Mediaeval Ladoga: battles, defeats, victories...

The military history of Ladoga is full of events. The city repelled the invasions of aliens several times, defending not only itself but also Novgorod, stopped the enemies not letting them to get into the heart of the Russian state. In the dark times (Polish-Swedish intervention of the beginning of the XVII century) the castle of Old Ladoga circulated several times.
Pobedische and the bloody spring are the tracts on the territory of Ladoga. The local legend connects their appearance with the name of an outstanding warlord and politician prince Alexander Nevsky. The first military events on Ladoga land are referred to the battle of Slaves with the Ugro-Finnish tribes and are connected with the repulsion of Varangian invasions.

     997. One ancient Scandinavian saga tells that a Norwegian prince Erick invaded the lands of Gardarika and besieged the castle Aldeigoburg (the Scandinavian name of Ladoga). The Norwegians devastated the outskirts of Ladoga and spoiled the rich goods. The written sources do not contain any information about any war events during X-XI centuries in Priladozie. Perhaps because the Varangians ceased their invasions and Novgorod princes intermarried with the Swedish kings.

     XII century marked the beginning of the civil discord. The Kievan state split into the small specific princedoms. The royal authority strengthened in Sweden and generated the expansion policy towards Finnish territories.

1105. Novgorod chronographer informs that the prince went to fight to Ladoga.

     1114. A stone fortress was founded in Ladoga. A garrison formed to protect the local lands, the outliers were created around. Such outliers were situated at the estuaries of the Neva, Volhov and the river Syas. Nine kilometers away to the west from Old Ladoga in the village Kiselnya an old pine tree stands near the road. The local legend connects this tree with outliers, which existed here many centuries ago. Ladoga was very well seen from the top of the pine tree and a watchman alarmed the garrison in the fortress when the enemies were coming.

     1142. The citizens of Ladoga with the support of Novgorod came against the Finns from the tribe called emm and killed all the enemies.

     1149. The Finns invaded Ladoga lands but were met with a rebuff from the troop of Ladoga and Novgorod warriors. The Finnish troop of one thousand people was smitten by the Russian forces half as much as theirs.

     1229. The predatory invasion of Finns. About two thousand Finnish warriors approached Ladoga lake on the boats through the Neva. The citizens of Ladoga without being waiting for the help of Novgorod led by their head Vladislav came to face the enemy. The enemies did not bear the dash and turned back. It’s worth mentioning that the size of Russian troop was much smaller. The Finns who didn’t want to go back without the catch began to rob the citizens of the coast of Ladoga Lake.

Ladoga warriors drew up the robbers. After the cruel fight the invaders left alive burnt their boats and sheltered in the woods where they were caught by the local citizens Karelians. It was the last self-invasion of Finns to Russ.

     XII-XIII centuries. The Swedes had conquered the Finnish lands and the Finns no longer invaded the Novgorod lands. However since the middle of the XII century the Swedes themselves tried to conquer the Russian lands around Ladoga Lake and along the banks of the Neva.

     1142. The first try of Swedes to conquer Priladozhie. Their great military fleet invaded into the Gulf of Finland and tried to capture three trade ships of Novgorod. If we believe Novgorod chronicles the ancient pirates fell through and lost about 150 warriors. The Swedes could not count on the annexation of the Neva banks and Ladoga Lake without taking Ladoga fortress with its garrison and the system of patrols.

     1164. The invasion of Swedes into Ladoga. The citizens of Ladoga considering the preponderance of force of the enemy decided to defend from behind the walls of the fortress. The wooden constructions were burnt in order not to let the enemies hide inside them and burn the fortress constructions from these coverings. On May 23 the Swedes besieged Ladoga. The garrison of Novgorod did not managed to be in time to support the city. 4 days of siege had fallen short. On the fifth day the blooded Swedes retreated and ensconced at the estuary of the river Voronega (town Sysstroy is situated there now). Meantime a troop led by prince Sviatoslav arrived to Ladoga. On May 28 the unified forces of Novgorod and Ladoga attacked and beat the Swedes. As the chronicles testifies 43 Swedish ships out of 55 were captured, a part of them was taken down and “very few of them ran away and those were wounded”.

     1187. The backstroke campaign of Novgorod together with the Karelians to the Swedish lands. A big fleet suddenly appeared near the banks of Sweden. Having landed the Russian troop besieged On June 14 the city Sigtuna. After the assault the fortress surrendered and the city was devastated. The Novgorod warriors carried out so-called “Sigtuna gates” as a spoil, which still decorate the western doorway of Sofiysky cathedral in Novgorod.

During the Tartar-Mongolian invasion embracing the situation when Russia was bleeding in the battle with hordes of khan Batiy the Swedes attempted again to capture Ladoga. At that time only a part of Novgorod lands including Ladoga were not suffered from the Tartars.

     1240. The Swedish jarl Birger, having gathered the forces moved to the lands of Ladoga on the boards of the ships. There’s an opinion that the campaign was led by another general Ulf Fassi. The Swedes had concluded a treaty with the knights of Levonia order who were supposed to attack Novgorod lands from the west and capture Izborsk and Pskov. In July 1240 the Swedish fleet came into the Neva and to the estuary of the river Izhora. The Swedes stopped for recreation after the heavy voyage. The head of Izhora Pelgusy who headed the outpost immediately reported Novgorod prince Alexander about the invasion and the forces of enemies. The chronographer tells: “They came in the great force…stayed in the Neva in the estuary of Izhora willing to take Ladoga, the river itself and Novgorod as well as the entire Novgorod region.” Prince Alexander came forward with his troop to Ladoga, recruited his troop with Ladoga people and attacked the Swedes. The guardless enemy was bitten with the onslaught of the Russians. Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich was nicknamed Nevsky for this victory and the battle itself remained in history as Nevskaya.

     1240. The Livonia knights captured Pskov, Izhborsk and fortress Koporie. Novgorod and Ladoga warriors led by prince Alexander Nevsky besieged and and captured then fortress Koporie. After that Pskov and Izhborsk were freed.

     1242. On April 5 the troops of Alexander Yaroslavovich, which contained the citizens of Ladoga smashed the dog-knights of Levonia on the lade ice of Chudskoe lake. The battle remained in history as the Icy Battle.

     1268. The battle between Novgorod and Ladoga people against the knights of Livonia took place. The victory of Russians in this battle as well as in previous battles set an end to the advancement of the knights to the East.

     1284. The Swedish voivode Trunda invaded the north-eastern part of the coast of Ladoga lake and robbed the Karelians. The troop of Ladoga and Novgorod people under the leadership of the head Symeon sat on the Neva; the Swedes were captured and the robbed was taken away.

     1293. The Swedes captured south-western part of Karelia and built on that land a powerful fortress Vyborg. Then a Swedish fortress Keksgolm appeared on the bank of Ladoga Lake at the influx of the river Vuoksa. However that the fortress was soon destroyed by Novgorod people. The Swedes intended to take the estuary of the Neva and therefore deprive Novgorod from the access to the sea and destroyed its economy.

     1300. In May warlord Torkel Knutson came into the Neva with the 1200 vessels and into the estuary of the river Ohkta, he began to build a fortress. The stone construction was called Landscrona, which means the crown of the land. The effort of Ladoga and Novgorod people to cease the construction in 1300 failed.

     1301. The Novgorod army under the command of the son of Alexander Nevsky prince Andrey Alexandrovich after a short siege on May 18 captured Landscrona and razed the fortress. Therefore the Russians regained the access to the Baltic sea.