An Englishman in Latvia

A tiny bottle of perfume opens a story of Rīga industry, Soviet scarcity and changing ideas of femininity. This episode follows Dzintars from its nineteenth-century roots through its Soviet heyday, explores the cult fragrance Koķete, and asks what MÁDARA's rise reveals about Latvia’s modern cosmetics industry. Thanks for listening!

There's a sound that, if you grew up in Soviet Latvia, you'd recognise instantly: a buzzy little two-stroke engine. That sound belonged to the Riga moped. We tell the history of this moped and how it gave millions across the Soviet Union affordable mobility; we hear Jana's experience riding one; and we visit a wonderful place where you can find a collection of Riga mopeds. Thanks fo...

The story of amber, the fossil that isn't quite a rock, isn't quite a jewel, yet has shaped trade routes, folklore, craft guilds, and Latvian identity for thousands of years. We'll explore how it was formed, how it travelled from these shores to the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs, how it ended up pinned to the shoulder of traditional Latvian costumes, and how to buy the real thing witho...

Rīga is 825 years old. Join me as we join the big party! We also tell the history of Rīga, not as a chronological listing, but through legends, stories and tales. Thanks for listening!

There is an object in Latvian cuisine that has outlasted empires and is still in supermarket aisles today. It is small. It is round. And it is very, very sweet. It is a tin of condensed milk. Iebiezinātais piens is nostalgia in a can. We will trace the history of this product, explore its use in Latvian cuisine and make one of Latvia's most celebrated cakes. Thanks for listening!

Latvia's maritime history told through stories about its lighthouses. From Hanseatic merchants, through Courland's golden age, to the dark years when the Soviet Union turned the coastline into a military fortress and to today. Three lighthouses highlighted and a road trip! Thanks for listening!

This is one of the most difficult and important episodes I have recorded: the deportation of over 57,000 Latvians by the Soviet Russian regime in 1941 and 1949. Regarded as genocide and a crime against humanity by the European Court of Human Rights. I tell the story of what happened and how it happened. Thanks for listening!

The story of a small town in Latvia with a big name. It was renamed after a legendary Latvian ideologue who used to teach there, Krišjānis Valdemārs. It has an award-winning 500-year-old linden tree, a crumbling Baltic German manor house, and a lovely lake. Join me as we visit Valdemārpils. Thanks for listening!

A 270-year-old balm that is regarded as the national drink of Latvia. Sold in dark clay bottles. Some people love it, some don't. We explore the story and legends surrounding Riga Black Balsam, and hold a tasting with friends. Thanks for listening!

Ludza is the oldest town in Latvia - a country that has known occupation and catastrophe many times over. It is a town that was once more than half Jewish, whose synagogue survived a fire and a genocide yet is still standing. It is a town whose medieval castle tells a story of crusading ambition and ultimate ruin, and whose lakes still carry the legend of the bewitched princess waiting somewhere b...

This is the story of a metro system for Rīga that was planned for decades, almost built in Soviet times, but was stopped by an environmental protest movement in 1988 that changed the course of an entire nation, leading to Latvia regaining its independence. The metro that never was.  Thanks for listening!

From Victorian Brits plunging down icy chutes in St Moritz, and a Latvian family transforming a Soviet-era track into an Olympic medal factory, to a British gold medallist embracing his Latvian coach at the bottom of the Milan-Cortina Olympic run, skeleton tells a story of speed, risk, and unlikely bonds. This is that British-Latvian story. Thanks for listening!

The history of the media in Latvia is a fascinating story. From the simple beginnings of a Latvian-language newspaper in 1822, to strict censorship during the Soviet Russian occupation, to the media's role in the independence movement. And now today, with a fragmented on and offline Latvian media scene and Russian media in exile. Join me as we explore this. Thanks for listening!

This is the fascinating story of Jelgava, a city in Latvia that was once the capital of the Duchy of Courland for centuries, was destroyed during the Second World War, rebuilt as an industrial powerhouse under Soviet occupation, and is now transformed into a vibrant university city. Thanks for listening!

If there is one vegetable I associate with Latvia, it is the gherkin. This is the story of what gherkins truly are, why Latvians pickle anything that remains still long enough, a landfill that has become a greenhouse for cucumbers, and where you can savour the finest gherkins in Rīga for yourself. Thanks for listening!

This is the story of how Latvians stopped Soviet Russian special forces in January 1991 by building barricades from concrete blocks, trucks, and tractors to protect the institutions of its democracy in Rīga. It is a story of heroism by ordinary Latvians and journalists, with lessons for the world today. Thanks for listening!

We explore the ancient symbols that have guided Latvia for a thousand years. These aren't just decorative motifs: they're a living alphabet of belief, carved into Late Stone Age bone tools, woven into the fabric of daily life, and now finding new voice in contemporary Latvian identity. Thanks for listening!

The story of how Latvia, then the Duchy of Courland, had a colony in the Caribbean. The island of Tobago. We travel back to the 17th century and explore how Latvia (Courland) became the world's smallest nation to have a colony. We look for remnants of that empire in present-day Tobago and Latvia. Thanks for listening!

A journey to Daugavpils, Latvia, to learn about the birthplace of the Abstract Expressionist artist Mark Rothko and to find out whether the city and his childhood in its then bustling but fearful Jewish streets influenced his art. Join me as we visit the Rothko Museum and explore Daugavpils. Thanks for listening!

The 18th of November is celebrated in Latvia as Independence Day. I'll guide you through the four parts of this gripping story. First, the dramatic declaration of independence on 18 November 1918. Second, the war that ensued. Third, the Soviet Russian occupation of Latvia from 1940 until independence was regained in 1991. And finally, how Latvians celebrate Independence Day today, with my mem...

This is the story of Mārtiņš Rītiņš - a story that takes us from a post-war refugee camp to cooking for queens and presidents, from the industrial towns of England to the heart of Rīga, and from a life lived partly in the shadows to one of remarkable openness and authenticity. It is the story of a British-born Latvian chef, restaurateur, culinary TV presenter and author. A great man who became kno...

Rīga's pre-fabricated apartment blocks built during the Soviet occupation represent a significant urban planning project. The 13 microdistricts on the city outskirts were not merely housing solutions but comprehensive attempts to create new forms of socialist urban living. Join me as we delve into the history of these microdistricts, find out what it was like to live there during the Soviet e...

Miķeļdiena is Latvia’s ancient harvest festival, full of folklore tales like the Jumis deity-catching ceremony and the spirit world of Veļu laiks, when ancestors walk among the living. In this episode, we explore traditions and how Miķeļdiena is celebrated in modern-day Latvia. Thanks for listening!

This is the story of a town founded by the owners of a paper mill 200 years ago, who built a thriving community for their workers before profits. It is also about 333 caves dug by people, as well as a secret Soviet command centre bunker built underneath the town. And the most famous bear in Latvia. Welcome to Līgatne! Thanks for listening!

The RAF Latvija was a Soviet-era minibus. Externally, it looks remarkably similar to the iconic Volkswagen Type 2 van. The story of its production offers us an insight into manufacturing during the Soviet era. The Latvija became a symbol of communal mobility, serving as a marshrutka - a minibus on a set route, or used as an unofficial taxi, and its drivers and passengers share many poignant experi...