Learn Russian in the European Union

I am incredibly thankful to the Learn Russian in the EU program for helping me experience Russian language and culture so fully and personally. The memories I made with my host mother and my language partner remain especially meaningful to me, and those relationships continue to bring life to the way I engage with Russian to this day.

I could not believe when I had to leave Daugavpils that the time passed so quickly! The spring 2025 semester in Daugavpils, Latvia was without a doubt the most impactful semester of my college experience. In Daugavpils, I was fully immersed in the Russian language both at the university and by living with my amazing host family. All of my classes where very interesting and the professors where absolutely phenomenal people. That being said, a great chunk of my learning was done on the weekend excursions organized by the program to Riga, Vilnius, Kaunas, and Tallinn. The plethora of history in the Baltic States is incredible and to be able to live and interact with locals was a truly an eye-opening experience. The friends and connections I made in Daugavpils will last a lifetime and I cannot wait to visit Latvia again!

Participating in the Learn Russian in the EU program in Latvia has been one of the most formative academic experiences of my undergraduate career. The administrators are consistently kind, attentive, and genuinely invested in each student’s growth. They helped me navigate everything from housing to local logistics, creating an environment in which I felt supported from the first day. The professors are exceptionally knowledgeable, especially in areas connected to Soviet history, regional politics, and the linguistic complexities of the post-Soviet space. What stood out to me most was their ability to tailor instruction to students with widely different skill levels. Outside the classroom, the program offers a thoughtful set of excursions. Some take you to other EU countries, such as Estonia and Lithuania, where you gain insight into how these societies have navigated their own transitions since the Soviet era. Local excursions within Latvia provide invaluable context on the country’s complex history, from its pagan roots to wars of occupation and the Cold War. In Latgale, I encountered a cultural world that is both distinct and remarkably welcoming. Visiting Old Believer communities, learning about local Polish and Belarusian diasporas, and exploring the region’s religious and linguistic traditions helped me understand Latvia as far more than a site for language study. One of the highlights of my time here was the visit to the Daugavpils fortress, where volunteers reenact Napoleonic-era battles. It is an experience that brings history to life in a way that books simply cannot.