Narva
Encyclopedia
Narva is the third largest city
in Estonia
. It is located at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, by the Russia
n border, on the Narva River
which drains Lake Peipus
.
, named after the city. The fortified settlement at Narva Joaoru is the oldest known in Estonia, dated to around 1000 BC. The earliest written reference of Narva is in the First Novgorod Chronicle, which in the year 1172 describes a district in Novgorod called Nerevsky or Narovsky konets (yard). According to historians, this name derives from the name of Narva or Narva River and indicates that a frequently used trade route went through Narva, although there is no evidence of the existence of a trading settlement at the time.
was behind the founding of Narva castle and the development of an urban settlement around it. The castle was founded during the Danish rule of northern Estonia
during the second half of the 13th century, the earliest written record of the castle is from 1277. Narvia village is mentioned in the Danish Census Book
already in 1241. A town developed around the stronghold and in 1345 obtained Lübeck City Rights from Danish king Valdemar IV
. The castle and surrounding town of Narva became a possession of the Livonian Order
in 1346, after the Danish king sold its lands in Northern Estonia. In 1492 Ivangorod fortress
across the Narva River was established by Ivan III
of Moscow
.
Trade, particularly Hanseatic
long distance trade remained Narva's raison d'être throughout the Middle Ages. However, due to opposition from Tallinn
, Narva itself never became part of the Hanseatic League and also remained a very small town – its population in 1530 is estimated at 600–750 people.
in 1558, for a short period Narva became an important port and trading city for Russia
, transshipping goods from Pskov
and Novgorod. Russian rule ended in 1581 when Swedes under the command of Pontus De la Gardie
conquered the city and it became part of Sweden
. During the Russo-Swedish War (1590–1595), when Arvid Stålarm
was governor, Russian forces attempted to re-gain the city without success.
During the Swedish rule the Old Town of Narva was built. Following a big fire in 1659, which almost completely destroyed the town, only stone buildings were allowed to be built in the central part of the town. Incomes from flourishing trade allowed the town center to be rebuilt in two decades. The baroque style
Old Town underwent practically no changes until World War II
and became in later centuries quite famous all over Europe. Near the end of the Swedish rule
the defence structures of Narva were greatly improved – beginning in 1680s, an outstanding system of bastion
s, planned by the renowned Swedish military engineer Erik Dahlbergh, was built around the town. The new defence structures were among the most powerful in Northern Europe.
During the Great Northern War
, Narva was the setting for its first great battle
between the forces of King Charles XII of Sweden
and Tsar Peter I of Russia
. Although outnumbered four to one, the Swedish forces routed their 40 000-strong opponent. The city was subsequently conquered by Russia
in 1704.
After the war the bastions were renovated and Narva remained in the list of Russian fortifications until 1863, though there was no real military need for it. During the Russian rule Narva was part of Saint Petersburg Governorate
.
In the middle of the 19th century Narva started to develop into a major industrial town. The Kreenholm Manufacture was established by Ludwig Knoop
in 1857. The factory could use the cheap energy of the powerful Narva waterfalls and at the end of the century became, with about 10,000 workers, one of the largest cotton mill
s in Europe and the World. In 1872 Kreenholm Manufacture was also the site of the first strike
in Estonia. At the end of the 19th century, Narva was the leading industrial town in Estonia – 41% of industrial workers in Estonia were located in Narva, compared to 33% in Tallinn
. The first railway in Estonia, completed in 1870, connected Narva to Saint Petersburg
and Tallinn.
. The town saw fighting during the Estonian War of Independence. The war started in Narva on 28 November 1918, on the next day the city was captured by the Red Army
. Russia retained control of the city until 19 January 1919.
Heavy battles occurred in and around Narva in World War II
(see Battle of Narva (1944)
), during which the city was almost completely leveled. The city was damaged in 1941 and by smaller air raids throughout the war, but remained relatively intact until February 1944. The most devastating action was the bombing of 6 March 1944 by the Soviet Air Force
, which destroyed the baroque old town. The civilian casualties of the bombing were low as the German forces
had evacuated the city in January the same year. Germans also blew up some of the remaining buildings and by their retreat in the end of July 98% of Narva had been destroyed. After the war, most of the buildings could have been restored as the walls of the houses still existed, but in early 1950s the Soviet authorities decided to demolish the ruins to make room for apartment buildings. Only three buildings remain of the old town, including the Baroque
-style Town Hall.
