As they understand, God is not in power, but in truth. “God is not in power, but in truth! About the one way of salvation

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St. Alexander Nevsky was born on May 30, 1219 in his father’s estate - Pereyaslavl Zalessky.
Father - Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, son of Vsevolod the Big Nest and grandson of Yuri Dolgoruky - was a typical Suzdal prince. Deeply religious, pious, stern and reserved, with outbursts of anger and mercy - this is how the image of Father Alexander appears before us. Very little is known about his mother, Princess Feodosia. Chronicle tales are contradictory even in the indications of whose daughter she was. Her name is rarely and briefly mentioned in the chronicle, always only in connection with the name of her husband or son. She had nine children.

The life of Saint Alexander tells that even as a boy he was serious, did not like games and preferred the Holy Scriptures to them. This trait remained with him throughout his life. Prince Alexander is a dexterous hunter, a brave warrior, a hero in strength and build. But at the same time, there is a constant turning inward in him. From the words of his life it is clear that this sharply distinguishing feature of him - the combination of two seemingly contradictory character traits - began to manifest itself in early childhood.

But these childhood years in Pereyaslavl were very short. St. Alexander had to come out into life early. The reason for this was his move with his father from Pereyaslavl to Novgorod. In 1222, Yaroslav with Princess Theodosia, sons Theodore and St. Alexander and his retinue came from Pereyaslavl to reign in Novgorod.
The entire time of Alexander's childhood, the time of Yaroslav's strife with Novgorod, his comings and goings, was a time of disasters and signs of a new coming trouble. These disasters have especially increased since 1230, i.e. just in time for the second independent reign of Theodore and St. Alexander in Novgorod. In 1233, Theodore was supposed to get married. The relatives of the bride and groom came to Novgorod. But just before the wedding, Theodore fell ill. On July 10, he died and was buried in the monastery of St. George.

In the chronicles the names of Theodore and Alexander are always mentioned together. They grew up and studied together, were left alone in Novgorod, fled from it, returned to it, reigned in it together during the famine. Thus, along with the misfortunes of the whole earth, Alexander was first visited by family grief in the joyful atmosphere of the impending wedding feast.
Two years later, in 1236, Yaroslav became the Grand Duke of Kyiv, and from this year the completely independent reign of seventeen-year-old Alexander began in Novgorod.

In 1239, Alexander married Princess Alexandra, daughter of the Polotsk prince Bryachislav. The wedding took place in Toropets. St. Alexander arranged a wedding feast there. Returning to Novgorod, he arranged a second wedding feast - for the Novgorodians.

In the same year, he began to build fortifications along the banks of the Shelon. After the Tatars turned south from Ignach Krest, St. Alexander could clearly see the difficulty of Novgorod's situation. The long, stubborn struggle was not over, it was just beginning.
In the east there was a devastated land, cities being restored and inhabitants gradually returning from the forests. There reigned the severity of ruin, the oppression of the Tatar Baskaks and the constant fear of a new invasion. There could be no help from there. Each principality was too busy with its own troubles to repel invasions from the others. Meanwhile, over the past decades, another enemy stood against Novgorod, whose onslaught was constantly repelled with the help of Suzdal. This was the world of Latin Catholicism, its vanguard - the Livonian Order of the Sword - established on the shores of the Baltic Sea and advancing on the Novgorod and Pskov borders.

At the same time, another vanguard of Europe, the Swedes, was advancing to the north, threatening Ladoga.
The struggle with the West was waged throughout the first decades of the 13th century. The moment of the weakening of Rus' and the loneliness of Novgorod coincided with the increasing pressure from the West and the Novgorod princes recognized themselves as defenders of Orthodoxy and Rus'. Prince Alexander had to come to this defense during the years of the highest tension of the struggle and at the same time the greatest weakening of Rus'. The entire first period of his life was spent in the struggle with the West. And in this struggle, two features appear above all: tragic loneliness and mercilessness. Despite all the horrors of the Tatar invasions, the Western war was no less fierce. And this difference between the hostile waves coming from the west and the east explains two completely different periods of Alexander’s life: the difference between his Western and Eastern policies.

The Tatars came to Rus' in avalanches. She was heavily oppressed by the extortions and arbitrariness of the khan's officials. But Tatar rule did not penetrate into the life of the conquered country. The Tatar conquests were devoid of religious motives. Hence their wide religious tolerance. The Tatar yoke could have been waited out and survived. The Tatars did not encroach on the internal strength of the conquered people. And temporary obedience could be used to strengthen this strength with the ever-increasing weakening of the Tatars.

The world of Catholicism advancing from the West was completely different. The external scope of his conquests was infinitely smaller than the Tatar invasions. But behind them stood a single, integral force. And the main motivation for the struggle was religious conquest, the establishment of one’s religious worldview, from which the entire way of life and way of life grew. Knight monks came from the West to Novgorod. Their emblem was a cross and a sword. Here the attack was directed not at land or property, but at the very soul of the people—the Orthodox Church. And the conquests of the West were genuine conquests. They did not cover vast spaces, but seized the land inch by inch, firmly, forever entrenched themselves in it, erecting castles.

