Narva is a city municipality in Estonia, the third most populous city in the country and the largest city in Ida-Viru County. The city is mostly Russian-speaking. It has a rich history as the center of Prinarovye and of great political and economic importance for modern Russian-Estonian relations. Population - 54 409 people (as of January 1, 2020).
The Russian Orthodox Church
Narva Cathedral of the
Resurrection. (until 1958, the Church in the Name of the
Resurrection of Christ)
The temple of the Narva Icon of the
Mother of God.
The Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius equal
to the Apostles. The site of the church building was consecrated
in September 2012.
Protestantism
Lutheranism
The
Church in the name of Emperor Alexander II (Alexander Lutheran
Church) — the church was built near the railway, in the area of
Joaorg. On June 21, 1881, the laying of the temple took place.
On May 28, 1884, the consecration of the church took place. On
June 20, 2000, the Viru probst Avo Kiir recognized the Narva
Alexandrovsky Parish as the legal successor of three Lutheran
parishes that existed in Narva before World War II. This was the
reason for the renaming of the church to the cathedral.
The
small church of the Alexander Parish (currently Narva
Mikhailovskaya Church — Finnish) — existed since 1962, when the
building of the Alexander Church was turned into a warehouse by
the authorities. It was located in the building of the former
diesel power plant provided by the authorities on Anvelt Street
(22 Krenholmi Street).
Other denominations of
Protestantism
Two prayer houses of Evangelical Pentecostals
Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Baptist Church
The Methodist
Church
Salvation Army Church (Krenholmi, 16a)
Jehovah's Witnesses
The Hall of the Kingdom of Jehovah's
Witnesses
The Church of St. Michael in Narva is a Lutheran church, located
on a wide street..
The Church of St. Anthony on the Military
Field was located near the Old Town, 9 Must Street. The Roman
Catholic church was consecrated on November 11, 1907. It was
demolished in the post-war years (only the parish house was
preserved).
Narva Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the
Savior was originally a Catholic church of the Cistercian
women's monastery, later it was converted into a Lutheran
church, in 1704 Peter I handed over the cathedral to the
Orthodox community. In 1708, on June 29, the cathedral was
consecrated in the presence of Emperor Peter I. The cathedral
was converted from the ancient Lutheran Cathedral of John of
Jerusalem (it was one of two churches converted to Orthodox
churches — and even earlier, since its construction in the XIV
century, it was a Catholic church in honor of the Virgin Mary).
The cathedral was the oldest city church. The construction was
first mentioned in 1442. In 1944, the cathedral was blown up by
the Germans. The ruins were demolished in the 1950s.
St.
Nicholas Church, adjacent to the Transfiguration Cathedral and
located in the same church fence with it.
Peter the Great
Orthodox Church (November 1886 — March 6, 1944). The church was
located at the intersection of Vestervalli and Valge streets, in
the southern part of the Fama bastion, Valge Street (now
Lavretsovi Street), coordinates: 59°22’45"N 28°11’45"E. The
church was laid on June 23, 1885. In 1944, during the military
operations near Narva, the church was destroyed. The ruins were
demolished in the 1950s.
Jaanov Church (former Swedish Dome
Cathedral) — before the war it was located in the Old Town, on
Viru Street, 18 (between Rahu and Koidu streets). The temple was
built in 1641-1651. In 1645, during the construction of the
building, the Swedish government approved the future temple as
the Domkirche Cathedral. In 1704, the Dome Cathedral was
transformed into an Orthodox church, which was consecrated in
the name of St. Alexander Nevsky. From 1708 to 1733 the church
was closed. In 1733, the church was transferred to the German
parish. In 1944, during the military operations near Narva, the
temple was destroyed. The ruins were demolished in the 1950s.
Vladimir Church was founded on July 16, 1889 in the northern
part of the Old City, consecrated on July 29, 1890 by the vicar
of the St. Petersburg diocese, Bishop Mitrofan of Ladoga in the
name of Prince Vladimir equal to the Apostles. In 1921, a parish
was established at the Vladimir Church, which in 1937 merged
with the parish of the Transfiguration Cathedral. Now the
building of the former temple has been rebuilt, the department
of the dental clinic is located there.
The State Register of Cultural Monuments of Estonia has been
entered:
Narva Castle.
Narva city fortifications (XIV century — 1863) Narva Herman's
Castle (XIII—XVII centuries)
Narva Town Hall
1665-1671)
Narva Alexander Church
1881-1884) Narva Orthodox
Resurrection Cathedral
1890-1898) Narva Men's Gymnasium
building (XIX century)
Shop (art gallery building) (XVIII
century)
Residential portal houses in Narva on Pushkin street
11 (XVII century.)
Residential buildings on Koidula street 3a
and Koidula street 6 (XVII century.)
