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Introduction.

Every nation has its own national heroes who are loved, honored and remembered. Legends, songs, tales are written about them. Their names remain for centuries, and their moral character is not only not erased in the memory of their descendants, but, on the contrary, becomes brighter and lighter over time. Those of them, whose life was illuminated with an aura of holiness, and whose deeds and service to the people were pleasing to God, are even more revered on Earth. People turn to them for help in difficult years of trials. Such a national hero people's defender, a sacred person in the history of our country, in the people's memory was and remains the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky. He courageously and victoriously fought against Western enemies, prudently and intelligently protected his people from the predatory Tatars. Among the difficult princely affairs, the pious prince did not forget his Christian duties: he helped widows and orphans, to the common people, he donated a lot of silver and gold to the Horde, and redeemed many unfortunates from the grave Tatar captivity.

This year, in literature lessons, we became acquainted with “The Tale of the Life and Courage of Alexander Nevsky.” Previously, I knew about this man only as a brave warrior who won the battle on the Neva and Lake Peipsi. And he was completely unaware that the Russian Church had canonized him. I wanted to know more about this person, but my literature teacher did not help me with this. For me, this topic is relevant, because... I know that the personality of Alexander Nevsky to this day is a model of courage and fearlessness for many generations of Russians.

This is how our project was born, target which is to see through the text of “The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky” the image of Alexander as his contemporaries knew and perceived him.

Tasks:

Study the text of “The Tale of the Life and Courage of the Noble and Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky.”

To identify how the features of a military story and the hagiographic genre are combined in “The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky.”

Analyze the means of verbal expression in “The Tale...” and identify those with the help of which the 13th century author recreates the personality of Alexander Nevsky.

Object of study - “The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky”

Subject of research - speech characteristic main character of “The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky”, text of the work.

2. Main part

2.1 Features of a military story and the hagiographic genre in “The Tale of the Life and Courage of the Blessed and Grand Duke Alexander”

First of all, we need to understand what genres are.

“Literary genre (from the French genre - genus, type) is the form in which the main types of literature are realized: epic, lyricism and drama, characterized by certain general plot and stylistic features. There are different genres of literary fiction: in epic - novel, story, short story, essay, fairy tale, epic, etc.; in lyric poetry - poem, ode, elegy, etc.; in drama - tragedy, comedy, drama, etc. Each literary genre. l. characterized by a certain “genre content” (theme, issues, scope of the depicted world)”

“In ancient Russian literature, a system of genres was determined, within the framework of which the development of original Russian literature began. Genres in ancient Russian literature were distinguished according to slightly different characteristics than in the literature of modern times. The main thing in their definition was the “use” of the genre, the “practical purpose” for which this or that work was intended.

Chronographs told the history of the world; about the history of the fatherland - chronicles, monuments of historical writing and literature Ancient Rus', the narrative in which was conducted by year. They narrated the events of Russian and world history. There was an extensive literature of moralizing biographies—the lives of saints, or hagiography.”

As we see, ancient Russian literature developed its own specific genres: prayer, parable, life, teaching, story, military tale, word, circulation, chronicle, which includes small genre forms - tales, instructions and legends.

As the title suggests, “The Tale of the Life and Courage of the Blessed and Grand Duke Alexander” is a synthesis of two genres - the life and the military story. Let's consider genre features each of them. Life - a description of the life of a saint. In ancient Russian literature, the image of Christ was put forward as a model of human behavior. The hero of the life follows this pattern in his life. The Life, as a rule, describes how a saint becomes such by going through a series of trials.

As a rule, the life reports on the main events of the life of the saint, his Christian deeds (pious life, martyrdom, if any), as well as special evidence of the divine grace with which this person was noted (these include lifelong and posthumous miracles)

The lives of saints are written according to special rules (canons):

it is believed that the birth of a child marked by grace most often occurs in the family of pious parents; most often a saint with early years leads a strict, righteous life; in the process of his life, the saint gains wisdom, goes through a series of temptations and defeats them; the saint could predict his death because he felt it; after death his body remained incorruptible.

Military story - genre ancient Russian literature, common in the 11th–17th centuries. The basis of the military story is the image historical event associated with the heroic struggle of the people against external enemies. The patriotic pathos of the narrative is combined with a journalistic assessment of what is happening, epicness with excited lyricism. The central character of a military story is usually real historical figure, presented as the ideal Christian warrior. How did it happen that the features of two genres were combined in one work? I learned that the genre of hagiography began to develop during the era of the beginning of the Mongol-Tatar yoke. The heroes of the works were not only saints, apostles, martyrs, but also people who defended Rus' and the faith from infidel enemies. “The Tale of the Life and Courage of the Blessed and Grand Duke Alexander” appeared around 1283, its author is unknown, but it is known that it was written in the Nativity Monastery. This work was created even before the canonization of Alexander Nevsky and was originally a secular biography. Perhaps because of this ambiguity, the life combined two genres - life and military tale.

Compositionally, the work has a hagiographic macrostructure - it consists of 3 parts. The first part is an introduction (self-deprecation is used, the author says that he knew Nevsky as an adult, that he writes with a pure soul). The second part is the central part. The episodes of the central narrative in the life are connected chronologically and represent the most important, from the point of view of the creator of the work, actions of Alexander: the liberation of Koporye and Pskov from the Germans; The Battle of the Ice, the story of which is presented in the form of a military story of an informative type, and the description of the battle is given in military formulas; the prince’s trip to Batu at his request, information about which is legendary; revival of the land after the invasion of Nevruy; refusal to receive Roman ambassadors who wanted to teach the prince their faith. The third part is the conclusion. The last part of the narrative consists of a story about the death of Alexander during his return from his second trip to the Horde, a message about the farewell of the Suzdal people to him, the words of Metropolitan Kirill, who called the prince “the sun of the Suzdal land,” and a miracle with a “spiritual letter” that occurred at the time of burial.

As we can see, in its artistic appearance, “The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky” differs from previous works of the genre in its pronounced combination of features of a military story and life.

2.2. The image of Alexander Nevsky in “The Tale of the Life and Courage of the Noble and Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky”

“The Tale...” was written in the Nativity Monastery in Vladimir, where the prince was buried. According to the assumption of D. S. Likhachev, the author of this work was a Galician scribe, and the time of the appearance of the “Tale” should be attributed to the period between 1263 - 1280.

Compilation full biography Prince Alexander was not part of the author’s tasks. The content of the life is a brief summary of the main, from the author’s point of view, episodes of his life, which allow us to recreate the heroic image of the prince, preserved in the memory of his contemporaries: the prince - a warrior, a valiant commander and an intelligent politician.

“I, pitiful and sinful, narrow-minded, dare to describe the life of the holy Prince Alexander, son of Yaroslav, grandson of Vsevolodov. Since I heard from my fathers and myself witnessed his mature age, I was glad to tell about his holy, honest, and glorious life,” - this is how the author of “The Tale” begins his leisurely narrative. The author maintains the traditional introduction and begins the main part with a mention of Alexander’s pious parents, as was customary.

The Novgorod hero was of the same name as Alexander the Great, similar to the “king” Achilles, as well as the biblical heroes Joseph, Samson, Solomon, and the Roman emperor Vespasian: “His face is like the face of Joseph, whom the Egyptian king made the second king in Egypt, and 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.”

But if each of them was distinguished mainly by one trait (strength, beauty, wisdom, courage), then the personality of Prince Alexander was reflected all the best qualities of a person: strength, beauty, wisdom, courage. It is very rare for a person in power to possess these qualities. Before us is the prince - Prince to all princes

The author, emphasizing the wisdom of Alexander Nevsky, gives another argument: “One of the eminent men of the Western country, one of those who call themselves servants of God, came, wanting to see the maturity of his strength... So this one, named Andreas, having seen Prince Alexander, returned to his own people and said: “I went through countries and peoples and did not see such a king among kings, nor a prince among princes.”

In the personality of the prince, despite his high position, we observe amazing qualities of character. It is known that a person’s character is formed through trials. And then the actions in “The Tale...” unfold, as the canon defines, from episodes reflecting the most significant exploits of the main character.

The first and most important fragment is the story of Alexander’s battle with the Swedes on the Neva. The motivation for the events is legendary in nature and is associated with the characterization of the hero mentioned above. The author tells the story of a certain Andreyash, a foreigner, who, having seen Alexander Yaroslavich, praised him in his country. Then the king of this country decided to measure his strength with him and went to war against him. The enemy is full of confidence in his abilities: “he has gathered great strength,” “burning with the military spirit,” “intoxicated with madness,” he sends ambassadors to Alexander with the words: “If you can, defend yourself, for I am already here and am destroying your land.”

And the prince at that time had a small squad, and there was nowhere to expect help. But there is a strong faith in God’s help. Alexander went to the Church of St. Sophia, “fell on his knee before the altar and began to pray to God with tears.” “He remembered the psalm song and said: “Judge, O Lord, and judge my quarrel with those who offend me, overcome those who fight with me.” Having finished the prayer and received the blessing of Archbishop Spiridon, the prince, strengthened in spirit, went out to his squad. Encouraging her, instilling courage in her and infecting her with his own example, Alexander said to the Russians:“God is not in power, but in righteousness.” With a small squad, Prince Alexander met the enemy, fought fearlessly, knowing that he was fighting for a just cause, defending his native land. We see the courage of Alexander, who has only just turned 20 years old. Already in this episode he appears before us as a warrior-commander.

