Regional Boundaries of Central and Eastern Europe: A Problem of Terminology or a Consequence of Geopolitical Dynamics?

Abstract

The article examines the conceptual and terminological approaches to defining the regional boundaries of Central and Eastern Europe. It analyzes these concepts' historical evolution and adaptation to contemporary political and geopolitical realities. Special attention is paid to the variability of regional definitions in the works of Western and Eastern European researchers, as well as their influence on political discourse and international relations. The article also analyzes the factors that influenced the reconceptualization of the region's boundaries, and how Central and Eastern European post-communist countries position themselves under new conditions.

The work offers an interdisciplinary approach to analyzing these issues, combining political science, international relations, historical research, and documentary source analysis methods. This approach allows for a comprehensive assessment of not just political, but also sociocultural and historical aspects of regional identity formation.

Thanks to a retrospective update of the discussion initiated by Central European intellectuals in the 1980s, this research traces how the concepts of Central and Eastern Europe have transformed under the influence of political, cultural, and security factors from the end of the last century to the present. Special attention is paid to intellectual ideas that shaped perceptions of these regions, particularly in the texts of Milan Kundera, Krzysztof Czyżewski, Czesław Miłosz, as well as Ukrainian intellectuals Yuriy Andrukhovych and Oksana Zabuzhko.

Analyzing contemporary geopolitical challenges, particularly Russian aggression against Ukraine, the article emphasizes the significance of the concept of borderlands as a space for intercultural interaction and political subjectivity. The idea that further research should not only rethink established terms but also consider the perspectives of the region's countries regarding self-determination and forming their own narrative in the European context is of great importance. Thus, the proposed approach opens new opportunities for understanding Central-Eastern Europe as a space for political dialogue, cultural renewal, and overcoming the colonial heritage.