The rector of the temple, Archpriest Vasily Gonchar, told our correspondent about the temple icons:

The history of the icon of John the Baptist very unusual. At the very beginning of the life of the temple, it was brought by a woman from a family in which the icon was passed on by inheritance. This icon is one of the destroyed Kamchatka temples, it was badly damaged: it was burnt, and it was impossible to distinguish the face. Then it seemed to us that this was an icon of the Savior, and we placed it in a place befitting such an icon. But from the moment it appeared in the church, it began to be renewed, and now we see that the icon depicts John the Baptist. And she was identified above the confessional, because the Forerunner called everyone to repentance. And the fact that the icon of John the Baptist has been renewed over the years is a small miracle, and the parishioners of the church are very anxious about this.

IconMother of God "Port Arthur":

Exactly two months before the start Russo-Japanese War On December 11, 1903, an old sailor Fyodor, a participant in the defense of Sevastopol, came to talk to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. He prayed fervently for the Russian fleet in Port Arthur. Once in a dream he had a vision: the Most Holy Theotokos standing with her back to the bay of the sea. The Mother of God reassured the fear-ridden sailor and said that a war would soon begin, in which Russia would face great trials and losses. The Heavenly Mistress ordered to make an image that accurately reflects the vision and send the icon to the Port Arthur Church, promising protection and victory to the Russian army

Photo: Genuine Port Arthur icon of the Mother of God in Kamchatka

When the news of the beginning of the war came, the monks and pilgrims of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, who knew about the sailor's vision, collected a patch (more than one person did not accept) for materials for making the icon. They took nothing for the work of the master. On the image in enameled ligature it was written: "As a blessing and a sign of triumph to the Christ-loving army of Far Russia from the holy monasteries of Kiev and 10,000 pilgrims and friends."

We have in our church an icon of the Mother of God “Port Arthur” dear to my heart, a copy of it was made from the original icon, which is now in one of the temples of Vladivostok. When the procession along the maritime borders was conceived Of the Russian state, it was originally proposed to perform it with an original icon. At that time, Archbishop Veniamin of Vladivostok and Primorsky gave his consent to hand over the Port-Arthur icon of the Mother of God during the northern passage, but after its completion the icon had to be returned to Vladivostok.

This option did not suit us, because we wanted the icon to remain in our diocese after such a long procession. We also decided to depict our Avacha Bay, three brothers and volcanoes on the icon. But it is not permissible to do such things without the blessing of the Patriarch, so we turned to the ever-memorable Patriarch Alexy and received permission: “Blessed without changing the appearance of the Mother of God,” that is, we were allowed to change only the view of the bay. The icon-painting workshops did not agree to paint it: the icon was unusual, and it had to be painted in a short time. For icon painters, I had to prepare a whole package of documents and photographs of hills, volcanoes, and bays. It was finished a week before the beginning of the procession.

Photo: Icon of the Mother of God of Port Arthur Church of St. blgv. book Alexander Nevsky

Our icon of the Mother of God "Port Arthur" traveled three oceans and ten seas, 200 thousand 500 nautical miles or 20.0 thousand kilometers, crossed the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, visited Magadan and, completing the procession, returned with warships to Kamchatka. Now she is in our temple.

Icon of St. blgv. Prince Alexander Nevsky: It was presented to us, but it was large in size and in our small church we had nowhere to place it, and we presented it to the military church of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called to Rybachy. At that time, we already had a temple icon, on which Prince Alexander Nevsky is depicted with a sword in his hands. It was he who said: "Whoever comes to us with a sword will perish by the sword."

Photo by Svetlana Ligostaeva. Temple icon of St. vlgv. book Alexander Nevsky

But on the icon, the weapon is more of a symbol. But when we talk about defending the Fatherland, when it is in danger, then the ministers of the church take up the sword. The Monk Sergius of Radonezh blessed Prince Demetrius, and subsequently gave the Don Russian army two schema-monks - Alexander Peresvet (former boyar of Bryansk) and Andrei Oslyabyu (former boyar Lyubetsky). Before taking monasticism, both of them were experienced warriors and died on the Kulikovo field. The duel between Peresvet and Chelebey was more of a spiritual battle than a physical one.

Photo: Duel of Peresvet and Chelebey

"... In the understanding of the Russian people, the Kulikovo field was a" place of judgment ", where two troops gathered not only to measure their strength, but where the Judgment of the measure and truth of God over man was to take place, where the question was decided: should there be a Russian Land and a Russian state?"

