The battle was named the Battle of the Ice. Battle on the Ice (briefly)
Sources brought to us very scanty information about the Battle of the Ice. This contributed to the fact that the battle gradually became overgrown with a large number of myths and contradictory facts.
Mongols again
It is not entirely correct to call the Battle of Lake Peipus a victory of Russian squads over German knighthood, since the enemy, according to modern historians, was a coalition force that, in addition to the Germans, included Danish knights, Swedish mercenaries and a militia consisting of Estonians (Chud).
It is quite possible that the troops led by Alexander Nevsky were not exclusively Russian. The Polish historian of German origin, Reinhold Heidenstein (1556-1620), wrote that Alexander Nevsky was pushed into battle by the Mongol Khan Batu (Batu) and sent his detachment to help him.
This version has the right to life. The middle of the 13th century was marked by a confrontation between the Horde and Western European troops. Thus, in 1241, Batu’s troops defeated the Teutonic knights in the Battle of Legnica, and in 1269, Mongol troops helped the Novgorodians defend the city walls from the invasion of the crusaders.
Who went underwater?
In Russian historiography, one of the factors that contributed to the victory of Russian troops over the Teutonic and Livonian knights was the fragile spring ice and the bulky armor of the crusaders, which led to the massive flooding of the enemy. However, if you believe the historian Nikolai Karamzin, the winter that year was long and the spring ice remained strong.
However, it is difficult to determine how much ice could withstand a large number of warriors dressed in armor. Researcher Nikolai Chebotarev notes: “it is impossible to say who was heavier or lighter armed at the Battle of the Ice, because there was no uniform as such.”
Heavy plate armor appeared only in the 14th-15th centuries, and in the 13th century the main type of armor was chain mail, over which a leather shirt with steel plates could be worn. Based on this fact, historians suggest that the weight of the equipment of the Russian and order warriors was approximately the same and reached 20 kilograms. If we assume that the ice could not support the weight of a warrior in full equipment, then there should have been sunken ones on both sides.
It is interesting that in the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle and in the original edition of the Novgorod Chronicle there is no information that the knights fell through the ice - they were added only a century after the battle.
On Voronii Island, near which Cape Sigovets is located, the ice is quite weak due to the characteristics of the current. This gave rise to some researchers to suggest that the knights could fall through the ice precisely there when they crossed a dangerous area during their retreat.
Where was the massacre?
Researchers to this day cannot pinpoint the exact location where the Battle of the Ice took place. Novgorod sources, as well as historian Nikolai Kostomarov, say that the battle took place near the Raven Stone. But the stone itself was never found. According to some, it was high sandstone, washed away over time by the current, others claim that the stone is Crow Island.
Some researchers are inclined to believe that the massacre is not at all connected with the lake, since the accumulation of a large number of heavily armed warriors and cavalry would make it impossible to conduct a battle on the thin April ice.
In particular, these conclusions are based on the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle, which reports that “on both sides the dead fell on the grass.” This fact is supported by modern research using the latest equipment of the bottom of Lake Peipsi, during which no weapons or armor of the 13th century were found. Excavations also failed on the shore. However, this is not difficult to explain: armor and weapons were very valuable booty, and even damaged they could be quickly carried away.
However, back in Soviet times, an expedition group from the Institute of Archeology of the Academy of Sciences, led by Georgy Karaev, established the supposed site of the battle. According to researchers, this was a section of Teploe Lake, located 400 meters west of Cape Sigovets.
Number of parties
Soviet historians, determining the number of forces clashing on Lake Peipsi, state that Alexander Nevsky’s troops numbered approximately 15-17 thousand people, and the number of German knights reached 10-12 thousand.
Modern researchers consider such figures to be clearly overestimated. In their opinion, the order could produce no more than 150 knights, who were joined by about 1.5 thousand knechts (soldiers) and 2 thousand militia. They were opposed by squads from Novgorod and Vladimir in the amount of 4-5 thousand soldiers.
The true balance of forces is quite difficult to determine, since the number of German knights is not indicated in the chronicles. But they can be counted by the number of castles in the Baltic states, which, according to historians, in the middle of the 13th century there were no more than 90.
