April 18 marks Russia’s Day of Military Glory, established by Federal Law on March 13, 1995

April 18 marks Russia’s Day of Military Glory, established by Federal Law on March 13, 1995. It commemorates the victory of Russian warriors led by Prince Alexander Nevsky over the Livonian Order knights on Lake Peipus in 1242, famously known as The Battle on the Ice. Between 10,000 and 12,000 well-equipped and trained Livonian knights faced Alexander Nevsky’s 15,000 to 17,000 warriors, primarily foot soldiers with less advanced arms and training. Despite the odds, the Russian army emerged victorious under Nevsky’s command. Some accounts describe the Livonian knights’ losses as so substantial that the battle is referred to in Russian as The Carnage on the Ice. This victory halted the Livonians’ eastward advance, leading to a treaty in which they relinquished previously seized Russian lands. Prince Alexander Nevsky was sanctified in the Russian Orthodox Church in 1547. Today, 782 years after the Victory in the Battle on the Ice, Russian warriors continue the tradition of Saint Ale... Source: InfoDefenseENGLISH