And Alexander Nevsky ?! Being a famous warrior, he goes and bows to Khan Batu, he chooses between the wild Mongols and the Latin West. He goes into physical captivity to wild tribes, saving the Russian people from spiritual captivity.

VREZ: “The historical task facing Alexander Nevsky was twofold: to protect the borders of Russia from the attacks of the Latin West and to strengthen national identity within the borders.

The salvation of the Orthodox faith was the main stone of the political system of Alexander Nevsky. Orthodoxy for him was not in words, but in deeds - "the pillar and confirmation of the truth."

With a deep and brilliant hereditary historical instinct, Prince Alexander realized that in his historical era, the main danger for Orthodoxy and the originality of Russian culture was from the West, not from the East, from Latinism, and not from Mongolism. Mongolia brought slavery to the body, but not to the soul. Latinism threatened to distort the very soul. Latinism was a militant religious system, striving to subjugate and remake the Orthodox faith of the Russian people according to its own model.

Mongolia was not a religious system at all, but only a cultural and political one. It carried with it the laws of civil and political (Chinggis's Yasa), and not religious and ecclesiastical. The main principle of the Great Mongol State was precisely wide religious tolerance, or even more - patronage of all religions

Two exploits of Alexander Nevsky - the feat of battle in the West and the feat of humility in the East - had one goal: the preservation of Orthodoxy as a moral and political force of the Russian people.

This goal was achieved: the growth of the Russian Orthodox kingdom took place on the soil prepared by Prince Alexander. The tribe of Alexander Nevsky built the Moscow state. "

So the image with weapons on the icons of the Holy Defenders of the Fatherland and the Russian State from the adversaries is a tribute to their services to the Russian people and Holy Russia.

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In the last eighty years, the image of the Holy Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky has been formed in our country mainly under the influence of Sergei Eisenstein's 1938 film "Alexander Nevsky".

The moral message of this film, addressed to all peoples, expressed in the closing words of St. Prince Alexander and today, especially on the eve of Defender of the Fatherland Day, is no less relevant: “Go and tell everyone in foreign lands that Russia is alive! Let them welcome us without fear, but if someone enters us with a sword, he will die by the sword! The Russian land stands and will stand on this!

The warnings were not heard. And today they do not hear. They do not heed the words of Christ: "All who take the sword will die by the sword"(Matthew 26:52). "He who took the sword" is an aggressor who encroaches on the people's faith, on other people's property and economy.

Russia is now considered an aggressor almost all over the world, although in fact the aggressor is the West, which has cut off a huge share of the primordial Russian lands over the past decades into submission to itself.

And from the East, Japan became more active about the Kuriles.

In 2008, according to the results of a large-scale all-Russian poll, the name of St. Prince Alexander Nevsky won the majority of votes in the television project "The Name of Russia".

And no wonder, because he sees not only the winner of the Swedes in the Battle of the Neva or "Western civilizers" on the ice of Lake Peipsi, but also the great statesman, and the holy warrior is the intercessor of our Orthodox Church.

Thus, ten years ago, Russia chose its patron - determined its own vector, its own direction of the spiritual path.

The St. Grand Duke is especially revered in St. Petersburg. At the shrine with his relics in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, you can always see the praying pilgrims.

I will share a secret that the most experienced and wise petitioners from among the laity and priests do not enter the Diocesan Administration until they pray before the relics of Saint Prince Alexander and venerate them.

Once, on the way to the Diocese, together with my brother - a wiser priest, I gape, started talking and wanted to pass by, but was stopped in time by his soft and ironic shout - they say, where are you climbing "without relics"?

We went and prayed in the Cathedral at the shrine and "with the relics" our affairs were resolved safely.

What else do we know about St. Prince Alexander?

Our Russian historical science claims that St. Prince Alexander Nevsky got an exceptional role in a very difficult period of Russian history, when in the XIII century Russia was subjected to the blows of the Catholic West and the Tatar Horde.

The famous orientalist and Eurasian scientist Lev Gumilev considered St. Alexander Nevsky the architect of the alliance, which managed to build relations with the Horde, which contributed not only to the temporary peaceful existence of "languages", but also to the synthesis of their cultures.

Saint Prince Alexander Nevsky never lost a single battle in his entire life. Showing the talent of a commander and a diplomat, he managed to make peace with the most powerful, but tolerant enemy of Russia from the East - the Golden Horde.

And on the other hand, to repel an attack from the West, protecting Orthodoxy from Catholic expansion.

