Why Is Eastern Europe Sidelined in Contemporary Discussions of Utopia?

ABSTRACT

In recent years, the decolonization of utopia has emerged as a significant theme in academic discourse. While there is growing interest in the utopian potential of peripheral societies situated on the margins of Western modernity, Eastern Europe has received comparatively little scholarly attention. This article addresses that gap by examining the causes of the marginalization of utopian thought in the region and exploring the prospects for revitalizing its utopian imagination. Particular emphasis is placed on the period of real socialism, which has recently become a critical point of reference for Eastern European intellectuals seeking post-capitalist and utopian social practices beyond the framework of state socialism. The rediscovery of the region’s socialist past and its associated utopian legacy challenges the dominant orientalist narrative of Eastern Europe as a site of failed modernity. At the same time, it reactivates the subversive potential of forgotten social experiences, offering valuable resources for contemporary anti-capitalist movements.