At the same time, in this part there is an element characteristic of that era, to a greater extent, not of a military story, but of a life - the vision of Boris and Gleb to the warrior Alexander Peluga, which foreshadows victory in a future battle: “He stood on the seashore, observing both paths , and spent the whole night without sleep. When the sun began to rise, he heard a strong noise on the sea and saw one boat floating on the sea, and standing in the middle of the boat were the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb in red robes, holding their hands on each other’s shoulders. The rowers sat as if covered in darkness. Boris said: “Brother Gleb, tell us to row, and let us help our relative Prince Alexander.” Seeing such a vision and hearing these words of the martyrs, Pelugui stood trembling until the attack disappeared from his eyes.”

Alexander asked not to tell anyone about this; we see that the prince appears in this fragment as a wise ruler. “And he decided to attack the enemies at six o’clock in the afternoon. And there was a strong battle with the Romans; He beat countless enemies and wounded the king himself in the face with his sharp spear.” In this episode the prince- experienced commander. He is decisive, quick-witted, dexterous . Then the author dwells on the exploits of six Novgorod warriors of Alexander, calling each by name and talking about his deeds. Such a prince and warriors are miracle heroes. Mutual understanding and unity lead the Russians to victory.

Along with the specific description of events characteristic of a military story, an element characteristic of hagiographies also appears in this part - a story about a miracle beyond the Izhora River, where the Swedes stood, where Russian soldiers could not pass and where after the battle they found many enemies “killed by the angel of the Lord "

Thus, this fragment of “The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky” as a whole represents a military story of an event-narrative type, interspersed with two “small genres” that were widely used in lives: vision and miracle.

The battle on Lake Peipsi with the German knights on April 5, 1242 is depicted in the traditional manner of military stories: “And there was a cruel slaughter, and there was a crackling sound from breaking spears and a ringing sound from the blows of swords, and it seemed that a frozen lake had moved, and no ice was visible, for it was covered with blood."

In fact, Alexander showed extraordinary military leadership talent in this battle, unraveling the tactical plan of his enemies.

From Pskov to the north lies Pskov Lake, and even further north lies Lake Peipus. They are connected by a wide channel. The Crusaders are located to the west of the lakes. Alexander decided to move back and build his regiments between the lakes. Here, on the snow-covered ice, the crusaders must accept Alexander's challenge. The entire army is built in the form of a wedge: its tip is knights dressed in armor, knights are on the sides of the wedge, and inside this movable armor is infantry. Alexander's army was mostly on foot. And Alexander decided: the middle regiment would consist of militia - townspeople and villagers, armed with spears, axes, knives; experienced warriors, well-armed, will stand on the flanks, and horse squads will also be stationed there. The wedge will easily crush the middle regiment. The knights will consider that the main job has already been done, but at this time they are attacked from the flanks by powerful warriors. Behind the middle regiment, Alexander ordered to place a sleigh on which weapons, armor and food were carried. Behind the sleigh, behind this artificial barrier, a shore began, strewn with large boulders - a natural barrier. Between stones and sleighs, you can’t even ride a horse. But a militiaman, dressed in light armor, will act deftly among obstacles. This is how Alexander Nevsky prepared victory for his army.

In this battle, more useful than personal example was the timely order of the commander. Alexander gave the sign to the regiments of his right and left hands to enter the battle. Mounted warriors attacked the enemy from the rear. Russian soldiers pulled the knights huddled together from their horses. The spring ice broke under the weight of those fighting, the knights drowned in holes and gaps. To the opposite bank of the channel, the ice was strewn with the bodies of enemies. Thus ended the battle. Already in the summer, ambassadors from the order arrived in Novgorod and asked Alexander eternal peace. Peace was concluded. They say that it was then that Alexander uttered words that became prophetic on Russian soil: “Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword!”

This battle brought him glory: “And his name became famous in all countries, from the Khonuzh Sea and to the Ararat Mountains, and on the other side of the Varangian Sea and to the great Rome.” The fame of Alexander Nevsky began to spread throughout all countries. All his battles and victories were only in the name of saving the Russian people.

The prince appears before us not only as a warrior - a prince. From the “Tale...” we learn that “ great Alexander He erected churches, rebuilt cities, gathered people who had been dispersed into their homes. Isaiah the prophet said about such people: “A good prince in countries is quiet, friendly, meek, humble - and in this way he is like God.” Without being seduced by wealth, without forgetting the blood of the righteous, he judges orphans and widows with justice, is merciful, kind to his household and hospitable to those who come from foreign countries. God helps such people, for God does not love angels, but in his generosity he generously gifts people and shows his mercy in the world.” A wise ruler stands before us - friendly, caring, merciful. The glorification of Alexander, the defender of Orthodoxy, is dedicated in the life of the story about the arrival of papal ambassadors to Rus'. Alexander rejects their offer to accept Catholicism, and in this the author of the life sees the triumph of the national policy of the Russian prince.

After completing a feat of arms in the battle with the West, he had to accomplish the feat of humility before the power of the East. “Alexander Nevsky could, showing special organizational and diplomatic abilities, concede more strong enemy to save your people from needless sacrifices."

The author of “The Tale...” succinctly reports about the decision taken Alexander Nevsky to go to the Horde and ask the khan to free Russian soldiers from participating in the campaigns of the Tatar troops: “In those days there was great violence from non-believers, they persecuted Christians, forcing them to fight on their side. The great prince Alexander went to the king to pray for his people from this misfortune.”

Batu releases Alexander: “And King Batu saw him, and was amazed, and said to his nobles: “They told me the truth, that there is no prince like him.” Having honored him with dignity, he released Alexander.” The author tells us that on the way from the Horde the prince fell ill. But before writing about his death, he pours out his feelings in a sorrowful exclamation: “Oh woe to you, poor man! How can you describe the death of your master!” . The story ends with a “wonderful” and “memorable” miracle that happened during the prince’s burial. When the Metropolitan wanted to place a spiritual letter in the prince’s hand, Alexander, as if alive, extended his hand and took it himself.

The final part of the “Tale...” includes the genre of lamentation. The story, having reported the death of the prince, ends with the traditional lament of the people, the author.

Having carefully read the “Tale...” we found in the text episodes demonstrating Prince Alexander, on the one hand, as a glorious commander, on the other, as a righteous (living in truth, fulfilling Christian commandments) ruler. In our opinion, the purpose of this work is to glorify the courage and bravery of Alexander, to give the image of an ideal Christian warrior, defender of the Russian land.

Many of the mentioned character traits of Alexander Nevsky are more appropriate in a military story than in a life, since they emphasize the worldly, rather than religious virtues of Alexander: courage, determination, leadership, strength and bravery in battle, care for his people - and only then hope to the rescue higher powers, loyalty to Orthodoxy. In other words, main character Life acquires features characteristic of the image of a positive hero-prince in military stories, at the same time, the main way of depicting him remains the idealization characteristic of Life.

According to I.P. Eremin, Alexander “appears before us in the image of either a king-military leader of biblical antiquity, or a brave knight of a book epic, or an iconographic “righteous man.” This somewhat motley stylistic outfit, in which the author of the life sometimes dresses his hero, is another enthusiastic tribute on his part. of blessed memory the late prince"

2.3 Language features"Tales of the Life of Alexander Nevsky"

The personality of Alexander Nevsky made a charming impression on everyone who saw him. The secret of his charm lay not only in his wisdom, courage, external beauty, but also into something higher, which irresistibly attracted him.

The very first characteristic of Alexander Nevsky is given in the title of the work. “The Tale of the Life and Courage of the Blessed and Grand Duke Alexander” already contains two epithets. What is the meaning of the word "blessed"? This word, as we see, consists of two bases - “good” and “faith”. Good is goodness, well-being, therefore, “believer” is faithful to good, faithful to something good.

At the very beginning of the “Tale...”, characterizing the hero, the author resorts not to description, but to the comparative method: his image is created using numerous comparisons. Alexander Nevsky is compared with various biblical heroes of the Old Testament - rulers who were the embodiment of the best human qualities - beauty, wisdom, strength, courage.

The language of the “Tale...” is very interesting; metaphors can be found in it: “the lake covered itself and moved.” This trope allows you to more clearly understand how many warriors there were during the battle on Lake Peipsi. The image of the prince, who “inflamed his heart” from the invasion of the enemy, “intoxicated with madness,” allows us to more clearly characterize Alexander Nevsky. Epithets serve the same purpose: “about his holy, honest, and glorious life”, “wonderful miracle”, the piety of the protagonist is also emphasized with the help of this trope. Alexander had “great faith in the holy martyrs.” Paraphrase also gives full description To Alexander Nevsky: “Metropolitan Kirill said: “My children, know that the sun has already set on the land of Suzdal!”

