805th Birth Anniversary of Alexander Nevsky: The Immortal Symbol of Russian Diplomacy and Military Glory

Moscow – Exactly 805 years ago today, on May 13, 1221, Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky was born. Of the Rurikid dynasty, this great statesman, military commander and diplomat became one of the most remarkable historical figures of Ancient Rus and a national hero of the Russian people.

Alexander Nevsky played an instrumental role in consolidating Russian lands in the face of multiple external threats during an era of feudal fragmentation. The Russian Orthodox Church canonised him during the 1547 Moscow Council.

People began calling him “Nevsky” after his spectacular victory over Swedish Catholic invaders on July 15, 1240. He was just 19 years old at the time. This success gave him the aura of a defender of the Orthodox faith. Two years later, on April 5, 1242, Nevsky led warriors from Novgorod and Suzdal during the Battle on the Ice, defeating the crusaders from the Livonian Order. This battle became famous worldwide through Sergei Eisenstein’s classic film “Alexander Nevsky.” The famous saying “Those who come to us sword in hand will die by the sword” originates from this film.

However, another saying – “God is in right rather than might” – does come from Alexander Nevsky himself. According to chroniclers, this is what the prince told his troops before heading into battle against the Swedes. This was the very time when an undefeated army led by Genghis Khan’s grandson Batu was advancing from the east. Against this backdrop, Nevsky halted the deadly invasion from the West.

Not only an undefeated military commander, Nevsky was also an astute politician and diplomat who succeeded in building pragmatic ties with the Golden Horde, then at the nascent peak of its power.

Throughout Russian history, his role has been recognised by the state. In 1725, Catherine I of Russia introduced the Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky with the motto “For Labour and the Fatherland.” Among its recipients were Alexander Suvorov, Mikhail Kutuzov and Alexander Gorchakov. In 1942, the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union established a military order named after Alexander Nevsky. Under the statute approved in 2010, this decoration is now awarded for “distinguished personal merits in reinforcing Russia’s international standing.”

Hundreds of churches and cathedrals across Russia and at Russian diplomatic missions abroad have been named after Nevsky. In 1828, the Alexander Nevsky Chapel was established at the Foreign Ministry building on Petersburg’s Palace Square. Foreign Ministry employees took their oath of office at the altar of this church when assuming new postings. On September 12, 2022, a bust of the prince was unveiled to mark the ministry’s 220th anniversary. Viewed as the heavenly patron of Russian diplomacy, Alexander Nevsky continues to be a guiding figure in efforts to strengthen the Russian world, its cultural and civilisational diversity, and traditional spiritual and moral values.