in Sergei Eisenstein's famous film an episode with a raven stone.According to ancient legend, he rose from the waters of the lake in moments of danger for the Russian land, helping to smash enemies.So it was in 1242.This date appears in all local historical sources, being inextricably linked to the Battle of the Ice.
We do not inadvertently accentuate your attention on this stone.After all, it oriented historians who are still trying to figure out in what was the Lake Ice.For many professionals, who work with historical archives, still do not know where in fact our ancestors fought with the Teutonic Knights.
official point of view says that the battle took place on the ice of Lake Chud.Today, it is known only that the battle took place on April 5.Year Battle on the Ice - 1242 from the beginning of our era.In the annals of Novgorod and the Livonian Chronicle in general no one matching the details: different and the number of soldiers involved in the battle, and the number of dead and wounded.
Even details of what happened we do not know.We have heard only the information that was defeated on Lake Peipsi, and then in a much distorted, modified form.This is in stark contrast to the official version, but in recent years more and louder voices of those scientists who insist on the full-scale excavation and re archival research.All they want to know not only that, in what was the Lake Battle on the Ice, but also to find out all the details of the event.
official description of the course of the battle
opposing ratification met in the morning.It was in 1242, Lake Chud has not came to light ice.Russian troops have had a lot of shooters who courageously came forward, taking the brunt of the German attack.Notice how that Livonian Chronicle says: "Advertise brothers (Teutonic Knights) infiltrated the shoot ... many dead on both sides fell on the grass (!)."
Thus, the "Chronicle" and the Novgorod manuscript at this point completely agree.Indeed, before the Russian army detachment was light shooters.As it turned out the Germans on his bad experience, it was a trap."Heavy" column of German infantry broke through the ranks of lightly armed soldiers, and went on.We do not just write the first word in quotes.Why is that?This example below.
Russian movable parts quickly surrounded the Germans from the flanks, and then began to destroy them.The Germans fled, and the Novgorod army pursued them about seven miles.It is noteworthy that even in this moment, there are differences in various sources.If we describe the Ice brief, in which case the episode raises some questions.
importance of winning
So, most of the witnesses says nothing about "sunk" knights.Part of the German army was surrounded.Many knights were captured.In principle, it reported 400 dead Germans, with some fifty people were captured.Tschudi same, according to the chronicles, "fell without number."That's all the Ice briefly.
Order took painful defeat.In the same year with Novgorod peace was concluded, the Germans completely abandoned their conquests not only in Russia but also in Letgole.There was even produced a full exchange of prisoners.However, the Teutons tried to retake Pskov after a dozen years.Thus, the year of Battle on the Ice has become an extremely important date, because the Russian government has allowed some calm their belligerent neighbors.
about common myths
Even local history museums in the Pskov region is very skeptical about widespread allegations of "heavy" of the German knights.Ostensibly because of their massive armor, they almost at once drowned in the waters of the lake.Many historians with a rare enthusiasm broadcast the Germans in their armor weighed "three times more" average Russian warrior.
That's just any expert on arms of the era you confidently say that protected the soldiers on both sides were approximately equal.
Armor is not for everyone!
fact that massive armor, which can be found everywhere in the Battle on the Ice miniatures in the history books, appeared only in the XIV-XV centuries.In the XIII century, the warriors wore a steel helmet, chain mail or plate armor (the last were very expensive and rare), limbs wore bracers and leggings.All this weighed twenty kilos maximum.The greater part of German and Russian soldiers had no such protection at all.
Finally, not much point in such a heavily armed infantry on the ice was not in principle.Fought-all on foot, afraid to attack the cavalry was not necessary.So why risk it once again, leaving the thin ice in April this iron?
But the school is exploring the Ice Class 4, but because such subtleties in no just does not go.
water or land?
According to the generally accepted conclusion that made the expedition under the USSR Academy of Sciences (director of CARA), the place of the battle is considered to be a small area of the Warm Lake (Part Chud), which is located at a distance of 400 meters from the modern Cape Sigovets.
almost half a century in the results of these studies there was no doubt.The fact is that while scientists have done a really great job of analyzing not only the historical sources, but also the geology and hydrology of the site.As explained by the writer Vladimir Potresov, who was a direct participant in that same expedition, managed to create "integral vision of the problem."So on what the lake was the Ice?
where a single conclusion - Peipsi.The battle was, and it took place somewhere in those places, only to the definition of the exact location is that there are problems.
