Ivan Petrov Tafrali, a key figure in the diplomatic history of seventeenth-century Eastern Europe, began his career in the 1630s as a secret envoy of the renowned Patriarch of Constantinople, Cyril Lucaris. During the Azov Crisis (1637–1642) between the Ottoman Empire and the Tsardom of Russia, Tafrali carried out diplomatic missions on behalf of the Moldavian prince Vasile Lupu. From the mid-1640s onward, he was regarded by the Posolsky Prikaz (Moscow) as its most trusted informant on Balkan affairs. Tafrali also belonged to the close circle of advisers around Bohdan Khmelnytsky, leader of the major Cossack uprising against the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1648–1654). The contribution of this article lies in its systematic study and contextualization of the known primary sources concerning Ivan Petrov Tafrali – a figure deeply involved in some of the most significant events in mid-seventeenth-century Eastern Europe. Keywords: Ivan Petrov Tafrali, Early Modern period (17th century), Eastern Europe, Orthodox Christians in the Ottoman Balkans, Posolsky Prikaz (Moscow), Bohdan Khmelnytsky.

New data on medullosalean foliage Odontopteris schlotheimii from the uppermost Carboniferous–lowermost Permian of central and eastern Europe

ABSTRACT This paper examines how incorporating regret aversion affects portfolio construction and performance in emerging stock markets. Using daily data from 2015–2025, the paper builds multivariate six-asset portfolios for Central and Eastern Europe (CEEC), East Asia, and Latin America, alongside a G7 benchmark. A regret-minimising portfolio is compared with traditional minimum-variance and maximum-Sharpe portfolios across pre-crisis and crisis periods. Results show that regret-averse portfolios are more diversified and place greater emphasis on low-correlation assets, reducing the likelihood of extreme underperformance relative to the best-performing asset. Emerging markets exhibit higher regret than developed markets, with the Latin American portfolios showing the largest regret levels. Notably, the CEEC portfolio consistently demonstrates the strongest performance, delivering the lowest regret and favourable risk-return outcomes in both subsamples. Robustness checks, including bootstrapping, variance-equality tests, and varying regret preferences, confirm the stability of the regret-minimising approach and highlight its practical relevance for behaviourally sensitive investors.

Amber resins provenance and datation by non invasive FTIR and chemometric analysis.

From fragmentation to integration: Gas market convergence in Central and Eastern Europe in the aftermath of the EU energy crisis

Review: European consumers' attitudes towards the benefits of reducing meat consumption - the role of diverse and interconnected drivers.

The impact of economic inequality on fiscal multipliers: do Central and Eastern European countries stand out

Purpose The purpose of this research is to identify and analyse the determinants influencing non-financial reporting among Lithuanian companies, focusing on both mandatory and voluntary disclosures. The research tasks include identifying trends and assessing the impact of various determinants on the level of disclosure, such as company size, leverage, profitability, asset turnover and the reporting framework used. This approach provides an in-depth understanding of the country’s recent practice of mandatory and voluntary non-financial reporting. Design/methodology/approach The study analyses non-financial information reports of companies from 2017 and 2022. The target population includes the largest Lithuanian companies by revenue, with a sample of 20 companies reporting mandatory non-financial information according to European Union (EU) Directive 2014/95/EU and 20 companies reporting voluntarily. The research methods used in this study include content analysis, descriptive statistics, statistical analysis and regression analysis. Content analysis is used to evaluate the extent and quality of disclosures, while statistical methods are applied to identify significant determinants and trends. Findings The findings reveal that companies increased the information disclosure in all researched areas. Companies applying Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) or GRI in combination with the UN Global Compact demonstrate a statistically significant positive influence on specific disclosure. The industry in which a company operates has a significant impact on disclosure quality. The company’s size, measured as total assets, has a significant positive impact on disclosure quality, but leverage, profitability and operational efficiency, measured as an asset turnover, had no statistically significant effects. Originality/value In recent years, non-financial reporting has gained significant importance in corporate communication and stakeholder engagement. This study examines the determinants of mandatory and voluntary non-financial reporting practices in Lithuanian companies, addressing a crucial gap in the literature on sustainability disclosure in small Central and Eastern European markets. As Lithuania aligns its regulations with European Union (EU) directives, understanding the current state and determinants of non-financial reporting becomes critical for policymakers, companies and stakeholders.

Two methods to estimate the population size of people who inject drugs in the country of Georgia: implications for the EECA region.

