Estonia: The developments in Crimea have roused fears that a similar scenario could occur in Narva ⋆ The Baltic Review

Crimea scenario improbable in Estonian Narva

The developments in Crimea have roused fears in Estonia that a similar scenario could occur in Narva.

Almost all the inhabitants of this city on the border with Russia speak Russian. The director of Narva College, Katri Raik, sees no reason to worry for the time being.

What would happen if Narva were to hold a referendum? Would its residents want to live in Estonia or in Putin’s Russia? Anyone with any common sense – and believe me, people here are quite normal – would want to live in Estonia. Because life here is better, more stable, the pensions are higher, we have social welfare. People in Narva know what they would chose because they often travel to Ivangorod.

… Ivangorod is a small provincial town that lives from the money it gets from Narva and from smuggling. As long as there are no Russian troops stationed on our territory or on the border on the other side of the Narva River, everything is fine. If Russian troops were visibly present, the people’s mood – or at least that of the older generation – would change.

ABOUT NARVA

Narva – gateway to the European Union

The city of Narva is located in the East-Virumaa county, it is the third biggest city in Estonia and the biggest in the north-eastern part of Estonia. The population of Narva is 65 708 people (as of January 1, 2010). The uniqueness of Narva lies in its location on the border between the East and the West, between the European Union/Estonia and Russia, lying 210 kilometres from Tallinn and 130 kilometres from St. Petersburg.

The city borders the left bank of the River Narva, 14 km before it flows into the Gulf of Finland. The resort town of Narva-Jõesuu lies at the estuary of the River Narva.

On May 1, 2004 Estonia joined the European Union and consequently Narva became an important European border-city with great opportunities for business and tourism.