Each castle was owned by one knight, who could take from 20 to 100 people from mercenaries and servants on a campaign. In this case, the maximum number of soldiers, excluding the militia, could not exceed 9 thousand people. But, most likely, the real numbers are much more modest, since some of the knights died in the Battle of Legnica the year before.
Modern historians can say only one thing with confidence: none of the opposing sides had significant superiority. Perhaps Lev Gumilyov was right when he assumed that the Russians and Teutons collected 4 thousand soldiers each.
Victims
The number of deaths in the Battle of the Ice is as difficult to calculate as the number of participants. The Novgorod Chronicle reports about the enemy’s victims: “and Chudi fell, and Nemets fell 400, and with 50 hands he brought them to Novgorod.” But the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle speaks of only 20 dead and 6 captured knights, although without mentioning the casualties among soldiers and militia. The Chronicle of Grandmasters, written later, reports the death of 70 order knights.
But none of the chronicles contains information about the losses of Russian troops. There is no consensus among historians on this matter, although according to some data, the losses of Alexander Nevsky’s troops were no less than those of the enemy.
The Battle of the Ice or the Battle of Lake Peipus is a battle between the Novgorod-Pskov army of Prince Alexander Nevsky and the troops of the Livonian knights, which took place on April 5, 1242 on the ice of Lake Peipus. It put a limit to the advance of German knighthood to the East. Alexander Nevsky - Prince of Novgorod, Grand Duke of Kiev, Grand Duke of Vladimir, legendary commander, saint of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Causes
In the middle of the 13th century, Russian lands were threatened from all sides by foreign invaders. The Tatar-Mongols were advancing from the east, and the Livonians and Swedes were laying claim to Russian soil from the northwest. In the latter case, the task of fighting back fell to powerful Novgorod, which had a vested interest in not losing its influence in the region and, most importantly, in preventing anyone from controlling trade with the Baltic countries.
How it all began
1239 - Alexander took measures to protect the Gulf of Finland and the Neva, which were strategically important for the Novgorodians, and therefore was ready for the Swedish invasion in 1240. In July, on the Neva, Alexander Yaroslavich, thanks to extraordinary and swift actions, was able to defeat the Swedish army. A number of Swedish ships were sunk, but Russian losses were extremely insignificant. After that, Prince Alexander was nicknamed Nevsky.
The Swedish offensive was coordinated with the next attack of the Livonian Order. 1240, summer - they took the border fortress of Izborsk, and then captured Pskov. The situation for Novgorod was becoming dangerous. Alexander, not counting on help from Vladimir-Suzdal Rus', devastated by the Tatars, imposed large expenses on the boyars in preparation for the battle and tried to strengthen his power in the Novgorod Republic after the victory on the Neva. The boyars turned out to be stronger and in the winter of 1240 they were able to remove him from power.
Meanwhile, German expansion continued. 1241 - the Novgorod land of Vod was imposed with tribute, then Koporye was taken. The Crusaders intended to capture the coast of the Neva and Karelia. A popular movement broke out in the city for an alliance with the Vladimir-Suzdal principality and the organization of resistance to the Germans, who were already 40 versts from Novgorod. The boyars had no choice but to ask Alexander Nevsky to return. This time he was given emergency powers.
With an army of Novgorodians, Ladoga, Izhorians and Karelians, Alexander knocked out the enemy from Koporye, and then liberated the lands of the Vod people. Yaroslav Vsevolodovich sent the Vladimir regiments, newly formed after the Tatar invasion, to help his son. Alexander took Pskov, then moved to the lands of the Estonians.
Movement, composition, disposition of troops
The German army was located in the Yuryev area (aka Dorpat, now Tartu). The Order gathered significant forces - there were German knights, the local population, and the troops of the King of Sweden. The army that opposed the knights on the ice of Lake Peipus had a heterogeneous composition, but a single command in the person of Alexander. The “lower regiments” consisted of princely squads, boyar squads, and city regiments. The army that Novgorod fielded had a fundamentally different composition.