The former inhabitants were not allowed to return to Narva after the war. The main reason behind this was a plan to build a secret uranium
processing plant in the city, which would turn Narva into a closed town. Although already in 1947 nearby Sillamäe
was selected as the location of the factory instead of Narva, the existence of such plan was decisive for the development of Narva in the first post-war years and thus also shaped its later evolution. The planned uranium factory and other large-scale industrial developments, like the restoring of Kreenholm Manufacture, were the driving force behind the influx of internal migrants from other parts of the Soviet Union, mainly Russia.
In January 1945 Ivangorod
, a town across the river which was founded in 1492 by Tsar Ivan III of Russia
, was given a separate administrative status from the rest of Narva, as a part of the Leningrad Oblast
in the Russian SFSR. Ivangorod received the official status of town in 1954.
When Estonia regained its independence in 1991, Narva became again a border city. As the population of Narva was dominated by Soviet-era migrants from Russia and other union republics
, the fall of the Soviet Union and re-established Republic of Estonia were not especially greeted in the city and other industrial towns of the Ida-Viru County
. The dissatisfaction culminated with the so-called Narva referendum
of 16–17 July 1993, which proposed autonomy for Narva and Sillamäe
, another nearby industrial town. The Estonian government deemed the referendum illegal and sent Indrek Tarand
as its special envoy to the region. The referendum was indeed carried out, but generally failed as it did not provide a clear popular mandate for the autonomy, leading to the stabilization of the situation.
After 1991 there have also been some disputes about the Estonian-Russian border in the Narva area, as the new constitution of Estonia
(adopted in 1992) recognizes the 1920 Treaty of Tartu
border to be currently legal. The Russian Federation, however, considers Estonia to be a successor of the Estonian SSR and recognizes the 1945 border between two former national republics. Officially, Estonia has no territorial claims in the area, which is also reflected in the new Estonian-Russian border treaty. Although the treaty was signed in 2005 by the foreign ministers of Estonia and Russia, due to continuing political tensions it has not been ratified.
-speakers (82% are ethnic Russians), mostly either Soviet-era immigrants from parts of the former Soviet Union
(mainly Russia
) or their descendants. Ethnic estonians
account for only 3,86% of total population. Much of the city was destroyed during World War II
and for several years during the following reconstruction the Soviet authorities prohibited the return of any of Narva's pre-war residents (among whom ethnic Estonians had been the majority, forming 64.8% of the town's population of 23,512 according to the 1934 census), thus radically altering the city's ethnic composition.
Only 46,4% of the city's inhabitants are Estonian citizens. Another 36% are citizens of the Russian Federation, while 16,4% of the population has undefined citizenship.
A significant concern in Narva is the spread of HIV
, which started expanding in 2000. Between 2001 and 2008, more than 1600 cases of HIV were registered in Narva, making it one of the three areas worst hit in Estonia, after Tallinn
and ahead of the rest of Ida-Viru County
. On average 150–200 new cases have been registered yearly.
, lies 50 km to the west. The eastern border of the city along the Narva River
coincides with the Estonian-Russian border. The Estonian part of the Narva Reservoir
lies mostly within the territory of Narva, to the southwest of city center. The mouth of the Narva River to the Gulf of Finland
is about 13 km downstream from the city.
The territory of Narva is 84.54 km2. The city proper has an area of 62 km2 (excluding the reservoir), while two separate districts surrounded by Vaivara Parish
, Kudruküla and Olgina, cover 5.6 and 0.58 km2, respectively. Kudruküla is the largest of Narva's dacha
regions, located 6 km to northwest from the main city, near Narva-Jõesuu
.
Narva is dominated by the 15th-century castle, with the 51-metre-high Long Hermann tower as its most prominent landmark. The sprawling complex of the Kreenholm Manufacture, located in the proximity of scenic waterfalls, is one of the largest textile mills of 19th-century Northern Europe. Other notable buildings include Swedish mansions of the 17th century, a Baroque town hall (1668–71), and remains of Erik Dahlberg
's fortifications.
Across the Narva River is the Russian Ivangorod fortress
, founded by Grand Prince Ivan III of Muscovy
in 1492 and known in Western sources as Counter-Narva. During the Soviet
times Narva and Ivangorod
were twin cities
, despite belonging to different republics. Before World War II
, Ivangorod was administrated as part of Narva.
