if i am not mistaken, the genoese colonies in the black sea were a mix of conquest and purchase following the fourth crusade and the consequent fall of eastern roman power in the region, with the purpose of dominating trade, going from the black sea to the aegean islands (such as mytilene, on the map) onwards to liguria
as for theodoro, it was a monarchical city state that popped up from the break up of the golden horde
trying to put it in a simple manner, after the fourth crusade, theodoro exchanged hands a couple of times, but every time the hold over it was weaker and weaker, which led to the city mantaining eastern roman law and practices and, eventually, independence, kind of making it an eastern roman rump state
theodoro was also notable for its large gothic population, which survived as a distinct ethnicity up until roughly the 18th century
pretty sure tana is not modern azov city, as google maps shows the ruins of the former several kilometers north of azov
if i am not mistaken, the genoese colonies in the black sea were a mix of conquest and purchase following the fourth crusade and the consequent fall of eastern roman power in the region, with the purpose of dominating trade, going from the black sea to the aegean islands (such as mytilene, on the map) onwards to liguria
as for theodoro, it was a monarchical city state that popped up from the break up of the golden horde trying to put it in a simple manner, after the fourth crusade, theodoro exchanged hands a couple of times, but every time the hold over it was weaker and weaker, which led to the city mantaining eastern roman law and practices and, eventually, independence, kind of making it an eastern roman rump state theodoro was also notable for its large gothic population, which survived as a distinct ethnicity up until roughly the 18th century
pretty sure tana is not modern azov city, as google maps shows the ruins of the former several kilometers north of azov