Although it altered power balances through Eurasia, the rise of the Russian Empire, unlike those of Western colonial empires, involved only limited commercial exchange. After freeing themselves from Mongol domination by 1480, the Russians pushed eastward. Some extension of territory also occurred in eastern Europe. Regional states, many differing from Russia, were present; Lithuania and Poland rivaled Russia into the 17th century. Russia entered into new contacts with the West without losing its distinct identity.
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