Who will come at us with a sword? “Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword

On April 5, 1242, a battle took place, rightfully inscribed in the tablets of brilliant Russian military victories, and is currently known as the Battle of the Ice.

In the battle on the ice of Lake Peipus, the Russian squad led by Prince Alexander Nevsky defeated the army of the knights of the Teutonic Order.

In honor of this event, we suggest refreshing your memory of the most famous statements of Alexander Nevsky.

Grand Duke of Vladimir and Kiev, Prince of Novgorod Alexander Yaroslavich was born on May 13, 1221. The victory he won on July 15, 1240 on the banks of the Neva over a detachment commanded by the future ruler of Sweden, Earl Birger, brought universal glory to the young prince. It was for this victory that the prince began to be called Nevsky. On April 5, 1242, with the defeat of the knights of the Teutonic Order on the ice of Lake Peipsi, the prince wrote his name in history as a commander who secured the western borders of Rus'. Died November 14, 1263. He was buried in the Vladimir Monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin. He was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1547. In 1942, the Soviet government established the Order of Alexander Nevsky.

In many military units of Russia we will find on posters the phrase “Whoever enters us with a sword will die by the sword!” And the signature under it: “Alexander Nevsky.” In this case, we are dealing with a cultural and historical curiosity. And that's why. Some statements of Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky, one of those great princes of Rus' who most strongly influenced its history, have reached us. However, it seems that he did not say these exact words, otherwise they would have been preserved in the memory of those from whose words the chroniclers then, hot on the heels, recorded the facts of the biography of Alexander Nevsky.

Why do we still present them in the book “Speeches that Changed Russia”? The answer to this question is given by the feature film “Alexander Nevsky”, shot by director Sergei Eisenstein in 1938 under the patronage of Stalin, who made his own adjustments both to the script and to the final editing of the film. The film was supposed to become not only an artistic, but also an ideological phenomenon. The threat of a big war was then real, and this threat came from Germany. The historical parallels with the film were clear to the viewer.

When the film was released in 1938, it was a tremendous success, comparable only to the success of Chapaev. Sergei Eisenstein received the Stalin Prize and the degree of Doctor of Art History without defending a dissertation. However, soon after the release of the film, it was withdrawn from distribution for reasons of political correctness in relation to Germany, with which the USSR was trying to establish strong ties during this period. In 1939, the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact with Germany, and the film was banned from showing by special order and put on a shelf so as not to lose Hitler’s favor and not to create a negative image of the German conqueror in the minds of Soviet citizens.

However, as we know, the non-aggression pact was treacherously violated by the Nazis in 1941, and keeping the film on the shelf no longer made any sense. After the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, “Alexander Nevsky” returned to the screens with even more resounding success. And even more than that, 1942 marked the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Peipsi. There was an impression that the film was specially made for this date, and even with propaganda overtones. Indeed, in the film, the knights of the Teutonic Order (Germans) are presented as a powerful, well-organized force that turns into nothing when faced with the heroism and resourcefulness of the Russian people. Pointing to this, Stalin’s words were printed on the film posters: “Let the courageous image of our great ancestors inspire you in this war.”

The film ends with the complete victory of Russian troops over the invaders. In the final scenes, the Novgorod people decide their fate as follows: ordinary warriors are released, knights are left to receive a ransom, and the leaders of the troops are executed. Actor Nikolai Cherkasov, who plays Alexander Nevsky, tells the departing bollards to tell everyone else: “Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword!” This is where the Russian land stood and will stand!” At that moment, these words sounded very relevant: it seemed as if the disgraced and defeated Germans of the thirteenth century had to convey these words to the Germans of the twentieth. But, apparently, neither one nor the other heard these words. But they were accepted with all their souls, understood and inspired by the Russian people of the twentieth century, whose lot it fell to repel the powerful, well-organized force of fascism and turn it into nothingness.

Historical parallels were not an accident, as evidenced, in particular, by the words of the film’s creator, Sergei Eisenstein: “The year was 1938. “Patriotism is our theme” stood steadily before me and the entire creative team during filming, during dubbing, and during editing. Reading simultaneously the chronicles of the 13th century and the newspapers of today, you lose the sense of the difference in time, for the bloody horror that the knightly orders of conquerors sowed in the 13th century is almost no different from what is happening now in some countries of the world.”

