Russian lands 1550-1600 (Chaos)

1552: Mongols attack a Novorussian caravan at the Silk Road. When the uninterested Grand Prince again disappoints the merchants, they decide to act. Another delegation sent to the Hong emperor is successful: In exchange for them sending a tribute of furs, wax and honey, he allows them to found trade stations in his empire.

~1560: Settlements in Novorossiya as far as upper Amur/Aigun river.

1561: Novorossiyan cities threatened by Mongols and Muslims form "unofficial official" armies to defend them, instead of the irregular defenders they had so far.

1567: Dvoryans battle Muslims in Kipchak lands between Don and Donez; Seljuks unable to interfere. Russians proclaim the Dvoryan republic of Polovtsia. (Yes, now there are two republics there, Polovtsia and Kipchakia. I liked the idea of having several states, each named after a different name for the same people. SCNR.)

1570s: Dvoryans conquer OTL Kalmuk steppe, reach the Caucasus.

1574: Russians found a trade station in Nanjing. In the decades and centuries following, a "Russian quarter" develops from it (similar in many other cities in the northern Chinese empire and Korea).

1579: Vladicaucas founded at the same place as IOTL (the name means "rule the Caucasus", it's a logical choice).

~1580: Settlements in Novorossiya have reached the Pacific. Since the Russians now have settled OTL Ukraine and Siberia, they start to expand to other areas.

1580s: The "parties" of Novorossiya start to take form - on the one hand, the "Westerners" who want to preserve ties to Vladimir-Suzdal and Russian traditions, OTOH the "Chunkvophiles" who want to introduce Chinese thoughts they find useful. Ironically, the former are strict defenders of the democratic rights (as in the vyetjes), while the latter have at least some sympathies for the imperial idea.

1583: Alyeska (Alaska) discovered by Russian sailors.

1584: Start of the reign of Grand Prince Pyotr of Vladimir-Suzdal, who'll become the first Czar.

1586-90: Russian-Polovtsian War. All the lands between Dniepr and Don (except the Crimea and Tauria north of it) become Russian.

1589: Novorossiyan cities start to develop a defense network to coordinate their military. Sharukan (OTL Charkov), capital of the Kumans, conquered.

1590: Kuriles annexed by Novorossiya.

1591: In Yenisseisk (at OTL Krasnoyarsk's site), a school for Chinese studies is founded, which will later develop into the first university of Novorossiya.

1592: Vladimir-Suzdal attacks Sweden. For the purpose of the war, a new tax is made, which also has to be paid in Novorossiya. Many people there are angry about the tax.

1594: Peace of Helsingfors. Scandinavia has to give Estonia and parts of Finland to Russia.