Krenholm residential
barracks at Kalda str. 4 (XX century), 6, 8 and 10 (XIX
century), Gerasimov str. 3, Yoala str. 10/ Gerasimov str. 1,
Yoala str. 12, Haigla str. 2, Haigla str. 4, 6 (XIX century)
The house of Director Krenholm Carr (arch. p. V. Alish, 1893)
The building of the Krenholm plant management (1901)
The
house of the assistants of the Krenholm director (1896)
of
the House of the Krenholm masters on Yoala Street 26, 30 (1906),
28 (1901)
Krenholm Convict House (1898)
Krenholm water
tower with adjacent buildings
1874-1898) House of Krenholm
Director Shawcross (1875)
Old houses of the Krenholm
craftsmen at 6, 8 Kos Street (1875)
Krenholm Bakery
(1893-1894)
Krenholm Old Hospital (architect P. V. Alish,
1906)
Waste incinerator at the Krenholm residential barracks
(XIX century.)
The old building of the Krenholm factory
administration (XIX century.)
The building of the Krenholm
New Weaving Factory (1870)
The building of the Krenholm Old
Spinning and Old Weaving Factories (1858-1862)
The complex of
old Krenholm warehouses (XIX century.)
The building of the
Krenholm power plant (XX century.)
The building of the
Krenholm Yoal factory (1884-1890)
The building of the
Krenholm St. George Factory (1899)
Two buildings of the old
Krenholm checkpoint (XIX century.)
Krenholm retaining coastal
wall (XIX century.)
Building of the Krenholm fire brigade (XX
century.)
Narva fire station (XIX century.)
Narva officer
Casino (1898)
Narva Bank building (XIX century)
Fountain
in Narva on the Pax bastion (XX century)
Krenholm New
Hospital (the inscription "named after the 300th anniversary of
the House of Romanov", arch.Alexander Vladovsky, 1913)
Twelve-storey house with a water tower — 20 Pushkin Street
(architect Hanno Sepmann, 1969)
In Soviet times, they
were built:
V. Gerasimov Palace of Culture (now inactive)
(1957), built according to a standard design by architect
K.K.Bartashevich
The Palace of Culture named after the 50th
anniversary of the Great October (now the recreation center
"Rugodiv") (1967), built according to a standard design 169-104,
264-12-73
The Palace of Culture of Power Engineers (now
Geneva Keskus) (1974), built according to the standard design
2C-06-9, 2C-06-9/70
Monument near Siivertsi — monument to the Russian soldiers
L.-gv. Semenovsky and L.-gv. The Preobrazhensky regiments, as
well as the 1st battery of the L.-GV 1st Artillery Brigade, who
fell in battle with the Swedes in 1700.
The monument in the
"Dark Garden" is dedicated to the Russian soldiers who died
during the Northern War in 1704 during the storming of Narva. It
was erected in 1853 and moved to the Victoria Bastion in 1882.
Monument to those who died in the Liberation War — in memory of
those who died in the battles of Narva in the Estonian
Liberation War (1918-1920). The authors − Waldemar Mellick and
Rudolf Sayor. It was blown up in the autumn of 1940. It was
restored in 1996.
The monument "Memento Mori" is in memory of
the victims of the political repressions of the Stalinist
regime. It was opened in 1992 in front of the railway station
building, architect E. Keller.
Swedish Lion — in memory of
the Battle of Narva in 1700 between the troops of Peter I and
the Swedish King Charles XII, restored on November 19, 2000. It
was originally installed in 1936.
A granite cross with the
image of Peter's Church stands where Peter's Church was located
from November 1886 to March 1944, from which only fragments of
the fence have been preserved.
Monument to the soldiers who
died during the liberation of Estonia in 1944 (near the
Narva—Narva-Jyesuu road).
Monument to Peter I (currently on
display at Petrovskaya Square, 3)
Monument to Alexander
Pushkin (1999)
The monument to Latvian refugees in Narva is a
stone slab with a bas-relief depicting a grieving woman and the
inscription "Latvia grieves for its children" in Latvian and
Estonian, for the first time. Meeting with the city authorities
in Narva, Latvian Ambassador to Estonia Raymond Jansons said
that Latvia will restore the monument to Latvian refugees
(1915-1919) located on the border of Narva in the direction of
Narva-Jyesuu in the jubilee year for the country (2018).
Interestingly, in October 2004, the monument dedicated to
Latvian refugees (next to the Alexander Lutheran Cemetery) was
inaugurated for the second time. The monument was first opened
in 1934, the material for it was a stone block brought from the
banks of the Daugava River. But in the 1970s, the monument, most
likely, collapsed by order from above. Years later, the
restoration of the monument (2004) was initiated by the Narva
Alexander Lutheran Parish and the Latvian Society of the city of
Narva. It is known that 34 people were buried under the slab.
Memorial plaque to Paul Keres, (2007)
Memorial stone to
General Johannes Orasmaa (2007)
The Fraternal cemetery of the
Northwestern Army of 1918-1920 in Narva,
a monument to the
Krenholm strike of 1872 (installed in 1972, sculptor K. Reitel,
architect B. Kalakin), is located next to the central checkpoint
of the Ioala factory (near the bridge) in the square, which once
had ancient cemetery (access is now closed),
Monument to
Amalia-Elizabeth Karlovna Kreisberg (installed in 1957 in
Krenholm, author — N. Dydykin).
