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Alexander Nevsky
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The Lives of the Saints 20 Alexander Nevsky August 30 Catholicism has eight popes and a few obscure saints named Alexander , but none can rival Alexander Nevsky, founder of Russia, canonized in 1547 by the patriarch of Moscow, and “recanonized” during Stalin’s reign, in the 1938 Eisenstein film consecrated to him. Ironically, Alexander attained sanctity by crushing Catholic forces. After repelling the assaults of Swedes and Lithuanians on the banks of the Neva river (whence the name Nevsky), this young prince of Novgorod won a decisive battle in 1242 against the Teutonic Knights and their Livonian branch, which had set itself to convert Russia by the sword. Realizing that he was in an inferior position, Alexander lured the Catholic knights on to the frozen surface of Lake Peipus, which could not sustain the weight of their horses and heavy armors. This battle marked the establishment of the line demarcating two zones of influence: the Orthodox on one side, and the Roman Catholic and later Protestant, on the other. Saint Alexander Nevsky became a monk shortly before his death. In Paris, the Russian Orthodox Cathedral on rue Daru is dedicated to him. Henryk Siemiradzki (1843–1902) Alexander Nevsky Receiving Envoys from Rome National Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg ...