As The Chronicle of Novgorod, 1016-1471 (hereinafter The Novgorodian Chronicle) states, the Battle of the Neva was fought between the troops of Novgorodian Rus’ led by Prince Alexander of Novgorod and the forces of the Swedes and their Norwegian allies led by Birger Magnusson, the Jarl (Duke) of Sweden, on the banks of the River Neva on July 15, 1240. It is represented by Soviet/Russian historians as the culmination of the Swedish aggressive Crusade against Rus’.
According to The Novgorodian Chronicle, and as it is usually taught by the official history (mainly Russian/Soviet) as well as in a novel by a Russian/Soviet writer Vasily Yan titled The Youth of the Warlord, on receiving the news of the advancing enemy ships, 20-year-old Alexander urgently moved his small army and local militia to face the superior and mighty enemy forces.
In the summer of 1240 the Northern Crusaders’ army composed of the Swedes, Norwegians, Finns, Danes, Karelians and Tavastians arrived by ships in the lands of Novgorodian Rus’. Birger camped on the bank of the River Neva. According to the previously mentioned novel, as well as a 2008 Russian historical action movie titled Alexander, the Russians stealthily approached the camp and spent all night discreetly observing the activities of the Swedes and waiting for them to fall asleep, and then launched a surprise-attack on the heavily sleeping enemy. Being caught off guard, the Swedes became unable to resist adequately. Having suffered heavy casualties, they fled in disorder to their ships and sailed away. After this victory Alexander was named "Nevsky", which means "of the Neva".
Now, let's analyze this "historically significant event."
First of all, the battle is not mentioned in any Swedish annals, particularly in The Eric Chronicle (Swedish: Erikskrönikan) written by an unknown author between about 1320 and 1335. This, in turn puts in question both the importance of the battle and its existence itself. Presumably, it was an ordinary border clash which was exaggerated by Russian medieval chroniclers and later Russian/Soviet historians for political ends.
As to the army command by Birger Jarl, actually he was not a Jarl at the time, but his cousin Ulf Fase, who was a Jarl from 1220 to 1247. So, even assuming that the battle took place actually, the Swedish army would be led by Ulf Fase Jarl but not by Birger.
As to the myth of Alexander's surprise-attack on the camp of the Swedes, almost 1,500 heavily armored warriors and 300 militiamen just could not approach noiselessly the camp of the Swedes through dense, nearly impenetrable forests, especially since in the 13th century Russian lamellar suits of armor were much heavier than European knights' chain-mails and low-ranking soldiers’ gambesons. So, Alexander's army could not attack the Swedes out of the blue.
Soviet/Russian ideology strongly promotes a concept of the Swedish expansion into Novgorodian Rus’, and that Alexander allegedly intended to protect Novgorod against Swedish aggression eastward.
In this context, it must be noted that in the described age Novgorodian Rus’ was much more powerful and prosperous than its neighboring countries, including Sweden. Sweden, in its turn, since the death of King John I (Johan Sverkersson) in 1222 was in a de facto state of civil war until 1248 when Birger Jarl managed to seize power in the kingdom.
Moreover, Sweden was on the brink of war with Norway ever since the Norwegians' Värmland expedition in 1225. Their relations improved only after the Treaty of Lödöse of 1249 which was forged by newly empowered Birger Jarl.
In this situation, it seems unlikely that Sweden could be able to organize a major expedition against Novgorod at the time. There is no historical record of any military campaigns launched by the Swedes between 1222 and 1249. So, it is highly doubtful that the Swedes could appear at the banks of the River Neva along with their alleged Norwegian allies at the time. In such circumstances Sweden had neither time nor opportunities to start a war with Novgorod.
The next, the Novgorod people more often than not committed depredations against the coast of Scandinavia. For instance, in 1188 they pillaged and burned to the ground Sigtuna (the then capital of Sweden), and massacred everyone there (including the Archbishop of Uppsala). That city never recovered after that raid, so that Swedes had to construct a new capital, Stockholm. Such raids of the Novgorodians on Swedish and Finnish territories were committed with relentless regularity from 1032 to 1227, almost every 10 years. So, Sweden rather defended itself from Novgorod than attacked it.
Furthermore, there were some Novgorodian outposts. Construction of outposts was common at the time. The presence of Swedes on the banks of the River Neva was owing to the need to have an outpost against the further raids from the East. They were mostly Finnish architects, engineers and constructors hired by the Swedes. That was the whole "Swedish expansion."
Another argument in favor of Sweden is that Grand Prince Andrey II of Vladimir, the younger brother of Alexander Nevsky, incited an uprising against the Mongols in 1252 but was defeated near the town of Pereslavl. Although Alexander was on good terms with the Mongols, he did not help his brother, refusing to give him shelter. The reason for this refusal was simple. According to the testament of Andrey and Alexander’s father, Andrey was granted a greater claim to the title of the Grand Prince of Vladimir (i.e. the supreme ruler of all Rus’). After the defeat, not having received any help from Alexander, Andrey had to escape to Sweden. Alexander due to his friendship with Sartaq Khan, the son of Batu Khan, was installed as the Grand Prince of Vladimir by Batu Khan. As to Andrey, Sweden became the very country where he found his asylum.
