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Ivan III or Ivan IV remain my top choices for a 'new' Russian leader in Civ VII: it's long past time that they quit going back to the same Bolshoi Petr and Ekaterina and brought in a 'Russian' leader who was something other than Pseudo-Western or German . . .
Ivan III, Ivan IV, but I also dont think Russia s would be offended by Alexander Nevsky or Dmytryi Donsky or some great Vladimir prince leading them but I agree with your sentiment of non 18th century Russia for once.