PRINCE ALEXANDER NEVSKY. BECOMING A COMMANDER AND A DIPLOMAT

In: History and Archives, Heft 4, S. 12-23

Abstract

The years of adolescence, youth and early youth of Prince Alexander Nevsky are practically unknown or known only to a narrow circle of historians. This topic is of considerable interest and has become the subject of discussion at the regular XXIXth International Educational Christmas Readings: "Alexander Nevsky: West and East, the historical memory of the people." Prince Alexander was a representative of the second generation of the "Big Nest" baby birds – of Yuri Vsevolodovich, the Grand Duke of Vladimir- Suzdal. In his adolescence, Prince Alexander went through a difficult school of government in Veliky Novgorod. Together with his elder brother Theodor, he went through a difficult time of hunger, pestilence, disease and helped the Novgorodians cope with the consequences of these hardships. After the untimely death of Prince Theodore in June 1233, the young 15-year-old Prince began to rule alone in Novgorod the Great, pursuing the policy of the Grand-Ducal Vladimir-Suzdal dynasty in the North-West of the Russian land. In 1234, at the age of 16, Prince Alexander received his first baptism of fire. During the Mongol- Tatar campaign to Europe in 1237 – 1242 and the crusading encroachment on the lands of Pskov and Novgorod, he pursued the political course adopted by his father Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, the Grand Duke.