Narva Kreenholmi Stadium is home to Meistriliiga
football team, FC Narva Trans.
with: Karlskoga
, Sweden
Tinglev
, Denmark
Donetsk
, Ukraine
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. It is located at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, by the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n border, on the Narva River
Narva River
The Narva is a river flowing into the Baltic Sea, the largest river in Estonia. Draining Lake Peipsi, the river forms the border of Estonia and Russia and flows through the towns of Narva/Ivangorod and Narva-Jõesuu into Narva Bay. Though the river is only 77 km long, in terms of volume...
which drains Lake Peipus
Lake Peipus
Lake Peipus, ) is the biggest transboundary lake in Europe on the border between Estonia and Russia.The lake is the fifth largest in Europe after Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega in Russia north of St...
.
Early history
People settled in the area from the 5th to 4th millennium BC, as witnessed by the archeological traces of the Narva cultureNarva culture
Narva culture or eastern Baltic was a European Neolithic archaeological culture found in present-day Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Kaliningrad Oblast , and adjacent portions of Poland and Russia. A successor of the Mesolithic Kunda culture, Narva culture continued up to the start of the Bronze Age....
, named after the city. The fortified settlement at Narva Joaoru is the oldest known in Estonia, dated to around 1000 BC. The earliest written reference of Narva is in the First Novgorod Chronicle, which in the year 1172 describes a district in Novgorod called Nerevsky or Narovsky konets (yard). According to historians, this name derives from the name of Narva or Narva River and indicates that a frequently used trade route went through Narva, although there is no evidence of the existence of a trading settlement at the time.
Middle Ages
The favourable location at the crossing of trade routes and the Narva RiverNarva River
The Narva is a river flowing into the Baltic Sea, the largest river in Estonia. Draining Lake Peipsi, the river forms the border of Estonia and Russia and flows through the towns of Narva/Ivangorod and Narva-Jõesuu into Narva Bay. Though the river is only 77 km long, in terms of volume...
was behind the founding of Narva castle and the development of an urban settlement around it. The castle was founded during the Danish rule of northern Estonia
Danish Estonia
Danish Estonia refers to the territories of present-day Estonia that were ruled by Denmark firstly during the 13th–14th centuries and again in the 16th–17th centuries....
during the second half of the 13th century, the earliest written record of the castle is from 1277. Narvia village is mentioned in the Danish Census Book
Danish Census Book
The Danish Census Book or the Danish book of land taxation , from the 13th Century consist of notes for practical use in the Royal Chancery of Valdemar II containing a collection of information on Royal income and Royal land property. The book is one of the most important sources of information...
already in 1241. A town developed around the stronghold and in 1345 obtained Lübeck City Rights from Danish king Valdemar IV
Valdemar IV of Denmark
Valdemar IV of Denmark or Waldemar ; , was King of Denmark from 1340 to 1375.-Ascension to the throne:...
. The castle and surrounding town of Narva became a possession of the Livonian Order
Livonian Order
The Livonian Order was an autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1435–1561. After being defeated by Samogitians in the 1236 Battle of Schaulen , the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword were incorporated into the Teutonic Knights...
in 1346, after the Danish king sold its lands in Northern Estonia. In 1492 Ivangorod fortress
Ivangorod fortress
Ivangorod Fortress is a Russian medieval castle established by Ivan III in 1492 and since then grown into the town of Ivangorod....
across the Narva River was established by Ivan III
Ivan III of Russia
Ivan III Vasilyevich , also known as Ivan the Great, was a Grand Prince of Moscow and "Grand Prince of all Rus"...
of Moscow
Grand Duchy of Moscow
The Grand Duchy of Moscow or Grand Principality of Moscow, also known in English simply as Muscovy , was a late medieval Rus' principality centered on Moscow, and the predecessor state of the early modern Tsardom of Russia....
.
Trade, particularly Hanseatic
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
long distance trade remained Narva's raison d'être throughout the Middle Ages. However, due to opposition from Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, Narva itself never became part of the Hanseatic League and also remained a very small town – its population in 1530 is estimated at 600–750 people.
Swedish and Russian rule
Captured by the Russians during the Livonian WarLivonian War
The Livonian War was fought for control of Old Livonia in the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia when the Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of Denmark–Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland.During the period 1558–1578,...
in 1558, for a short period Narva became an important port and trading city for Russia
Tsardom of Russia
The Tsardom of Russia was the name of the centralized Russian state from Ivan IV's assumption of the title of Tsar in 1547 till Peter the Great's foundation of the Russian Empire in 1721.From 1550 to 1700, Russia grew 35,000 km2 a year...
