She is originally from Karsava, where there are "many Slavic influences" in the speech. Nevertheless, at home and in the bilingual Russian-Latvian school, they spoke Latgalian. "I have heard stories that in other schools during the Soviet era, speaking Latgalian was forbidden, but there were no such restrictions in Karsava," Dundure shared the rumors. "I also want to emphasize that the Latgalian written language is ancient. The first monument of printing dates back to 1753 – at that time, the book 'Gospel for the Whole Year' (Evangelia Toto Anno) was published in Vilnius. This is a language that is 300 years old, which still lives on the pages of this book. In 2004, the Institute of the Latvian Language created a facsimile of the publication, which also includes a scientific essay by Professor Anna Stafecka – in Latvian, Latgalian, Lithuanian, and English. For the language to thrive, there need to be not only speakers, but this written language must also be well-maintained and standardized." In the 1990s, about 100 authors published in Latgalian, V. Dundure reminds us. "Returning to the family – if they speak Latgalian in it and treat it with respect, if it is a value passed down from generation to generation, then the descendants will not lose it. And it is gratifying that many have understood this, and more and more young people speak Latgalian not only at home and in Latgale but also beyond its borders."
