« Two feats of Alexander Nevsky - the feat of warfare in the West and the feat of humility in the East -
had one goal: to preserve Orthodoxy as a moral and political force of the Russian people.
This goal was achieved: the growth of the Russian Orthodox kingdom
happened on the ground prepared by Alexander».
G.V. Vernadsky
December 6(November 23, old style) The Church honors the memory of one of the most famous and revered saints of the Russian land - Holy Right-believing Prince Alexander Nevsky. A fearless defender of his fatherland, a wise victorious commander, a subtle diplomat and a skillful ruler, and at the same time a pious Christian and a humble man of prayer, who was honored before the death of a great angelic image - this is how the image of the holy Russian prince appears before us, widely glorified both in church and in a secular environment.
About Grand Duke Alexander Yaroslavich. From the Facial Chronicle
“This noble and noble, adorned by God and worthy of praise, Grand Duke Alexander Yaroslavich, the eighth tribe of the autocratic and Equal-to-the-Apostles Tsar and Grand Duke Vladimir Svyatoslavich, who enlightened the Russian land with holy baptism, from Rurik the eleventh tribe, for many and glorious virtues, won praise not only from people, but also from God himself; for from a young age and from young nails, he was taught every good deed by his pious father, the God-wise and sovereign Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, and his holy mother, the God-loving Grand Duchess Theodosia, named Euphrosyne in monasticism, by whom he was brought up in all sorts of good instructions. And the fear of God settled in his heart in an effort to keep the commandments of the Lord; for he honored the priestly and monastic order.
Always in his youth, he adhered to humility and abstinence, kept purity of soul and body, increased meekness and avoided vanity, putting a lot of effort into this. He restrained gluttony, for he knew that satiety of the flesh destroys chastity, and interferes with wakefulness, and opposes other virtues. In his mouth were continually divine words, delighting him more than honey and honeycombs. He read them with zeal, and heeded them, and desired to put them into action. His relatives saw that he was succeeding in all virtues, and tried to be useful, and tried in every possible way to please God, seeing how he tried to please God, and, burning with divine heavenly desire, he belittled before people everything good and honest in himself, and did not flaunt his mental prolificacy. And from his great humility in every way he hid his many good deeds.
Although he was glorified by God with the honor of the earthly kingdom and had a wife and children, he acquired humble wisdom more than all people. He was very tall; the beauty of his face was like Joseph the Beautiful; his strength was part of the strength of Samson, and his voice sounded like a trumpet in the people; in courage, he was like the Roman king Vespasian, the son of Nero, who captured the whole land of Judea, gathered his regiments and ordered to proceed to the city of Antipat (Iotapat). The townspeople went out and defeated his regiments; he alone went against them, and turned their army to the gates of the city, and his squad, laughing, said: “Almost they left me alone”? So the Grand Duke Alexander Yaroslavich won everywhere and was never defeated.
He was very merciful, like his God-protected father Yaroslav, following in his footsteps in everything, he gave a lot of gold and silver for the captives, sending them to Tsar Batu in the Horde for the Russian people who were captured by the godless Tatars. He ransomed them and delivered them from fierce slavery and from many troubles and misfortunes.
He himself was always protected by God and from all enemies everywhere remained unharmed, and the Lord glorified him with his mercy to him. And he was terrible and formidable to all enemies, and everywhere they trembled at his name. The wisdom and sharpness of his mind, like Solomon, were given to him by God. Most of all, he honored justice, and often taught his boyars with parables from Divine Scripture, so that first of all they would ask God for wisdom, and refrain from drunkenness, and humble themselves before God, and not forget to judge righteously, and would not be biased in favor of the strong And they would not accept unrighteous wages, and they would not offend anyone, but they would deliver the offended from the hands of the offenders, and they would not take anything more than what was due to them, but they would be satisfied with their dues. And so he spoke many times, sometimes frightening with his power, sometimes reminding of the eternal reward, when at the Last Judgment Christ will reward everyone according to his deeds. The boyars and all the people, seeing the wisdom given to him by God, could not answer anything, but unanimously promised to do as he commanded them. And so courageously and righteously ruled the power given to him by God.
And the fame of him passed through many distant countries, and many aspired to see him. And even then there was a rumor everywhere that the godless Tsar Batu, by God's permission, did a lot of evil to the great Russian land. And where this blessed Alexander and his father Yaroslav ruled, in Veliky Novgorod, some divine power prevented the wicked from reaching there and did not even allow them to approach not only the lands of Veliky Novgorod, but also other lands where they then had to visit and fight with hated enemies - Lithuanians and Germans. And everywhere, by God's permission, these cruel Tatars did not fight against them.
Life of Alexander Nevsky
The Holy Right-Believing Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky was born on May 30, 1220, in the city of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky. He was the second son of Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich of Pereyaslavl from Princess Rostislava of Toropets, at the baptism of Theodosius. From early childhood, St. the prince accepted the blessing for military service in the Name of God for the defense of the Russian land. According to the custom of that time, in the fourth year of his life, he received military tonsure from the Suzdal Bishop Simon, who was performed over him in the Transfiguration Cathedral of the city of Pereyaslavl. The ceremony took place in the following way. The boy was placed in front of the royal doors, and a prayer was said over him, in which God's blessing was asked. Then the hair was cut as a sign that the child was dedicated to God. After the ceremony, the boy was put on a horse - this meant his future independence. They were given weapons, usually a bow with arrows, which indicated the duty of a warrior to defend his homeland from external enemies.
The most difficult time in the history of Russia began: the Mongol hordes were coming from the east, knightly hordes were advancing from the west. In this formidable hour, the Providence of God erected for the salvation of Russia the holy prince Alexander - the great warrior-prayer book, ascetic and builder of the Russian land.
"Black Years"-here is the exact name of that era in the history of the Russian land. After the hurricane invasion of the Mongol-Tatar beds of Batu in 1237-1240, when the Russian power was crushed and dozens of cities were devastated, a system of heavy dependence on the Horde conquerors began to take shape, based on fear of new invasions. Novgorod and Pskov lands, fortunately, escaped a devastating defeat. But they experienced a strong onslaught from the Swedes, Germans, Lithuanians.
Russia turned into a second-rate region of Eastern Europe, weakened, split into many small and weak in the military-political sense of the principalities. It was saved from final disintegration and death by the efforts of a few selfless, gifted and perspicacious individuals, accomplished not without the help of the Heavenly Father. Of these, Alexander Yaroslavovich, nicknamed Nevsky, is the most famous.
In 1227, Prince Yaroslav, at the request of the Novgorodians, began to reign in Novgorod the Great. He took with him his sons, Fedor and Alexander.
In 1228, seven-year-old Alexander was left with his elder brother Theodore and experienced managers, a boyar and a tyun, in Novgorod the Great.-as the official representative of the father. From 1236 to 1240, Alexander Yaroslavovich reigned continuously in Novgorod, fulfilling the will of his father. A huge responsibility fell on the shoulders of Prince Alexander: the defense of the Novgorod borders from warlike neighbors. And those, hoping to take advantage of the difficult situation of Russia, increased pressure on the Novgorod region.
In the summer of 1240, a Swedish flotilla led by Jarl Ulf Fasi and son-in-law of King EricXI Birger Magnusson entered the mouth of the Neva. With them came the Catholic clergy- some "piskups", as well as the militia of the Finno-Ugric peoples of sum and em. The hagiographic tale reports the following about preparations 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, flared up in his heart and entered the church of Hagia Sophia, and, falling on his knees before the altar, began to pray with tears: nations, You commanded to live without transgressing the borders of others. And, remembering the words of the prophet, he said: “Judge, Lord, those who offend me and protect from those who fight with me, take up arms and a shield and stand to help me.”
