Russian hero or Tatar henchman? To the 800th anniversary of Alexander Nevsky

Sergey Baimukhametov

On June 12, celebrations will open in his hometown of Pereslavl-Zalessky, in Moscow, in St. Petersburg and the Tver region. At the initiative of the Russian Orthodox Church, a procession with the relics of Alexander Nevsky will begin in the cities of Russia and the Republic of Belarus.

Festive events dedicated to the 800th anniversary of Alexander Nevsky, which began in May, will continue throughout the year. They were developed and are being carried out in close cooperation with the Russian Orthodox Church, and include exhibitions, scientific conferences, theological seminars, divine services, and religious processions.

On September 12, on the day of the transfer of the relics of Alexander Nevsky, the Patriarchal service will take place at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg. The musical and theatrical performance "Eight centuries of service to the Fatherland" will take place on the Palace Square in St. Petersburg. And on Lake Peipsi near the village of Samolva, Pskov region, a monument to Alexander Nevsky and the squad will be unveiled.

This anniversary is special. Russia came to him after two decades of open discussions. All previous centuries in Russia, in one way or another, the facts, true activities, role and significance of Alexander Nevsky were silent.

In 1547 Alexander Nevsky was canonized. And so he was officially honored. But... Probably, the readers will find it strange to know that the Russian historical science of the 19th century treated Nevsky more or less coolly. True, the scholars did not dare to openly accuse the holy prince of anything. This would be called sacrilege. However, in the writings of the founders, Soloviev and Klyuchevsky, he is mentioned only briefly, even if respectfully. For example, in the "Course of Russian history" V.O. Klyuchevsky - 15 times in 15 lines. In three volumes - 15 times ?!

As a result of historical omissions and abbreviations, the very figure of Alexander Nevsky hung in the air, turned into a historical phantom. For eleven years he was the Grand Duke in Russia. Why was he canonized? After all, not for the battle on Lake Peipsi: somehow, in everyday terms, it is not enough. Why is he considered a national hero? Unknown.

But if they were made saints, it means that Nevsky had very special, exceptional services to the Orthodox faith and the Russian people? What kind? The Russian Orthodox Church knew the answers, but she was silent. The answers to these questions did not fit and do not fit into the existing system of Russian historiography, they are so explosive for the stereotypes of the mass consciousness that it is better to keep silent, to conceal.

In both cases, the essence of the policy of Alexander Nevsky was hushed up and hushed up in every possible way. The main conflict of the era is hushed up. The truth about the true relationship between Russia and the Golden Horde was hushed up.

But Western historians of the twentieth century did not hesitate. They called the policy of Alexander Nevsky "treacherous", "humiliating", "senseless and shameful".

And in the Soviet Union, until the 1940s, Alexander Nevsky was considered a traitor. In the Small Soviet Encyclopedia of 1930, they wrote about Nevsky: “In 1252 A. gets (feel the attitude:“ gets it ”! - S. B.) in the Horde a label for the great reign ... Suppressed the unrest of the Russian population, protesting against the difficult tribute to the Tatars. "Peaceful" (in quotation marks! - SB) A.'s policy was assessed by the Russian church, which got along with the khan: after A.'s death, she declared him a saint".

In general, an intriguer, a traitor and oppressor of the Russian people, who, together with the church, sold himself to the Golden Horde. However, this indirectly recognized the union of Alexander Nevsky and the Russian Orthodox Church - with the Horde.

This continued until the 40s, when the Stalinist period of the prince's glorification began: the Patriotic War, the German invaders... Earlier, in 1938, the film "Alexander Nevsky" was released, making him a national hero, the defender of Russia from the invasion of the Teutons. Then, nowhere and in any way was there any mention of his alliance with the Horde. Thus began a new period of silence.

In the 90s, in the era of perestroika and glasnost, of the uncensored press, some Russian historians and publicists in the magazines Rodina, Ogonyok, Obshchaya Gazeta and other publications raised a flurry of "revelations". Here are quotes so that the reader can clearly imagine the atmosphere.