In the summer of 1240, during the peak of field work, news of an attack from the north came to Novgorod. The son-in-law of the Swedish king, Folkung Birger, entered the Neva on boats and landed with a large army at the mouth of Izhora, threatening Ladoga.
The unequal struggle has begun. The enemy was already within the Novgorod borders. St. Alexander Nevsky did not have time to either send to his father for reinforcements or gather people from the far-scattered Novgorod lands. According to the chronicle, he “inflamed his heart” and opposed the Swedish army only with his squad, the lord’s regiment and a small Novgorod militia.

Having reached Ladoga, St. Alexander joined the Ladoga militia to his army and went through the forests to the Neva towards the Swedes, who were encamped at their boats at the mouth of the Izhora. The battle took place on July 15, the day of remembrance of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir. The battle ended in the evening. The remnants of the Swedish army boarded the boats and went to sea at night.
According to the chronicler, the bodies of the killed Swedes filled three boats and several large pits, and the Novgorodians lost only twenty people killed. One might think that the chronicler incorrectly conveys the ratio of those killed in the battle, but, in any case, his story expresses the awareness of the great significance of this victory for Novgorod and all of Rus'. The Swedish onslaught was repulsed. Rumors of victory spread throughout the country.

Novgorod, overwhelmed by fear and anxiety about the outcome of the unequal struggle, rejoiced. At the ringing of the bells, St. Alexander returned to Novgorod. Archbishop of Novgorod Spyridon with the clergy and crowds of Novgorodians came out to meet him. Having entered the city, St. Alexander drove straight to St. Sophia, praising and glorifying the Holy Trinity for the victory.

In the winter of the same 1240, he, his mother, wife and the entire princely court left for Suzdal, having quarreled with the Novgorodians.
Apparently, the Novgorodians did not understand that the war did not end with the Neva victory and that the Swedish offensive was only the first attack of the West, which would be followed by others. In Alexander's attempts to strengthen his power as the prince-leader of the army, they saw the former princely Suzdal will hostile to them. The very glory of Alexander and the love of the people for him made him, in the eyes of the Novgorod boyars, even more dangerous for Novgorod freedom.

That same winter, after Alexander’s departure, the Swordsmen again came to the Novgorod possessions of Chud and Vod, devastated them, imposed tribute and erected the city of Koporye on Novgorod land itself. From there they took Tesovo and approached 30 versts to Novgorod, beating Novgorod guests along the roads. In the north they reached Luga. At this time, the Lithuanian princes attacked the Novgorod borders. The Swordsmen, Chud and Lithuanians scoured the Novgorod volosts, robbing residents and taking away horses and cattle.

In this trouble, the Novgorodians sent ambassadors to Yaroslav Vsevolodovich asking for a prince. He sent them his son Andrei, Alexander's younger brother. But the Novgorodians did not believe that the young prince would lead them out of unprecedented troubles. They again sent Archbishop Spiridon with the boyars to Yaroslav, begging him to release Alexander to the principality.
Yaroslav agreed. In the winter of 1241, after a year of absence, Alexander again entered Novgorod, and “the Novgorodians were glad.” Common troubles and adversities firmly connected Alexander with Novgorod.

Upon arrival, Alexander gathered a militia of Novgorodians, Ladoga residents, Korelians and Izhorians, attacked Koporye, erected on Novgorod land, destroyed the city to the ground, killed many swordsmen, took many captives, and released others. In response to this attack, the order brothers, despite the winter time, attacked Pskov and, having defeated the Pskovites, placed their governors in the city. Hearing about this, Alexander, at the head of the Novgorod and grassroots troops, with his brother Andrei, went to the order. On the way, he took Pskov by storm and sent the order’s governors in chains to Novgorod. From near Pskov he moved on and entered the domain of the order.

At the news of the Russian invasion, the master gathered the entire order and the tribes subordinate to it and set out for the borders. Having learned that a large army was coming against him, Alexander retreated from the order’s possessions, crossed Lake Peipus and stationed his regiments on its Russian shore, on Uzmen near the Raven Stone. It was already April, but there was still snow and the lake was covered with strong ice. A decisive battle was being prepared. The entire order marched against the Novgorodians. The Germans walked “boasting”, confident in their victory. From the story of the chronicle it is clear that the entire Novgorod army was aware of the deep seriousness of the battle. In this story, in the tense anticipation of the battle, there is a feeling of the Russian land lying behind us, the fate of which depended on the outcome of the battle. Filled with the military spirit, the Novgorodians said to Alexander: “Oh, our honest and dear prince; Now is the time to lay down my head for you.” But the pinnacle of this consciousness of the decisiveness of the battle lies in Alexander’s prayers, which the chronicle cites: Alexander entered the Church of the Holy Trinity and, raising his hands and praying, said: “Judge God, and judge my speech from the eloquent tongue: help God, as Moses of old to Amalek and my great-grandfather, Prince Yaroslav, to the accursed Svyatopolk.”