T-34 memorial tank
(dismantled on August 16, 2022)
Forum Cinemas Astri cinema.
Bowling Bombey (Astri)
5D
Cinema (Astri, Fama)
Kalev-Fama Stadium
Kreenholmi Stadium
(ice skating)
However, there is a river in Narva, and there
is a beach, if anyone is interested. Another beach is located in
the Kulgu area on Kadadiku Street in the Paemurru area.
By plane
Narva airfield is located next to the Tallinn highway,
west of the city. Skydiving enthusiasts gather here. Of course, there is
no passenger service. Narva is equidistant from two major airports, in
St. Petersburg and Tallinn.
By train
The Tallinn–Narva
commuter train runs four times a day (one of them is an express). On the
way 2 hours 45 minutes (www.elron.ee ) The Moscow - Saint
Petersburg-Tallinn long-distance train also stops at the station.
1 Railway Station, Vaksali 22. Externally restored, the majestic
Soviet-era building is located south of the city center. The station is
empty inside — there are only a couple of shops in it, although the hall
itself, which in a previous life was a waiting room, is open around the
clock. Upon closer inspection, a door leading through the customs cordon
to the platform is found on the left side. There is no railway ticket
office at the station, you can get a ticket on the train.
By bus
2 Bus station, Vaksali (opposite the railway station). Mon–Fri 8:00 –
19:00, Sat 8:00 – 17:00, Sun 10:00 – 18:00. Narva bus station is a booth
with a canopy — and this is not an artistic exaggeration, but the harsh
truth of life. Inside the booth there is a cash register, a couple of
benches and a stall selling instant coffee pies. It's very cramped.
Buses from Tallinn to Narva depart on average every half hour. The
journey takes about 3 hours, sometimes 4 hours, if the bus stops in all
cities along the way. Some buses from St. Petersburg stop at the Narva
bus station, some drop off passengers at Petrovsky Square and continue
along the route without stopping at the bus station. Buses going to St.
Petersburg stop at the Narva bus station. Usually such buses do not take
passengers from Narva, although there are no uniform rules here. Buses
run from Narva 5-6 times a day to Tartu (3-3.5 hours) and other cities
in Southern Estonia. There is also a very regular service in eastern
Estonia: numerous local buses to Sillamae and Jyhvi. If you are
traveling from Russia, then you need to take a ticket on one of the
Tallinn buses or get to Ivangorod and cross the border on foot.
By car
From Estonia along the highway, 210 km from Tallinn. From
Tartu along the highway to Jyhvi, and then along the same highway to the
east — only 200 km. From Pärnu, 290 km is just the whole of Estonia
diagonally.
From the Russian side, you need to come to Ivangorod
and cross the border. If you are not going to travel in Estonia, then
the easiest way is to cross the border on foot. There are several paid
and free parking lots in Ivangorod where you can park your car. If you
are traveling to Estonia with a car, then be prepared for some
unpredictability of the Narva border crossing. On the Russian side, the
machines form a live queue, which is difficult to track: there is still
no decent webcam. On the Estonian side, there is an electronic queue
system: you need to book a border crossing for a certain time, arrive at
the waiting area at Rahu 4a, tel. +372 698-91-92 and wait until your
number appears on the scoreboard or you receive an SMS about a call to
the border. Booking costs €1.30, use of the waiting area is another €1
(2013), for which you get free Wi-Fi, a toilet and other small pleasures
of life. There is also a cafe, laundry and other services relevant to
drivers. The system does not allow you to make multiple bookings for the
same car: but the time of crossing the border can be changed. In
general, the electronic queue does not work perfectly — according to
travelers, sometimes you have to wait 1-1.5 hours from the appointed
time — but you need to use it. Otherwise, you find yourself in a live
queue, which takes at least a day at the Narva crossing.
Although
crossing the border by car is fraught with some difficulties, it usually
takes 1.5–2 hours. Nevertheless, it is not worth crossing the border on
New Year's Eve and on any other days when the flow of Russians is
heading to Estonia or back: this inevitably leads to huge queues and
time wastage. There is no waiting area on the Russian side. A queue is
exactly a live queue, with all the consequences that follow from this.
On foot
There are two border crossings in Narva:
3 Narva-1,
Friendship Bridge. Around the clock. Everything is very simple here: in
Narva, the pedestrian terminal is located on Petrovskaya Square, on the
left side. In Ivangorod, you need to go down the hill and bypass the car
customs on the right. In both cases, you will find yourself in a small
building-a shed with customs and border guards. If border guards are a
mandatory item of the program, then customs officers check pedestrians
on a case-by-case basis. There are usually no queues, and the entire
border crossing takes at most 10 minutes, of which 5 minutes you walk
across the bridge, enjoying the view of the river, Narva Castle and
Ivangorod fortress. However, there are queues at peak times: for
example, residents of Ivangorod who go to Narva to buy food create them.
