During this consolidation of Russian lands,
a return migration,
or re-colonization, was taking place by descendants of the earlier Russian peoples who had
fled to the
west instead of the northeast.
By 16th Century, middle and upper Dniepr regions were populated by two new ethnic nations, with
variant forms of the Russian language – Little Rus (Ukrainians)
and Byelorussians (White
Russians).
1547
the first title of Tsar assumed by