On Saturday (April 5), at sunrise, a army of swordsmen in white cloaks thrown over their armor, with a red cross and a sword sewn on them, moved across the ice of the lake towards the Novgorodians. Forming a wedge - a “pig” - and closing their shields, they crashed into the Russian army and made their way through it. Confusion began among the Novgorodians. Then St. Alexander with a spare regiment struck behind enemy lines. The slaughter began, “evil and great... and the coward from the breaking spears and the sound from the sword section... and you couldn’t see the lake, and everything was covered with blood.” Chud, who was walking with the order, could not resist and ran, knocking over the sword-bearers as well. The Novgorodians drove them across the lake seven miles, to the other shore of the lake, called Suplichsky. There was nowhere for those running to hide in the wide icy expanse. 500 swordsmen and many Tschudi fell in the battle. Fifty knights were captured and brought to Novgorod. Many drowned in the lake, falling into ice holes, and many wounded disappeared into the forests.

The struggle with the West did not end with the Neva and Peipus battles. It, renewed during the life of St. Alexander, continued for several centuries. But the Battle of the Ice broke the enemy wave at a time when it was especially strong and when, thanks to the weakening of Rus', the success of the order would have been decisive and final. On Lake Peipsi and on the Neva, St. Alexander defended the identity of Rus' from the West during the most difficult time of the Tatar invasion.

On September 30, 1246, Grand Duke Yaroslav Vsevolodovich died in distant Mongolia, a “necessary”, that is, violent death.
The death of Yaroslav vacated the grand-ducal throne in Rus'. Yaroslav's brother, Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich, temporarily became Grand Duke. The change in the great reign caused changes on other tables. The displacement also affected St. Alexander, as the eldest son of the deceased Grand Duke. The occupation of the new table depended on the Tatars. To receive the principalities, St. Alexander and his brother Andrei had to go to the Horde for a label.

“That same summer, Prince Andrei Yaroslavich went to the Horde to visit the Batyevs. King Batu sent his envoys to Alexander Yaroelevich, saying: “God has subdued many languages ​​to me, are you the only one who does not want to submit to my corruption, but if you want to preserve your land now, then come to me,” - this is how the life and chronicle tell about it .
Alexander Nevsky monumentThe Kipchak khans monitored Russia from their headquarters. The name of Alexander was already glorified throughout Russia. His victories over the Swedes, the Swordsmen and Lithuania made him a national hero, a defender of Rus' from foreigners. He was a prince in Novgorod - the only region of Rus' where the Tatars did not reach. And, probably, many Russians at that time lived with the hope that this prince, who defeated foreign armies with a small militia, would free Rus' from the Tatars. This suspicion should have arisen at the Khan's headquarters as well. Therefore, Batu’s order to appear in the Horde is quite understandable.

The hesitation of St. Alexander is also understandable - his reluctance to go to the Horde. This was the most decisive and tragic moment in the life of St. Alexander. Two paths lay before him. You had to stand on one of them. The decision predetermined his future life.
This step was full of heavy hesitation. A trip to the Horde - it was a threat of inglorious death - the princes went there, almost as if to death, leaving, leaving wills - surrender to the mercy of the enemy in the distant steppes and, after the glory of the Nevsky and Chudskoye massacres, humiliation before the idolaters, “the filthy ones who left the true God, creatures worship."

It would seem that glory, honor, and the good of Rus' required refusal - war. It can be firmly said that Rus' and, especially, Novgorod, were waiting for disobedience to the will of the khan. Countless uprisings testify to this. Before Alexander was the path of direct heroic struggle, the hope of victory or heroic death. But he rejected this path. He went to the khan.

This is where his realism came into play. If he had strength, he would have gone against the Khan, just as he went against the Swedes. But with a firm and free look, he saw and knew that there was no strength and no opportunity to win. And he resigned himself. And in this humiliation of oneself, bowing before the power of life, there was a greater feat than a glorious death. The people, with a special instinct, perhaps not immediately and not suddenly, understood the Saint. Alexandra. He glorified him long before his canonization, and it is difficult to say what attracted the people’s love to him more: victories on the Neva, or this trip to humiliation.

Batu's order found Saint Alexander in Vladimir. All those traveling to the Horde were especially embarrassed by the Tatars’ demand to bow to idols and go through fire. Alexander also had this anxiety, and with it he went to Metropolitan Kirill of Kyiv, who lived in Vladimir at that time. “The saint (Alexander), hearing this from those sent, was sad, greatly pained in soul and perplexed as to what to do about this. And the saint went and told the bishop his thought.” Metropolitan Kirill told him: “Do not let food and drink enter your mouth, and do not forsake God who created you as you have done, but watch for Christ, as a good warrior of Christ.”

Alexander promised to fulfill this instruction. Tatar officials sent to tell Batu about the prince's disobedience. St. Alexander stood by the fires, waiting for the khan's decision, just like St. Michael of Chernigov the year before. Batu's ambassador brought an order to bring St. Alexander to him, without forcing him to pass between the fires. Khan's officials brought him to the tent and searched him, looking for weapons hidden in his clothes. Khan's secretary announced his name and ordered him to enter, without stepping on the threshold, through the eastern doors of the tent, because only the Khan himself entered through the western ones.

Entering the tent, Alexander approached Batu, who was sitting on an ivory table decorated with gold leaves, and bowed to him according to Tatar custom, i.e. He fell to his knees four times, then prostrated himself on the ground, and said: “King, I worship you, since God has honored you with the kingdom, but I do not worship creatures: for they were created for the sake of man, but I worship one God, and I serve and honor Him.” Batu listened to these words and pardoned Alexander.