Let us now return to the personality of Alexander Nevsky. Oddly enough, not much is known about him. “The Life of Alexander Nevsky,” created in the early 80s of the 13th century, is small in size, and it is no coincidence that Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, the author of “The History of the Russian State,” inserts large excerpts from the reports of Plano Carpini and Willem into the presentation dedicated to Alexander Nevsky van Rubruck about their trips to the Horde in order to balance the volumes of the various chapters of their historical work. But, as they say, it is what it is.

Apparently, the explanation for this lies in the fact that the activities of Alexander Nevsky were devoted mainly to his relationships with the restless Novgorodians, with their formidable western neighbors - the Germans and Swedes - and with the Horde, which caused great trouble for the prince. And the interests of the chroniclers, traditionally, lay in the plane of confrontation between the Kyiv and Vladimir princes, although, frankly speaking, in historical terms these endless intrigues no longer had much significance. It is not for nothing that Andrei Bogolyubsky, remembering the sad fate of his father, Prince Yuri Dolgoruky, poisoned by the Kyiv boyars, renounced his claims to the Kiev grand-ducal table.

There are not many of us, but the enemy is strong; but God is not in power, but in truth: go with your prince!

However, even the little that we know about Alexander Nevsky arouses great interest in him as a politician and military leader. Here are two opinions expressed by people who communicated with the prince. The first belongs to the master of the Livonian Order Andrei Velven, who, after conversations with Alexander, noted: “I went through many countries and saw many peoples, but I did not meet such a king among kings, nor a prince among princes.” The second was expressed by Khan Batu after his meeting with Alexander Nevsky: “They told me the truth that there is no prince like him.”

Of course, reading “The Life of Alexander Nevsky”, you notice that its author, following the dictates of his time, sets out the speeches and deeds of his hero through the prism of a Christian, or rather Orthodox attitude towards the world and people, and, of course, Alexander himself thought and spoke in that same key. An example of this is the words of Alexander Nevsky, which he said to his soldiers before the Battle of the Neva: “There are not many of us, but the enemy is strong; but God is not in power, but in truth: go with your prince!”

The curiosity related to the words attributed to Alexander Nevsky in atheistic Soviet times, “Whoever enters us with a sword will die by the sword!” is also due to the fact that this statement is very reminiscent of one verse from the biblical “Revelation of John the Theologian”: “Who leads into captivity, he himself will go into captivity; whoever kills with the sword must himself be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and faith of the saints” (Rev. 13:10).

In conclusion, it is necessary to mention the appeal to Alexander noted by the chronicler from Pope Innocent IV, who sent two legates, Cardinals Galda and Gemont, to the prince with a proposal to convert to the Catholic faith. In his response letter, Alexander Nevsky wrote the words below, which have not lost their relevance today.

Response of Prince Alexander Nevsky to the papal legates, 1251

From Adam to the flood, from the flood to the division of nations, from the confusion of nations to Abraham, from Abraham to the passage of Israel through the Red Sea, from the exodus of the children of Israel to the death of King David, from the beginning of the reign of Solomon to Augustus the king, from the power of Augustus to the birth of Christ. , from the birth of Christ to the suffering and resurrection of the Lord, from His resurrection to his ascension into heaven, from his ascension into heaven to the reign of Constantine, from the beginning of the reign of Constantine to the first Council, from the first Council to the seventh - we know all this well, and from your teachings are not acceptable.

Anatoly Garanin, “Artist Nikolai Cherkasov and director Sergei Eisenstein on the set of the film

On November 25, 1938, the premiere of “Alexander Nevsky”, a film masterpiece by the brilliant Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein, took place at the Moscow House of Cinema. For promptly completed work (state order), Sergei Eisenstein receives the Stalin Prize and the degree of Doctor of Art History without defending a dissertation.

Just a few days after the premiere, the film goes into wide release, evoking among the people the most reverent patriotic feelings, about the same as when watching another film masterpiece “Chapaev” four years earlier (1934, directed by the Vasilyev brothers). The authors of the film coped brilliantly with the task of “showing the idea and meaning of the heroic campaign of the great Russian people against the aggressor...”

The government order was completed within a short time frame. They started filming in the summer of 1938. Naturally, the main “winter” decorative elements were polystyrene foam and plywood painted with white paint - it was under them that the knights of the Teutonic Order fell through in the Mosfilm pavilions. A mixture of naphthalene, salt and chalk successfully depicted the snow-covered shores of Lake Peipsi. This is how the main film masterpieces of a big country were created - using ingenuity. Modern miracle technologies are far from a big real movie...

Photos from the filming of the film Alexander Nevsky:

The fate of the film, despite its success, was not easy.

A few months after the film was released, in August 1939, a non-aggression pact was signed between Germany and the Soviet Union (Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact). After this, all films in which Germans were portrayed negatively, including Alexander Nevsky, were withdrawn from distribution.

And later, in connection with Hitler’s attack on the USSR and the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the film again became very relevant and returned to cinemas.

In 1942, that is, the year of the 700th anniversary of the Battle of the Ice, posters were issued with a quote from I.V. Stalin: “Let the courageous image of our great ancestors inspire you in this war.” One of the posters depicted Alexander Nevsky. Such close attention from Stalin was not an accident, since the film was filmed on the personal order of the leader.

Sergei Eisenstein approached his work thoroughly. Every scene, every stroke must be as close as possible to the original, be believable and convincing. For example, in order for the armor of the prince and his squad to be historically accurate, Eisenstein brought items of authentic weapons of Russian soldiers of the 13th century for study by costume designers from the Hermitage.

The story of the very first scene in the film is also noteworthy - the fishing scene on Lake Pleshcheyevo and the dialogue between Alexander Nevsky and the Tatar Baskaks. Eisenstein filmed this scene in the homeland of Alexander Nevsky - near the village of Gorodishche near Pereslavl-Zalessky - the hill and rampart of the fort, where the princely chambers then stood, have been preserved to this day.

“Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword!” - the history of the famous phrase

Despite the thoroughness and maximum closeness to historical reality, there were still several “deviations” in the script. The key deviation, or so to speak, “invention” in the film was the phrase: “Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword. This is where the Russian land stood and stands!” Here's how it sounds in the film:

So here it is. It is generally accepted that these words belong to the Novgorod prince Alexander Nevsky. And he said them supposedly for the edification of the ambassadors of the Livonian Order, who after the Battle of the Ice (in the summer of 1242) came to him in Veliky Novgorod to ask for “eternal peace.”

In fact, Alexander Nevsky has nothing to do with these words - in the few chronicle sources that talk about him (“Sofia First Chronicle” and “Pskov Second Chronicle”) there are no mentions of either these words or others, even remotely on them similar.

The author of these words is the Soviet writer Pyotr Andreevich Pavlenko (1899-1951) - screenwriter of the film “Alexander Nevsky”, where they first appeared. Since 1938, these words have been associated with the name of Alexander Nevsky as his personal, “historical” phrase.

Pyotr Andreevich borrowed this phrase from the famous gospel expression: “Those who take the sword will die by the sword.” In full: “Then Jesus says to him: Return your sword to its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Gospel of Matthew, chapter 26, v. 52).

It is curious that this phrase, or rather its general meaning, was conveyed in pre-evangelical times. For example, in Ancient Rome it was used as a catchphrase: He who fights with the sword dies by the sword - Quigladioferit, gladio perit (qui gladio ferit, gladio perit). Quoted as an edification and warning for the future to a defeated or potential aggressor.

Here's the story...

I also remember a few more interesting facts related to the film “Alexander Nevsky”:

No. 1. Order of Alexander Nevsky

In the Russian Empire there was the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, which was awarded to both military and civilians. In 1917 it was abolished along with other royal orders. A quarter of a century later, on July 29, 1942, they decided to restore the order, only with a slight difference from the previous one: on the new Soviet Order of Alexander Nevsky, the architect I. S. Telyatnikov depicts a portrait of the actor Nikolai Cherkasov in the image of the prince from the film by Sergei Eisenstein. For the reason that no lifetime images of Alexander Nevsky have survived.

This portrait was taken as a basis, and below is the Order of Alexander Nevsky itself:

By the way, Nikolai Cherkasov is buried in St. Petersburg, on the territory of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

No. 2. Name

The film was not immediately called “Alexander Nevsky”. The creators of the film considered different options for the title of the film, among which were “Battle on the Ice”, “Mr. Veliky Novgorod”, “Rus”.

No. 3. Nikolay Cherkasov - leading actor

After the resounding success in “Alexander Nevsky,” the actor starred in another historical film, “Ivan the Terrible,” whose director, who do you think could be? — Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein, of course.

Filming took place during the last year of the Great Patriotic War. The next government order came “from the very top” - the leader was personally interested in this picture. It was necessary to glorify the great and wise ruler from a fundamentally important aspect - justifying his cruelty, well, supposedly the king had no choice, there was such a time and everything like that... About the conversation between the director and the leader. In the meantime, here’s an interesting fact from the filming of the film.

