AHC: Have Eastern Europe rise to power instead of Western Europe

No, I'm not considering the stone age, the bronze age or any period prior to the creation of a some semblance of the unified Russian state because it is pointless to talk about the region being culturally & economically influential while being populated by the disjointed tribes of various ethnicity many of which disappeared from the area before this state was created. Neither do I consider extremely important the nomadic tribes that never seriously threatened territory noticeably beyond the border of a steppe belt. BTW, while these tribes had been a nuisance for the princedoms of the Southern Russia even after the "Kievan Rus" came into an existence, the river route "from Varyags to the Greeks" kept functioning. None of these pre-Mongolian nomads had any serious impact upon the development of the Central Russia ("Vladimir/Suzdal Rus") which became a nucleus of the modern state.

Moving from the bronze age to the meaningful times, the states of the Eastern Europe (Poland, Lithuania, Muscovite state) had been created outside the steppe belt and Russian Empire became one of the major European powers by the time of the 7YW, well before it annexed the Pontic steppes area so importance of the steppes within framework of this thread is highly questionable.

They had no effect on making the states in Eastern Europe less developed than the Latin Western world... My opinion and goal was to see the areas there in Eastern Europe, especially Ukraine utilize its vast and productive farmlands early enough to develop a powerful culture in ala China, that exceeds by virtue of this development, its nearby Western extremities of 'Europe'.

So also in your view, the Huns, Avars, Pechenegs, Scythians, Sarmatians, Khazars, Cuman, Qipchaq, etc.. Had no effect on the region of Ukraine, which is the most fertile agricultural lands in all for what we refer to as Eastern Europe and will be needed for expanding the agricultural package and population growth for this hypothetical civilization.
 
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They had no effect on making the states in Eastern Europe less developed than the Latin Western world... My opinion and goal was to see the areas there in Eastern Europe, especially Ukraine utilize its vast and productive farmlands early enough to develop a powerful culture in ala China, that exceeds by virtue of this development, its nearby Western extremities of 'Europe'.

Developed agriculture would not make them a center of the European civilization which, as I understand is a stated purpose of this thread. I understand your goal but IMO, it is going too far back and requires too many changes in OTL to be discussed with any degree of a practicality. Remove just the Huns and you have so many butterflies that European history becomes unrecognizable.

The emphasis on the area you chose has an additional problem: the region does not have the "natural obstacles" and is going to be vulnerable to all its neighbors (the reason why it remained a nomadic area until the late XVIII) so it is close to impossible to establish a sustainable agricultural culture there in an absence of a strong state capable to provide a security (PLC was able to do this only up to a certain degree so it took the Russian Empire of mid-XVIII). Analogy with China is not going to work because the area is much smaller and can't support a huge population capable of absorbing the invaders and, as I said, unlike China, does not have a natural protection against the invasion.

So also in your view, the Huns, Avars, Pechenegs, Scythians, Sarmatians, Khazars, Cuman, Qipchaq, etc.. Had no effect on the region of Ukraine, which is the most fertile agricultural lands in all for what we refer to as Eastern Europe and will be needed for expanding the agricultural package and population growth for this hypothetical civilization.

None of the OTL European "centers of civilization" (Greece, Italy, France, Britain) grew on the extremely fertile agricultural lands which makes highly questionable the very premise of such lands being something of a pre-requisite for growing into something greater. More than that, 2 of the most powerful and culturally influential states of the Eastern Europe, Poland and Muscovite State/Russia, grew up to their prominence without possessing these territories and the same goes for Sweden (OK, Northern Europe). Does not look like these lands are excessively benefiting the modern Ukraine for the last couple decades.

Of course, if you want to create a completely hypothetical civilization it is entirely up to you. Start with eliminating Scythians and proceed with doing the same for each and every nomadic civilization between them and the Mongols (inclusive) establishing a sedentary civilization in the steppes (which would be a little bit on the unique side, AFAIK) and changing the whole European history almost beyond the recognition. I'll read the resulting TL with an interest. :)
 
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