EastERN EURoPE

The countries and cultures in Eastern Europe have proud, profound histories, their peoples having suffered for ages yet defiantly survived. From the early days of ancient Empires and “Old World” villages through the modern era when the “Cold War” was certainly “hot” if you lived within the Soviet sphere, Eastern Europeans have endured devastating battles, famine, ethnic strife and all sorts of political and personal affronts, yet continued to forge forward. Though life so often presented pain, there was always a wedding to look forward to, always a harvest to celebrate, always a song to sing or an excuse to dance. The winters may be harsh in Eastern Europe but besting the bitter cold makes the springtime sweet.