Creating a biography of his contemporary long before his canonization, the author of “The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky” used as a model the tradition of lives - the only Old Russian genre, who gave a biography of the hero. But real life, which he described, required the use of literary forms and means characteristic of the widespread and well-known genre of the author - the military story. That is why there are so many descriptions of battles, battles, and in them, naturally, Alexander Nevsky is also described. These, again, are epithets. Alexander gathered a strong army, where “there were many brave warriors,” they were filled with “the spirit of war.” And the comparison undoubtedly shows their courage: “for their hearts were like the hearts of lions.”

Undoubtedly, there is also the influence of military style, revealed in military formulas used in battle paintings: “The battle was cruel, and there was a crackling sound from breaking spears and a ringing sound from the blows of swords, and it seemed that a frozen lake had moved, and no ice was visible, for it was covered blood." Among the tropes we can highlight the hyperbole: “it was covered in blood.” The commander himself does not lag behind his soldiers, but seems to surpass them: “Alexander cut them down, driving them as if through the air, and they had nowhere to hide.” Thus, with the help of comparison, the author emphasizes the chosenness of the warrior-prince by God. And now in front of us bright image prince - protector, commander, warrior, saint.

The multi-union gives the narration a leisurely, lengthy battle over time: “Prince Alexander prepared for battle, and they went against each other, and Lake Peipus was covered with a multitude of these and other warriors.” “And there was a cruel slaughter, and there was a crash from breaking spears and a ringing from the blows of swords, and it seemed that a frozen lake was moving, and no ice was visible, for it was covered with blood.”

The rhetorical question is also found in the “Tale...”: “That king, having heard about such glory and courage of Alexander, sent ambassadors to him and said: “Alexander, do you know that God has conquered many nations to me. Well, you don’t want me alone.” submit?

Emotional tension reaches highest point at the end of the life with the help of a rhetorical exclamation: “Oh, woe to you, poor man! You cannot describe the death of your master! How can your eyes not fall out together with tears! How can your heart not break from bitter sadness! A man can forget his father, but he cannot forget a good sovereign; he would be ready to go to the grave with him alive!”

As we found out, the description of the valor of Prince Alexander and his squad does not leave readers indifferent. Promote depth of perception artistic techniques, used by the author (epithets, comparisons, metaphors, hyperboles, polyunions, opposition, rhetorical exclamations and rhetorical exclamations).

At the same time, the narrative is replete with biblical analogies, quotes, and literary parallels. The author constantly reminds the prince of heavenly protection, trying to show that “God looks upon such people.” The idea of ​​the sacredness of princely power determines the features artistic structure biography of Alexander Nevsky.

Military formulas, Church Slavonicisms and living language are used by the author together, which is undeniable genre originality works.

3. Conclusion

“The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky” dates back to the 80s of the 13th century. The very title of the work defines its specificity: “The Tale of the Life and Courage of the Blessed and Grand Duke Alexander” is a story about life, the main content of which was the feats of “bravery.” This work is a princely biography, combining the features of a life and a military story.

It opens with “glory” to the hero and ends with a cry for Alexander Nevsky. An eyewitness to those events is a kind of “portrait” of Alexander Nevsky.

Biblical comparisons and analogies have become one of the main elements artistic system“Tales...”, the actions of the prince are interpreted in comparison with biblical history, and this gives the biography a special majesty and monumentality. Constant comparisons and references to David, Hezekiah, Solomon, Joshua and Alexander himself elevate him to a biblical hero. Indications of help from above (the appearance of Boris and Gleb Pelgugiy before the Battle of the Neva, the miraculous deliverance from the Swedes by angels across the Izhora River, the help of God's regiment in the battle on Lake Peipus) convince Alexander of the special patronage of divine powers.

The very structure of “The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky” is a work of a complex nature: independent military stories are introduced as two episodes into the central hagiographic part, and they include genres characteristic of hagiographies - visions and miracles.

In the style of “The Tale...” there is also a place for the unusual - military formulas and living language are used by the author together, which is also a genre uniqueness of the work. And Biblical memories are combined with Russian historical tradition, literary traditions- with real observations of the battle. All this gives “The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky” as literary work unique character.

Lifetime achievements are not all that the image of the Grand Duke is famous for. Prince Alexander was destined to find a second, afterlife. His name became a symbol of military valor. The aura of holiness that surrounded the prince made it possible to expect heavenly intercession from Nevsky. In 1547, he was included in the number of saints whose memory was celebrated in all churches of the Russian Church without exception. In 1724, the holy relics, by order of Peter I, were installed in the Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, where they now rest.

Conclusions:

1. We studied the text of “The Tale of the Life and Courage of the Noble and Great Alexander Nevsky.” The author of the “Tale...” similarly spoke about three exploits: the battle on the Neva with the Swedes (1240), the Battle of the Ice with the Germans on Lake Peipsi (1242), and the trip to the Horde.

We see that the first exploits of Alexander Nevsky are abusive, and the third is associated with self-sacrifice. Alexander Nevsky went to Khan Batu to pray that the Tatars would not force Russian people to carry out military service.

2. We found out that the “Tale...” combines elements of two genres - hagiography and military tale. Elements of life: the author’s self-abasement, pious parents, the image of a Christian is drawn (he refused Catholicism, pious addition), elements of the miraculous, lamentation at the death of the hero, an abundance of quotations and correlations from the Bible.

Elements of a military story: a story not of the prince’s entire life, but only of military victories, stable formulas are used to describe military actions, exaggeration of the hero’s physical qualities, glorification of his strength.

3. We found the answer to the question: what is remarkable about the image of Alexander Nevsky? In this we were helped by the “Tale...”, written by a person who personally knew this hero, who himself witnessed his mature age and is happy to tell “about his holy, honest, and glorious life.” The Tale glorifies Alexander as a commander and warrior, ruler and diplomat.

4. We analyzed the means of verbal expression in “The Tale...” and identified those with the help of which the 13th century author recreated the personality of Alexander Nevsky. The depth of perception is facilitated by the artistic techniques used by the author (epithets, comparisons, metaphors, hyperboles, polyunion, opposition, rhetorical exclamations and rhetorical exclamations).

4. References:

Big Soviet encyclopedia A military story. - [Electronic resource]. - Access mode. - https://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/bse/

Gumilyov L. N. Search for a fictional kingdom: (The Legend of the “State of Prester John”). - M., Nauka, 1970.

Eremin I.P. Life of Alexander Nevsky. In the book: Fiction Kievan Rus XI-XIII centuries / Comp. lane and note I. P. Eremina and D. S. Likhachev. M., 1957, p. 354-356;

Genres of Old Russian literature. - http://licey.net/free/

Genre originality of “The Life of Alexander Nevsky”. No. 24.- [Electronic resource].- Access mode.- https://studopedia.ru/nevskogo

The life and exploits of Alexander Nevsky. 3 exploits of Alexander Nevsky - [Electronic resource]. - Access mode. - http://fb.ru/article/

Kargalov V.V. Generals of the X - XVI centuries. -M.: DOSAAF, 1989.

Lurie Ya. S. Generalization of the chronicle of the XIV-XV centuries / Rep. ed. D. S. Likhachev. - Science, 1976

Dictionary literary terms S.P. Belokurova 2005- [Electronic resource]. -Access mode. - http://enc-dic.com/litved/Zhanr-literaturn-383

Application

Temple-chapel in the name of the blessed prince Alexander Nevskyin Voronezh

A life is dedicated to Alexander Nevsky as a wise statesman and great commander. This work was written in the Nativity Monastery in Vladimir, where the prince was buried. His role in the history of Rus' is that he led the fight against the German-Swedish invaders.

In 1240, Swedish knights invaded the northwestern lands of Rus'. They entered the Neva River on ships and stopped at the mouth of its tributary, Izhora. With a small retinue, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich attacked the enemy on June 15, 1240 and won a brilliant victory. Hence Alexander’s nickname - Nevsky.

In 1241-1242, he led the fight against the troops of Lithuanian knights who captured the Pskov and Novgorod lands. On April 5, 1242, a decisive battle took place on the ice of Lake Peipus, ending in the defeat of the enemies and going down in history as the “Battle of the Ice.”

Alexander Nevsky was an outstanding diplomat. Realizing the futility of military actions against the Golden Horde in the circumstances of that time, he maintained peaceful relations with the khan, pursued a policy of unifying northeastern and northwestern Rus' and strengthening the grand ducal power. The prince traveled to the Golden Horde several times, and even managed to achieve the release of the Russians from the obligation to supply troops to the Tatars.

The hagiographical story about Alexander Nevsky was supposed to show that, despite the subjugation of the Russian principalities to the Mongol-Tatars, there remained princes in Rus' whose courage and wisdom could resist their enemies. Even Batu recognized the greatness of Alexander.

The author of the life knew the prince and witnessed his state affairs and military exploits. Scientists believe that the life was written by Metropolitan Kirill. The narrator’s feeling of living sympathy for Alexander, admiration for his military and government activities determined the special sincerity and lyricism of the narrative.

The characteristics of the prince in his life are very diverse. On the one hand, he is full of church virtues - quiet, meek, humble, on the other hand, he is a courageous and invincible warrior, swift in battle, selfless and merciless towards the enemy. This is how the ideal of a wise prince, ruler and brave commander is created.