In the winter of 1250, after more than three years of absence, Alexander returned to Rus'. The Principality of Kiev, to which he received the label, was devastated. In 1252, St. Alexander entered Vladimir, the patrimony of his fathers and grandfathers. From that time on, his life was connected with Vladimir. From here he ruled all of Russia, Vladimir became his permanent residence.

The Vladimir period reveals in Alexander new features of a prince - a peaceful builder and ruler of the land. These traits could not appear during the reign of Novgorod. There he was only a warrior prince defending the Russian borders. His attempts to get closer to managing the land caused strife with the Novgorodians. Only here, in Suzdal Rus', is he fully the prince whose work in the consciousness of both the princes and the people is inseparable from the very concept of princely service. From the time of Alexander’s reign in Vladimir, his close friendship with Metropolitan Kirill began that lasted until the end of his life.

His activities went in two directions. On the one hand, through the peaceful construction and ordering of the land, he strengthened Rus', supported its inner essence, and accumulated strength for future open struggle. This is the essence of all his many years of hard work to govern Suzdal Russia. On the other hand, by submitting to the khans and fulfilling their orders, he prevented invasions and outwardly protected the restored strength of Russia.

Only from this point of view is the whole life work of Alexander Nevsky understandable. Before him lay the difficult task of containing the indignant and embittered people. All his many years of work created a building on sand. One disturbance could destroy the fruits of many years. Therefore, he sometimes used force and coercion to force the people to submit under the Tatar yoke, constantly aware that the people could leave his power and incur the khan’s wrath. This external difficulty was compounded by internal difficulty. The Russian prince seemed to take the side of the khan. He became an assistant to the Khan's Baskaks against the Russian people. Alexander had to carry out the khan's orders, which he condemned as harmful. But in order to preserve the common main line of salvation for Rus', he also accepted these orders. This tragic situation between the Tatars and Russia makes St. Alexander a martyr. With a martyr's crown, he enters the Russian Church, Russian history, and the consciousness of the people.

In the fall of 1263, Alexander felt his death approaching. Summoning the abbot, he began to ask for tonsure as a monk, saying: “Father, I am sick as a lord... I don’t want my stomach and I ask for tonsure.” This request caused despair among the boyars and servants who were with him. The rite of tonsure began. Alexander was tonsured into the schema with the name Alexia. A kokol and monastic robe were placed on him. Then he again called his boyars and servants to him and began to say goodbye to them, asking everyone for forgiveness. Then he received Holy Communion and quietly reposed. It was November 14, 1263.

Metropolitan Kirill was serving mass in the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir when a messenger who entered the altar informed him of the death of the prince. Coming out to the people, the Metropolitan said: “My children! Realize that the sun of Suzdal has already set.” And the entire cathedral - boyars, priests, deacons, monks and beggars - responded with sobs and cries: “We are already perishing.”
The burial took place in the Church of the Holy Mother of God in Vladimir on November 23. The life tells that when the metropolitan steward Sevastian approached the coffin to put a letter of permission into the hand of the deceased, the prince’s hand, stretched out, took the letter itself and squeezed again.

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.

With these simple words, recorded in the Novgorod first chronicle of the older and younger editions, Prince Alexander Nevsky instilled faith in the victory of his squad, who were gathering for battle with the knights of the Livonian and Teutonic orders at the mouth of the Neva. Russian soldiers won the Battle of Neva, but the crusade declared by the Pope against our ancestors was not over. And again the dog knights came to Russian soil and took Pskov. Then the prince had to lead a small, but determined and strong-willed army, which went to meet them towards Lake Peipsi. The clanging of metal, the groans of people, and the wild neighing of horses filled the air.

From "The Life of Alexander Nevsky"

After Alexandrova’s victory, when he defeated the king, in the third year, in winter, he went with great strength to German land, so that they would not boast, saying: “Let us subdue the Slovenian people.”

And they had already taken the city of Pskov and imprisoned the German governors. He soon expelled them from Pskov and killed the Germans, and tied up others and liberated the city from the godless Germans, and ravaged and burned their land and took countless prisoners, and killed others. The proud Germans gathered and said: “Let's go and defeat Alexander and capture him.”

When the Germans approached, the guards found out about them. Prince Alexander prepared for battle, and they went against each other, and Lake Peipus was covered with many of these and other warriors. Alexander's father Yaroslav sent his younger brother Andrei with a large retinue to help him. And Prince Alexander also had many brave warriors, like King David in ancient times, strong and strong. So Alexander’s men were filled with the spirit of war, because their hearts were like the hearts of lions, and they exclaimed: “O our glorious prince! Now the time has come for us to lay down our heads for you.” Prince Alexander raised his hands to the sky and said: “Judge me, God, judge my quarrel with the unrighteous people and help me, Lord, as in ancient times he helped Moses overcome Amalek and our great-grandfather Yaroslav the accursed Svyatopolk.”

It was then Saturday, and when the sun rose, the opponents met. And there was a cruel slaughter, and there was a crash from breaking spears and a ringing from the blows of swords, and it seemed that a frozen lake was moving, and no ice was visible, for it was covered with blood.

