Narva-Ivangorod
Overview
Historical and geographical context
Narva and Ivangorod, situated on opposite sides of the river Narva, formed one and the same town between 1704 and 1918. After the First World War, Narva was allocated to the newly independent Estonia, and the district of Ivangorod remained under the municipal administration of Narva. After 1940, Estonia was incorporated into the USSR with the status of a socialist republic. In 1944, Narva was the scene of clashes which caused the total destruction of its old town centre. After the fighting ended, Narva was administratively separated from Ivangorod, which became part of Russian territory. Estonians who had gone into exile during the war were banned from returning to Narva.
It was only in 1991 that Estonia became independent once again, before joining the European Union in 2004. Narva thus found itself on the external border of the European Union, and since 2007, of the Schengen Area. Ivangorod, meanwhile is part of the Russian Federation.
Today, Narva is the third largest city in Estonia, and counts more than 65,000 inhabitants, 93% or whom are Russian-speaking. The city is therefore home to the largest Russian minority in Estonia. Ivangorod, for its part, has a population of nearly 10,000.
The establishment of the border between Narva and Ivangorod and the introduction of customs formalities (possession of a visa) has had negative consequences for certain Russian families with members living in both towns. A solution to this problem was found between the Russian and Estonian authorities, who each year make available for the inhabitants of Narva and Ivangorod a certain number of visas free of charge, allowing them to cross the border.
