God is not in power but in truth. USA VS RF. The truth is not valid. But the power is in truth! Crusade against Rus'

Essay

10th grade student Mustaikina Angelika

“God does not lie in might, but in righteousness.”

People have been turning to God for a long time. Most often, they mention his name in those moments when they need help, when they do not have the strength to prove that they are right. People's requests are heard, miracles happen.

In one famous saying of Prince Alexander Nevsky: “God is not in power, but in truth,” truth is contrasted with power, and not, as is customary, with lies. Is there power in the truth that is brought up in us from childhood? After all, it is from childhood that faith in God is formed in our minds along with the concept of “truth.”

To believe in God or not is the business of each individual person. But even in ancient times, faith inspired Russian soldiers on the battlefields. Almost all the warriors believed in God, and in the moments of the most serious battles they turned to him for help. Even great commanders always asked God for blessings before military campaigns.

One of the most revered and beloved heroic defenders of the Russian Land among the people is Alexander Nevsky. We know him as one of the most successful rulers of Rus', the reason for this was his numerous military successes, and his most important success was, perhaps, the victory in the “Battle on the Ice”. Based on the above-mentioned saying of Alexander Nevsky: “God is not in power, but in truth,” you involuntarily think about the existence of God, because Alexander’s small army defeated a huge army of Teutonic knights. Maybe this is why, often, it is not force that wins, but justice. In the hearts of people lives faith on which people rely even in the most difficult moments of their life’s journey.

One example is the film by the famous director Sergei Eisenstein “Alexander Nevsky”, shot in 1938. This film was created in order to instill faith in people and inspire them to defend the Fatherland from the impending threat of fascism.

The heroic music of composer Sergei Prokofiev is heard, which enhances the emotional impact on the viewer.

Two great artists, S. Eisenstein and S. Prokofiev, managed to achieve an impressive connection between visual and musical images.

Based on this, we can conclude that Alexander Nevsky’s saying “God is not in power, but in truth” affected not only the military theme, but also the fields of art, in particular cinema and music. For example, in Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka’s opera “Ivan Susanin” we encounter such concepts as “power” and “truth”. Strength was on the side of the Polish invaders, and truth was on the side of the Russian hero Ivan Susanin. Definitely in this work we observe the victory of truth over force, and this indicates that God is on the side of justice and truth.

In the modern world, we observe the fact that the truth is always in the minority, but practically always wins. It seems to me that this gives every person hope that it is not so important whether you have associates or you are alone in your beliefs, but if you are right, then justice will still be on your side.

From the life (as presented by E. Poselyanin)
Many enemies disturbed and pressed the Russian land into the reign of St. Alexander, and already in the first years of his independent reign he had to act as a defender of his homeland on the battlefield.

Especially famous is the fight of St. Prince Alexander with the Swedes. The Swedish king Birger Jarl, driven by envy of Alexander's glory, and also encouraged by the Pope to spread the Catholic faith among the “schismatics,” went to war against him. In the army of the Swedish king there were several biskuns appointed to convert the conquered to Catholicism, and this circumstance gave his invasion the significance of a crusade. Suddenly St. Alexander receives news that the Swedes are approaching Ladoga. “Defend yourself if you can, and I’m on your land,” the arrogant Swedish king sent to tell the Novgorod prince...
Alexander showed neither fear nor pride to the ambassadors. He hastily gathered an army and prayed with fervent faith in the church of St. Sophia, accepted the blessing of the archbishop, handed over the outcome of the matter to the will of God and went out to the squad with a cheerful face. Then he told her a short but great historical word, which was confirmed many times in the life of the Russian people:
“We are few, but the enemy is strong.” But God is not in power, but in truth. Go with your prince!..
The Swedes were completely defeated...<…>
The Pope, seeing that all the violent attempts of the Catholic armies to persuade Prince Alexander under the yoke of the Roman throne were ending unsuccessfully, tried to act through peaceful persuasion. He sent learned preachers and a message to the prince, in which he wrote, among other things: “We are taking the place of God on earth. In obeying us there is no humiliation for the honor of the sovereign; on the contrary, in this way temporary and eternal freedom increases. We will consider you the most famous among all the Catholic princes and will always try with special care to increase your glory.” In response to this message, an Orthodox statement of faith was sent to the pope, and his ambassadors were told:
– We know the history of faith from the beginning of the world to the Nativity of Christ and from the Nativity of Christ to our time; Why do we need new preachers?
Soon the Swedes once again opposed Alexander with the aim of spreading papism, but this time it was very unsuccessful. Alexander unexpectedly attacked the Swedes in their own region, defeated them and returned with many captives.
Memory of St. Alexander Nevsky takes place on August 30/September 12 and November 23/December 6

“I must defend the path I follow, not because it is my path, but because it is the path of Christ, He opened it, He paved it, He secured it. This is the first and only way... to the heights of the fragrant sky. The first and only – there is no other” (St. Justin Popovich).

About the one way of salvation

Metropolitan John (Snychev, +1995)
Faith is undoubtedly a good thing. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6), the holy supreme apostle Paul teaches us. But this faith must be right and immaculate, that is, exactly the kind that the Savior of the world Himself brought to earth and which He passed on to the holy apostles and His Church.
It is in such faith that the dogmatic teaching of Christianity and the rules of spiritual and ascetic life are fully and without any distortion contained - that is, everything that serves for eternal salvation. It is precisely this Orthodox faith that Christ commanded to His disciples, saying: Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you... (Matthew 28:19-20). It was this only saving, holy faith - the apostolic faith, the paternal faith - that established the Universe and put to shame all the devil’s attempts to hinder the Divine economy of human salvation.
It is set out in the most concise and satisfactory way in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, which we read in morning prayers and sing in our churches during the Liturgy. This faith taught those who wished to heed its admonitions to do good and crucify their flesh with passions and lusts. Through repentance and holy Baptism, she introduces every person into the blessed bosom of the church, and through the great Sacrament of the Eucharist into close communion with Christ Himself. We all need to follow this faith relentlessly and maintain it unchanged.
What should you avoid, what false teachings should you guard your heart and mind? First of all, from all pagan faiths that deify natural phenomena; from eastern teachings - Hare Krishnas, Vaishnavist, yogis and the like; from all non-Christian worldviews. From faiths, although Christian, that allowed human false wisdom, fabrications and deviations from its original Divine purity into the teaching of Christ. These include Catholicism, which fell away from the grace-filled fullness of church life back in 1054, Protestantism, which broke away from Catholicism in the 16th century and itself gave rise to numerous religious movements: Lutheranism, Calvinism, Anglicanism and others.
These apostasies, in turn, produced many sects: Baptists and Pentecostals, Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses, Mennonites and Mormons, Presbyterians and others. In addition, already in our time, the sects of the “Virgin Center” and “White Brotherhood”, the “Church of Moon” and adherents of occultism, spiritualism, astrology, hypnotic methods of influence, etc. have appeared in Russia. and so on.
Why should one move away from these faiths and sects? Because they contain earthly, sinful wisdom, contradicting and opposing the true Christian doctrine and perverting the rules of a pious and righteous life. One should not be at enmity with their adherents and should not withdraw from communication on everyday matters, either, but one should not enter into prayerful communication and in no case should they make their teachings the basis of one’s practical and spiritual life. Beloved, stand in faith, take courage, strengthen yourself in good deeds, remaining faithful to holy Orthodoxy, and may the God of peace be with you all! Amen.

From time immemorial, people have turned to the Lord. Frequent offerings of prayer occur at those moments when they most need protection and help, when they lack the spiritual strength to prove the purity of their thoughts and the truth. Sincere prayers of people can attract the grace of God, change lives for the better and create a miracle.

In the winged slogan of the blessed prince Alexander Nevsky, “God is not in power, but in truth,” rightness with the mighty power of conviction and crushing force are opposed, and not, as is commonly believed, cruel truth and beautiful lies.

