Qualifications Framework level

EQF level

European Qualifications Framework (EQF) has 8 levels (1 – the lowest, 8 – the highest).

Levels reflect the complexity level of acquired knowledge, skills and competences (learning outcomes).


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LQF level

Latvian Qualifications Framework (LQF) has 8 levels (1 – the lowest, 8 – the highest).

Levels reflect the complexity level of acquired knowledge, skills and competences (learning outcomes).

LQF covers stages of education starting from the basic education (level 1 – special basic education) to the highest education (level 8 – doctoral studies).


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5

Level of professional qualification
Latvia has a system of five professional qualifications levels (PQL, 1 – the lowest, 5 – the highest).

PQL system covers only professional qualifications (basic education, secondary and higher education stages).

PQL reflects readiness of a person to perform work of certain stage of complexity and responsibility.
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Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are knowledge, skills and competences acquired during a certain period of learning.

In Latvia, learning outcomes are stipulated by state education standards and occupational standards (for the professional qualifications).

Learning outcomes of higher education are defined by higher education institutions.


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Beautician (Cosmetology)

  • Knowledge

    Professional knowledge
    At the level of understanding:
    1. Structure of the human body, anatomy and physiological functions of organs and their systems.
    2. Human body and its functions, normal and abnormal states.
    3. Human biochemical environment, cell structure and function, inheritance of genes and diversity.
    4. Constitutional types of the human body.
    5. Diagnostic methods for human posture.
    6. Clinical picture of skin diseases and pathologies, typical complaints.
    7. Medical history data.
    8. Common clinical features of common skin diseases.
    9. Differential diagnoses of skin diseases.
    10. Treatment methods, their applications, indications and contraindications, advantages and disadvantages.
    11. Possible differential diagnoses.
    12. Lifestyle and dietary habits and their impact on human health and skin condition.
    13. Impact of general and hereditary diseases, medications and other factors on human health and skin condition.
    14. General medicine and the functions and regulatory mechanisms of the human body.
    15. Mechanisms for the development, assessment and diagnosis of health conditions.
    16. Cosmetic and aesthetic medicine techniques.
    17. Non-invasive, invasive and high-risk procedures.
    18. Application of cosmetic and aesthetic medicine techniques.
    19. Indications and contraindications, complications.
    20. Advantages and disadvantages of different cosmetic and aesthetic medicine techniques.
    21. Skin hydration.
    22. Skin bleeding.
    23. Skin ageing, signs.
    24. Skin phototypes, characteristics.
    25. Pigmentation disorders.
    26. Skin diseases, lesions, characteristics (somatic and infectious diseases).
    27. Cells and tissues, their structure and function.
    28. Structure and function of the skin and its derivatives, diseases of the skin and nails).
    29. Skin structure, physiology, functions.
    30. Personal data protection.
    31. Physical factors, their operation and parameters.
    32. Methods of physical therapy.
    33. Safety in the use of heat, light and electrical procedures.
    34. Techniques, indications, contraindications for a wide range of cosmetic and aesthetic manual procedures.
    35. Classification of a wide range of cosmetic products and their ingredients.
    36. Effects of chemicals and interactions with living organisms.
    37. Set of aseptic and antiseptic measures.
    38. Basic principles of organic and inorganic chemistry.
    39. Requirements for medical devices.
    40. Allergies, their types and manifestations.
    41. Tattoo techniques.
    42. Tattoo devices.
    43. Basic principles of organic and inorganic chemistry.
    44. Requirements for medical devices.
    45. Infectious agents, routes of transmission, risks, prevention.
