Mile Stones of the Russian History

I have no intention of writing a history of the Russian state. I take only those periods that influenced the formation of the nation, significant milestones in Russian history. I think that the future of Russia can be predicted, having understood its past. The historical development of the Russian state went in general along a single line, although there were small and short-lived deviations. Russia continues to go on the same line now, although there are deviations, but they are not big enough to move Russia from its beaten path.