What made Alexander Nevsky famous? The main activities of the prince

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, a lot of controversy arises among modern historians about the life and activities of this interesting person.

Childhood and youthful years of the prince

The biography of Alexander Nevsky (the main dates are concentrated in 1233-1263) in history is viewed from the point of view of his military successes. But the moments of youth and the formation of the character of the Grand Duke are also interesting.

According to one information, Alexander was born in May 1220 in the city of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, other sources call 1221 year as the date of his birth, and still others indicate a later time - 1238-1240.

Alexander was the son of Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich and the grandson of the legendary grandfather Vsevolod the Big Nest. His mother - Feodosia Mstislavna Toropetskaya, daughter of Mstislav Udatny, Prince of Novgorod and Galician.

From the childhood of the upbringing of Alexander, the father paid special attention. In 1225 the boy passed the initiation rite to the soldiers. Prince from early years mastered the military business and succeeded in tactics. At the age of 13 he made his first trip under the guidance of his father to Dorpat, where he first fought with Livonians. These skills will be useful to him in the years of reign and in the struggle against enemies. Someone he bribed with cunning, someone with the mind, but mostly used the old proven method - the use of force, this is the main thing that Alexander Nevsky became famous in the centuries.

Domestic policy

In 1226, the father left the nine-year-old Fedor and eight-year-old Alexander to rule in Novgorod, the boyar Fedor Danilovich and the elder Yakim looked after the princes. But the steep 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 upon Yaroslav to rule over them, he signed an agreement with the local residents and, as governors, left his sons again.

Since 1231, Alexander and his brother become a formal prince of Novgorod. Two years later, on the threshold of his marriage, Fyodor died suddenly, and all the reins of government were transferred to Alexander.

In 1236 he took the throne of Kiev and independently ruled Novgorod. The internal policy of the young prince is aimed at strengthening his power and protecting the lands from external enemies, and there were many 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, rigidly suppresses riots and insurrections of the mob. In the 50 years after the invasion of the Tatars in Vladimir, he rebuilt the city, paying special attention to the temples. But the main activities were focused on foreign policy. Prince Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky applied his whole mind, cunning and talent precisely in this field.

Foreign Policy Vectors

The activities of the Novgorod prince Alexander are remarkable in that he was a talented commander and diplomat. Strengthening the cordons of their possessions and combating the constant attacks of Livonian and Swedish knights, the prince tried to trick diplomacy into balancing relations with the Golden Horde and avoid the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars. Destructions and human casualties after such encounters were colossal. Reflecting on the question of how Alexander Nevsky became famous, it is simply necessary to remember his diplomatic successes and to refer this vector of activity also to his main achievements.

Another area of foreign policy is relations with the Vatican. In one of the chronicles it is mentioned that the Pope offered to transfer to the Russian prince under the Latin faith, but he categorically rejected this option.

Relations with Swedes, Danes, Germans and Lithuanians

The soldiers, guided by the papal finger, in 1238 went to war on the Novgorod principality. This time, the campaign involved Danes, Swedes and the Livonian Order. The first thing that Alexander Nevsky became famous even before the battle on Lake Peipsi was the rout of the enemy on Izhora. In 1240, a battle takes place at the mouth of the Izhora River with Danish knights. Independent leadership of the troops and courage, manifested during the battle, brought victory to the Novgorodians.

In 1242 Alexander regained control of Pskov. In April of the same year, the famous Battle of the Ice took place , in which the commander turned the German knights to flight and was nicknamed Nevsky. In 1245 he finally defeated the Lithuanian army.

As is known from the original sources, the prince not only fought with these nationalities, but also established trade relations, married his children.

The Golden Horde and the Politics of the Prince

After the death of his father, Alexander hoped to get a label for the board in Vladimir, but according to the will these lands went to his brother Andrei, and Nevsky himself stayed in Novgorod. Andrew was an ardent opponent of the Tatars, and Alexander adhered to the policy of obedience. In 1252 Andrew and his brother Yaroslav opposed the Tatars and were completely defeated, and the cunning Andrew went to the Khan Meng and received a label on the ownership of all the lands of the Russians. Prior to his death, the prince adhered to the policy of pacification of the Tatars.

Historians, talking about what Alexander Nevsky was famous for, in addition to defeating the Livonian Order, often mention his diplomatic policy towards the Tatars. 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.