The compilation of the Life of Alexander Nevsky dates back to the 80s. 13th century and are associated with the names of Dmitry Alexandrovich, the son of Alexander Nevsky, and Metropolitan Kirill, with the monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin in Vladimir, where the body of the prince was buried. here in the thirteenth century. the veneration of the prince as a saint begins and the first edition of his life appears.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
I, thin and sinful, narrow-minded, dare to describe the life of the holy prince Alexander, son of Yaroslav, grandson of Vsevolodov. Since I heard from my fathers and myself was a witness of his mature age, I was glad to tell about his holy, and honest, and glorious life. But as the tributary said: “Wisdom will not enter into an evil soul: for it abides in elevated places, stands in the middle of roads, and stops at the gates of noble people.” Although I am simple in mind, I will nevertheless begin with the prayer of the Holy Mother of God and the help of the Holy Prince Alexander.
This prince Alexander was born from a merciful and philanthropic father, and most of all - meek, the great prince Yaroslav and from mother Theodosia. As Isaiah the prophet said: “Thus says the Lord: “I set princes, sacred for they are, and I lead them.” And truly - not without God's command was his reign.
And he was handsome like no other, and his voice was like a trumpet among the people, his face was like the face of Joseph, whom the Egyptian king appointed the second king in Egypt, his strength was part of the strength of Samson, and God gave him the wisdom of Solomon, his courage is like that of the Roman king Vespasian, who conquered the whole land of Judea. One day he prepared to besiege the city of Joatapata, and the townspeople came out and defeated his army. And Vespasian alone remained, and turned those who opposed him to the city, to the city gates, and laughed at his retinue, and reproached her, saying: "They left me alone." So did Prince Alexander - he won, but was invincible.
That is why one of the eminent men of the Western country, from those who call themselves servants of God, came, wanting to see the maturity of his strength, as in ancient times the Queen of Sheba came to Solomon, wanting to listen to his wise speeches. So this one, by the name of Andreash, having seen Prince Alexander, returned to his people and said: “I passed through countries, peoples and did not see such a king among kings, nor a prince among princes.”
Hearing about such a prowess of Prince Alexander, the king of the country of Rome from the Midnight Land thought to himself: "I will go and conquer the land of Alexandrov." And he gathered a great force, and filled many ships with his regiments, moved with great force, puffing with the spirit of war. And he came to the Neva, intoxicated with madness, and sent his ambassadors, puffed up, to Novgorod to Prince Alexander, saying: "If you can, defend yourself, for I am already here and ruining your land."
Alexander, having heard such words, flared up in his heart and entered the church of Hagia Sophia, and, falling on his knees before the altar, began to pray with tears: “Glorious God, righteous, great God, strong, eternal God, who created heaven and earth and established nations, You commanded to live without transgressing the borders of others. And, remembering the words of the prophet, he said: “Judge, Lord, those who offend me and protect from those who fight with me, take up arms and a shield and stand to help me.”
And, having finished his prayer, he stood up and bowed to the archbishop. The archbishop was then Spiridon, he blessed him and released him. The prince, leaving the church, wiped away his tears and said, in order to encourage his squad: “God is not in power, but in truth. Let us remember the Songwriter, who said: “Some with weapons, and others on horses, but we call on the name of the Lord our God; they were defeated and fell, but we stood and stand upright. Having said this, he went to the enemies with a small squad, not waiting for his large army, but trusting in the Holy Trinity.
It was sad to hear that his father, the great prince Yaroslav, did not know about the invasion of his son, dear Alexander, and he had no time to send a message to his father, for the enemies were already approaching. Therefore, many Novgorodians did not have time to join, as the prince hurried to speak. And he set out against the enemy on Sunday, the fifteenth of July, having great faith in the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb.
And there was one man, the elder of the land of Izhora, named Pelugiy, he was entrusted with night watch on the sea. He was baptized and lived among his people, who were pagans, but his name was named Philip in holy baptism, and he lived pleasingly, observing fasting on Wednesday and Friday, and therefore God honored him with seeing a wonderful vision on that day. Let's talk briefly.
Learning about the strength of the enemy, he went out to meet Prince Alexander to tell him about their camps. He stood by the sea, watching both ways, and spent the whole night without sleep. When the sun began to rise, he heard a strong noise on the sea and saw one pier floating on the sea, and the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb in red robes standing in the middle of the pier, holding their hands on each other's shoulders. The rowers sat as if clothed in darkness. Boris said: “Brother Gleb, they led us to row, let us help our relative, Prince Alexander.” Seeing such a vision and hearing these words of the martyrs, Pelugius stood terrified until the nasad disappeared from his eyes.
Shortly after this, Alexander came, and Pelugius, joyfully meeting Prince Alexander, told him alone about the vision. The prince said to him: "Don't tell this to anyone."
After that, Alexander hastened to attack the enemies at the sixth hour of the day, and there was a great slaughter with the Romans, and the prince killed an innumerable multitude, and on the face of the king himself he left the seal of his sharp spear.
Six brave men, like him, from Alexander's regiment showed themselves here.
The first is by the name of Gavrilo Oleksich. He attacked the auger and, seeing the prince dragged by the arms, rode up to the ship along the gangway, along which they ran with the prince; those pursued by him seized Gavrila Oleksich and threw him off the gangway along with his horse. But by the grace of God, he emerged from the water unharmed, and again attacked them, and fought with the governor himself in the midst of their army.
