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would have been to disregard it altogether and leave it to the priests. But that would have been an unsatisfactory conclusion. We decided we could correctly decipher his "saintliness" and I think we have succeeded. Why was Alexander called a "saint"? (I don't mean by the Church but by people. Andrei Bogolyubsky* was named a saint for his martyrdom at the hands of his murderers. But Alexander was no martyr, he was not murdered. Why was he a "saint" then?
Let us be clear about the meaning of the word. In those days "the title was the highest possible appreciation of merits, such merits for which usual epithets like "brave," "dashing" and "wise" were insufficient.
"Saint!" It is not a matter of the ecclesiastic meaning of the epithet, which the clerics have exploited for ages.
The gist of the matter lies in the true popular love and veneration which surround the name of Alexander Nevsky to this day. In this sense the epithet is highly revealing. It shows that that hero and man of genius saw far ahead of what he was doing: he saw Russia great and unified. And the people felt it in the commanding personality of Alexander Nevsky. It was not accidental that centuries later Peter the Great who was completing the work of the far-sighted ruler of the thirteenth century, had Alexander's remains brought to the site where he intended to build St. Petersburg, thus emphasizing his solidarity with Alexander's line.
In this way the historical interpretation of our main theme deprived the concept "saintliness" of its ambiguous halo, leaving in the hero's character only that obsession with the idea of making his country mighty and independent which burned in his heart.
In this way the dominant trait of our character became clear tous. Two or three additional touches from the chronicles completed his image. The most fascinating quality which the chronicles had passed down to us was that Alexander's triumphs did not turn his head and that he was able to restrain the adoring crowds with stern words of warning. This made him human, brought him still closer to living men. The charm and talent of Cherkasov did the rest.
Fire kept in check by wisdom, a synthesis of the two seemed to be Alexander's another important trait. This synthesis was emphasized
* I.e., God-loving.— Tr.
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