Our Story
About Russian Translation Services
Founded by a Master-qualified linguist with over 20 years of experience teaching and translating for the U.S. military, diplomats, and professionals across the Washington DC metro area.
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Founder & Lead Linguist Irena WoodruffM.Ed. in Linguistics & Language — University of Latvia | Alexandria, VA Irena Woodruff is a professional linguist, certified language instructor, and cultural advisor with a career that spans the U.S. Department of Defense, the Foreign Service Institute, Berlitz, and some of the most respected language programs in the Washington DC area. She is a native speaker of both Russian and Latvian, and holds a Master of Education in Linguistics from the University of Latvia. Her career began in Riga, Latvia, where she taught language at the university level before relocating to the United States. Over the next two decades, she became one of the most experienced Russian and Latvian language professionals in the DC metro region — training military personnel, U.S. diplomats, government contractors, and adult learners at every proficiency level. At the Department of Defense, she taught and tested students across multiple installations including Arlington, the Defense Language Institute in San Antonio, and the Center for Language Studies in Monterey, California. She also led DoD-funded Russian language training for Military Mobile Training units working alongside NATO Special Forces in Latvia. At the Foreign Service Institute, she prepared U.S. diplomats for postings requiring Russian and Latvian language proficiency. Today, Irena offers both translation services and private language instruction — available in-person in the Alexandria and Northern Virginia area, and worldwide via Zoom. Native Russian Speaker
Native Latvian Speaker
M.Ed. Linguistics
DoD Certified
20+ Years Teaching
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Career Highlights
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Education & Qualifications
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Master of Education & Linguistics |
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B.A. in Latvian Language & Literature |
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Foreign Academic Credential Recognition |
Why Work With Irena
Native Bilingual Fluency
Born and raised in Latvia, Irena is a true native speaker of both Russian and Latvian — not just proficient, but culturally fluent in both languages.
20+ Years of Teaching
From university classrooms in Riga to military training rooms in the Pentagon corridor — two decades of real-world language instruction at every level.
Government & Military Vetted
Trusted by the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Language Institute, and Foreign Service Institute to train the people who represent America abroad.
Online Instruction Expert
Has been teaching remotely since the early days of distance education — using Skype, Blackboard, Moodle, Zoom, and podcast-based instruction methods.
Test Developer & Assessor
Has developed and administered language proficiency tests for government and military programs — and can prepare students for standardized exams.
Personal, Direct Service
You work directly with Irena — not an agency or a staffing pool. Your project or lesson gets her full attention and expertise, every time.