The second is named Sbyslav Yakunovich, a Novgorodian. This one attacked their army many times and fought with one ax, having no fear in his soul; and many fell by his hand, and marveled at his strength and courage.
The third - Yakov, a native of Polotsk, was a hunter with the prince. This one attacked the regiment with a sword, and the prince praised him.
The fourth is a Novgorodian named Mesha. This footman with his retinue attacked the ships and sank three ships.
The fifth is from the younger squad, named Sava. This one burst into a large golden-domed royal tent and cut down a tent post. The regiments of Alexandrov, seeing the fall of the tent, rejoiced.
The sixth is from the servants of Alexander, named Ratmir. This one fought on foot, and many enemies surrounded him. He fell from many wounds and died like that.
I heard all this from my master, Grand Duke Alexander, and from those who participated at that time in this battle.
And at that time there was a marvelous miracle, as in the days of old under Hezekiah the king. When Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, came to Jerusalem, wanting to conquer the holy city of Jerusalem, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and killed one hundred and eighty-five thousand of the Assyrian army, and when morning came, only dead corpses were found. So it was after the victory of Alexandrov: when he defeated the king, on the opposite side of the Izhora River, where Alexandrov's regiments could not pass, a myriad of those killed by the angel of the Lord were found here. Those who remained turned to flight, and the corpses of their dead soldiers were thrown into the ships and sunk them in the sea. Prince Alexander returned with victory, praising and glorifying the name of his Creator.
In the second year after the return of Prince Alexander with a victory, they again came from the Western country and built a city on the land of Alexandrov. Prince Alexander soon went and destroyed their city to the ground, and hanged some of them themselves, took others with him, and, having pardoned others, let them go, for he was immensely merciful.
After the victory of Alexandrov, when he defeated the king, in the third year, in winter, he went with great strength to the German land, so that they would not boast, saying: "We will conquer the Slovenian people."
And the city of Pskov was already taken by them and the German governors were imprisoned. He soon expelled them from Pskov and killed the Germans, but he tied up others and freed the city from the godless Germans, and ravaged and burned their land and took countless prisoners, and killed others. The Germans, proud, gathered and said: "Let's go and defeat Alexander, and capture him."
When the Germans approached, the guards checked on them. Prince Alexander prepared for battle, and they went against each other, and Lake Peipsi was covered with a multitude of both warriors. Alexander's father, Yaroslav, sent his younger brother Andrei with a large squad to help him. And Prince Alexander also had many brave warriors, as in ancient times, King David, strong and strong. So the men of Alexander were filled with the spirit of war, because their hearts were like the hearts of lions, and exclaimed: “O our glorious prince! Now the time has come for us to lay down our heads for you.” Prince Alexander raised his hands to heaven and said: “Judge me, God, judge my feud with the unrighteous people and help me, Lord, as in ancient times he helped Moses defeat Amalek and our great-grandfather Yaroslav the accursed Svyatopolk.”
It was then Saturday, and when the sun rose, the opponents came together. And there was a fierce slaughter, and there was a crash from breaking spears and a ringing from the blows of swords, and it seemed that a frozen lake moved, and no ice was visible, for it was covered with blood.
And I heard this from an eyewitness who told me that he saw the army of God in the air, which came to the aid of Alexander. And so he defeated the enemies with the help of God, and they fled, while Alexander cut them down, driving them as if through the air, and there was nowhere for them to hide. Here God glorified Alexander before all the regiments, like Joshua at Jericho. And the one who said: “Let's capture Alexander,” God gave into the hands of Alexander. And there has never been an opponent worthy of him in battle. And Prince Alexander returned with a glorious victory, and there were many prisoners in his army, and those who call themselves "God's knights" were led barefoot near the horses.
And when the prince approached the city of Pskov, the abbots, and the priests, and all the people met him in front of the city with crosses, giving praise to God and glorifying the lord prince Alexander, singing the song: “You, Lord, helped meek David defeat foreigners and our faithful prince liberate the city of Pskov from foreign pagans with the arms of the cross by the hand of Alexander.
And Alexander said: “O ignorant people of Pskov! If you forget this before the great-grandchildren of Alexander, then you will be like the Jews, whom the Lord fed in the wilderness with manna from heaven and baked quails, but they forgot all this and their God, who delivered them from Egyptian captivity.
And his name became famous in all countries, from the sea of Khonuzh and to the mountains of Ararat, and on the other side of the Varangian sea and to the great Rome.
At the same time, the Lithuanian people gained strength and began to plunder the possessions of Alexandrov. He went out and beat them. Once he happened to go out to the enemy, and he defeated seven regiments in one trip and killed many of the princes, and took others prisoner, while his servants, mocking, tied them to the tails of their horses. And from that time they began to fear his name.
At the same time, there was a strong king in the Eastern country, to whom God subdued many peoples, from the east to the west. That king, having heard about such glory and courage of Alexander, sent messengers to him and said: “Alexander, do you know that God has subdued many nations to me? What - you alone do not want to submit to me? But if you want to save your land, then come quickly to me and you will see the glory of my kingdom.
