00:00Riga, medieval, au nouveau and modern.
00:04Latvia's capital is one of the most eclectic cities in Europe.
00:10What's it like to live here as a teenager?
00:14Hello, my name is Alsters, I'm 17 years old and I'm a student in Riga.
00:19In fall and winter, Latvia sees some of the shortest daylight hours in all of Europe.
00:25Students like Alsters wake up for school before sunrise and return home long after the sun
00:31has set.
00:37Welcome to my home.
00:39His family lives in a two-room apartment in the center of Riga.
00:43Housing isn't much of a problem in Latvia.
00:45Eight in ten people own their homes.
00:49This is my room.
00:52The most iconic thing here is the sewing machine I bought in an antique shop.
00:57A singer from 1951.
01:02I live here with my mom.
01:06I'm definitely planning to move somewhere else sometime soon when I turn 18.
01:12Maybe I'll live with friends or something like that.
01:16But for now, this is how it is.
01:21Moving out at this age would be too early for an average Latvian.
01:25Usually young people here leave their parents' home around 26.
01:29But for Alsters, this isn't just his home, it's his atelier.
01:38He draws inspiration from Latvia's history.
01:42This is from the second half of the 19th century.
01:47Here we see a man wearing boots, trousers, a vest like mine, and a long coat.
01:55Alsters says after he started posting his outfits online, many people showed interest in buying the clothes.
02:02He can't produce for others yet, but it helped him realize one thing.
02:07I think I could actually make a living from this.
02:13Just like around 40% of Riga residents, Alsters relies on public transport to get to school.
02:20Still, more than 60% prefer to use their own car at least once a week.
02:26Alsters studies at a vocational art school.
02:29Compared to the rest of the EU, fewer students in Latvia choose vocational programs.
02:34The employment rate after a vocational school is lower too.
02:39I'm studying to be a set designer.
02:42Assistant set designer is the official name.
02:46Environmental design.
02:49At the moment, we're making mock-ups for kitchens.
02:52Alsters hasn't decided yet whether he wants to become a set designer or turn his hobby into a career as
02:58a tailor.
02:59But he still has a few years to make up his mind.
03:03Before meeting some friends, Alsters takes us to the National Library, a modern building right across from Riga's medieval old
03:11town.
03:12The building is basically brutalist, which isn't really my style.
03:16But it's a castle of light and looks like a real fortress, like an actual mountain.
03:22Since kindergarten, Alsters has been told he can draw really well.
03:27While waiting for his friends from school, he sketches a few ideas.
03:31Finally, it's time for dance practice.
03:38So right now I'm going to folk dance.
03:40It's a very popular sport in Latvia.
03:44The sport is so popular, but the Song and Dance Festival brings together around 40,000 participants after a strict
03:51selection process.
03:52And it's never too late to start learning.
03:55Alsters took his first class last year, and maybe one day he'll be among the participants.
04:02Like many countries in Eastern Europe, Latvia has lost many young people to emigration.
04:07For Alsters, Riga people are part of why he loves the city and plans to stay here.
04:15Riga is truly a very open city that welcomes all kinds of people.
04:20For now, his busy day is over.
04:23And that was my day in Riga.
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