When reflecting about our history, its unusual way, we can simulate some historical turning by the use of a fantasy about possibility of another, non-imperial progress of common predecessors of Russian empire and the Soviet Union: the Kiev, Novgorod and Vladimir-Suzdal' kingdoms.

Let me first claim that the empire state traditions have come to Russia not from the Vizan-tia, as well as the crown saved in the Kremlin Armory is not a Greek gift to Vladimir Monomakh. It was reliably proved that it had been made much later, by skilful artisans of the Golden Orda in the 14^-th century. The Mongol power of that time has not been a nomadic empire like that by the Chinghiz-Khan. Its population becomes mixed, as well as the religious belief and culture. Namely its crown had been inherited by the grand prince Ivan III-rd after that the Mongol power was finally over. The third Rome proclaimed by that time was only the ideology which has al-lowed Ivan IV^-th later called the Terrible to be king (tsar) of the Russian state.

I do not know, whether this had been an evil or a good event, as one historian wrote, there are no simple alternative judgements in historical science, but the Mongol conquest and three centuries of co-existence with the Orda heavily change the image, being and history of the Russian people. Concisely, the Mongol rule (the «yoke») had diverted Russia from Europe.

While being in Mongolia I felt home by looking at faces with narrow eyes and cheekbones. Savoring the sheepskin and mutton, hearing the bell on a harness or the snow creak — all seemed like in Russia. By a journey only a view of the endless desert plain with snow capped ranges far at horizon found me to be amidst Asia. Conversely, when visited not so far, hospita-ble, but still foreign countries of the Caucasus — Georgia and Azerbaijan, where all savor unlike — the cuisine, flowers and even dust, I felt abroad. The same is to be said about Lituania with its splendor temples with ivy walls, secular oaks and sandy dunes on the Baltic shore.

By modeling the «non-mongolian» history of Russia, we shall hold two points of view:

1. Ancient Russia had initially been as like as any European state of the time.

2. Still before the feudal epoch there have been the distinct local cultures within the three of the above part of the country. How hard the struggles between them are, we can see on the icons, for instance those which images battles among Suzdal' and Novgorod regiments. And the same is seen from an indifference of the neighbor princes to the prince Igor's campaign against the Polovets people invaded the Kievan Power in the 12^-th century. A medieval Russian man did not realize himself as Russian, but only as citizen of a several region, and a Christian unlike the «paganus» (Latin for another belief). Only genius like the author of «The Lay of Igor's Host», the greatest literary masterpiece of that time can suggest the unity to be strong.

The following historic-culture facts can adjust both the above hypothesis:

1. Images of pre-mongolian Russian and western European painters are often similar. This similarity, even for details in clothes, jewelry and armament, was noted by Nikolay Roerich. His picture «Hostess of the world» images a noble lady with beautiful Slavonic face. This is a portrait of the painter's wife Helen, but her stature and dress repeat those of the princess Uta from Naumburg, which crown a column of the cathedral in the old German town.

2. The European empire of Charles the Great being break at the late 9^-th century AD, at first onto three parts, cannot be stacked again after the end of the early feudal epoch, in spite of existing some ephemeral Holy Roman Empire. On its place the new powers like France, Ger-many, Italy and the Low Countries eventually appear. Take a view on the interior of the magnifi-cent cathedral in Aahen, only interior because of the dome and belfry had been built much later, they are of the gothic style. What do remind its arcs, vaults and stone carved bestial figures? Well, they in general look as those decorated the temples built in the Kievan Rus before the 11^-th century. Of course, in both cases there is a common heritage of the late Rome.

Right the same turning in the history could take place when the Kievan feudal power was broken by the heirs of king Jaroslav the Sage. Its south-western part by the lordship of Daniil of Galich (middle 13^-th century) still became a prototype for a power which could be able to con-tribute all the events of European history, for instance, to restrain the Turkey's attacks to the Danube and the Balkans. Maybe, the Constantinople could not become Istanbul, and our rela-tives, Bulgaria and Serbia could defeat or even though might not obey the Turkey.

North-eastern part of Rus, the Vladimir-Suzdal' (later the Moscow) principality, would have been developed interrelated with the ancient Bulgar state which existed in pre-mongolian epoch on place of Tatarstan, one of the Russian republics, as well as with the other native nations of the Volga region. It is possible, based upon uniform interests, the common granary and water way — the Volga, a Slavonic-Turkish commonwealth can be arisen to be expanded to the Caspian and the Black seas as well as to the Caucasus and Central Asia. Remember the great poetry of Nizami and the Ulugbek's observatory, then you may have no doubt about such a common-wealth combined (and improved, why not) both the European and Islamic cultures.

Finally, our homeland, the Novgorod Rus. Here the historic way had been so devious quite like the author's fantasy. Mongol's cavalry did not pervade into the Novgorod lands, and, when not being the barbarity of the nazi's troops in the 20^-th century, we may look at the frescoes of pre-mongolian Rus. Stronghold of Lord Novgorod the Great restrained attacks from both east and west. And, the power was held by international trade and local handicrafts.

There had been surprisingly rapid evolution from a quiet peasant life towards merchant and worship expansion to the Baltic and Scandinavia on the one hand, and to the Urals, Siberia on the other. The so-called «ushkuy» — a local boat enables to sail the Arctic Ocean. Its frame was being built tenable impregnated with tar. Such boats were to seining the White sea while floes. Later, the particular folk called «pomory» (sea shore settlers) was composed there adopted a lot of fearless sailors from Norway as well as dogged hunters from the local Finnish tribes.

Wonderful for us is the stone-built castle in Savonlinna where the summer music festivals take place. For what a reason had it been built there in a woody wilderness of Finland? And, from whom could save the mighty towers of Tallinn and Vyborg? Did they construct really to de-feat from Estonian and Karelian rebels? Of course, not — Lord Novgorod the Great could only be as the enemy and invader. Indeed, the Novgorod armed raiders attacked the old Sweden capital Sigtuna in 1107. One may take a look at the metalwork door stolen from there, it is now built-in to the portal of the St. Sophia cathedral, the eldest and major temple of Novgorod.

A bit fantasy needs to imagine here a developed European state with natural resources and profitable trade, wealthy and self-confident people, the parliamentary system like of Britain, the universities like Cambridge. There is no doubt that only the Novgorod traders followed the wa-terways of ancient boats can be able to discover the treasures of the North, as well as to develop them, they should settle throughout Siberia and eventually come to the Pacific.

To a pity, St. Petersburg, as could not being so imperative in this presumable case, would have been built another, maybe not so majestic, more stronghold, without unique beauty of the parks and palaces. It might so resemble to northern European cities, as while the Peter's rule in early 18^-th century. Instead, we did not experience a lot of social shocks, but could being pride of our masterworks, roads and cars, pleased of a glass of beer and a good piece of salmon at a family dinner table, and also would save the bank deposits, wealth and Christendom.

Then, by the way to the Far East we, as it seems, might finish with the fantasy. Sometime while the industrial revolution of the late 19^-th century, the true and voluntary unification of the three above states could take place. It might be another Union, unlike the Soviet. But, that union at least of three existing Slavonic states could exist and is to be built forever.

Hydrosphere © 1990 — 2005 Vladimir A. Shutov
Design by Timothy (Azs) Shutov © 2001