And, having finished his prayer, he stood up and bowed to the archbishop. The archbishop was then Spiridon, he blessed him and released him. The prince, leaving the church, wiped away his tears and said, in order to encourage his squad: “God is not in power, but in truth. Let us recall the songwriter who said: “Some with weapons, and others on horses, but we call on the name of the Lord our God; they were defeated and fell, but we stood and stand upright.
With a small retinue, the prince hurried to the enemies. But there was a wonderful omen: the soldier Pelgusius, who was in holy baptism Philip, who was standing in the marine patrol, saw at dawn on July 15 a boat sailing on the sea, and on it St. martyrs Boris and Gleb in scarlet robes. Alexander, encouraged by the divine vision, courageously led his army against the Swedes. “And there was a great slaughter with the Latins, and he killed their countless multitude, and he put a seal on the leader’s face with a sharp spear.” For this victory on the Neva River, won on July 15, 1240, the people named St. Alexandra Nevsky.
The victory brought great fame to Alexander Yaroslavovich, but in the same year, having quarreled with the Novgorodians, he was forced to leave the city with his family and squad. The townspeople told him, as they had told many princes before him: “Here you are, prince, the path is clear!” And he answered them: “Drive me away? As needed-don't call!"
The words of the unjustly offended prince turned out to be prophetic: not even a year had passed before the Novgorodians, alarmed by the imminent threat from the German knights, sent a second embassy, begging Alexander to return and stand up for them.
The new embassy was given a special solidity: the Archbishop of Novgorod went with them. The very fact of his presence among the veche diplomats shows: Mr. Veliky Novgorod stands on the edge of the abyss and hopes that his envoys will not beg for help, so at least the head of the clergy will admonish the Orthodox brothers.
The father called his son to him for a secret conversation. After that, the young commander reluctantly agreed and received from his father to help the Vladimir-Suzdal squad, led by his younger brother-Prince Andrei Yaroslavich. In 1241, Alexander rode with all his military strength to Novgorod, and "the people of Novgorod were glad", exhausted by the merciless enemy.
In 1241, with a lightning campaign, St. Alexander reclaimed the ancient Russian fortress of Koporye by expelling the knights. In 1242, in the winter, he liberated Pskov, and on April 5, on the feast of the praise of the Most Holy Theotokos - the "Choose Governor" of all Orthodox soldiers, he gave the Teutonic Order a decisive battle on the ice of Lake Peipsi. The Crusaders were completely defeated. The name of St. Alexander became famous throughout Holy Russia.
With his two victories, Prince Alexander Nevsky not only saved Northern Russia from being conquered by foreigners, but also determined its future fate. Novgorod was not cut off from other parts of Russia, and Orthodoxy was established in it for the coming centuries.
If in relation to the Western conquerors, Prince Alexander Nevsky was unshakable, then in relation to the Tatars, he considered it necessary to pursue a peaceful policy so as not to expose the country to new devastation. When, after the death of his father in 1247, he became a grand duke and was summoned by the khan to the Horde, he asked Metropolitan Kirill's blessing for the trip and vowed to stand for the Orthodox faith. In the Horde, he did not bow to idols and had to make a long journey to Mongolia to the great khan. When the Tatars demanded that the Grand Duke Alexander worship fire and idols, he replied: “I am a Christian, and it is not fitting for me to bow to the creature. I worship the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, glorified in the Trinity, who created heaven and earth.” But, interceding for his land, he paid honor to the khan himself, as a powerful earthly king, and managed to achieve various benefits for Russia. Batu, as contemporaries say, "marveled at him and told his nobles:" they told me the truth that there is no other similar Prince "and let him go to Russia with great honor."
This is how this event is described in the Personal Chronicle of Ivan the Terrible.
“In the same summer (1247), the wicked Tsar Batu, hearing the noble courage and invincible courage, his numerous glorious victories over opponents, the God-protected Grand Duke Alexander, and sent his ambassadors to him, saying: “The most famous among the Russian sovereigns, Prince Alexander! I know, you know that God has subdued many nations to me, and all obey my authority, and of all you alone do not want to submit to my power? Think, if you want to keep your land intact, hurry up to come to me immediately, you will see the glory and honor of my kingdom, and you will gain something useful for yourself and your land. The God-wise Grand Duke Alexander reasoned that his holy father Yaroslav did not go to the Horde for the sake of a temporary kingdom and there he gave his life for piety and for all his people, and by this he acquired the Kingdom of Heaven. So blessed Alexander became like the good zeal of his pious father and decided to go to the Horde for the sake of delivering Christians. And he came to the glorious city of Vladimir with a large army; terrible was his coming, about which the news then reached the mouth of the Volga, his menacing wives of the Moabites frightened their children, saying: "Be silent, the great prince Alexander will come." Without hesitation, having only stayed there a little and taking a blessing from Bishop Cyril, he rushed on his way.
And he came to Tsar Batu, and everywhere the grace of God sanctified him. King Batu, when he saw him, was surprised and said to his nobles: “Truly they told me that there is no one like this prince” and showed him honors, bestowed many gifts on the prince. So God protects His chosen ones, which He also puts into the thoughts of the wicked, so that they are ashamed and revered.
Then he sent the prince with his brother Andrei Yaroslavich to the khanoviches.
In matters of faith, the Grand Duke was also unshakable before the ambassadors of Pope Innocent IV, who in 1251 tried to convince the great one to submit to the Roman throne, referring to the fact that his father allegedly promised to do so. But he rejected the offer and said that he was instructed in the right faith and would not accept their teachings.
The hagiographic story reports: once ambassadors from the pope from great Rome came to him (Alexander Yaroslavich) with these words: “Our dad says this: We heard that you are a worthy and glorious prince and your land is great. That's why they sent you two of the smartest cardinals out of the twelve-Agaldad and Remont, so that you listen to their speeches about the law of God.
Prince Alexander, having thought with his wise men, wrote him the following answer: “From Adam to the flood, from the flood to the division of peoples, from the mixing of peoples to the beginning of Abraham, from Abraham to the origin of the Israelites through the sea, from the exodus of the sons of Israel to the death of King David, from the beginning of the reign of Solomon to Augustus and until the Nativity of Christ, from the Nativity of Christ and to His crucifixion and Resurrection, from His Resurrection to the Ascension into heaven and to the reign of Konstantinov, from the beginning of the reign of Konstantinov to the First Council and the Seventh-We are well aware of all this, but we will not accept teachings from you.” They also returned home.
Upon his return to Russia, Grand Duke Alexander began to restore the destroyed temples and monasteries. He had to fight with the western neighbors - the Lithuanians, who were pagans. Thanks to his labors, Christianity penetrated the borders inhabited by Lithuanian tribes, and Russian influence was established there. In relation to his brethren, he was distinguished by special long-suffering and always avoided the shedding of Christian blood. Whatever enmity connected him with the rival princes, he did not raise weapons against them and did not gather regiments.