After the death of his father, Prince Alexander came to Vladimir in great power. And his arrival was terrible, and the news of him rushed to the mouth of the Volga. And the wives of Moab began to frighten their children, saying, "Alexander is coming!"
Prince Alexander decided to go to the tsar in the Horde, and Bishop Kirill blessed him. And King Batu saw him, and was amazed, and said to his nobles: “They told me the truth that there is no prince like him.” Honoring him with dignity, he released Alexander.
After that, Tsar Batu was angry with his younger brother Andrei and sent his governor Nevryuy to ruin the land of Suzdal. After the devastation of Nevryuy land of Suzdal, the great prince Alexander erected churches, rebuilt cities, gathered the dispersed people into their houses. Isaiah the prophet said about such people: “The prince is good in the countries - quiet, affable, meek, humble - and in that he is like God.” Not seduced by wealth, not forgetting the blood of the righteous, orphans and widows, he judges in truth, is merciful, kind to his household and hospitable to those who come from foreign countries. God also helps such people, for God does not love angels, but He generously bestows people in His generosity and shows His mercy in the world.
God filled the land of Alexander with wealth and glory, and God extended his years.
Once, ambassadors from the pope from great Rome came to him with the following words: “Our Pope says this: “We heard that you are a worthy and glorious prince and your land is great. That is why they sent two of the smartest of the twelve cardinals to you - Agaldad and Repair, so that you would listen to their speeches about the law of God.
Prince Alexander, having thought with his wise men, wrote him the following answer: “From Adam to the flood, from the flood to the division of peoples, from the mixing of peoples to the beginning of Abraham, from Abraham to the passage of the Israelites through the sea, from the exodus of the sons of Israel to the death of King David , from the beginning of the reign of Solomon to Augustus and until the Nativity of Christ, from the Nativity of Christ and to His crucifixion and Resurrection, from His Resurrection and Ascension to heaven and to the reign of Konstantinov, from the beginning of the reign of Konstantinov to the first Council and the seventh - we know all this well but we will not accept teachings from you.” They also returned home.
And the days of his life multiplied in great glory, for he loved priests, and monks, and the poor, and he honored metropolitans and bishops and listened to them, as to Christ himself.
In those days there was great violence from the infidels, they persecuted Christians, forcing them to fight on their side. The great prince Alexander went to the king to pray for his people from this misfortune.
And he sent his son Dmitry to the Western countries, and sent all his regiments with him, and his relatives of the household, saying to them: "Serve my son, as myself, with your whole life." And Prince Dmitry went in great strength, and conquered the German land, and took the city of Yuryev, and returned to Novgorod with many prisoners and with great booty.
His father, Grand Duke Alexander, returned from the Horde from the tsar, and reached Nizhny Novgorod, and there he fell ill, and, having arrived in Gorodets, fell ill. Woe to you, poor man! How can you describe the death of your master! How will your apples not fall out along with tears! How will your heart not be torn out by the roots! For a man can leave a father, but a good master cannot be left; if it were possible, then I would go down with him into the coffin!
Having worked hard for God, he left the earthly kingdom and became a monk, for he had an immeasurable desire to take on an angelic form. God vouchsafed him and b about The next rank to accept is the schema. And so, in peace with God, he gave up his spirit on the fourteenth day of the month of November, in memory of the holy Apostle Philip.
Metropolitan Kirill said: “My children, know that the sun of the land of Suzdal has already set!” Priests and deacons, Chernorizians, poor and rich, and all the people exclaimed: “We are already perishing!”
The holy body of Alexander was carried to the city of Vladimir. The Metropolitan, princes and boyars, and all the people, small and large, met him in Bogolyubovo with candles and censers. People crowded, trying to touch his holy body on an honest bed. There was a cry, and a groan, and a cry, which had never been, even the earth trembled. His body was laid in the Church of the Nativity of the Holy Mother of God, in the great archimandrite, on the 24th day of November, in memory of the holy father Amphilochius.
It was then a marvelous miracle and worthy of memory. When his holy body was laid in the tomb, then Sebastian the Economist and Cyril the Metropolitan wanted to open his hand in order to put in a spiritual letter. He, as if alive, stretched out his hand and took the letter from the Metropolitan's hand. And confusion seized them, and they slightly retreated from his tomb. This was announced to everyone by Metropolitan and Economist Sevastyan. Who will not be surprised at this miracle, because his soul left his body and they carried him from distant lands in the winter!
And so God glorified His saint.
Shortly after the death of the Grand Duke, in the 80s of the XIII century, he was a scribe of the monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin in Vladimir. The body of the prince was buried here, and here, at the end of the 13th century, his veneration as a saint began. The author of the life calls himself a contemporary of the prince, a "witness", a witness to his life; according to his memoirs and stories of Alexander's associates, he creates his biography.
Author " Tale about the life ... of Alexander Nevsky "was a widely read man and wrote in accordance with the best examples of world literature ... He consistently talks about Alexander's three exploits: the battle on the Neva, the Battle of the Ice and a trip to the Horde. The first two feats are swearing, the last is the feat of self-sacrifice. Alexander went to the khan "to pray people out of trouble" so that the Tatars would not force the Russian people to perform military service. There is an assumption that the death of Alexander on the way back from the Horde was caused by the fact that he was poisoned at the khan's headquarters...
