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St. Alexander
Nevsky was born on May 30, 1219. His father, prince Yaroslav was
the ruler of Novgorod. His father then became the Grand Prince of
Kiev, that is, ruler of all of Russia. With his father promoted to
this position Alexander became fief of Novgorod. The teenage Alexander
found himself faced with great responsibility. At the age of nineteen
the Mongols invaded from the north and it was only by a miracle that
the invaders were stopped at the walls of the city. In 1240, Sweden
invaded Russia, in an attempt to block her access to the Baltic Sea.
Alexander defeated the Swedes at the juncture of the Izhora and Neva Rivers.
This victory gained him the nickname 'Nevsky', or 'of the Neva'. Having
defended his people well, Alexander took upon himself to become involved
in local affairs. Historically, the people of Novgorod did not welcome
such intervention into their city's life from the princes. They expelled
the young prince in 1241. In 1242 the Teutonic
Knights of Germany invaded Russia at the Pope's request in order to
install Roman Catholicism as the official religion. Lacking military
leadership the people begged Alexander to return. Alexander took
an army and confronted the Germans on the frozen channel between the Peipus
and Pskov Lakes. This Russian victory became known as the massacre
on the ice. The Germans were driven from Russia. Alexander
continued to fight the Swedes and succeeded in stopping their effort to
develop a foothold in Russia.
During this time the Mongols
had invaded Russia and Alexander's father, the Grand Prince, submitted
to their control. The Mongols then murdered the Grand Prince on his
way home from a meeting with the Great Khan in Mongolia. The Mongols
then appointed Alexander's younger brother Andrew the Grand Prince.
Andrew immediately began plotting against the Mongols. Alexander
reported this to the Khans who sent n army to dispose of Andrew and put
Alexander in his place. It may seem, on thesurface, that Alexander
sold out to the Mongols. In reality, his actions and intervention on behalf
of his people, greatly improved the common mans' quality of life. The alternative
would have been what happened after Alexander's death in 1263. Russia fell
apart and turned into a collection of feuding states and principalities
with no central power or unifying purpose. Alexander had managed to maintain
the Russian way of life, religious freedom and averted much potential bloodshed.
For these reasons, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Alexander Nevsky
in 1547. His feast days are November 23rd and August 30th. In 1725,
the Order of Alexander Nevsky was formed by Empress Catherine I , as an
award for superior military service. |
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 An artist's
rendering of the helmet of Alexander Nevsky. |
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