And I heard this from an eyewitness who told me that he saw the army of God in the air, coming to the aid of Alexander. And so he defeated the enemies with the help of God, and they fled, but Alexander cut them down, driving them as if through the air, and they had nowhere to hide. Here God glorified Alexander before all the regiments, like Joshua at Jericho. And the one who said: “Let’s capture Alexander,” God gave into the hands of Alexander. And there has never been an opponent worthy of him in battle. And Prince Alexander returned with a glorious victory, and there were many captives in his army, and they led barefoot next to the horses of those who call themselves “God’s knights.”

And when the prince approached the city of Pskov, the abbots, and priests, and all the people met him in front of the city with crosses, giving praise to God and glorifying the lord Prince Alexander, singing the song: “You, Lord, helped the meek David to defeat the foreigners and our faithful prince with the arms of the godfather, liberate the city of Pskov from foreigners by the hand of Alexandra.”

And Alexander said: “O ignorant Pskovites! If you forget this before the great-grandsons of Alexander, then you will become like the Jews, whom the Lord fed in the desert with manna from heaven and baked quails, but they forgot all this and their God, who delivered them from the captivity of Egypt.”

And his name became famous in all countries, from the Khonuzh Sea and to the Ararat Mountains, and on the other side of the Varangian Sea and to the great Rome.

At the same time, the Lithuanian people gained strength and began to plunder the Alexandrov possessions. He went out and beat them. One day he happened to ride out against his enemies, and he defeated seven regiments in one ride and killed many of their princes, and took others prisoner, while his servants, mocking, tied them to the tails of their horses. And from that time on they began to fear his name.

At the same time, there was a strong king in the Eastern country, to whom God subjugated many nations, from the east to the west. That king, having heard about such glory and courage of Alexander, sent envoys to him and said: “Alexander, do you know that God has conquered many nations to me? So, are you the only one who doesn’t want to submit to me? But if you want to save your land, then come to me quickly and you will see the glory of my kingdom.”

After the death of his father, Prince Alexander came to Vladimir in great strength. And his arrival was menacing, and news of him rushed to the mouth of the Volga. And the Moabite wives began to frighten their children, saying: “Alexander is coming!”

Prince Alexander decided to go to the Tsar in the Horde, and Bishop Kirill blessed him. And King Batu saw him and was amazed, and said to his nobles: “They told me the truth, that there is no prince like him.” Having honored him with dignity, he released Alexander.

After this, Tsar Batu became angry with his younger brother Andrei and sent his governor Nevryuy to destroy the land of Suzdal. After the devastation of the Suzdal land by Nevruy, the great Prince Alexander erected churches, rebuilt cities, and gathered dispersed people into their homes. Isaiah the prophet said about such people: “A good prince in quiet countries, friendly, meek, humble - and in this way he is like God.” Without being seduced by wealth, without forgetting the blood of the righteous, he judges orphans and widows with justice, is merciful, kind to his household and hospitable to those who come from foreign countries. God helps such people, for God does not love angels, but in his generosity he generously gifts people and shows his mercy in the world.

God filled the land of Alexander with wealth and glory and God extended his years.

One day, ambassadors from the Pope from great Rome came to him with these words: “Our Pope says this: “We heard that you are a worthy and glorious prince and your land is great. That’s why they sent to you the two smartest of the twelve cardinals - Agaldad and Remont, so that you could listen to their speeches about the law of God.”

Prince Alexander, having thought with his sages, wrote him the following answer: “From Adam to the flood, from the flood to the division of nations, from the confusion of nations to the beginning of Abraham, from Abraham to the passage of the Israelites through the sea, from the exodus of the children of Israel to the death of King David , from the beginning of the reign of Solomon until Augustus and until the birth of Christ, from the birth of Christ until his crucifixion and resurrection, from his resurrection and ascension into heaven until the reign of Constantine, from the beginning of the reign of Constantine until the first council and the seventh - we know all this well , but we will not accept teachings from you.” They returned home.

And the days of his life multiplied in great glory, for he loved priests, and monks, and beggars, and he revered and listened to metropolitans and bishops as to Christ himself.

In those days there was great violence from non-believers; they persecuted Christians, forcing them to fight on their side. The great prince Alexander went to the king to pray for his people from this misfortune.

And he sent his son Dmitry to the Western countries, and sent all his regiments with him, and his close household members, saying to them: “Serve my son, as you serve me, with all your life.” And Prince Dmitry went in great strength, and conquered the German land, and took the city of Yuryev, and returned to Novgorod with many prisoners and with great booty.

His father, Grand Duke Alexander, returned from the Horde from the Tsar, and reached Nizhny Novgorod, and fell ill there, and, arriving in Gorodets, fell ill. Oh woe to you, poor man! How can you describe the death of your master! How will your eyes not fall out along with your tears! How can your heart not be torn out by the roots! For a man can leave his father, but he cannot leave a good master; If it were possible, I would go to the grave with him!

Having worked hard for God, he left the earthly kingdom and became a monk, for he had an immeasurable desire to take on the angelic image. God also vouchsafed him to accept a greater rank - schema. And so in peace he gave up his spirit to God in the month of November on the fourteenth day, in memory of the holy Apostle Philip.

Metropolitan Kirill said: “My children, know that the sun of the land of Suzdal has already set!” Priests and deacons, monks, poor and rich, and all the people exclaimed: “We are already perishing!”

