Eastern Europe

Geography, History, Foods and Culture

Map – Central and Eastern Europe

Bulgaria – capital: Sofia

Bulgaria is located on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe. It is sandwiched between Romania to the north and Greece and Turkey to the South. To the west are Yugoslavia and Macedonia. To the east is the Black Sea. Bulgaria has many beautiful beaches along the coast. The Bulgar tribe settled in this area in approximately the seventh century. In the year 681 Bulgaria became the first sovereign state for the Slavs.

Bulgarian Food Bulgaria's cuisine is influenced by neighbouring Balkan countries (Yugoslavia,

Greece and northern Turkey).

Traditional food includes bread, pickled vegetables, salads, soups, stews, casseroles, stuffed vegetables, kebabs, spicy sausages and cheese dishes. Yoghurt is very popular and eaten most days. In fact, Bulgaria is said to be the home of yoghurt and Bulgarian yoghurt is thought to have curative properties.

Meat (pork, chicken, lamb and beef), fish and vegetarian dishes are served with staple foods such as rice and bulgar wheat. Vegetables include eggplant, beans, cabbage, carrots, corn, courgettes, cucumbers, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes and olives.

Favorite desserts are pancakes, baklava, baked apples and fruit: apricots, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, grapes, melons, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, pears, plums and quinces.

From 1918, when Poland regained its independence, until World War II, Poland was a multi-ethnic nation. While ethnic Poles were in the majority (constituting about two thirds of the population), Jews and Ukrainians were significant minorities (about ten percent each), and there were smaller minority populations of Lithuanians, Belorusians, Germans, and others. In today's Poland, however, as a result of the Holocaust and post-war boundary changes, almost everyone in Poland is at least nominally Roman Catholic.

Poland – capital: Warsaw

Polish Food Food eaten in Poland has been influenced by the cuisine of the

neighbouring countries of Austria, Germany, Hungary and Russia.

Meat (especially pork, ham and sausages) is eaten with vegetables, dumplings, noodles, buckwheat and rye bread. Beetroot and cabbage are used in salads, soups and stews. Soured cream is often used in cooking. Pickled foods such as vegetables and fish are popular.

Hunter's stew (bigos), made with five or six types of wild game, is a national dish.

Desserts include honey cake, strudel, pancakes and doughnuts.

Tea is consumed without milk, often with a slice of lemon and sugar. Coffee is also a daily drink. Mineral waters are produced in the spas and Polish fruit juices include apple and blackcurrant.

The Republic of Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe and is bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia.

Hungary's capital city is Budapest. Other important cities are Debrecen, Gyor, Miskolc, Pecs, and Szeged.

Hungary's main rivers are the Danube and Tisza. The terrain is mostly flat with some hills and low mountains.

Hungary's climate is temperate with warm summers and cold winters.

Hungary – capital: Budapest

Hungarian Food Traditional Hungarian cuisine includes soups (fish, bean,

sauerkraut), sausages, smoked meat and pickles. Well known Hungarian meals are Hungarian goulash, chicken paprika and stuffed cabbage.

Main meals consist of meat (chicken, goose, pork, beef, veal), or fresh-water fish, with vegetables: beets, cabbage, cucumbers, onions, potatoes, peppers and tomatoes. Hungarian dumplings and noodles are also popular. Important ingredients in Hungarian recipes are paprika, garlic and sour cream.

Cakes, strudels, fruit soups and pastas (with curd cheese and sour cream) are popular desserts. Fruits and nuts grown are apples, apricots, cherries, peaches, almonds and hazelnuts.

Map of the Balkans – present day

The Balkan Wars - Background

May 1980 Yugoslav leader Tito dies. Without Tito's strong leadership, Yugoslavia begins its slow collapse.

1981 Albanians demonstrate in Kosovo, demanding status of a republic. 1986-1989 growing Serbian nationalist sentiment. Milosevic rises to

power in Serbia. 1991 Full scale war in Croatia. 1992 The siege of Sarajevo begins. Bosnian Serb forces mounted the

siege against Bosnian Government forces. March 1993 Fighting begins between Bosnian Muslims and Croats. March 1994 Peace treaty between Bosnian Muslims and Croats is

signed. The treaty was arbitrated by the United States. August 1994 Serbia closes border with Bosnian Serb republic and

imposes embargo, as a measure of pressure to accept the plan of Contact Group

July 1995 Srebrenica massacre reported. August 1995 Croatia launches Operation Storm and reclaims over 70%

of its pre-war territory. This results in the exodus of the entire Serbian population in these areas, approximately 250,000 refugees.

December 1995 Dayton Agreement signed in Paris, marking end of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

March 1998 Fighting breaks out between Serbian forces and ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. Milosevic sends in troops.

March 1999 NATO starts the military campaign Operation Allied Force in Kosovo.

June 1999Control of Kosovo is given to the United Nations, but still remains a part of Serbia.