Now our diplomats have a very busy time. On all sides, our "foreign partners" - our fierce "friends", took up arms against Russia. The recently held regular Munich security conference, like the previous ones, was still used to present new claims to Russia. And in the establishment of most countries, it has become a stable rule of political correctness to talk about Russia "either bad or nothing."

In the second year, the history of Russia was taught to us by the well-known and authoritative St. Petersburg historian and teacher Yuri Alekseevich Sokolov. He told how a very seemingly insignificant episode, in which the best moral qualities of a warrior-ruler were displayed, subsequently grew into a significant diplomatic victory.

If anyone has any doubts about the reliability of this event, then I have an audio recording somewhere. I can scroll. And I will retell according to a summary of ten years ago. Well, maybe I'll add some historical details from well-known sources.

In 1241 the Great Kagan Ogedei died in the Horde. Two people claimed his place - Khan Guyuk and Khan Batu.

Batu - aka Batu Khan was the son of the ruler of Jochi and the grandson of Genghis Khan. After the death of his father in 1227, he became the ruler of the Jochi ulus - the Golden Horde. But Khan Guyuk, as the son of Ogedei, had greater rights to assume supreme power. In fact, Ogedei bequeathed to elect his beloved grandson Shiramun as his successor, but his widow Dorgene began to fight for the election of her son Guyuk, despite opposition from Batu Khan, who did not want to see his sworn enemy as the Great ruler.

Batu had just returned from a military campaign across Europe that had lasted four years, and was completely unprepared for the struggle for power. He had only four thousand warriors against one hundred thousand warriors of Guyuk. In fact, Khan Batu was waiting with a bated heart to see if Khan Guyuk would fight against him. And his mood, of course, was by no means victorious. He just needed to survive and survive in this situation.

St. Prince Alexander some time after the Battle of Lake Peipsi, realizing that he did not have the strength to repel another invasion of the Livonian Order, went to the Horde to seek an alliance with Khan Batu in the hope of his military assistance. Thus, the two great commanders met and shared their troubles, plans and problems with each other.

In essence, both rulers found themselves in the same position. For Russia would not have been able to withstand the next year or two, if suddenly another invasion of knights from Western Europe took place.

Batu was more worried about the events that took place in the Horde, and not at all in the North of Russia. He expected that Khan Guyuk would use force against him, and there was nothing to defend and repel it. And it was no longer a matter of the struggle for power, but of ensuring one's own safety and preserving life.

It was then that St. Prince Alexander offered Batu Khan five hundred of his warriors for personal protection. Of course, such a small number, albeit battle-hardened warriors, would not have affected the outcome of the confrontation with Guyuk. But the self-sacrifice of the Grand Duke and this sincere gesture itself were so strong and timely that they melted the heart of even such a tough commander as Batu was. Prince Alexander was the only one at that moment who told him: "I have come to help you and am ready to die with you."

Looking ahead, we can say that after a while the issue of power in the Horde was finally resolved. At the kurultai in the early autumn of 1246, Khan Guyuk was proclaimed the Great Kagan. True, he ruled for only two years and died, just during the gathering for a campaign against Batu Khan, who took the place of ruler after his death, is already quite legal.

But then, at the meeting, when Prince Alexander also really needed help and support, Khan Batu in response made an even stronger and more friendly gesture. He issued to Prince Alexander "Paidze" - a small golden plaque, which indicated that Prince Alexander was a personal friend and vassal of the Great Kagan.

Batu had very few such golden tablets - several pieces, and in exceptional cases he had the right to issue them to different persons, as a symbol of the delegation of power and the empowerment of the bearers with special powers.

And with this gift St. Prince Alexander returned to his homeland, where papal legates came to him. They delivered an ultimatum: either the prince authorizes the activity of the order in the territories under his control, or let a new crusade await on the part of the Order, which, in essence, has nothing to reflect. The Roman ambassadors acted with certainty, using blackmail inherent in Latin cunning.

At that time, the Russian princes were mired in civil strife, having lost up to one hundred thousand soldiers in the process. In addition, betrayal was ripening in Veliky Novgorod, where at Veche they openly talked about putting up with Europe and giving it some territory.

But if Prince Alexander had yielded to the papal ambassadors, then a stream of colonialists would rush from Western Europe to Northern Russia and it is very difficult to predict how the history of our state would then develop and whether the Russian ethnos took place at all? Most likely, the scattered peoples of the Russian land would have suffered the fate of the American Indians.

