Two Russias - One Catholic, one Orthodox?

The thread on an Orthodox Prussia got me wondering something along the opposite lines - is there any way to create a situation where Russia proper (not Belarus and Ukraine) is equally divided between Catholic and Orthodox realms? Could, plucking examples out of a hat, Novgorod or Smolensk become the center of a Catholic Russia (Green Ruthenia or something?) while Moscow becomes the capital of Orthodox Russia?

Would Alexander Nevsky losing the Battle of the Ice be enough? Could the Teutonic Knights have kept pushing on deep into NW Russia if they'd won?
 
The thread on an Orthodox Prussia got me wondering something along the opposite lines - is there any way to create a situation where Russia proper (not Belarus and Ukraine) is equally divided between Catholic and Orthodox realms? Could, plucking examples out of a hat, Novgorod or Smolensk become the center of a Catholic Russia (Green Ruthenia or something?) while Moscow becomes the capital of Orthodox Russia?

Would Alexander Nevsky losing the Battle of the Ice be enough? Could the Teutonic Knights have kept pushing on deep into NW Russia if they'd won?

This is one of the other plans that I've tried to come up with in terms of how to fracture Kievan Rus'. Yaropolk at one point had converted to Catholicism but mysteriously died. So if Yaropolk could survive his civil war with Vladimir, then he can create a Catholic Rus' state centered in Novgorod, controlling say Polotsk and Vitebsk. My idea though, was for three Russias: one Catholic, one Orthodox and one Nestorian.
 
This is one of the other plans that I've tried to come up with in terms of how to fracture Kievan Rus'. Yaropolk at one point had converted to Catholicism but mysteriously died. So if Yaropolk could survive his civil war with Vladimir, then he can create a Catholic Rus' state centered in Novgorod, controlling say Polotsk and Vitebsk. My idea though, was for three Russias: one Catholic, one Orthodox and one Nestorian.

Three Russias are better than two! :D

Tell me more about this Yaropolk character, please? I only know a little about early Russian history.
 
This is one of the other plans that I've tried to come up with in terms of how to fracture Kievan Rus'. Yaropolk at one point had converted to Catholicism but mysteriously died. So if Yaropolk could survive his civil war with Vladimir, then he can create a Catholic Rus' state centered in Novgorod, controlling say Polotsk and Vitebsk. My idea though, was for three Russias: one Catholic, one Orthodox and one Nestorian.

I think a Baltic Russian state is likely to conquer Prussia, Latvia, Livonia and Lithuania.
 
Asking that russia be split between catholic and orthodox, and saying the ukraine and belorus dont count is very like saying 'split north america into three states' but canada and mexico dont count....
 
Asking that russia be split between catholic and orthodox, and saying the ukraine and belorus dont count is very like saying 'split north america into three states' but canada and mexico dont count....

I excluded Belarus and Ukraine because they were under Polish rule for long periods of time. It'd be too easy to make them into the "Catholic Russia" in question. I want a Catholic Russia carved out of Russia proper because it's more interesting (to me, at least).
 
Yaropolk was the eldest son of Svyatoslav of Kiev, and was the original inheritor of Kiev while Vladimir owned Novgorod. However, because they had a minor civil war, Yaropolk was killed. He had a son with a Greek nun, namely Svyatopolk the Accursed. It was rumored that Yaropolk had converted to Catholicism, but couldn't follow up on his conversion because of his death.

For a Catholic Russia, the northern Rus' lands around Novgorod would be the best place to set up a Catholic kingdom, precisely because it's close to the Baltic, the Scandinavian kingdoms and a Catholic Rus' kingdom could even join the Hanseatic League. Orthodox Rus' would still be set up in the area around Kiev, due to its proximity to the Byzantine Empire.

Why I wanted to plan for a thread involving three Rus' states is because I want to know if it is plausible for a third Rus' state that is based in the Volga region to emerge, with Nestorianism as its official faith. Alternatively, I wanted a Volga based Rus' state to have bigger contacts with the steppe peoples (namely Kipchaks, Cumans, Pechenegs, etc) and possibly the Mongols.
 
That would require Nevsky to lose the Battle of the Ice and to further subjugate himself into the Golden Horde.
Wouldnt further subjugation to the Golden Horde be counter intuitive for the whole Catholic thing?

A victory in the Battle of the Ice would probably net the Livonian Order the lands of the Pskov Republic while also keeping the possibility open for future expansion inwards. A second war, assuming all goes well for the crusaders, could possibly see them capturing Novgorod itself.

The Teutons wernt exactly known for setting up client states, but as far as the Catholic Russia scenario goes it would be best if at this point they subjugated the Novgorod Republic rather than deciding to destroy it and annex their lands into the order outright.

Now the question is how long will that state stay Catholic (or existing) when an Orthordox Russia rises and the Teutons are threatened on the southern front by Poland-Lithuania.
 
Wouldnt further subjugation to the Golden Horde be counter intuitive for the whole Catholic thing?

A victory in the Battle of the Ice would probably net the Livonian Order the lands of the Pskov Republic while also keeping the possibility open for future expansion inwards. A second war, assuming all goes well for the crusaders, could possibly see them capturing Novgorod itself.

The Teutons wernt exactly known for setting up client states, but as far as the Catholic Russia scenario goes it would be best if at this point they subjugated the Novgorod Republic rather than deciding to destroy it and annex their lands into the order outright.

Now the question is how long will that state stay Catholic (or existing) when an Orthordox Russia rises and the Teutons are threatened on the southern front by Poland-Lithuania.

Poland-Lithuania will be butterflied in ITTL because Lithuania will be likely conquered by a coalition of Poland and Catholic Russia.
 
Wouldnt further subjugation to the Golden Horde be counter intuitive for the whole Catholic thing?

A victory in the Battle of the Ice would probably net the Livonian Order the lands of the Pskov Republic while also keeping the possibility open for future expansion inwards. A second war, assuming all goes well for the crusaders, could possibly see them capturing Novgorod itself.

The Teutons wernt exactly known for setting up client states, but as far as the Catholic Russia scenario goes it would be best if at this point they subjugated the Novgorod Republic rather than deciding to destroy it and annex their lands into the order outright.

Now the question is how long will that state stay Catholic (or existing) when an Orthordox Russia rises and the Teutons are threatened on the southern front by Poland-Lithuania.

I was talking about Nevsky if he loses the Battle of the Ice. If he does lose, then does that mean he may be forced to turn towards Batu Khan instead of submitting to the Teutonic Order?
 
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