"The Tale of the Life ... of Alexander Nevsky" was imitated, it was quoted, it was followed as a literary model. She left a significant mark on the development ancient Russian literature, its influence is reflected in many other princely lives and military stories.
I, insignificant, sinful and unreasonable, decide to write the life of the holy prince Alexander, son of Yaroslav, grandson of Vsevolod. I heard about him from my fathers and was a witness of his deeds, and therefore I am glad to tell about his honest and equal life.
This prince Alexander was born from the great prince Yaroslav and from his mother Theodosia. His height was greater than other people, and his voice was like a trumpet among the people, but his face was like the face of Joseph, whom the Egyptian king appointed the second king in Egypt. His strength was part of Samson's strength. And God gave him the wisdom of Solomon, and the courage of the Roman king Vespasian, who captivated the whole land of Judea, so the prince Alexander won, but was invincible.
That is why a certain noble man named Andreyash came from the Western countries, from those who call themselves the servants of the Lord. He wanted to see the wondrous power of Prince Alexander. Seeing him, he returned to his people and said:
I went through many countries and peoples, but I did not see this either in the kings or in the princes of the prince.
And heard the king of the midnight part Roman country about such courage of Prince Alexander and thought to himself: "I will go and captivate the land of Alexandrov."
And the king gathered a great force, filled many ships with his regiments, and moved in heavy strength, breathing the spirit of war. And when he came to the Neva, staggering from madness, he sent, blocking himself, his ambassadors to Novgorod to Prince Alexander, saying:
I am already here, capturing your land. Can you resist me?
Alexander, having heard these words, flared up in his heart and entered into church Sophia and fell on his knees before the altar, and began to pray with tears:
Greater and stronger, who founded the earth and put limits on the peoples and commanded them to live without transgressing into someone else's part! Judge me, Lord, with those who offend me, overcome those who fight with me, take up arms and a shield, stand to help me!
Having finished the prayer, Alexander stood up and bowed to the archbishop. The archbishop blessed him and released him. He left the church, wiped away his tears and began to strengthen the spirit of his squad, saying:
Not to force God but in truth.
And he went to the enemies in a small squad on July 15, not waiting for all his strength to gather, but firmly believing in the help of the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb.
There was a certain man, an elder in the land of Izhora, named Pelgusy. He was entrusted with overtaking the guards of the sea. Pelgusius received holy baptism and lived among his family, which remained in paganism. And he lived pleasing to God, observing fasting on Wednesday and Friday. Therefore, God vouchsafed him to see a terrible vision that day. Let's talk about that briefly.
He saw the strength of the military, going against Prince Alexander, and decided to tell the prince about their camps. He stood at the edge of the sea and followed their path and was vigilant all night. And when the sun began to rise, he heard a terrible noise on the sea, and saw a boat floating on the sea. In the middle of the plantation stood the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb in scarlet robes, with their hands on each other's shoulders. The rowers sat as if clothed in darkness. Boris said:
- Brother Gleb, they were rowing, let us help our relative, Prince Alexander.
Seeing such a vision and hearing such words of the martyr, Pelgusius stood in awe until the nasad hid from his eyes.
After this, Prince Alexander soon arrived, and Pelgusius, with joy in his eyes alone, about the vision. The prince said to him:
Don't tell this to anyone.
And Alexander decided to attack the enemies at the sixth hour of the day. And the battle was great over the Romans, and Alexander beat them innumerable, and the king himself sealed the face with his sharp spear.
Here, six brave men appeared in Alexandrov's regiment, who fought hard with him.
One is Gavrila Aleksin. He rode on a horse along the plank to the ship itself. And the enemies ran in front of him to the ship, and then turned around and threw him off the board along with his horse into the Neva. By the grace of God, he came out of the Neiredim River and again rushed at the enemies and fought with the governor himself among their regiment.
The other is a Novgorodian named Zbyslav Yakunovich. He attacked their regiment many times and fought with them with one ax, not knowing fear in his heart. And several men fell at his hand. And Alexander marveled at his strength and courage.
The third - Yakov, a Polochan, was a hunter1 with the prince. He ran into a regiment with a sword and took courage, and the prince praised him.
Fourth - Novgorodian named Misha. On foot, he rushed to the ships and destroyed three ships with his squad.
The fifth, named Savva, was from the younger squad. He ran into the great tent of the golden-domed king and cut down its pillar. The regiments of Alexandrov rejoiced when they saw the fall of the tent.
The sixth was one of the servants of Prince Alexander, named Ratmir. He fought on foot, and many enemies surrounded him. He fell from many wounds and died like that.
I heard all this from my master, Grand Duke Alexander, and from others who were then in that battle.
And Alexander defeated the king, and the rest fled and left the dead on the ships and drowned them in the sea. Prince Alexander returned with victory, praising and glorifying the name of the entire Creator.
In the third year after the victory over the king, Prince Alexander went in great strength to the German land in winter, so that they would not boast, saying: "We will shame the Slavic people."
Already then the city of Pskov was taken and the German governors were planted there. Prince Alexander soon took the city of Pskov and slaughtered the Germans, and took others prisoner and freed the city from the godless Germans.