During the New Year holidays, a queue may form on the Russian side
during the day for up to 1 - 1.5 hours (2016). In this case, you can try
to fit into some passing bus - it will be faster this way, and you will
not have to stand on the street. The terminals are small, they can
accommodate 20-30 people at most.
4 Narva-2 (Sailcloth), Kose 6
(Narva) — Pionerskaya St. (Ivangorod). 07-19 summer, 08-19 winter. A
pedestrian bridge over Narva in the southern part of the city. It was
opened after major repairs on 01.11.2017. The conditions of passage may
differ from Narva-1 (for example, at the time of opening there was a ban
on the transportation of bicycles). The opening hours may also change
(in 2017, it was announced until 19 hours, in fact - up to 18 hours; in
2018. a Russian policeman at the Ivangorod railway station announced the
closing time at 20 p.m.).
With transfers
Bus/minibus Saint
Petersburg-Ivangorod, then on foot through the border crossing.
The
St. Petersburg-Ivangorod train, then on foot through the border
crossing. The train runs once a day (except Sat from St. Petersburg and
Sun from Ivangorod), on the way 3 hours 20 minutes. From the railway
station of Ivangorod to the Narva pedestrian crossing is 1 2.5 km, you
can take a taxi at the station or take a folding bike /scooter in
advance for the entire journey.
There are 8 city bus routes in Narva and several more suburban ones.
Schedule. Fare: €0.50 (2016). You can buy a ticket from the driver, and
it is planned to introduce an electronic payment system using smart
cards similar to Tallinn's.
A taxi in the city costs €2 (2014).
The main taxi company is SetiTakso: +372 55-906-090.
Bus 31 to
Narva-Jyesuu is free (tasuta), as are some county buses.
1 Astri keskus, Tallinna mnt 41. Mon–Sat 10:00 – 21:00, Sun 10:00 –
19:00. Cinema, bowling alley, several cafes, shops.
2 Fama keskus,
Tallinna mnt 19c. Mon–Sat 10:00 – 21:00, Sun 10:00 – 19:00; Rimi
Supermarket: 8:00 – 22:00. Perhaps the largest shopping center in Narva.
Its core is the Rimi supermarket, around which small shops, a cafe of
Russian cuisine "Pechki-Lavochki" and other stuff are gathered.
3
Kerese keskus, Kerese 3. 8:00 – 22:00. The shopping complex closest to
Petrovsky Square and the city center. Until the end of 2015, there was a
Selver grocery supermarket here, but it has closed, and it is still
unclear whether something else will replace it.
4 Prisma, Kangelaste
prospect 29 (on the outskirts). 8:00 – 23:00.
Cheaply
1 Pappa Pizza, Kerese 3. ☎ +372 (33) 5-06-65. 9:00 –
22:00. Pizza: €3-6 (2013). A chain pizzeria with a nice setting.
2
McDonalds, Tallinna, 37. 0:00 – 24:00. May 2016
3 Hesburger,
Tallinn,19c (at FAMA Mall). 9:00 – 21:00.
4 Minicafe Maius,
Energia, 7 (entrance from Kerese street). Mon–Sat 09:00 – 10:00, Sun
10:00 – 18:00.
Average cost
5 Antalya Kebab , Pushkini 15.
☎ +372 53-706-704. Sun–Thu 11:30 – 23:00, Fri–Sat 11:30 – 24:00. Turkish
cuisine cafe, which is mainly represented here by kebabs and hookah.
6 German Pub, Puškini 10. ☎ +372 (35) 9-15-48. 11:00 – 24:00. Hot
dishes: €6-9 (2013). A cozy basement in the center of Narva. The
atmosphere here is not very German, but the selection of foreign beer is
good. The food is mostly Estonian.
7 Gulliver Bar, Lavretsovi 7. ☎
+372 (35) 6-07-77, +372 58-117-117. Sun–Thu 12:00 – 23:00, Fri–Sat 12:00
– 24:00. Hot dishes: €5-9 (2013). A noisy bar. Live music on Fridays and
Saturdays.
Expensive
8 Castell, Peterburi mnt. 2 (in the
castle). ☎ +372 (35) 9-92-57. Sun–Thu 11:00 – 22:00, Fri–Sat 11:00 –
23:00. Hot dishes: €15-25 (2013). A medieval restaurant in one of the
castle towers. Expensive, but colorful. There is an outdoor terrace with
views of the castle and Ivangorod fortress. You can sit and drink beer
without ordering food.
9 Old Trafford, Peetri plats 1 (in front of
customs). ☎ +372 (33) 6-00-54, +372 555-91-096. Mon–Thu 11:00 – 22:00,
Fri 11:00 – 1:00, Sat 12:00 – 1:00, Sun 12:00 – 23:00. Hot dishes: €8-15
(2013). The restaurant is on the central square. It is not without chic
— waiters in white gloves, a huge wine list — but the prices here are
quite humane, and the atmosphere is very pleasant.
10 100% China
Restaurant, Tallinna mnt. 6b. ☎ +372 (35) 7-50-99. 11:00 – 23:00. Hot
dishes: €7-12 (2013). A huge selection of Chinese dishes. This is
probably the only Chinese restaurant in Eastern Estonia and one of the
few Chinese restaurants in Estonia in general.
