Once you butterfly Mongols away everything is possible (I suspect we should plan for two Orthodox Russias of comparable strength, one centered around Volga basin and one around Dnepr and everything West of it, not current "Senior Brother Russia and Junior Brother Ukraine" business), but I was under the impression that OP meant post-Mongol consolidation. So POD is sometimes post-1250 AD and Kiev can act as good prop for "World after Nuclear War" movieFinally, how about Kiev? Let's presume some different dynastic squabbles amongst the Rurikids, resulting in Kievan branch of the dynasty managing to either hold off or buy off the Mongols (more likely the latter), while the Mongols rampage in the north?
Once you butterfly Mongols away everything is possible (I suspect we should plan for two Orthodox Russias of comparable strength, one centered around Volga basin and one around Dnepr and everything West of it, not current "Senior Brother Russia and Junior Brother Ukraine" business), but I was under the impression that OP meant post-Mongol consolidation. So POD is sometimes post-1250 AD and Kiev can act as good prop for "World after Nuclear War" movie![]()
Of course, this would lead to "Russia" most different from OTL, but also with less of a need for Kiev to prove its primacy, as it was already technically the capital of the Rus (which was more of a HRE-like entity due to its peculiar dynastic structure).
OK, how about that: let Mongols to mop up ALL Kievan Rus under the Golden Horde banner, not leaving scraps for Lithuanian Dukes to pick up. That makes Kiev (restored by Daniil/Danilo/Daniel, who becomes Horde's client ITTL) "Second Capital of Horde", one controlling trade with Black Sea and Mediterranean. Due to Sarai's closeness to Horde's steppe heartland it remains "Nomad Capital", with Kiev assuming leadership over Slavic lands by leaps and bounds. Sometimes in 14th century this situation leads to open rift (much as it happened IOTL between Moscow and New Sarai). There may even be some renegade offspring of Genghis on the throne of New Kievan Czardom, although I think Rurikid is more likely.If one lets Moscow suffer a few more disasters than in OTL, the restored Kievan Rus may yet take place of "Russia", although it will be much more influenced by Poland and Lithuania at the time, given Halych-Volhyn's historical focus on the Western relations.
Importance yes, status no. Much like in HRE, Kievan Prince has no real authority over other domains but was considered "Senior".Didn't Kiev lost the status as "capital" of Old Russia several decades prior to the Mongol-Invasion?
Importance yes, status no. Much like in HRE, Kievan Prince has no real authority over other domains
but was considered "Senior".
It could not. There was very complicated system of transfer of princedoms between family members (Rus was considered something of collective property of the family, princes "sat on the throne" of the certain principality, not "owned" it; every death of important prince was reason of complicated movement of his cousins, brothers, sons and nephews). Kievan principality became domain of most powerful member of the family every time (at least it was supposed to, several times really mighty princes refused Kievan throne, leaving situation uncertain).Even if it was ruled by the junior brother of an another mightier prince?