you have to go through a bit of a winding path through history to get there: the hellenization of the middle east, followed by the absorption of the greek world by the roman empire, the partition, the eventual colonization of russia, the varangian guard and then the transfer of roman civilization to moscow following the fall of constantinople. but, ivan the terrible would not have existed had it not been for alexander. he would have been some backwards viking stuck somewhere between the dnieper and the don, paying exorbitant taxes to beijing.