When the Russian army was on the western shore of Lake Peipus, here in the area of the village of Mooste, a patrol detachment led by Domash Tverdislavich scouted out the location of the main part of the German troops, started a battle with them, but was defeated. Intelligence managed to find out that the enemy sent minor forces to Izborsk, and the main parts of the army moved to Lake Pskov.
In an effort to prevent this movement of enemy troops, the prince ordered a retreat to the ice of Lake Peipsi. The Livonians, realizing that the Russians would not allow them to make a roundabout maneuver, went straight to their army and also set foot on the ice of the lake. Alexander Nevsky positioned his army under the steep eastern bank, north of the Uzmen tract near the island of Voroniy Kamen, opposite the mouth of the Zhelcha River.
Progress of the Battle of the Ice
The two armies met on Saturday, April 5, 1242. According to one version, Alexander had 15,000 soldiers at his disposal, and the Livonians had 12,000 soldiers. The prince, knowing about the German tactics, weakened the “brow” and strengthened the “wings” of his battle formation. Alexander Nevsky's personal squad took cover behind one of the flanks. A significant part of the prince's army was made up of foot militia.
The crusaders traditionally advanced with a wedge (“pig”) - a deep formation, shaped like a trapezoid, the upper base of which was facing the enemy. At the head of the wedge were the strongest of the warriors. The infantry, as the most unreliable and often not at all knightly part of the army, was located in the center of the battle formation, covered in front and behind by mounted knights.
At the first stage of the battle, the knights were able to defeat the leading Russian regiment, and then they broke through the “front” of the Novgorod battle formation. When, after some time, they scattered the “brow” and ran into a steep, steep shore of the lake, they had to turn around, which was quite difficult for a deep formation on the ice. Meanwhile, Alexander’s strong “wings” struck from the flanks, and his personal squad completed the encirclement of the knights.
A stubborn battle was going on, the entire neighborhood was filled with screams, crackling and clanging of weapons. But the fate of the crusaders was sealed. The Novgorodians pulled them off their horses with spears with special hooks, and ripped open the bellies of their horses with “booter” knives. Crowded together in a narrow space, the skilled Livonian warriors could not do anything. Stories about how the ice cracked under heavy knights are widely popular, but it should be noted that a fully armed Russian knight weighed no less. Another thing is that the crusaders did not have the opportunity to move freely and they were crowded into a small area.
In general, the complexity and danger of conducting combat operations with cavalry on the ice in early April leads some historians to the conclusion that the general course of the Battle of the Ice was distorted in the chronicles. They believe that no sane commander would take an iron-clanging and horse-riding army to fight on the ice. The battle probably began on land, and during it the Russians were able to push the enemy onto the ice of Lake Peipsi. Those knights who were able to escape were pursued by the Russians to the Subolich coast.
Losses
The issue of the losses of the parties in the battle is controversial. During the battle, about 400 crusaders were killed, and many Estonians, whom they recruited into their army, also fell. The Russian chronicles say: “and Chudi fell into disgrace, and Nemets 400, and with 50 hands he brought them to Novgorod.” The death and capture of such a large number of professional warriors, by European standards, turned out to be a rather severe defeat, bordering on catastrophe. It is said vaguely about Russian losses: “many brave warriors fell.” As you can see, the losses of the Novgorodians were actually heavy.
Meaning
The legendary massacre and the victory of Alexander Nevsky’s troops in it were of exceptional importance for the entire Russian history. The advance of the Livonian Order into Russian lands was stopped, the local population was not converted to Catholicism, and access to the Baltic Sea was preserved. After the victory, the Novgorod Republic, led by the prince, moved from defensive tasks to the conquest of new territories. Nevsky launched several successful campaigns against the Lithuanians.
The blow dealt to the knights on Lake Peipus was echoed throughout the Baltic states. The 30 thousand Lithuanian army launched large-scale military operations against the Germans. In the same year 1242, a powerful uprising broke out in Prussia. The Livonian knights sent envoys to Novgorod who reported that the order renounced its claims to the land of Vod, Pskov, Luga and asked for an exchange of prisoners, which was done. The words that were spoken to the ambassadors by the prince: “Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword” became the motto of many generations of Russian commanders. For his military exploits, Alexander Nevsky received the highest award - he was canonized by the church and declared a Saint.