During one of the trips to Batu, St. the prince converted the khan's son Sartak to Christ, becoming his sworn brother. And since Sartak at that time managed the affairs of the Horde for the decrepitude of his formidable father, Alexander Nevsky received seniority over all Russian princes - this contributed to the unification of Russia under the unified authority of the Grand Duke. Thus was laid the foundation of the future Muscovite state. Peaceful relations with the Khan led to the fact that in 1261, through the efforts of St. Alexander and Metropolitan Kirill in Sarai, the capital of the Golden Horde, the diocese of Russian Orthodox Church. Thus, the era of the great Russian Christianization of pagan Eurasia opened. Subsequently, after liberation from the yoke, many of the Tatar nobility adopted Orthodoxy and laid the foundation for the famous noble families in the Russian Empire.
In 1262, the people of Suzdal and Rostov, not tolerating the Tatar tribute collectors, raised an uprising against them. Rumors were spread that the Grand Duke Alexander himself sent letters to the cities, calling on the "Beat Tatars". The rebellious people, despite their just hatred of the oppressors, limited themselves only to 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: referring to the Russian uprising, Khan Berke stopped sending tribute to Mongolia and proclaimed Golden Horde independent state. In this great combination of Russian and Tatar lands, the foundation of the future multinational Russian state was laid.
Saint Prince Alexander again had to go to the Horde in order to propitiate the khan and save Russia from the retribution of the Tatars for the uprising. The peace treaty was signed, but way back from the Horde, Saint Alexander fell mortally ill: according to some version, he was secretly poisoned by the Tatars. Before reaching Vladimir, in Gorodets, in a monastery, the forty-three-year-old prince-ascetic gave up his spirit to the Lord on November 14, 1263, completing his difficult life path 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 were buried. In the funeral sermon, Metropolitan Kirill said: “Know, my child, that the sun of the land of Suzdal has already set. There will be no more such a prince in the Russian land.
The life story about Alexander Yaroslavovich tells about the posthumous miracle that took place at his burial: “It was then a marvelous miracle and 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 put in a spiritual letter. He, as if alive, stretched out his hand and took the letter from the Metropolitan's hand. And confusion seized them, and they slightly retreated from his tomb. This was announced to everyone by Metropolitan and Economist Sevastyan. Who will not be surprised at such a miracle, because the body of his soul left him and they carried him from distant lands to winter time. And so God glorified his saint.”
Russian Faith Library
Instruction for the memory of St. Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky. Great Menaion Cheti →
Troparion and kontakion to Saint Alexander Nevsky
Troparion, tone 4.
Like a pious root, an honorable branch be blessed Alexandra, for Christ is the Russiness of the land of the new miracle worker, like some kind of treasure is glorious and God-pleasing. That day, having come together in faith and love, in psalms and singing, rejoicing, we glorify the Lord, who gave you the grace of healing. Pray him to save this city, and to the power of your kinsman, to be pleasing to God, and to be saved by the sons of the Russians.
Kontakion, tone 8.
As if the star of thee, having shone on the Russ of the earth, today we will honor. Having enriched this whole country with miracles and kindness, enlighten with faith those who honor Your memory, blessed Alexandra. Thus, we cry out to your people, pray to Christ God to save your fatherland, the power of Russian princes, and all your relics flowing to the race, and rightly crying out to you, rejoice in the city of our intercession.
Russian Faith Library
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Temples in Russia in the name of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky
In the name of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky, a chapel of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin was consecrated. At the turn of the XIII-XIV centuries, on the site of the existing cathedral, there was a wooden Church of the Annunciation on a stone foundation. At the end of the 14th century, a small white-stone church with a basement was erected instead. In 1484, the old one was dismantled and rebuilt. The construction of the new cathedral was carried out until August 1489. Pskov architects, who built it, managed to give the temple an impressiveness, perfectly combined with exquisite decorativeness. In 1563-1564, by order of Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible (1530-1584), the Cathedral of the Annunciation was rebuilt.
Cathedral of the Annunciation in the Moscow Kremlin In the name of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky, the chapel of the Spaso-Prilutsky monastery in Vologda was consecrated. The Spassky Cathedral of the Spaso-Prilutsky Monastery, built in 1537-42, is the first stone church not only in the monastery itself, but in the whole of Vologda. Until 1537, on the site of the current Spassky Cathedral, there was a wooden cathedral of the same name. A wooden temple in the name of the All-Merciful Savior and the feast of the Origin of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross was erected on the site chosen by him for the construction of the monastery, still the Monk Demetrius of Prilutsky. When the wooden cathedral burned down, a stone one was built. AT Soviet years the monastery was plundered. In the 1930s, the monastery was a transit prison for the dispossessed, who were transported to the northern camps of the Gulag, in the 1950s and 70s, the territory of the former monastery was occupied by military warehouses. Only in 1975-79 the central group of monuments with the adjacent territory, after the restoration started in 1954, became a branch of the Vologda State Museum-Reserve. Thanks to the scientific restoration carried out in 1954-1975, the monuments of the 16th-17th centuries. the intended original appearance was returned. Currently, the Spaso-Prilutsky Monastery is active.
Spaso-Prilutsky Monastery in Vologda Posthumous glorification of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky
Already at the end of the 13th century, popular veneration of Alexander Yaroslavovich began. His body rested in the Vladimir Mother of God-Nativity Monastery. This monastery has long been considered "the first in honor" among the monasteries of North-Eastern Russia. In the 1280s, the Tale of the Life and Courage of the Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky was born, subsequently it became extremely popular and became part of the Russian chronicles. Grand Duke Moscow and Vladimir Dmitry Ivanovich, nicknamed Donskoy for the victory on the Kulikovo field, in the autumn of 1380 transferred the relics of Alexander Nevsky to a special tomb inside the same Vladimir Nativity Monastery of the Mother of God. When the relics were opened, they found them incorrupt. At the end of the 15th century, the relics were damaged by fire.
Saint Alexander Nevsky, with life. End of the 17th century Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat (St. Basil's Cathedral), Moscow 
Alexander Nevsky, with scenes from his life. Early 19th century Yekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts 
On February 26, 1547, under Metropolitan Macarius, at a church cathedral in Moscow, the official all-Russian glorification of Alexander Nevsky as a saint took place. At the same time, a special day of remembrance was established - November 23. The canon to the saint was compiled by monk Michael of Vladimir.
Peter 1 ordered the relics of Alexander Nevsky to be transported to the new capital. During 1723-1724 they were kept in Shlisselburg, and then found their final resting place. They became the St. Petersburg Alexander Nevsky Convent. The transfer of the tomb and relics of St. Alexander Nevsky took place on August 30, 1724. In 1725, the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky was established, which became one of the highest awards of the Russian Empire.
Supreme patronage of Prince Alexander Nevsky
Throughout Russian history, Russian soldiers asked the holy protector of our state for help on the eve of the most dangerous battles. So, in 1380, before the Battle of Kulikovo, the following miracle preceded the victory. The sexton, who reverently served at the monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God, was granted a special vision: at night, on the eve of the battle with Mamai, he stood at prayer in the church porch and with tears prayed to the Lord and His Blessed Mother for deliverance from foreigners, calling for help and the knight Nevsky, the eternal representative and protector of his people. Suddenly he sees: at the tomb of St. Alexander, candles were lit by themselves, two adored elders left the altar and, approaching the tomb of St. warrior, they said: “Prince Alexandra! Rise up and help your great-grandson Demetrius, who is being overcome by foreigners. Then St. Alexander rose as if alive from the grave, and all three disappeared from the astonished gaze of the embarrassed minister of the church. The next morning, with the help of St. Alexandra was the first great Russian victory against the Tatar hordes.