People often wonder: is there a strong energy in the uplifting truth that is instilled in a person from childhood? After all, it is then that in our worldview, along with the concept of “truth,” trust in the Creator and confidence in the immortality of the people are laid down, with which the name of the valiant warrior and politician - the holy prince Alexander Nevsky - is forever associated.

God is not in power, but in truth

Ancient philosophers, long before us, wondered and tried to understand what the great truth was. They found ambiguous answers and resorted to different sources of knowledge, which have not lost their value to this day.

We are talking about a non-falsifiable concept that depends entirely on:

• level of education;
• external environment;
• accompanying life goals.

Each individual has his own right. And not just in discussions about truthfulness on a philosophical level, but when they encounter it in everyday, everyday hustle and bustle.

After all, truth is an inanimate order that:

• exists only in words, everyone has their own truth;
• corresponds to the real state of affairs;
• desires to realize the real truth;
• to actually live by conscience.

And only Divine truth rightly turns out to be true.

This is also confirmed by long-standing medieval events from the history of the 13th century known to our contemporaries.

Origin of the phrase

During the period of Christianization of Rus', monstrous events took place - the invasion of the Horde yoke.

The indispensable companions of the period of internecine hostility were:

• treacherous actions;
• various attacks and strife;
• seizure of territories.

History has put forward numerous hypotheses about the popularization of the process of teaching about Jesus Christ among the Russian people.

In the chronicle manuscripts of the medieval period there is almost no mention of:

• magicians and fortune tellers;
• priests of the pagan cult;
• manifestations of symbolism on jewelry are eradicated;
• Christian literature is spreading rapidly.

The clergy did not stand aside and provided support to the rulers, who did not hesitate to secure it in the face of frequent changes of princes. The clergy showed itself as a competent, influential structure during the period of state vicissitudes. Under their influence, the modernization of hierarchical society in Ancient Rus' took place at a colossal pace.

The catchphrase is directly related to the historical events of a difficult time for Rus':

• from the east, the Mongol hordes devastated the state;
• the threat of invasion by German crusaders loomed from the west;
• Scandinavian knights encroached on Russian lands;
• Lithuanian expansion spread rapidly.

The origin of the phrase is directly related to the activities of the hero of Russian history, the commander, the Novgorod prince, originally from Pereyaslav Zalessky. Having lived only forty-three years, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich, called Nevsky, in the conditions of difficult political confrontations in the struggle for the independence of the ancient Russian people, managed to defeat the Swedes at the age of twenty in the Battle of the Neva River. And two years later - to win the battle on the ice of Lake Peipsi.

Alexander's early childhood took place in Pereyaslav. Medieval epics and chronicles taught little Alexander to believe in the strength and courage of heroes, the inevitable triumph of goodness and a happy outcome. The prince became a warrior early - this was predetermined from childhood. He often accompanied his father and the prince's warriors on knightly campaigns. Independent political life began after the death of his elder brother Fyodor; his father gave the sword to sixteen-year-old Alexander - the symbol of the governor of Novgorod.

It was a difficult and alarming time. The troops of the Mongolian nobility under the command of Batu were advancing from the east, and from the north-west hordes of German crusaders were preparing to launch a new military campaign against Novgorod Rus'. The King of Sweden in 1240 sent a large flotilla to the Neva and Ladoga. The messengers brought a bold, defiant message to the holy prince Alexander in Novgorod: “If you can, resist, I am already here and am taking your land captive.”

The devout young prince, according to the tradition of All Rus', prayed for a long time in the Church of Hagia Sophia. I thought about a useful heritage - the psalm of David: “Judge, O Lord, those who offend me and rebuke those who fight with me, accept the weapon and shield, stand to help me.” After the service, having completed his prayer, Saint Spyridon blessed the prince.