Thus, in the battle on the Neva, “he firmly believed in the help of the saints and martyrs Boris and Gleb,” whose faces appeared in a vision to the elder of the land of Izhora, Pelguy, sent on patrol. In a ship sailing on the sea, Pelguy saw Boris and Gleb “in scarlet robes, holding their hands on each other’s shoulders, and the rowers sat as if dressed in darkness. And Boris said: “Brother Gleb, tell us to row, and let us help our relative, Prince Alexander "" 1. Inspired by this vision, the prince decided to attack the enemy with a small army. “And there was a strong battle with the Romans (Swedish knights); he beat countless enemies and wounded the king himself in the face with his sharp spear” 2.

In the episode dedicated to the battle on the Neva, it tells about six heroes who distinguished themselves in the battle, who “fought without fear in their souls.” “Here, in Alexander’s regiment, six brave and strong men appeared, who fought hard with him. One, Gavrilo, nicknamed Aleksich; seeing the king, who was being dragged by the arms, he attacked the ship, rode along the plank all the way to the ship, and they ran everyone from him, then turned around and from the board on which they boarded the ship, they threw him and his horse into the sea; with the help of God, he got out of the sea unharmed and again attacked them and fought hard with the commander himself among their regiments. a Novgorodian named Zbyslav Yakunovich; this one attacked enemies more than once, without fear in his heart and fighting with only an ax, and many fell from his ax; Prince Alexander Yaroslavich marveled at his strength and courage. The third was Yakov, a Polotsk native. the prince's hunter; this one attacked the enemy regiment with a sword and fought bravely, and the prince praised him for this. The fourth, a Novgorodian named Misha, was on foot and with his squad sank three ships of the Romans. named Savva; this one ran into the large golden-domed royal tent and cut down the tent pillar; The Alexandrov regiments were very happy when they saw how this tent fell apart. The sixth of the prince’s servants is named Ratmir; On foot he was surrounded by enemies, and from many wounds he fell and died."

The life also depicts the battle with the German knights on Lake Peipus, who wanted to “disgrace the Slavic people.” “The Germans gathered and, boasting, said: “Let's go, let's defeat Prince Alexander, let's catch him with our hands.”... Prince Alexander gathered an army and went to meet the enemies. And they met on Lake Peipsi - a lot of people... When the sun rose, the regiments converged And the spears cracked, and the ringing of swords was heard, and the slaughter was so fierce that the ice on the lake began to move: there was no ice to be seen, it was all covered with blood."

The author turns to the testimony of an eyewitness: “we saw in heaven the regiment of God, which came to the aid of Prince Alexander,” and continues the story: “... and Alexander defeated the enemies with the help of God and they fled. So Alexander’s regiments drove and cut down the enemies, as if they were rushing through the air: and there was nowhere for them to run" 5.

This victory brought Alexander Nevsky great glory. The author admires the prince and attributes to him the best human qualities: he is handsome, strong, wise, brave.

Often the author of the life turns to biblical motifs: in the depiction of the battles and victories of Alexander he sees divine destiny, in the portrait of the prince the features of similarity with the characters of the Holy Scripture are emphasized. The beauty of his face is like the beauty of Joseph, his strength is like that of Samson, his wisdom is like that of Solomon, and his courage is like that of the Roman emperor Vespasian.

The final part of the life - the story of the death of the prince - is permeated with special solemnity and lyricism. On the way back from the Horde, Alexander Nevsky fell ill and soon died. The story ends with a story about a “wonderful” and “worthy of memory” miracle that occurred during the prince’s burial. When dead Alexander they wanted to put a “farewell letter” in his hand, then he himself, as if alive, extended his hand and took the letter from the metropolitan. The author indulges in grief and sadness over the death of the prince: “Oh woe to you, poor man! How can you describe the death of your master! How will your apples not fall out along with your tears! How will your heart not break from bitter sadness” 6 .

Until the 16th century, “The Life of Alexander Nevsky” was a kind of model for depicting Russian princes.

QUESTIONS AND TASKS

1. Provide historical information about the battles on the Neva and Lake Peipus.
2. What is known in science about the author of "The Life of Alexander Nevsky"?
3. How does the author assess the role of the prince in preserving the unity of Rus'?
4. How is the ideal of a wise ruler and a brave commander created?
5. How is the Battle of the Neva and the heroic deeds of the warriors described? Give a story about six brave men. How does the author feel about their feat?
6. For what purpose does the author introduce a biblical legend?
7. Describe the Battle of Lake Peipsi. What is the role of divine omens?
8. For what purpose does the author introduce the appearance of the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb before the battle?
9. How does the author mourn Alexander in the final part of the Life?
10. What is the patriotic pathos of “Life” and how is the author’s desire to glorify service to his native land and create the image of an ideal prince expressed?

Brief recap:

Prince Alexander was the son of Grand Duke Yaroslav. His mother's name was Feodosia. Alexander was taller than others, his voice was like a trumpet, and his face was beautiful. He was strong, wise and brave.

A noble man from the Western country named Andreyash specially came to see Prince Alexander. Returning to his people, Andreyash said that he had never met a person like Alexander.

Hearing about this, the king of the Roman faith from the Midnight Country wanted to conquer the land of Alexander, came to the Neva and sent his ambassadors to Novgorod to Alexander with the notification that he, the king, was taking his land captive.

Alexander prayed in the Church of St. Sophia, accepted a blessing from Bishop Spiridon and went against the enemies with a small squad. Alexander did not even have time to send a message to his father, and many Novgorodians did not have time to join the campaign.

The elder of the land of Izhora, who bore the name Pelugiy (in holy baptism - Philip), was entrusted by Alexander with sea patrol. Having scouted out the strength of the enemy army, Pelugius went to meet Alexander to tell him everything. At dawn, Pelugius saw a boat sailing on the sea, and on it were the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb. They said that they were going to help their relative Alexander.

Having met Alexander, Pelugius told him about the vision. Alexander ordered not to tell anyone about this.

Prince Alexander entered into battle with the Latins and wounded the king himself with a spear. Six warriors especially distinguished themselves in the battle: Tavrilo Oleksich, Sbyslav Yakunovich, Jacob, Misha, Savva and Ratmir.

The corpses of the killed Latins were also found on the other side of the Izhora River, where Alexander’s army could not pass. An angel of God interrupted them. The remaining enemies fled, and the prince returned victorious.

The next year, the Latins again came from the Western Country and built a city on Alexander's land. Alexander immediately razed the city, executed some enemies, took others prisoner, and pardoned others.

In the third year, in winter, Alexander himself went to German soil with a large army. After all, the enemies have already taken the city of Pskov. Alexander liberated Pskov, but many German cities formed an alliance against Alexander.

The battle took place on Lake Peipsi. The ice there was covered with blood. Eyewitnesses spoke about the army of God in the air, which helped Alexander.

When the prince returned in victory, the clergy and residents of Pskov solemnly greeted him at the city walls.

The Lithuanians began to ravage the Alexandrov volosts, but Alexander defeated their troops, and from then on they began to fear him.

At that time, there was a strong king in the Eastern country. He sent ambassadors to Alexander and ordered the prince to come to him in the Horde. After the death of his father, Alexander came to Vladimir with a large army. The news of the formidable prince spread across many lands. Alexander, having received a blessing from Bishop Kirill, went to the Horde to see Tsar Batu. He gave him honors and released him.

Tsar Batu was angry with Andrei, the Suzdal prince (Alexander's younger brother), and his governor Nevruy ruined the Suzdal land. After this, Grand Duke Alexander restored the cities and churches.

Ambassadors from the Pope came to Alexander. They said that Pope Alexander had sent two cardinals who would tell him about the law of God. But Alexander replied that the Russians know the law, but do not accept teaching from the Latins.

At that time the king of Eastern country forced Christians to go on campaigns with him. Alexander came to the Horde to persuade the king not to do this. And he sent his son Dmitry to Western countries. Dmitry took the city of Yuryev and returned to Novgorod.

And Prince Alexander fell ill on the way back from the Horde. He took monasticism before his death, became a schema monk, and died on November 14th.

Alexander's body was carried to the city of Vladimir. The Metropolitan, priests and all the people met him in Bogolyubovo. There were screams and crying.

The prince was laid to rest in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin. Metropolitan Kirill wanted to unclench Alexander’s hand in order to place a letter in it. But the deceased himself extended his hand and took the letter... The Metropolitan and his housekeeper Sebastian spoke about this miracle.

The life of Alexander Nevsky is not complete and systematic. stated biography of the prince, but describes only the most significant events of his life(victory over the Swedes at the mouth of Izhora, the defeat of the Germans on Lake Peipus, the prince’s trip to the Horde). In the Life “there is not even a coherent story: the content represents a short series of fragmentary memories, individual episodes from the life of Alexander” (Klyuchevsky), the author describes “precisely such features that depict not the historical activity of the famous prince..., but his personality and deep impression, what he produced for his contemporaries..."

The life belongs to the princely lives, and therefore is significant in the narrative secular element. The monument was created during the years of Tatar rule, and the text tells about the Russian prince, who, in difficult times for Rus', achieved significant victories over its western neighbors and at the same time managed to achieve relative independence from the Horde.