German historians believe that, while fighting on the western borders, Alexander Nevsky did not pursue any coherent political program, but successes in the West provided some compensation for the horrors of the Mongol invasion. Many researchers believe that the very scale of the threat that the West posed to Rus' is exaggerated.
On the other hand, L.N. Gumilyov, on the contrary, believed that it was not the Tatar-Mongol “yoke”, but rather Catholic Western Europe in the person of the Teutonic Order and the Archbishopric of Riga that posed a mortal threat to the very existence of Rus', and therefore the role of Alexander’s victories Nevsky is especially great in Russian history.
Due to the variability of the hydrography of Lake Peipsi, historians for a long time could not accurately determine the place where the Battle of the Ice took place. Only thanks to long-term research carried out by an expedition from the Institute of Archeology of the USSR Academy of Sciences, they were able to establish the location of the battle. The battle site is submerged in water in the summer and is located approximately 400 meters from the island of Sigovec.
Memory
The monument to the squads of Alexander Nevsky was erected in 1993, on Mount Sokolikha in Pskov, almost 100 km away from the actual site of the battle. Initially, it was planned to create a monument on Vorony Island, which would have been a more accurate solution geographically.
1992 - in the village of Kobylye Gorodishche, Gdovsky district, in a place close to the supposed site of the battle, a bronze monument to Alexander Nevsky and a wooden worship cross were erected near the Church of the Archangel Michael. The Church of the Archangel Michael was created by the Pskovites in 1462. The wooden cross was destroyed over time under the influence of unfavorable weather conditions. 2006, July - on the 600th anniversary of the first mention of the village of Kobylye Gorodishche in the Pskov Chronicles, it was replaced with a bronze one.
Battle on the Ice, artist V.A. Serov (1865-19110
When did the event take place? : April 5, 1242
Where did the event take place? : Lake Peipsi (near Pskov)
Participants:
The army of the Novgorod Republic and the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality under the leadership of Alexander Nevsky and Andrei Yaroslavich
Livonian Order, Denmark. Commander - Andres von Velven
Causes
Livonian Order:
Capture of Russian territories in the northwest
Spread of Catholicism
Russian troops:
Defense of the northwestern borders from German knights
Prevention of subsequent threats of attack on Rus' by the Livonian Order
Defending access to the Baltic Sea, trade opportunities with Europe
Defense of the Orthodox Faith
Move
In 1240, Livonian knights captured Pskov and Koporye
In 1241, Alexander Nevsky recaptured Koporye.
At the beginning of 1242, Nevsky and his brother Andrei Yaroslavich of Suzdal took Pskov.
The knights were lined up in a battle wedge: heavy knights on the flanks, and light knights in the center. In Russian chronicles, this formation was called the “great pig.”
First, the knights attacked the center of the Russian troops, thinking to surround them from the flanks. However, they themselves found themselves caught in pincers. Moreover, Alexander brought in an ambush regiment.
The knights began to be pushed towards the lake, where the ice was no longer strong. Most of the knights drowned. Only a few managed to escape.
Results
The threat of capture of the northwestern lands has been eliminated
Trade ties with Europe were preserved, Rus' defended access to the Baltic Sea.
According to the agreement, the knights left all conquered lands and returned prisoners. The Russians also returned all the prisoners.
Western raids on Rus' ceased for a long time.
Meaning
The defeat of the German knights is a bright page in the history of Rus'.
For the first time, Russian foot soldiers were able to defeat heavily armed cavalry.
The significance of the battle is also great in the sense that the victory took place during the period of the Mongol-Tatar yoke. In case of defeat, it would be much more difficult for Rus' to get rid of double oppression.
The Orthodox faith was protected, since the crusaders wanted to actively introduce Catholicism in Rus'. But it was Orthodoxy during the period of fragmentation and yoke that was the connecting link that united the people in the fight against the enemy.