"The Satan of Russian history - Alexander Nevsky... He planted a fierce Tatar yoke in Russia", "The Russian people, Russian freedom were betrayed and sold from within ... The shame of Russian historical consciousness, Russian historical memory is that Alexander Nevsky became... a banner the very people whose historical destiny he cruelly distorted ”. “Can a Tatar henchman, capitulator and collaborator named Alexander be considered a great national hero? what can you not call a traitor?" “Alexander Nevsky was the first of the Russian grand dukes who, instead of resisting the Tatars, went to direct cooperation with them. He began to act in alliance with the Tatars against other princes: he punished the Russians - including Novgorodians - for disobeying the conquerors, in a way that the Mongols never dreamed of..."

The authors of these works (among them there were both a serious historian and a remarkable culturologist) gave an assessment. They had the right. But the assessment, the accusations must be based on something. They, the authors, knew what they were using. But the general public, in fact, the population of the USSR and Russia, knew nothing. And many, reading, were horrified and approved. After all, all our life, for centuries, our people were brought up on the theory of "yoke". And then - sensational revelations: "It turns out that our saint helped to plant the yoke!"

These authors can even be credited with attracting attention with their articles and books, one way or another, they made public some facts that were previously unknown to the masses, albeit in their editing and in their interpretation. As a result, they aggravated the situation.

As it really was, the general public did not know and still does not really know.

My work on essays on the history of Medieval Russia began over 30 years ago. As they said then, "wrote on the table," that is, without any expectation of publication. Only in 1999, when the leaders of the most popular in Soviet times, Literaturnaya Gazeta, asked me how I felt about Alexander Nevsky's accusations of “betrayal,” did I bring them my materials.

And he was unspeakably surprised that they decided to print them.

That is, then, in 1999, I was convinced to the marrow of my bones, I took it for granted that one could publicly call Alexander Nevsky a “collaborationist” and a “traitor”, but print in the press that there was no “yoke”, that there was a union of Russia and the Horde - simply impossible, unimaginable. That is, the theory of "yoke", in principle, was not questioned, was the foundation, unshakable in the era of freedom of speech, the officially proclaimed pluralism of opinions.

My essays began to spread throughout the information space. And even, according to some critics, they influenced the subsequent formation of public opinion, the policy of the state and the Russian Orthodox Church.

In 2009, the All-Russian Orthodox videoconference "The Life of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky as an Example of Historical Optimism" took place. It was broadcast to four cities - St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir and Pereslavl-Zalessky.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill presided.

Archimandrite Zosima, rector of the Church of St. George in Vladimir, made a report “Saint Alexander Nevsky as a Hero of the People”.

The talk began like this:

“Here in front of me is an article by Sergei Baimukhametov“ The Prince's Cross. Was Alexander Nevsky a traitor to the Russian land? " In his article, Sergei Baimukhametov raises the most difficult questions that relate to difficult and sometimes polarized disputes in the history of Russia and our Russian Orthodox Church".

Further, the speaker not only referred to my works, but quoted, without quotation marks, some basic provisions.

Publicly, for the whole country, it was said that from which church thought and public Russian thought had been avoiding for several centuries.

It is clear that the report to the event of all-Russian significance is the fruit of collective labor, sanctioned at the highest level. Therefore, it can be argued that in this way the official position of the patriarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church was declared, a certain "signal" was given, and the direction of future research on the history of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian state was indicated.

And finally, on March 14, 2017, at the first meeting of the Organizing Committee for the preparation of the 800th anniversary of the holy right-believing Prince Alexander Nevsky, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia marked a decisive turn in the historiography of Medieval Russia:

“The policy of Alexander Nevsky did not meet with full understanding in Russia, primarily in Novgorod ... However, despite the fact that Alexander did not always receive the support of his own people, he took wise and courageous steps that allowed him to save the country from complete ruin... Alexander Nevsky managed to build such relations with the Horde, which ensured the preservation of Russia... As a result, Russia did not lose its identity, it did not lose its faith, it didn’t even lose its state structure. And if the crusaders came to our land, then Russia as a historical cultural spiritual religious phenomenon would cease to exist".

The meaning of the words of the patriarch is now still difficult to fully comprehend, to fully appreciate. This is a turn in the official secular and official church historiography of Medieval Russia.

Assessments and accusations of betrayal of Alexander Nevsky were built and settled on the basis of official historical silence and distortion. History always pays off for hiding the truth.

How was it really?

