Challenge: An "Oriental" Russia

Give a POD from 1850 onwards that would make Russia more oriented towards the East rather than the West.

Bonus if Russia begin to identify themselves as Asians instead of Europeans.


After 1850? Which way different countries would orient themselves were decided long before 1850. But if you go back to the middle ages, if Russia decided to choose Islam as its religion, that would make them more oriented to the East.

By the way, I am not sure if there are really anyone who identify themselves as Asian in the sense of having a common identity for anyone from Iraq and Turkey to India, China and Japan. This is more a European way of grouping different regions.
 
Of the Chalcedonian kind though. I'm not sure if the Greek Orthodox Christians were of the Chalcedonian kind as well.

Aren't the primary difference between the Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, how they looked at Chalcedonian Council, with anti-chalcedonians becoming Oriental Orthodox (Nestorians, various Coptic churches etc)
 
Aren't the primary difference between the Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, how they looked at Chalcedonian Council, with anti-chalcedonians becoming Oriental Orthodox (Nestorians, various Coptic churches etc)

The Georgian Orthodox Church uses the title 'Catholicos' for the rank of Patriarchate though and I'm not sure if Eastern Orthodoxy uses Catholicos at all for the rank of Patriarchate.
 
The latest POD in my opinion would be before the Livonian War. Once Ivan the Terrible made war in the West you saw a much larger in Russian involvement with European affairs and vice-versa, and a willingness in invade areas that didn't have the justification of being Russian lands. You could have a good POD if Ivan the Terrible decides to focus on the east alone instead a war in Livonia, even if it means going up again the Crimean Tartars and their Ottoman backers. Although given the man's personality it could be hard to do, his diplomatic goals where rather erratic.
 
Of the Chalcedonian kind though. I'm not sure if the Greek Orthodox Christians were of the Chalcedonian kind as well.
Constantinople/Russia/etc. Orthodox are Chalcedonian
The Roman Catholic Church is Chalcedonian
Many of the more establishment Protestant churches are Chalcedonian.
The Georgian church is Chalcedonian.

The Armenian and Coptic churches are Mono/Mia-physite (they believe in that Christ has a single 'nature', whatever that is), while the Chalcedonian churches are duophysite (they believe Christ has two natures, human and divine).

Nestorians are basically super-duophysites, believing that those two natures are significantly separated from each other.


There's LOTS of other Christological controversies/heresies out there, Arians, Paulicians, Adoptionists, etc., not 100% sure where Bogomils and Cathars, etc. fit in.
 
Which "East"?

The differences among Indian subcontinent, Eurasian Steppe nomads, East Asia, and the Islamic world are far greater than the difference between "Orient" and "Occident".

If the Russians identify with, say, the Mongols, it doesn't mean anything for the rest of the "East". The Chinese and the Persians are going to hate them even more than OTL.
 
Which "East"?

The differences among Indian subcontinent, Eurasian Steppe nomads, East Asia, and the Islamic world are far greater than the difference between "Orient" and "Occident".

If the Russians identify with, say, the Mongols, it doesn't mean anything for the rest of the "East". The Chinese and the Persians are going to hate them even more than OTL.

Of course this is right, but the common perception in the "West" in the 1800s (or even later) wasn't so refined in many cases.
 
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