"Before battle on the Neva, which gave Alexander Yaroslavich his nickname - Nevsky, he goes to church and prays to God with tears. Coming out, he instructs the squad: “God is not in power, but in righteousness. And let us remember the hymnologist David: these are in arms, these are on horses, but in the name of the Lord our God we will call upon you to sleep and fall.” And in fact, the quantitative advantage is on the enemy’s side, since there is no time to turn to Alexander’s father, Prince Yaroslav, for help. Before the battle, one of the warriors had a vision - a ship on which Boris and Gleb were standing. And Boris says to Gleb: “Brother Gleb, tell us to row, so we can help our relative Grand Duke Alexander Yaroslavich.” In the battle itself, heavenly forces help Alexander win. At the same time, however, the course of the battle itself is described and the warriors who distinguished themselves in this battle are even named.

Another battle is described in the Life - the famous Ice battle what happened on the ice Lake Ladoga: “And there was a slash of evil and a coward from a spear and a breaking and sound from a sword’s cut, as if the frozen sea was moving; you couldn’t see the ice, it was covered in blood.” The battle ends in victory and a prayer of thanks.

Such an episode is also described in the Life. An embassy from the pope arrives to Alexander, but he refuses: “We will not accept teachings from you.” Returning from the Horde, where he managed to obtain permission from the Russians not to serve in the Tatar troops, the prince became mortally ill. Before his death, he becomes a monk. When Metropolitan Kirill wants to place a spiritual letter in the hand of the buried prince, he himself, as if alive, stretches out his hand for it. “And there was great fear and horror for everyone.” This miracle confirms the holiness of Alexander."

About the genre "Life".

“Correct living” was characterized by unhurried third person narration; sometimes a deviation was allowed: the author addressed the reader, praise on his own behalf to the saint. Compositionally 3 parts were required: introduction, life itself, conclusion. In the introduction, the author must ask forgiveness from readers for his inability to write, for the rudeness of his presentation, etc. In conclusion there should be praise to the saint - a kind of ode in prose (the most important part of life, which required great literary art).

In J. a lot of canonical, traditional for this genre. Following the canons of life, the author begins his story with self-deprecation, calling himself thin and sinful, and of little understanding. Starting to describe the “holy, and honest, and glorious” life of the prince, the author cites the words of the prophet Isaiah about the sacredness of princely power and inspires the idea of ​​​​special patronage to Prince Alexander heavenly powers. The following description of the prince is full of delight and admiration. Alexander is handsome, like Joseph the Beautiful, strong, like Samson, wise, like Solomon, he is invincible, always winning. The idea of ​​the sacredness of princely power and comparisons with biblical heroes determine the intonation of the entire subsequent narrative, somewhat pathetic, solemnly majestic.

“Hearing about the valor of Alexander, the king of the Roman country from the northern land...” this is how the story about the Battle of the Neva begins. The author does not mention that at this time (1240) Alexander was only 19 years old, his contemporaries knew this well. In Zh., a mature husband is depicted, about whom ambassadors from other countries say: I have passed through countries and peoples, but I have not seen such a king among kings, nor a prince among princes." Alexander learns that the Swedes came to the Neva, "puffing with the military spirit , staggering from madness,” threatening: “If you can, defend yourself.” His heart flares up, he goes on a campaign with a small squad, and in battle he leaves “the mark of his spear on the face of the king.” The prince’s speech addressed to the squad is beautiful, laconic, stern. , courageous: “God is not in power, but in righteousness.”

Alexander is decisive, brave and Battle of Lake Peipsi. The prince cannot bear the boasts of the Germans: “Let us subjugate ourselves Slavic people! He liberates Pskov, fights the German lands, embodying retribution for the pride and arrogance of his enemies. They came boasting: “Let us go and defeat Alexander and capture him.” But the proud knights were put to flight and captured, and led barefoot next to the horses of those who call themselves “God’s knights.” As in the description of the battle on the Neva, the author does not give a detailed picture of the battle, only a few images, which help to imagine how cruel the slaughter was: “It seemed that a frozen lake was moving, and no ice was visible, for it was covered with blood.” The fame of Alexander's victories spread everywhere. “And his name became famous in all countries, from the Khonuzh Sea and to the Ararat Mountains, and on the other side of the Varangian Sea and to the great Rome.”

In everything they are like a prince and his warriors. Author Zh. includes in his description of the Battle of the Neva a story about six brave men who fought “without fear in their hearts.” Each of the six has his own feat of arms. So, for example, Novgorodian Misha sank three Swedish ships, Savva the great golden-domed one brought down the tent, Sbyslav Yakunovich he fought with one ax so that everyone marveled at his strength and courage. Scientists believe that this story about six brave men reflected oral tradition about the Battle of the Neva or a heroic squad song. To convey the greatness of spirit and the beauty of courage, the author turns not only to Russian epic traditions, but also to biblical ones. Alexander's warriors are compared in their courage and stamina with the warriors of King David, their hearts are like the hearts of lions, they are filled with the spirit of war and are ready to lay down their heads for the prince.

Biblical comparisons and analogies became one of the main elements of the artistic system of J., the actions of the prince are interpreted in comparison with biblical history, and this gives the biography a special majesty and monumentality. Constant comparisons and references to David, Hezekiah, Solomon, Joshua and Alexander himself elevate him to a biblical hero. Indications of help from above (the appearance of Boris and Gleb to Pelgusius before the Battle of the Neva, the miraculous beating of the Swedes by angels across the Izhora River, the help of God's regiment in the battle on Lake Peipsi) convince us of the special patronage of Alexander by divine powers.

Alexander Nevsky appears as a smart politician and diplomat in relations with the Horde and the Pope. The answer of Alexander’s husbands to the pope’s ambassadors sounds worthy, learned and wise. Having listed the main stages in the history of mankind and Christianity, they concluded it with the words: “We will not accept teachings from you.” The description of the relationship with the Horde should convince that there are princes left in Rus' whose courage and wisdom can resist the enemies of the Russian land. Alexander's victories are awe-inspiring eastern peoples, Tatar wives scare their children with his name. Even Batu recognizes the greatness of Alexander: “They told me the truth that there is no prince like him.” And this helps Alexander “pray” the Russian regiments from participating in the campaigns of the Mongol-Tatars.
Excited and lyrical story about the death of the prince. The author is unable to contain his feelings: “Oh woe to you, poor man!.. How will your apples not fall out along with your tears, how will your heart not be torn out along with the roots!”

Death of the Prince is perceived by everyone as greatest sorrow. “The sun of the land of Suzdal has already set!” says Metropolitan Kirill (Alexander died Grand Duke of Vladimir), “We are already perishing!” All the people echo him. The story of the miracle, when Alexander, as if alive, stretches out his hand and accepts the letter from the hands of the metropolitan, is the culmination of this sublime, upbeat narrative about the life and courage of “the blessed and great prince Alexander.” I. P. Eremin called Zh. “an enthusiastic tribute to the blessed memory of the prince.” The author did not want to provide accurate historical information about the prince, but to inspire him with the sight of courageous beauty, righteousness and mercy.

All researchers note the literary talent of the author Zh., his scholarship. Among the literary sources consulted by the compiler are Josephus’s “History of the Jewish War,” “Chronographic Alexandria,” and “The Deed of Devgenius.” D. S. Likhachev believes that J. continues the southern Russian literary traditions, revealing similarities in style with the biography of Daniil Galitsky from the Galician Chronicle. It is believed that he was directly related to the compilation of Alexander’s biography Metropolitan Kirill, who in 1250 moved from the south, from Daniil, to Alexander Nevsky.

J. Alexander Nevsky, written in the 80s. XIII century, was the basis for all subsequent editions of the monument in the XIV-XVI centuries. (there are more than ten of them). For a long time, J. became a model for princely biographies and military stories.

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Introduction

Alexander Yaroslavovich Nevsky is a prince who occupies Russian history special place. IN ancient Russian history he is the most popular character. The description of Alexander Nevsky suggests that he was a defender of the Fatherland, a fearless knight who dedicated his life to his homeland. Nevsky literary hagiographic genre

The relevance of this study is determined by the fact that until the 16th century, “The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky” was a kind of standard for depicting Russian princes when describing their military exploits. This work It is remarkable in that it was written by a contemporary of the events, and therefore is of great importance for understanding how the personality of Alexander Nevsky was assessed in those distant times, and what was the significance of the events in which he was a participant.

The Life of Alexander is not a biography, but a description of the most significant events that recreate the heroic image of a warrior prince, a valiant commander and a wise politician. At the same time, the Life contains a lot of canonical, traditional for this genre, since the idea of ​​​​the sacredness of princely power is conveyed. Main idea Lives: “God is not in power, but in truth.”

The purpose of this work is to consider the life of Alexander Nevsky as a type of princely lives.

1. The history of writing the Life

“Life” is a genre of church literature that describes the life and deeds of saints. The life was created after the death of the saint, but not always after formal canonization. Life is characterized by strict substantive and structural restrictions (canon, literary etiquette), which greatly distinguish it from secular biographies. Hagiography is the study of lives.

