This study abroad program exceeded all expectations I had for it, and words cannot describe how much I learned from and enjoyed my time living in Daugavpils. I took half of my classes on the Russian language and the other half on a mix of political science

and history topics. The professors were all extraordinarily knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and eager to teach me. There were an enormous range of courses to choose from, which allowed me to design my program specifically to fit my personal goals. The living situation was ideal for learning Russian. I had an amazing host mom and brother, who made me feel at home from day one. My host mom was incredibly kind and caring, cooked delicious meals, and was always there to help me out or give me advice. Almost every day after dinner, we would sit, drink tea, and chat for about an hour - which was almost as valuable as my formal classes for getting me comfortable conversing in Russian. And if I finished my homework for the night, my host brother would always be eager to play hide and seek, watch a cartoon, or show me his enormous collection of toys and gadgets. The excursions were also an incredibly valuable part of this program. We traveled all over the Baltics and even to Minsk, Belarus, learning about and experiencing each countries history and culture. The location of Daugavpils was also ideal for traveling on the weekends. Cheap buses and trains left straight for Riga, Vilnius, Tallinn, Warsaw, and other major cities. But it was often tempting to just stay in Daugavpils and organize a trip to our private banya (we must have gone 12 times in the fall semester), volunteer to take dogs for walks at the animal shelter, or just гулять with friends around the city. I have no complaints about this program and would recommend it to anyone who wants to improve their Russian and have a blast while doing so

I want to start by saying this program went above and beyond my expectations in every way! When I was looking at studying abroad, my primary goal was to increase my proficiency in Russian. After a semester, I can say with absolute certainty that this

is one of the best programs available for those who are looking to increase their language proficiency. The program is located in Daugavpils (a Russian speaking city in eastern Latvia) which makes it an ideal location for Russian studies. The academic aspect of the program is structured well with a mixture of both core Russian language classes and a wide selection of elective courses tailored to each student’s criteria. This is made possible by the excellent teachers and the fact that the classes are very small (usually 2-6 students per class). In addition, each student has the chance to live with a host family which, for me, was really a crucial part of increasing my language proficiency and in acquiring a much deeper understanding of the culture and history of this region. My second goal when I was looking for a program, was to study in a post-Soviet republic outside of Russia (since I had already spent a summer studying in Moscow.) I know most students think of learning Russian in Russia but this program gives you a unique perspective of understanding the cultures of several post-Soviet republics, particularly Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, which are all nations heavily influenced by their historical and cultural connections to Russia. You explore all of this both in your classes and host family life but also through excursions, which are highly informative and diverse in both theme and location. I loved the opportunity to travel to Belarus! I also want to emphasize that our excursion guide and organizer, Jānis, is phenomenal! He has a deep knowledge of each location's historical and cultural relevance and I can speak for everyone on the program when I say that he makes every excursion even more fun and interesting. Not only that but he is always there to help and assist you. Additionally, the entire program is run by highly capable and helpful management that is always there to help make sure your experience is the best it can be. Unlike many other study-abroad programs, Learn Russian in the EU was very helpful right from the start. The program head, Sergey Simonov helped me with logistics early on, long before I had arrived in Latvia. Secondly, this program is by far one of the most affordable. Compared to programs in Moscow or Saint-Petersburg, this program is half the price, and even cheaper when you consider the extra costs of living in expensive cities like Saint-Petersburg or Moscow. From past experience in other study-abroad programs, I can say that this program is by far the best of those I have partaken in and especially for those who want to master Russian.

Note: I participated in the semester long program for college students (Russian Language and Political Science Program) When most people think about studying Russian abroad they tend to picture themselves in Russia. Before participating in this program

I actually did spend two months in Irkutsk, Russia, and I can honestly say that my time spent in Daugavpils was just as valuable and helped me improve my Russian skills just as much. It is 100% true that practically everyone in the city knows Russian (I only met 2 or 3 people who did not know it very well, but they still understood it), and that Russian is what you hear in restaurants, stores, and on the streets. I took 4 different Russian language classes, and each of them helped me improve my Russian skills in different ways. I also took some classes focused on political science, which were taught in Russian and were quite interesting. Besides formal classes, each student has to meet a few times a week with a conversation partner. My partner was amazingly helpful and was always able to come up with different subjects to discuss. The host family situation was nice as well. I lived with a mom and her daughter, and they were always very kind and took time to speak with me. I had my own room, and my host mom cooked me breakfast and dinner every day. The lunch situation was good as well, as during the weekdays one can easily buy a business lunch in the city for 3.5-5 euros. Food in general is very cheap compared to American standards. Finally, I wanted to briefly write about all of the excursions that are included. It seemed like almost every weekend I was busy doing something. During the first few weeks excursions take place in/around Daugavpils and include kayaking, horseback riding, trips to different WWII memorials, and a trip to the banya (Russian sauna). Later on we also had trips to Riga, and to two cities in Lithuania. I also paid a bit extra to go on a trip to Minsk, Belarus, which was definitely one of the highlights. When I was not on excursions organized by the program I was usually travelling with other students. Bus or train tickets to Riga only cost 4-7 euros and airbnbs are extremely cheap. We also organized a trip to Estonia, and I was even able to visit Ukraine during Thanksgiving. Overall, I would definitely recommend this program. It is much cheaper than any other study abroad programs I have found, the classes were amazing, and the excursions were top-notch. I also wanted to mention that the people in charge of the program are super helpful. I actually signed up for the program around 2 weeks before it began, and Sergey Simonov was very helpful in helping me do so. Finally, I have to mention Jānis who took us on all of our excursions, organized trips to the banya, and was named by probably everyone in the group as one of the best aspects of the program because of how friendly he was, and because he was always willing to help everyone.