Good afternoon everyone,
I am absolutely delighted to take part in the reveal of the first Ukrainian-Latvian book.
It is for you, my dear lovely Ukrainian children here in Latvia..
It is a book that will remind you of your home, Ukraine. Ukrainian parents and First Lady Olena Zelenska are doing their best to make children who have fled Ukraine because of war
feel more at home in countries that have taken them in and where children are surrounded by foreign language.
As we all know, children learn new languages very quickly, no matter where they come from. But your mother tongue will always be most comfortable because it is the language of your heart and soul. It is where your home is.
Latvian is our official language. It is very different from Ukrainian, but you will be surprised to learn the many similarities our languages have from this book. It only goes to show how close our people, nations and countries have traditionally been in terms of the way we think and speak. And even today our thoughts, languages and deeds are closely interconnected.
Dear Ukrainian children,
I know that as a child you sometimes feel lost in the adult world. But believe me – even we, the adults, are at times confused by how the world works. What you have experienced in wrong. No one should go through what your friends, neighbours, classmates are going through right now in Ukraine. No child on this planet should ever be exposed to what you have been exposed to.
There are universal values that we as children learn from our mums and dads, nans and other relatives. Simple things that we must all follow like you shall not lie, you shall not steal, you shall not hurt or kill others. Universal and straightforward. All people on Earth should follow them.
I hope this book will encourage you to discover Latvian. I hope it will open a door to a new world. I hope it will make you feel at home here in Latvia!