In a similar way, assistance was provided in 1571, during the invasion of Moscow by the Crimean Khan Devlet Giray. In 1812, during the Battle of Borodino, and in 1941, when the Germans were approaching Moscow, they just as zealously resorted in prayers to St. Alexander, as to the great Russian governor. It should be noted that the turning point in the famous battle near Moscow, which then decided the fate of the entire Russian people, fell just on the day of memory of its holy commander: for example, on December 5, the troops of the Kalinin Front (Colonel General I. S. Konev), and on December 6 - The Western (General of the Army G.K. Zhukov) and the right wing of the Southwestern Fronts (Marshal S.K. Timoshenko) launched a counteroffensive against Nazi Germany.
The famous Russian historian N.M. Karamzin wrote that the Russian people included Alexander Nevsky in the face of their guardian angels: he was always revered as one of the greatest figures in the history of Russia.
Alexander Yaroslavovich is famous for the fact that he accepted the Russian ship half-broken, sitting firmly on pitfalls, with holes in the sides, and honestly worked to save it. He tirelessly pumped out water, patched holes, fought off marauders, standing knee-deep in icy waters. Moreover, he did not turn into a bloodthirsty beast, to which the harshest conditions in which he had to exercise his power inclined, but remained a truly Christian sovereign.
And what?
The ship did not sink. Here is the main result!
The ship left the stones and slowly, slowly, under one sail, where there used to be three, and with a dozen rowers, where fifty used to sit, but still continued sailing.
And therefore-a deep bow to sovereign Alexander Yaroslavich, an honest Russian man who took on his shoulders a heavy burden and responsibly carried this burden until the last date, until God Himself freed the prince from hardships. He did his job right. Low bow!
Note: The italic text is literally based on the book "Alexander Nevsky" by Dmitry Volodikhin.
Municipal budgetary educational institution Verkhnespassskaya secondary comprehensive school Rasskazovsky district
Nizhnespassky branch
Class hour for students in grades 3-4
on the topic:
"Alexander Nevskiy
and
Sergius of Radonezh -
patron saints of the Russian land"
Author-compiler:
Philosopher Lyudmila Vasilievna,
primary school teacher
work experience -32 years
first category
8(47531)68153
c. Nizhnespasskoe
2014
“To direct moral education means to create that moral tone school life which is expressed in the fact that each pupil cares about someone, cares and worries about someone, gives his heart to someone.
V. A. Sukhomlinsky
The problem of spiritual and moral education today is more acute in our society than ever. There are quite a few reasons for this, and one of them is the absolute deilogization of society, the liquidation of the institution of education. More and more people are coming to the understanding that for the spiritual revival of society, only the knowledge provided by traditional education is not enough. In the modern world, the school should be focused not only intellectual, but also civil, spiritual and cultural life student.
The upbringing of a person, the formation of the properties of a spiritually developed personality, love for one's country, the need to create and improve is the most important condition for the successful development of Russia.
The main content of spiritual and moral development, education and socialization are the basic values stored in the socio-historical, cultural, family traditions of the multinational people of Russia, transmitted from generation to generation and ensuring the successful development of the country in modern conditions.
The traditional sources of morality are: Russia, multinational people Russian Federation, civil society, family, labor, art, science, religion, nature, humanity.
Child school age most receptive to emotional and value, spiritual and moral development, civic education. Therefore, in the first years of study, I pay special attention to the formation of such concepts as: good, evil, duty, conscience, honor, dignity, responsibility to society, the meaning of life and happiness, beautiful and ugly.
The formation of the mentality, worldview of the modern rising generation is determined by the comprehension of such ideas as the spirit of the Russian people, the features of the Russian nation, its place in world history, its future word.
Among the remarkable qualities of our people are kindness, spirituality, the absence of national-egoistic interests, generosity, breadth of nature, versatile talents, patience, overexertion in work, freedom, free search for truth, a sense of the Motherland, self-criticism, a heightened awareness of the individual, religiosity.
The best national qualities of the Russian people are the nourishing soil for the moral feeling of the younger generation, the way to acquire the specific properties of the national Russian spirituality.
A great number of names of exponents of the Russian soul are great poets - classics (A. S. Pushkin, F. Tyutchev, M. Yu. Lermontov, L. N. Tolstoy, etc.), and great ascetics, canonized saints (Sergius Radonezhsky, Seraphim of Sorovsky, Joseph Volotsky, Matrona of Moscow, etc.), and great rulers and commanders (Prince Vladimir, Alexander Nevsky, Peter the Great, Suvorov, etc.). Examples of the life and deeds of these people will help students understand the complex and sometimes contradictory world of the Russian soul, make their vital choice, just as our ancestors made it a thousand, five hundred, and fifty years ago.
Mine Classroom hour I dedicated to Alexander Nevsky and Sergius of Radonezh, people who defended Russia in the difficult years of princely civil strife, the Swedish invasion, and the Polish intervention.
Lesson topic:
"Alexander Nevsky and Sergius of Radonezh - the patron saints of the Russian land"
Purpose: fostering a sense of love and respect for past generations, outstanding figures of the Russian people.
Tasks:
- to educate spiritual and moral values in schoolchildren.
- to form feelings of citizenship, patriotism, respect for the historical past, the heroic deeds of our ancestors;
- encourage children to be socially active, to take part in the revival of the greatness and glory of Russia;
- to expand children's ideas about Orthodox traditions.
Equipment: computer, screen, slide presentation.
Progress
From century to century
your clear light
Shines over Russia.
Your image is holy
Lives in the hearts of people.
Teacher. In Russian history there are many worthy personalities that we can be proud of. Every nation tends to honor the memory of its heroes. There is a proverb: "The earth is not worthy without a righteous man."
- Guys, who is called "the righteous"?
A righteous person is a person who lives a right life, has no sins. There are such righteous people on the Russian land, to whom we must treat with special trepidation. The Orthodox Church sacredly preserves the memory of them, compiling the biographies of the holy ascetics. Today we will talk about two great ascetics of the Russian land, these are Alexander Nevsky and Sergius of Radonezh.
Presenter 1. Alexander Nevsky was born on May 30, 1220 in the city of Pereyaslav-Zalessky. His father, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, was a meek, merciful and philanthropic prince. The mother of St. Alexander, Theodosia, a Ryazan princess, had a kind and quiet disposition. When little Alexander was four years old, a ceremony of initiation into the warriors took place. They put the prince on a horse, girded him with a ball, and gave him a bow and arrows in his hands. From that day on, they began to teach him martial arts.
Student.
military science -
How to fight
Art
Beneficial prince
Studied Alexander
From a young age.
Pretty face
Plus, he's broad-shouldered and tall.
Mentally distinguished by nobility.
Presenter 2. But not only did the young prince comprehend military affairs, they also taught him writing and counting. Hegumen Simon explained the Bible and the Gospel to him, read ancient Russian chronicles. And the father instructed to defend the Russian land, to rule over people, to cherish the Orthodox faith, because at that time any Russian prince remained a ruler and a warrior until the end of his days.
Presenter 3. When Alexander was about 20 years old, his father left on business, and left Alexander in Novgorod (where he then ruled). At this time, the ruler of Sweden, Birger, came with a large army to conquer Novgorod. He sent a message to Alexander: “Fight with me if you dare; I'm already on your land." Alexander had a small squad, but he did not wait for help from his father and went on a campaign.
