1.  What impression does the Chronicle give of the Mongols in Russia and how does that compare and contrast with the impression given by Marco Polo of the Mongols in China? How did the Russian writer account for "tragedy" of the Mongol invasion? 
2. What examples did Marco Polo use to describe Hangzhou as "the finest and most splendid city in the world?" What was Marco Polo's perspective on the rulers of Hangzhou and does it compare to the perspective of the Novgorod Chronicle regarding the rulers of Russia? 
3. How did Novgorod maintain its limited autonomy under Mongol rule?