, transshipping goods from Pskov
Pskov
Pskov is an ancient city and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in the northwest of Russia about east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population: -Early history:...
and Novgorod. Russian rule ended in 1581 when Swedes under the command of Pontus De la Gardie
Pontus De la Gardie
Pontus De la Gardie was a French nobleman and general in the service of Denmark and Sweden.He was born Ponce De La Gardie in Russol , Languedoc, as a son of Jacques De la Gardie and Catherine de Sainte-Colombe. As a youngster, he wanted to become a priest and was educated in a monastery...
conquered the city and it became part of Sweden
Swedish Empire
The Swedish Empire refers to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721 . During this time, Sweden was one of the great European powers. In Swedish, the period is called Stormaktstiden, literally meaning "the Great Power Era"...
. During the Russo-Swedish War (1590–1595), when Arvid Stålarm
Arvid Stålarm the Younger
Arvid Stålarm, actually Arvid Eriksson till Lindö i Tenala was a Swedish noble and soldier from the Finland-based Stålarm family. He is sometimes called "the Younger" to distinguish him from his grandfather and namesake who died in 1529.In his early career, Arvid Stålarm served as a captain in...
was governor, Russian forces attempted to re-gain the city without success.
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
Old Town underwent practically no changes until World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and became in later centuries quite famous all over Europe. Near the end of the Swedish rule
Swedish Estonia
The Duchy of Estonia , also known as Swedish Estonia, was a dominion of the Swedish Empire from 1561 until 1721, when it was ceded to Russia in the Treaty of Nystad, following its capitulation in the Great Northern War. The dominion arose when the northern parts of present-day Estonia were united...
the defence structures of Narva were greatly improved – beginning in 1680s, an outstanding system of bastion
Bastion
A bastion, or a bulwark, is a structure projecting outward from the main enclosure of a fortification, situated in both corners of a straight wall , facilitating active defence against assaulting troops...
s, planned by the renowned Swedish military engineer Erik Dahlbergh, was built around the town. The new defence structures were among the most powerful in Northern Europe.
During the Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
, Narva was the setting for its first great battle
Battle of Narva (1700)
The Battle of Narva on 19 November 1700 was an early battle in the Great Northern War. A Swedish relief army under Charles XII of Sweden defeated a Russian siege force three times its size. Before, Charles XII had forced Denmark-Norway to sign the Treaty of Travendal...
between the forces of King Charles XII of Sweden
Charles XII of Sweden
Charles XII also Carl of Sweden, , Latinized to Carolus Rex, Turkish: Demirbaş Şarl, also known as Charles the Habitué was the King of the Swedish Empire from 1697 to 1718...
and Tsar Peter I of Russia
Peter I of Russia
Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...
. Although outnumbered four to one, the Swedish forces routed their 40 000-strong opponent. The city was subsequently conquered by Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
in 1704.
After the war the bastions were renovated and Narva remained in the list of Russian fortifications until 1863, though there was no real military need for it. During the Russian rule Narva was part of Saint Petersburg Governorate
Saint Petersburg Governorate
Saint Petersburg Governorate , or Government of Saint Petersburg, was an administrative division of the Russian Empire, which existed in 1708–1927....
.
Ludwig Knoop
Johann Ludwig Knoop was a cotton merchant and entrepreneur from the city-state of Bremen, who became one of the richest entrepreneurs in his time...
in 1857. The factory could use the cheap energy of the powerful Narva waterfalls and at the end of the century became, with about 10,000 workers, one of the largest cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
s in Europe and the World. In 1872 Kreenholm Manufacture was also the site of the first strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
in Estonia. At the end of the 19th century, Narva was the leading industrial town in Estonia – 41% of industrial workers in Estonia were located in Narva, compared to 33% in Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
. The first railway in Estonia, completed in 1870, connected Narva to Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
and Tallinn.
20th century
Narva became part of independent Estonia in 1918 following World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The town saw fighting during the Estonian War of Independence. The war started in Narva on 28 November 1918, on the next day the city was captured by the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
. Russia retained control of the city until 19 January 1919.
Heavy battles occurred in and around Narva in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(see Battle of Narva (1944)
Battle of Narva (1944)
The Battle of Narva was a military campaign between the German Army Detachment "Narwa" and the Soviet Leningrad Front fought for possession of the strategically important Narva Isthmus on 2 February – 10 August 1944 during World War II....