Presenter 1. Prince Alexander gathered his squad and went to pray in the church. Encouraged in spirit, he left the temple and said to his retinue and all the people: "We are few - but God is not in power, but in truth."
On July 5, Russian troops approached the Neva River and struck. The Russian squad pressed the enemy, who could not recover from surprise. The victory was decisive.
Pupil 1. The Swedish camp by the river, He hid behind the fog. Alexander brought the regiments, He hid at night. In the morning, it just dawned, Arrows flew.
Pupil 2. One hundred ships sailed And five thousand troops. Only Russian is not stronger than heroic valor.
Pupil 3. Someone fought with an axOnly armed. Having caused great damage, Fell, slain with a spear. Alexander took Birger in his visor with a spear.
Pupil 4. The hewn tent fell. The knight's flags fell down. Like a fire, the camp caught fire. Someone rode on a horse, onto a Swedish ship. Alexander Nevsky burned the enemy fleet on fire.
Student 5
Presenter 2. For the victory on the Neva River, the people nicknamed Prince Alexander - Nevsky.
At first, the Novgorodians greatly respected their prince, but over time they stopped obeying him, and Alexander Nevsky left for Pereslavl-Zalessky. Meanwhile, an army of German knights was approaching Novgorod. Novgorodians were afraid that the knights would conquer their city, and asked Prince Alexander to protect them. Alexander Nevsky forgave the Novgorodians, because he was very merciful, and went with his squad against the Germans. The decisive battle was on the ice of Lake Peipus. That's what it's called: Battle on the Ice.
And as the frosts recoiled, On an unforgettable April day He boldly met the crusaders On the glorious Lake Peipsi.
Lead 3. On April 5, 1242, at sunrise, the Russian soldiers saw the German army moving towards them in a sharp wedge. The knights crashed into the Russian army, and immediately the Russians tightly surrounded the German wedge. They began to hit the Germans from all sides, the battle order of the Germans was broken. The ice turned red from spilled blood.
Pupil 1. Under the onslaught of damask swords, The vaunted wedge crumbled. The knights rushed back, And the ice cracked into hundreds of ice floes.
Pupil 2. Could not bear the weight of the armor, And the water turned into blood. But first, a chud in animal fur, She ran screaming in all directions.
Disciple 3. And the brave prince, putting his sword into its scabbard, He took off his helmet and said to the army: “No one can defeat us, Kohl Vera with a flame in his eyes!
Disciple 4. For native Orthodoxy, From year to year, from century to century, We will become a tight wall, As long as the Russian people live!
Presenter 1. The German knights were defeated. The Livonian Order was faced with the need to make peace, according to which the crusaders renounced all claims to Russian lands.
Presenter 2. Life was not easy in Russia. At that time, Russia was under the rule of the Mongols - Tatars. And so Prince Alexander was summoned to bow to the Tatar Khan. Saint Alexander Nevsky decided to keep peace with the Mongols, because he understood that any resistance to them at that time could destroy Russia. He decided to endure everything, but save the Russian land. When the noble prince came to the khan, he was ordered to bow to the idols. But Saint Alexander said: "I am a Christian and will not worship them." For such a refusal, the khan usually killed people, but then he received the holy prince Alexander and even later made him a grand duke. From that time until the end of his days, Saint Alexander Nevsky gave all his strength to the Motherland.
Presenter 3. In 1263, on the way from the Khan, the right-believing Prince Alexander died. Before his death, he took monastic vows. When the noble prince introduced himself, Metropolitan Kirill said: “The sun of the Russian land has set!” .
Presenter 1. His death was perceived as a national tragedy. At the funeral, a miracle happened: when they began to put the permissive prayer into the coffin of the deceased, he himself stretched out his hand for her and again folded his arms across his chest. This event marked the beginning of the posthumous veneration of Prince Alexander Nevsky.
Presenter 2. In 1724, by order of Peter I, the relics of Alexander Nevsky were transferred from Vladimir to St. Petersburg, to establish a new capital, founded on the banks of the Neva, where the holy knight glorified Russia with his victories. The relics were installed in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Here they rest to this day, showing miracles through faith and prayers.
The Russians remember the precepts of Prince Alexander and honor him as the great defender of Russia.
Pupil 1. Over Pskov, Novgorod, over the Neva It flies, Prince, now your soul I bow my head before the candle, When I enter your Temple slowly. Disciple 2. Closing my eyes, it seems to me that I hear a mighty voice, I see a slender camp Then, going to your icon in a niche, I strive to understand what is true, what is deceit. Pupil 3. Your Fate is beautiful and cruel, But Russia remembers a short, glorious path, Your difficult path, from which before the deadline, You had to step into immortality.
Presenter 1. One of the most revered Russian saints is Sergius of Radonezh. "Hegumen of the Russian land" - they call him among the people. Hegumen is the abbot of an Orthodox monastery. So, we can say that Sergius of Radonezh is the spiritual mentor of all Russian people.
Presenter 2. St. Sergius was born on May 3, 1314 in the village of Varnitsy near Rostov. His parents were deeply religious people. At baptism he was named Bartholomew. Even as a child, his life was accompanied by miraculous omens. So, already from the first years of his life, Bartholomew surprised everyone with fasting: on Wednesdays and Fridays he did not take mother's milk, and also refused milk on other days if his mother ate meat.
Presenter 3. At the age of seven, Bartholomew was sent to study, but, despite diligent studies, he lagged behind his peers in teaching.
One day the youth met the Elder, And he said: “You are bright in spirit. You will be able to study well and distinguish yourself before God.”
From that moment on, science was given to the lad Bartholomew easily. Therefore, in the Orthodox tradition, the saint is considered an assistant in teaching.
Presenter 1. In 1328, Bartholomew's parents settled closer to Moscow, in the village of Radonezh. After the death of his parents, Bartholomew, together with his brother Stefan, settled near Radonezh in a deep forest. The brothers built a cell and a small church, which was consecrated in honor of the Holy Trinity. This was the beginning of the famous Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
Presenter 2. Bartholomew became a monk with the name Sergius and spent two years alone in the forest, enduring many temptations and dangers.
Student: He became a hermit, a monk; In the forest he fought fear at night, Chasing away demons with prayer, Filling nature with light. Over the years, he took root in the forest, He even made friends with a bear. He was pure in heart, prayed a lot. And this pleased God.
Presenter 3. The fame of the ascetic spread, and people began to come to him seeking salvation in monasticism. Soon, at the request of his disciples, St. Sergius became a priest and abbot of the monastery he founded. Saint Sergius did not leave a single line behind him. He avoided edification, teaching. He taught others by the example of his life.
Leading 1. Before his death, he left the following testament to the brothers: to strictly preserve the purity of the Orthodox faith, maintain unanimity, purity of soul and body, unfeigned love, avoid evil desires, abstain from food and drink, humble your pride, show mercy.
Presenter 3. The Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Sergius of Radonezh on October 8. This is the day the saint died. He died on September 25 (October 8 according to the new style), 1392. After 30 years, his relics and clothes were found incorruptible, which to this day are in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. In 1452, St. Sergius of Radonezh was canonized as a saint.
Our elder with a consecrated life,
For the benefit of the Russian whole land,
Attached to the holy face,
He remained forever in Russia.
Presenter 1. The activity of St. Sergius was of great importance for the Fatherland: he reconciled the warring princes, supported the Moscow princes in the unification of Russia.
Student. Here is Sergius - an old man at the end of days.
Remained in the past feats, shutters.
We take a look at his life
We want to understand what was the main thing in it.