October 2000 Slobodan Milošević is voted out of office, and Vojislav Kostunica becomes new president of Yugoslavia.

February 2002 Milošević is put on trial in The Hague on charges of war crimes in Kosovo

Croatia – capital: Zagreb The Republic of Croatia is bordered by Slovenia, Hungary,

Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its long Adriatic coastline has over a thousand islands and islets - some of the larger islands are Brac, Krk, Cres, Hvar, Korcula and Mljet.

Zagreb is Croatia's capital city. Its seaports are Dubrovnik, Ploce, Pula, Rijeka, Sibenik, Split and Zadar.

Croatia's main rivers are the Sava, Drava and Danube. Other rivers are the Mirna, the Rasa, the Zrmanja, the Krka and the Cetina.

The Croatian landscape includes mountains and highlands, areas of karst (limestone), plains, rugged coastline and many islands.

Croatia has hot summers and cold winters. In winter it is milder along the Adriatic coast, particularly on the island of Hvar, known for its good weather.

Croatian Food

Croatian cuisine includes sea foods from the coastal waters and meat dishes such as cevapcici (sausage-shaped minced meat), raznijici (grilled meat on skewers), sarma (minced rice and meat rolled in cabbage leaves) and djuvec (stew).

Bread and salad accompany most meals. Palacinke (pancakes) are a favourite dessert.

Bosnia and Herzegovina- capital: Sarajevo Much of Bosnia and Herzegovina is mountainous with valleys. The

country's main rivers are the Bosnia, the Drina, the Neretva, the Sava and the Vrbas.

Summers are hot and winters are cold; it is colder at the higher elevations. The coastline on the Adriatic has Mediterranean weather.

The civil war (1992-95) left many Diplaced Persons and Refugees.

Around forty percent of the population are Muslim; just over thirty percent belong to the Orthodox Church; around fifteen percent are Roman Catholic with a minority of Protestants and other religions.

Bosnian Food The cuisine of Bosnia and Herzegovina is influenced by its

Balkan neighbours.

Traditional food includes bread, soups, stews, kebabs, cevapcici (minced meat sausages), stuffed leaves (dolma and sarma) and stuffed vegetables (peppers). Pie, for example, meat, cheese and spinach is a favourite dish. Side dishes, such as sour cabbage, tomato and onion salad as well as yoghurt are often served.

Desserts eaten are fruit, pancakes, cakes (apple cake) and pastries (baklava).

Coffee is preferred strong with sugar.

Serbia and Montenegro – capital: Belgrade Serbia and Montenegro, the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of

Montenegro (the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), is in South East Europe. It is bordered by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Albania and the Adriatic Sea.

Belgrade is the capital city and Podgorica is the capital of Montenegro. Provinces in Serbia are the province of Vojvodina (with Novi Sad its administrative centre) and the province of Kosovo and Metohia.

The country's terrain is diverse with plains, mountains, valleys and an Adriatic coastline. Rivers include the Danube, the Morava, the Sava and the Tisa.

Summers are hot and winters are cold. The weather along the Montenegrin coast is Mediterranean.

Serbian Food Traditional food includes soups, stews, smoked meats, minced

meat (cevapcici and meatballs), stuffed vegetables (such as peppers) and kebabs. A dish of mixed grilled meat is a speciality. Fish is used in chowders and is grilled and fried.

Bread and side salads are eaten with starters and main courses. Salads are made from a variety of fresh and pickled vegetables such as beans, cucumbers, onions, peppers tomatoes and sauerkraut.

Fruit and nuts are used in desserts, for example, strudels, pancakes and pastries.

Romania – capital: Bucharest Romania is in South East Europe and is bordered by the Black

Sea, Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, Serbia and Montenegro and Ukraine.

Romania has six regions: Banat, Bukovina, Dobruja, Moldavia, Transylvania and Walachia. These are divided into forty counties in addition to the capital city, Bucharest.

Romania's landscape consists of hills, mountains and plains. The Danube is the longest and most important river flowing through Romania.

The summer is hot with both showers and thunderstorms; the winter is cold with some fog and snow. Earthquakes occur in the southern parts of the country.

Romanian Food Romanian food has been influenced over the centuries by

invaders and settlers: Greeks, Hungarians, Germans and Turks. Soups (vegetable, fish and meat) and salads (potato salad, cabbage salad and fish roe salad) are popular along with numerous meat and fish dishes.

"Mamaliga", made from corn, is a staple food and can be prepared in a variety of ways. Stuffed vine leaves and grilled minced meat, "mititei" and "patricieni", are also popular. Pork is eaten frequently, often with potatoes and salad.

Romania has a number of recipes for layered cakes, cheesecakes, pancakes and other desserts.

Tea is a favourite drink.

Czech Republic – capital: Prague The Czech Republic is in Central Europe and consists of Bohemia,

Moravia and part of Silesia. Bordering countries are Austria, Germany, Poland and the Slovak Republic.