The holy body of Alexander was carried to the city of Vladimir. The Metropolitan, the princes and boyars and all the people, small and large, met him in Bogolyubovo with candles and censers. People crowded, trying to touch his holy body on his honest bed. There was a cry, a groan, and a cry like never before, even the earth shook. His body was laid in the Church of the Nativity of the Holy Theotokos, in the Great Archimandrite, on the twenty-fourth day of November, in memory of Holy Father Amphilochius.

There was a marvelous miracle then, worthy of memory. When his holy body was laid in the tomb, then Sebastian the Economist and Cyril the Metropolitan wanted to unclench his hand in order to insert a spiritual letter. He, as if alive, stretched out his hand and took the letter from the hand of the metropolitan. And confusion seized them, and they retreated slightly from his tomb. Metropolitan and Housekeeper Sevastian announced this to everyone. Who wouldn’t be surprised by that miracle, because his soul left his body and he was brought from distant lands in winter! And so God glorified his saint.

More details in No. 2/2017 of the magazine “History. Secrets and crimes", pp. 2 - 7

December 6 (November 23) is the day of remembrance of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky.

“Power to the pious kings, and praise to the Orthodox princes”

From a young age, young Alexander was distinguished by a deep religious mood and a lively sense of duty. His serious nature beyond his years did not allow him to indulge in empty amusements. In addition to reading sacred books, he loved church singing.

The young princes also acquired secular knowledge. They studied foreign languages, mainly Latin and Greek, and read ancient literature in these languages. Along with book education, much attention was paid to physical education: horseback riding, archery, and possession of other weapons.

An outstanding event in the life of the princes was “seating on the table.” This ritual was considered necessary; without it, the prince would not be a prince. Therefore, in the chronicles the expression “he reigned” is usually added: “and sat down on the table.”

The “consecration” of young Alexander Yaroslavich took place in the St. Sophia Novgorod Cathedral in 1236. Blessing his son to reign in Novgorod, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich told him: “The cross will be your guardian and helper, and the sword will be your thunder! God gave you eldership among brothers, and Novgorod the Great is the oldest reign in the entire Russian land!” The archpastor, laying his hands on the head of the prince, prayed to the King of kings, so that “from His dwelling place” he would bless His faithful servant Alexander, strengthen him with “power from above,” establish him on the “throne of righteousness,” show him as a valiant defender of the holy catholic church and honor him "heavenly kingdom"

In 1239, Alexander entered into marriage, taking as his wife the daughter of the Polotsk prince Bryachislav Alexandra. Their father, Yaroslav, blessed them at the wedding with the holy, miraculous Theodore Icon of the Mother of God. This icon was constantly with Saint Alexander, and then it was taken from the Gorodets Monastery, where he died, by his brother Vasily Yaroslavich of Kostroma and transferred to Kostroma.

The most difficult time in the history of Rus' began. The Mongol hordes came from the east, destroying everything in their path, and the crusaders threatened from the west, who, taking advantage of Batu’s invasion, invaded the borders of the Fatherland. In 1240, an army of Swedes on ships under the command of the son-in-law of the Swedish king Birger invaded the Neva. The proud Swede sent messengers to Prince Alexander in Novgorod with the words: “If you can, resist - I’m already here and I’m capturing your land.”

But this arrogant challenge did not embarrass the young prince, although he had only a small squad. Having given the order to the available military forces to be ready for the campaign, Alexander came to the St. Sophia Cathedral. There he, together with the saint and the Novgorod people, prayed fervently.

Having finished the prayer and having received the blessing from Saint Spyridon, Prince Alexander came out of the St. Sophia Cathedral to his squad and the Novgorod people and addressed them with the words: “Brothers! God is not in power, but in truth!”

His holy inspiration was transmitted to the squad and the people. With a small squad, trusting in God, the prince immediately headed towards the enemy.

Before the battle, a wonderful omen happened. The warrior Pelguy, Philip in holy baptism, was on night watch. He spent the whole night without sleep, watching the Swedish army, which arrived on ships along the Neva to the mouth of the Izhora River, where they landed on land. This warrior saw at dawn on July 15 a boat sailing along the Neva, and in it. And Boris said: “Brother Gleb, tell us to row, so we can help our relative Alexander.”

When Pelguy reported the vision to the arriving prince, Saint Alexander, out of his piety, commanded not to tell anyone about the miracle, and he himself, encouraged, courageously led the army with prayer against the Swedes, who were taken by surprise. Before the enemies had time to come to their senses, the Russians attacked them with a united onslaught. Like God's thunderstorm, ahead of everyone, the young prince rushed into the middle of the enemies and with indomitable courage rushed at Birger and dealt him a heavy blow to the face - “put a seal on his face.” There was a terrible battle. The Angel of God invisibly helped the Orthodox army. When morning came, on the other bank of the Izhora River, where the Russian soldiers could not go, many killed enemies were discovered.

For this victory on the Neva River, won on July 15, 1240, the people called Saint Alexander Nevsky.

The German crusading knights remained a dangerous enemy.

In 1240, the Germans managed to capture Koporye, Pskov and Izborsk.

Saint Alexander, setting out on a winter campaign, liberated Pskov, this ancient House of the Holy Trinity, and in the spring of 1242 he gave the Teutonic Order a decisive battle. On April 5, 1242, both armies met 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, O God, as of old Moses against Amalek and my great-grandfather Yaroslav the Wise against the accursed Svyatopolk.” Through his prayer, with the help of God and feat of arms, the crusaders were completely defeated.