During the Battle of the Ice and the Battle of the Neva, the military leadership talent of the young Alexander Nevsky was revealed. He used proven tactics:
Before the battle, he inflicted a number of successive blows on the enemy, and only then did the decisive battle take place.
used the surprise factor
successfully and on time introduced an ambush regiment into battle
the disposition of the Russian troops was more flexible than the clumsy “pig” of the knights.
skillful use of terrain features: Alexander deprived the enemy of freedom of space, while he himself used the terrain to deliver a strong blow to the enemy.
This is interesting
April 18 (old style - April 5) is the Day of Military Glory of Russia. The holiday was established in 1995.
Material prepared by: Melnikova Vera Aleksandrovna
Monument to the squads of Alexander Nevsky on Mount Sokolikha in Pskov
Battle on the Ice, artist Matorin V.
Battle on the Ice, artist Nazaruk V.M., 1982
Alexander Nevskiy. Battle on the Ice, artist Kostylev A., 2005
by Notes of the Wild MistressMany books and articles have been written about the famous battle on the ice of Lake Peipsi in April 1242, but it itself has not been fully studied - and our information about it is replete with blank spots...
At the beginning of 1242, German Teutonic knights captured Pskov and advanced towards Novgorod. On Saturday, April 5, at dawn, the Russian squad, led by the Novgorod prince Alexander Nevsky, met the crusaders on the ice of Lake Peipus, at the Crow Stone.
Alexander skillfully surrounded the knights, built in a wedge, from the flanks, and with a blow from an ambush regiment, he encircled them. The Battle of the Ice, famous in Russian history, began. “And there was an evil slaughter, and a crackling sound from the breaking of spears, and a sound from the cutting of a sword, and the frozen lake moved. And there was no ice visible: it was all covered in blood...” The chronicle reports that the ice cover could not withstand the retreating heavily armed knights and failed. Under the weight of their armor, the enemy warriors quickly sank to the bottom, choking in the icy water.
Some circumstances of the battle remained a real “blank spot” for researchers. Where does truth end and fiction begin? Why did the ice collapse under the feet of the knights and withstand the weight of the Russian army? How could the knights fall through the ice if its thickness near the shores of Lake Peipus reaches a meter in early April? Where did the legendary battle take place?
The domestic chronicles (Novgorod, Pskov, Suzdal, Rostov, Laurentian, etc.) and the “Elder Livonian Rhymed Chronicle” describe in detail both the events preceding the battle and the battle itself. Its landmarks are indicated: “On Lake Peipus, near the Uzmen tract, near the Crow Stone.” Local legends specify that the warriors fought just outside the village of Samolva. The chronicle miniature drawing depicts the confrontation between the parties before the battle, and defensive ramparts, stone and other buildings are shown in the background. In the ancient chronicles there is no mention of Voronii Island (or any other island) near the site of the battle. They talk about fighting on land, and mention ice only in the final part of the battle.
In search of answers to numerous questions from researchers, Leningrad archaeologists led by military historian Georgy Karaev were the first to go to the shores of Lake Peipsi in the late 50s of the 20th century. Scientists were going to recreate the events of more than seven hundred years ago.
At first, chance helped. Once, while talking with fishermen, Karaev asked why they called the area of the lake near Cape Sigovets a “cursed place.” The fishermen explained: in this place, until the most severe frosts, there remains an opening, “whitefish,” because whitefish have been caught in it for a long time. In cold weather, of course, even the “sigovitsa” will be caught in ice, but it is not durable: a person will go there and disappear...
This means that it is no coincidence that the southern part of the lake is called Warm Lake by local residents. Perhaps this is where the crusaders drowned? Here is the answer: the bottom of the lake in the Sigovits area is replete with groundwater outlets that prevent the formation of a durable ice cover.
Archaeologists have established that the waters of Lake Peipus are gradually advancing on the shores, this is the result of a slow tectonic process. Many ancient villages were flooded, and their inhabitants moved to other, higher shores. The lake level is rising at a rate of 4 millimeters per year. Consequently, since the time of the blessed prince Alexander Nevsky, the water in the lake has risen by a good three meters!
