Central vs Eastern Europe

"We are not eastern Europe, we are central Europe," wrote one Polish petrochemical producer in an irate email. Eastern Europe to him meant Iron Curtain, part of the Soviet Union, an outdated and emotive expression.

If we draw a line down the centre of Europe, north to south, from Estonia, through Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria - what is there left to call eastern Europe? Just Russia really, as far as the Urals. Is that it then? Eastern Europe equals Russia?