The western borders of the Russian land were fenced, but on the eastern side, wise diplomacy, “the meekness of a dove and the wisdom of a snake,” was required against the countless hordes of Mongols. Since it was impossible to resist military force against the Mongols, a compromise had to be sought.

Prince Alexander went to the Tatar Khan five times, bowed, humiliated himself, begged for mercy and mercy. One day Saint Alexander had to go to the very nest of the Tatar kingdom, to Mongolia, to the borders of the Far East, to the sources of the Amur, amid the unspeakable difficulties and dangers of the then journey. It was necessary to bow to the Khan, it was necessary to humiliate and humble ourselves, it was necessary to endure the loss of independence of the Russian people. The prince paid a lot of gold and silver to the khan, ransoming the captured Russians, softening his anger with tribute and gifts. There was one thing he did not want to give up, one thing he could not sacrifice: the holy Orthodox faith.

The Russian chronicles give us a picture of the reception of Prince Alexander by the khan. Khan Batu had the following custom: those who came to worship him were not immediately allowed to see the khan, but were sent to the wise men, who forced them to walk through the fire, then they had to bow to the bush, fire and idols. Alexander Yaroslavich also had to perform these rituals.

The pious prince flatly refused to submit to demands that were contrary to the Christian conscience. “Death, death to him,” the Magi shouted. But the khan's associates went to Batu to find out their master's decision. Several minutes of tense anticipation passed. Finally, the khan's servants appeared and, to everyone's surprise, brought the khan's order not to force Alexander to perform the rituals. Alexander appeared before Batu.

The majestic appearance of the prince amazed the khan. Batu immediately realized that before him was a prince who was far superior to other princes in his intelligence and merits. A smug smile slipped across the khan’s face when Prince Alexander bowed his head before him and said: “Tsar, I bow to you, because God has honored you with the kingdom, but I will not bow to the creatures+ I serve the only God, I honor Him and I worship Him!” Batu admired the hero for some time, and finally said, turning to those around him: “They told me the truth, there is no prince equal to this.”

Saint Prince Alexander showed his loyalty to Orthodoxy when two cardinals sent by Pope Innocent IV in 1248 tried to persuade the prince to convert to Catholicism, promising help in the fight against the Mongols. To this the prince replied that we are faithful to the Church of Christ and the Orthodox faith, which is based on the Seven Ecumenical Councils, and “we do not accept teachings from you.”

Saint Alexander, inspired by the faith of Christ, felt great responsibility before God and history for the fate of the Holy Church and his Motherland. In 1261, through the efforts of Prince Alexander and Metropolitan Kirill, a diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church was established in Sarai, the capital of the Golden Horde.

In 1262, the Suzdal and Rostov people, not tolerating the Tatar tribute collectors, rebelled against them. Rumors were spread that Grand Duke Alexander himself sent letters to the cities saying “beat the Tatars.” The rebellious people, despite their just hatred of the oppressors, limited themselves to only killing the most ferocious predators, and therefore there were few killed. They were waiting for Tatar revenge. But God directed events in a completely different direction: citing the Russian uprising, Khan Berke stopped sending tribute to Mongolia and proclaimed the Golden Horde an independent state. In this great union of Russian and Tatar lands, the foundation of the future multinational Russian state was laid.

Holy Prince Alexander, in his last trip to Sarai, fulfilled his duty before God, saving Rus' from the retribution of the Tatars for the uprising against them. But all his strength was given, his life was dedicated to serving his Motherland and faith. On the way back from the Horde, Saint Alexander fell mortally ill. Before reaching Vladimir, in Gorodets, in the monastery, the prince-ascetic gave up his spirit to the Lord on November 14, 1263, completing the difficult journey of life by accepting the holy monastic schema with the name Alexy. His holy body was transferred to Vladimir, to the Nativity Monastery, where Metropolitan Kirill and the clergy performed the burial. In his funeral eulogy, Metropolitan Kirill said: “Know, my child, that the sun has already set on the land of Suzdal. There will no longer be such a prince in the Russian land.”

During the burial, a miracle was revealed by God. When the body of Saint Alexander was laid in the shrine, the housekeeper Sebastian and Metropolitan Kirill wanted to open his hand in order to enclose a parting spiritual letter. The holy prince, as if alive, himself stretched out his hand and took the letter from the hands of the metropolitan. “And horror seized them, and they barely retreated from his tomb. Who wouldn’t be surprised if he was dead, and his body was brought from afar in the winter.”

Thus God glorified his saint - the holy warrior-prince Alexander Nevsky.

True, not in force. Whereas strength truly lies in TRUTH!

Explanation: Do you think that if you are so strong, that means you are always right?! Do you think that in this case the TRUTH is always on your side?! You're wrong! Then as soon as the genuine, /in other words, real/ POWER, is in TRUTH! In addition, DUMB FORCE is sometimes associated, not with TRUTH, alone, but only with catastrophe, horror, APOCALYPSE.

The same idea can be seen in folk wisdom: “It’s not good in a nice way, but nice in a nice way.”

