I remember our talk on Ukraine thread when I read your posts here. For once Thomek, you have in the person of Harpag, first hand knowledge of another country, not just your own point of view or an experience from an acquantaince. You could lean on that and soften the thinking "dem non-scandinavian countries in Eastern Europe are shitholes"
What are you talking about, I lived in Lodz, Poland for 7 years, and still do (when im not in Belfast).
It's only when I traveled to Russia for 2 weeks, that I realized Poland is actually western Paradise.
(And seriously, Poland is becoming a really nice place to live. I like it there very much!)
It's just that in some areas, specially mentality and organization, "Poland" still have a lot of progress to be made. Nothing wrong in saying that.
Russia and Ukraine however.. are lagging behind on a completely different level. They are not where they should be, economically, mentality wise, freedom, corruption, etc etc.. Their leaders since the fall of SU, have wasted a highly educated population, infrastructure and industry through terrible, corrupt and crime ridden policies. They are literally the worst and most corrupt of all the former SU nations. (Exept perhaps small fucked up places like transnitria and the like.. )