While on Sophia Square, Alexander said parting words to the Russian cavalry squad and all Novgorod citizens in order to maintain the glorious military spirit: “Brothers, God is not in power, but in Truth. Some with weapons, others on horses, but we will call on the Name of the Lord our God. They wavered and fell, but we rose up and stood firm.”

Nevsky’s emotional and pathetic expression and inspired cry inspired the squad and the Novgorod people. Without a doubt, if a just cause is aimed at victory in such an unthinkable situation of the threat of enslavement, then the truth is omnipotent.

Striving for a just and good cause is the key to success in the Russian victory over the foreign invaders.

The meaning of the saying “God is not in power, but in Truth” can be called the motto of the short-lived activity of the commander. The holy prince dedicated his power and strength to the fight against the enslavers.

In the rare months of absence of enemy encroachments, Alexander, an expert in military exploits, humbly expressed:

• long-suffering and equanimity;
• pacified pride;
• negotiated a truce so that the enemy would not destroy Russian lands;
• He prayed fervently and frantically every day (in those troubled times it was forbidden to say prayers openly);
• faith in the power of the Creator and secretly counted on God's help.

He was sincerely devoted to the Christian faith, which instilled in him fearlessness, nobility and heroism. It was thanks to his inspired patience that he accomplished fateful feats, for which the prince was canonized.

There was no time to wait for help from his father, since the ships led by the son-in-law of the Swedish ruler Birger Magnusson treacherously invaded the Neva. With a small detachment of knights, trusting in the Lord, the Holy Prince boldly advanced against the enemies.

Talent, determination and courage, faith in the righteousness and future of the Russian people determined the outcome of the battle with the Swedes. The courageous victory over the Swedes is a brilliant page in history, but it was only part of the noble cause of the defense of Rus' and confirmed the truth of the phrase uttered by the prince, making it a catchphrase.

About the authorship of the expression

Winged words were spoken by the Orthodox Prince Alexander Nevsky in Novgorod (near the St. Sophia Cathedral) upon receiving news of the invasion of Swedish troops. They were addressed to the Novgorodians and the Russian squad to support morale and inspire them to feats of arms.

The battle, with the surprise tactics of the Russian troops, ended with their victory on the Izhora and Neva rivers. The Holy Prince withstood this many-hour battle with honor. He showed heroic qualities not only as a talented commander, but also as a statesman.

The Swedes fled, unable to withstand the “great battle”, leaving their coastal bridgehead, captured tents and abandoned augers to the Russian army.

The glorious victory brought Alexander Yaroslavich enormous glory and greatness. Grateful popular rumor added the noble nickname “Nevsky” to the prince’s name.

In the cult film “Brother 2”, from the mouth of the main character Danila, a phrase converted from the author’s expression sounds - “What is the strength of a brother? - in truth." Which once again emphasizes its relevance even in modern interpretation.

Interpretation of the meaning

By pronouncing a motivating phrase, Saint Alexander meant that the enemies of the Russian state were conquerors, committed bad deeds, for which the Lord could not bless them and provide help, but helped the Russian soldiers to win so that justice would prevail.

The young Prince Alexander believed that if the enemy has an obvious superiority over the Russians in strength and weapons, the Russians should one way or another be victorious, because:

• fighting for a just cause;
• defend their native land;
• protect families.

That is why the so-called “little flock”, faithful to the Savior, won the victory. Their Shepherd, by the great mercy of God, was Christ. He patronized people who constantly honor Him and remember faith, and not only in those hours when they feel very bad.

Next, let us consider the question of why the righteousness of virtuous and godly people wins, despite their minority. You can get the answer by quoting the Bible, in particular, the first letter to the Corinthians of the Apostle Paul: “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the strong things; God has chosen the base things of the world and the things that are despised, and the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are...” In fact, whenever the truth prevails, the Creator is honored and glorified for it.

At the same time, acting only by force, it would be difficult to earn God’s mercy and blessings as merciful gifts to those who love Him.

