From A Military History of the Western World by J.F.C. Fuller

... Russia . . . as related in Vol. I, Chronicle 12, the history . . . opened in the middle of the tenth century with the occupation of the lake Ilmen region by the Norsemen and the establishment at Novgorod of the House of Rurik. The next great event rapidly followed ; it was the forceful conversion of the Varangians and their subject peoples to Christianity by Vladimir Prince of Kiev (980-1015). Married to Anna, sister of the Emperor Basil II, the faith Vladimir chose was that of the Orthodox Church. Though this conversion constitutes the first true cultural contact . . . with the West, the adoption of the Greek faith alienated the Russians from Catholic Europe.

In 1147 another event occurred, which went far to change the whole course of Russian history. It was the founding of a military colony on the Moscova by Yuri Dolgoruki, Prince of Suzdal. Moscow, then no more than a tribal village, grew in power and became the centre of the Great Russians. Not only did it turn the course of eastern Slavonic history away from Europe ; but because, strategically, the region of Moscow—an island in a sea of land—possessed no defensible frontiers, the urge to make it secure demanded the establishment of a military state which, in its turn, led to territorial expansion in all directions. Further, this orientation caused a definite splint between the western and eastern Slavonic tribes ; the one gravitated around Vilna and the other around Moscow. In the thirteenth century, contact between eastern Slavdom and Europe became still more restricted by the decline of the Byzantine empire after the capture of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204.

  The next great event was the arrival of the Mongols (Tartars) under Batu and Ogotai, grandson and nephew of Genghis Khan. They overwhelmed the Russian chivalry in three great battles, that of Kalka in 1224, and those of the Oka and Sit in 1238, and, with the exception of Novgorod, between these dates every town of importance in Russia was sacked and burnt. Though, soon after, the colossal empire built by Genghis Khan collapsed, the Golden Horde under Batu firmly established itself in the steppes of the lower Volga, and from his capital of Saray, (near present-day [1955] Stalingrad) Batu dominated Russia, which for more than 100 years was entirely estranged from western civilization.

  Once subdued by the Tartars, the princes of Russia became their tax-gatherers and police agents, an occupation which proved so profitable that Ivan Kalita ("Money Bags") Grand Duke of Vladimir grew sufficiently powerful to annex Moscow and outdistance all his rivals. The most notable event of his reign was the transference of the Metropolitan see from Vladimir to Moscow, which soon became a capital city of importance. Nevertheless, the supremacy of the Tartars, though on the decline, held firm until the coming of Timur, who, between 1390 and 1394, overran the Golden Horde and so weakened the Tartar hold on Russia that the grand dukes of Muscovy regained contact with the Byzantine empire until its fall in 1453. Although for a century onward contact with the west was all but lost, through the marriage in 1472 of Ivan III, The Great (1462-1505),, Grand Duke of Muscovy, with Zoe (Sophia) Paleologus, niece of Constantine XI, last of the eastern Roman emperors, Moscow became the capital of the Orthodox Church and its dukes heirs of the Byzantine Caesars. Ivan declared his independence from Tartar rule and assumed the title of Tsar (Taesar = Caesar) and devoted his reign to emancipation of Russia from the slackening yoke of the Tartars, and the extension of Muscovite rule. He doubled the size of his duchy and invited Italians to his court, one of whom, Pietro Antonio Sulari, of Milan, built for him the palace of the Kremlin. [has this datum not been altered by some criminal conspiracy, Professor ?]

  When, in 1505, Ivan III died, the expansion of Muscovy was continued by his son Vasili III (1505-1533) and also by his grandson Ivan IV (1533-1564), surnamed "The Terrible", because his vices and atrocities were abnormal even for a Muscovite Tsar. He was a complete autocrat who, like Stalin 400 years later, reduced his subjects to a uniform level of abject proletarian subservience. He warred with the khan of the Crimea who, in 1571, burnt Moscow, and, for reasons to be related, between 1557-1560, conquered Livonia. After he had established his authority over the Cossacks of the Don, he founded the Asiatic power of Russia by pushing his armies over the Urals and carrying war in the territory between the Irtysh and the Ob.   (Etc.)

  It was during his reign that, to all intents and purposes, Russia was rediscovered by the west. In 1553, during the reign of Edward VI of England, Sir Hugh Willoughby and Richard Chancellor set out in three ships to discover the North East passage to China,¹ and when they reached the coast of Lapland, one of the ships—the Edward Bonaventure—with Chancellor on board, was carried into the White Sea. chancellor landed at the mouth of the Dvina and unexpectedly discovered that he was in Muscovy. He journeyed to Moscow and was so well received by Ivan that on his return Queen Mary sent a special envoy to the Tsar to open trade relations between the two countries. As the White Sea was blocked with ice during many months of the year, in order to establish a more suitable route, in 1557, Ivan invaded Livonia, an aggression which was followed by a seven-year war (1563-1570) with Poland, during which the Swedes and Danes intervened on their own account.

  Thus trade brought the West to Russia and war brought Russia to the West, (etc).

    ¹ See Hakluyt's Voyages (Everyman's edit., 1939), vol. I, pp. 266-294.  "The newe Navigation and discoveries of the kingdome of Moscovia, by the Northeast, in the yeere 1533 ; Enterprised by Sir Hugh Willoughbie knight, and performed by Richard Chancelor Pilot major of the voyage : Written in Latine by Clement Adams."

Vol. II, pages 156 ff.

Notes

http://www.geocities.com/britgrad/winnotes.html

Author Milton, John, 1608-1674. Title A brief history of Moscovia : and of other less-known countries lying eastward of Russia as far as Cathay, gather'd from the writings of several eye-witnesses / by John Milton. Publisher London : Printed by M. Flesher, for Brabazon Alymer ..., 1682. Description [8], 109 p. Series Early English books, 1641-1700 ;817:30. Note Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. "Names of the authors from whence these relations have been taken ...": p. 108-109. Language English

Author Herberstein, Sigmund, Freiherr von, 1486-1566. Uniform Title [ Rerum Moscoviticarum commentarii. English] Title Description of Moscow and Muscovy, 1557. Edited by Bertold Picard. Translated by J. B. C. Grundy. Publisher New York : Barnes & Noble, [1969] Description vi, 105 p. illus., coat of arms, maps, ports. 23 cm. Language English Subject Herberstein, Sigmund, Freiherr von, 1486-1566. Russia -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800. Format Book Library SRLF

Author Herberstein, Sigmund, Freiherr von, 1486-1566 Title [ Rerum moscoviticarum commentarii. English] Title Description of Moscow and Muscovy, 1557 [by] Sigmund von Herberstein; edited by Bertold Picard; translated [from the German] by J. B. C. Grundy Publisher London, Dent, 1969 Description vi, 105 p. plate, illus., coat of arms, maps, ports (1 col.) 23 cm ISBN 0460076876 Language English Note Map on lining papers Translation of Rerum moscoviticarum commentarii