Estonia’s Border City Gazes Across a Frozen Frontier at Russia

This year, Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova faced significant online backlash for curating an exhibition titled Narva 44, which spotlighted the destruction of the Estonian border city of Narva during World War II by Soviet forces.

According to Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova, the Kremlin has traditionally placed the blame for Narva’s devastation on retreating German troops. However, the photographs displayed in the exhibition painted a different narrative, challenging the official Russian account.

The exhibition drew criticism, not least from Narva’s local council. Adding to the controversy, Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova’s team displayed a massive banner on the side of Narva’s historic fortress—facing Russia—during Moscow’s Victory Day celebrations in May. The banner boldly declared, “Putin is a War Criminal.”

This incident came against the backdrop of Estonia’s delicate balancing act, as the country seeks to manage tensions with both its ethnic Russian population and Moscow. While neighboring Finland has closed all of its land border crossings with Russia, Estonia keeps a bridge in Narva open for foot traffic. This border crossing has become a focal point for monitoring and controlling movement between the two countries.

The frustration among those attempting to cross into Russia is palpable. Outside the Narva border checkpoint, a long line of people, some with rolling suitcases in tow, stretches across the town square as they wait in freezing conditions for clearance into Russia. Many, speaking in Russian, express anger at what they perceive as excessively prolonged exit procedures imposed by Estonian authorities.

Belitšev, an official overseeing the checkpoint, blamed the delays on Russian authorities, accusing them of deliberately causing traffic issues to undermine his team’s efficiency and stir resentment. Nonetheless, he stood firm on Estonia’s stance, emphasizing that streamlined access to what he described as an “aggressor” state was not a priority.

“If you want to enter Russia, it shouldn’t be comfortable,” he stated.