The papal legates well understood the hopelessness of the situation in which Prince Alexander found himself, and I suppose that they were already rubbing their hands longingly in anticipation of the victory over the indestructible prince. Then, in response to these claims - to their ultimatum - Grand Duke Alexander presented them with a gold Paidze. So it is careless - "bams" and put it on the table. Say, “I may not be against your wishes, but I have such a friend and ruler. And I don’t know at all how he will look at it ”?

Upon presentation of this symbol of power, the atmosphere of the meeting changed in a completely indecent direction for the Latins, for the mention of the Mongols in Europe caused a feeling of deep fainting.

Still fresh were the memories of everyone that in the battle of the Polish city of Legnica on April 9, 1241, the Mongols, in an hour and a half, ground the entire color of the crusaders, together with the Poles, led by Duke Henry II the Pious, whose head was brought on a spear to the gates of the city. And the Hungarian king Bela IV was utterly defeated by Batu in the battle on the Shaillo River on April 11, 1241.

According to historical sources, in three days from 9 to 11 April 1241, the Mongols destroyed three European armies totaling up to 150,000 people. The Horde army then swept across Hungary, Croatia, Dalmatia, Bosnia, Serbia and Bulgaria.

Therefore, the horror of the mention of the Mongols among the Europeans was by no means a joke. It turned out that the papal ambassadors offered peace or war not to some lonely and defenseless Grand Duke of Novgorod, but to the entire Golden Horde, led by the Great Kagan, whose army consisted of hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and the territories began somewhere beyond China.

As the saying goes: "I would like to see the faces of the papal legates at this moment." I believe that they became very similar to the faces of the tram abreks from the movie "Brother", who muttering "Don't kill, brother, take the money, take everything, just don't kill, brother" crawled away from the place of their shameful humiliation. So the papal ambassadors crawled away from the Russian land, with a failed mission and shudder, at the possibility of a new Horde invasion.

This diplomatic victory of St. Prince Alexander Nevsky in its political significance was several times greater than that won at Lake Peipsi. For after it it was possible to confidently conclude that in the coming years there would be no Swedish-Livonian campaign against Russia. It was a time-out for gathering strength, at least ten years.

And the merit of the Holy Grand Duke Alexander is that he was not taken aback and in a completely hopeless situation found the only and bloodless way out of it. For Russia in the forties of the XIII century could not show anything as a force.

Such a story!

I would like to note that a similar situation developed in Russia at the beginning of the 21st century. And I believe that all the long-term “deflections” of our power in front of “Western friends” are nothing more than a time “for gathering strength”.

Our "Western colleagues" really want to plunge into the "meat grinder" civil war brotherly peoples, or rather, one and the same people, so that it happens as the American President Truman called in his time: "let them kill each other as much as possible." But so far the West has failed to implement this plan.

These days are also marked by the mournful date of the 5th anniversary of the Ukrainian Maidan, when our diplomacy and special services "slammed" the aggressive actions of the West and the coming to power of the current junta of Bendera.

You are surprised to note the calls of the Russian authorities for peace to the ruling circles in Kiev. Yes, all this is senseless, although from the point of view of diplomacy, it is probably objectively necessary.

In Ukraine today there is only one power - the power of the US State Department. And all actions, from the odious speeches of the head of the Ukrainian clique and the church schism to the massacres of Donbass residents, are carried out under the direct supervision of American advisers.

But back to the 13th century.

Then, in response to firm faith and loyalty, the Lord gave St. Prince Alexander wisdom and prudence, a deep humble mind and insight, determination and the ability to defeat enemies not only on the battlefield - with a sword, but also in the diplomatic field.

We can say that the Holy Prince possessed wisdom similar to that which the Lord endowed the Old Testament King Solomon: "And God said to him: ... I give you a wise and reasonable heart, so that there was no one like you before you, and after you no one like you will arise."(1 Kings 3: 11-12).

The Holy Fathers of the Church call prudence the mother of all virtues.

As the Scriptures say: "When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasing to your soul, then discretion will protect you, reason will protect you from the evil path."(Prov. 2:11: 12).

Thus, the wisdom and prudence of St. Prince Alexander Nevsky saved him from unreasonable decisions and evil ways.

And I would like to wish all of us to seek such prudence and pray to the Lord that He would grant it to each of us, and especially to our To the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and his diplomatic corps.

Priest Sergiy Chechanichev, publicist

Native land can do anything! It can feed you with warm and tasty bread, give you spring water, surprise you with its beauty. And she cannot only defend herself ... Therefore, the defense of the Fatherland and native land- the duty of those who eat her bread, drink her water, admire her beauty! Already the ancient chroniclers noted that our ancestors - the Rus, Rusichs - farmers and farmers loved their land very much. As soon as the enemy entered their territory, both young and old rose to fight. The courage and courage of the Russian soldiers brought fear and horror to their opponents.