Prague is the Czech Republic's capital city. Other important cities are Brno, Olomouc, Ostrava and Plzen.

The terrain is varied consisting of plateau, highlands and lowlands. The highest mountains are the Krkonose (Giant Mountains), followed by the Hruby Jesenik (Ash Montains), the Sumava mountain range and the Beskydy Mountains. Rivers include the Elbe, Morava, Oder and Vltava.

The climate of the Czech Republic is temperate with warm summers and cold winters.

Czech Food

Main meals in the Czech Republic usually consist of meat (beef and pork) and sometimes fish served with potatoes or rice or dumplings. Sauerkraut is used in recipes including soup. Other soups are potato soup and liver dumpling soup.

Dumplings are also served sweet. Desserts include strudel and pancakes. Gingerbread and pastries are popular.

Map – Commonwealth of Independent States

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is an alliance of 12 of the 15 former Republics of the Soviet Union (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldava, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan). The headquarters of the organization is in Minsk, Belarus. The three non-members are Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

 

What is the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)?

Russia – capital: Moscow The Russian Federation is the largest country on earth, spanning over

seventeen million square kilometres. It is situated in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. The Ural mountain range forms a natural border between Europe and Asia. Its vast expanses stretch from the Arctic Ocean, to Eastern Europe and to the North Pacific Ocean.

Bordering countries are Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, North Korea, Norway, Poland and Ukraine.

Moscow is the capital city of the Russian Federation.

Russia's huge plains are divided by the Ural mountain range. Other mountains include those along the southern borders and some areas of high volcanic activity. The Volga is the country's major river.

Due to its size, Russia's climate is very diverse. The summers can be warm and humid, whilst the winters can be harsh and bitterly cold.

Russia – A brief History Russian Revolution - St. Petersburg – 1749-1812 Napoleon was defeated (1812) Crimea War 1853 Tsar Nicholas was forced to abdicate (1917). The Bolsheviks (Communists), led by Lenin, seized power and signed an armistice with

Germany.The Civil war (1918-1920) between the Communists and anti-Communist forces cost many lives and many more died in the 1921 famine.At the end of December 1922 the USSR was formed following the acceptance of the Declaration and Treaty on the Formation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Lenin died in 1924 and was succeeded by Stalin. Stalin's dictatorship (1924-53) was severe and many people who opposed his regime were executed.

The Second World War broke out in 1939 and by its end in 1945 millions of Russians had died, totaling around a sixth of the population."Cuban Missile Crisis". – Nikita Khrushchev vs. Kennedy 1962 began decades of “cold war” with U.S.

Gorbachev came to power in 1985 introducing extensive political and economic reforms (Perestroika) and calling for a greater openness (Glasnost) between nations. Gorbachev was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990.At the end of 1991 the USSR was dissolved. Boris Yeltsin became the President of the Russian Federation and was eventually succeeded by Vladimir Putin.

Russia - Food Russia is famous for caviar, roe from the sturgeon, either beluga

or sevruga. It is eaten on blinis (thin buckwheat pancakes), or on toast, often accompanied by onion and diced boiled eggs. Herring, with onion and potatoes, is a less expensive seafood dish enjoyed by Russians.

Bread (wheat and rye) is important in the Russian diet. Soup and borscht (beetroot soup) are traditional first courses that are often followed by meat dishes, for example, meat dumplings. Russian recipes such as stroganov, Chicken Kiev and Russian salad are popular in many countries.

The use of the samovar for preparing tea dates back to the eighteenth century.

Ukraine – capital: Kiev Ukraine is a republic in Eastern Europe, bordered by Moldova, Romania

, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Belarus, Russia, the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.

Kyiv (Kiev) is the capital city. Other major cities are Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Lviv and Odessa (one of the largest ports in the Black Sea). The Crimea is an Autonomous Republic within Ukraine.

The Ukrainian terrain consists mainly of steppes (plains) and plateaux; the Carpathian Mountains are in the west and there are mountains in the Crimean Peninsula. The Dnieper is the main river in Ukraine.

Summers are warm and winters can be cold. The southern Crimean coast enjoys Mediterranean weather.

Ukrainian food Ukrainian cuisine includes soups, stews, sausages, smoked

meats and rye bread. Meat (beef, lamb, pork and poultry) and fish dishes are eaten with vegetables and salads.

Borscht, a thick vegetable and meat soup, and stuffed cabbage are favourite recipes. Salo, salted pig's fat, is a traditional food which can be used in a variety of ways. Dumplings (varenyky) are a Ukrainian speciality and have many fillings such as potatoes, meat, cottage cheese and berries.

Favourite desserts are pancakes, cakes and fruit: blueberries, cherries, plums and strawberries. Honey is used as a sweetener and dairy products (cream, cottage cheese and eggs) are part of the Ukrainian diet.