Forgotten legends. Lake Rus' - A little bit of good. Legends of Lake Peipsi, legends of Pskov antiquity

“The Battle of the Ice took place on Lake Peipus” - it sounds like “Volga flows into the Caspian Sea”. However, Lake Peipus is many-sided and contains a certain puzzle: it changes names, blurs the boundaries, confuses historical traces.

Today on the waves Lake Peipus passes state border between Russia and Estonia. On one side of it, they carefully preserve the memory of the great victory of Alexander Nevsky, on the other, they prefer not to remember this historical episode without unnecessary need. Northern and east coast and - Russian, there are even sandy beaches and tourists. The western coast is Estonian, rocky and quiet, a real wilderness.

And here south coast no: in the south, Lake Peipus passes into Lake Teploe. Which, in turn, passes into Pskov, that is, it is a kind of strait connecting Chudskoye and Pskov lakes. All three reservoirs make up the large Lake Peipsi-Pskovskoe, according to some sources, the fifth, according to others, the third largest in Europe. And if you think that of the three lakes it was Chudskoye that was the battlefield between the knights of the Livonian Order and the army of Alexander Nevsky, then you are mistaken.

Expedition of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, sent in 1959 in search of the exact location ice battle, came to the conclusion that the battle took place on the shore of the Warm Lake, in the place where Chudskoye passes into it. Moreover, contrary to a common myth, the battle was fought not on ice, but on land. On the ice, the soldiers of Nevsky were driving the already retreating knights. They drove, as you know, seven miles, which corresponds to the average width of the Warm Lake. The width of Lake Peipsi reaches fifty kilometers.

So why did Chudskoye still enter the legends? The answer is simple: in the 13th century, Lake Peipus, Teploe and Pskov were considered to be a single entity. And they had one name - Chudskoye (Estonians still call the system of three lakes by one name - Peipsi).

They also name the specific coordinates of the battlefield: Gdovsky district, between Cape Sigovets and the village of Ostrov, between the villages of Tabory, Kozlovo and Samolva, on the territory of the village of Kobylye Gorodishche. However, it is impossible to pinpoint the place exactly - over the past centuries, the boundaries of the lake have changed, it has expanded, and it is possible that the battlefield has gone under water. In scientific discussions of recent times, the villages of Samolva and Kobylye Gorodishche compete for the right to be considered the place of the Battle of the Ice. Fortunately, only two kilometers separate them.

In the vicinity of these villages, every year, on the first or second Sunday of April (the Battle on the Ice took place on April 5, 1242), a military-historical reconstruction of the battle takes place. Reenactors come from all over Russia, from Belarus, Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic states. They are divided into two camps - "Europe" and "Russia", according to all the rules they are built as a "pig", arrange demonstration tournaments. Spectators are especially impressed by the buhurts - non-staged fights of reenactors who are ready to really fight for the honor of their native club.

Tourists, however, come to the shores of Lake Peipsi (we will not separate Teploe) not only in April. As mentioned above, almost all Russian coast lakes are sandy beaches. The lake is quite shallow, the water in it warms up well (therefore, in April, tourists often wonder: how is it, the Battle of the Ice in the absence of ice?). In Lake Peipsi there are burbots, vendace, whitefish, pike and bream in large numbers. Behind the beaches, slender pine trees grow, white swans take off from the water surface. Naturally, all these factors together have brought to life a huge number of coastal camp sites, cottage settlements and hotels. As well as competition between residents of coastal villages, who have long and willingly rented houses to tourists. The winner is the one whose hut is closer to the edge of the lake.

On summer evenings, the bright red sun quietly sinks into the blue waves. mysterious lake. There are almost always waves here, even if a very weak breeze blows. In winter, you can go across the ice far from the coast and imagine Russian warriors on whom the Livonian "pig" was advancing. Or defeated knights fleeing across the ice to their west, who later in the peace treaty will confirm that they will never return to these lands. But with good intentions, returning to Lake Peipus is very worth it.

