This project was born out of a passion for the vast post-Soviet region, years of gathered experience, and a desire to build bridges between people and cultures.
The name "eastok" is a fusion of two words that signify the eastern direction – English east and Russian восток (vostok). From a Polish perspective, when we speak of the "East," we often refer to the entire post-Soviet space – from Eastern Europe, through the Caucasus, to Central Asia.
At the same time, "eastok" also echoes the Russian word исток (istok), meaning "source." And that is precisely the mission of this project – to serve as a source of information on technology, business, and mindset in the post-Soviet world.
Hello! My name is Damian, and I’m from Toruń—a city of Nicolaus Copernicus, Gothic architecture, and gingerbread. For years, I’ve been fascinated by the post-Soviet region, the Russian language, and technology.
I studied Russian language in business (a philology and economics program) and international economic relations (specializing in foreign trade). I have traveled both personally and academically across many post-Soviet countries. Through these experiences, I gained firsthand knowledge of how historical and political changes have shaped business and technology landscapes. Engaging with local entrepreneurs, students, and professionals, I observed the growing role of IT in these economies and the challenges they face in digitalization.
After several years working in foreign trade in Eastern markets, I decided to transition into IT. After six months of self-study, I landed my first job as a PHP Developer and have been growing in this field ever since. With near-native fluency in Russian and extensive experience in the post-Soviet region, I aim to combine these passions—this is how this blog about IT in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia was born.
Today, I take part in projects involving translations and cross-border communication, helping connect with partners from the post-Soviet region and supporting Russian-speaking individuals in Poland.