From the dynastic rise of Kievan Rus’ to modern Eastern European geopolitics, the West has repeatedly oversimplified and dismissed this region. While a simplified narrative may be more convenient, it is also deeply inaccurate. Countries like Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria each play vital roles in international politics and historical dynamics. To overlook the complexities of these nations is to disregard the histories, identities, and beliefs of the people who have shaped them.
Eastern European history has long been marginalized, and within it, the stories of Eastern European women have been neglected even further. Their contributions, struggles, and influence deserve recognition. These histories matter; not just because they are part of the past, but because they continue to shape the present. They matter because the people of Eastern Europe matter.
Katherine Johnson 