After the Russian-Ukrainian conflict started, many students and academic institutions began searching for new locations to learn Russian outside of Russia. Sanctions, political issues, and safety considerations have made travel to Russia difficult for many international learners. Therefore, countries where Russian is widely spoken have become important alternatives. Latvia is one of the best countries to learn Russian today.

The city of Daugavpils is a Russian-speaking enclave and one of the most suitable places to study Russian abroad. In this city, Russian is the main language used in daily communication, and most residents speak modern standard Russian fluently. Those students who choose Daugavpils as their destination can experience full Russian-language immersion in everyday life. Communication in shops, public transport, and social situations mostly takes place in Russian.

Latvia has a significant Russian-speaking population: Russian is the native language for the third part of Latvian population and more than 90% of population understand Russian, which makes Latvia probably the best country to learn Russian. Yet the linguistic environment varies across the country. Daugavpils is very different from Riga, where Latvian is the dominant language in everyday communication.

Daugavpils is a place where different cultures meet each other. For centuries, Russians, Latvians, Jews, Poles, Roma, and Russian Old Believers have lived in the city and contributed to its cultural identity. All these cultures are united in Daugavpils by Russian as a common language.

Being part of the NATO and European Union, Latvia offers a safe and accessible environment for international students. The euro is the official currency, no visa is required, and travel infrastructure is well developed.

Learn Russian in the European Union, an experienced Russian-language study abroad provider working in Daugavpils, offers diverse study options for different categories of students. Please learn more at Learn Russian in the EU Study Programs.

You may find more about Daugavpils at Daugavpils, Latvia: unique cultural environment for Russian immersions.