The eastern half of Europe is united by its diversity
So says Jacob Mikanowski in his insightful chronicle, “Goodbye, Eastern Europe”
For most of the past three decades, the received view of eastern Europe, defined roughly as the territory between Germany and Russia, has been breezily optimistic. A region that exemplified the cultural and intellectual vim of the old continent had escaped a cruel communist yoke. It was now free to make an uneven but inexorable recovery, joining the West’s institutions and following its political and economic models.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “East is east”
Culture June 17th 2023
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From the June 17th 2023 edition
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