The merciful God forgives human sins and shows mercy. There are a great many examples of the triumph of truth. Just remember the death of the oppressor Pharaoh, who imagined himself a winner, during the great prophet Moses’s withdrawal of people from Egypt. Thank God, the miracles of the Lord were revealed to people. It all ended with Moses managing to lead the Israelites across the dry bottom of the Red Sea, and the chariots with the enemies were defeated by the waves in the depths of the sea.

Selfless service to truth and the spiritual motive of fighting for a just cause promise moral revival and the mercy of the Lord.

Historical events

Scandinavian historical legends mention a Swedish flotilla and an army of 5 thousand souls, which approached the Neva on the morning of July (15th) 1240. Without doubting his success, the Swedish king believed that victory would be quick and easy.

The prerequisites for the battle were:

• the impoverishment of the Russians in battles and, very recently, huge material losses in the battles against Batu;
• a significant reduction in the male population during wars;
• the Novgorod lands found themselves without tangible additional support;
• the reign of a young prince not known for his military merits.

The situation in Novgorod was indeed difficult: there was nowhere to expect help, the Mongol yoke had completely ruined North-Eastern Rus'. Young Alexander knew about the fate prepared for him to repel the attack of the Swedes.

After the Orthodox service on St. Sophia Square near the temple, addressing the people and his squad, “began to strengthen” with a speech that hope lies only in their spirit, strength and right thoughts. From his lips came the phrase, which later became popular, that despite the numerical superiority of enemy forces, the fight for a just cause, defending one’s native lands and families, is beneficial, and lawlessness is sinful and shameful.

The opposition attracted the hearts of Novgorod citizens to him. Hastily gathering troops, Alexander hastened to launch a surprise attack on the Swedish camp first.

What had to be done:

• carefully examine the enemy's camp to prepare a plan;
• the cavalry squad should strike along the Izhora River towards the center of the enemy troops;
• Russian foot soldiers simultaneously advance along the Neva River, destroying the Swedish escape bridges from land to ship along their way;
• the connection process should throw the enemy into the water.

Alexander's plan was approved, and he himself acted at the head of the Russian cavalry army. Having destroyed the enemy’s tents, the prince supported the glorious warriors, throwing out the cry “For the Russian land, for the truth of Novgorod.” The scenario of a fierce battle was carried out exactly as planned by the prince. This brought a brilliant victory to the Russians, who returned from the battlefield with minor losses of the Novgorodians and Ladoga residents. The Russian people fought courageously and heroically, defending their native land that had survived the Mongol yoke.

One cannot help but recall the miraculous omen before the battle, when, on night watch, the warrior Pelgusius saw a boat on the Neva with the holy prince-martyrs Boris and Gleb. It was Boris who said: “... let’s help our relative Alexander.” Young Alexander, encouraged by a wonderful miracle, advanced with a prayer on his lips against the Swedes, falling on the enemy formation suddenly, like God's thunderstorm.

The historical significance of the battle was as follows:

• Russian heroes managed to stop the advance of the Swedes towards Ladoga and Novgorod;
• coordination of the actions of the Order and Sweden was stopped for the near future;
• The aggressive attacks of foreigners on Rus' were stopped.

The young commander received his main victories and baptism of fire at a young age: during the Battle of the Neva he was barely 20 years old, and at the age of 22 he defended the future of the Russian people during the massacre on Lake Peipsi.

Meaning of the phrase

With a simple phrase, which was preserved in the Novgorod Chronicle, Saint Alexander set up the Novgorodians, Pskovians, Izhorians and Karelians for victory in the fight against the knights of the Livonian and Teutonic orders at the mouth of the Neva. The Russian squads won the Battle of Neva, but the crusade declared by the Pope against our Orthodox ancestors was not over.

And again, the dog-knights (as Karl Marx called the German conquerors) went with aggressive goals to Russian soil, choosing the city of Pskov. Then the prince had to become the head of a small, but decisive and strong-willed army, which advanced to meet the enemy to Lake Peipus in 1242.

