Neva Battle (1240)

Categories / Army. Navy
NEVA BATTLE (1240) is the name for the battle between Swedish forces and Russian retinue on the Neva River on 15 July 1240. The Swedes tried to capture the mouth of the Neva, Great Novgorod and Russia's only access to the Baltic Sea. The Swedish Army was probably headed by Jarl (Earl) Ulf Fassi (in some sources, Birger, who became a Jarl in 1248, is mentioned). Having entered the Neva, the Swedes camped on the Izhora River's right bank, at the confluence of the Izhora River and the Neva River. The Head of of Izhorskaya Land Pelgusy saw them and informed the Novgorodians. Prince Alexander Yaroslavich secretly approached the Swedish camp with his retinue. It was very misty, and, taking the opportunity, the Russians attacked the Swedes at 11:00, cutting them off from their ships and simultaneously invading the centre of their camp. Only a small part of the Swedish force managed to reach their ships and survive. The Russian success at the Neva Battle was the first blow to the coalition of crusaders attacking Russian lands, and in many respects it prepared Russia for its victory during the German-Danish expansion in 1242, enabling Great Novgorod to maintain access to the Baltic. Prince Alexander was called Nevsky in the 16th century for his courage and military skill. In memory of the Neva Battle, Tsar Peter the Great founded the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in 1710 at the mouth of the Chernaya River (at that time it was mistakenly thought that the battle took place there). In the honour of the victory, a church dedicated to Alexander Nevsky was built in Ust-Izhora; in 1956, a memorial stele was erected there.

Reference: Шаскольский И. П. Борьба Руси против крестоносной агрессии на берегах Балтики в XII-XIII вв. Л., 1978; Князь Александр Невский и его эпоха: Исслед. и материалы. СПб., 1995.

A. I. Razdorsky. Alexander Nevsky, Duke
Birger, Jarl
Peter I, Emperor
Ulf Fassi
Шаскольский И. П. Борьба Руси против крестоносной агрессии на берегах Балтики в XII-XIII вв. Л., 1978
Князь Александр Невский и его эпоха: Исслед. и материалы. СПб., 1995 Alexander Nevsky Lavra
St. Alexander Nevsky Church in Ust-Izhora