The story has come to us in various editions of the 13th-18th centuries. The history of its text is extremely complex, and much remains controversial. Over the course of several centuries, the first edition (“Life”) was revised several times. Currently, 13 editions of the work are known. The relationship between senior editors and the editors of the First Sofia Chronicle has not been fully clarified.

The author of the story was probably a scribe from the circle of Vladimir Metropolitan Kirill, who came from Galicia-Volyn Rus' in 1246, therefore the story reflects the established literary traditions of the South-West and North-East of Rus'. The author reports that he personally knew Alexander Nevsky and witnessed his deeds. I am a witness of his age

According to the assumption of academician D.S. Likhachev, Metropolitan Kirill took part in the creation of the work: Without a doubt, Kirill was involved in the compilation of the biography of Alexander. He could have been the author, but most likely, he commissioned the life of one of the Galician scribes who lived in the north

By composition, manner of describing military clashes, individual stylistic devices and some phraseological units, “The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky” is close to another work, “The Chronicler of Daniil Galitsky.” The fact that Cyril was related to the compilation of the “Chronicle of Daniil of Galitsky” was argued by L. V. Cherepnin: The Metropolitan died in 1280, and, therefore, the time of the appearance of the “Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky” should be attributed to the period between 1263-1280.

After the message about the day of Alexander’s death, the words of Metropolitan Kirill and the Suzdal residents are quoted when the sad news reached them. Metropolitan Kirill said:

My children, understand that the sun of the land of Suzdal has already set!

No such prince will ever appear in the lands of Suzdal!

The priests and the deacons, the monks, the poor and the rich, and all the people said:

We're already dying!

The story ends with a story about a “wonderful” and “worthy of memory” miracle that happened during the prince’s burial. When they wanted to put a “farewell letter” into the hand of the deceased Alexander, Tosam, as if he were alive, stretched out his hand and took the letter from the hand of the metropolitan.

Until the 16th century, “The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky” was a kind of standard for depicting Russian princes when describing their military exploits.

This work is remarkable in that it was written by a contemporary of the events, and therefore is of great importance for understanding how the personality of Alexander Nevsky was assessed in those distant times, and what was the significance of the events in which he was a participant.

The Life of Alexander Nevsky, most likely, was created at the end of the 13th century, and was written by a person who personally knew the prince. Here we do not see a clear chronological structure, a detailed description of important historical ones, but we see the praise of the courageous warrior, the defender of the Russian land - Alexander Nevsky. Having chosen to describe two victorious battles of the Russian army under the command of Alexander - a picture of the battles of the Russians with the Swedes on the Neva River and with the German knights on the ice of Lake Peipsi, the author tried to present to the descendants of the Grand Duke and his army as endowed with heroism, dedication and perseverance in the name of the interests of the Russian people of mythical warriors - heroes.

Somewhat without begging for the literary and historical significance of the Life, written simply and lyrically in the traditions of the military tale of Ancient Rus', it is necessary to note a certain one-sided approach to the description of the events of those years by contemporaries. They fulfilled the task facing the authors at a historical turn corresponding to their modernity. The exaltation of the Russian people, the development of a sense of patriotism and hatred of enemies, and the maintenance of the authority of military leaders will echo through the history of Russia right up to the present day.

The Life of Alexander is not a biography, which tells in full, in detail, consistently about the prince’s entire life. The author selects only the most significant events (the battle with the Swedes on the Neva, the liberation of Pskov, the Battle of the Ice, the campaign in Lithuanian lands, diplomatic relations with the Horde and the Pope), which recreate the heroic image of a warrior prince, a valiant commander and a wise politician.

From a historical point of view, there are many inaccuracies in the Life.

For example, the Swedish king did not take part in the campaign of 1240 and the Battle of the Neva; during the raid on Suzdal land in 1252, Sartak, not Batu, was the khan of the Golden Horde. There is not a single date in the Life; events are sometimes described without the necessary specification: it is not immediately clear who the “king of the Roman country from the midnight land” is, what city, built by some “from the Western side”, is being discussed, etc. But not these details were important to the author, and the impression made by his hero.

There is a lot of canonical, traditional for this genre in the Life. Following the canons of life, the author begins his story with self-deprecation, calling himself thin and sinful, and of little understanding. Starting to describe the “holy, and honest, and glorious” life of the prince, the author cites the words of the prophet Isaiah about the sacredness of princely power and inspires the idea of ​​the special protection of Prince Alexander by the heavenly powers. The following description of the prince is full of delight and admiration. Alexander is handsome, like Joseph the Beautiful, strong, like Samson, wise, like Solomon, he is invincible, always winning. The idea of ​​the sacredness of princely power and comparisons with biblical heroes determine the intonation of the entire subsequent narrative, somewhat pathetic, solemnly majestic. “Hearing about the valor of Alexander, the king of the Roman country from the northern land...” - this is how the story about the Battle of the Neva begins. The author does not mention that at this time (1240) Alexander was only 19 years old, and his contemporaries knew this well. The Life depicts a mature husband, about whom ambassadors from other countries say: “I have passed through countries and peoples, but I have not seen such a king among kings, nor a prince among princes.” Alexander learns that the Swedes came to the Neva, “puffing with the military spirit,” “reeling from madness,” threatening: “If you can, defend yourself.” His heart flares up, he goes on a campaign with a small squad, and in battle “he leaves the mark of his spear on the face of the king himself.” The prince’s speech addressed to the squad is beautiful, laconic, stern, courageous: “God is not in power, but in truth.” Alexander was decisive and brave in the battle on Lake Peipus. The prince cannot bear the boasts of the Germans: “Let us conquer the Slavic people!” He liberates Pskov, fights the German lands, embodying retribution for the pride and arrogance of his enemies. They came boasting: “Let us go and defeat Alexander and capture him.” But the proud knights were put to flight and captured, and “led barefoot beside the horses of those who call themselves “God’s knights.”

As in the description of the battle on the Neva, the author does not give a detailed picture of the battle, only a few images that help to imagine how cruel the battle was: “It seemed that a frozen lake had moved, and no ice was visible, for it was covered with blood.” The fame of Alexander's victories spread everywhere. “And his name became famous in all countries, from the Khonuzh Sea and to the Ararat Mountains, and on the other side of the Varangian Sea and to the great Rome.”

In everything, the prince and his warriors are similar. The author of the Life includes in the description of the Battle of the Neva a story about six brave men who fought “without fear in their hearts.” Each of the six has his own feat of arms. So, for example, the Novgorodian Misha sank three Swedish ships, Sava brought down the great golden-domed tent, Sbyslav Yakunovich fought with one ax so that everyone marveled at his strength and courage. Scientists believe that this story about six brave men reflected the oral tradition of the Battle of the Neva or a heroic song of the squad. To convey the greatness of spirit and the beauty of courage, the author turns not only to Russian epic traditions, but also to biblical ones. Alexander's warriors are compared in their courage and stamina with the warriors of King David, their hearts are like the hearts of lions, they are filled with the spirit of war and are ready to lay down their heads for the prince. Biblical comparisons and analogies have become one of the main elements of the artistic system of the Life. The actions of the prince are interpreted in comparison with biblical history, and this gives the biography a special majesty and monumentality. Constant comparisons and references to David, Hezekiah, Solomon, Joshua and Alexander himself elevate him to a biblical hero. Indications of help from above (the appearance of Boris and Gleb to Pelgusius before the Battle of the Neva, the miraculous beating of the Swedes by angels across the Izhora River, the help of God's regiment in the battle on Lake Peipsi) convince us of the special patronage of Alexander by divine powers.

Alexander Nevsky appears as a smart politician and diplomat in his relations with the Horde and the Pope. The answer of Alexander’s husbands to the pope’s ambassadors sounds worthy, learned and wise. Having listed the main stages in the history of mankind and Christianity, they concluded it with the words: “We will not accept teachings from you.” The description of the relationship with the Horde should convince that there are princes left in Rus' whose courage and wisdom can resist the enemies of the Russian land. Alexander's victories inspire fear in the eastern peoples; Tatar wives frighten their children with his name. Even Batu recognizes the greatness of Alexander: “They told me the truth that there is no prince like him.” And this helps Alexander “pray” the Russian regiments from participating in the campaigns of the Mongol-Tatars.

The story about the death of the prince is emotional and lyrical. The author is unable to contain his feelings: “Oh woe to you, poor man!.. How will your apples not fall out along with your tears, how will your heart not be torn out along with the roots!” The death of the prince is perceived by everyone as the greatest grief. “The sun of the land of Suzdal has already set!” - says Metropolitan Kirill (Alexander died as the Grand Duke of Vladimir), “We are already perishing!” - all the people echo him. The story of the miracle, when Alexander, as if alive, stretches out his hand and accepts the letter from the hands of the Metropolitan, is the culmination of this sublime, upbeat narrative “about the life and courage of the blessed and Grand Duke Alexander.” The author did not want to provide accurate historical information about the prince, but to inspire him with the sight of courageous beauty, righteousness and mercy.