The victory at the Battle of the Ice was of great importance for all Russian peoples - they were freed from the hated foreign yoke and predatory oppression of the German rulers, who had been hanging over Russia for centuries.

In the Bible

The phrase spoken by the Russian saint Alexander Nevsky, the prince whom we call in prayers and consider the guardian angel of St. Petersburg, is very symbolic. From early childhood, Alexander showed interest in Biblical stories and was known as a devout prince. For which the Lord blessed the faithful guardian of Orthodoxy, who was opposed by enemies. But their attempts were unsuccessful.

Saying sincere prayers, Alexander set up his military knights to fight against numerous enemy forces, being confident in his just cause.

The management of the Russian Church during the difficult period of Horde dependence was in the hands of Prince and Metropolitan Kirill. Throughout his life, Nevsky heroically embodied the life principle “Peace to the East, sword to the West”; at that time, Russian Orthodoxy fully supported this correct policy.

Several examples (biblical and real) with a similar meaning that reflect the essence of the popular expression of the Russian prince:

1. From the Old Testament we know about the story of David and Goliath. In an unequal struggle, David, with the name of God on his lips and trusting in His mercy, managed to defeat the giant Goliath with a stone, which proved that he received help from the Lord not with the help of a sword and spear.
2. Gideon became famous for the fact that with a few soldiers, thanks to God's protection, he liberated the Jewish people from their Midianite enemies, who had oppressed the Jews for seven years. Numerous appeals to God were aimed at receiving some holy sign in order to enlist support, confirm their actions with the blessing and will of the Lord, and not just an unauthorized decision.
3. It is not for nothing that the Gospel of Matthew says that a hair will not fall from a person’s head without the knowledge of the Lord.

The divine power of truth is merciful, never envies, is not proud, does not do evil and does not gloat.

During the terrible years of the Great Patriotic War, the German invaders walked across the Soviet country, holding posters with the inscription “God is with us,” but at the same time committed lawless acts and violence. It is known so far that belief without confirmation by righteous deeds is lifeless and empty. This means that the Only Begotten Savior of God could not exist with the Nazis, since God is truth and love.

The mission of truth is faith, hope, love, patience. As the Holy Scripture says, love is eternal, even if prophecy and knowledge are abolished.

For the sake of others, the Heavenly Father was ready to follow the crucifixion, but He does not protect anyone against the will of man. And everyone independently chooses whether to be close to the Lord or not. Without the Creator, it will not be possible to taste real rapture, cheerfulness, bliss and, of course, unconditional truth.

In the modern world (how and when it is used)

The victories of commander Alexander are perceived as a symbol of the superiority of the Russian spirit over Western aggression. Therefore, even today, attempts are being made to slander and discredit his name, and to underestimate the significance of military battles or completely eliminate them. A.S. Pushkin called such people “slanderers of Russia,” and the answer itself is contained in that very catchphrase, the author of which is the blessed Prince Alexander, and which is included in the main theme of the story.

To believe or not in the Lord is an individual matter for everyone. But it was faith in ancient times that inspired warriors and great commanders before battles in the name of Great Rus'.

Everyone believed in God and turned to him with prayers for help and asked for blessings. And the young hero-defender was no exception. Based on the meaning of the saying about truth and strength, you involuntarily believe in the help of the Son of God, when a small army managed to defeat huge hordes of Teutonic knights, as confirmation of the triumph of justice over force.

Examples of appealing to these famous words of modern people in the most difficult life situations:

