The Estonia city of Narva, bordering Russia, is considered the “most Russian” city of the European Union. Up to 95% of the local population only speaks Russian and many of them are “fans” of the country. In one of his reports, Orijus Gasanovjournalist from the Lithuanian DELFIshare your experience in the place.
In its publication in the middle, he affirms that when he arrived at the station, he saw how the children“They only spoke Russian and any other way.” In addition, 50 -year -old people, who “have lived their entire life” in the city, “do not know a word of Estonian.” “Certainly, you may think that you have accidentally crossed the border to a country governed by Vladimir Putin.”
One of the citizens that the journalist was able to interview confessed that he is Polish, but “I don’t like Poland.” “I want to go to Russia, that’s the best, I want to go as soon as possible.” This man, Andrew, has already lived in the country he longs for and “You can’t imagine a better life anywhere else”. Since he arrived at the border, “he settled in a car” in Estonia waiting to cross it.
In his article, the journalist confesses that he caught his attention “The completely empty streets.” A pedestrian launched the following issue, “And why should people walk here? Everyone works or sits at home, Narva is a quiet city.”
Another shows your concern about current relationships between Estonia and Russia. According to him, This is harmful to the entire city of Narva. “In the past, there were many foreigners here, people actively used the border crossing from both sides. The coffees and bars used to be full, you could see more people in stores, and now they are at a total dead point, Everyone will tell you the same as the closed borders worsen the life of the city a lot“He thinks.
According to the disseminated information, in the past it was possible to travel from Estonia to Russia and vice versa “in a car, bus, bicycle or foot.” In fact, “the controls were open 24 hours.” At present, with the situation between the EU and Russia, Narva’s border crossings do not allow vehicles at all. Those who want to travel to Russia or return from there to Estonia can only do it on foot. “Only during the day.”
“It was a bit shocking to see a huge tail in the direction of Russia. It is as great, as a great concert,” says Gasanov. “The row of those who have gathered to travel to Russia reminds the big markets a bit, because people are standing with suitcases, trucks, plastic boxes and cardboard, as if they were suppliers of some products or buyers wholesale.”
In addition, it highlights the ways in which the residents of this city earn money. Many “queue at the Russian border for hours and then, when they reach the end, they sell their place to someone who does not want to wait,” he explains. “An illegal business in front of the noses of the border guards”sentence. This service costs between 50 and 70 euros per person.
A local criticizes that “journalists from all over Europe come to us and then show us nonsense. They tell us that one lives badly, that the situation in the city is complicated. There is nothing complicated here, you live very well.” “Write like this, don’t while we are bad,” he concludes in the publication.
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