Novgorod

Republican period

Novgorod never fell during the Mongol conquests, although it was forced to pay tribute. The Mongol invasions coincided with the reign of Alexander Nevsky, who was involved in the protection of Novgorodian interests. He is best known for defeating the Swedes at the 1240 Battle of the Neva and the German crusaders at the 1242 Battle of the Ice. In 1259, Mongol tax-collectors and census-takers arrived in the city, leading to political disturbances and forcing Alexander Nevsky to punish a number of city officials. As a result of his efforts at mediation, local nobles began to oversee tax collection directly. From the mid-13th century, the throne of Novgorod belonged to the grand prince of Vladimir, and subsequently the grand prince of Moscow, who inherited the Grand Principality of Vladimir. From the end of the 14th century, the city was known as Sovereign Lord Novgorod the Great, which was equivalent to the title of Moscow's Sovereign Lord Grand Prince. Around this time, at its peak, Novgorod had an estimated population of about 20,000 to 30,000.