All researchers note the literary talent of the author of the Life and his scholarship. Among the literary sources consulted by the compiler of the Life are “The History of the Jewish War” by Josephus, “Chronographical Alexandria”, “The Act of Devgenius”. It is believed that Metropolitan Kirill, who in 1250 moved from the south, from Daniel, to Alexander Nevsky, was directly related to the compilation of Alexander’s biography.

Life of Alexander Nevsky XIII century. was the basis for all subsequent editions of the monument in the XIV-XVI centuries. (there are more than ten of them). For a long time, the Life became a model for princely biographies and military works of ancient Russian literature.

2. Life of Alexander Nevsky in Russian literature of the XIII-XVIII centuries

Hero of the Neva and Ice Battles, Prince of Novgorod Alexander Yaroslavich, second son of the Grand Duke of Vladimir and Prince of Pereyaslav Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, grandson of Vsevolod the Big Nest, great-grandson of Yuri Dolgoruky, forever entered into national history as the organizer of a strong state in the North-East of Rus', an outstanding commander and a subtle diplomat, he pursued a policy of pacification and containment of the Tatar-Mongols, which he passed on to his descendants - the Moscow princes from Daniil Alexandrovich to Ivan Kalita and Dimitri Donskoy.

The preservation of the Russian family and the Russian land was the ultimate goal of his policy. For this, the people revered him immensely, and God glorified his saint with extraordinary holiness. When Prince Alexander died, his death was perceived by his contemporaries as a grave loss for the entire Russian land. “The sun of the land of Suzhdol is gone!” exclaimed Metropolitan Kirill of Vladimir, and after him people mournfully lamented: “We are already perishing!”

Prince Alexander entered Russian literature as a national hero. It is not for nothing that the first work about him - the Life - was rewritten very often and was the subject of many literary adaptations. The Russian Church also treated the name of the Nevsky Hero with great reverence and tried to surround him with an aura of holiness and attribute to him the qualities of an ideal Christian saint.

Thus, within the walls of the Vladimir Nativity Monastery, where he was buried, initially arose, according to Metropolitan Kirill and housekeeper Sevastian, a legend about a miracle with a spiritual letter that occurred during the burial of the body on November 23, 1263. And in the early 1280s, one of the monks from the same monastery he compiled the First Edition of his Life. Written in the spirit of the lives of secular rulers (for example, Vita Constantini of Eusebius Pamphilus) and under the influence of Galician literary school military stories, the Life of the Nevsky Hero consisted of a monastic preface and a dozen separate episodes from the life of the prince, which were in the nature of testimonies of “self-witnesses”; at the end there was a lament for the deceased, including a description of the burial of the body in Vladimir and a posthumous miracle with a spiritual letter. The last episode testified to his unconditional holiness, while the entire text spoke of the moral purity and height of the hero’s spiritual achievement.

In subsequent centuries of Russian history, in connection with the growing popularity of Alexander Nevsky as the protector of the Russian land and the founder of the dynasty - the Moscow branch of the Rurikovichs - further steps were taken to mythologize his personality and sanctify all his actions. After the discovery of his relics under Metropolitan Cyprian (spring 1381) and especially after the all-Russian canonization in 1547, the veneration of this prince as a saint spread everywhere, while the text of the First Edition of the Life was repeatedly redone, supplemented, and changed; sometimes the style of the entire narrative changed, moving away from the style of a military story and approaching the canonical, hagiographical, sometimes the composition, style and almost always the ideas of the work changed.

All the authors of numerous lives of Alexander Nevsky, using well-known topoi for typification, did not strive to portray this prince as he was in life, but constructed an ideal type of a good Christian, a saint of God, a saint who believed in Christ and therefore defeated the enemies of Russia. Noteworthy is the different, in comparison with the literature of the Renaissance, principle of constructing the image of the hero: ascent to the prototype through deconcretization, disproportionality, iteration, similarity. Therefore, the author of the First Edition of the Life seeks to portray not a real person, but an idealized type, personifying some abstract idea of ​​the World. The deconcretization of the image was carried out both through the use of topoi and by equating Prince Alexander Yaroslavich with the generally recognized heroes of the past: Joseph the Beautiful, the hero Samson, Emperor Vespasian, the songwriter David, King Solomon, the prophets Moses and Joshua. This happened because the ancient Russian scribe shared the ideas of transcendental aesthetics that prevailed in the Middle Ages, when an object of art is declared to be rapidly changing and inaccessible to human senses. real world, but an eternal and unchanging idea, revealed only to the mental gaze. At the same time, the artistic image seemed to be a kind of semblance of this idea of ​​the World and looked in the eyes of the ancient Russian man as a greater reality than the world open to his senses.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the crown of the artist’s creativity was not the desire for realistic art, but the creation of new values ​​that reflect divine meaning of the universe, and in the artistic perception of the ancient Russian scribe, images of reality turn into symbols that are as close as possible to the idea of ​​the World. That is why Prince Alexander Yaroslavich is not a real human character, but the focus of ideal qualities that manifest themselves in his actions - military exploits and wise reign.

Very little historical remained in the hagiographic image of Alexander Nevsky. From the pen of the ancient Russian scribe grew an idea-symbol, given under the sign of eternity and protected by Providence. Providence was the basis of the “philosophy of history” of the Russian Middle Ages. The hero's mind, feeling and will did not stand out; their manifestations were strictly determined by the “Divine Will”.

All Old Russian editions of the Life of Alexander Nevsky were not only read in the 18th century, but were also often copied, thanks to which Russian readers learned a lot about Prince Alexander, whose authority and reputation as a holy warrior, patron of the capital, empire and ruling dynasty were impeccable.

At the beginning of the Age of Enlightenment, Peter the Great elevated the veneration of Alexander Nevsky into an official national cult, especially after the founding of St. Petersburg (1703) and the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Monastery (1710). The remains of the prince's holy relics are transferred from Vladimir to St. Petersburg (1723--1724), and the day of their rest in a new place is August 30 (September 12, new style) - the day of imprisonment Peace of Nystadt- is declared the day of his church celebration. The court preacher Gabriel Buzhinsky wrote and published the 16th edition of the Life; In Elizabethan times, new literary editions appeared. The penultimate one was created in 1797 within the walls of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and the last, Twentieth, Old Believer - at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries. In the 18th century originates from Russian historiography, which did not pass by attempts to create detailed biographies of the Nevsky hero (Gerard Miller, Fyodor Tumansky, Catherine II).

Using the example of the history of the text of the Life of Alexander Nevsky over six centuries, the following is clearly visible: firstly, the historical and literary development of the legend (myth) about Alexander Nevsky, which completely merges with national history, with self-awareness and self-knowledge of the Russian people; secondly, the historical and literary development of the genre, composition and style of the hagiographic work in the very period when the Great Russian people were turning into a powerful freedom-loving nation. In this regard, the image of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky fully corresponded to the Russian idea, always beautiful in its development.

The essence of the movement of the Russian idea could be expressed in two words: firstly, it is the deep and high morality of Russians, devoted to their Family, Hearth and their Land; secondly, it is no less high level the utopianism of the idea of ​​national salvation, which consists in faith in the ancient Russian statehood - the Kingdom of Moscow - and in the state of modern times - the Russian Empire, the founder of which was Peter the Great.

The great spiritualizing Idea of ​​good, opposing the Kingdom of evil, here main idea biographies of Alexander Nevsky over six centuries, in which his image is revealed through a skillfully organized artistic verbal fabric.

A detailed specific study of the texts of more than twenty editions of the Life of 500 manuscripts is our next task.

Conclusion

Thus, summing up this work, we can draw the following conclusions. The young Prince Alexander was a politician who took a new look at the city. With the upbringing of that time, strong characters developed in the princely environment very early: historically, the formation of the personality of a broad-minded, all-Russian guardian, alien to the miserable isolation of small princes, took place.

Secondly, in the Life there is a lot of canonical, traditional for this genre, the idea is conveyed about the sacredness of princely power and inspires the idea of ​​the special patronage of Prince Alexander by the heavenly powers.

In his activities, Prince Alexander proceeds from the fact that: “God is not in power, but in truth.” In everything, the prince and his warriors are similar. The actions of the prince are interpreted in comparison with biblical history, and this gives the biography a special majesty and monumentality.

Alexander Nevsky appears as a smart politician and diplomat in his relations with the Horde and the Pope. The answer of Alexander’s husbands to the pope’s ambassadors sounds worthy, learned and wise. Having listed the main stages in the history of mankind and Christianity, they concluded it with the words: “We will not accept teachings from you.” The description of the relationship with the Horde should convince that there are princes left in Rus' whose courage and wisdom can resist the enemies of the Russian land. Alexander's victories inspire fear in the eastern peoples; Tatar wives frighten their children with his name. Even Batu recognizes the greatness of Alexander: “They told me the truth that there is no prince like him.”

The story about the death of the prince is emotional and lyrical.

All researchers note the literary talent of the author of the Life and his scholarship. It is believed that Metropolitan Kirill, who in 1250 moved from the south, from Daniel, to Alexander Nevsky, was directly related to the compilation of Alexander’s biography.