Research background: The sharing economy has emerged as one of the key phenomena of the digital era, transforming traditional business models and reshaping consumer behaviour across Central and Eastern Europe. In Slovakia, the rapid expansion of digital platforms across transportation, accommodation, gastronomy, and services has created new market dynamics; however, empirical evidence on consumer adoption patterns and socio-demographic determinants remains limited. Understanding these micro-level consumer behaviours is critical for platform development, regulatory framework design, and economic policy formulation in transitional economies. Purpose of the article: This paper aims to determine and evaluate the impact of sharing economy sectors on consumer behaviour patterns in Slovakia, examining socio-demographic influences on platform adoption and identifying sector-specific preferences. The study contributes to the literature by providing comprehensive empirical evidence on consumer engagement with collaborative consumption in a post-transition economy context, linking individual-level behavioural patterns with broader economic and social implications of platformmediated consumption. Methods: The research employs a quantitative approach based on a comprehensive questionnaire survey of 400 Slovak adults, administered through digital platforms in February 2025. Data analysis incorporates descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-square tests of independence, Cramer's V association measures, and correspondence analysis to identify multidimensional relationships between sociodemographic characteristics and engagement patterns in the sharing economy. The methodology ensures robust statistical validation while providing a graphical representation of consumer behaviour clusters across different sharing economy sectors. Findings & Value added: The study reveals that 42.2% of Slovak consumers utilize sharing services pragmatically when superior to ownership alternatives, with significant gender-based adoption differences: women demonstrate cautious, experimental approaches (21.4% occasional use) while men exhibit greater polarization between frequent adoption (14.2%) and ownership preference (23.5%). Correspondence analysis identifies four distinct consumer clusters: affluent women associate sharing with leisure activities, high-income men prefer transport platforms, middle- to lower-income women integrate sharing into their everyday consumption, while low-income men remain largely disengaged. The value-added lies in providing sector-specific micro-level evidence from Slovakia, revealing intersectional socio-demographic patterns that challenge universal adoption narratives and inform targeted platform strategies and policy interventions for transitional economies.

Aim: The aim is to provide an economic analysis of the extent to which the area size and economic size of small farms below 5 ha helped productivity development for survival in the EU-10 after joining the EU (period 2005‒2016). Methods: Based on Eurostat data, a special database was established. The indices approach was used to analyze productivity development. Dynamics of capacity variables (number, utilized agricultural area, and standard output) and productivity indicators (average farm size, area productivity, and total productivity) were calculated. The distance of the EU-10 averages from the EU-15 was measured. Ten specialist farm types were observed in the following categories: below 2 ha, 2.0‒4.9 ha, below 5 ha, below 2,000 EUR, below 2 ha and 2,000 EUR, and below 5 ha and below 2,000 EUR. Results: EU-10: a) The decline in the number of very small specialist farms was below the average; b) The dynamics of both area and total productivity of specialist farms exceeded EU-15 averages; c) In subsistence farms, the economicsize was more supportive of increasing productivity, while in semi-subsistence farms, the area size was more supportive of increasing productivity; d) Small specialist semi-subsistence farms with an output below 2,000 EUR contributed more to convergence; e) The gap of specialist subsistence farms below 2,000 EUR between the EU-10 and EU-15, both in total and area productivity, increased. Conclusions: Farms below 5 ha in the EU-10 increased productivity, more so in specialist semi-subsistence farms, supportingconvergence. Poland has achieved outstanding growth in convergence related to small specialist farms, both in terms of area and economic size. The dynamics of indicators for specialist semi-subsistence farms contributed to convergence in Poland, Hungary, and Romania.

ABSTRACT This paper addresses a critical gap in crime television scholarship, which has long been dominated by Western and Nordic narratives, with limited attention given to series from Central and Eastern Europe. Focusing specifically on the portrayal of Czech female criminalists, this study offers a comprehensive analysis of 35 Czech serials aired between 2007 and 2023. By examining the evolving representation of female law enforcement figures, this research highlights unique non-Western archetypes that, while aligning with some broader trends, introduce distinctive nuances in character portrayal. Through a longitudinal approach, tracing gender representation trends over more than two decades, the study sheds light on the cultural influences shaping Czech crime television. In doing so, it expands our understanding of the broader dynamics of gender and genre, providing fresh insights into the cultural specificity and narrative diversity of the crime genre, all within a singular national context.

