Russian courses in Latvia

Riga

Riga, the capital of Latvia, is one of the most popular cities
in the Baltic region. It's an ideal place to learn Russian, and as Latvia
is a member state of the EU, no visa is required for
European citizens.

Riga

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The school

Basic information

LISA! Mark of Quality

Sightseeing

Accommodation

Courses and prices

Exam Courses

Dates and services

Travel

Online booking

Riga

Riga, the fashion-conscious capital of Latvia, is located on the banks of the Daugava River. About 700,000 inhabitants call this green city, the largest in the Baltic states, their home. Its university enrols around 30,000 students. Although the official language is Latvian, Russian is still spoken by half of Riga's population.

Riga is divided up into a new town and an old town, which are separated by a beautiful park with a canal. The historic district of Riga, due to its numerous monumental and classical buildings, as well as its magnificent art nouveau facades, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The political, economical and cultural action doesn't just take place in Riga's old town, but also in the new town. Both the old and new sides to the city have lots to offer visitors: an old castle, the opera house, theatre, restaurants, cafes, bars, the 'Saeima' parliamentary building, shops and a large market. The most impressive building can be found in the old part of Riga - the Cathedral. It is the largest sacred building in the Baltic countries and was built in 1211. Saint Peter's Church is just as spectacular. Its steeple offers a magnificent view over Riga and the largest Baltic market halls - the Riga Central Market. Since 1930, hundreds of grocers have traded fresh products here, such as dairy products, local meat, freshly caught fish and fruit and vegetables. Further places of interest are Riga castle, the House of the Blackheads and the Powder Tower in the old town and the Latvian Academy of Science and Culture located in Riga's new town, all of which are within walking distance.

At dusk, Riga's nightlife comes to life, with numerous restaurants, bars and clubs opening their doors. The best way to start the evening is with a good dinner: try 'Pierogi’, hot and tasty dough pockets stuffed with bacon, mushrooms and cabbage, or perhaps sour dock-soup with pork, potatoes, eggs, barley and cream, called 'Skabenu zupa’. Have a glass of beer, Latvia's national drink, or try the famous herbal liqueur 'Melnais Balzams’ for good health. Meet friends in one of the small bars e.g. the ’Belle Epoche’ or the 'Pulkvedis’ located in the street 'Peldu iela’, where you can either spend the whole evening or move on to a nightclub. A popular nightclub is 'Essential’, where beautiful Latvian women drink cocktails at the bar and world famous DJs such as DJ Tiesto are on the decks.
A language course in Riga offers students a unique chance to get to know this up-and-coming Latvian city, as well as to learn Russian.

The school

Our renowned language school is located in a beautiful art nouveau building in the centre of the city. Riga's old town can be reached on foot in just 2 minutes. The school itself has a small garden, where students can spend their leisure time and relax. The 7 bright classrooms are decorated with numerous photographs which have been taken by the school director, who is a keen photographer. Students may use computers and the internet in the school for free.

Basic information

LISA! Mark of Quality

The LISA! language school is a member of the organisations FIYTO and ALTO. Our language school is the only private language school that is recognized by the Latvian Ministry of Education. All our teachers are specialists in the teaching of Russian as a foreign language.

Sightseeing in Riga

There are lots of things to do in your free time. You can do a Riga walking tour to see the brilliant art noveau facades, go on a weekend trip by boat to Stockholm, Sweden or go on excursions to Estonia or Lithuania. In July one of the most famous Russian music festivals, the ’Jurmala’, takes places at the sea resort close to Riga.

The oldest Russian theatre outside of Russia is located in Riga. Our school team will assist you wherever they can; for example in organising trips or buying tickets. All activities during your free time are optional, including a trip to Europe’s biggest water park ’LIVU’. Entry fees and travel costs are not included in the price.

Accommodation

Family: Single room (SR) with breakfast (B&B) or half board (HB). A private bathroom can be booked for a surcharge. Average distance to the school: 30 minutes by public transport.

Hostel: Self-catered single (SR) or double room (DR). Shared kitchen and bathroom/WC. Internet access is available in all rooms. The hostel is located in the same building as the school.

Studio: Ensuite single room (SR) in a fully equipped studio with internet access, television, washing machine and a small kitchen. The studio may be booked as a double room (DR) for two persons booking and travelling together. Average distance from the school: 5 minutes on foot.

Shared school-flat: Several course participants share a fully equipped flat with a shared kitchen. Single (SR) or double room (DR), each with a private bathroom/WC. Internet access (WLAN) is available. The shared school-flat and the school are located in the same building, in the city centre. In addition, there is a small backyard which can be used for leisure activities.

Courses and prices

Exam Courses

At our language school in Riga, we offer the following exam preparation courses: preparation for the 'Тест по русскому языку как иностранному' (TRKI).

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Please note:

• You can only take this course if your Russian is at elementary level (TRKI: A2). Enrolment onto a preparation course is therefore subject to a grading test before the course starts.
• The exams normally take place in the last week of the course, therefore we can only offer limited teaching in that week.
• You must pay the exam fee while in Riga. Please consult the table regarding how much the exam fee will cost.

Prices Exam Course

Dates Exam Course

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Dates and Services

Package includes:

• Language course as booked
• Accommodation as booked
• Loan of course material
• Organized social/activity programme
• Travel advice and information
• Certificate on course completion

Additional services:

• Extra night without lessons: family, hostel £ 28, studio £ 46
• Surcharge for a private bathroom when living with a family: £ 106 per week
  
• Transfer from the airport, port, train or bus station to the accommodation, one way: £ 41

Travel

We recommend that you book a flight to Riga. The accommodation can easily be reached by public transport. An organised transfer service can also be booked. Please contact our staff for further information and advice.