Local Features

The territories adjacent to the lake used to be called the Peipus. "Wonder" in Ancient Rus' called the Finno-Ugric peoples. Today, the name "Prichud'e" has migrated to the signboards of camp sites and hotels.

There are 29 islands on the lake. The largest and only inhabited Estonian island Piirissaar. Known for the fact that in addition to Estonians, Russian Old Believers lived here. There are three small villages on the island - Toni, Mezha and Zhelachek. There is a pier in Tony, a border tower in Mezha, and a prayer house in Zhelachek (a home church very common among the Old Believers). The rest of the islands of Lake Peipus are uninhabited; waterfowl nest on them.

The largest city Russian coast- Gdov. Mare Gorodishche, located 71 kilometers from it, in 1992 celebrated the 750th anniversary of the Battle on the Ice by erecting a monument to Alexander Nevsky. It is believed that in the same place, in Kobylye Settlement, there is the famous "Raven Stone", from which Nevsky allegedly directed the movement of his troops. True, other researchers prescribe the same stone on the outskirts of the village of Tabora. According to another version, the stone stood on the island of Raven, which eventually went under water.

In the village of Samolva in 2012, a museum was opened dedicated to the activities of the expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences, which was looking for a place for the Battle of the Ice. There are documents, diagrams, maps, scientific works, diving equipment used to dive into the lake, unique photographs and personal belongings of historians, archaeologists and hydrographers.

Near the lake there is a church in the name of the Holy Trinity of the XV century in the village of Domozhirka, the Church of Peter and Paul in the village of Vetvenik, the Church of the Intercession in the village of Ozera. There is also a shrine with the relics of St. Hilarion of Gdov and the Church of St. Nicholas in Remda.

Reenactors organize festivals on their own, through the Internet informing potential viewers about the place and time of the event. In 2012, in honor of the 770th anniversary of the Battle of the Ice, the cavalry took part in the reconstruction of the battle. This expensive pleasure is an indicator of the significance of the festival.

Story

In the first half of the 13th century, the Russian principalities, weakened or completely devastated by the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars, were forced to confront another threat that was approaching from the northwest. In 1237, Pope Gregory IX blessed the "Drang nach Osten", or "onslaught to the East", during which the German knights, who were in spiritual orders, made an attempt to conquer the lands that belonged to Rus'.

In the second half of 1240, the knights of the Livonian Order (part of the Teutonic Order, which owned 2/3 of all Latvian and Estonian lands) captured Tesovo, founded the fortress of Koporye. On July 21, 1240, the Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavovich defeated the Swedish army, which landed at the mouth of the Izhora River at its confluence with the Neva. The Neva victory was significant, but it did not stop the knights. In addition, due to disagreements with the powerful Novgorod boyars, Alexander went to reign in. However, when the troops of the Livonian Order, having captured several strategically important cities, were inexorably approaching, Alexander returned. During 1241, his troops managed to recapture Koporye and Pskov from the knights, to return most of its western lands to the rule of Novgorod.

The prerequisite for the battle on Lake Peipsi was the defeat of the Russian "reconnaissance detachment", moving towards Derpt, where the Livonian troops were located. A fairly easy victory strengthened the knights in their decision to give battle to the Russians - they underestimated the potential of the Nevsky troops. The main forces of the Livonians set out from Dorpat to the south, supported by the allies, led by the master of the order. At the same time, part of the Russian detachment that had survived the battle returned to the Nevsky army, reported on the alignment of forces and the possibility of a decisive battle.

