Eastern Europe is not as unsafe as you might think. The people are genuine and friendly, things cost less, it’s easy enough to get around, there’s plenty of history and geographic diversity.
Eastern Europe has the geography, weather, and history you’d want to experience when travelling.
The fact that many places are off the backpacker circuit means that hundreds of thousands of tourists haven’t been there before you.
One of the biggest draw cards to Eastern European travel would have to be the lack of Western tourists. In many places you can move around freely without hearing English chatter, except for the hostels and bars obviously.
With the exception of those countries on the border between East and West, such as Vienna in Austria or Prague in Czech Republic, you can expect to pay less on food, accommodation, and attractions.