1. The film directed by Sergei Eisenstein about the commander Alexander was filmed on the eve of the looming threat of fascism in order to inspire people to defend the Motherland. The patriotic music of Sergei Prokofiev had a strong influence on the emotional background of the viewer, skillfully connecting visual and musical images. There is only one conclusion: Alexander’s catchphrase affected not only military topics, but also cinema, music and painting.
2. Mikhail Glinka’s opera “Ivan Susanin” also skillfully reflected the difference in the concepts of “truth” (on Susanin’s side) and “force” (represented by the Polish oppressors). In the work, the all-conquering truth has triumphed, and this is proof that God defends a just cause and is fair to people.
3. It is known that the prince was the heavenly patron and protector of several Russian rulers. In honor of the holy prince, already in the 19th century, as if echoing his famous words, temples, government institutions, hospitals, military schools and prisons were symbolically consecrated, in which Christianity was taught in the spirit of instilling patriotism, mercy and humanism towards the poor, the weak and the fallen.
4. In the Soviet Union, during the Great Patriotic War (in 1942), an award was established - the Order of the Blessed Prince Alexander, which was awarded to officers of the Soviet Army for personal courage and accomplished feats for the good of the Motherland.

Modern reality confirms the fact that for some reason those who fight for truth find themselves in the minority, but more often than not, they certainly emerge victorious. It is believed that this encourages a person, and it does not matter whether you have supporters and like-minded people.

And today, everyone who, alone or with a small number of like-minded people, stands for a just cause and feels the truth of his aspirations to defend the truth, remembering the example of a great ancestor, with firmness and trust in God’s help, can repeat after him: “God is not in power, but in the truth."

Even if you are alone in your convictions, but you are right, then justice will certainly be on the side of the truth. This is what the blessed Alexander fought for during his lifetime and for the sake of which he accomplished a civil and spiritual feat in the fight against the Horde yoke and foreign enslavement.

Video about military battles for truth

The video shows sketches of military battles for truth and justice in the name of the Russian land and the memory of our ancestors.

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September 12 – transfer of the relics of the blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky (1724).

Alexander Nevsky was born on May 30, 1220 in the city of Pereslavl-Zalessky in the family of a prince. From an early age he accompanied his father on campaigns. Then the Mongol hordes were marching towards Rus' from the east, and the German knightly hordes were advancing from the west.

The King of Sweden in 1240 sent many ships to the Neva. The proud Swede sent messengers to St. Alexander in Novgorod: “If you can, resist, I’m already here and capturing your land.”

Saint Alexander, who was not yet 20 years old at the time, prayed for a long time in the Church of Hagia Sophia, the Wisdom of God. And, remembering the psalm of David, he said: “Judge, O Lord, those who offend me and rebuke those who fight with me, accept weapons and shields, stand to help me.”

Coming out of the temple, Saint Alexander strengthened the squad with the words: “God is not in power, but in truth. Some with weapons, others on horses, but we will call on the Name of the Lord our God! They wavered and fell, but we rose up and stood firm.” With a small retinue, the prince hurried towards the enemies. There was no time to wait for help from my father, who did not yet know about the enemy attack.

But there was an omen: the warrior Pelguy, who was on patrol, saw at dawn on July 15 a sailing boat with the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb on it. And Boris said: “Brother Gleb, tell us to row, so we can help our relative Alexander.” Saint Alexander commanded not to tell anyone about the miracle, and with prayer, encouraged, he led the army against the Swedes. “And there was a great slaughter with the Latins, and he killed countless numbers of them, and he put a seal on the leader’s face with his sharp spear.”

The Angel of God invisibly helped our army: when morning came, on the other bank of the Izhora River, where the soldiers of St. Alexander could not pass, many killed enemies were found. For this victory on the Neva River, the people called Saint Alexander Nevsky.

In 1241, with a lightning campaign, Saint Alexander returned the Russian fortress of Koporye, expelling the German knights. In the winter of 1242, he liberated Pskov from them, and in the spring of 1242 he fought a decisive battle on the ice of Lake Peipsi.

Raising his hands to heaven, Saint Alexander prayed: “Judge me, O God, and judge my quarrel with the great people, and help me, God, as of old Moses against Amalek and my great-grandfather, Yaroslav the Wise, against the accursed Svyatopolk.”

There was a terrible slaughter, such a crash was heard from breaking spears and swords that it seemed as if the frozen lake had moved, and the ice was not visible, for it was covered with blood. The enemies who were put to flight were driven and flogged by Alexandrov’s warriors, “as if they were rushing through the air, and there was nowhere for the enemy to run.”

