The Presidential Library marking the anniversary of the Battle of the Neva. “God is not in Power, but in Truth”

On July 15, 1240, exactly 780 years ago, the young Novgorod Prince Alexander Yaroslavich, at the confluence of the Izhora River in the Neva, won a brilliant victory over the Swedes in a battle that not only had great military and political significance, but also gave the commander a nickname with which he went down in history of Russia - Alexander Nevsky.

The Presidential Library’s portal contains an extensive collection of interesting studies, essays and visual materials representing the life and activities of St. Alexander Nevsky. Detailed information about him is also available in On this Day section.

The youth of Prince Alexander came at a difficult time for Russia. “... All of Western Europe in the XII and XIII centuries turns into a huge armed camp, expelling numerous armies to the Orthodox East. <...> Alexander Yaroslavich in all volume was aware of all danger, all responsibility of his position. He knew that he should be a shield covering the homeland, already exhausted by the Tatars, from other more dangerous enemies”, - says the biography The Holy Right Grand Prince Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky (1899) by the historian, Archpriest Mikhail Khitrov.

Sweden has previously posed a threat to our country. “By spreading their dominion and the Catholic faith in Finland, the Swedes became more and more dangerous for Novgorod”, - continues Mikhail Khitrov. - King Erich Erichson, who reigned in Sweden at that time, did little to do business, and all control of the country was in the hands of the famous Birger. <...> Hoping for the large number of troops, Birger hoped first of all to attack Ladoga and, having become a firm foot here, strike Novgorod”. Such was the situation on the western borders of Russia by 1240, preceding the Battle of the Neva.

When the news of the enemy’s advance reached Novgorod, the Swedes, which also included Norwegians and representatives of the Finno-Ugric tribes, under the command of Birger Magnusson had already reached the mouth of Izhora along the Neva and camped more than a hundred miles from Novgorod.

It was impossible to hesitate; there was no time to wait for help from Prince Yaroslav or to collect warriors from Novgorod lands. Alexander decides to fight with his small squad, the Novgorod militia, as well as the Ladoga squad.

According to the custom, Alexander, according to the historical essay by Sergei Krotkov The Battle of the Neva and the Battle on the Ice (1900), “... hurried to St. Sophia Church and tears prayed to God for the deliverance of the Russian land from enemies; then, having received a blessing from the Novgorod archbishop Spiridon, he went out to his small squad and said: “We are few, and the enemy is strong, but God is not in power, but in truth; go with your prince”.

The Russian squad, led by Alexander, set out on a campaign. The young prince with his army moved down the Volkhov River to Ladoga and on July 15 at 11 a.m. suddenly attacked an unguarded Swedes camp. The battle lasted until nightfall.

By morning, the remnants of the Swedish forces fled on the surviving ships. Sergei Krotkov in his essay says that “the Swedes had so many killed that they burden the corpses of noble warriors alone with two screws, the corpses of ordinary warriors buried in the pit dug here... According to the chroniclers, only twenty people were killed among the Russians". 

Such a stunning victory so amazed and delighted contemporaries that even legends were made about it. One of them is retold by a historian, Professor Ivan Belyaev in the book Grand Prince Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky.

The victory in the Battle of the Neva preserved for Novgorod the banks of the Neva and the Gulf of Finland and the possibility of a trade exchange between Russia and the West. Prince of Novgorod Alexander Yaroslavich for the art of the commander and courage shown in the Battle on the Neva was nicknamed Nevsky. For his selfless service for the good of the Fatherland in 1547, he was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.