    46. Laws and regulations relevant to the beauty sector.
    47. Epidemiological Safety Law.
    48. Acute conditions in medicine.
    49. Psychiatric emergencies.
    50. Emergency medical care in critical health and life situations.
    51. Risk management.
    52. Indications, contraindications for use of devices.
    53. Basic principles of education (pedagogy).
    At the level of use:
    1. Pathogenesis of different infectious agents.
    2. Epidemics and infectious diseases.
    3. Principles of asepsis and antisepsis, methods of their application.
    4. Aetiology, mechanisms of development, clinical manifestations, treatment and epidemiology of infectious diseases.
    5. Limiting the spread of infections.
    6. Role of infectious diseases in public health and individual quality of life.
    7. Infectious disease prevention (specific and non-specific).
    8. Structure of creating personal medical history and the information to be included in it.
    9. Recognition of clinical manifestations of the results of medical history taken as normal and pathological.
    10. Personal data protection.
    11. Constitutional features of skin, subcutaneous connective tissue.
    12. Anatomical structure and physiological functions/processes of the skin and its derivatives, characterisation of pathological processes.
    13. Methods for assessing skin types and conditions.
    14. Methods for assessing pathological skin conditions.
    15. Methods for assessing skin neoplasms.
    16. Methods for assessing constitutional features of skin, subcutaneous connective tissue.
    17. Diagnostic methods in cosmetology and aesthetic medicine.
    18. Indications/contraindications for cosmetic procedures.
    19. Medical records record-keeping procedures.
    20. Methodology for completing a diagnostic card.
    21. Application and effects of physical factors.
    22. Security of technology use.
    23. Indications and contraindications for the use of cosmetic and aesthetic medical technologies.
    24. Preparing a person for the safe use of aesthetic medicine and cosmetology technologies.
    25. Basic principles and procedures of aesthetic care of the face, body and/or scalp (including hand and foot care, excess hair removal techniques, basic make-up application, etc.).
    26. Choosing the right methods to use.
    27. Non-invasive cosmetic techniques affecting all skin layers.
    28. Cosmetic procedures affecting the subcutaneous and lymphatic systems of the skin.
    29. Classification of cosmetic products, ingredients and their interactions.
    30. Cosmetic chemistry.
    31. Holistic medicine (including herbs and essential oils) in healthcare.
    32. Climatotherapeutic healthcare methods.
    33. Forms and methods of massage.
    34. Techniques for invasive manipulations and procedures.
    35. Types and applications of medical devices, equipment and instruments.
    36. Types of skin puncture devices and their applications.
    37. Indications, contraindications, selection and basic principles of high-risk procedures.
    38. Techniques for invasive manipulations and procedures and materials used.
    39. Types and applications of medical devices, equipment and instruments.
    40. Local skin anaesthesia.
    41. Combining and interactions of cosmetic and medicinal products, adjuvants.
    42. Communication skills.
    43. Equipment of a cosmetology cabinet, its possibilities.
    44. Occupational health and safety requirements.
    45. Hygiene requirements for beauty service providers.
    46. Minimum hygiene requirements for the provision of tattooing, piercing and micropigmentation services.
    47. Instrument cleaning, disinfection, sterilisation, storage, disposal.
    48. Procedures and types of cleaning.
    49. Personal protective equipment, its application.
    50. Personal hygiene.
    51. Basic principles of ergonomics.
    52. Basic principles of a person’s safety.
    53. Regulations on the basic requirements of the hygienic and antiepidemic regime in a medical establishment.
    54. Legislation in the field of healthcare.
    55. Foundations of public health.
    56. Primary and secondary prevention of common preventable diseases.
    57. Guidelines for a healthy lifestyle.
    58. Signs of emergencies, their management in different groups of persons.