Research background: The collapse of the Iron Curtain opened the way for integration, market liberalization, and political stabilization, yet more than three decades later significant disparities remain. Competitiveness, shaped not only by economic performance but also by institutions, infrastructure, and business efficiency, reflects these persistent inequalities. Purpose of the article: This study examines spatial patterns of competitiveness among EU countries, focusing on the divide between Western and post-socialist states. By addressing the legacy of the „invisible iron curtain,” it contributes to debates on convergence, divergence, and regional development. Methods: The analysis applies the cartogram method, which enables visualization of spatial disparities. Data from the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbooks were aggregated into an eight-year average across five dimensions: overall competitiveness, government efficiency, economic performance, business efficiency, and infrastructure. The values were visualized using choropleth maps classified by Jenks natural breaks. Findings & Value added: Results reveal clear regional gradients, with Northern and Western Europe reaching the highest competitiveness levels, while Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe lag behind. Government efficiency and infrastructure proved to be the most decisive dividing factors. The value of this study lies in integrating spatial visualization with long-term data, demonstrating that despite decades of integration, the legacy of the Iron Curtain endures. The findings offer guidance for more territorially sensitive policies supporting cohesion and balanced growth in the EU.

ABSTRACT This paper examines the internationalisation patterns in the most advanced form of foreign direct investment (FDI) of state-owned multinational enterprises (SOMNEs) originating from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in the post-COVID-19 and geopolitically tense environment. Through an integrative narrative literature review focused on CEE-based SOMNEs’ outward foreign direct investment (OFDI), we identify distinctive characteristics of these enterprises’ international expansion strategies and synthesise their implications for regional policymakers and business practitioners. Our analysis reveals that the FDI by CEE SOMNEs exhibit unique hybrid characteristics combining state strategic objectives with commercial imperatives, shaped by the region’s post-socialist institutional legacy and EU integration processes. The study can contribute to international business literature by providing the contemporary review of CEE SOMNE internationalisation patterns of FDI and offers practical guidance for managing the complex governance, legitimacy, and strategic challenges facing these enterprises.

Zooming in on a postsocialist piece of queer autofiction, namely the 2022 novel Dezrădăcinare (Uprootedness) penned by the Moldovan-Romanian female author Sașa Zare, this article analyzes the role of self-writing as reparative practice operating on textual and extratextual levels. Instead of engaging directly with queer theory and performing a close reading of Zare’s work, we opted for “queering” the various contexts that labeled the book: historical, political, literary. This operation bridges between different theoretical articulations of reparative writing and reading, and facilitates the discussion of gendered and queer experiences in a more comprehensive framework, by connecting personal identity and sexuality with the post-Cold War social and cultural transformations in Central Eastern Europe, while re-localizing queer reparative practices in the East. We argue that queer identity complicates the narrator’s/author’s troubling geocultural positioning, one pendulating between Moldova and Romania, while simultaneously empowering her to undertake a reparative and self-affirmative process through writing. We conclude that coming out through literature has an interventionist function by opening new ways for marginalized groups to express themselves in the dominant culture.

This study documents the first records of three rare spider species from the Republic of Moldova: Liocranoeca spasskyi Ponomarev, 2007 (Liocranidae), Marinarozelotes manytchensis (Ponomarev & Tsvetkov, 2006) (Gnaphosidae), and Oecobius rhodiensis Kritscher, 1966 (Oecobiidae). Specimens were collected in Chisinau during 2023–2024 through manual sampling and pitfall trapping at three sites. The findings substantially extend the known distribution ranges of the species. The record of O. rhodiensis represents the first national record of the family Oecobiidae in Moldova. Ecological data, including microhabitat descriptions and meteorological parameters, are provided for each site. Records of mature specimens also extend the known phenological periods for these species. The results contribute to the faunistic knowledge of the region and highlight Moldova’s potential as a biogeographic corridor for Eastern European spider fauna.

Objective. This study analyzes international experiences in implementing the FAIR principles (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, Reusability) in research data management in university environments. Methods. A comprehensive methodological approach was used, including a systematic literature review of the publications of 2020-2024, case studies of best practices from leading European and American universities, expert interviews with university library data management specialists, and analysis of institutional policies and regulatory documents. Results. The analysis revealed significant variability in FAIR implementation levels depending on geographical location, institutional policies, cultural factors, technical infrastructure, and the specificities of scientific disciplines. Nordic countries and the UK demonstrate leadership in FAIR implementation, while Eastern European countries, including Ukraine, show significantly lower levels of implementation. Natural sciences demonstrate more developed data sharing practices compared to humanities and social sciences. The paper identifies main obstacles to the development of this area of activity in the library environment. Conclusions. Successful implementation of FAIR requires comprehensive approaches, including the development of institutional policies, the creation of specialized infrastructure, raising awareness among researchers, and the development of discipline-specific guidelines to ensure full compliance with FAIR principles.

