Russia should be renamed to The Rus

[Huskarl]

To make the story short, Russia has appeared on the map in 1991 as a political entity.
So, to see Russia as a name for empire on Slavic lands is too ahistorical since there we no russians during the game period.
It looks the same ridiculous as it would be the Habsburgs empire, Third Reich and USSR in this game.

Cheers

[Éotham, Lord of Faerûn]

"Russia" come from the XVI th century. If you want to suppress a-historical name for kingdom, Kingdom of Germania never existed

[Razorblade]

Byzantine Empire is also an ahistorical name, and that's an entity that actually existed during the time period. Pretty much all of the game's empires have ahistorical names because they simply didn't exist.

If you want accuracy, I'd complain about the fact that you can even form a new empire as a Christian. In medieval Europe, there was one empire, and that was the Roman Empire. To call anyone else emperor would be tantamount to heresy. Everyone and their mother being called "Emperor" was a very Early Modern thing.

[The Former]

Russia existed further back as a colloquialism for the region, same as Byzantium was a colloquialism for Eastern Rome.

[Admod, the Equivocal]

Is it still Russia for all cultures/religions you play as? You don't have it as Kievan Rus?

[Zippo]

It's a sandbox where you can do whatever you want, even a-historical moves. So why bothering?

[Admod, the Equivocal]

On the title tab, you can change the name for the title. So you can rename "Empire of Russia" to "Empire of should've-been-The Rus", if you want to.

[Din0za]

Just a reminder that Russian Empire existed before USSR, but I agree that The Rus should be in game instead of Russia.

[LzDK14]

I kinda agree with op. Russia as Russia didn't exist in middle ages, as it kinda doesn't exist now - correct naming of it is Russian Federation.
There was Russian Empire starting 17th centure.
Before that - Moscow Tsardom and Novgorodian republic.
And before that - multiple idependent states under (usually) same dynasty (Rurikovichi) rule, which are called Kievan Rus, to indicate historical period space-time (please take note, that there wasn't such state - "Kievan Rus". It's a historical term, not actual country).

So, should it be renamed? Not really, since there weren't empire state on these lands for a period presented in game, and creation of such empire-level state IS ahistorical in the first place.

IMO, Rus (The Rus, etc) sounds more badass:-)

PS: Russia wasn't called Russia in USSR either, it was RSFSR (Russian Soviet Federative Socialistic Republic)

[hurepoix]

Originally posted by LzDK14:

(please take note, that there wasn't such state - "Kievan Rus". It's a historical term, not actual country).

How should I call the state ruled by Vladimir, then his son Iaroslav around 1000 AD ?

[Admod, the Equivocal]

If I can type Kievan Rus and get multiple entries and a wiki of it it's real my guy.

[Go0lden_Archer]

Not sure if Kievan Rus would apply for all of that territory, but something like The Rus regardless would be more fitting then Russia, as people in that region where reffered to as rus, not russians, kievans etc. Or so I thought)

[LzDK14]

Originally posted by hurepoix:

Originally posted by LzDK14:

(please take note, that there wasn't such state - "Kievan Rus". It's a historical term, not actual country).

How should I call the state ruled by Vladimir, then his son Iaroslav around 1000 AD ?

That would be Novgorodian Republic or Kievskoe Knyagestvo. He wasn't ruler of Novgorod and Kiev simultaniosly, btw.

Again, Kievan Rus is not a state, it's a term which defines time (10th-13th century) and place (Russian Plain) and, sometimes, dynasty (Rurikovichi)

Why is it "not a state"? Simple - there aren't any state attributes to it: no common laws or, even formal, ruler. Kievan or Novgorodian Knyaz weren't even "first among equals". And that even setting aside funny fact that Novgorod is called as first "capital" of Kievan Rus, funny is that Novgorod was a republic, with knyaz been an invited warleader.

[hurepoix]

Around 1050, King Henri of France, sent and embassy to the Rus of Kiev none state. Like he was a ruler of the none period (X th - XIII th), he sent this embassy to the none capital of Kiev to ask Iaroslav his daughter for wife.

It is imo an evidence that the king of France considered Iaroslav as a none ruler of a none state, not equivalent of a king or Great prince.

Aside making fun :-) , may be it is not as clear than that. But I m not sure, too, we are better to appreciate the situation on these times, than king Henry of France.

I also think lot of people inside the Rus of Kiev had something in common ; a legacy for the hellenistic roman empire. Religion.