1 Avenue, Rakvere 71 (Megamarket shopping center). ☎ +372 (35)
6-00-61. Mon–Thu 11:30 – 24:00, Fri 11:30 – 4:00, Sat 13:30 – 4:00, Sun
13:30 – 24:00. A nightclub in one of the residential areas, concerts are
very rare and of no interest. A cafe is open during the day.
2 Geneva, Võidu prospekt 2. ☎ +372 (35) 9-94-25. Cafe: Mon–Thu 11:00 –
22:00, Fri–Sat 12:00 – 23:00, Sun 12:00 – 22:00; Club: Wed–Sun 22:00 –
4:00. Narva's largest concert hall and nightclub. Every weekend there
are parties and discos, from time to time creative evenings, concerts
and other similar events are held. A cozy cafe is open during the day.
Restaurants and related bars in the Narva and Inger hotels are also
very promising.
Cheaply
1 Sparta Hostel , Hariduse 18b (Entrance from Vabaduse
street). ☎ +372 56075231, +7 (904) 3357012. Registration is up to 22
hours. A cozy, clean hostel with a hospitable hostess. 1-2-3-4-10 local
numbers. Close to the border crossing and the main attractions.
2
Lell Hostel, Partisani 4. ☎ +372 (35) 4-90-09, +372 551-53-76. Double
room without amenities/with amenities: €35/48, quadruple room: €58
(2014). It is located in a residential area 1.5 km from the center of
Narva. Good rooms with amenities are only slightly cheaper than in other
hotels, but if you take a room without amenities and with a check-in,
you can save a lot (€17.5/person).
Average cost
3 Central,
Lavretsovi 5 (in the center). ☎ +372 (35) 9-13-33. Single/double room:
€42/52 (2013). The hotel is located in an old building, so there is no
elevator here, and the stairs are quite narrow and uncomfortable.
However, the rooms are surprisingly spacious and comfortable. Breakfast
is served in the Russian style of sausages with pasta, but otherwise the
hotel does not cause complaints. Free Wi-Fi.
4 Inger, Puškini 6. ☎
+372 688-11-00. Single/Double room: €50/65 (2013). A good hotel in the
city center, the name of which reminds of Ingermanland, to which Narva,
however, does not apply. Good reviews.
5 King, Lavretsovi 9. ☎
+372 (35) 7-24-04. Single/Double room: €48/60 (2013). There is something
medieval in the style of the building, but inside it is not felt - an
ordinary three—star hotel. Mostly good reviews.
6 Narva, Puškini 6
(in the center). ☎ +372 (35) 9-96-00. Single/Double room: €59/75 (2013).
A completely renovated Soviet hotel. When booking online, prices are
usually lower than in the official price list. Free Wi-Fi.
Like other Estonian cities, Narva does not lack wireless Internet, which is available in almost every cafe, shopping center, hotel and even gas station. The mobile operators are Estonian, but Russian networks are also caught on the street.
Although many Estonians consider Narva to be a dangerous city, there is really nothing particularly scary here. On the streets, you may meet locals who drink or have already consumed alcohol: it is better to avoid them, they do not show aggression. You should also not be like these residents: drinking alcoholic beverages on the street is punishable by a fine. It is not necessary to walk late at night in residential areas — however, there is absolutely nothing to do there.
Its border location played an important role in the history of Narva.
At the beginning of the XIII century, northern Estonia was captured by
the Danes, up to the natural geographical boundary — the Narova River.
According to the German chronicles, the city of Narva was founded by
the Danes in 1223. The Livonian chronicle of Balthazar Russov refers the
construction of Revel (now Tallinn) to 1223 and adds that soon after
that the cities of Wesenberg (now Rakvere) and Narva were founded. The
chronicle of Franz Nyenstadt also reports the following: "King Valdemar
arrived in Livonia with the Bishop of Lund and in 1223 began to build
the city of Reval, and then the fortresses of Wesenberg and Narva."
The Danish land register of 1241 mentions the village of Harvia on
the site of part of the territory of the modern city. In ancient Russian
sources, the fortified settlement was first mentioned in the Novgorod I
Chronicle under the year 1256.
Under the years 1344, 1420, 1444
in the same Novgorod first chronicle, as well as in the "dangerous
letter" of the Novgorod governors to the Hanseatic ambassadors to Dorpat
in 1417, this settlement is called Rugodiv.
In 1492, to fight Livonia, the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III built
opposite Narva (Rugodiva) Ivangorod fortress. During the Livonian War,
Narva was taken by Russian troops on May 11, 1558. Tsar Ivan the
Terrible planned to make Narva a major commercial and military port of
Russia on the Baltic Sea. Russian Russian Orthodox churches were built
in the city, and during the 23 years of Russian rule, many Russian
merchants and artisans moved to it. Narva trade with the cities of
Northern Germany, Denmark, Holland, France and England became very
profitable and developed rapidly. However, for the Swedish Kingdom and
the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the appearance of Russians in the
Baltic Sea was extremely undesirable, which is why both states entered
the war. The Battle of Wenden in the Livonian theater of operations
marked a turning point. In August 1579, the Swedes made their first
attempt to capture Narva, but retreated, losing about 4,000 men. In
1581, Rugodiv and Pernov were named Ukrainian cities in the royal
charter.