G.N. Karaev removed depths of less than three meters from the map of the lake, and the map became seven hundred years younger. This map suggested: the narrowest place of the lake in ancient times was located right next to “Sigovitsy”. This is how the chronicle “Uzmen” received an exact reference, a name that does not exist on the modern map of the lake.
The most difficult thing was to determine the location of the “Crow Stone”, because on the map of the lake there are more than a dozen Crow stones, rocks and islands. Karaev's divers examined Raven Island near Uzmen and discovered that it was nothing more than the top of a huge sheer underwater cliff. A stone shaft was unexpectedly discovered next to it. Scientists decided that the name “Raven Stone” in ancient times referred not only to the rock, but also to a fairly strong border fortification. It became clear: the battle began here on that distant April morning.
The expedition members came to the conclusion that the Raven Stone several centuries ago was a high fifteen-meter hill with steep slopes; it was visible from afar and served as a good landmark. But time and waves did their job: the once high hill with steep slopes disappeared under water.
Researchers also tried to explain why the fleeing knights fell through the ice and drowned. In fact, at the beginning of April, when the battle took place, the ice on the lake was still quite thick and strong. But the secret was that not far from the Crow Stone, warm springs flow from the bottom of the lake, forming “sigoviches”, so the ice here is less durable than in other places. Previously, when the water level was lower, underwater springs undoubtedly hit the ice sheet directly. The Russians, of course, knew about this and avoided dangerous places, but the enemy ran straight.
So this is the solution to the riddle! But if it is true that in this place the icy abyss swallowed up an entire army of knights, then somewhere here his trace must be hidden. Archaeologists set themselves the task of finding this last piece of evidence, but current circumstances prevented them from achieving their final goal. It was not possible to find the burial places of the soldiers who died in the Battle of the Ice. This is clearly stated in the report of the complex expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences. And soon allegations appeared that in ancient times the dead were taken with them for burial in their homeland, therefore, they say, their remains cannot be found.
Several years ago, a new generation of search engines - a group of Moscow enthusiasts and lovers of the ancient history of Rus' - again tried to resolve the centuries-old mystery. She had to find burials hidden in the ground related to the Battle of the Ice on a large territory of the Gdovsky district of the Pskov region.
Research has shown that in those distant times, in the area south of the now existing village of Kozlovo, there was some kind of fortified outpost of the Novgorodians. It was here that Prince Alexander Nevsky went to join the detachment of Andrei Yaroslavich, hidden in an ambush. At a critical moment in the battle, an ambush regiment could go behind the knights' rear, surround them and ensure victory. The area here is relatively flat. Nevsky’s troops were protected on the northwestern side by the “sigovits” of Lake Peipus, and on the eastern side by the wooded part where the Novgorodians settled in the fortified town.
On Lake Peipus, scientists were going to recreate events that took place more than seven hundred years ago.
The knights advanced from the southern side (from the village of Tabory). Not knowing about the Novgorod reinforcements and feeling their military superiority in strength, they, without hesitation, rushed into battle, falling into the “nets” that had been placed. From this it can be seen that the battle itself took place on land, not far from the shore of the lake. By the end of the battle, the knightly army was pushed back onto the spring ice of Zhelchinskaya Bay, where many of them died. Their remains and weapons are still at the bottom of this bay.
There is an episode with the Crow Stone. According to ancient legend, he rose from the waters of the lake in moments of danger for the Russian land, helping to defeat enemies. This was the case in 1242. This date appears in all domestic historical sources, being inextricably linked with the Battle of the Ice.
It is no coincidence that we focus your attention on this stone. After all, it is precisely this that historians are guided by, who are still trying to understand on what lake it happened. After all, many specialists who work with historical archives still do not know where our ancestors actually fought with
The official point of view is that the battle took place on the ice of Lake Peipsi. Today, all that is known for certain is that the battle took place on April 5. The year of the Battle of the Ice is 1242 from the beginning of our era. In the chronicles of Novgorod and in the Livonian Chronicle there is not a single matching detail at all: the number of soldiers participating in the battle and the number of wounded and killed vary.