    59. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
    60. Types of shock and coma.
    61. Methods for the elimination of toxic substances.
    62. Decontamination measures.
    63. Medicines used in emergency care.
    64. Pharmacodynamics/pharmacokinetics. Heart rhythm disturbances/arrhythmias.
    65. Respiratory insufficiency.
    66. Emergency medical care for shocks of different aetiologies.
    67. Emergency medical care for acute pain.
    68. Emergency medical care for bleeding of various aetiologies. Emergency medical care in case of polytrauma.
    69. Disinfection, aseptic and antiseptic measures.
    70. Basic principles for ensuring the safety of cosmetic procedures.
    71. Occupation-specific risks and mitigation measures to improve personal safety.
    72. Application of physical methods in cosmetology.
    73. Instructions for use for medical devices.
    74. Basic principles of evidence-based aesthetic medicine and cosmetic care.
    75. Understanding of the distribution of competences in aesthetic medicine and cosmetic care.
    General knowledge
    At the level of understanding:
    1. Verbal and non-verbal communication.
    2. Concept of cultural diversity.
    3. Information and communication technology legislation.
    4. Digital environment, risks and threats in the digital environment.
    5. Digital identity.
    6. Property protection.
    7. Patterns of facts, theories and professional processes.
    8. Research methodology.
    9. Labour law system and its basic principles.
    10. Norms contained in the Constitution (Satversme) of the Republic of Latvia in the context of legal and civil society.
    11. Labour Law.
    12. Healthcare organisation system and financing principles.
    13. International and national laws and regulations.
    14. Regulatory framework for professional activities.
    15. Occupational health and safety system.
    16. Civil protection system.
    17. Environmental protection system.
    18. UN sustainable development goals.
    At the level of use:
    1. Principles of professional ethics, rights and obligations of individuals and medical practitioners, as set out in the laws and regulations of the Republic of Latvia and international documents.
    2. Professional ethics and bioethics.
    3. Human rights.
    4. Regulatory framework for professional activities.
    5. Recognising violence.
    6. Gender equality.
    7. Patients’ rights.
    8. Wide vocabulary.
    9. Language culture.
    10. Industry/sector vocabulary and professional terminology.
    11. Art of delivering an effective presentation.
    12. Critical thinking and constructive dialogue formation.
    13. Extensive professional vocabulary.
    14. Mathematical calculations.
    15. Units.
    16. Calculation methods.
    17. Software to match the job.
    18. Digital tools and technologies.
    19. Digital communication means.
    20. Information and communication systems security.
    21. Data security.
    22. Self-assessment mechanisms.
    23. Planning one’s studies, career and work.
    24. Research methods.
    25. Learning strategies.
    26. Principles of career development assessment.
    27. Labour law regulatory framework.
    28. Human rights laws and regulations.
    29. Rights, duties and responsibilities of employer, employee.
    30. International and national laws and regulations related to business.
    31. Types of business.
    32. Basic principles of entrepreneurship.
    33. Principles of economic activity.
    34. Basics of business.
    35. Principles and mechanism of effective corporate governance.
    36. Understanding the needs and motivations of individuals, building sustainable relationships with them.
    37. Effective personal service using a variety of sales techniques.
    38. Basic principles of time management
    39. Occupational health and safety regulations.
    40. Environmental protection regulations.
    41. Fire safety regulations.
    42. Electrical safety regulations.
    43. Civil protection regulations.
    44. Action in case of fire.
    45. Actions in the event of workplace hazards.
    46. Green thinking principles.
    47. Strategic principles for sustainable development.
    48. Regulatory framework for states of emergency and exception.
    49. Latvia’s Sustainable Development Strategy.

