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[[File: Nevsk 2.jpg|300px250px|thumbthumbnail|left|An icon of St Alexander Nevsky]]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 What did Nevsky achieve and examine what were his contribution contributions to Russian history and society. It will demonstrate that he ? Nevsky 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 . Additionally, protected the ordinary people from their cruelty. He also laid the foundation for Russia’s revival and eventual independence from Mongol rule.

[[File: Nevsky four.jpg|200px250px|thumbthumbnail|left|A drawing of the Battle of the Ice from a medieval manuscript]]

Alexander feared that the Mongols would devastate the Russian lands and that the Russian peoples would disappear. Alexander was a patriot, but he was also a pragmatist and he knew that any Russian revolt would be crushed and that the ordinary people would suffer most. He forced much of Russia to comply with a Mongol census and the exactions of Muslim tax collectors Janet Martin, From Kiev to Muscovy: The Beginnings to 1450, in Russia: A History (Oxford Press, Oxford, 1997, edited by Gregory Freeze), p. 72.</ref> Alexander tried to reduce the burdens that were placed on the ordinary Russians. He was by and largely successful, for example, he persuaded the Mongols not to draft Russian levies into the Mongol army for an invasion of the Middle East.<ref> Isahao, p. 145</ref>  Alexander was able to maintain peace and to secure the acceptance of Mongol rule by the force of his personality and the alliance he created between the local princes, church, and nobles. Prince Alexander Nevsky died in Vladimir in 1263 and he was succeeded by his sons. In the aftermath of his death, the various Russian principalities began to feud with each other and occasionally rebelled against the Golden Horde, at this time the ordinary people suffered greatly.

[[File: Nevsk.jpg |200px250px|thumbthumbnail|left|A military decoration named after Alexander Nevsky]]

Alexander was aware of the vulnerable state of the Russian lands after the Mongol invasions. The lands had been devastated and there had been a catastrophic collapse in the population. Many areas were left wastelands and cities and towns abandoned. Alexander knew that the Russian people could not defy the Mongols and that they needed time to recover. There are many who argue that Nevsky was willing to collaborate with the Mongols for his own interests. Because of their support he was the de-facto ruler of the north and much of the east. However, he was genuinely concerned with the common people and the interests of Russia. This is evident in his rebuilding measures in the aftermath of the devastating Mongol invasions. He ordered the rebuilding of towns, churches, and fortifications .<ref> Christian, p. 113 </ref>.  Alexander began the long -process of helping restoring Russia to recover. His policy was in hindsight a pragmatic one even though it made him very unpopular. He was able to persuade the elite to accept his approach and they put aside their personal feuds. This brought a measure of peace to many Russian areas. Nevsky was an important figure in the reconstruction of Russia after the Mongols. His great achievement was to preserve the territorial unity of the traditional Russian lands, after the hammer blows of the Mongolian invasions.

Many other Russian princes adopted the strategy of Alexander and they choose to collaborate rather than confront the Golden Horde. For example, there was not to be a revolt in the north east of Russia for over a century after the death of Alexander. After a brutal struggle between his sons, his youngest son Daniel became the Duke of Moscow, then a small principality. He followed his father’s policies and he cultivated the arts of peace and worked with the Golden Horde. Under his benign rule Daniel was able to transform Moscow. He reigned in peace for thirty years and Moscow became a haven for many fleeing Mongol raids and attacks. His successors established the State of Muscovy and over many decades became the most powerful state in the Russian lands. This was all possible because by and large the Dukes of Muscovy followed Alexander Nevsky policy of collaboration. Eventually, the Dukes of Muscovy became so powerful that it was able to defy successfully the Mongols and it was to become the nucleus of the future Russian state and indeed Empire. The rulers of the House of Moscow were to become the Tsars of Russia and to rule it until 1598 .<ref>Ishago, p. 134</ref>. This would not have been possible without the far-sighted policies of Alexander Nevsky.