Alexander Nevsky, who didn’t say anything like that

However, the words “whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword” still has a primary source. This is the Gospel of Matthew

47 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the elders of the people.
48 But the one who betrayed Him gave them a sign, saying: Whomever I kiss, He is the One, take Him.
49 And immediately coming up to Jesus, he said: Rejoice, Rabbi! And kissed Him.
50 Jesus said to him, Friend, why have you come? Then they came and laid their hands on Jesus and took Him.
51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus, stretching out his hand, drew his sword, and striking the servant of the high priest, cut off his ear.
52 Then Jesus said to him: Return your sword to its place, for everything, ; (chapter 26)

It is interesting that another apostle, Mark, describing the scene of the arrest of the Teacher, does not say anything about the sword and death.

43 And immediately, as He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a multitude of people with swords and staves, from the chief priests and scribes and elders.
44 But the one who betrayed Him gave them a sign, saying: Whomever I kiss, He is the One; take Him and lead him carefully.
45 And having come, he immediately approached Him and said: Rabbi! Rabbi! and kissed Him.
46 And they laid their hands on Him and took Him.
47 One of those standing there drew a sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
48 Then Jesus said to them: You came out as if against a thief with swords and staves to take Me (Gospel of Mark: 14)

And the Apostle Luke tells this story this way:

47 While He was still saying this, a crowd appeared, and ahead of them walked one of the twelve, called Judas, and he came to Jesus to kiss Him. For he gave them this sign: Whomever I kiss, He is the one.
48 Jesus said to him: Judas! Do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?
49 But those who were with Him, seeing where things were going, said to Him: Lord! Shouldn't we strike with a sword?
50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
51 Then Jesus said, “Leave it, that’s enough.” And touching his ear, he healed him.
52 And Jesus said to the chief priests and rulers of the temple and the elders who were assembled against Him, “As if you came out against a thief with swords and staves to take Me?”
53 Every day I was with you in the temple, and you did not raise your hands against Me, but now is your time and the power of darkness.
54 They took Him and led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest. Peter followed from afar. (Gospel of Luke, chapter 22)

And here there is not a word about “those who take the sword will die by the sword.”
The Evangelist John has a slightly different interpretation of the event

3 So Judas, having taken a detachment of soldiers and ministers from the chief priests and Pharisees, comes there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
4 And Jesus, knowing all that would happen to Him, went out and said to them, “Whom are you looking for?”
5 They answered: Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said to them: It is I. And Judas, His betrayer, stood with them.
6 And when he said to them, “It is I,” they retreated back and fell to the ground.
7 Again he asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” They said: Jesus of Nazareth.
8 Jesus answered: I told you that it was I; So, if you are looking for Me, leave them, let them go, -
9 That the word He spoke might be fulfilled: “Of those whom You gave Me, I have not destroyed any.”
10 Now Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.
11 But Jesus said to Peter, Sheathe your sword; Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?
12 Then the soldiers, and the captain, and the officers of the Jews took Jesus and bound Him (Gospel of John, chapter 18)

There are more specifics here. It turns out that Peter was waving the sword, and the man who lost his ear was called Malchus, but again nothing about the warning “those who take the sword will perish by the sword.” All in all, it's a dark matter.

Application of the Gospel text in literature

— “You speak well about stolen cattle, but it’s a pity that you know little about the forgotten Christ: you sharpen the sword, you destroy with the sword, and you yourself may die by the sword"(N. S. Leskov “The Legend of Conscientious Danil”)
— “Is it really possible to practice with the sword when the Lord said that everyone who takes up the sword will die by the sword? (L. N. Tolstoy “The Kingdom of God is within you”)
— “Put your sword in its sheath. He who lifts the sword will die by the sword...“And he, the prince, the murderer of Kostogorov, must become a suicide” (N. E. Heinze “Prince of Taurida”)
— “The first gathered the tribes and peoples of the earth under the power of the Sword. But he who takes the sword will die by the sword. And Rome perished” (D. S. Merezhkovsky “Resurrected Gods. Leonardo da Vinci”)
— “Let this heretic perish according to the law, for it is said: he who raises the sword, let him perish by the sword!"(M. N. Zagoskin “Bryn Forest”)

Quote from the Bible, words of Jesus Christ. Chapter 26 of the Gospel of Matthew describes how they came to arrest Jesus, the betrayer. One of Jesus' supporters decided to fight for him (chapter 26, pp. 51-52):

“51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus, stretching out his hand, drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

52. Then Jesus said to him: Return your sword to its place, for everything those who take the sword will die by the sword;".

The Revelation of John the Theologian (chapter 13, p. 10) says:

“Whoever leads into captivity will himself go into captivity; whoever kills with the sword must himself be killed with the sword.”