What the researchers found?
First of all, they are once again read the chronicle.It said that the slaughter was "on Uzmeni have Voroneya stone."Imagine that you tell your friend how to get to the bus stop, taking advantage of you, and he understood the terms.If the same paraphrase another area resident, he can not understand.We are in the same position.What's Uzmen?What Crow stone?Where is all this all was?
Since then, after more than seven centuries.River changed its bed and in less time!So from the real geographic coordinates are not left anything.If we assume that the battle to some extent actually took place on the ice surface of the lake, then find something becomes even more difficult.
German version
Seeing the difficulty of their Soviet colleagues in the 30s a group of German scientists hastened to declare that the Russian ... invented Battle of the Ice!Alexander Nevsky, they say, just create an image of the winner, in order to make their figures more weight in the political arena.That's just an episode of the battle and told the old German chronicles, so that the battle really was.
have Russian scientists were real verbal battles!Everyone tried to find a place that occurred in the old days of the battle.Everyone called "thereby" section of the site on the west, on the east shore of the lake.Someone argued that the battle took place at all in the central part of the reservoir.With the Ravens were stumbling all the trouble: it took him mountains of small pebbles on the bottom of the lake, then someone saw him in every ledge rock on the banks of the pond.Dispute was a lot, that's just it's not progressed at all.
In 1955, tired of it all, and went on a journey that same expedition.On the shores of Lake Peipsi were archeologists, philologists, geologists and hydrographers, experts in Slavic and German dialects that time, mapmakers.Everyone wondered where was the Battle of the Ice.Alexander Nevsky was here, it is known for sure, that's just where his troops met with apostates?
the complete disposal of the scientists were given a few boats with teams of experienced divers.It worked on the shores of the lake and a lot of enthusiasts, students from local historical societies.So what gave researchers Peipus?Nevsky was here with the army?
Crow Stone
a long time in the environment of Russian scientists view was that Crow's stone - the key to all the mysteries of the Ice.His quest was given special significance.Finally it was discovered.It turned out that it was quite a high stone ledge on the western tip of the island Gorodets.For seven centuries, not too dense rock almost completely been destroyed by wind and water.
At the foot of the stone Raven quickly archaeologists found the remains of the fortifications Russian guard who blocked the passage to the Novgorod and Pskov.So those places contemporaries were really familiar because of their importance.
new contradictions
's just locating such an important landmark in ancient times did not mean to establish the place where the Battle of Lake Peipsi.On the contrary, the flow is always so strong that ice as such there is not in principle.Arrange here Russian battle with the Germans sunk to all, regardless of armor.Chronicler, as usual at that time, just a stone Crow have as nearest landmark that is visible from the battle.
version of events
If we return to the description of the event, which was given at the beginning of this article, then you probably remember the phrase "... many dead on both sides fell on the grass."Of course, "grass" in this case could be an idiom indicating the fact of falling death.But today, more and more historians are inclined to believe that the search for archaeological evidence of the battle should be precisely on the shores of the reservoir.
In addition, at the bottom of Lake Peipsi still have not found any armor.Neither Russian nor Teutonic.Of course, such as the armor, in principle, there was very little (we have already talked about their most expensive), but at least it was supposed to stay!Especially when you consider how much diving dive was made.
Thus, it can be quite a convincing conclusion that the ice under the weight of the Germans, which is not too different from the armament of our soldiers not to breach.In addition, the finding of armor, even at the bottom of the lake is hardly something to prove for sure need to archaeological evidence, as border skirmishes occurred in places permanently.
In general, it is clear on what happened Lake Ice.The question of where exactly was the carnage, still worried about domestic and foreign historians.
Monument landmark battle
monument in honor of this significant event was staged in 1993.It is located in the city of Pskov, is set on the hill Sokoliha.From the theoretical place of the battle monument removed more than a hundred kilometers.This stele is dedicated to "vigilantes Alexander Nevsky."Money collected at her patrons, that in those years was incredibly difficult.And because this monument is still great value for the history of our country.
artistic expression
In the first sentence, we mentioned the film by Sergei Eisenstein, which he took back in 1938.It called the film "Alexander Nevsky".That's just consider this a great (from an artistic point of view) film as a historical benefits just not worth it.Nonsense and obviously inaccurate facts there are present in abundance.
