Genealogy
Unique newsreel footage of the Battle in the Courland Pocket. ‘The Baltic Verdun’ (1944–1945)
Earlier today, YouTube unexpectedly recommended a Russian-language documentary titled “The Baltic Verdun (1944–1945)”, produced by Frontline Chronicles. The film presents rare archival footage from…
Baltic German DNA Uncovered: Tracing My Ancestry to the von Anrep Nobility
Family legends often hold a grain of truth, even if they become distorted over time. My journey into family history, particularly on my maternal lineage—through my mother's mother's father’s side (…
MyHeritage DNA test result
Today I finally received the DNA test result from MyHeritage. The result was quite surprising - I learned I have 56% Baltic, 18.8% Ashkenazi Jewish, 15.85% Balkan, and 8.7% North and West…
MyHeritage DNA test, flight to Tbilisi, Stock Recovery
Today was the last day in Riga and Latvia for a while. No More Vilgale, no more Ječi, and no more Riga until Spring 2023 (earliest). QSI school started today in Tbilisi, but we will still skip…
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LEGOLAND Berlin Review: A Fun Family Activity in the German Capital
When planning a family trip to Berlin with children, most travelers immediately think about the Berlin Zoo — and rightly so. But if you are spending a few days in the German capital with younger kids, another solid half-day activity is the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre BerlinWe visited it in April 2026 together with our 7-year-old daughter during our…
Ādģēri: The 30K Mistake That Turned Into a Long-Term Experiment
In 2023, we bought Ādģēri in an online auction.Price: just over €30,000.Financing: ~6% interest.Total expected payment over ~5 years: ~€40,000.Status (April 2026): more than half already paid.On paper, it was a bad deal.Realistically, we overpaid by at least 5–6× relative to what the property was objectively worth at the time. No serious buyer…