Hard work from dawn to dusk
The way is simple, but clean and harsh,
He built souls and monasteries,
So that the word of God sounded in Russia.
He stretched out a living thread of faith,
To reconcile the princes, to unite
Around Moscow and strike
And throw off the heavy yoke of the Tatars
For a long time there is no old man on earth.
Expanses are shrouded in dawn sleep.
Pupil 2. Sergius of Radonezh blessed Dmitry Donskoy for the Battle of Kulikovo, predicting victory for him.
Pupil 1. And Sergius retired in those hours,
Prayer before the Holy Trinity
He seemed to follow spiritual sight
Behind the course of the greatest battle.
Disciple 2. The temple was filled with light and silence.
Sometimes the elder interrupted prayers -
He named the dead
And those who were wounded were on the battlefield.
Student 3. A terrible moment has come in the battle:
It seemed that the shelves would not withstand
Violent fights and they will be confused,
Enemies of the Russians are again overpowering.
Pupil 4. But after waiting for time to strike on time,
From a small yellowing oak forest,
Slashing enemies left and right
Volynsky led his ambush regiment, -
And fresh forces easily crushed the Mongols,
Those from the battlefield fled in horror.
Presenter 2. For more than six hundred years, Russian Orthodox people have been praying to St. Sergius of Radonezh for themselves and for Russia, asking for help and intercession. His whole life is a model of humility, abstinence, patience, diligence, justice, moral purity and deep faith.
Disciple 1. I bow low to You, Protector of the Russian Land. In a bright prayer, Oh native land, I will unite with you. May the art of high deeds flourish and live, Great Holy Russia will fill the earth with wisdom.
Pupil 2. Holy Russia, Great Power, You are light and wisdom, You are the soul of my Earth. To your sons and daughters Unfading glory, They carried love and the banner of peace, With honor.
Disciple 3. They illuminated the road with a great feat, By their example, Pointing to the truth of the path. They carried the Fire in themselves, They served their people, They came to Earth, To save humanity.
Teacher: So our conversation about great people - Alexander Nevsky and Sergius of Radonezh - has come to an end.
- Guys, what qualities did these people have? Create their verbal portrait.
- And what do you think, what feat did these great saints accomplish?
- What intercession are we talking about? For whom and how can they intercede?
I would like to end our class hour with these words:
So that people of the world, For eternity they searched for the way, In great service they found Light and joy, Filled their hearts with Love, And brought the bright treasures of the soul to the Universe.
Literature:
Zavadskaya E. For the Russian land. / Kid, 1987./
Tikhomirov O.N. Battle on the Neva /Children's Book Center, 1993./
Romanovsky S.T. Alexander Nevsky /Children's Literature, 2010./
Smolnikova E.I. I'm going to class. /Moscow, 2008./
Averyanov K. A. Sergius of Radonezh. Personality and era.
Borisov N. S. And the candle would not go out Historical portrait of Sergius of Radonezh.
Ermakov A. Living Light. St. Sergius of Radonezh and his significance for Russian culture and education
Life of Sergius of Radonezh. Collection of texts about Sergius of Radonezh.
Internet resources.
The personality of St. Sergius of Radonezh, on the one hand, has long been studied and widely known. But, on the other hand, a number of questions are connected with it. For example, what did this saint do if he was already revered during his lifetime, and later generations awarded him the high title of “abbot of all Russia”? Is the monastic path of Sergius different from the feat of the early monks, and if so, what exactly is its uniqueness? And, finally, what influence did the venerable saint of God have on the culture of the North-East of Russia?
Since childhood, we have known the story of how the lad Bartholomew experienced difficulties in learning to read and write, and one day, having run away into the field from the ridicule of his brothers and grief, he begged for help. The Angel of the Lord appeared to him in the form of an old monk and gave the boy a particle of prosphora as a consolation. Having tasted it, the lad miraculously began to understand the Holy Scriptures and soon turned out to be the best student. The prediction of the elder to the parents of Bartholomew, the pious Cyril and Mary, also came true: “Your son will be great before God and people.”
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The prayer book of the Russian land was born in 1314 in the village of Varnitsy * near Rostov the Great, in the estate of the boyars Cyril and Maria. In Rostov, Bartholomew lived with his brothers until the age of 14, then the family moved to Radonezh. After the death of their parents, in a deserted place on Mount Makovets not far from Radonezh, the brothers built a cell for themselves. Having taken monastic tonsure at the age of 23 with the name Sergius, the future saint founded the monastery of the Life-Giving Trinity. This is how the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, now known to the whole world, began, which became the spiritual center of Moscow Russia. Sergius labored there, first with his brother Stefan, and then alone. Monks began to gather at the monastery, and the Reverend himself carried out heavy bodily labors and a prayerful feat. He built cells, carried water, chopped wood, sewed clothes, and prepared food for the brethren. Seeing such humility and diligence, the monks asked St. Sergius to become abbot of the monastery.
Even during his lifetime, having received the gift of miracles, the hegumen of Radonezh resurrected the youth when the desperate father considered his son dead.
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The rumor about a young ascetic living in the Radonezh forests quickly spread throughout Russia, and patients from the most remote places were brought to him.
The Russian land at that time was suffering from the Mongol yoke. Grand Duke Dimitry Donskoy, having gathered an army, came to St. Sergius for a blessing for the battle.
To help the prince, the Monk blessed the monks of the monastery: Andrei (Oslyabya) and Alexander (Peresvet), and predicted victory for the prince. On September 21, 1380, on the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, Russian soldiers defeated the enemy on the Kulikovo field.
One night the saint was praying before the icon of the Most Pure One and suddenly felt that a miraculous visit awaited him. In a moment, the Mother of God appeared, accompanied by the Apostles Peter and John the Theologian.
From the bright light, the Monk Sergius fell on his face, but the Mother of God touched him with her hand and promised to patronize his holy monastery. Having reached a ripe old age, having foreseen his death in half a year, the Monk reposed to God on October 8, 1392, and soon began to be revered by the Trinity monks as a saint.
The relics of St. Sergius were uncovered on July 18, 1422, under St. Abbot Nikon (d. 1426).
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In 1408, when Moscow and its environs were invaded by the Tatar hordes of Edigey, the Trinity Monastery was devastated and burned, the monks, led by Abbot Nikon, took refuge in the forests, preserving icons, sacred vessels, books and other shrines associated with the memory of St. Sergius. In a night vision on the eve of the Tatar raid, St. Sergius informed his disciple and successor of the coming trials and predicted as a consolation that the temptation would not last long and the holy monastery, having risen from the ashes, would flourish and grow even more. Metropolitan Filaret wrote about this in the Life of St. Sergius: “In the likeness of how it was fitting for Christ to suffer, and through the cross and death to enter into the glory of the resurrection, so everything that Christ is blessed for the length of days and glory, like to test his cross and his death." Having passed through a fiery cleansing, the monastery of the Life-Giving Trinity resurrected in the longitude of days, and St. Sergius himself also arose, in order to abide in it forever with his holy relics. Before the start of the construction of a new temple in the name of the Life-Giving Trinity on the site of a wooden one, consecrated in September 1412, the Monk appeared to one pious layman and ordered to inform the abbot and brethren: “Why do you leave me so much time in a tomb, covered with earth, in water, oppressing my body? " And during the construction of the cathedral, when ditches were dug for the foundation, the incorruptible relics of the Monk were opened and worn out, and everyone saw that not only the body, but also the clothes on it were unharmed, although there really was water around the coffin. With a large confluence of pilgrims and clergy, in the presence of the son of Dmitry Donskoy, Prince Zvenigorodsky Yuri Dimitrievich (d. 1425), the holy relics were worn out of the ground and temporarily placed in the wooden Trinity Church (now the Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit is located on that place). During the consecration of the stone Trinity Cathedral in 1426, they were transferred to it, where they remain to this day.
