Ukrainian Family Discovers: Liepāja Has More Cafés Than Bombs

While everyone in Riga just talks about integration, in Liepāja they simply do it. Marina, a Ukrainian mother with her son, has been proving for the second year that in our city you can not only settle in, but also feel at home – if you don't count the fact that locals immediately switch to Russian the moment they hear the slightest accent.

"Street Burgers is a better workplace than any office building in Riga," says Marina, who now works as an administrator at a hotel. "They even coordinate the schedule with your needs!" Of course they do – we're not Riga, where employers think employees are robots.

What surprises Marina most is the supportive nature of Liepāja residents. "Sometimes they help too much!" she laughs. Yes, that's the typical Liepāja defect – we simply can't help but stick our noses in when someone is trying to learn Latvian. But that's better than in Riga, where even the locals don't understand what they're saying themselves.

The biggest problem, according to Marina, is that you can only learn Latvian in the evenings when you're tired. "Plus the little one is still waiting," she adds. Well yes, children don't wait – they immediately demand attention, especially if it's raining outside, which in Liepāja happens only... well, almost every day. But that's our charm!

The association "Family Shelter" has become a real support point where Ukrainians can not only receive help, but also understand that in Liepāja even in winter it's warmer than in the hearts of Riga bureaucrats. "Small city, but there's so much available here," Marina emphasizes. Of course there is – we have a tram, Karosta, and the best cafés in all of Latvia!