From the spring of 2022, IAC has been actively engaging in providing support to the civilians of Ukraine, their families and young people by organising activities for acquaintance of Latvian language, Latvia and support of various kind. IAC searches for various funds to provide the Ukrainian war refugees with the possibility to feel better and settle in. This is already the project number five for this target group, its goal is to implement a programme of cultural orientation courses and events of integration which would contribute to integration of the civilians of Ukraine into the Latvian society and cooperation with the representatives of the local communities.

The project is planned to include three mutually interactive activities involving 285 civilians of Ukraine (including 90 young people) and 100 representatives of local community (including 20 young people), 385 participants in total.

- Programme of cultural orientation courses;
-Cooperation and cultural events contributing to cooperation between the civilians of Ukraine and hosting society;
- Adaptation measures and un consultations of young people.

All this will contribute to integration of the civilians of Ukraine into the Latvian society, improvement of understanding of the culture and history of Latvia, public administration, local language, values of the society and involvement in the  labour market. Gained practical experience in the fields of cultural history, culture and cognition of art, and receipt of practical support for the adaptation in Latvian schools. Promoted mutual communication between the civilians of Ukraine and local residents, gained experience of cooperation.

Measures of the project “To live in Latvia 2024” (2024.LV/UKR_KO/016/L13)  are financially supported by the Society Integration Foundation using the assigned state budget funds.

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In August, the project has gathered speed – we actively involve the civilians of Ukraine in cooperation events together with the residents of Latvia.

As of 19 August, young people have started supplementing their knowledge – we provide support to the Ukrainians for studies in Latvian schools. By the mid-December, 40 young people will be provided with opportunity to consult onsite twice a week and remotely in the amount of up to 100 academic hours. We are undergoing intense studies in the first two weeks of August; we manage to refresh what we have previously learnt in Latvian language and grammar before the school year starts, and we also start going deeper into terminology and texts that young people will need in the lessons of history and other subjects, and there is also time for independent task in the streets of Riga.

On 20 and 21 August, we organised cooperation workshop of the residents of Ukraine and Latvia at the conference and leisure complex "Ratnieki". Workshop gave an opportunity to the representatives of both communities to get acquainted with each other in person, and to learn and reflect together. Participants gained valuable and very different findings both by cooperating in small groups and by listening to examples given by psychologist Nikola Dzina in her lecture on communication within the inter-cultural context. Programme of the workshop allowed to enjoy also the cultural offer:  to become acquainted with a Latvian folk wisdom from the most ancient times to this day during a concert lecture and to master steps of Latvian traditional dances and plays during a class. In addition to this, we offered to the residents of Ukraine an opportunity to learn about history of Latvia in the Cēsis New Castle, to go for a guided tour in the picturesque Cēsis Old Town and have a look through the backdoor of a family business. Participants of the cooperation workshop returned to their daily routines full of reflection, enriched with fresh impressions and inspired. Photo from the cooperation workshop.

On 29 August, young people of Ukraine and Latvia participated in an adaptation event at the Mežaparks Great Bandstand and the Song Festival Room. It was an insight into the tradition of the Latvian Song Festival in its real and modern venue – bandstand, where young people had an opportunity to find out, explore, and assess the place where the world’s greatest choir sings, where majority of the residents of Latvia come together during the Song Festival, and where space, sound and tradition merge into one river of time from 1873 to this day. We thank the heads of visitor affairs Edīte and Kristiāns for giving the opportunity to take the stage and check acoustics at the Great Bandstand, tasks at the Song Festival exposition, listening chairs and Community Room. A day with positive emotions and opportunities to make friends. We part after the event with sincere good-byes. Meet at the following events!

Thanks to the photographer Inese Kalniņa, photographs are available here 

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Planning of activities and implementation of the programme of cultural orientation courses have actively commenced in June and July. The programme contains topics related to history, culture and values of Latvia; public administration and justice, democracy, possibilities of participation; role of Latvian language at work and in daily life; entrepreneurship, interest-related education and social life. In July, teachers have conducted classes on these topics already in three groups of the civilians of Ukraine. 

Cooperation workshop and excursion to Vidzeme are to be organised at the end of August. The civilians of Ukraine are going to become acquainted with Cēsis and the vicinity of Sigulda. Consultations related to Latvian language are to be commenced at the end of August and continue by the end of December. In August, young people from Ukraine and Latvia jointly visit the Mežaparks Great Bandstand, become acquainted with the exposition of the Song and Dance Festival and engage in joint activities in the Community space.

Project team:

Iveta Verse (Iveta Vērse)– Director of EDC, Project Manager
Danute Grīnfelde - Coordinator of cultural education activities
Linda Klusa (Linda Kluša) – Coordinator of student support activities
Liga Punina (Līga Puniņa) – Target Group Coordinator
Aija Rusina (Aija Rusiņa) – Financial Coordinator and Human Resources Specialist