According to Russian and German sources, the battle on Lake Peipsi began early in the morning on April 5, 1242. The knights were the first to go on the offensive: they crashed into the main Russian regiment, which consisted mainly of archers, like a “pig” (wedge). The Lebanese plan was to with a strong blow dismember the enemy army, and then destroy it piece by piece. They really managed to break through the central regiment. However, the knights underestimated the power of the Russian phalanxes: at the moment when the “pig” completely wedged into the regiment, they hit the enemy in a single formation. As a result of a fierce battle, the knights could not withstand the flank attack and began to retreat. The retreat, initially organized, took on the character of a disorderly flight when a Russian cavalry ambush regiment entered the battle. It is known that the troops of Nevsky drove the Livonian knights for about seven miles, up to the western shore of the lake. In the historical literature, and later in the classic film by Sergei Eisenstein, the myth that most of Livonian knights drowned in Lake Peipus, as the ice cracked, unable to withstand the weight of the armor. However, this colorful picture is just a legend, which is supported by several arguments. First, scientists have established that the battle took place on land. Both sides had sufficient experience of battles in this region, so they could not help but understand that fighting on the ice in April was suicidal. Even if such a situation did take place, not only knights, but also Russian warriors had to fall through the ice. They could not benefit from lighter equipment - the weight of the full armor of a Russian warrior and the weight of a knight's armor are quite comparable.

The Livonians suffered a complete defeat. As a result of it, a peace was concluded, under the terms of which the order returned the captured Russian lands and refused to encroach on them in the future.

The significance of the Battle on the Ice as the final battle during the campaign of the Livonian Order against Rus' is difficult to overestimate. In the then state of affairs, the successful actions of the Livonians could have destroyed the already weakened Rus', because the northwest remained the only stronghold that held out under the onslaught of the Mongol-Tatar yoke. The brilliant military actions of Alexander Nevsky made it possible not only to liberate the occupied territories, but also to strengthen the western borders.

The battle on the ice went down in history as an example of brilliant military tactics. The ideal interaction of parts of the troops, calculated formation, well-established reconnaissance, constant analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy, and finally, original and timely maneuvers - the military genius of Alexander Nevsky was fully revealed in the Battle of the Ice.

News

In Kaliningrad, they plan to restore the bridge to Kant Island.

international day polar bear noted in Russia.

With the support of WWF, the Shanchy site was created in the habitats of the snow leopard natural park"Tuva".

The Moscow Zoo will hold various events dedicated to the anniversary this year.

Gagarin: anniversary exhibition and space excursion

The blog "Know your native land" is virtual journey for children in the Pskov region and is the embodiment in the Internet space of the main materials of the project of the Centralized Library System of the city of Pskov “Know your native land!”.

This project was developed and implemented in the libraries of the Centralized Library System of Pskov in 2012-2013. - Library - Center for Communication and Information, Children's Ecological Library "Rainbow", Library "Spring" named after. S.A. Zolottsev and in the innovation-methodical department of the Central City Library.

The project brought together librarians, participants in the educational process and parents with a single goal.

"Education of love for native land, to native culture, to native village or city, to native speech - a task of paramount importance and there is no need to prove it. But how to cultivate this love? It starts small - with love for your family, for your home, for your school. Gradually expanding, this love for the native land turns into love for one's country - for its history, its past and present ”(D.S. Likhachev).

City schools:
· Secondary school No. 24 im. L.I. Malyakova (teacher of the beginning classes Grigoryeva Valentina Ivanovna)
· Secondary school No. 12 named after. Hero of Russia A. Shiryaev (teacher of the beginning classes Ovchinnikova Tatyana Pavlovna)
Border - customs - legal lyceum (teacher of the beginning classes Ivanova Zinaida Mikhailovna)

Pskov Regional Institute for Advanced Studies of Education Workers:
Pasman Tatyana Borisovna - methodologist in history, social science and law of POIPKRO

Pskov State University
Bredikhina Valentina Nikolaevna, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Theory and Methods of Humanitarian Education, Pskov State University.

Blog editor:
Burova N.G. - head. Department of Information and Communication Technologies of the Central City Hospital of Pskov

At present, despite the fact that the project, which was originally the basis for the creation of this resource, has been completed, our local history blog continues to successfully exist and develop. Being in its essence an information and educational resource and a good help for those who want to get to know Pskov and the amazing Pskov region (especially for children), whether it is the opening of a monument in Pskov or on the territory of the Pskov region, impressions from trips to one of the corners of the Pskov region, the creation of a new local history toy library or photo gallery, and, of course, we always inform our readers about the publication of new books about Pskov, designed for young local historians.

