Thomas Kinter
Learn Russian in the European Union
Daugavpils, Latvia
Spring 2022



January 25, 2022

Привет из Латвии! I have now been in Latvia for a little more than two weeks. More than a month or two ago I would not have believed that I would actually be here in spite of what felt like a thousand road blocks and diversions that worked to keep me in Virginia. Truth be told, I was extremely nervous and full of self-doubt when I finally did arrive here. I have never before left the United States and have never spent very long away from my home in Richmond. Even spending a semester at Hampden-Sydney only means I am about an hour away, so being four thousand miles away gives me something to think about. Some uneasiness also came from the fact that I speak no Latvian at all, and my Russian is not yet good enough to understand most of what people say to me in Daugavpils, which is where I am staying and where most people speak Russian. However, I suppose this was only the same nervousness that anybody feels when going somewhere new. In any case, the nerves wore off as I settled in and eventually got to know the people I am going to spend the next four months with.
The program I am in is called “Learn Russian in the European Union,” and it is what it sounds like. I chose this program because while Latvia is in the European Union, the city of Daugavpils is predominantly Russian-speaking and, as the program advertises, offers plenty of opportunities for language immersion. Studying in this part of the world also gives me the opportunity to learn about a lot more than just the Russian language. Aspects of the culture of both the Baltics and Russia can be found in this city, and the region around Daugavpils has played a part in thousands of years’ worth of history for the surrounding states.
The Russian classes I have previously taken show me how much I like learning languages, and I hope Russian is only one of many I will learn in my life. After finishing my last semester of Russian at H-SC it was suggested to me that I go abroad to study more. The program here allows me to have Russian immersion in a safe location and also allows me to travel around to different parts of the continent. The major cities of the Baltics are no more than a few hours away by bus or train, and flights out of Riga or Vilnius are fairly cheap and go to many places around eastern Europe. I look forward to both spending time learning in Daugavpils and traveling in my free time.