During the siege of 1581, the Swedes managed to capture
the city, after which, according to Balthazar Russov, about 7,000
Russian citizens were exterminated in it.
In 1590 Narva was
already besieged by the Russian army. In 1595, the Tyavzin Peace was
concluded between Russia and Sweden, according to which Russia forever
renounced its claims to the cities of Narva and Revel, but received all
lands east of the Narova River.
With an attempt to retake Narva, Peter I began the Northern War. The Russian army besieged the city, but on November 19 (30), 1700, it was defeated by Swedish troops (see the Battle of Narva). It was only on August 9 (20), 1704, that Russian troops took Narva. As a result of the Northern War, Estonia and Livonia were ceded to Russia, which was secured by the Nishtadsky Peace Treaty of 1721.
In 1719, the Reval province was formed, while Narva remained in the
St. Petersburg province. Later, Narva was withdrawn from provincial
subordination, and in 1802 it became part of the St. Petersburg province
again.
After the foundation of the fortresses of Kronstadt and
Sveaborg, Narva lost its strategic importance. By the middle of the XIX
century, Narva had become a major center of the textile industry due to
the foundation of A. L. Stieglitz cloth and flax spinning factories, as
well as the emergence of the Krenholm manufactory. Among the founders of
the manufactory were: Ludwig Knop, Kozma Terentyevich Soldatenkov,
Alexey Ivanovich Khludov, Richard Vasilyevich Barlov, Ernst Fedorovich
Kolbe.
In 1870, the Baltic Railway passed through the city,
connecting the ports of Revel and the Baltic Port on the Baltic Sea with
St. Petersburg and the line of the Nikolaev Railway. A railway station
and a bridge over Narova were built.
After the overthrow of the Provisional Government, the Narva City
Council continued negotiations with the government of Soviet Russia and
on November 14, 1917, sent a petition to Petrograd to separate Narva
from the Yamburg district and transfer it to the province of Estonia. On
November 16, 1917, the request was granted.
After Germany's
defeat in World War I, the Red Army captured Narva on November 28, 1918,
and then launched an offensive deep into Estonia. In Narva, occupied by
the Reds, the Estonian Soviet Republic (the so-called Estonian Labor
Commune) was proclaimed, which existed for 52 days. On January 19, with
the support of the Entente, the armed forces of the Republic of Estonia
and the Russian Pskov Volunteer Corps took Narva. According to the peace
treaty between Soviet Russia and Estonia, signed on February 2, 1920 in
Tartu (Yuryev), Narva (as well as its Ivangorod district) remained part
of Estonia.
In 1937, the first Russian singing Festival was held
in Narva and Ivangorod (as a district of the city of Narva), dedicated
to the 100th anniversary of the death of Alexander Pushkin. All Russian
public organizations in Estonia participated in the celebration. Choirs,
soloists and orchestras performed at the Narva Public Meeting, the
Harmony Club, the Ivangorod Fire Society, and the People's House at the
Cloth Manufactory. More than 15,000 spectators attended the celebration.
On August 6, 1940, Narva, as part of the Estonian SSR, was annexed to
the USSR (in modern Estonia and some other countries, this day is
considered the beginning of the Soviet occupation.
During the
Second World War, on August 17, 1941, it was occupied by German troops.
She was released during the Narva operation. During the war, the Old
City was severely destroyed during carpet bombing by Soviet aircraft, as
well as during the retreat of the Germans by their special sapper teams.
After the war, Narva, like Tallinn, was one of the 32 cities registered
by the State Committee for Architecture of the USSR. Despite plans to
restore the old city, the destroyed buildings were not mothballed and in
the early 1950s, the clearing of the territory for the construction of
standard houses began. Some of the buildings were subsequently restored:
the Town Hall (which housed the Palace of Pioneers, and on the third
floor there was a photo club), the Livonian Castle with Herman's Tower
(now the Narva Museum is located there), the house of the Officers'
Assembly and others. In total, 16 buildings of the Old City have been
preserved, including most of the building of the Vladimir Church (now
there is a department of pediatric dentistry), some of these buildings
are under state protection.
During the collapse of the USSR in 1990-1991, ideas about the
proclamation of the Narva Republic (Prinarovskaya SSR) spread in the
Estonian part of the Prinar region (Ida-Virumaa).
In the summer
of 1993, by decision of the City Council in Narva (as well as in
Sillamae) A referendum on autonomy was held. According to official data,
the majority (about 100%) of those who came to vote (with a turnout of
about 50%) supported autonomy; however, there were allegations of fraud.