This phrase from the Bible became the basis of the famous expression attributed to Alexander Nevsky.

Examples

“The history of mankind is filled with proof that physical violence does not contribute to moral regeneration and that the sinful inclinations of man can only be suppressed by love, that evil can only be destroyed by good, that one must not rely on the strength of the hand to protect oneself from evil, that real security for people is in kindness, long-suffering and mercy, that only the meek will inherit the earth, and those who take up the sword will perish by the sword."

The Novgorod prince allegedly said this phrase when the ambassadors of the Livonian Order arrived in Veliky Novgorod to ask for “eternal peace” after the defeat in the Battle of the Ice. The source of the conviction that was strengthened in the public consciousness was Sergei Eisenstein’s film “” (1939), which formed a whole complex of myths about Alexander Nevsky and the role of the battle on the ice of Lake Peipsi in April 1242. Since then, the statement of the hero Nikolai Cherkasov, who played the main role in Eisenstein’s film, has been firmly associated with the name of the Novgorod prince.

Usage examples

There were another three hundred years of shame and humiliation ahead; for another three hundred years Rus' paid tribute to the khans of the Golden Horde. But the words of Prince Alexander Nevsky have already sounded as a formidable warning to enemies: “Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword!”(Nazarov O.“Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword!” // Website-newspaper “Local Demand”, 04/16/2013)

And no matter what extremes some politicians go to when they say that the confrontation between the West and Russia could go into the stage of a “hot” war, we answer: Russia is not going to fight with anyone. But no one should doubt our strength and determination. As Alexander Nevsky once said: “Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword.”(Newspaper “Zavtra”, No. 37 (773) dated September 10, 2008)

Reality

The phrase that the director and screenwriter put into the mouth of Nikolai Cherkasov is a slightly modified version of a quote from the Bible, apparently from the Gospel of Matthew (26:52): “And behold, one of those who were with Jesus, stretched out his hand, drew a sword and, striking the servant of the high priest, cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him: Return your sword to its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”

A statement with a similar meaning is found in “Revelation of John the Theologian” 13:10): “Whoever leads into captivity will himself go into captivity; whoever kills with the sword must himself be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and faith of the saints.”

It is curious that a similar formula existed in the ancient world, in particular, in Ancient Rome in the form of the phrase “Whoever fights with the sword dies by the sword” (Qui gladio ferit, gladio perit).

In fact, the sources do not report whether the Novgorod prince uttered such a phrase. There is no mention of this in the texts telling about the life and deeds of Alexander Nevsky (including the First Sofia Chronicle and the Pskov Second Chronicle).

According to the researcher of medieval Rus' I.N. Danilevsky, Alexander Nevsky is one of the most sacralized characters in Russian history. His image as a defender of Orthodoxy, a fighter for the independence of Rus', began to take shape in the 18th century, the researcher claims, and had a strong ideological platform: the place he chose for the construction of the new capital was located almost in the same place where the Battle of the Neva took place in 1240. Russia's claims to access to the Baltic were associated with the prince's victory on the Neva. Even the day of memory of Alexander Nevsky (August 30) was not chosen by chance: on this day Russia concluded the Treaty of Nystadt with Sweden.

Subsequently, the image of Alexander as the defender of the Russian land began to be increasingly popularized: in 1725, Catherine I established the highest military award - the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky; In 1753, Elizabeth ordered Alexander’s relics to be placed in a silver shrine. Then they began to hold a special religious procession every year from the St. Petersburg Kazan Cathedral to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Finally, at the beginning of the 20th century, one of the Moscow streets was named after Alexander Nevsky, notes I.N. Danilevsky.

Eisenstein's film gave new life to the image of Alexander as an outstanding defender of Rus'. The film was released on the wide screen in 1941, when the Great Patriotic War began. Its authors were awarded the Stalin Prize. The film turned out to be so uplifting that in 1942 the Order of Alexander Nevsky was established, decorated with a portrait of the leading actor, Nikolai Cherkasov - and this despite the fact that just a few years earlier, professional historians called the script of the film “a mockery of history.”

The influence of the film on public consciousness turned out to be so strong that both the screen image of the main character and the whole complex of accompanying myths - including the key role of the Battle of the Ice in the fight against crusader expansion, and the fact that Alexander Nevsky symbolically ended it with a twisted biblical quote about the sword - have firmly entered the public consciousness, become entrenched in historical memory, and appear not only in the reasoning of ordinary people when referring to “old times,” but also in the works of professional historians and in educational materials.

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