  • Skills

    Professional skills and attitudes
    1. Determine the overall normal and/or abnormal state of the human body.
    2. Identify different diseases by their characteristics.
    3. Identify a treatment need that is beyond the limits of skills and competences and refer a person (in the health professions, the word “patient” (a person receiving or seeking health care services) is used, while “person” is used in the beauty professions) to an appropriate specialist.
    4. Understand aseptic and antiseptic principles in different clinical practice situations.
    5. Perform hand washing and disinfection before and after the service and, if necessary, during the service.
    6. Understand infection control and prevention measures.
    7. Establish and assess a person’s medical history, lifestyle and dietary habits.
    8. Analyse the interrelationships between the data obtained in the medical history by asking targeted questions and using available documented information and information sources.
    9. Find out about a person’s general health, complaints and preferences.
    10. Create a structured medical history.
    11. Interpret the results of the medical history.
    12. Plan, organise and carry out cosmetic care based on an assessment of a person’s state of health.
    13. Recognise normal skin conditions and physiological processes.
    14. Recognise skin and common body diseases by their characteristics.
    15. Recognise skin lesions, growths, aesthetic defects.
    16. Formulate an appropriate diagnosis of the skin type and condition, defining the principal diagnosis, complications, co-morbidities, pathological processes.
    17. Determine the purpose of the chosen facial and/or body treatment.
    18. Make structured entries in diagnostic charts.
    19. Complete medical records in accordance with medical record-keeping procedures.
    20. Apply cosmetic and aesthetic medical technologies (including electroporation, radiofrequency, high frequency ultrasound, microcurrent therapy, light therapy including IPL, non-ablative lasers, etc.) in a safe manner for cosmetic treatment of the face, body and/or scalp.
    21. Use recognised/validated innovative technologies and techniques in facial, body and/or scalp therapies.
    22. Plan and perform a wide range of non-invasive aesthetic and medical cosmetic treatments (including chemical peels, skin cleansing, subcutaneous and lymphatic cosmetic procedures, climatotherapy, massage, etc.) for a variety of skin types, conditions and clinical manifestations.
    23. Prepare individual cosmetic products.
    24. Perform a wide range of high infection risk beauty services with targeted skin piercing.
    25. Apply local skin anaesthetics before high-risk invasive manipulations.
    26. Prepare cosmetic products for subcutaneous administration.
    27. Carry out tattoo treatments.
    28. Perform intracutaneous and/or subcutaneous injections.
    29. Explain the basic principles of home care for the face, body and/or scalp.
    30. Provide the necessary information on cosmetic care at home.
    31. Identify short- and long-term goals for cosmetic care.
    32. Develop a disinfection plan for cosmetic instruments, medical devices and equipment.
    33. Choose disinfectants for surfaces and instruments.
    34. Participate in the promotion of public health and the prevention of more common preventable diseases.
    35. Recognise acute conditions.
    36. Organise an appropriate medical assistance process.
    37. Take emergency measures in life-threatening situations, within the scope of one’s competence.
    38. Perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, emergency measures in life-threatening conditions, including first aid for asphyxia, trauma care, principles of immobilisation for trauma.
    39. Apply emergency care algorithms to persons of all ages.
    40. Use appropriate medication for medical assistance until the arrival of emergency professionals.
    41. Identify risk mitigation measures as part of the cosmetology process.
    42. Apply cosmetic and medical technologies in a safe way.
    43. Check the readiness of the selected medical device.
    44. Use medical devices.
    45. Operate and maintain medical devices.
    46. Plan and implement public education in cosmetology and other related fields.
    47. Evaluate the education process.
    48. Document the educational work (e.g.. enter the information provided in diagnostic charts).
    General skills and attitudes
    1. Act in accordance with professional ethical standards and legislation.
    2. Adhere to the basic principles of ethics.
    3. Respect privacy and confidentiality in client relations and respect the boundaries of professional competence.
    4. Communicate orally and in writing in a variety of professional situations and environments.
    5. Communicate according to the target audience and the demands of the situation.
    6. Use professional vocabulary of the industry/sector in Latvian.
    7. Publish presentation materials and speak to different audiences.
    8. Discuss freely and constructively.
    9. Use foreign languages in oral and written communication in a variety of professional situations and environments.
    10. Use professional vocabulary in professional communication.
    11. Independently develop one’s knowledge of foreign language(s) and professional vocabulary.
    12. Apply mathematical calculations to calculate the costs, prices and materials required for a procedure.
    13. Use browsing, search and selection tools to retrieve data, information and content (digital content) from the digital environment.
    14. Proficiently handle information, data and content in a digital environment.
    15. Disseminate digital content using appropriate digital communication tools and interaction technologies.
    16. Act in accordance with the laws applicable to the use of digital technologies, property rights and data.
    17. Use a variety of techniques to protect digital devices and content, personal data and privacy in the digital environment.
    18. Assess one’s professional experience and level of professional competence.
    19. Targeted planning of professional competences.
    20. Keep abreast of developments in the theory and practice of professional activity and the professional field.
    21. Organise learning and teaching processes.
    22. Debate with arguments based on industry research.
    23. Develop research skills.
    24. Get involved in solving issues of common or public interest, including ensuring the sustainable development of society.
    25. Deal with non-standard work situations.
    26. Ensure compliance with labour law requirements.
    27. Comply with labour law and other laws and regulations governing employment relations.
    28. Respect the legal relationship between employers and employees.
    29. Know and follow the main qualifications and competencies of healthcare and cosmetology providers.
    30. Navigate the various healthcare-related organisations.
    31. Be familiar with the regulatory enactments in force in Europe and Latvia.
    32. Organise work according to the laws and regulations in force in the Republic of Latvia.
    33. Comply with international and national laws and regulations related to business.
    34. Plan, organise, coordinate and manage a company’s work processes.
    35. Work individually and as part of a team.
    36. Obtain and analyse information.
    37. Evaluate and make decisions.
    38. Work on driving the service/product to market – sales.
    39. Organise the workplace in accordance with the requirements of occupational health and safety laws and regulations.
    40. Explain the requirements of the individual stages of the work process in standard situations.
    41. Monitor compliance with the requirements.
    42. Assess the health effects of risk factors in the work environment.
    43. Use environmentally friendly working methods, ensuring efficient waste sorting and disposal.
    44. Act in accordance with fire, electrical, labour and environmental safety requirements.
    45. Act in the event of a company and national emergency in accordance with established civil protection plans.
    46. Act responsibly in emergencies and states of exception in accordance with national regulations.
    47. Act in accordance with the principles of green thinking and sustainable development.
    48. Apply the principles of green thinking in one’s daily activities and in the professional life.
    49. Recognise one’s responsibility for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

