About the book: 2014 / "And he was handsome like no one else, and his voice was like a trumpet among the people, his face was like the face of Joseph, whom the Egyptian king appointed as the second king in Egypt, his strength was part of the strength of Samson, and God gave him the wisdom of Solomon, and his courage was like that of the Roman king Vespasian, who conquered the entire land of Judea.” This is probably what an ideal folk hero should be - both in the 13th century, when “The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky” was written, and in the 21st century, when the holy noble prince Alexander was named “The Name of Russia” at an all-Russian competition. Everyone knows about Alexander Nevsky (1221-1263), the commander. 1242, spring, ice-covered Lake Peipsi, Livonian knights in armor from head to toe - terrible and invincible, living by war and for the sake of war. And then - a fierce battle on thin spring ice, and the victory of Alexander’s troops. Familiar images from childhood: Alexander Nevsky - a great warrior who did not lose a single battle, the standard of a commander, an icon of the Russian army. Nevsky the ruler is much less known. But in this field he also had to work hard - to look for and find compromises, to be tough and sometimes cruel, suppressing riots. But cruelty alone at that time made it difficult to remain on the princely throne. Chroniclers and historians note that Alexander’s reign was prudent and far-sighted, and it is no coincidence that his reign in Veliky Novgorod, and then in Kyiv, was called “Great”. Alexander Nevsky also had one more hypostasis - diplomatic. Some sources report on this side of his activities in a somewhat apologetic tone, while some even criticize him: they say he entered into an alliance with the Tatar-Mongols and brought them to Rus'. But in reality, the actions of Nevsky the diplomat meant no less for Rus' than the actions of Nevsky the commander. After all, you cannot blame Prince Alexander for cowardice. So maybe the alliance with the Tatar-Mongols is not a mistake, not a defeat, but a brilliant move by a wise politician and diplomat, capable of agreeing to a difficult but necessary alliance? Prince Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky had to rule and fight during one of the most difficult and turning points in the history of Russia. During his short life, the prince, according to the chronicles, fought at least 12 battles with the Swedes, Germans and other invaders and won all of them. “The preservation of the Russian land,” says the famous historian Sergei Solovyov, “from trouble in the east, famous exploits for faith and land in the west brought Alexander a glorious memory in Rus' and made him the most prominent historical figure in ancient history from Monomakh to Donskoy.” The chronicle tale that has reached us about his exploits says that he was “born of God.” For these and other acts, Alexander Nevsky was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. Streets, alleys and squares are named after Alexander Nevsky. Orthodox churches are dedicated to him, he is the patron saint of St. Petersburg. But at the same time, the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky is a typical example of a historical figure about whom everyone knows, but the amount of this knowledge is very small. Meanwhile, both the prince’s contemporaries and descendants wrote about the great commander and ruler of the Russian land. The testimonies of contemporaries and the works of famous historians collected in this book, as well as numerous illustrations, will help the reader to better learn not only about the Grand Duke Alexander Yaroslavich himself, but also about what happened in the middle of the 13th century - in one of the most difficult periods of Russian history. Electronic publication of the publication includes the full text of the paper book and a selected part of the illustrative material. And for true connoisseurs of gift editions, we offer a classic book. Like all publications in the “Great Commanders” series, the book is provided with detailed historical and biographical comments; the text is accompanied by hundreds of rare illustrations from Russian and foreign sources, many of which the modern reader will become familiar with.