Prince Svyatoslav According to legend, Svyatoslav was dexterous and quick, bold and decisive. He lived with his retinue, slept like a simple warrior on the ground, with a horse saddle at his head. His name brought fear to the enemies of Russia, and to its neighbors. Contrary to the military laws of his time, he never attacked on the sly, unexpectedly. "I want to go to you," - he always sent to say, challenging for an honest duel. First, Svyatoslav turned his weapons on the Khazar-old enemies of Russia and defeated their capital Itil, forever putting an end to their raids on the Russian lands. Many great campaigns were made by Prince Svyatoslav with his retinue, and he died in an unequal battle with the Pechenegs. "The mound over the grave of Prince Svyatoslav has not survived, and only the people's memory, this eternal keeper of the truly valuable, carefully conveyed to the descendants the glorious name of the knight-knight - the warrior for the Russian land!"

Prince Alexander Nevsky Our Motherland was going through hard times. In the south of Russia, cities and villages were burning after the Tatar raids, the Swedes and Germans were advancing from the north. In the summer of 1240, Swedish ships under the command of Birger entered the Neva. Many Swedes remained on the ships, and the most combat-ready part of the army went ashore. Birger had about 5,000 soldiers, the army of Prince Alexander was much smaller. But everything was decided by the surprise of the attack and the talent of the commander. The victory was quick and glorious. Many uninvited guests were chopped up on the shore. The prince and his squad fought tirelessly, and he was then 22 years old ... For this victory the people called Prince Alexander Nevsky, and increased their glory and military valor Novgorod prince defeating the Livonian knights on the ice of Lake Peipsi in April 1242.

Prince Dmitry Donskoy For a century and a half Russia suffered from the raids of the Golden Horde. Khan Mamai was insidious, he skillfully kindled discord among the Russian princes, but before a common disaster Russia united, gathered formidable forces, rose to fight the enemy ... Russian army... And, before crossing the Don, to the Kulikovo field, the prince said at the military council: "My dear friends and my brothers! .. This day we will follow the Don and there either we will win or lay down our heads ..." And the Russian squads crossed the Don, stood to death and won Tatar army, and it happened on September 8, 1380. A month later, the Russian army solemnly entered Moscow, since then they have called the Prince of Moscow Dmitry Donskoy.

Prince Dmitry Pozharsky At the beginning of the 17th century, during the Troubles, the Poles captured Moscow. In the autumn of 1611. At the call of the cathedral bell, people flocked to the square in Nizhny Novgorod. Zemstvo headman Kuzma Minin took the floor: “Good people! You know about the great devastation of the Russian land ... If we really want to save the Moscow state, we will not spare anything, we will recruit soldiers and put at the head of our army a skilled, honest man, Dmitry Pozharsky! "

Citizen Kuzma Minin It was a troubled time. In Moscow, foreigners ruled, the common people "from the Poles, from Lithuania ... the offense was great." In three days, the squads of Minin and Pozharsky defeated the Polish army and approached Kitay-gorod. The prince turned to the warriors “The walls of Kitai-Gorod are strong, and the fighting spirit of our army is even stronger. On the attack! The soldiers stormed Kitay-Gorod; The Poles, entrenched in the Kremlin, surrendered to the mercy of the victors.

Peter the First “He put all his unshakable will, tireless activity, all of himself on the altar of the Fatherland. He created a fleet, created a regular army, founded a harbor, an Academy, manufactories, multiplied the Russian army, elevated Russia in Europe. " Few generals had such a complete and glorious victory as that of Peter the Great at Poltava. In April 1709 the Swedish king Karl 12 laid siege to the city. The 42,000-strong Russian army approached the battlefield. Tsar Peter personally took part in the battle. The battle lasted only two hours. The Russians defeated the previously invincible Swedes according to all the rules of military art.

Generalissimo Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov "A soldier should be healthy, brave, strong ..." Soldier "is a proud word, a soldier is dearer to me," said Suvorov. Day and night, in the heat and cold, the warriors comprehended the Suvorov science of victory. Making swift marches, they fell upon the enemy with an unexpected and all-destructive attack. So it was near Ochakovo, Fokshany, on the banks of Rymnik. In 1770. For seven months Russian troops besieged the Turkish fortress of Izmail. Taking command of the army, Suvorov suggested that the Turks surrender without a fight. "It is more likely that the sky will fall to the ground than Ishmael will fall," the Turkish Pasha replied. December 11, 1770 Suvorov led his troops to storm the impregnable fortress. After 8 hours, the commander wrote to St. Petersburg: "The Russian flag on the walls of Izmail!" From victory to victory, the great Russian commander A.V. Suvorov.

Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov Great generals are not born. MI Kutuzov spent more than 40 years in campaigns and warriors, before becoming the commander-in-chief of the Russian army. It was 1812. The huge French army moved into the interior of Russia. On September 7, near the village of Borodino, Russian and French troops met in battle. 10 hours lasted battle of Borodino... The French attacked fiercely, the Russians defended staunchly. At the cost of terrible losses, the enemy managed to squeeze the Russian army ... But for 6 months the Emperor of France Napoleon had to leave Moscow and flee Russia. And Field Marshal Kutuzov, addressing the troops with an order to end the war, said: “Each of you is the savior of the Fatherland! Russia greets you with this name! "

Admiral Fyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov The future admiral was born in the Tambov region, entered the naval school as a teenager, sailed as a young officer on different ships in many seas. It was restless then on the southern borders of the Russian state. The Turkish Sultan demanded Crimea from Russia, and in 1787 began Russo-Turkish war... By this time, Ushakov commanded a squadron of the Black Sea Fleet. On July 31, 1791, the Russian squadron approached the Bulgarian coast, and here, at Cape Kaliakria, FF Ushakov overtook the enemy. Turkish ships were anchored, there were twice as many of them as in the Russian squadron. In full sail, the Russian ships passed along the coast, past the enemy batteries, came close to the Turkish fleet and began to shoot the enemy point-blank. Panic seized the Turkish squadron, the flight began ... With this glorious victory, the war with Turkey ended ...

Admiral Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov The Russian Black Sea Fleet grew up. This worried the strong maritime powers. With the support of France and England, Turkey was prepared for war with Russia. Landing ships with an army of 20,000 were waiting for their squadron to head to the shores of Georgia and land there. In 1853 Russian ships went out to sea under the command of Vice Admiral P.S. Nakhimov. Near the town of Sinop, our squadron overtook the enemy. On the morning of November 18, Russian ships unexpectedly entered the bay and opened hurricane fire ... Three hours later Turkish fleet did not exist. In autumn 1854 Franco-Anglo-Turkish troops landed near Evpatoria and moved to Sevastopol. The heroic defense of Sevastopol lasted for almost a year; it went down in history as an unprecedented feat of Russian soldiers and sailors. On June 28, 1855, the commander of the defense of Sevastopol, Admiral Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov, was mortally wounded on the Mamayev Kurgan.

General Alexei Alekseevich Brusilov It was the first World War... In the fall of 1915, bloodless in stubborn battles, the troops of the belligerents buried themselves in the ground. There was a lull along the entire Russian-German front. On March 17, 1916, Adjutant General A.A. Brusilov, a participant in many battles, who was known and loved by the troops. He knew how to attack swiftly and staunchly defend himself, they looked at him with hope - a victory was needed! Finding a solution unexpected for the enemy and winning - this is the talent of a commander. Contrary to all military theories, A.A. Brusilov made the decision: "Only a persistent attack with all forces along the entire front is capable of passing through the enemy, preventing him from transferring reserves!" May 22, 1916 The battle began, which went down in history as the "Brusilov Breakthrough". In three days of the offensive, the front was broken through.

Marshal Georgy Zhukov In battles with Japan. At the Khalkhin-Gol River, General G.K. Zhukov won his first victory. In many battles of the Great Patriotic War, the Hero commanded the troops four times Soviet Union, Marshal G.K. Zhukov and always won. The soldiers in the trenches said: "Where Zhukov is, there is victory!" The defeat of the German troops near Moscow, the victory at Stalingrad, on Kursk Bulge, in Western Europe - this is the glorious path followed by the representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme Command. And he ended the war with a victorious army in defeated Berlin! May 8, 1945 Under the historical document of surrender fascist Germany Allied representatives put their signatures. On the part of the Soviet Union, the outstanding commander of the Second World War, Marshal Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, puts his signature.

“They came at us with innumerable bows and many finest armor. Their banners and clothes were striking in luxury and wealth. Their helmets were emitting light. "

This is how the Russian knights of the Livonian Order saw the Russian knights of the Livonian Order on the ice of Lake Peipus on April 5, 1242. For many of them, this sight was the last.

