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.