And he fought and burned their land and took it without number. Other German cities gathered and said: "Let's go and defeat Alexander and take him with our hands."
As they approached, the guards noticed them. Prince Alexander took up arms and went against them, and they converged on Lake Peipsi. And Lake Peipsi was covered with many warriors.
His father, Yaroslav, sent his younger brother Andrei to help him with a multitude of squads. Also, Prince Alexander had a lot of brave people, like David kings in ancient times, strong and strong. So he filled the men of Alexandrov with a spirit of war, for their hearts were like the hearts of lions, and they said:
O our honest prince! Now the time has come for us to lay down our heads for you.
Prince Alexander, raising his hands to heaven, said:
Judge me, God, and judge my quarrel with the arrogant people and help me, Lord, as in ancient times he helped Moses against Amalek 1 and our great-grandfather Yaroslav against the accursed Svyatopolk.
It was then Saturday. When the sun rose, both sides came together. And there was an evil slash, and a crack from the breaking of spears, and a sound from the cutting of swords, as if a frozen lake moved. And there was no ice to be seen, for it was covered with blood.
I heard from a seer who said to me:
I saw in the air a regiment of God that came to the aid of Alexander.
And so he defeated his enemies with the help of God. They showed their shoulders. He whipped and drove them as if he were flying through the air, and there was nowhere for them to run. And God glorified Alexander in front of all the regiments, like Joshua 2 at Jericho. And those who said: "Let's take Alexander with our hands," God delivered into his hands. And he had no equal in battle. And Prince Alexander returned with a glorious victory. And there were many prisoners in his regiment, and those who call themselves God's knights were led barefoot near the horses.
1 Moses is an Old Testament prophet, Amalek is the leader of the Amalek tribe, who resisted the Israelites on their way from Egypt.
2Jesus Nun - Old Testament prophet and commander.
And when the prince approached the city of Pskov, the abbots, and priests, and all the people met him in front of the city with crosses, and gave praise to God, and sang Glory to Mr. Prince Alexander.
And his name was glorified in all countries to the sea of Egypt and to the mountains of Ararat, on the other side of the Varangian sea and to great Rome.
At that time there was a strong king in the country of the East, and God subdued many nations from the east to the west. That king, hearing that Alexander was so glorious and brave, sent messengers to him and said:
Do you know, Alexander, that God has subdued many nations to me? Will you alone not submit to me? If you want to protect your land, then come quickly to me and you will see the honor of my kingdom.
Prince Alexander, after the death of his father, came to Vladimir in great power. And his arrival was terrible. The news of him rushed to the mouth of the Volga. And the wives of Moab began to frighten their children, saying,
Alexander is coming!
Prince Alexander thought with his retinue, and Bishop Cyril blessed him, and he went to the tsar in the Horde. Seeing him, Tsar Batu marveled and said to his nobles:
They told me the truth: there is no one like this prince.
The king honored him and released him with honor.
Later, Tsar Batu was angry with his younger brother, Andrei, and sent the governor of his Nevrui to ravage the land of Suzdal. After the ruin of Nevruev, the great prince Alexander erected churches, restored the cities, gathered the people who fled into their homes. And God filled the earth with his wealth and glory.
Then great oppression arose from foreigners, and they drove Christian telling them to fight alongside them.
The great prince Alexander went to the king in order to pray for people from that misfortune. And he returned from the Horde from the king, and stopped in Nizhny Novgorod, and having reached Gorodets. got sick.
Oh, woe to you, poor man! How can you describe the death of your master! How will your apples not fall out along with tears! How will your heart not burst from sorrow! A man can leave his father, but he cannot leave a good master. If I could, I would lie down with him in the coffin.
And so God gave up his spirit in peace in the summer of 1253, the month of November on the 14th day. Metropolitan Cyril rendered:
My children! Understand, the sun of the land of Suzdal has set.
Priests and deacons, Chernorizians, poor and rich, and all people said:
We are already dying!
His holy body was carried to the city of Vladimir. The Metropolitan, princes and boyars and all the people, small and great, met him in Bogolyubovo with candles and censers. And there was a cry, and screaming, and anguish, as it had never happened, and the earth shook. His body was laid in the Church of the Nativity of the Holy Mother of God on November 24th.
A military story is a work of ancient Russian literature about military campaigns, battles, invasions, sieges of cities, and the exploits of warriors.
Life - a description of the life of a saint who performed feats in the name of the Christian Orthodox faith. Among the saints were generals, for example, Alexander Nevsky, whom the Church canonized for his services to Orthodoxy, which he defended in the camp of the Horde. If the work tells about the saint and the commander, then the elements of "lives" and "military story" are intertwined. Try to isolate these elements. Read selected passages. Justify your choice.
Let's think about what we've read...
1. What topic is the story devoted to and what feelings does it evoke when reading? What does the narrator call himself and what does he want to emphasize from this? How does he say that he was a contemporary of Alexander?
2. What mountains does the narrator liken to the prince? What are his exploits? With what words does Alexander strengthen the spirit of his squad? What means are used to create the image of the hero?
3. Pay attention to the features of the description, poetic images, try to understand their essence. For example, what pictures do you see behind the words of the narrator: Like a frozen lake moved?