But excuse me! What other "most beautiful armor" and "light-emitting helmets" do the Russians wear, when we have seen in the movies since childhood - against the armored German knights-dogs, even heroic, but still rogue, fought in ancient ports, tattered sheepskin coats and bast shoes ?! The weapon is a shaft that has turned up under the arm. And about the armor - the dying breath of the blacksmith-warrior, memorable to everyone: "Oh, the chain mail is short ..." Thank you very much Sergey Eisenstein- his film " Alexander Nevsky"Was so good that he almost replaced the historical truth.

Sweet Eurolife

And it's also good that not all. Despite the clown shirts of the Novgorodians embroidered with roosters and bagels, the basis remained quite reliable - the battle took place, was large-scale, ours won a victory in it and saved their land from terrible ruin and even complete destruction.

Although some are trying to challenge these truths. Say, and the battle was small, nothing decisive. And the Germans are not so bad, you see, they would have put us in order. And in general, Alexander Nevsky did not have to fight with the knights, but on the contrary - to unite and throw together the Tatar-Mongols. After all, he could have integrated with advanced Europe, but instead grovelled in front of the wild steppes and recognized the power of the Horde.

It is not bad for such dreamers to recall what happened to those Slavic peoples who nevertheless had the imprudence to fall for the sweet speeches of the Germans about a well-fed life together in the then European Union - the Holy Roman Empire. For example, the Tribe was still lucky - at least the name of Silesia remained on the map, which, however, is rarely remembered. And they don't remember the tribe of vigorous people at all. And rightly so - their princes caved in under the German emperor, and exactly by the time of Alexander Nevsky, this once Slavic land was called Mecklenburg, and the population, from the nobility to commoners, spoke and believed in German.

Of course, the Russian prince could not quote poems Sergei Mikhalkov: “Our people will not allow Russian fragrant bread to be called the word“ Brot ”. But, apparently, he knew history well. And he thought in about the same categories as the Soviet poet. Yes, and the Germans behaved on the lands captured from him not at all like goodies, as evidenced by the chronicle of the Livonian Order: “We did not allow a single Russian to leave unharmed. Those who defended themselves were killed, those who fled were overtaken and killed. Shouts and lamentations were heard. In that land, a great lamentation began everywhere. " No, the Tatars killed and burned no less. But at least they did not rename Russian cities and plant their administration in them, did not introduce polygamy in Russia and did not force everyone to drink kumis and eat horse meat in large quantities. The Germans, having barely taken Pskov, put two imperial officials there, began to introduce their own laws, introduce their customs and even language.

Wars in ancient armor. Reconstruction. Photo: www.russianlook.com

Whitefish death

Is it possible to agree with such? And, most importantly, against whom? Against those same Tatars, from whom exactly a year before the Battle of the Ice this glorified and brilliant knighthood fled without memory, dropping its pants. Yes, so dashingly that all of Europe froze in horror: “A significant fear of these barbarians seized even distant countries, France and Spain. In England, due to panic, trade with the continent ceased for a long time. " And the "omnipotent" emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, in response to the demand Batu humiliatingly wrote about humility: "Being an expert in falconry, I could become a falconer at the court of Your Majesty." By the way, the defeat of the knights was really heavy - in that battle with the Tatars, six brothers of the German order, three novice knights and two sergeants died. This is a lot, considering that, according to German custom, behind each knight brother were not dozens of his subordinates, as in France, but from one to several hundred.

Their logic was transparent - what did not work out with the Tatars should come out with the defeated and bloodless Russians, who have been slaughtered by the Mongol hordes for five years already. Maybe they really expected to meet a rabble of bastards with drekolya? It is quite acceptable, judging by the somewhat dumbfounded tone of the author of the Livonian Chronicle: “In the Kingdom of Russia, people turned out to be of a very tough disposition. They did not hesitate, they got ready for a hike and galloped at us. Many were in shiny armor, their helmets shone like crystal. " These "shining helmets" and other wealth made an indelible impression on the Germans. Of course, the desire to rip them off the Russian corpses was great, but it turned out a little differently: "There were killed 20 knight brothers, and 6 were taken prisoner." Few? Let's remind - in the battle with the Tatars, the order lost four times (!) Less.