In other words, IN THE FIRST PLACE, primary, always, true! The desire for truth, the desire to be good, righteous. The results, as they say in this case, will not keep you waiting. In other words, along with the TRUTH, after the truth, sooner or later, BIG, BEAUTIFUL POWER always comes, since POWER is secondary in relation to the TRUTH.

CONTINUED, Add a note. Dmitry Talkovsky 03/03/2018 16:20. See Olga! Question: “To hit or not to hit”! Sorry, today only two people can decide, and individually. Two for now. And then everything will be like in that song about the Snowstorm. Chorus, end of action:

And at the Metelitsa cafe, the crowd is blowing with the crowd.

And he asks, even though he’s squinting, come on, come on again.
Come on, come on again
Come on, come on again.

But if they had acted wisely, they could have resolved everything amicably among themselves! Chorus, start of action:

And at the Metelitsa cafe, two men are blowing snow.
And the dust spreads like a fog, so you can’t see anything.
The street is in pandemonium, people are looking and admiring.
And he asks, even though he’s squinting, come on, come on, beat him some more. Dmitry Talkovsky.

And it all started like this, I quote:

Axiom No. 1. True, it doesn’t work!

Axiom No. 2. Power is in the truth!

“The truth is not in force”! Let us confirm this axiom using the example of History. I mean first of all the strength of the Nazi armada concentrated on the border with the USSR. Because of its obviousness, I gave this example exclusively for those who today continue to rely on the Force. And it doesn’t matter who exactly it is! Or is it the NATO bloc approaching the borders of Russia with threats! Or is this a response from Vladimir Putin, for example, in relation to the provocative actions of the same aggressive West! This is an axiom! We are talking about the Law, which, due to its obviousness, does not require proof!

"Power is in the truth"! Let us also confirm this axiom using a historical example! For which it is quite enough to consider the response actions of the USSR to the blunt, brute force that fell upon us, which, as it turned out, is always secondary in relation to the TRUTH. Thus, we then had the TRUTH, which gradually, naturally and by Stalin’s willful decision, turned into a powerful FORCE, which ultimately broke the back of the seemingly indestructible force of fascism!

But if we now look at today, we simply cannot help but notice that a stupid, brute force has again lined up against us, I mean Russia, which, as we already know, is always secondary to the TRUTH. Just a little left! All that remains is for our AUTHORITY, and this is primarily the GDP and the government appointed by it, with all clarity and certainty, to know and understand EVEN what OUR TRUTH is! Our TRUTH, which alone is capable of resisting stupid, brute POWER, is always secondary to the REAL TRUE TRUTH.

Let us confirm the above with specific examples. There is a war going on, and a civil war, firstly, in Ukraine! And secondly, in Syria! What is the TRUTH in relation to these at least two civil wars, in two seemingly different regions? Let's start with the following considerations:

Firstly, economics, as we know, is a concentrated expression of politics!

Secondly, WAR! As you know, there is nothing more than a continuation of politics, namely, a concentrated expression of the same economy, but only by all means available to states.

And what happens then? Now, if Russia’s policy (in this particular case we will not specify why) led to a civil war in Ukraine, then common sense dictates that such a policy must be urgently changed. In particular, it is necessary to change Russia’s economic relations with all states without exception! We need to re-build a New Economic Policy, New Economic Relations with all countries without exception, as the Bloc of Left Forces, led by the communist Zyuganov, insists on. If Russia continues to carry out its previous economic policy as if nothing had happened. The policy, the apologist of which is Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, then all this will in practice mean the vested interest of the power circles of the Russian Federation, represented by Putin and Medvedev, in the continuation of military operations, first in Ukraine, then in Syria, and generally everywhere.

Does anyone like these conclusions? Or not! The question is certainly interesting, but these conclusions follow from the practical approach of GDP to solving modern problems! What are we talking about? The point is that in the modern Russian Federation there is no intelligible, and most importantly, honest, namely, a policy bordering on the TRUTH, which could only resist the aggressive West. Moreover, Vladimir Putin, instead of the TRUTH, which can only calm down the ENTIRE West, is led by stupid POWER! It follows the lead of the same aggressive West, while focusing on building in our country, naturally for the sake of the oligarchs, only CAPITALISM.

Firstly, the use of Force, especially in Syria and Ukraine, does not solve any of our problems there. Because our true problems lie only within ourselves! Namely, in the demonstrative refusal of the RULING LEAF of the Russian Federation to build SOCIALISM in our country, excuse me, which is perceived by all peoples of the WORLD, without exception, as a betrayal of the interests of the PEOPLE!

Secondly, instead of learning to live ourselves! And for this we have all the possibilities without exception! Instead of all this, we teach how to live those who, due to the deceitfulness and corruption of our policies, absolutely do not need our advice!

In other words, we are trying, on the one hand, to look righteous! And on the other hand, we continue to export to Syria and Ukraine, for example, the musty goods of capitalism, which are already in abundance from the West, which we hypocritically criticize. That is why, only the following THREE events can become a way out of the tragic situation created in the world:

Firstly. Impeachment of US President Donald Trump before the end of 2018!

Secondly. The loss of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin in the presidential elections of the Russian Federation on March 18, 2018.

Third. Otherwise, by the end of 2018 in the USA and Russia, the GREAT SOCIALIST REVOLUTION will take place almost simultaneously!

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