After the Battle of the Ice, his name became famous throughout the world. The western borders of the Russian land were reliably protected, the time had come to protect Rus' from the East.

In 1242, Saint Alexander Nevsky and his father, Yaroslav, left for the Horde. They had a difficult service ahead of them: they had to turn the Tatars from enemies and robbers into respectful allies.

This required “the meekness of a dove and the wisdom of a snake,” years of labor and sacrifice.

Saint Alexander, having become the autocratic Grand Duke of all Rus' - Vladimir, Kyiv and Novgorod, in 1253 repelled a new German raid on Pskov.

In 1261, through the efforts of Saint Alexander, the diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church was established in Sarai, the capital of the Golden Horde. The era of the great Christianization of the pagan East has arrived.

The fourth and last diplomatic trip of St. Alexander Nevsky to Sarai became decisive. The future of Rus' was saved, its duty to God was fulfilled. On the way back from the Horde in Gorodok, in the monastery, the ascetic prince gave up his spirit to the Lord on November 14, 1263, accepting the holy monastic schema with the name Alexy.

Metropolitan Kirill said in his funeral homily: “...the sun of the land of Suzdal has set. There will no longer be such a prince in the Russian land.” For nine days they carried his holy body to Vladimir, and it remained incorrupt.

On November 23, during his burial in the Nativity Monastery, a miracle was performed. When the housekeeper Sebastian and Metropolitan Kirill wanted to open his hand to give him a parting spiritual letter, the holy prince himself extended his hand and took the letter from the metropolitan.

“And horror seized them, and they barely retreated from his tomb. Who wouldn’t be surprised if he was dead and the body was brought from afar in the winter.” Thus God glorified his saint.

On August 30 (September 12, New Style), 1721, Peter I, after a long war with the Swedes, concluded the Peace of Nystad. It was decided to consecrate this day by transferring the relics of Alexander Nevsky from Vladimir to St. Petersburg.

Priest Valery PISARENKO

Sometimes on weekends we publish answers to various quizzes for you in a Question and Answer format. We have a variety of questions, both simple and quite complex. Quizzes are very interesting and quite popular, we just help you test your knowledge. And we have another question in the quiz - Where was the phrase “God is not in power, but in truth,” which later became popular, first uttered?

• in Novgorod
• in the movie “Brother 2”
• in the White Sea
• at Notre Dame Cathedral

Correct answer: in Novgorod

The hagiographical tale reports the following about the preparation for the battle with the Swedes: the enemy leader “... came to the Neva, intoxicated with madness, and sent his ambassadors, proud, to Novgorod to Prince Alexander, saying: “If you can, defend yourself, for I am already here and ruining the land yours.” Alexander, having heard such words, burned in his heart and entered the Church of Hagia Sophia, and, falling on his knees before the altar, began to pray with tears: “Glorious God, righteous, great God, mighty, eternal God, who created heaven and earth and set the boundaries peoples, you commanded to live without transgressing other people’s borders.” And, remembering the words of the prophet, he said: “Judge, Lord, those who offend me and protect them from those who fight me, take a weapon and a shield and stand up to help me.” And, having finished the prayer, he stood up and bowed to the archbishop. The archbishop was then Spyridon, he blessed him and released him. The prince, leaving the church, wiped away his tears and said, to encourage his squad: “God is not in power, but in truth.”

The Swedish camp was located near the confluence of the Izhora River and the Neva. He was attacked by Russian troops on Sunday, July 15 at about 10 a.m. The battle dragged on for many hours. In the end, the Swedes could not stand the battle and moved towards the ships, giving up their bridgehead on the shore. They had to fill two ships with the dead bodies of noble (“vyatshie”) warriors, and others, as Russian sources say, were buried in a common pit “without number.”

The victory brought Alexander Yaroslavich great fame. This success added the honorary nickname “Nevsky” to the prince’s name.