Narva is located on the left bank of the Narva River (Narova), 12 km from the mouth, on the border with Russia opposite Ivangorod, 20 km from Kingisepp, 152 km west of St. Petersburg and 210 km east of Tallinn. Krenholm Island on the Narva River (Narova), which is part of the city and where the famous Krenholm Manufactory is located, is the easternmost island of Estonia. The easternmost point of the country is located on the territory of the Lime Pit by the river.
The average annual air temperature is 4.9 °C
The average wind
speed is 3.8 m/s
The relative humidity of the air is 80 %
In 1897, 44.1% of the city's residents spoke Estonian, 43.5% Russian,
6.0% German, and 2.8% Yiddish as their native language.
According
to the results of the 1934 census, the population of Narva was
distributed by ethnic groups as follows (including Ivangorod): Estonians
— 64.8%; Russians — 29.7%; Germans — 2.1%; Jews — 0.8%; the rest — 2.6%.
However, in 1944, Soviet troops storming Narva, as well as
retreating German troops, destroyed 98% of the city's buildings
(according to some German historians, 85% of this number falls to the
share of the Soviet army, 15% to the share of German troops). Most of
the buildings of the Old City of Narva were never rebuilt after the war,
and most of the indigenous population was forced to flee the city or
died. Those who remained in the city and its surroundings until January
1944 (about 20 thousand people) were evacuated by the Germans under
threat of execution, as the residents did not want to leave. This
happened before March 6, when a massive bombardment of German positions,
including Narva, began. In memory of these events, a memorial stone has
been erected in Narva near the city polyclinic (in the Old Town).
Immediately after the war, Narva was rapidly Russified, where
settlers from the interior of Russia arrived en masse, who actually
rebuilt the city, and by the 1959 census Estonians accounted for only
11.3% of the population of Narva. By the end of the 20th century, the
proportion of Estonians in the city had decreased to 3.9%.
In
2008, according to the Narva Department of Development and Economics,
presented in the collection "Narva in figures 2008", the share of the
Russian population was 80.1%, the share of the Estonian population was
3.9%. As of January 1, 2009, the population of Narva was 66,151 people
(5% of the country's population), as of January 1, 2014 — 62,078 people.
The area of the city is 84.54 km2. The population density is 810.5
people/km2.
Russian is the main means of communication. Russian
is also mainly used in the official sphere. In the past, the importance
of German and Swedish was great. Russian Russian—speaking schools in
Narva, except for one, but in the 2007 academic year, the Estonian
government began gradually translating high school education in Russian
schools into Estonian — 60% in Estonian and 40% in Russian. With this
innovation, the government wants to improve the admission rates of
Russian-speaking students to Estonian universities. There is a branch of
the Union of the Association of Russian Compatriots in Estonia and the
Estonian Republican Union of Russian Citizens in the city.
As of
January 1, 2009,
Russians (53.3 thousand) — about 80.9% of the city's
population lived in the city,
Estonians (2.6 thousand people) — about
3.9%,
Ukrainians — about 2.55%,
other nationalities (Belarusians,
Tatars, Armenians, Germans, Finns, etc.) — 2.65%.
According to
the 2011 census, 58,663 people lived in the city, of which 51,434
(87.68%) were Russians, 3,031 (5.17%) were Estonians, 4,138 (7.05%) were
other nationalities.
As of January 1, 2014, a total of 62,000
people lived in Narva, of which 46.7% (29,000 people) were Estonian
citizens, 36.3% (22,600) were Russian citizens, and 15.3% (9,500) were
stateless persons.
Data from the 2021 census
According to the
2021 census, 53,955 people lived in the city, of which 46,937 (86.99%)
were Russians, 3,107 (5.76%) were Estonians, 1,140 (2.11%) were
Ukrainians, 833 (1.54%) were Belarusians, 325 (0.6%) were Finns, 237
people (0.44 %) are Tatars, 125 people (0.23 %) are Lithuanians, 124
people (0.23 %) are Germans, 88 people (0.16 %) are Poles, 85 people
(0.16 %) are Latvians, 3107 people (0.09 %) are Armenians, 3107 people
(0.09 %) — Jews, 3107 people (1.51%) — persons of other nationalities,
the nationality of 3107 people (0.08%) is unknown.
The share of
the population over 65 years of age in the city's population structure
was 25.8% of the population (13,922 people), and the share of the
population under 14 years of age was 13.16% (7,103 people).
Of
the city's residents, Estonian citizens made up 50.29% (27,133 people),
Russian citizens — 34.65% (18,695 people), stateless persons — 13.16%
(7,099 people), citizens of other countries — 1.89% (1,021 people),
persons with unknown citizenship — 0.01% (7 peopleRussian Russians make
up 86.99% of the city's population, or 14.89% of all Estonian Russians
live in Narva, according to the Estonian Census of 2021. According to
the Estonian Population Census of 2021, 22.88% (18,695 people) of all
Russian citizens living in Estonia live in the city.
10.66%
(7,099 people) of all stateless people in Estonia live in Narva.