), during which the city was almost completely leveled. The city was damaged in 1941 and by smaller air raids throughout the war, but remained relatively intact until February 1944. The most devastating action was the bombing of 6 March 1944 by the Soviet Air Force
Soviet Air Force
The Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces...
, which destroyed the baroque old town. The civilian casualties of the bombing were low as the German forces
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
had evacuated the city in January the same year. Germans also blew up some of the remaining buildings and by their retreat in the end of July 98% of Narva had been destroyed. After the war, most of the buildings could have been restored as the walls of the houses still existed, but in early 1950s the Soviet authorities decided to demolish the ruins to make room for apartment buildings. Only three buildings remain of the old town, including the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
-style Town Hall.
The former inhabitants were not allowed to return to Narva after the war. The main reason behind this was a plan to build a secret uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
processing plant in the city, which would turn Narva into a closed town. Although already in 1947 nearby Sillamäe
Sillamäe
Sillamäe is a town in Ida-Viru County in the northern part of Estonia, on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland. It has a population of 16,183 and covers an area of 10.54 km²...
was selected as the location of the factory instead of Narva, the existence of such plan was decisive for the development of Narva in the first post-war years and thus also shaped its later evolution. The planned uranium factory and other large-scale industrial developments, like the restoring of Kreenholm Manufacture, were the driving force behind the influx of internal migrants from other parts of the Soviet Union, mainly Russia.
In January 1945 Ivangorod
Ivangorod
Ivangorod is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the right bank of the Narva River by the Russian-Estonian border, west of St. Petersburg. Population: The town is known for the Ivangorod fortress....
, a town across the river which was founded in 1492 by Tsar Ivan III of Russia
Ivan III of Russia
Ivan III Vasilyevich , also known as Ivan the Great, was a Grand Prince of Moscow and "Grand Prince of all Rus"...
, was given a separate administrative status from the rest of Narva, as a part of the Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It was established on August 1, 1927, although it was not until 1946 that the oblast's borders had been mostly settled in their present position...
in the Russian SFSR. Ivangorod received the official status of town in 1954.
Recent history
Republics of the Soviet Union
The Republics of the Soviet Union or the Union Republics of the Soviet Union were ethnically-based administrative units that were subordinated directly to the Government of the Soviet Union...
, the fall of the Soviet Union and re-established Republic of Estonia were not especially greeted in the city and other industrial towns of the Ida-Viru County
Ida-Viru County
Ida-Viru County , or Ida-Virumaa, is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is the most north-eastern part of the country. The county contains large deposits of oil shale - the main mineral mined in Estonia. As oil shale is used in thermal power plants, the earth in Ida-Viru literally holds the largest...
. The dissatisfaction culminated with the so-called Narva referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
of 16–17 July 1993, which proposed autonomy for Narva and Sillamäe
Sillamäe
Sillamäe is a town in Ida-Viru County in the northern part of Estonia, on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland. It has a population of 16,183 and covers an area of 10.54 km²...
, another nearby industrial town. The Estonian government deemed the referendum illegal and sent Indrek Tarand
Indrek Tarand
Indrek Tarand MEP is an Estonian politician, reserve officer, civil servant, journalist and historian.Tarand has served as an advisor to the Prime Minister of Estonia and as the Secretary General of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.-Biography:Tarand is the eldest son of Andres Tarand...
as its special envoy to the region. The referendum was indeed carried out, but generally failed as it did not provide a clear popular mandate for the autonomy, leading to the stabilization of the situation.
After 1991 there have also been some disputes about the Estonian-Russian border in the Narva area, as the new constitution of Estonia
Constitution of Estonia
The Constitution of Estonia is the fundamental law of the Republic of Estonia and establishes the state order as that of a democratic republic where the supreme power is vested in its citizens. It was adopted in a freely elected Estonian Constituent Assembly on 15 June 1920 and came into force on...