Since then, the memory of the saint has been celebrated on July 18 and October 8.
For 620 years, Russian people have been praying to the miracle worker of Radonezh. The lampadas of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra are glowing, the precepts of the Reverend are honored, many worshipers come to pay homage to his cancer. In the old days, visiting the Trinity (in the city of Sergiev Posad) was considered a sacred duty for everyone.
In 1859, returning from Siberian exile, F.M. Dostoevsky made a detour to look at the Lavra, which he remembered from childhood. In the godless hard times, in 1919, all the monastic brethren were arrested, and the Trinity Cathedral was sealed, then by a decree of the Council of People's Commissars, the "Former Lavra" was turned into a museum. A shooting gallery was set up in the refectory, a dining room and a club in the cells. After the Great Patriotic War The Trinity-Sergius Lavra was revived and for many years remained one of the eighteen monasteries operating in the USSR. The main church of the Lavra, the Trinity Church, where the relics of the Reverend are buried, was painted by outstanding icon painters Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny. For the iconostasis of the cathedral, the famous "Trinity" ** was painted.
In the sacristy of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra there is an image of St. Sergius embroidered with silk (XV century), which cannot be seen without emotion. This is a cover on the shrine of the Reverend, presented to the Lavra by the Grand Duke Vasily, the son of Dimitry Donskoy ... This image shows the depth of sorrow for the Russian land, tormented by the Tatars. With what love this fabric was embroidered by a Russian woman, who probably knew the Reverend!
Traditionally, the saint is written waist-deep or full-length, in monastic vestments, in the left hand of the Reverend is a scroll, with his right he blesses us.
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The image of the Abbot of the Russian land, who for his ascetic life was honored with a visit to the Mother of God, is strict and sublime. “The saint, gray-haired, cross-shaped robe, to the left monks in klobuks and mantles, black robes, undersides of vochra, heads and roofs of gold, a white cross,” says the Reverend in the “Facial Saints” of the 17th century.
The monk is the patron saint of the Russian state.
In the homeland of the Reverend, in the village of Varnitsy, the Trinity-Sergius Monastery was founded back in the 14th century. But in the 30s of the twentieth century, it was wiped off the face of the earth by atheists, and in its place until the 90s of the last century there was a garbage dump.
And a small miraculous icon of Sergius of Radonezh from the plundered monastery was saved by the residents of Varnitsa, and it was passed down from generation to generation, preserved either in the cellar, wrapped in a rag, or in the well during the search of local peasants. When in 1995 the monastery took the Trinity-Sergius Lavra under its care and it began to be restored, this icon, in a form almost not amenable to restoration, was brought by some person to a memorial cross, installed by the brethren of the monastery on the spot where the lad Bartholomew appeared Angel.
A prayer service was served at the cross, and from that hour the revival of the monastery, undergoing all sorts of obstacles: a lack of labor, building materials, food, suddenly went marvelously successful.
Now the Varnitsky Trinity-Sergius Monastery is one of the most significant in the Rostov region, in 2004 an Orthodox gymnasium-boarding school was set up here, where young men from all over Russia study in the senior classes. And again the Reverend, through his saved miraculous image, helps the children in their studies and bestows courage in spiritual warfare.
In the history of Russia there are few people whose personality each era reveals in a new way. One of these eternal figures Russian history you can safely consider Alexander Nevsky. Holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky with scenes from his life. Icon of the 19th century.
The holy prince died on November 14, 1263 in Gorodets and was soon buried in the Nativity Monastery in Vladimir. Almost immediately, long before his all-Russian canonization in 1547, his veneration began in Vladimir-Suzdal Rus. Almost 20 years after his death, the first literary monument appeared, telling about the exploits of Alexander Nevsky. It was "The Tale of the Life and Courage of the Blessed and Grand Duke Oleksandr", the author of which presented his hero as an ideal politician and Orthodox saint.
In full accordance with the hagiographic canon, Alexander is compared with saints, biblical characters and legendary ancient heroes and emperors (the latter is due to the fact that we have before us not a canonical life, but a “story” - a very syncretic genre of ancient Russian literature, freely combining various forms narration). The author of the story characterizes the ideal of princely power, embodied in Saint Alexander: “The prince of blessings in countries - quiet, comforting, meek, modest - is in the image of God, not heeding wealth and not despising the shelter of the righteous, the orphan and the widow, judge the truth, a merciful lover, and not a gold lover, good to his household and those who come from outside the countries feeder." The formula of an ideal ruler is hagiographically abstract, and in the future it was constantly refined depending on when and where the next text about Alexander Nevsky was written.
The sketches of princely virtues are just as vague: he is pious, treats the clergy with respect and lays several churches, accepts the schema before his death, thereby embodying the dream of his life. 
Before us is again a typical picture of the perception of Christianity in Ancient Russia: monasticism was considered the highest degree feat, and almost all believers would like to take monastic vows before death. Not all of these Orthodox are canonized, and therefore the meaning of the religious feat of Alexander Nevsky also changed depending on the era and the authorship of the text in honor of the prince. "The Tale" glorifies its hero as a defender of the "land of Suzdal", who fights against "foreign" Tatars and the Swedish "King of the Roman part".
At the same time, the opposition of Orthodox Catholics in the monument is reflected much more sharply than the opposition of Christians and pagans. For a medieval author who lived in ancient Russia, in the Latin West, or in Byzantium, Christians, helped by God, were only followers of his faith and his views. (Sometimes the opposition between “us” and “them” narrowed even more - the Novgorodians defeated the Vladimirians under the leadership of Andrei Bogolyubsky, thanks to a miracle from the “Sign” icon. Of course, there were also icons in the camp of the Vladimirians, but this did not prevent their opponents from saying that God helped Novgorodians for their fervent prayers). According to the author of the Tale, the rapprochement between the holy prince and the Mongols is more justified, since the pagans do not encroach on the foundations of the faith.
In the 14th-15th centuries, the image of Saint Prince Alexander as an ideal ruler and ascetic began to be used by Novgorodians and Muscovites to achieve their goals. The first was the hardest, because it was necessary to explain the reason for Alexander's quarrel with the Novgorodians and his exile. Through the efforts of the chroniclers, a way out was found.
In the first half of the 14th century, the chroniclers, speaking of the merits of Alexander Yaroslavovich to the lord of Veliky Novgorod, did not deny the existence of a conflict and described the cruel reprisal of the prince over the Novgorodians: “You cut off the nose of one, and took out the eyes of another, who led Vasily to evil; let every evil and evil perish. In this passage we are talking about the advisers of the son of Alexander - Vasily, who provoked him into a conflict with his father. At the same time, even in the early Novgorod chronicles, it is emphasized that the saint did not defend Russia or his lands, but Novgorod, which allowed the chroniclers to take the first step towards turning Alexander into their own saint.
Novgorodians' claims to Alexander were even more pronounced already in the 15th century: all critical references to his reign disappear from the text, and he himself appears before readers as a defender of Novgorod and its orders, who “work a lot for Novgrad and for Pskov and for the whole land of Russian giving your belly”. It was already the swan song of a free city - Moscow was rapidly uniting the Russian lands around itself, and it needed another Alexander Nevsky - an autocrat similar to the Roman and Byzantine emperors.
