The Moscow Czar - means “not allowed to travel abroad”

Ivan IV the Terrible (1530–1584) seemingly at some point planned to go abroad for negotiations with England. Presumably proposing himself as a suitor to Queen Elizabeth or in the context of seeking possible refuge. But the plan was never implemented.
All his predecessors, including Vasily II the Dark and Ivan III, always remained on the territory of the Moscow state. As if in captivity.

Peter I (1672–1725). Peter became the first Moscow tsar to break this tradition. He made a number of foreign trips, which largely predetermined the future of the Moscow principality.

• 1697–1698 — "The Great Embassy." As part of this program, visits were made to the Holy Roman Empire, Holland, England, and other European countries.
• 1717 — A trip to France: a visit to King Louis XV.

The most important achievement of Peter was the fleet, which was provided to him by the Dutch for the war with the rising power of Sweden.

Paul I (1754–1801), after becoming emperor, never left Russia. But before ascending the throne, being a grand duke, Paul made a journey through Europe (to Austria, Italy, and France) together with his wife, Maria Feodorovna. His trip was connected with education and acquaintance with European customs.

Alexander I (1777–1825) left the borders of Russia, and repeatedly so, especially in the context of events related to the Napoleonic Wars.

• 1814 — Alexander I was received in Paris as one of the triumphant leaders who ended the Napoleonic era. He also participated in the Congress in Châtillon, in negotiations that preceded Napoleon's capitulation.
• 1815 — The Congress of Vienna. After Napoleon's fall, Alexander I visited Vienna, becoming one of the architects of the new European political system. After the Congress of Vienna, Alexander I continued trips around Europe to strengthen diplomatic ties. He initiated the creation of the Holy Alliance — a union of European monarchs to maintain the conservative order.

Nicholas I (1796–1855) traveled beyond the borders of the Russian Empire several times:

• 1826 — A trip to Prussia for a personal meeting with King Frederick William III.
• 1840 — Repeated visits to Germany and other European countries for diplomatic purposes.

Alexander II (1818–1881) actively traveled through Europe before his reign. Being the heir to the throne, he visited Germany, France, Italy, and Switzerland.

Alexander III (1845–1894) did not make foreign visits, but once he visited Denmark, as he was married to the Danish princess Maria Feodorovna.

Nicholas II (1868–1918), being the heir to the throne, undertook a round-the-world journey in 1890–1891. He visited Egypt, India, Singapore, China, and Japan.
Being the emperor of the Russian Empire (1894–1917), Nicholas II made foreign trips, but they were comparatively rare and more often connected with diplomatic missions or family circumstances.

• 1896 — France. The first visit of Nicholas II as emperor. Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna visited Paris, where they were given a ceremonial reception.
• 1901 — Germany and Austria. A family visit connected with dynastic ties between the ruling houses of Europe. Nicholas met with Wilhelm II (Germany) and Franz Joseph (Austria-Hungary).
• 1904 — Germany. The trip was connected with family affairs and a meeting with relatives.
• 1907 — He planned to visit Great Britain. However, the trip did not take place due to the worsening internal problems in Russia.

You will laugh, but even the "red emperor" Joseph Stalin extremely rarely left the territory of the country. Throughout his life, he went abroad only 3 times.

• 1907 — Finland. The young Stalin traveled to Tammerfors (now Tampere), which at that time was located on the territory of the Russian Empire but had the autonomous status of the Grand Duchy of Finland. There, he met Lenin.
• 1943 — The Tehran Conference, Iran. This was the first foreign visit of Stalin as the head of the Soviet Union. The meeting was dedicated to questions of strategy among the Allies during World War II.
• 1945 — The Potsdam Conference, Germany. The main topic of the conference was the post-war arrangement of Europe.

Stalin, like all Moscow tsars, was panically afraid of leaving the borders of the country.

Why?

• Fear of abduction or assassination. Being naturally low and deceitful, they expected similar treachery from anyone else.
• The likelihood of a coup. Every Moscow ruler feared stepping away from the throne, as it seemingly created reasons for rebellion or opportunities for another contender to seize the throne.
• Moscow tsars regarded their power as absolute, and Moscow as the "Third Rome," the "Navel of the Earth." In their view, leaving the throne of Moscow meant humiliation.
• Lack of resources and technology. The absence of roads and transport did not allow them to travel far from Moscow. For trips, infrastructure was required: roads, security, places to rest. The Moscow state never had either a developed road system or the technologies to create one.
• International isolation. Moscow was always closed off from the outside world. Fear of everything "foreign" played one of the main roles in the tsars' reluctance to travel.
• Fear of competition. Everything is known in comparison. The Moscow tsar feared standing next to a European monarch. At his own swamp, he is the best, the smartest, and the most worthy.. Once abroad, he would reveal his inferiority, narrow-mindedness, illiteracy, and stupidity.

Peter I broke this tradition, horrifying Europe with his barbarism and drunkenness. However, he did not care. Just as his new British friends, for whom he unleashed the Northern War, and later created a new type of cryptocolony — the Russian Empire.