After the capture and plundering by the crusaders in 1204 of Constantinople, the center of Orthodoxy, the onslaught on Russia increased significantly. For the Roman Church at that time there was no difference between Orthodox Byzantines, Orthodox Russians and Muslim Saracens. And those, and others, and the third - the object of the Crusades. Then the Roman Church included the “Tatars” in the sphere of these “objects” - to its misfortune.

Pope Honorius III and after him Pope Gregory IX announced an economic blockade of Russia. The Russians were called "enemies of the faith", and in 1256 a "Crusade against the Schismatics and Tatars" was declared, that is, against Russia and the Horde. And, finally, Pope Clement VI coined the formula for the confrontation between Rome and Russia: "Russians are enemies of the Catholic Church." And the Swedish, and German-order, and Lithuanian campaigns to Russia were initiated and coordinated from one center.

Another thing is that there was not enough strength. Because, by the will of history, the Golden Horde has risen across the conquest plans of the West and the Roman Church aimed at the East of Europe. Back in 1242, the Horde cavalry took part in the liberation of Pskov from the Germans. “The city was even taken by the Germans ... However, a little later, Alexander Yaroslavovich, from the Monomakhov family, returned freedom to the city; being sent by the khan to the Tatar Baty and receiving Tatar auxiliary troops to help, he won the battle of the Livonians" (Reingold Heydenstein, "Notes on the Moscow War").

If the Russians, together with the Horde, expelled the Germans from Pskov in 1242, then it is quite logical to assume that they also fought together against the knights on Lake Peipsi in the same 1242. And the next year, 1243, the Grand Duke Yaroslav, the father of Alexander Nevsky, called on the Russian princes to recognize Khan Batu "their king".

Yaroslav died in 1246. Alexander received a label to reign in Kiev, which had already lost its former significance. And his brother Andrei Yaroslavich became the Grand Duke of Vladimir, that is, the Grand Duke in Russia.

The crusades of the Roman Catholic Church against Russia and the Horde were not limited only to military operations. Pope Innocent IV in 1248 offered the great kagan Guyuk and Alexander Nevsky to convert to Catholicism. They refused.

At the same time, Pope Innocent IV twice offered Grand Duke Danil of Galitsky the title of Russian king in exchange for the unification of the churches, that is, for the transition of Russia to the Catholic faith. Daniel was inclined towards this in one way or another and eventually took the title. One of his son married the daughter of the Hungarian king, the other an Austrian princess. And - the most important moment - he married his daughter to Prince Andrew. That is, the Grand Duke of Vladimir Rus became his son-in-law, his younger relative.

Thus, all power in Russia began to belong to the supporters of the Roman Catholic Church. At that time, this "course" unambiguously assumed the adoption of Catholicism and submission to Rome, at least indirectly.

It was then that Alexander Nevsky came to the Horde and fraternized with Batu's son, Tsarevich Sartak, a Nestorian Christian by faith. In those days, they easily transgressed through blood kinship - they could kill their own brother, if they stood on the way to power, walked across. But the named brotherhood was revered as a shrine and was unshakable. The named brothers in Monogolian "anda" - "one soul".

Batu, becoming the named father of Alexander, gave him the cavalry of Nevryuy for a campaign against Andrey. It was a bloody campaign, which remained in the annals and in the memory of the people as "Nevryuev's army". Andrei fled to Sweden, Alexander became the Grand Duke of Vladimir, the Germans halted their advance on Pskov and Novgorod.

The named brotherhood of Alexander with Sartak and the position of the named son of Batu became the beginning of the military-political union of Russia and the Golden Horde.

In 1255, Alexander's named father, Khan Batu, died, an indestructible support. In 1256 - the named brother Sartak, and not having spent a year on the khan's throne of the Golden Horde. But all the previous verbal agreements remained in force. Alexander concluded an official agreement with the Golden Horde (with Khan Berke) on military assistance with payment in the form of an annual tax - "exit".

From that moment, from 1257-58, twenty (!) Years after the invasion of Batu's troops into the borders of Russia, begins what our historians called a tribute. Given the situation, it can be considered a war tax, funds for the upkeep of the army. The size of the tribute, which frightened the Russians for all centuries, was one and a half loaves of bread per person per year. (S. M. Kashtanov. Finances of medieval Russia. M., 1988.)

This agreement was strictly adhered to by the successors of the case of Alexander Nevsky (since then, the label for the great reign was given, with rare and short-term exceptions, only to the blood descendants of Alexander Nevsky), and all the khans of the Golden Horde.