This study focused on the gender gap in sickness absenteeism in Central and Eastern European countries from 2010 to 2023. Eurostat data and the shift-share analysis (SSA) method were applied to assess the impact of regional, sectoral and local factors on changes in sickness absenteeism. The findings highlighted variations in the length of sickness absence among European countries, in relation to CEE region’s overall developmental status. Additionally, the study confirmed the significance of the research and the growing issue of the gender gap in sickness absence in CEE countries. The results of the SSA analysis indicate that gender inequalities in sickness absenteeism decreased in most countries during the period studied, but the COVID-19 pandemic increased these differences in some sectors. The study provides important information for policymakers and employers seeking to promote equality in the workplace and improve the health and well-being of employees.

China's successful implementation of its outward-looking policies and its acceptance into the WTO after the Cold War have led to a reduction in trade barriers. China has thereby accelerated its economic rise and developed its methods of cooperation with regional institutions. China, which initiated official and commercial relations with the EU in the 1970s, took a holistic approach to Europe until the 2010s due to its concerns about attracting investment and export concern. However, the rise of voices calling for preventing increasing dependence on China in the mid-2000s and the loss of income and employment suffered by European countries during 2008 economic crisis marked an important turning point. On the other hand, China's success during this period and its substitution of Central and Eastern European countries played an active role in the establishment of the 17+1 platform. China's promise to increase its global investments under the BRI has also increased interest in China across Europe. This has also raised suspicions that China is involved in a new initiative to divide the EU from within through its 17+1 platform in Europe. The main objective of this study is to reveal what China aims to achieve through its multifaceted cooperation in Europe and to determine how realistic the growing suspicions about China are. This study applies a qualitative research method, utilizing fieldwork, pre-interviews, and comprehensive data analysis. The findings of the study indicate that there has been no significant change in China's traditional perspective toward Europe, and investments in the 17+1 countries are not large enough to divide the EU. China's trade and investment policies continue to focus heavily on Western European countries. On the other hand, China's projects, acquisitions, and construction activities in different parts of Europe show that it is seeking to advance its national interests across the continent.

Background: This article examines European approaches to digital justice, focusing on how supranational regulatory models—ranging from digital rights principles to operational e-justice instruments—shape national practices across Central and Eastern Europe and the Baltic States. The study conceptualises digital justice as a multidimensional phenomenon that integrates technological tools, institutional design, data governance, and human-centred values. Particular attention is given to how these European developments may inform Ukraine’s justice sector reforms as the country progresses toward alignment with the EU acquis. Methods: The research employs a doctrinal legal methodology combined with comparative analysis. It systematically examines EU regulatory frameworks, CEPEJ instruments, and the Digital Decade monitoring architecture alongside civil procedure legislation and e-justice platforms in eleven EU Member States. Empirical insights are drawn from the EU Justice Scoreboard 2024–2025 and Digital Decade Country Reports. This methodological approach enables the identification of patterns, divergences, and implementation models, forming a basis for assessing Ukraine’s digital justice trajectory. Results and Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that the European Union has developed a coherent, value-oriented architecture of digital justice that unites legally binding standards, interoperable technological solutions, and principles of inclusiveness, transparency, and human oversight—particularly in the context of high-risk AI. The Baltic States provide the most integrated and technologically advanced model, whereas Central and Eastern European jurisdictions exhibit more gradual or fragmented pathways. Systemic integration—characterised by mandatory electronic filing, unified data-exchange infrastructures, and machine-readable judicial data— correlates with stronger performance across EU indicators. Conversely, fragmented or parallel systems constrain accessibility, interoperability, and data-driven justice. Ukraine has achieved notable progress through UJITS, automated case management, and electronic document flow; however, substantial gaps persist in interoperability, machine-readability, user-centred design, and AI governance. Structural fragmentation and the absence of a comprehensive digital justice strategy limit its convergence with EU standards. Drawing on comparative insights, priority directions for Ukraine include full implementation of machine-readable formats (XML/JSON and ECLI), consolidation of fragmented subsystems into a unified ecosystem, mandatory digital procedures for professional participants, and the development of a rights-based AI governance framework aligned with the EU AI Act. Ensuring that digitalisation enhances–rather than restricts —access to justice requires balancing technological innovation with procedural safeguards, institutional resilience, and user inclusion.