(adopted in 1992) recognizes the 1920 Treaty of Tartu
Treaty of Tartu (Russian–Estonian)
Tartu Peace Treaty or Treaty of Tartu was a peace treaty between Estonia and Russian SFSR signed on February 2, 1920 ending the Estonian War of Independence. The terms of the treaty stated that "Russia unreservedly recognises" the independence of Republic of Estonia de jure and renounced in...
border to be currently legal. The Russian Federation, however, considers Estonia to be a successor of the Estonian SSR and recognizes the 1945 border between two former national republics. Officially, Estonia has no territorial claims in the area, which is also reflected in the new Estonian-Russian border treaty. Although the treaty was signed in 2005 by the foreign ministers of Estonia and Russia, due to continuing political tensions it has not been ratified.
Demographics
On 1 January 2011 Narva had 64,667 inhabitants. The population, which was 83,000 in 1992, has been declining since then. 93.85% of the current population of Narva are RussianRussian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
-speakers (82% are ethnic Russians), mostly either Soviet-era immigrants from parts of the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(mainly Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
) or their descendants. Ethnic estonians
Estonians
Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian...
account for only 3,86% of total population. Much of the city was destroyed during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and for several years during the following reconstruction the Soviet authorities prohibited the return of any of Narva's pre-war residents (among whom ethnic Estonians had been the majority, forming 64.8% of the town's population of 23,512 according to the 1934 census), thus radically altering the city's ethnic composition.
Only 46,4% of the city's inhabitants are Estonian citizens. Another 36% are citizens of the Russian Federation, while 16,4% of the population has undefined citizenship.
A significant concern in Narva is the spread of HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
, which started expanding in 2000. Between 2001 and 2008, more than 1600 cases of HIV were registered in Narva, making it one of the three areas worst hit in Estonia, after Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
and ahead of the rest of Ida-Viru County
Ida-Viru County
Ida-Viru County , or Ida-Virumaa, is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is the most north-eastern part of the country. The county contains large deposits of oil shale - the main mineral mined in Estonia. As oil shale is used in thermal power plants, the earth in Ida-Viru literally holds the largest...
. On average 150–200 new cases have been registered yearly.
Geography and climate
Narva is situated in the eastern extreme point of Estonia, 200 km to the east from the Estonian capital Tallinn and 130 km southwest from Saint Petersburg. The capital of Ida-Viru County, JõhviJõhvi
Jõhvi is a town in north-eastern Estonia, and the capital of Ida-Viru County. The town is also an administrative centre of Jõhvi Parish. It is situated 50 km from the Russian border....
, lies 50 km to the west. The eastern border of the city along the Narva River
Narva River
The Narva is a river flowing into the Baltic Sea, the largest river in Estonia. Draining Lake Peipsi, the river forms the border of Estonia and Russia and flows through the towns of Narva/Ivangorod and Narva-Jõesuu into Narva Bay. Though the river is only 77 km long, in terms of volume...
coincides with the Estonian-Russian border. The Estonian part of the Narva Reservoir
Narva Reservoir
Narva Reservoir is a reservoir by Narva River, shared by Russia and Estonia.The reservoir was constructed during 1955-1956, during the Soviet times. It provides water to Narva Hydroelectric Station and cooling water to the Estonian Narva Power Plants...
lies mostly within the territory of Narva, to the southwest of city center. The mouth of the Narva River to the Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
is about 13 km downstream from the city.
The territory of Narva is 84.54 km2. The city proper has an area of 62 km2 (excluding the reservoir), while two separate districts surrounded by Vaivara Parish
Vaivara Parish
Vaivara Parish is a municipality of Ida-Viru County in northern Estonia. It has a population of 1,800 and an area of 397.97 km².-Settlements:Small boroughs:Olgina , Sinimäe Villages:...
, Kudruküla and Olgina, cover 5.6 and 0.58 km2, respectively. Kudruküla is the largest of Narva's dacha
Dacha
Dacha is a Russian word for seasonal or year-round second homes often located in the exurbs of Soviet and post-Soviet cities. Cottages or shacks serving as family's main or only home are not considered dachas, although many purpose-built dachas are recently being converted for year-round residence...
regions, located 6 km to northwest from the main city, near Narva-Jõesuu
Narva-Jõesuu
Narva-Jõesuu is a town in Ida-Viru County, Estonia, located on the country's northern Baltic Sea coast near the Russian border. The name of the town in Estonian and Russian means "mouth of the Narva River"....
.
Landmarks
Narva is dominated by the 15th-century castle, with the 51-metre-high Long Hermann tower as its most prominent landmark. The sprawling complex of the Kreenholm Manufacture, located in the proximity of scenic waterfalls, is one of the largest textile mills of 19th-century Northern Europe. Other notable buildings include Swedish mansions of the 17th century, a Baroque town hall (1668–71), and remains of Erik Dahlberg
Erik Dahlberg
Count Erik Jönsson Dahlbergh was a Swedish engineer, soldier, and field marshal, called the "Vauban of Sweden".- Life :...