Alexander becomes the founder of the Moscow Rurik dynasty, he no longer thinks as a specific prince, but as the ruler of all Russia. In this regard, the editing of the Metropolitan's speech over the tomb of the deceased saint is noteworthy. In the Vladimir-Suzdal monuments, the hierarch mourns "the sun of the land of Suzdal." In the texts of the 15th century, created back in Novgorod, but already oriented towards Moscow, Vladyka mourns for the "sun of the Russian land."
In fact, this is already an all-Russian recognition, although at least 50 years remain before the canonization of the saint. Moscow imagines Alexander Nevsky either as an ideal monk (it was during this period that the icon appears not of the prince, but of the schema-monger Alexy), or as a warrior rising from the coffin and helping Dmitry Donskoy defeat Mamai.
18th century icon
During this period, the list of posthumous miracles increased sharply, and Ivan the Terrible was proclaimed the successor of the holy prince. Now, in the monuments, Alexander Nevsky ceases to be the unique ruler of Russia, but begins to consistently “incarnate” first in Ivan IV, and then in Peter I. The imperial consciousness again demanded a change in the image of the main national hero.
This also leads to a shift in emphasis. The main feat of the holy prince is the defense of the Russian land and faith from the Latins. The lyricists no longer make any distinction between Swedes, Germans and Mongols. All of them are now characterized as pagans and opponents of God. Descriptions of Swedes and Germans lose their ethnic features, the main opposition is now built on religious grounds: “The abominations (godless, cursed) Latin came from Western countries» , Batu appears just as damned.
As a result, Alexander receives his main political virtue - the defender of the faith. Around the same time, the holy prince finally enters the world pantheon of ideal rulers. In the "Book of Powers" such a symbolic chain of August - Rurik - Equal-to-the-Apostles Vladimir - Alexander Nevsky is built, and at the end of the list is "our Christ-loving Tsar Ivan."
At the request of Ivan the Terrible, Alexander turns from a defender of Novgorod privileges into a defender of the autocracy, suffering from the treachery of his subjects. In a letter to Prince Andrei Kurbsky, Ivan IV creates the image of a holy prince, completely different from the image of a ruler that was described in Vladimir-Suzdal Russia. From a meek ruler, he becomes a brave and terrible warrior for enemies and traitors.
The evolution of the image was reflected in the icons of that time. Instead of a modest schemnik in the Facial Chronicle, we meet either with a king on a throne, or with a warrior on a horse and in armor, in the western royal crown instead of Monomakh's cap. The last detail was needed in order to show that the Russian tsar is just as powerful a ruler as the invincible Roman emperor, and European monarchs, also descended from Augustus, have nothing to reproach the Russian tsar with a less noble origin.
The final development of the image of Alexander Nevsky as a powerful emperor takes place in the era of Peter's reforms. Having founded the city on the Neva and cut a window to Europe, Peter I desperately needed such a historical figure who would justify all his undertakings with his authority. The holy prince was appointed patron of St. Petersburg and forerunner of Peter. The battle with the Swedes now began to be seen not only as a defense of the faith, but as a return to the original Russian lands. The work begun by Alexander Nevsky was brilliantly completed by Peter the Great, defeating the Swedes.
The best exponent of this idea was the famous Feofan Prokopovich. In a solemn sermon delivered on November 23, 1718, he called Peter the "living mirror" of Alexander. The same idea was also served by the solemn transfer of the relics of the holy prince from Vladimir to St. Petersburg, in memory of which the celebration of September 12 was established. Vladimir passed the baton to the new capital. At the same time, Moscow was simply excluded from the symbolic history, which especially flattered the European emperor, who did not like the former capital. Alexander Nevsky was now entrusted with the duties of the patron of Northern Palmyra, the spiritual center of which was to become the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. 
Ark with particles of the relics of the saint. Photo by Andrey Radkevich
Beginning with Peter I, Alexander Nevsky in the Russian mind was increasingly transformed from an Orthodox righteous man into a Russian hero, a secular saint who gave his life to build an empire and laid the first stones in its foundation. In the future, this image of the defender and creator of the state was increasingly used in our country. The apogee of the secular sanctity of the prince was the film by Sergei Eisenstein "Alexander Nevsky", in which real person In the 13th century there was practically nothing left, although ancient Russian sources were actively used in the script of the film. This on-screen Nevsky, performed by actor Nikolai Cherkasov on long years became a Soviet "icon" of an Orthodox saint.
Andrey Zaitsev
The two greatest figures and the brightest personalities of Russia of the thirteenth-fourteenth centuries are Alexander Nevsky and Sergius of Radonezh. One, as you know, was a monk of the Russian Orthodox Church, who was later canonized. The second is the great commander and prince of Russia, who, together with his army, defended our country from the attack of the Teutonic Order and won the famous battle on Lake Peipsi, called the Battle on Ice. Alexander Nevsky was also later canonized as a saint.
These two saints made a huge contribution to the cultural development of our country, and also defended Russia in every possible way from enemy attacks. Both of them were true patriots and worked tirelessly to make life on Russian land better, laws more just, and people more spiritual, peaceful and just.
Sergius of Radonezh, in the world he was called Bartholomew, grew up an obedient, but not very capable child. He had two brothers - one older, the other younger. And both of them diligently studied and achieved excellent success. Bartholomew was very worried about this, and once in a deaf more often he met an old man who asked why the boy was so sad. Bartholomew told him about his failures in teaching. Then the elder said that the boy prayed to God for knowledge, and he would certainly begin to study better than his brothers and peers. On the motive of this legend, the artist Nesterov painted a picture called "Vision to the youth Bartholomew." And after that, the boy's success in mastering literacy went up sharply. In his declining years, Sergius could be called one of the most educated people of that time.
Since then, the boy Bartholomew began to observe all church fasts and spend a lot of time in prayers and reading church books. Parents did not quite approve of such a passion for their son. Due to the will of circumstances, the family of Bartholomew had to move from Rostov to Radonezh. Here begins a completely different life for his family. Now they need to cope with poverty. The elder brother of Bartholomew took the tonsure and went to the monastery. The saint wanted to do the same, but his parents were against it and said that he could do it only after their death. Bartholomew looked after them to the end, and then followed his brother.
Then the brothers left the monastery and settled in a completely deserted place. Stefan was not long with Bartholomew and soon left him. Bartholomew was left completely alone and soon called the abbot and took the tonsure. He lived a complete hermit, spent much time in prayer and strict fasting, and tirelessly built the monastery of the Holy Trinity. Soon he had disciples who brought to us his life and testimonies of the numerous miracles performed by Sergius of Radonezh.
Alexander Nevsky proved himself to be a wise and just ruler, who in his reign relied primarily on the canons and precepts of the Orthodox Church. So he was the greatest commander who, in one of the most difficult periods in the history of Russia, was able to repel the attack of the enemies of three great empires at once, was able not only not to lose parts of the principality, but also to significantly increase them. His life was filled with feats of arms and incessant struggle for the unity of the Russian people and the unity of faith. In his reign, Alexander Nevsky relied on the clergy and actively helped churches and erected new temples. All this left an indelible mark on history and marked a period of just and productive government. For such an undeniable contribution to the development of Russia and its culture, Alexander Nevsky was canonized as a saint.