What is the best location for an alternate capital for the Russian Empire? Let's say that Russian Tsar Nicholas II decides to move the Russian capital to a city other than either Moscow or St. Petersburg around 1900, as well as to subsequently avoid Russian participation in both the Russo-Japanese War and World War I. Personally, I think that Nizhny Novgorod might be a good location for an alternate Russian capital since it's located relatively close to Moscow and the Golden Ring cities:
It's also located very far from Russia's borders and would thus be very secure in the event of any future foreign invasion of Russia. A capital somewhere in Siberia I fear would be too distant and remote and would also aim to shed Russia's image as a European country, which the Russian Tsar might not want to do.
Does anyone here have any other ideas for this? And what do you think that the total population of an alternate capital for the Russian Empire would have been right now had Russia avoided its extreme demographic devastation during the 20th century? Also, what about the population of its suburbs?
Golden Ring of Russia - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
It's also located very far from Russia's borders and would thus be very secure in the event of any future foreign invasion of Russia. A capital somewhere in Siberia I fear would be too distant and remote and would also aim to shed Russia's image as a European country, which the Russian Tsar might not want to do.
Does anyone here have any other ideas for this? And what do you think that the total population of an alternate capital for the Russian Empire would have been right now had Russia avoided its extreme demographic devastation during the 20th century? Also, what about the population of its suburbs?