6 years after the death of the Grand Duke, in 1268, the allied troops of the Germans and Danes went to Novgorod. But the violent Novgorod, which only did that was opposed to Alexander Nevsky, in accordance with the agreement turned to Mengu-Timur - the then khan of the Golden Horde. And he, again in accordance with the treaty, sent cavalry. The Germans immediately retreated and signed a peace treaty on Novgorod's terms. As the chronicler says: "Making peace with all the will of Novgorod, he is terribly afraid of the Tatar name ..."

In 1274, the free city of Smolensk, constantly under the threat of capture by the Lithuanians, entered the Russian-Horde union. The Lithuanians did not dare to attack.

“Where the Tatar troops entered the action, the crusading onslaught quickly stopped,” wrote L.N. Gumilyov. - Thus, for the tax that Alexander Nevsky undertook to pay, Russia received a reliable and strong army ... So the alliance with the Horde in the second half of the XIII century. brought North-Eastern Russia the longed-for peace and firm order. Moreover, the Russian principalities, which accepted an alliance with the Horde, fully retained their ideological independence and political independence. "

Why, then, was it not said loudly and clearly in the course of Russian history for the previous centuries? Why they were silent, thereby allowing to build theories about the "betrayal" of Alexander Nevsky. After all, the Russian Orthodox Church knew the truth. But she was silent. Why?

Because in Russia and in Russia, from the late Middle Ages, especially from the time of Peter the Great and in fact to the present day, the "Iga" theory was officially adopted. Although, until the 18th century, the Russian people did not know such a word. It came from the West.

The hostility of the West towards the Horde is understandable. Firstly, in 1241, the Mongol army, passing through Russia, continuing to pursue the Polovtsian horde of Khan Kotyan, invaded Europe and reached the Adriatic. But here in Karakorum the great kagan Ogedei died. The Mongols were obliged to stop all hostilities until the election of a new ruler. And Khan Batu turned his horses. But the Horde left the memory of themselves for a long time. Europe realized with horror how easily and quickly it could collapse under the blows of previously unknown horsemen.

Secondly, the Horde cavalry stopped the Crusade of the Roman Church against Russia.

Thirdly, the silent feeling of common guilt for the betrayal, when the Horde cavalry went on a campaign to free the Holy Sepulcher, and the Western Templar crusaders did not support, moreover, they betrayed, helping the Muslim Saracens.

And when Tsar Peter opened a "window to Europe" for Russia, lies from the West, the "Yoke" theory penetrated into Russia, became firmly established in scientific circulation, entered textbooks, and through them - into popular use, into the popular consciousness. As the orientalist academician Barthold wrote: "Russian scientists follow for the most part in the footsteps of European ones and for the most part accept the views established in the West." Russian historical science, formed in the 18th-20th centuries, is imbued with one idea: the Mongols are barbarians, and Europe is light.

And so it happened that Russia in every possible way began to blaspheme the Mongols and the Golden Horde, who helped Russia to protect the Orthodox faith and statehood from Catholic expansion. Alas, this is often the case in history. Especially when they sing from someone else's voice.

And yet, in this global historical plot there is something not fully understood, even mysterious. In this case, I do not mean the scientific side (after all, science can explain everything ?!), but the subjective-emotional, human side.

Historian Prince N.S. Trubetskoy wrote: “It is difficult to find a Great Russian, in whose veins, in one way or another, Turanian blood does not flow. It is sinful to be embarrassed by this ... But we are embarrassed, and for the last several centuries we have been looking at the West with reverence. "

"We are embarrassed", that is, we are complex. And we diligently disown everything "Asian" in our history. But it became an integral part of Russian life long before the arrival of the Tumens of Batu, long before the XIII century. It was present in Russian life from constant contacts with the Great Steppe, with the Polovtsy, with whom the Russians have had eternal friendship-enmity-kinship since ancient times, since the times of the Kiev Kaganate. ("Kievan Rus" is a scientific term introduced by Russian historians in the 19th century for convenience of designation. That state was called the Kiev Kaganate or the Russian Kaganate. "Kagan" - "khan khans", "great khan".) And the common language in the Golden Horde was not Mongolian, but Turkic ("Tatar"!)