Be mindful of the word
1. How do you understand the words of Alexander Nevsky, with which he strengthened "the spirit of his squad": "God is not in power, but in truth"? What were the names of the six brave men who "fought hard with him"? With what does the author compare the hearts of the "Alexander's husbands"? Who does Alexander Nevsky call the people "arrogant" and who boasted: "Let's put the Slavic people to shame", "Let's take Alekevndra with our hands"?
2. What is the last feat of Alexander? Why did he go to the king? How is this described in the story?
4. Make up a small dictionary of words characteristic of this text that can be used today and which are “gone in the past”, for example: a witness, deeds, inflamed heart, slash, strife, pray from trouble, etc.
Develop the gift of the word
1. Prepare an oral or written description of Prince Alexander using artistic means of communication.
2. Prepare an expressive reading on the roles of individual fragments of the story ..
Literature, 8th grade. Proc. for general education institutions. At 2 o'clock / auth. V. Ya. Korovin, 8th ed. - M.: Enlightenment, 2009. - 399 p. + 399 p.: ill.
Read in 4 minutes
"Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky". Illustration by Natalia Klimova
Prince Alexander was the son of Grand Duke Yaroslav. His mother's name was Theodosia. Alexander was taller than others, his voice was like a trumpet, and his face was beautiful. He was strong, wise and brave.
A distinguished man from the Western country named Andreyash specially came to look at Prince Alexander. Returning to his own, Andreyash said that he had not met a person like Alexander.
Hearing about this, the king of the Roman faith from the Midnight country wanted to conquer the land of Alexandrov, came to the Neva and sent his ambassadors to Novgorod to Alexander with a notice that he, the king, was taking his land captive.
Alexander prayed in the church of Hagia Sophia, received a blessing from Bishop Spiridon and went to the enemies with a small squad. Alexander did not even have time to send a message to his father, and many Novgorodians did not have time to join the campaign.
The elder of the land of Izhora, who bore the name of Pelugius (in holy baptism - Philip), Alexander was entrusted with a marine patrol. Having reconnoitred the strength of the enemy army, Pelugius went to meet Alexander to tell about everything. At dawn, Pelugius saw a boat sailing on the sea, and on it - the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb. They said that they were going to help their relative Alexander.
Having met Alexander, Pelugius told him about the vision. Alexander ordered not to tell anyone about this.
Prince Alexander entered the battle with the Latins and wounded the king himself with a spear. Six warriors especially distinguished themselves in the battle: Tavrilo Oleksich, Sbyslav Yakunovich, Jacob, Misha, Savva and Ratmir.
The bodies of the killed Latins were also found on the other side of the Izhora River, where Alexander's army could not pass. They were interrupted by an angel of God. The remaining enemies fled, and the prince returned with a victory.
The following year, the Latins again came from the Western country and built a city on Alexander's land. Alexander immediately dug up the city, executed some of the enemies, took others prisoner, and pardoned the third.
In the third year, in winter, Alexander himself went to German soil with a large army. After all, the enemies have already taken the city of Pskov. Alexander liberated Pskov, but many German cities formed an alliance against Alexander.
The battle took place on Lake Peipsi. The ice was covered with blood. Eyewitnesses spoke of the army of God in the air, which helped Alexander.
When the prince returned with a victory, the clergy and residents of Pskov solemnly met him at the city walls.
The Lithuanians began to ravage the Alexandrov volosts, but Alexander defeated their troops, and since then they have become afraid of him.
At that time there was a strong king in the Eastern country. He sent ambassadors to Alexander and ordered the prince to come to him in the Horde. After the death of his father, Alexander with a large army came to Vladimir. The news of the formidable prince spread throughout many lands. Alexander, having received a blessing from Bishop Cyril, went to the Horde to Tsar Batu. He honored him and let him go.
Tsar Batu was angry with Andrei, the Suzdal prince (Alexander's younger brother), and his governor Nevrui ruined the Suzdal land. After that, Grand Duke Alexander restored the cities and churches.
Ambassadors came to Alexander from the Pope. They said that the Pope had sent two cardinals to Alexander, who would speak about the law of God. But Alexander replied that the Russians knew the law, but did not accept teaching from the Latins.
At that time, the king from the Eastern country forced Christians to go on a campaign with him. Alexander came to the Horde to persuade the king not to do this. And he sent his son Dmitry to Western countries. Dmitry took the city of Yuriev and returned to Novgorod.
And Prince Alexander fell ill on his way back from the Horde. He took monastic vows before his death, became a schema-monk, and died on November 14.
The body of Alexander was carried to the city of Vladimir. The Metropolitan, priests and all the people met him in Bogolyubovo. There were screams and crying.
They put the prince in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin. Metropolitan Kirill wanted to open Alexander's hand in order to put a letter into it. But the deceased himself extended his hand and took the letter… Metropolitan and his steward Sebastian told about this miracle.
retold
THE LIFE OF ALEXANDER NEVSKY
The Tale of the Life and Courage of the Blessed and Grand Duke Alexander
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
I, pitiful and sinful, narrow-minded, dare to describe the life of the holy prince Alexander, son of Yaroslav, grandson of Vsevolodov. Since I heard from my fathers and myself was a witness to his mature age, I was glad to tell about his holy, and honest, and glorious life. But as the tributary [*] said: “Wisdom will not enter an evil soul: for it abides in lofty places, stands in the middle of roads, and stops at the gates of noble people.” Although I am simple in mind, I will nevertheless begin by praying to the Holy Mother of God and trusting in the help of the Holy Prince Alexander.
