Introduction
History is often shaped by a few decisive events. One of those events, little-known outside of Eastern Europe, was the conquest of Novgorod by Muscovite forces in 1478. The fall of Novgorod marked not only the loss of one of the oldest and wealthiest republics of medieval Europe but also the victory of authoritarian centralism over early forms of participatory governance in the Russian lands.
But what if history had taken a different turn? What if Novgorod had survived, retained its independence, and developed into a major player on the European stage? This article explores that alternate timeline—and what the modern world might look like if Novgorod had remained free.
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