The Novgorod Chronicle, the primary source of knowledge about the Battle on the Ice, available on the Presidential Library’s portal

780 years ago, on April 5, 1242, a battle on Lake Peipsi took place between Russian squads led by Prince Alexander Nevsky and German knights, which went down in history as the Battle on the Ice. On the occasion of the anniversary of this event, a unique historical document has been placed on the Presidential Library’s portal - the Novgorod Chronicle, which, according to scientists, contains one of the most reliable stories about the Battle on the Ice.

The chronicle was published in the collection Continuation of Ancient Russian Vivliofika, published in St. Petersburg in 1789.

In the text of the annals the battle itself is described rather sparingly - it is said about the formation of the order troops with a “pig”, that is, a wedge, about 400 killed and 50 captured knights, about the participation of the Suzdal regiments under the command of Alexander Nevsky’s brother Andrei and about the Germans’ requests for peace and the exchange of prisoners. The special meaning of this event became clear later, at the same time the details of the battle began to be described.

The Battle on the Ice was the final and victorious battle, in fact, the first war in the history between Russia and the West, which began in 1240 with the capture of Izborsk, then Pskov. Novgorod was an important goal for the knights. To defend their freedom, its inhabitants called for help Alexander Nevsky, by that time already an experienced commander who had defeated the Swedish Jarl Birger.

The German knights were sure that it was impossible to crush their battle formation, famous throughout Europe - the "pig". But Prince Alexander Yaroslavich decided to use a new tactic, which the enemy could not predict. The main role in our army was played not by the center fighters, but by the flanks. The commander let the knights marching in a wedge into his formation, and when they rejoiced, thinking that they had crushed the Russians, he locked them in a ring.

The battle continued from early morning until late evening. Realizing their plight, the German knights fled. Victor Danilevsky in his historical essay Alexander Nevsky (1942) wrote that, according to the chronicle, "there was an evil slash ... a crack from breaking spears and a sound from a sword section. And as if the frozen lake moved. And there was no ice to be seen, everything was covered in blood...” The result of the battle on Lake Peipsi was an agreement according to which the Western knights left all the Russian lands they had previously conquered.

This battle became one of the brilliant examples of Russian military tactics. It is no coincidence that this day at the state level is recognized as the Day of Military Glory, and the name of the brave commander is inscribed in golden letters in the history of our state.

In his entire short life, Prince Alexander fought dozens of large-scale battles - and did not lose a single one. He died in 1263 and was buried in the Nativity Monastery in the city of Vladimir. In 1547, Alexander Nevsky was canonized, and on September 12, 1724, at the direction of Peter the Great, his incorrupt relics were transferred to St. Petersburg. “Peter founded the new capital of Russia ... on the very river, whose name St. Alexander, i.e. Neva. Having finally concluded a glorious and long-desired peace, the emperor wished to commemorate it with a triumph in memory of the ancient conqueror of the Swedes on the banks of the Neva...” says the Life of the Holy Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky (1867).

The Presidential Library’s portal features a large electronic collection of rare publications Alexander Nevsky (1221-1263), which includes historical research, hagiographic and church literature, art materials. The view of modern historians Denis Grigoryevich Khrustalev and Anti Selart is presented in the published video lecture Battle on the Ice: View from East and West.