This prince Alexander was born from a merciful and philanthropic father, and most of all, meek, the great prince Yaroslav, and from mother Theodosia [*]. As Isaiah the prophet said: “Thus says the Lord: “I set princes, they are sacred, and I lead them.” And truly - not without God's command was his reign.
And he was handsome like no other, and his voice was like a trumpet among the people, his face was like the face of Joseph, whom the Egyptian king appointed the second king in Egypt, his strength was part of the strength of Samson, and God gave him the wisdom of Solomon, his courage is like that of the Roman king Vespasian, who conquered the whole land of Judea. One day he prepared to besiege the city of Joatapata, and the townspeople came out and defeated his army. And Vespasian alone remained, and turned those who opposed him to the city, to the city gates, and laughed at his retinue, and reproached her, saying: “They left me alone” [*]. So did Prince Alexander - he won, but was invincible.
Once one of the eminent men of the Western country [*], from those who call themselves the servants of God [*], came, wanting to see the maturity of his strength, as in ancient times the Queen of Sheba [*] came to Solomon, wanting to listen to his wise speeches . So this one, by the name of Andreash [*], having seen Prince Alexander, returned to his people and said: “I passed through countries, peoples and did not see such a king among kings, nor a prince among princes.”
Hearing about such valor of Prince Alexander, the king of the country of Rome from the northern land [*] thought to himself: "I will go and conquer the land of Alexandrov." And he gathered a great force, and filled many ships with his regiments, moved with a huge army, flaming with the spirit of war. And he came to the Neva, intoxicated with madness, and sent his ambassadors, puffed up, to Novgorod to Prince Alexander, saying: "If you can, defend yourself, for I am already here and ruining your land."
Alexander, having heard such words, flared up in his heart and entered the church of St. Sophia, and, falling on his knees before the altar, began to pray with tears: “Glorious God, righteous, great God, strong, eternal God, who created heaven and earth and established nations, You commanded to live without transgressing the borders of others. And, remembering the words of the prophet, he said: "Judge, Lord, those who offended me and protect them from those who fight with me, take up arms and a shield and stand to help me."
And, having finished his prayer, he stood up and bowed to the archbishop. The archbishop was then Spyridon [*], he blessed him and let him go. The prince, leaving the church, dried up his tears and began to encourage his squad, saying: “God is not in power, but in truth. Let us remember the Songwriter, who said: “Some with weapons, and others on horses, we will call on the name of the Lord our God; they, defeated, fell, but we stood firm and stand straight” ”[*]. Having said this, he went to the enemies with a small squad, not waiting for his large army, but trusting in the Holy Trinity.
It was sad to hear that his father, the great prince Yaroslav, did not know about the invasion of his son, dear Alexander, and he had no time to send a message to his father, for the enemies were already approaching. Therefore, many Novgorodians did not have time to join, as the prince hurried to speak. And he came out against them on Sunday, the fifteenth of July, having great faith in the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb.
And there was one man, the elder of the land of Izhora [*], named Pelugiy, he was entrusted with night guards at sea. He was baptized and lived among his kind, the pagans, but his name was named Philip in holy baptism, and he lived pleasingly, observing fasting on Wednesday and Friday, therefore God honored him with seeing a wonderful vision on that day. Let's talk briefly.
Having learned about the strength of the enemy, he went out to meet Prince Alexander to tell him about the camps of the enemies. He stood by the sea, watching both ways, and spent the whole night without sleep. When the sun began to rise, he heard a strong noise on the sea and saw one platform [*] floating on the sea, and the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb in red robes standing in the middle of the platform, holding their hands on each other's shoulders. The rowers sat as if clothed in darkness. Boris said:
“Brother Gleb, let us row, let us help our relative, Prince Alexander.” Seeing such a vision and hearing these words of the martyrs, Pelugius stood trembling until the nasad disappeared from his eyes.
Shortly after this, Alexander came, and Pelugius, joyfully meeting Prince Alexander, told him alone about the vision. The prince said to him: "Don't tell this to anyone."
After that, Alexander hurried to attack the enemies at the sixth hour of the day, and there was a great slaughter with the Romans, and the prince killed them innumerable, and left the mark of his sharp spear on the face of the king himself.
Six brave men, like him, from Alexander's regiment showed themselves here.
The first is by the name of Gavrilo Oleksich. He attacked the auger [*] and, seeing the prince dragged by the arms, rode up to the ship along the gangway along which they ran with the prince, pursued by him. Then they seized Gavrila Oleksich and threw him off the gangway along with his horse. But by the grace of God, he emerged from the water unharmed, and again attacked them, and fought with the governor himself in the midst of their army.
The second, named Sbyslav Yakunovich, is a Novgorodian. This one attacked their army many times and fought with one ax, having no fear in his soul; and many fell by his hand, and marveled at his strength and courage.
The third - Yakov, a native of Polotsk, was a hunter with the prince. This one attacked the regiment with a sword, and the prince praised him.
The fourth is a Novgorodian named Mesha. This footman with his retinue attacked the ships and sank three ships.