The daughter-in-law of Prince Igor, the same one from the textbook Lay of Igor's Regiment, is a Polovtsian princess, and two daughters-in-law of Vladimir Monomakh are Polovtsi. That is, the wife of the founder of Moscow, Yuri Dolgoruky, is a steppe girl. And his son, the holy Russian prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, is the grandson of the Polovtsian Khan Aepa. And Vsevolod the Big Nest was married to a Polovtsian woman. And his son Yaroslav - on the daughter of Mstislav Udatny and the Polovtsian princess. That is, the great-grandmother of Alexander Nevsky, his grandmother and mother are of Polovtsian origin. That is, our holy Orthodox prince is two-thirds or even three-fourths of steppe blood.

For reference: Russian princes and princesses of the late 11th and early 13th centuries are the children of the Polovtsian princesses:

- Andrey Bogolyubsky - Grand Duke of Vladimir;

- Rostislav Yurievich - Prince of Novgorod and Pereyaslavsky;

- Ivan Yurievich - Prince of Kursk;

- Gleb Yurievich - Prince of Pereyaslavsky and Kiev;

- Boris Yurievich - Prince of Belgorod and Turovsky;

- Olga - Princess of Suzdal;

- Rostislav Vsevolodovich - Prince of Pereyaslavsky;

- Bryachislav Svyatopolkovich - Prince Turovsky;

- Izyaslav Svyatopolkovich - Prince Turovsky.

- Izyaslav Vladimirovich - Grand Duke of Kiev;

- Vsevolod Vladimirovich - Prince of Chernigov;

- Svyatoslav Olgovich - Prince of Novgorod;

- Vasily Mstislavovich - Prince of Novotorzhsky;

- Yuri Mstislavovich - Prince of Pskov;

- Feodosia Mstislavovna - Grand Duchess of Vladimir, mother of Alexander Nevsky.

Etc.

“Embarrassed”, we diligently clean up everything that reminds us of the past. For example, we create paintings, sculptural images that have little in common with the faces of the people of the Middle Ages. There are almost no authentic images. In those days, "photography" was a death mask. And it is difficult to keep it. For example, the mask of Alexander Nevsky has not survived.

But there is a fresco in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, 1666.

There is a pictorial portrait of the 17th century from the veil, the death veil.

On a fresco in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, 1652-1666) - Grand Duke Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, father of Alexander Nevsky.

In Vladimir, in the Holy Dormition Princess Monastery - a fresco depicting the grandfather of Alexander Nevsky, Grand Duke Vsevolod the Big Nest, 1648.

And, finally, the indisputable "photograph" of those times - the death mask of Prince Svyatoslav, the uncle of Alexander Nevsky, kept in the St. George Cathedral of Yuryev-Polsky.

Probably, in this global historical plot, the level of civilization is of decisive importance. In civilizational development, Europe was ahead. Despite the fact that the Russians, with all their complex ethnic component, are a European people, by faith and mentality. And since the 15th century, conditional steppe auls could not give Russia what the cities of Europe gave. Progress has always won and won.

Until the beginning of the XIV century, the Mongol Empire lived according to the Yasa of Genghis Khan, who prescribed complete freedom of religion, forbade giving preference to any one religion. For example, three rulers of the Golden Horde, successively occupying the throne, adhered to different confessions: Khan Batu was a pagan, his son Sartak was a Christian Nestorian, and his uncle Khan Berke was a Muslim.

However, there is reason to believe that Orthodoxy in the Horde was still in a special position. In 1261, Alexander Nevsky, together with Khan Berke (a Muslim) and Batu's grandson Prince Mengu-Timur (a pagan), opened a courtyard of an Orthodox bishop in Sarai, the capital of the Golden Horde.

Each khan of the Golden Horde, when he came to power, issued a decree confirming the exclusive rights of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Khan Mengu-Timur: “In Russia, let no one dare to put the churches to shame and offend the metropolitans and subordinate archimandrites, archpriests, priests and other clergymen. May their cities, regions, villages, lands, hunting, beehives, meadows, forests, vegetable gardens, orchards, mills and dairy farms be free from all taxes. All this belongs to God and they themselves are God".

