If you wish you could wave a magic wand and make 2020 just go away, you’re probably not alone. But one talented Rīga clan has a sleeve full of tricks to banish the Covid blues.
Features
An image of Latvia is impossible to create without a view from the outside. However, Latvia's diaspora has not been involved in creation of this image for six years since an Image Policy Coordination Council has been formed, LSM's author in Germany Zane Pudule wrote November 9.
Constant news about the pandemic and COVID-19 virus tend to worry and bring people down. Social sciences expert, Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) professor Anda Rožukalne has conducted a study on Latvian society’s attitude towards COVID-19 related news.
From processions of medieval monks to Olympic opening ceremonies, torches have lit the way throughout history. A passionate Latvian wants the world to rediscover its soulful glow.
From the Japanese onsen to the Turkish hammam, humans have devised many marvellous ways to get clean. Latvians have been doing it for millennia in wood-fired bathhouses called pirts, and the tradition is the perfect antidote to stressful modern life.
Writer Philip Birzulis meets more interesting personalities for the Latvian Institute as one of a series of 'Latvia's got personality' blog posts.
Grassroots issues are on the agenda for the Behmanis farming family in this piece written for the Latvian Institute as one of a series of 'Latvia's got personality' blog posts.
Latvian bank Citadele has put together a list of the most frequent recent scam approaches noted by the bank and reported by its customers.
Writer Philip Birzulis meets a trio of interesting personalities for the Latvian Institute as one of a series of 'Latvia's got personality' blog posts profiling interesting individuals.
Latvia has a long tradition of building houses from natural resources. Wooden architecture is preserved in abundance in Riga, but also elsewhere in the Baltic State it has withstood hard times. Many beautiful wooden houses can still be admired in their original setting, writes Alexander Welscher, in this feature from Baltic Business Quarterly magazine which is published by the German-Baltic Chamber of Commerce (AHK) and is reproduced here with permission.
Writer Philip Birzulis heads into the forest with a trustworthy guide on behalf of the Latvian Institute as one of a series of 'Latvia's got personality' blog posts profiling interesting individuals.
We have another 'Person of Interest' podcast produced by the Stockholm School of Economics in Rīga for you.
After opposition activists set up the Coordination Council in Belarus, some started guessing that it could, in the future, serve as the basis for creating an alternative Belarusian government. Such a government could potentially operate in exile, too. At the same time, an organization called the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic is operating as well, abroad. It is currently based in Canada, led by Ivonka Survilla. Latvian Radio was unable to reach her but Aleś Čajčyc, Presidium member and Information Secretary of said Rada, agreed to an interview. Čajčyc is a Latvian citizen and lives intermittently in Rīga.
My name is Alexey Murashko and I'm a book designer. I have been living in Rīga for many years, but I was born and grew up in Belarus. I have never been a political activist, I'm more of a craftsman simply doing his job. But the time has come to express myself publicly. Such are the times, such the circumstances. First of all, I want to thank the many people in Latvia who have written to me expressing their support or asking me about the situation in Belarus. I was very touched by the multitude of people who arrived to the protest at the Embassy of Belarus in Rīga on August 12. Your interest is very important and I'm "forwarding" it to compatriots in my homeland. Many acquaintances here are asking me what's happening. I need but a few words to explain it: the authorities are waging war against the people.
We are pleased to bring you another of the podcasts produced by the Stockholm School of Economics in Rīga in which LSM editor Mike Collier talks to guests who are experts in a particular field, from CEOs and artists to media strategists and researchers.
Recently, Ilze Žilde, Head of the United Staff of the National Armed Forces, became the first woman ever to be assigned the rank of colonel in the Latvian army, the National Armed Forces.
LSM is pleased to bring you a series of podcasts produced by the Stockholm School of Economics in Rīga and presented by LSM's Mike Collier.
LSM is pleased to bring you a series of podcasts produced by the Stockholm School of Economics in Rīga and presented by LSM's Mike Collier.
Ahead of Memorial Day for the Victims of Communist Regimes (June 14) and Holocaust Remembrance Day in Latvia (July 4), Marcus Kolga spoke with Ilja Lenskis, director of the "Jews in Latvia" Museum.
Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš had to spend two weeks in self-quarantine at the start of the coronavirus crisis, and has since been leading a government remotely from a home office in times of social distancing. Alexander Welscher asks how it all works in this feature from Baltic Business Quarterly magazine which is published by the German-Baltic Chamber of Commerce (AHK) and is reproduced here with permission from a special COVID-19 edition.
A couple of years ago LSM paid a great deal of attention to a very little word in the Latvian language: "nu".
Every Friday lunchtime, an old red van trundles into a farmyard in Drabeši parish, Vidzeme region. The engine idles for a moment then dies. The front doors open.
Even though Covid-19 is the first major epidemic most of us are going through in our lives, it's definitely not the first to take place on Latvian soil. Numerous epidemics have passed through Latvia throughout the years, leaving traces in our history. Test your knowledge about epidemics and diseases from the Stone Age to the 20th century.
The Latvijas kods (Latvian code) documentary film strand from Latvian Television has another offering available to view online with English subtitles.
LTV has prepared another in its series of short documentary films "The Keys", each one tackling a particular topic in a particular year.
While exact figures can't be procured, it seems that thousands of Latvians are taking part in a novel trend of posting childhood photos on social networks.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other institutions are urging people to ventilate rooms at work, in school and at home, so it's important to ventilate rooms in the correct way to release CO² and minimize risk of disease transmission, according to a Latvian Television broadcast on March 17.
The Covid-19 virus has caused the Latvian government to close schools, ban public gatherings, impose quarantines and encourage social distancing - so what can parents do when the children are cooped up at home and are starting to get bored? While TV time is an easy fix, we've come up with some fun activities you can do at home to stimulate their brains and encourage exercise.
The COVID-19 is dominating the world's headlines and while the situation is certainly serious, a slightly softer approach can also be taken to the subject.
The latest episode of LTV's short documentary series "The Keys" concentrates on the story of the Latvian lats - the national currency which was an important symbol ever since independence was first won, but which disappeared with the adoption of the euro in 2014.