The chronicle of the Russian state has hundreds of heroes. One of them left an indelible mark on history. What Alexander Nevsky became famous for is known to every person who is interested in the formation of the Russian state. Today there is a lot of controversy among modern historians regarding the life and work of this interesting person.
The childhood and youth of the prince
The biography of Alexander Nevsky (the main dates are concentrated in 1233-1263) in history is considered from the point of view of his military successes. But interesting are the moments of youth and the formation of the character of the Grand Duke.
According to some sources, Alexander was born in May 1220 in the city of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, other sources refer to 1221 as the date of his birth, and still others indicate an even later time - 1238–1240.
Alexander was the son of Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich and grandson of the legendary grandfather Vsevolod the Big Nest. His mother - Theodosius Mstislavna Toropetskaya, daughter of Mstislav Udatny, Prince of Novgorod and Galicia.
From childhood, father paid special attention to the upbringing of Alexander. In 1225, the boy underwent a ceremony of initiation into warriors. From an early age, the prince mastered military affairs and excelled in tactics. At age 13, he made his first trip under the direction of his father to Derpt, where he first fought with the Livonians. These skills will be useful to him in the years of reign and in the fight against enemies. He bribed someone with cunning, someone with his mind, but mainly used the old proven method - the use of force, this is the main thing that Alexander Nevsky has become famous for centuries.
Domestic policy
In 1226, the father left the nine-year-old Fedor and the eight-year-old Alexander to rule in Novgorod, they looked after the princes nobleman Fedor Danilovich and the elder Yakim. But the sharp temper of the Novgorodians did not allow young nobles to sit on the throne for a long time, and they left these lands. But already in 1230, the inhabitants of these lands again called on Yaroslav to rule them, he signed an agreement with local residents and again left his sons as governors.
Since 1231, Alexander, together with his brother, became the formal Prince of Novgorod. After 2 years, in anticipation of marriage, Fedor suddenly died, and all the reins passed to Alexander.
In 1236, he occupied the throne of Kiev and independently ruled Novgorod. The domestic policy of the young prince is aimed at strengthening his power and protecting the lands from external enemies, and there were a lot of them in those days.
Alexander builds fortifications, strengthens the boundaries of his possessions. He collects taxes, receives labels from the Khan for possession of Russian lands, and severely suppresses riots and uprisings of the mob. In the 50s, after the Tatars invaded Vladimir, he rebuilt the city, and paid special attention to churches. But the main activities were focused on foreign policy. Prince Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky applied his whole mind, cunning and talent in this field precisely.
Foreign policy vectors
The activity of the Prince of Novgorod Alexander is noteworthy in that he was a talented commander and diplomat. Strengthening the cordons of his own possessions and fighting the constant attacks of the Livonian and Swedish knights, the prince tried by tricks of diplomacy to balance relations with the Golden Horde and to avoid the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars. The destruction and human casualties after such clashes were colossal. Reflecting on the question of what Alexander Nevsky became famous for, it is simply necessary to remember his diplomatic successes and to relate this vector of activity also to his main achievements.
Another area of foreign policy is relations with the Vatican. One of the annals mentions that the Pope proposed the Russian prince to go under the Latin faith, but he categorically rejected this option.
Relations with Swedes, Danes, Germans and Lithuanians
Warriors sent by the papal finger, in 1238 went to war on the Principality of Novgorod. This time the Danes, Swedes and the Livonian Order participated in the campaign. The first thing that Alexander Nevsky became famous before the battle on Lake Peipsi was the defeat of the enemy on Izhora. In 1240, a battle occurs at the mouth of the Izhora River with Danish knights. The independent leadership of the troops and courage shown during the battle brought victory to the Novgorodians.
In 1242, Alexander returned to his control of Pskov. In April of the same year, the famous Battle of Ice takes place , in which the commander fled the German knights and received the nickname Nevsky. In 1245, he finally defeated the Lithuanian army.
As is known from the source, the prince not only fought with these peoples, but also established trade relations and entered into marriages for his children.
The Golden Horde and the prince's politics
After the death of his father, Alexander hoped to get a label on the reign in Vladimir, but by will these lands were transferred to his brother Andrei, and Nevsky himself remained in Novgorod. Andrei was an ardent opponent of the Tatars, and Alexander adhered to a policy of obedience. In 1252, Andrei, together with his brother Yaroslav, opposed the Tatars and were completely defeated, and the cunning Andrei went to Khan Mengu and received a label on the possession of all Russian lands. Until his death, the prince adhered to a policy of appeasement of the Tatars.
Historians, talking about what Alexander Nevsky became famous for, in addition to his victory over the Livonian Order, often mention his diplomatic policy regarding the Tatars. The prince was able to restore the city and prevented their complete destruction, nevertheless it was his descendants who managed to overthrow the Tatar-Mongol yoke in Russia.