  • Competences/ autonomy

    Professional competences
    1. Ability to carry out a general assessment of the normal and/or abnormal state of the human body.
    2. Ability to recognise the most common human skin diseases (including oncology) by their characteristic features and navigate possible complications, comorbidities and possible differential diagnoses.
    3. Ability to refer a person to an appropriate specialist.
    4. Ability to observe aseptic and antiseptic principles.
    5. Ability to wash and disinfect hands before and after the service and, if necessary, during the service.
    6. Ability to follow infection control and prevention measures during cosmetic care processes.
    7. Ability to collect a person’s medical history.
    8. Ability to interpret the results of a medical history.
    9. Ability to independently choose the appropriate treatment for a person’s condition.
    10. Ability to plan, design, organise and carry out the cosmetic care process, selecting the most appropriate cosmetic treatment method.
    11. Ability to assess the suitability of a person’s skin condition for the chosen treatment.
    12. Ability to formulate an appropriate diagnosis of the skin type and condition, defining the principal diagnosis, complications, co-morbidities, pathological processes.
    13. Ability to complete diagnostic charts and medical records in accordance with medical record-keeping procedures.
    14. Ability to plan and carry out the safe use of cosmetic and aesthetic medical technologies in accordance with a cosmetic care plan.
    15. Ability to use innovative technologies and techniques in facial, body and/or scalp therapies.
    16. Ability to perform a wide range of non-invasive aesthetic and medical cosmetic procedures for the care of the skin of the face, body and/or scalp.
    17. Ability to prepare individual cosmetic products.
    18. Ability to perform a wide range of high infection risk beauty services, with targeted skin piercing.
    19. Ability to apply local anaesthetic skin medications prior to high-risk invasive manipulation.
    20. Ability to perform safe cosmetic invasive manipulations.
    21. Ability to perform tattooing procedures.
    22. Ability to perform intracutaneous and/or subcutaneous injections for mesotherapy, biorevitalization, micropigmentation, piercing, and other cosmetic procedures.
    23. Ability to educate individuals about face/body and scalp care at home.
    24. Ability to provide a safe and comfortable workplace (cosmetology office) in accordance with the requirements of epidemiological safety, occupational safety laws and hygiene in the cosmetology office.
    25. Ability to participate in, support and take action to promote public health and reduce or prevent the risk of developing or progressing disease.
    26. Ability to recognise medical emergencies and organise medical care.
    27. Ability to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
    28. Ability to initiate emergency care in life-threatening conditions and situations until the arrival of an ambulance.
    29. Ability to organise a package of measures to ensure personal safety in cosmetic care.
    30. Ability to carry out cosmetology care process using cosmetology and medical devices in a safe manner.
    31. Ability to educate individuals, colleagues, the public about safe cosmetic care.
    General competences
    1. Ability to carry out the cosmetic care process in compliance with the basic ethical principles of professional practice.
    2. Ability to respect privacy and confidentiality in relations with a client in the process of cosmetology care.
    3. Ability to communicate fluently in the national language, both orally and in writing, observing the norms of literary language and using professional terminology in the performance of professional duties.
    4. Ability to discuss constructively and present one’s position in an argumentative manner, ensuring the provision of information that is correct, comprehensible and in accordance with the norms of literary language.
    5. Ability to use foreign languages in oral and written communication and professional terminology in two foreign languages to carry out one’s job duties.
    6. Ability to apply mathematical calculations to calculate the costs, prices and materials required for a procedure.
    7. Ability to manage data, information and content in the digital environment, using a variety of digital tools and technologies, as appropriate to one’s professional activity.
    8. Ability to assess and plan for the development of professional competences.
    9. Ability to manage one’s learning and career effectively.
    10. Ability to express and understand different points of view when managing/evaluating social interactions.
    11. Ability to contribute to the creation of new knowledge through focused research.
    12. Ability to analyse information relating to non-standard work situations, assessing the responsibilities, rights and obligations of the parties involved.
    13. Ability to take responsible decisions and apply standards in professional practice in accordance with the requirements of the labour law regulatory framework.
    14. Ability to understand healthcare arrangements.
    15. Ability to understand the division of competences of healthcare and cosmetology service providers and comply with the competences of their activities based on the international and national regulatory framework.
    16. Ability to conduct business in accordance with marketing, human resources, financial management and management information systems, in line with business principles.
    17. Ability to work with a product (good/service), explain its characteristics, relevance, constituent elements, necessary resources and use them to develop the product and offer; sales skills.
    18. Ability to apply and monitor the requirements of the laws and regulations governing professional activities in the sector.
    19. Ability to observe and monitor occupational health and safety, environmental, electrical, fire, hygiene and quality requirements.
    20. Ability to comply with civil protection requirements in accordance with civil protection plans and laws and regulations.
    21. Ability to act responsibly in emergencies and states of exception, observing the regulations established by the state and being aware of one’s responsibility in maintaining national security.
    22. Ability to act on the principles of green thinking and sustainable development, providing support in understanding these issues.

