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Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky or St Alexander Nevsky (1221-1263), is one of the great heroes of Russian history. He was a member of a Princely House and a great military commander, one of Russia’s greatest. Nevsky is revered to this day, yet he collaborated with the Mongol conquerors and he actively helped them to maintain their rule in Russian lands. This article will examine the many achievements of Nevsky and examine his contribution to Russian history and society. It will demonstrate that he halted the eastern expansion of the Germans and Swedes, preserved the Russian Orthodox faith and did much to ameliorate the rule of the Mongols and protected the ordinary people from their cruelty. He also laid the foundation for Russia’s revival and eventual independence from Mongol rule.

[[File: Nevsk 2.jpg|200px|thumb|left|An icon of St Alexander Nevsky]]

==Background==

In 1224 the Mongols arrived in the Russian Steppe and after they conquered the various neighboring tribes they turned their attention to the Kievan Rus (modern-day Russia). The great Kievan Rus Empire was in a state of disintegration and much of modern Russia was in the hands of local princes and city-states. The Mongols under the command of Bantu Khan invaded the Russian territories and took advantage of the Russians disunity. The Khan attacked the titular capital of Rus and sacked it. At the battle of Battle of the Sit River in 1238 the Mongols destroyed a large Mongol army<ref>Bushkovitch, Paul. A Concise History of Russia (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2011), p. 17</ref> Bantu Khan and his army devastated nearly all the south and central Russian cities. The Khan then as the representative of the Great Khan set up his headquarters in the south of Russia and he demanded the obedience of the remaining Russian principalities. The Russian states had to supply the Mongols with annual tribute and soldiers when required. Thus, began the period that is known in Russian history as the ‘Tartar Yoke’. The Mongols, who became known as the Golden Horde, did not rule the Russians directly but they would regularly terrorize them. They launched devastating raids during which they captured many slaves. In general, the Mongols were religiously tolerant, and they did not impose their beliefs on others and did not seek to appropriate any lands. The Mongols usually ruled through the native princes and on occasion they would appoint one prince to represent their interests in the rest of Russia. These would effectively govern the Russian lands in the name of the Khan.