The materials of this blog can be used both in school classes and at library events, or they can be read just like that - for self-education!

We are waiting on the pages of our blog for all the guys who are not indifferent to the history of Pskov and the Pskov region, and, in turn, we promise to delight our visitors with new materials. By the way, blog updates can be found in the section

Pskov-Peipsi Lake is a natural reservoir. It is located in the northwest of the Pskov region. More than 30 rivers and streams flow into it, and the Narva River flows out, which flows into The Gulf of Finland. Area - 3521 square kilometer. It is the fourth largest in Europe. The length of the lake is 150, the maximum width is 50 kilometers, average depth- 7.1 meters, the largest - 15.3 meters. There are 29 islands on the lake. Pskov-Peipsi Lake is a border one: 2,100 square kilometers of the reservoir belongs to the Pskov region, the remaining 1,421 square kilometers belong to Estonia. The lake is complex in configuration and consists of three parts: the northern, the most extensive (73 percent) - Lake Peipsi, the southern (20 percent) - Lake Pskov and the Teploe lake connecting them (7 percent).

On the ice of Lake Peipus on April 5, 1242, the famous battle of the Russian army of the young prince took place against the troops of the Livonian Order.

The chronicler at one time very accurately determined the place. He wrote that the battle took place on "Lake Peipsi, on Uzmen, near Voronei Kamen". At the same time, it should be taken into account that the record was made from the words of the participants in the battle who returned after a victory, that is, with fresh memory. The record consists of three parts.

The first - "on Lake Peipus" - gives a general orientation. In those days, Lake Peipsi also included Lake Pskov, which did not have an independent name; then they began to call it Small Chudsky, or Talabsky, and even later - Pskov Lake.

The second - "on Uzmeni" indicates the narrowness, which today bears the name of the Warm Lake. At that time, she was considered integral part Lake Peipus.

And finally, the third part of the annalistic definition contains an exact indication of the place on Uzmen, where the battle took place: "at Voronei Kamen".

There was a battle on the ice of Lake Peipus, but the expanses of this region still turn blue.

The lake looks pink from the shore, blue from the water, black from the plane. From the air you clearly perceive its elongated spreading rectangle, although only part of the lake is visible. The curving line of the coast is echoed by an even light brown border - a place of coastal shallow water; immediately behind it, a dark abyss opens up: a cliff into the bowels of the earth filled with water.

The bottom sediments of the Pskov-Peipsi Lake in the central, relatively sponge-water part, are composed of silts, in the open shallow coastal zone- sands, which are well traced in the western, eastern and especially south coast Lake Peipus, as well as the eastern coast of Lake Pskov.

The water in the lake is unusually clear. The sun's rays, reflected from the water, beckon children and adults to plunge into clear waters lakes.

Valuable commercial fish species are found here: pike perch, vendace, bream, whitefish, pike, burbot and others. The famous Pskov smelt is widely known outside of Russia.

"The Mystery of Lake Peipsi", G.N. Karaev, A.S. Potresov

How many lakes are in Russia? Even today it is impossible to give an exact answer to this question. Many, many - more than 2 million. Among them there are famous, great lakes - " Blue eyes planets."

The deepest, and perhaps the most famous lake on the planet - Baikal. He could fit a hundred Seas of Azov, but the water of Baikal is fresh, and this is the special value of this huge natural reservoir. Max Depth lakes - 1637 meters, and under the water column there are huge bottom sediments, or the so-called mountain ranges, whose height is about 7000 meters. On fine days, the water is so clear that you can see the bottom at a depth of 40 meters. Baikal water - living water, because in it, thanks to phytoplankton, dissolved maximum amount oxygen. Another property of it is low temperature, which even in the summer is not higher than +10 degrees. There is a legend that at the bottom of Lake Baikal there is a huge channel that connects the lake with Arctic Ocean. Baikal is about 30 million years old, and there are no signs of aging. On the contrary, during the year the waters of the lake “win back” about 2 centimeters from the land.

