The Battle of the Ice (Russian: Ледовое побоище, Ledovoye poboish'ye; German: Schlacht auf dem Eise; Estonian: Jäälahing; Latvian: Ledus kauja), also known as the Battle of Lake Peipus (German: Schlacht auf dem Peipussee; Russian: битва на Чудском озере, bitva na Chudskom ozere), was a battle between the Republic of Novgorod and the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Knights (whose army consisted mostly of Estonians) on April 5, 1242, at Lake Peipus. The battle is notable for having been fought largely on the frozen lake.

The battle was a significant defeat sustained by Roman Catholic crusaders during the Northern Crusades, which were directed against pagans and Eastern Orthodox Christians rather than Muslims in the Holy Land. The crusaders' defeat in the battle marked the end of their campaigns against the Orthodox Novgorod Republic and other Russian territories for the next century.

Hoping to exploit the Russians' weakness in the wake of the Mongol and Swedish invasions, the Teutonic Knights attacked the neighboring Novgorod Republic and occupied Pskov, Izborsk, and Koporye in the autumn of 1240. When they approached Novgorod itself, the local citizens recalled to the city 20-year-old Prince Alexander Nevsky, whom they had banished to Pereslavl earlier that year. During the campaign of 1241, Alexander managed to retake Pskov and Koporye from the crusaders.

Alexander Nevsky (Russian:  Алекса́ндр Яросла́вич Не́вский​ (help·info), Aleksandr Yaroslavich Nevskiy; pronounced [ɐlʲɪˈksandr jɪrɐˈslavʲɪtɕ ˈnʲefskʲɪj]; 30 May 1220 – 14 November 1263, proclaimed Saint of the Russian Orthodox Church by Metropolite Macarius in 1547) was the Prince of Novgorod and Grand Prince of Vladimir during some of the most trying times in the city's history. Commonly regarded as the key figure of medieval Rus, Alexander was the grandson of Vsevolod the Big Nest and rose to legendary status on account of his military victories over the German and Swedish invaders while employing collaborationist policies towards the powerful Golden Horde.

From Tales of the Life and Courage of the Pious and Great Prince Alexander found in the Second Pskovian Chronicle, circa 1260–1280, comes one of the first known references to the Great Prince:

"By the will of God, prince Alexander was born from the charitable, people-loving, and meek the Great Prince Yaroslav, and his mother was Theodosia. As it was told by the prophet Isaiah: 'Thus sayeth the Lord: I appoint the princes because they are sacred and I direct them.' "... He was taller than others and his voice reached the people as a trumpet, and his face was like the face of Joseph, whom the Egyptian Pharaoh placed as next to the king after him of Egypt. His power was a part of the power of Samson and God gave him the wisdom of Solomon ... this Prince Alexander: he used to defeat but was never defeated ..."

Suzanne Shaw (born Suzanne Crowshaw on 29 September 1981 in Bury, Greater Manchester)^{[citation needed]} is an English actress, singer and television personality. Originally famous for winning the talent contest Popstars and subsequently being a member of the band Hear'Say, she is now an established musical theatre and West End performer, actress, model and television presenter in her own right. She is also the winner of series 3 of the popular ITV1 program Dancing on Ice. She was married to presenter Jason King of duo JK and Joel. Shaw has played the character of Eve Jenson in the soap opera Emmerdale.

Shaw started ballet lessons at the age of two and by the age of three was attending the Lupino and Freelance Dance school, where she trained in all forms of dance. Shaw also studied acting, and performed in her first show Annie at five years of age. She joined an amateur dramatics society and did various productions, including The Sound of Music, and a West End production of Showboat at the age of nine. She was a member of an ABBA tribute band, The Right Stuff, and appeared in television roles including an Esso advertisement, Holby City, and a BBC production, Elidor. She also tried for the part of Maria Sutherland in Coronation Street, and made it to the final three along with Girls Aloud member Kimberley Walsh, but lost out to Samia Smith.

Jorgina Alexandra "Jorgie" Porter, (born 25 December 1987, in Trafford, Greater Manchester) is an English actress, notable for her role as Theresa McQueen in the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks.

Porter grew up with her mother and grandmother and has only met her father once. She is quoted as saying: "I don't speak to my dad. I haven't missed him. I don't feel like I need a father figure really. On Father's Day some of the girls who are talking about it suddenly remember and apologise. I just say "Guys it's okay. I don't care". I don't know any better so it's cool." A former ballet dancer, Porter was told by the ballet school she attended that she was overweight for a dancer.

In November 2008 it was announced that Porter had joined the cast of Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, playing the role of Theresa McQueen. Porter said that she was "thrilled" to join the cast and be a part of one of soap opera's "most notorious families".

In 2010, Porter appeared alongside eight other soap opera actesses in a music video and cover of Cyndi Lauper single Girls Just Want To Have Fun. The song was released in aid of charity, Cancer Research UK's campaign "Race for Life". Porter also featured as a dancer in the music video for Roll Deep's song Green Light. She appeared with dark hair instead of her usual blonde tone.

Hayley Tamaddon (born (1977-01-24)24 January 1977 in Bispham, Blackpool, Lancashire), is an English actress of Iranian descent, who is most notable for portraying Delilah Dingle in ITV's Emmerdale and winning ITV's Dancing on Ice (Series 5) on 28 March 2010.

Tamaddon was born to a Persian father and English mother. She attended Montgomery High School in Blackpool. She trained in dance at Phil Winston's Theatreworks and Laine Theatre Arts.

Tamaddon has appeared in a number of theatre roles including Frenchie in Grease and Diana Morales in A Chorus Line. She has also appeared in Boogie Nights opposite actor/comedian Kev Orkian, Mamma Mia! and Fame. She played Janet in the 2007 United Kingdom tour of The Rocky Horror Show. She has just finished sharing the role of the Lady of the Lake with Jodie Prenger and Amy Nuttall in the UK Tour of Spamalot.

She has also appeared in pantomime including Aladdin and Snow White. In December 2007 she played the Fairy godmother in Cinderella at the Lyceum Theatre in Sheffield, and in 2008 performed the title role in Cinderella at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford. She is currently back at the Lyceum Theatre in the title role of Peter Pan, opposite Nigel Planer's Captain Hook. She will also be playing Sleeping Beauty from 14 December 2011 to 15 January 2012 in the Royal Theatre in Norwich.