Saint Alexander Nevsky

Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky (1221–1263) was Prince of Novgorod, Grand Prince of Kiev, and Grand Prince of Vladimir, revered as the patron saint and supreme medieval military defender of Russia. In 1240, at just nineteen years old, he earned the agnomen 'Nevsky' by launching a surprise dawn raid on the mouth of the Izhora River, crushing a Swedish invasion force commanded by Birger Jarl.

His defining masterwork came in April 1242 at the Battle of Lake Peipus (the 'Battle on the Ice'). Facing the heavy armored wedge (the 'iron swine') of the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Knights, Alexander used his Novgorodian foot archers and horsemen to encircle the crusaders on the frozen lake surface, causing the ice to shatter beneath their heavy armor. Recognizing the overwhelming power of the Mongol Golden Horde, he pursued pragmatic diplomacy with Batu Khan to safeguard Russian Orthodoxy from Western eradication.