Caspian Sea

The largest on the planet drainless lake- The Caspian Sea, however, did not get its name because of its impressive size (371,000 km?). The reason is that the bottom of the lake is an oceanic type of crust, and the salinity of its waters is high. The Volga, which flows into the Caspian, dilutes its waters - 0.05% salt, but near the southeastern shores, the salt content is 13%. The waters of the Caspian Sea wash the shores of five states at once: Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran. In the latter, these expanses of water are called differently - the Khazar or Mazenderan Sea. One of the mysteries of the Caspian Sea is the periodic fluctuation of the water level. Over the past three thousand years, the water level has changed by 15 meters, and these processes continue today. For example, from 1978 to 1995, the water level increased, from 1996 to 2001 it decreased, and then began to rise again. One of the reasons for the lake "disturbance" is possibly human activity. The Caspian is known for its oil reserves, however, while gaining some wealth, we risk losing others. It is in these waters that most of the sturgeon stocks in the world are located. More than 90% of the world's sturgeon is caught in the Caspian Sea, and today the protection of the Caspian Lake is one of the main environmental tasks for Russia.

Ladoga lake

The largest freshwater reservoir in Europe is Lake Ladoga, which is located on the territory of Karelia and Leningrad region. 35 rivers flow into the lake, the area of ​​​​which is a little more than 18,000 km 2, and only the Neva flows out, on which St. Petersburg stands. It was on Ladoga, thanks to the efforts of Peter I, that the Russian fleet was born. In addition, during the Second World War, the “Road of Life” passed through the ice of Lake Ladoga. Thanks to her in besieged Leningrad food was received, about a million people were evacuated along it. In the northern part of the lake there are 500 of the 660 islands belonging to Ladoga. The Valaam archipelago, on which the ancient Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery is located, is especially famous. The harsh Lake Ladoga is often compared to the sea: winds often blow here, and if you swim in the middle of Ladoga, you will not be able to see the opposite shore.

Lake Ilmen is one of the symbols of the history of Russia, since the Slavs appeared in this region in the 8th-9th centuries, at the time of the birth of the state of Rus. Ilmen was sung in many legends, epics, poems and legends.

How Sadko went to Ilmen Lake,
Sat down on a white combustible stone
And he began to play guselki yarovchata.

One of the most large lakes in the European part of Russia is located on the territory of Pskov, Tver and Novgorod regions. Lake Ilmen was recognized natural monument Russia. Unfortunately, the life cycle of the lake is coming to an end, and Ilmen is referred to as “dying lakes”. Its waters are gradually becoming swampy, the amount of silt is increasing, and the lake itself is slowly, but still shallowing.

Pskov-Peipsi Lake

“On the ice of Lake Peipus in 1242, the Battle of the Ice took place” - we know about these events from the school curriculum, and it is thanks to them that Lake Peipsi, as it is called today, has become famous. But not everyone knows that in fact the battle took place on the shore, and not on the ice, and Nevsky’s army drove the already retreating knights along the frozen lake. This fact was established in 1959 by an expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences. The same group also determined the exact location of the events - Lake Teploe, which, like Pskovskoye, as well as Lake Peipus, is part of the Pskov-Peipsi Lake. About 30 rivers flow into this lake complex, and only the Narva River flows out. Best time for a trip to the lake - the first or second Sunday of April, when reenactors gather on Peipsi to recreate the events of the Battle on the Ice.

Divided in half between Russia and Estonia, occupying a significant territory and a small part, Lake Peipsi overflowed into 3555 km 2. If not counting, then this lake occupies the third place in Russia and the fourth in Europe in terms of area. It is only 10 kilometers from Pskov, and two from Gdov. He has many names. Estonians call him Peipsi, and locals- By the Pskov Sea, Gdov Lake, or simply rearrange the halves of the name.

Its structure includes three lakes: Chudskoye (northern, accounting for 73% of the area of ​​the entire water system), Pskov (southern, 20%) and Warm (middle, 7%). The average depth is 7.1, and in some places it reaches 15 meters. The greatest depth was recorded in the Warm Lake. The water in the reservoir is fresh, but not very clear.