The fifth is from the younger squad, named Sava. This one burst into a large golden-domed royal tent and cut down a tent post. The regiments of Alexandrov, seeing the fall of the tent, rejoiced.
The sixth of Alexander's servants, named Ratmir. This one fought on foot, and many enemies surrounded him. He fell from many wounds and died like that.
I heard all this from my master, Grand Duke Alexander, and from others who participated in this battle at that time.
And at that time there was a marvelous miracle, as in the days of old under Hezekiah the king. When Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, came to Jerusalem, wanting to conquer the holy city of Jerusalem, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and killed one hundred and eighty-five thousand of the Assyrian army, and, rising in the morning, they found only dead corpses [*]. So it was after the victory of Alexandrov: when he defeated the king, on the opposite side of the Izhora River, where Alexandrov's regiments could not pass, a myriad of those killed by the angel of the Lord were found here. Those who remained turned to flight, and the corpses of their dead soldiers were thrown into the ships and sunk them in the sea. Prince Alexander returned with victory, praising and glorifying the name of his creator.
In the second year after the return with the victory of Prince Alexander, they again came from the Western country and built a city on the land of Alexandrov [*]. Prince Alexander soon went and destroyed their city to the ground, and hanged some of them themselves, took others with him, and, having pardoned others, let them go, for he was immensely merciful.
After the victory of Alexandrova, when he defeated the king, in the third year, in winter, he went with great force to the land of Pskov, for the city of Pskov had already been taken by the Germans. And the Germans came to Lake Peipus, and Alexander met them, and prepared for battle, and they went against each other, and Lake Peipsi was covered with a multitude of both warriors. Alexander's father, Yaroslav, sent his younger brother Andrei with a large squad to help him. Yes, and Prince Alexander had many brave warriors, as in ancient times with King David, strong and steadfast. So the men of Alexander were filled with the spirit of war, because their hearts were like the hearts of lions, and they exclaimed: “O our glorious prince! Now the time has come for us to lay down our heads for you.” Prince Alexander raised his hands to heaven and said: “Judge me, God, judge my feud with the unrighteous people and help me, Lord, as in ancient times he helped Moses defeat Amalek [*], and our great-grandfather Yaroslav the accursed Svyatopolk” [*].
Alexander Nevsky is the greatest prince of Russia. He secured the Russian borders in the west from enemies. The Christian Church ranked him among the saints. But what literary and artistic works are dedicated to Nevsky?
Works about Alexander Nevsky
“The very first work that was dedicated to this majestic prince was called The Life of Alexander Nevsky. It was written by a contemporary of his around the eighteenth century. This work is valuable in that it helps to reveal all the realities that took place at that time, shows the attitude of the people towards their prince.
But what other literary and artistic works are dedicated to Nevsky?
Many stories were written, and not so long ago, historical novels that describe the years of the prince's reign became popular:
- Segen Alexander, "Neva battle". The book contains a description of the war between the Russians and the Swedes. It tells about the courage of the prince and his military leadership.
- Yugov Alexey, "Warriors". It is a cycle of novels about the life of two princes - Alexander Nevsky and Daniil Galitsky.
- Subbotin Anatoly, For the Russian Land. The central hero of this epic novel was Alexander Nevsky, who defended the Russian lands with a sword.
- Sergei Mosiyash, "Alexander Nevsky". This book contains the whole life and work of the great commander and prince.
- Yukhnov Sergei, "Alexander Nevsky's Scout". The novel tells about the difficult times of the eighteenth century, when enemies threatened to take over Russian lands from all sides.
- Vasiliev Boris, "Alexander Nevsky". The book is dedicated to the Prince of Novgorod and his great deeds.
What literary works are dedicated to Alexander Nevsky in modern times
Modern point of view
- historians,
- publicists
- writers
also very versatile and interesting. Each in their own way animates the life cycle of the reign of this truly majestic prince.
So, for example, a public figure and publicist Nikolai Ivanovich Kostomarov in his work presents the prince as a hero of his time. He appropriated his political talent, which helped him in conquering new lands and building relationships with neighboring lands.
The Soviet historian and ethnologist Lev Nikolaevich Gumilyov in his work “From Russia to Russia” briefly outlined the characteristic features of Nevsky, as well as his managerial activities and the benefits that he brought to his people. How he made strong-willed decisions in this or that difficult situation. Take, for example, the moment when he had to choose those whom he would temporarily submit to, the Europeans or the Tatar-Mongols. And (as you know) he preferred the latter. Since he knew that the attitude of Europeans towards people who professed a different faith is biased. And the conquest of the eastern conquerors promised freedom in the Christian faith. Because Muslims respect other religions.
Oppositional point of view in literature
But some historians question the heroism and courage of the prince. And in their works they defend the opposite view of the events of that time.
For example, Vladimir Belinsky noted in his works that Alexander Nevsky was not at all a valiant warrior, but a pitiful young prince, on whose throne Batu placed him. And he was later rewarded with heroic qualities by the tsarist rulers, who needed a bright story, because Alexander Nevsky became the founder of the dynasty of the first Moscow princes.
Of course, in the modern world it is difficult to find any evidence about the reigning times of the prince. But you need to understand that the denigration of historical events does not bring anything in return.
Video: Prince Alexander Nevsky