We don't even know the details of what happened. We have only received information that a victory was won on Lake Peipus, and even then in a significantly distorted, transformed form. This is in stark contrast to the official version, but in recent years the voices of those scientists who insist on full-scale excavations and repeated archival research have become increasingly loud. They all want not only to know about which lake the Battle of the Ice took place on, but also to find out all the details of the event.
Official description of the battle
The opposing armies met in the morning. It was 1242 and the ice had not yet broken up. The Russian troops had many riflemen who courageously came forward, bearing the brunt of the German attack. Pay attention to how the Livonian Chronicle speaks about this: “The banners of the brothers (German knights) penetrated the ranks of those who were shooting... many killed on both sides fell on the grass (!).”
Thus, the “Chronicles” and the manuscripts of the Novgorodians completely agree on this point. Indeed, in front of the Russian army stood a detachment of light riflemen. As the Germans later found out through their sad experience, it was a trap. “Heavy” columns of German infantry broke through the ranks of lightly armed soldiers and moved on. We wrote the first word in quotation marks for a reason. Why? We'll talk about this below.
Russian mobile units quickly surrounded the Germans from the flanks and then began to destroy them. The Germans fled, and the Novgorod army pursued them for about seven miles. It is noteworthy that even at this point there are disagreements in various sources. If we describe the Battle of the Ice briefly, then even in this case this episode raises some questions.
The Importance of Victory
Thus, most witnesses say nothing at all about the “drowned” knights. Part of the German army was surrounded. Many knights were captured. In principle, 400 Germans were reported killed, with another fifty people captured. Chudi, according to the chronicles, “fell without number.” That's all the Battle of the Ice in brief.
The Order took the defeat painfully. In the same year, peace was concluded with Novgorod, the Germans completely abandoned their conquests not only on the territory of Rus', but also in Letgol. There was even a complete exchange of prisoners. However, the Teutons tried to recapture Pskov ten years later. Thus, the year of the Battle of the Ice became an extremely important date, as it allowed the Russian state to somewhat calm down its warlike neighbors.
About common myths
Even in the local history museums of the Pskov region they are very skeptical about the widespread statement about the “heavy” German knights. Allegedly, because of their massive armor, they almost drowned in the waters of the lake at once. Many historians say with rare enthusiasm that the Germans in their armor weighed “three times more” than the average Russian warrior.
But any weapons expert of that era will tell you with confidence that the soldiers on both sides were protected approximately equally.
Armor is not for everyone!
The fact is that massive armor, which can be found everywhere in miniatures of the Battle of the Ice in history textbooks, appeared only in the 14th-15th centuries. In the 13th century, warriors dressed in a steel helmet, chain mail or (the latter were very expensive and rare), and wore bracers and greaves on their limbs. It all weighed about twenty kilograms maximum. Most of the German and Russian soldiers did not have such protection at all.
Finally, in principle, there was no particular point in such heavily armed infantry on the ice. Everyone fought on foot; there was no need to fear a cavalry attack. So why take another risk by going out on thin April ice with so much iron?
But at school the 4th grade is studying the Battle of the Ice, and therefore no one simply goes into such subtleties.
Water or land?
According to the generally accepted conclusions made by the expedition led by the USSR Academy of Sciences (led by Karaev), the battle site is considered to be a small area of Teploe Lake (part of Chudskoye), which is located 400 meters from the modern Cape Sigovets.
For almost half a century, no one doubted the results of these studies. The fact is that then scientists did a really great job, analyzing not only historical sources, but also hydrology and, as the writer Vladimir Potresov, who was a direct participant in that very expedition, explains, they managed to create a “complete vision of the problem.” So on what lake did the Battle of the Ice take place?
There is only one conclusion here - on Chudskoye. There was a battle, and it took place somewhere in those parts, but there are still problems with determining the exact localization.
What did the researchers find?
First of all, they read the chronicle again. It said that the slaughter took place “at Uzmen, at the Voronei stone.” Imagine that you are telling your friend how to get to the stop, using terms that you and he understand. If you tell the same thing to a resident of another region, he may not understand. We are in the same position. What kind of Uzmen? What Crow Stone? Where was all this even?