"Life of Alexander Nevsky" XIII century. was the basis for all subsequent editions of the monument in the XIV-XVI centuries. (there are more than ten of them). For a long time, the life became a model for princely biographies and military stories; its influence is palpable in “The Tale of Mamaev's massacre”, in “The Tale of the Life and Repose of Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy” and many other works of ancient Russian literature.

Alexander Nevsky, like his comrades, belonged to the generation of new people, their behavior differed from the behavior of the appanage princes. Alexander's patriotism determined the principles of the structure of Rus' for several centuries. The traditions laid down by the prince, based on national and religious tolerance, have attracted peoples living in neighboring territories to Russia until our time.

List of used literature

1. Avetisyan S.A., Sinegubov S.N., Teper E.M. History of the Fatherland in Persons. - M.: Ross. national library, 1993. - 540 p.

2. Begunov Yu.K. Monument of Russian literature of the 13th century: “The Tale of the Death of the Russian Land” - M., Leningrad, 1965. - 600 p.

3. Georgieva T.S. Russian culture: history and modernity: textbook. allowance. - M.: Yurayt, 1998. - 576 p.

4. Gnedich P.P. History of art from ancient times. - M.: LLC Publishing House. House Chronicle-M, 2000. - 479 p.

5. Dmitrieva N.A. Brief history arts T. 1. - M.: Higher School, 1987. - 348 p.

6. Petrukhintsev N.N. XX lectures on the history of world culture. - M.: Humanite. ed. VLADOS center, 2001. - 400 p.

7. Rybakov B.A. Ancient Rus'. Tales, epics, chronicles. - M.: Nauka, 1963. - 290 p.

8. Reader on ancient Russian literature: Life of Alexander Nevsky / Comp. M.E. Fedorova, T.A. Sumnikova. - 3rd ed., rev. and additional - M.: Higher. school, 1985. - 430 p.

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“The Life of Alexander Nevsky,” written shortly after the death of the prince (d. 1263), creates perfect image ruler, defender of his fatherland from military and ideological attacks by external enemies.

It does not fit into the canons of hagiographic literature, and this was understood by the ancient Russian scribes, who included it primarily in the chronicles (the first edition of the hagiography was included in the Laurentian and Second Pskov chronicles), and only in the 16th century. it was included in the “Great Menaions” of Macarius and the “Prologue”.

The very title of the work defines its specificity: “The Tale of the Life and Courage of the Blessed and Grand Duke Alexander” is a story about life, the main content of which was the exploits of “bravery.” The life of Alexander Nevsky is based on two military stories about the battle on the Neva and on Lake Peipsi.

The enemy of the Russian land appears in the life of “the king of the Roman part of the midnight country”; Thus, the author emphasizes that the Russian Orthodox prince will have to enter into a fight with the Roman Catholic Western world, whose goal is to seize the “land of Alexander.”

The enemy is full of confidence in his abilities: “heavily strong,” “puffing with the military spirit,” “staggering with madness,” “puffed up,” he sends ambassadors to Alexander with the words: “If you can resist me, then behold, I am already here, taking your land into captivity.” " Typologically, this episode is close to the epic, “Deugene’s Act”, “Alexandria”.

“Inflamed in heart,” Alexander strengthens his spirit with prayer, acting as befits a pious prince. He accuses the enemy of violating God’s commandment, which commands “to live without trespassing into someone else’s part.”

Confident in the rightness of his struggle, Alexander inspires the troops and, with a “small squad,” rushes towards the enemies. He goes into battle with faith “to the holy martyr Boris and Gleb.”

This is how the vision of the elder of the land of Izhora Pelguy is motivated in life: at dawn he sees Boris and Gleb floating in a nasad, rushing to the aid of “his relative Prince Alexander.”

The life describes in detail the course of the battle on July 15, 1240, great attention is devoted to the exploits of Alexander and his brave “six men” - heroic warriors. Alexander himself shows extraordinary courage and fearlessness in battle; he “put a stamp on the faces of the Swedish king with his sharp spear.”

The “men” of the Alexandrovs were distinguished by their courage and bravery: Gavrilo Aleksich rode a horse on a single board onto an enemy ship and beat countless enemies, he was pushed into the water, but he swam out [this was the famous ancestor of A.S. Pushkin Radcha (Radsha)]; the young Novgorod resident Savva cut down the pillar of the golden-domed tent of the Swedish king, and the fall of the tent caused rejoicing in the Russian camp; Ratmir bravely fought the enemies on foot and died from wounds on the battlefield; Sbyslav Yakunovich fought with his enemies “with a single axe, without fear in his heart.”

The prince's hunter Yakov Polochanin ran into the regiment with a sword. Misha in a foot battle with his squad “destroy three Roman ships.” At the same time, it is reported that the author heard about the exploits of these glorious “men” from “his master” Alexander Yaroslavich.

The battle on Lake Peipsi with the German knights on April 5, 1242 is depicted in the traditional stylistic manner of military stories: “Then the sun rose on Saturday, and the wallpaper came down. And there was a slash of evil and a coward from the breaking spears and a sound from the slash of a sword, just as a frozen lake began to move; and you won’t see the ice: you’re covered in blood.”

The prince returns to Pskov, leading prisoners next to his horses, “who call themselves God’s rhetoric.” Victory brings Alexander, emphasizes his life, worldwide glory: “Otherwise his name will be heard throughout all countries and to the Sea of ​​​​Egypt and to the Ararat Mountains and to the land of the Varangian Sea and to the great Rome.”

The life briefly reports about other military exploits of Alexander: “in a single departure” he defeats 7 armies of the “Litovsk language”.

Much space is given in the life to the relationship between Alexander and the Horde. “The Tsar is strong in the Eastern Country” sends his ambassadors to the Russian prince, and their speech serves as a kind of justification for Alexander’s trip to the Horde.

“In great strength” he comes to Vladimir: And his arrival was menacing, and his news rushed to the mouth of the Volga. And the Moabite (Tatar) wives began to frighten their children, shouting: “Alexander is coming”!

Having thought it over and received the bishop’s blessing, Alexander goes to the Horde. How the prince behaves there, the life is silent, noting only Batu’s surprise: “I truly told you that there is nothing like this prince.”

If Batu gives honor to Alexander, then he shows anger towards his younger brother. The author does not indicate the reasons for the anger and only notes that its manifestation was the capture of the Suzdal land by the Horde commander Nevryuy.

The glorification of Alexander, the defender of Orthodoxy, is dedicated in the life of the story about the arrival of papal ambassadors to Rus'. Alexander rejects their offer to accept Catholicism, and in this the author of the life sees the triumph of the national policy of the Russian prince.

The life laconically reports on the violence of the enemy and the prince’s second march to the Horde in order to “pray people from that misfortune,” that is, from the participation of Russian soldiers in the campaigns of the Tatar troops.

The life ends with the tale of Alexander’s death (he was poisoned in the Horde) in Gorodets and his burial in Vladimir. The people mourn their beloved prince, “as if the earth were shaking.” Addressing the people, Metropolitan Kirill says: “My children, understand that the sun of the land of Suzhdal has already set!” - “We’re already dying!” - answered the crowd.

The hagiographical tradition describes the posthumous miracle of Alexander: like Alexei (under the name Alexei Alexander was tonsured into the schema before his death), a man of God, he reaches out from the grave and takes a “farewell letter” from the metropolitan.

A characteristic feature of the life is the constant presence of the author-narrator. He hastens to declare his humility in the introduction to his life. He himself is a “witness... of his age,” “a member of his household,” and he also heard about Alexander “from his fathers.”

His presence is constantly felt in the selection and interpretation of material. Alexander in the author’s image is the focus best qualities famous heroes of Old Testament history: the beauty of his face is similar to the beauty of Joseph, his strength is part of the strength of Samson, the wisdom of Solomon, and the courage of the Roman king Vespassian.

Thus, with the help of a retrospective historical analogy, the life glorifies the beauty, strength, wisdom and courage of Alexander. It is interesting that among these qualities there was no place for Christian virtues - meekness and humility.

The author admires the hero, is proud of him, sympathizes with him. Emotional tension reaches its highest point at the end of life: “Oh, woe to you, poor man! How can you write the death of your master! How can your eyes not fall along with your tears! How can your heart not break from rooting!” He exaggerates the feeling of sorrow and grief: “A man can leave his father, but he cannot leave his master’s good: if he had lied, he would have climbed into the grave with him!”

Thus, “The Life of Alexander Nevsky” reveals a close connection with both hagiographic literature and military stories. Its author was a resident of Galicia-Volyn Rus', who moved with Metropolitan Kirill III to Vladimir.

Researchers have established a connection between the style of life and the Galician Chronicle, the “Deed of Devgenius”, “The History of the Jewish War” by Josephus Flavius, “The Tale of Boris and Gleb” and paroemic reading.

“The Life of Alexander Nevsky” becomes a model for later princely biographies, in particular the life of Dmitry Donskoy. The name of Alexander Nevsky is popular in the Moscow state.

He provides assistance (already as the holy patron of the Russian land) to Dmitry Donskoy in the victory over the Mongol-Tatar conquerors, to Ivan the Terrible during the siege of Kazan, and Peter I makes Alexander Nevsky the patron of St. Petersburg.

Kuskov V.V. History of Old Russian Literature. - M., 1998