Qualification acquisition requirements

Previous education
Certificate of general secondary education or Diploma of vocational secondary education
Ways to acquire 
Qualifications can be acquired in the framework of education programs or in the evaluation and recognition of non-formal knowledge, skills and competences acquired (in vocational education LKI Levels 2-4).
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Formal (through education programmes)
Duration of study 
Duration of qualification in full-time studies
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2-3 years

Qualification document

Qualifications Framework level

EQF level

European Qualifications Framework (EQF) has 8 levels (1 – the lowest, 8 – the highest).

Levels reflect the complexity level of acquired knowledge, skills and competences (learning outcomes).


Go to the Glossary section
?

5

LQF level

Latvian Qualifications Framework (LQF) has 8 levels (1 – the lowest, 8 – the highest).

Levels reflect the complexity level of acquired knowledge, skills and competences (learning outcomes).

LQF covers stages of education starting from the basic education (level 1 – special basic education) to the highest education (level 8 – doctoral studies).


Go to the Glossary section
?

5

Level of professional qualification

Latvia has a system of five professional qualifications levels (PQL, 1 – the lowest, 5 – the highest).

PQL system covers only professional qualifications (basic education, secondary and higher education stages).

PQL reflects readiness of a person to perform work of certain stage of complexity and responsibility.


Go to the Glossary section
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4

Qualification field, stage and type

Thematic field (ISCED 2013)
International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) developed by UNESCO.
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Health (091)

Detailed field: (ISCED 2013)

Therapy and rehabilitation (0915)

Education
Stages of Latvian education system included in the LQF:
- basic education
- secondary education
- higher education
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Higher education

Qualification type
ITypes of Latvian education:
-General education
-Professional education
-Academic education
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Vocational

Full or partial

Full qualification

Other information

National Education Information System

Active qualification

Period for issuing qualification: 2022-2028

Last changes: 05.02.2024

Posted: 06.02.2023