More than seven centuries have passed since then. Rivers changed their courses in less time! So there was absolutely nothing left of the real geographical coordinates. If we assume that the battle, to one degree or another, actually took place on the icy surface of the lake, then finding something becomes even more difficult.
German version
Seeing the difficulties of their Soviet colleagues, in the 30s a group of German scientists hastened to declare that the Russians... invented the Battle of the Ice! Alexander Nevsky, they say, simply created the image of a winner in order to give his figure more weight in the political arena. But the old German chronicles also talked about the battle episode, so the battle really took place.
Russian scientists were having real verbal battles! Everyone was trying to find out the location of the battle that took place in ancient times. Everyone called “that” piece of territory either on the western or eastern shore of the lake. Someone argued that the battle took place in the central part of the reservoir. There was a general problem with the Crow Stone: either mountains of small pebbles at the bottom of the lake were mistaken for it, or someone saw it in every rock outcrop on the shores of the reservoir. There were a lot of disputes, but the matter did not progress at all.
In 1955, everyone got tired of this, and that same expedition set off. Archaeologists, philologists, geologists and hydrographers, specialists in the Slavic and German dialects of that time, and cartographers appeared on the shores of Lake Peipsi. Everyone was interested in where the Battle of the Ice was. Alexander Nevsky was here, this is known for certain, but where did his troops meet their adversaries?
Several boats with teams of experienced divers were placed at the complete disposal of the scientists. Many enthusiasts and schoolchildren from local historical societies also worked on the shores of the lake. So what did Lake Peipus give to researchers? Was Nevsky here with the army?
Crow Stone
For a long time, there was an opinion among domestic scientists that the Raven Stone was the key to all the secrets of the Battle of the Ice. His search was given special importance. Finally he was discovered. It turned out that it was a rather high stone ledge on the western tip of Gorodets Island. Over seven centuries, the not very dense rock was almost completely destroyed by winds and water.
At the foot of the Raven Stone, archaeologists quickly found the remains of Russian guard fortifications that blocked the passages to Novgorod and Pskov. So those places were really familiar to contemporaries because of their importance.
New contradictions
But determining the location of such an important landmark in ancient times did not at all mean identifying the place where the massacre took place on Lake Peipsi. Quite the opposite: the currents here are always so strong that ice as such does not exist here in principle. If the Russians had fought the Germans here, everyone would have drowned, regardless of their armor. The chronicler, as was the custom of that time, simply indicated the Crow Stone as the nearest landmark that was visible from the battle site.
Versions of events
If you return to the description of the events, which was given at the very beginning of the article, then you will probably remember the expression “... many killed on both sides fell on the grass.” Of course, “grass” in this case could be an idiom denoting the very fact of falling, death. But today historians are increasingly inclined to believe that archaeological evidence of that battle should be looked for precisely on the banks of the reservoir.
In addition, not a single piece of armor has yet been found at the bottom of Lake Peipsi. Neither Russian nor Teutonic. Of course, there was, in principle, very little armor as such (we have already talked about their high cost), but at least something should have remained! Especially when you consider how many diving dives were made.
Thus, we can draw a completely convincing conclusion that the ice did not break under the weight of the Germans, who were not very different in armament from our soldiers. In addition, finding armor even at the bottom of a lake is unlikely to prove anything for sure: more archaeological evidence is needed, since border skirmishes in those places happened constantly.
In general terms, it is clear on which lake the Battle of the Ice took place. The question of where exactly the battle took place still worries domestic and foreign historians.
Monument to the iconic battle
A monument in honor of this significant event was erected in 1993. It is located in the city of Pskov, installed on Mount Sokolikha. The monument is more than a hundred kilometers away from the theoretical site of the battle. This stele is dedicated to the “Druzhinniks of Alexander Nevsky”. Patrons raised money for it, which was an incredibly difficult task in those years. Therefore, this monument is of even greater value for the history of our country.
Artistic embodiment
In the very first sentence we mentioned the film by Sergei Eisenstein, which he shot back in 1938. The film was called "Alexander Nevsky". But it’s definitely not worth considering this magnificent (from an artistic point of view) film as a historical guide. Absurdities and obviously unreliable facts are present there in abundance.