Of course, it was a shame to suffer such a defeat from the "Slavic barbarians". Therefore, in this chronicle, we almost for the first time meet a familiar story from the series "Germans were filled with corpses". Then it, however, sounded a little different: "The Russians had such an army that each German was attacked by, perhaps, sixty people." It's funny that 700 years later, the descendants of these same knights, who painted crosses on their tank towers, fled in the same way, smearing bloody snot, from the same places. And in the same way they complained about Russian weapons and "beautiful armor": "They had a T-34 tank, but we did not, it is not fair!" Yes, I was. And back in 1242 we had Prince Alexander Nevsky, who drove the Germans across the lake for almost seven miles. And he drove some of the fleeing away to the place where a month earlier the little guys were catching whitefish. It is called that - sigovitsa. The ice there is very thin, with openings. So some of the knights really played at the bottom of Lake Peipsi - legends and myths, unlike the defeated, rarely lie.

The Novgorod prince allegedly uttered this phrase when the ambassadors of the Livonian Order arrived in Veliky Novgorod to ask for "eternal peace" after the defeat in the Battle of the Ice. Sergei Eisenstein's film "" (1939), which formed a whole complex of myths about Alexander Nevsky and the role of the battle on the ice of Lake Peipsi in April 1242, became the source of the conviction that was entrenched in the public consciousness. Since then, the statement of the hero Nikolai Cherkasov, who played the main role in Eisenstein's film, has been firmly associated with the name of the Novgorod prince.

Usage examples

Ahead were three hundred years of shame and humiliation, for another three hundred years Russia paid tribute to the khans of the Golden Horde. But the words of Prince Alexander Nevsky have already sounded a formidable warning to the enemies: "Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword!"(Nazarov O."Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword!" // Site-newspaper "Local Demand", 04/16/2013)

And no matter what extremes some politicians go to when they say that the confrontation between the West and Russia may turn into a "hot" war, we answer: Russia is not going to fight anyone. But no one should have doubts about our strength and determination. As Alexander Nevsky once said: "Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword."(Newspaper "Zavtra", No. 37 (773) of September 10, 2008)

Reality

The phrase that the director and screenwriter put into the mouth of Nikolai Cherkasov is a slightly modified version of a quotation from the Bible, apparently from the Gospel of Matthew (26:52): his own, and striking the servant of the high priest, cut off his ear. Then Jesus says to him: Return your sword to its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. "

A statement similar in meaning is found in the “Revelation of John the Theologian” 13:10): “He who leads into captivity will himself go into captivity; whoever kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and faith of the saints. "

It is curious that a similar formula existed in the ancient world, in particular, in Ancient Rome in the form of the phrase "Who fights with the sword, by the sword and perish" (Qui gladio ferit, gladio perit).

In reality, the sources do not report whether the Novgorod prince uttered such a phrase. There is no mention of this in the texts describing the life and deeds of Alexander Nevsky (including the "Sophia First Chronicle" and "Pskov Second Chronicle").

According to the researcher medieval Russia I.N. Danilevsky, Alexander Nevsky is one of the most sacred characters Russian history... According to the researcher, his image as a defender of Orthodoxy, a fighter for the independence of Russia began to form in the 18th century, and had a solid ideological platform underneath: the place that he chose for the construction of the new capital was located almost in the same place where the Battle of Neva took place in 1240. Russia's claims to access the Baltic evoked associations with the victory of the prince on the Neva. Even the day of memory of Alexander Nevsky (August 30) was not chosen by chance: on this day, Russia concluded the Nystadt Peace with Sweden.

Subsequently, the image of Alexander as the defender of the Russian land became more and more popular: in 1725 Catherine I established the highest military award - the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky; Elizabeth in 1753 ordered the relics of Alexander to be placed in a silver shrine. Then they began to hold a special procession annually from the St. Petersburg Kazan Cathedral to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Finally, at the beginning of the 20th century, one of the Moscow streets was named after Alexander Nevsky, notes I.N. Danilevsky.

Eisenstein's film gave a new life to the image of Alexander as an outstanding defender of Russia. The picture was released on a wide screen in 1941, when the Great Patriotic War... Its authors were awarded the Stalin Prize. The film turned out to be so spiritually uplifting that in 1942 the Order of Alexander Nevsky was established, decorated with a portrait of the leading actor, Nikolai Cherkasov - and this despite the fact that just a few years earlier, professional historians called the script of the film "a mockery of history."

The influence of the film on public consciousness turned out to be so strong that both the screen image of the protagonist and the whole complex of accompanying myths - including the key role of the Battle of the Ice in the fight against the crusader expansion, and that Alexander Nevsky symbolically ended it with a revised biblical quote about the sword - have firmly entered the public consciousness, have become entrenched in historical memory, and appear not only in the arguments of the townsfolk when referring to "antiquity", but also in the works of professional historians, and in educational materials.

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