue his planned campaign. Having secured the rear, Batu Khan decided to attack Kyiv. Has begun

From the book The Conquests of Batu Khan author Choysamba Choyzhilzhavyn

Conquest of Southern Rus' (1240) With the fall of Kyiv, the fate of Southern Rus' was sealed. The capture of the “Mother of Russian Cities” freed the hands of Batu Khan, who took the opportunity to divide his army into several mobile units, as was the case in 1238. Main forces

author Kukushkin Leonid

From the book History of Orthodoxy author Kukushkin Leonid

From the book The Missing Letter. The unperverted history of Ukraine-Rus by Dikiy Andrey

The culture of Kievan Rus The culture of Kievan Rus stood very high at that time, significantly surpassing the culture of many European countries. On this issue, the famous scientist M.I. Rostovtsev writes: “Kievan Rus was the heir to a series of states that

From the book In Search of Oleg's Rus' author Anisimov Konstantin Alexandrovich

The Birth of Kievan Rus The only logical explanation for the success of the coup carried out by Oleg can be considered the dissatisfaction of Rus' with Askold's religious reforms. Oleg was a pagan and led the pagan reaction. Above, in the chapter “The Riddles of Prophetic Oleg”, already

From the book Smoke over Ukraine by the LDPR

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