Of the 53,955 residents of the city, 51,560 people (98.02% of the
population of Narva) had Russian as their native language, 1,222 people
(2.26%) — Estonian, 373 people (0.69%) — Ukrainian, 103 people (0.19%) —
Belarusian, 75 people (0.14%) — Tatar, for 39 people (0.07 %) —
Azerbaijani, for 32 people (0.06 %) — Finnish, for 31 people (0.06 %) —
English, for 26 people (0.05 %) — Armenian, for 23 people (0.04 %) —
German, for 22 people (0.04 %) — French, for 18 people (0.03 %) —
Latvian, for 10 people (0.02 %) — Lithuanian, for 10 people (0.02 %) —
Spanish, 340 people (0.63%) had some other language as their mother
tongue, 71 people (0.13%) did not know their native language.
In Soviet times, the main industries of the city were: energy,
textile, production of building materials, mechanical engineering. Narva
was home to one of the largest cotton and paper enterprises in the USSR,
the Krenholm Manufactory, which is currently almost non-functioning. The
Baltic and Estonian GRES have been built near the city, working on local
shale. There were factories, a building materials plant, a foundry and a
mechanical plant, woodworking and food industry enterprises, which are
also currently closed.
Among the educational institutions there
is a vocational training center, the Narva College of the University of
Tartu, the Estonian-American Business College (until 2013), the Narva
Vocational Training Center. The Narva Museum in the castle and the Art
Gallery deserve attention.
The economic basis of Narva today is
energy. The energy complex of Narva power plants is the largest
employer, employing about 600 people.
Woodworking, furniture
production, and building materials were also traditional for Narva, and
are currently closed due to lack of use.
Sewing production,
metalworking, manufacture of control and measuring and medical
equipment, as well as various industrial equipment are still well
developed in Narva.
Along with large-scale industry, there are
also small and medium-sized businesses, among which trade, manufacturing
and service enterprises have received the greatest development. The
total number of enterprises registered in Narva is more than two
thousand.
Enterprises with up to 80 employees make up the bulk
(95%) of enterprises operating in the city, while 79% are enterprises
with fewer than 10 employees.
Narva offers firms and enterprises
good conditions for their activities: the city has a sufficient number
of compactly located production areas, a qualified workforce, an
inner-city border with Russia and direct communication with the largest
cities of Estonia, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Riga and Pskov.
Among the educational institutions there is a vocational training center, the Narva College of the University of Tartu, and the Narva Vocational Training Center. The Narva Museum in the castle and the Art Gallery deserve attention. There are several schools.
Narva consists of three parts: the city of Narva, Kudrukyula,
Holgina, and the small Jubilee quarter also belongs to it. The total
area of Narva is 84,583,005 m2 (8,458 ha), of which 78,394,766 m2 (7840
ha) are under the city of Narva, 5,606,739 m2 (560 ha) are under the
urban part of Kudrukula, 58.15 ha are under the Olginsky and Berezka
garden cooperatives. There are 123 streets in the city of Narva, of
which 23 were renamed after the restoration of Estonian independence.
There are over 120 streets in the Kudrukyula part. There are 23 streets
in the Holgin district. There are 3 streets in Yubileyny; there are also
about 90 garden streets within the borders of Narva.
Now the city
of Narva consists of 11 districts and 3 more separate districts:
Suthoffi, Pyakhklimae, Kalevi, Vanalin, Yoaoru, Kerese, Soldino,
Krenholm, Paemurru, Kulgu, Veekulgu and Electryama, as well as Holgina,
Kudrukyula and Yubileyny.
Until 2002, the city of Narva was
divided into 16 microdistricts. Previously, Narva had the following
districts: Sudalin, Peetri, Narva, Joaoru (Joaorg), Krenholm, Siyversti,
Kadadiku and Paemurru.
Vanalynn and Yoaoru
Vanalynn is the
historical center of Narva. There are 3,400 people living in the
Vanalynn area, and 750 people in Joaorg. Both districts are adjacent to
Narov. In Joaorg there are the recently restored Narva Cathedral, the
Resurrection Cathedral and the Alexander Lutheran Church, the railway
station, the monument "Swedish Lion", part of the bastion complex, a
recreation place — Lipovka (park and city beach of Narva).
Krenholm
It includes both residential and industrial facilities.
Kangelaste
Kangelaste is the largest area of the city in terms of
population. Over 21,000 people live in the district, which is almost 30%
of the total population of the city. Kangelaste is located in the
northern part of the city. Kangelaste consists mainly of typical Soviet
high-rise buildings from the 1970s and 1980s.
Soldino
The
population is 12,500 people.
Keres
The population is 8,500
people. It is located in the central part of the city.
Kalevi
The population is more than 7000 people. Location: city center.
Suthoffi
It consists partly of high-rise buildings, but there is also
a country complex.
Electryama and Kulgu
Kulgu and Elektriyama
are industrial areas.
Kudrukyula, Jubilee and Veekulgu
They
consist of country complexes.
Paemurru
Paemurru is located in
the southwestern part of Narva. The district consists of a private
sector. There are mainly one-storey and two-storey private houses in the
district.
Olga
It is located separately from the others. There
is more private sector than high-rise buildings. There is a small local
airfield.