Narva: Queue to Enter Russia – Journalist Report

The Baltic states do not believe Russian claims that Moscow has no plans to attack the North Atlantic Alliance. After all, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia already face real threats today. The Seznam Zpráv special correspondent visited the military base, the fortified border zone and other vulnerable places. How is life on the Russian border?

They watch as the neighborhood of their homes turns into a fortress zone. For residents of the Baltic states living near the borders with Russia and Belarus, the threat of a possible further conquest of the regime of Vladimir Putin towards the west is a daily reality. At the same time, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are already the target of hybrid attacks, provocations and Russian propaganda.

Anna Hrdinová, special correspondent of Seznam Zpráv, visited some exposed areas of the Baltics in autumn. A military base, a city on the very border with Russia or the strategic Suwal corridor, which military experts describe as probably the most vulnerable place in the North Atlantic Alliance – not only there did the journalist find out how the states on the eastern flank of NATO and the European Union are trying to respond to the threat posed by Russia, but also what feelings prevail among the local people.

“I met an energy there that is generally very similar to what we can observe in the statements of the governments of the Baltic countries. It is a mixture of readiness for anything, determination to face it, and at the same time there is also a certain reconciliation with the fact that this reality can simply occur,” Hrdinová describes, noting that Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia have long been referred to as countries that are “first to hit”.

In addition, the urgency of this threat is underlined by the experience of the Baltic states with the Soviet occupation, which lasted for half a century. This is probably also why people have now more or less adapted to the new situation. Few people, for example, find it strange how often they meet members of the army or military vehicles in the streets. In the case of the Czech Republic and the domestic reality – as Hrdinová reminds – the similarly numerous presence of army units would probably cause a much greater response and concern.

On the other hand, even in the Baltics, the reporter came across opinions that are echoed by a section of society in the Czech Republic as well: for example, criticism of aid to Ukrainian refugees or trivialization of the Russian threat.

“However, it is on a much smaller scale (than in the Czech Republic). Surveys show that the majority of residents of the Baltic countries support an increase in defense spending or are also in favor of supporting Ukrainian refugees. However, the currents there are very similar to, for example, here,” points out Anna Hrdinová, who is a reporter for the foreign editorial office of Seznam Zpráv.

One of the places where everyday life experienced significant changes after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 is the Estonian Narva. The city of around 50,000 people lies right on the border, separated from Russia only by the river of the same name.

The border crossings here used to be a relatively busy link, also because the local population is mainly Russian-speaking and many people have family and other ties on the “other side”. Today, however, for security reasons, traffic on the border “Friendship Bridge” is greatly restricted – passengers can only walk and must stand in line and undergo a thorough personal check.

Narva has long been a focus of tension with Russia. The reason is, among other things, that shortly after launching the attack on Ukraine in 2022, Putin designated the city as historically Russian. This is also why this year Estonia came up with a plan to establish a military base here. “The combination of a Russian-speaking population that can serve as a pretext for an invasion, together with an extremely vulnerable location, makes Narva an ideal target for a potential Russian attack,” says reporter Hrdinová.

A certain divisiveness of the city lying directly on the heavily guarded border is also visible in its streets. In some public places, the visitor will come across the flags of Ukraine or the European Union and, of course, signs in Estonian. However, most of the texts are in Russian, and almost all conversations are also conducted in Russian, whether it is shopping in a store or filling up fuel at a gas station.

“I felt like I was in Russia,” the journalist recalls. At the same time, according to her, it was felt from the interviews with the locals that a large part of the people have a good relationship with Russia, for example due to the influence of their family ties. And it was also met with great nostalgia, which is probably helped by the relatively high average age of the city’s population compared to, for example, the Estonian capital Tallinn.

Hrdinová describes that Narva is not an “impenetrable wall” when it comes to the possibility of traveling to one side or the other. According to her, there is a strong sentiment towards Russia in the city, which may also have cultural reasons. And at the same time, it is true that part of the Russian-speaking population in Estonia takes with great displeasure the procedure of the authorities, which – similarly to Latvia – introduced some harsh measures against people without Estonian citizenship, which complicate their stay in the country.

Among such steps is the conditioning of the right of these people to vote in municipal elections only after passing language tests. Which is often a problem for the above-mentioned, on average, older Russian-speaking population of Narva, because they often refuse to learn Estonian “on their old knees”.

“It’s something that resonates a lot there and that is met with criticism, because those people say that they are Russians – or identify themselves as such – but they are not automatically a security threat. However, the views of both sides somehow miss each other,” adds reporter Hrdinová.

In the 5:59 podcast, you will also learn how the Estonian landscape is changing from the former “bridge to Europe” to more of a fortress in front of Russia. Or how authorities and people in Latvia and Lithuania prepare for threats. Listen in the player at the beginning of the article.