Learn Russian in Latvia

One of the hassles of studying Russian in Russia is the visa and registration system, which turns any trip to Russia into something of a nightmare. However, there is no substitute in terms of really learning a language, for studying it where it is actually spoken. There, you are forced to use the languaget to get around on a daily basis.
By studying Russian in Daugapils, a city of about 100,000 very close to the border of Belarus, you are immersed in a Russian environment but with all the advantages of being in the European Union. About 80 per cent of the residents have Russian as a first language, and it is spoken by almost every body, apparently.
The program Learn Russian in the EU (www.learnrussianineu.com) provides language training for university students and adults hoping to use Russian for professional purposes. For adults, the courses are private, which means they give you one-on-one interaction with an instructor. This makes them somewhat more costly than some other programs, at 380 euros for 20 lessons a week. Homestays with breakfast ate offered for 90 euros a week, or cheaper hostel options are also available.
This sounds like a very interesting option, especially for adults looking for personal instruction.
In general, speaking Russian in the Baltic Republics is not a good idea, since the Russian occupiers were not popular in the Communist era. But many Russians continue to live in these and other ex-Soviet countries, and often suffer discrimination.