About 30 rivers carry waters to Peipsi-Pskovskoye Lake, and it becomes flowing thanks to the Narva flowing from it. Shallow depths allow the water in the lake to warm up to 26 degrees in summer near the coast and up to 22 - on open water. Ice binds the surface of the lake by the beginning of December, and melts by the end of April or the beginning of May.

Lake Peipsi got its name from the word "chud", which the Slavs called all representatives of the Finno-Ugric tribes, including the Estonians. Part of the coast on the Russian side is included in the border zone with limited access, in other places there is no such regime

A modern reservoir lies in place former sea, which, after ice age, again turned into a sea, the level of which constantly decreased until it turned the reservoir into a lake. Smooth coastline makes only three major bays: Lakhta, Zhelchensky and Raskopelsky. Parts of the low-lying shores are dominated by peat bogs, in some places turning into swamps, which completely go under water during floods. West Coast Lake Pskov has high and steep sections, and near Peipus the eastern shore is higher. Part of the coast has several hundred meters of shallow water with adjacent sandy beaches. Along the coast you can meet pine forests and mixed forests. The shallow bottom is lined with silt or sand. From the coastal vegetation, thickets of reeds and reeds are found, and from the water - yellow egg-pod, amphibian buckwheat and arrowhead.

29 islands are scattered across the waters of Lake Peipus-Pskov and 40 more - in the place where the tributary - the Velikaya River - forms a delta. In Lake Peipsi largest island is Piyrisar, and in Pskov - the island of Kolpina.

The name of Lake Peipsi is associated among the inhabitants of Russia with the victory of Alexander Nevsky over the Teutonic knights in the battle, called the Battle of the Ice. Exact location battle has not yet been reliably established.

It is good on Lake Peipus-Pskov all year round, but this is not the only entertainment for tourists who visit these places and for the sake of silent hunting for berries and mushrooms, and for the sake of admiring the expanses of water with white caps of the swans stopping here to rest, and for the sake of warm, shallow sandy beaches. Wild tourists can ride a regular boat from the village of Tolba to the Talab Islands and back, or take a three-hour excursion trip on the lake from Pskov. When staying in tents, it is better to take care of firewood in advance, as a large number of fishermen are harassed to the fires to the last stick.

Those who are not alien to the romance of medieval battles go to Lake Peipus-Pskovskoe, whose shores are associated with the history of Rus' for about a thousand years, to organize their reconstruction or just to get acquainted with historical places. For many years, historians have been specifying the location of the Battle on the Ice, which, according to the chronicles, took place on Uzmen, that is, on the current Warm Lake, which was then part of Peipsi. Presumably, the battle took place in the area of ​​the village of Samolva or a little to the south - near the village of Chudskaya Rudnitsa, in places that are inaccessible even today. 20 years after the battle, Alexander Nevsky came to these places and prayed in a small chapel in Kobylye Settlement - a fortress near the village of Samvola. After 220 years, a temple dedicated to the Archangel Michael was built in its place, and 750 years later, next to it, a bronze monument to Alexander Nevsky was erected by the sculptor Valentin Kozenyuk and a bow cross made of the same material.

This area is also known for ancient mounds with numerous burials, mysterious dungeons, visits of the Bigfoot and UFOs.

Two kilometers from the lake is the ancient Russian city of Gdov, which has been mentioned in chronicles since 1323. Memorial plaque at the entrance to old fortress tells about the military past of the city, which was attacked by the Livonians, Poles and Swedes.

On the shore of Lake Peipsi near the village of Vetvennik, the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, built in the Pskov-Novgorod style at the beginning of the last century, looks into the water on the site of a collapsed wooden church. Tourists always like excursions to the cave of Trutnevo village, fanned mysterious legends about ghosts.

The Pskov region boasts 372 architectural and historical monuments federal significance, so any tourist will be able to choose interesting places for him. It is most convenient to make radial excursions, combining them with recreation on the water, settling on one of tourist bases located on the shores of Lake Peipus-Pskov.