Khan Uzbek: “All the ranks of the Orthodox Church and all monks are subject only to the judgment of the Orthodox Metropolitan, by no means to the officials of the Horde and not to the princely court. Whoever robbed a clergyman must pay him three times. Whoever dares to mock the Orthodox faith or offend a church, monastery, chapel - he is subject to death, regardless of whether he is Russian or Mongol. May the Russian clergy feel like free servants of God".

Subsequently, the historian N.M. Karamzin noted: “The Khans, under death penalty, forbade their subjects to rob and disturb monasteries. The ecclesiastical estates, free from the taxes of the Horde and Princely, prospered. One of the memorable consequences of the Tatar domination over Russia was the rise of our Clergy".

The preference given to Orthodoxy requires explanation. Taking into account historical, political circumstances, a logical chain can be built. It is more than likely that the khans of the Golden Horde perceived the Russian Orthodox Church as an assistant and ally in the matter of pacification, preservation of power and order in Russia. Because in those days to have such a vassal territory as Russia meant to have very big problems. After all, the Horde came to a land that is constantly boiling with internecine wars.

And the Russian Orthodox Church was, in modern parlance, the only federal structure recognized in one way or another from Kiev to Novgorod. She in every way strengthened the military-political alliance with the Golden Horde, the alliance founded by Alexander Nevsky.

“Another hundred years or more could pass in the Princely civil strife: what would they have been? Probably, the destruction of our fatherland: Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Sweden could share it; then we would have lost both the existence of the state and the Faith, which were saved by Moscow; Moscow owes its greatness to the Khans ”. (N.M. Karamzin. "History of the Russian State").

Alexander Nevsky and the Russian Orthodox Church in the union of the Golden Horde created a single, centralized Russian state.

The historian Y. Afanasyev, quoting, in turn, the professor of history A. Zimin, spoke in an interview with Obshchaya Gazeta about "the deepest difference between the Galician and Moscow princes". He characterized the Moscow princes as "vile and insidious collaborators who, acting on the side of the Tatars, executed and oppressed their people worse than any conquerors".

The historian M. Sokolsky in his book "Wrong Memory", opposing Prince Daniel Galitsky to Alexander Nevsky, argued that Alexander Nevsky "cruelly distorted the historical fate" of the Russian people .

Daniel Galitsky, let me remind you, having converted to Catholicism, was elevated by the Pope to the rank of "Russian king".

We will judge by the results. Let's see what they, Alexander and Daniel, left behind.

It must be said here that scientific and public opinion undoubtedly developed under the influence of the chronicles. But it should be borne in mind that we do not have a single original, not a single original, not a single manuscript, contemporary events. All the chronicles have come down to us only in "lists", that is, copies, mainly of the 16th - 18th centuries. What is left of the original, and what has been added and changed by scribes for the sake of "ideas" - to disassemble and disassemble.

An example is the Laurentian Chronicle, in which, as proved by the chief researcher of the Institute of Russian Literature (IRLI), laureate of the State Prize of Russia, Professor G.M. Prokhorov, three pages dedicated to Batu's campaign were cut and replaced. Late insertions are also mentioned in the analysis of the Laurentian Chronicle by L.N. Gumilev.

We will not analyze here, under the influence of which the insertions were made - this is a separate topic.

As a rule, the chronicles telling about the events of the pre-Mongol period are scrupulous in details, specific, full of names and facts. This is how the storming of Kiev by the Smolensk-Chernigov-Polovtsian army in 1203, 37 years before Batu, is described:

“Podillya took and burned; he took the Mountain and the Metropolitan Saint Sophia plundered and the Church of the Tithes plundered”.

There are four specific names in two lines! And when it comes to the times of the Horde - some general words: "They have burnt many holy churches." As in the same Laurentian Chronicle it is said about the storming of Moscow in 1238: "You betray the holy churches, and all the monasteries and the villages have been burned." Downright a purposeful campaign of the Horde against the Orthodox Church. But - no specifics: what churches, how many churches were burned, how many were in Moscow, at that time - a small fortress.

If you delve into, look, then... I found in the annals only THREE churches that suffered during the Batu campaign and the three-hundred-year "yoke". But... The Church of the Tithes in Kiev was not purposefully destroyed. She herself collapsed from a large crowd of people in the choir during the storming of the city.

The church in Ryazan burned out from the inside.

The church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Suzdal was also damaged by fire. However, the very next year, Prince Yaroslav laid the relics of his brother Yuri in this temple.