's fortifications.
Across the Narva River is the Russian Ivangorod fortress
Ivangorod fortress
Ivangorod Fortress is a Russian medieval castle established by Ivan III in 1492 and since then grown into the town of Ivangorod....
, founded by Grand Prince Ivan III of Muscovy
Ivan III of Russia
Ivan III Vasilyevich , also known as Ivan the Great, was a Grand Prince of Moscow and "Grand Prince of all Rus"...
in 1492 and known in Western sources as Counter-Narva. During the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
times Narva and Ivangorod
Ivangorod
Ivangorod is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the right bank of the Narva River by the Russian-Estonian border, west of St. Petersburg. Population: The town is known for the Ivangorod fortress....
were twin cities
Twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
, despite belonging to different republics. Before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Ivangorod was administrated as part of Narva.
Narva Kreenholmi Stadium is home to Meistriliiga
Meistriliiga
Meistriliiga is the highest division of the Estonian Football Association annual football championship. The league was founded in 1991 and the current, 2011 is the league's 21st season...
football team, FC Narva Trans.
Notable residents
- Maksim GruznovMaksim GruznovMaksim Gruznov is an Estonian football striker. He plays for FC Trans Narva.Gruznov became the Meistriliiga top goalscorer in 1993/94 and then repeated his success in 2001 and 2006 seasons....
(born 1974), football player - Evert HornEvert HornEvert Horn was a Swedish soldier. He was born in Haapsalu. He was appointed Governor of Narva in 1613, and Field Marshal in 1614. He was killed by a bullet during the early days of the Swedish siege of Pskov....
(1585–1615), governor of Narva (1613) - Valery KarpinValery KarpinValeri Georgievich Karpin is a former Russian professional association footballer who played midfielder and former manager of FC Spartak Moscow...
(born 1969), Russian football player - Paul KeresPaul KeresPaul Keres , was an Estonian chess grandmaster, and a renowned chess writer. He was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s....
(1916–1975), chess grandmaster - Leo KomarovLeo KomarovLeonid Aleksandrovich "Leo" Komarov is a Finnish ice hockey player. He holds dual nationality from Finland and Russia. He currently plays in the Kontinental Hockey League.- Draft :...
(born 1987), hockey player - Friedrich Lustig (1912–1989), Buddhist monk
- William Kleesmann Matthews (1901–1958), linguist, translator and writer
- Kersti MerilaasKersti MerilaasKersti Merilaas was an Estonian poet and translator. In addition, she wrote poems and prose for children and plays.-Life and work:...
(1913–1986), poetess, playwright - Ortvin SarapuOrtvin SarapuOrtvin Sarapu MBE , sometimes known as "Mr Chess", was a New Zealand chess International Master who won or co-won the New Zealand Chess Championship 20 times between 1952 and 1990.-Early life:Born Ortvin Sarapuu in Estonia, he won the Estonian Junior Championship in 1940, then defected to Finland...
(1924–1999), chess player - Paul Felix SchmidtPaul Felix SchmidtPaul Felix Schmidt was an Estonian chess International Master, chess writer, and chemist.- Biography :In June 1935, he won, ahead of Paul Keres, at Tallinn. In May 1936, he drew a match against Keres at Pärnu. In 1936, he won the 8th Estonian Championship at Tallinn. In December 1936, he placed...
(1916–1984), chess player - Albert ÜksipAlbert ÜksipAlbert Üksip was an Estonian botanist.-External links:*...
(1886–1966), botanist
Twin towns — Sister cities
Narva is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Karlskoga
Karlskoga
Karlskoga is a locality and the seat of Karlskoga Municipality in Örebro County, Sweden with 27,500 inhabitants in 2005.-Geography:It is located at the northern shore of lake Möckeln, and the small settlement was initially called Möckelns bodar...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Tinglev
Tinglev
Tinglev is a town with a population of 2,816 in Aabenraa municipality in Region of Southern Denmark on the Jutland peninsula in south Denmark....
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Donetsk
Donetsk
Donetsk , is a large city in eastern Ukraine on the Kalmius river. Administratively, it is a center of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the economic and cultural Donets Basin region...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...