Battle on the Ice Day in Russia Date in the current year: April 18, 2024

The so-called Days of Military Honor in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are dedicated to the most memorable victories in the Russian history. Most of them are celebrated exclusively in the military, although some of these dates are considered public holidays.

Battle on the Ice Day commemorates one of the most important battles in the history of medieval Russia, particularly the Novgorod Republic, which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Northern Urals.

During the Northern Crusades, the Teutonic Knights attacked the Orthodox Novgorod Republic and occupied the cities of Pskov, Koporye, and Izborsk. When they approached Novgorod itself, Prince Alexander Nevsky defeated them and made the Teutonic Order drop all territorial claims over his lands.

This historic battle was fought largely on the frozen Lake Pepius, that is why it is called the Battle on the Ice. Alexander Nevsky's decisive victory halted the expansion of the Teutonic Order and drew a border between Eastern Orthodoxy and Western Catholicism.