THREE churches that are referred to as victims - for 300 years "yoke"?

In the cities of Russia, which were "under the yoke", and to this day have survived:

Kiev land - the Assumption Cathedral and the Trinity Church in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, the Church of the Archangel Michael in the Vydubitsky Monastery, the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael in the Mikhailovsky Golden-Domed Monastery, the Church of the Savior on Berestovo, the Church of the Assumption, Church of Cyril of Alexandria, Basil the Great Church, St. George (Assumption) Cathedral , Sophia Cathedral…

On the Chernigov land - the Transfiguration Cathedral, the Borisoglebsky Cathedral, the Elias Church, the Assumption Cathedral of the Yeletsky Monastery, the Pyatnitskaya Church, the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery in Novgorod-Seversky...

On Vladimir land - the Assumption Cathedral, the Church of Boris and Gleb in the village of Kideksha, the Dmitrievsky Cathedral, the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl, the Cathedral in Bogolyubov, St. George Cathedral in Yuryev-Polsky, the Alexander Monastery and the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin in Suzdal, the Transfiguration Cathedral in Pereslavl- Zalessky, Assumption Cathedral in Rostov...

In Veliky Novgorod - St. Sophia Cathedral, the Church of the Entry into Jerusalem, the Church of the Archangel Michael, the Church of Fyodor Stratilat, the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa, the Church of Peter and Paul, the Church of the Annunciation, St. Nicholas Cathedral, the Church of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, the Church of the Assumption, the Church of John, the Church of Elijah Prophet, Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin, St. George Cathedral...

In Smolensk - the Church of Peter and Paul, the Church of St. John the Theologian, the Church of Michael the Archangel...

In Pskov - the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Mirozh Monastery, the Cathedral of the Nativity of John the Baptist of the Ivanovsky Monastery, the Trinity Cathedral...

I name here, of course, not all the monuments of the XI-XIII centuries.

What was built in the XIV-XV centuries, at the time of the established "yoke", I do not mention for lack of space. However, about the ancient cities where they still stand, in dictionaries and reference books they still write: "Destroyed by the Mongol-Tatars".

And now let's look at the ancient Slavic cities of Gomel, Zhitomir, Minsk, Mogilev, Lvov, Lutsk, Rovno, Uzhgorod, which fell under the rule of the West after Daniel Galitsky. There is not a single Orthodox church of the XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV and XVI centuries. The Roman Church did not recognize the equality of religions, unlike Genghis Khan.

After Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky, after his spiritual and blood heirs, Vladimir and Moscow Russia remained, from which mighty Russia grew. Here it is, in front of us.

And after Daniil Romanovich Galitsky, 85 years after his death, Galicia-Volyn Rus was divided between Poland and Lithuania (1349), and later completely ceded to Poland. For five centuries. Moreover, without resistance, practically without a single shot. That is, Galicia-Volyn Rus has sunk into oblivion. There is no state, no faith, no ancient churches left.

Who is more "warped"?

Alexander Nevsky and Dmitry Donskoy are canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. The Church knew for sure that the warrior princes, who relied on the "rotten Tatars" in everything, defended primarily the Orthodox faith from the Catholic expansion of the West. The Church knew for sure that the "filthy Tatars" were the battle shield of the Orthodox faith during three centuries of the Middle Ages, three centuries of the formation of the Russian state.

Russian and American historian Georgy Vernadsky wrote: "The two exploits of Alexander Nevsky - the exploit of battle in the West and the exploit of humility in the East - had the only goal - to preserve Orthodoxy as a source of moral and political strength of the Russian people".

In the disputes around Alexander Nevsky and Dmitry Donskoy, two myths imposed and imposed on society came together. And both are built on ... misconceptions, shall we say. Conventional "patriotic Slavophiles" glorify Alexander Nevsky and Dmitry Donskoy as statesmen, but at the same time they are silent about their close cooperation with the khans of the Golden Horde. And the conditional "liberal Westernizers" overthrow the grand dukes from the pedestal just because they went to an alliance with the Horde. Neither the conventional "Westernizers" nor the conventional "Slavophiles" recognized, do not recognize, or did not understand and do not understand the obvious - Alexander and Dmitry are great because they entered into an alliance with the Horde and thanks to this they preserved, united, consolidated and exalted Russia.