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An exhibition in Narva, dedicated to the Soviet bombing of this Estonian city in 1944 and comparing it to Russian bombardments of Ukraine, has outraged some local residents and politicians. The reactions are at least partly influenced by overexposure to Soviet and Russian propaganda.
An episode of forbidden Soviet history: the Estonian city that was flattened by the Red Army. Comparisons to Russian war crimes in Ukraine
Perceptions of history still divide the population of Estonia, especially regarding the period of World War II. The views of a significant part of the Russian-speaking population largely contradict official Estonian historiography, particularly among the older generation. This includes the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states, the course of World War II, and its outcomes. The ongoing war in Ukraine has exacerbated these disagreements.
The management of the Narva Museum had to personally confront these deep contradictions. In early March, an exhibition titled 'Narva 44', timed to the 80th anniversary of the Soviet bombing that virtually destroyed the city, opened in the border town. According to Estonian historians, the bombardment of Narva had no military sense; the city's structures were simply destroyed by the Soviets as an enemy’s cultural monument, blaming this barbarism on the Germans. Until the early 1990s, the fact of the Soviet bombing of Narva was suppressed from the official history.
For the anniversary, Propastop, the organization that deals with counterpropaganda and is run by volunteers from the Estonian Defense League, in collaboration with the museum, released a series of flyers as an advertisement for the exhibition. They depicted the Narva school bombed by Soviet planes in 1944 and a school destroyed by Russian troops in Ukraine in 2022. The caption read, 'Nothing has changed. Russia has always committed war crimes.'
“The exhibition has several levels: the events of World War II in Estonia and Ida-Virumaa, war and the architectural heritage of Narva, the impact of propaganda, and past events to this day” exhibition curator and museum employee Zurab Jänes told Veridica.
He said that cooperation with Propastop began on May 9, 2023. On the day marked by Russians and many Narva residents as Victory Day, a poster with an image of Putin and the text 'Putin War Criminal' was hung on the wall of Narva Castle. Propastop, according to Jänes, has known about the preparation of the current exhibition for the upcoming anniversary of the bombing since last year.
A public outrage ignited by over-exposure to Soviet and Russian propaganda
Advertising flyers comparing the destruction of Narva with the bombardment of Ukraine ended up in the mailboxes of Narva residents, which caused an uproar on social networks. “If the city authorities allow such an event to be held in the spirit of Russophobia and rewriting history, then they support it. Then whose power is it?“ one user wrote in the Facebook group “Narva as it is”. Another called the leaflets propagandistic, and the exhibition itself – a perversion of the city's history. These are just a few examples.
“The reaction to the project was not a surprise. Rather, we received confirmation that the awareness of Narva residents about the events of World War II in the context of Estonian history is low” concluded Zurab Jänes.
Criticism also came from two members of the Narva Museum Council, Aleksei Mägi and Vadim Orlov, who are also politicians sitting in the Narva City Council. They demanded explanations and apologies to the residents of Narva from the museum director, Maria Smorzhevskih-Smirnova.
“Politicians usually think carefully about their statements, and this reaction was rather unexpected. At the same time, it is again a good indicator of the importance of the topic and the low level of awareness about the Estonian interpretation of history in the region” observes the exhibition's curator, Jänes.
According to him, Narva is a multi-layered city where people with different views live. “Among them, many are in the Russian-language information space of the aggressor state. Russia began military actions in Ukraine in 2014, which turned into a full-scale invasion in 2022. [As for Estonia] we remain a target of a state pursuing imperial ambitions. Russia, which is essentially the successor to the USSR that occupied Estonia, poses a threat to the independence and security of the Estonian state. The narratives of the aggressor state that are consciously and unconsciously spread in Estonia are deeply rooted, and it is very important to recognize them from everyday, political, and state defense perspectives” Jänes believes.
The museum fights back criticism and the government steps in
The director of the Narva Museum, Maria Smorzhewskihh-Smirnova, who was subjected to harsh criticism not only by ordinary citizens but also by leading local politicians, shot back via an open letter addressed to the media, the mayor of Narva, and the officials of the Ministry of Culture. She described the pressure exerted on her, and she pointed out that on social networks there was a statement by Aleksei Mägi that the Narva Museum was rewriting history.
“I believe that members of the museum's council, regardless of their political views and narratives, do not have the right to interfere in the essence of museum exhibitions and to question the museum's cooperation with such partners as, for example, the Estonian Military Museum, Propastop, the Government Office, etc.”, she wrote.
After the scandal became public, the Estonian Museums Association appealed to the Minister of Culture, the mayor of Narva, and the chairman of the Narva Museum's Council, requesting the removal of Vadim Orlov and Aleksei Mägi from the council and appointing new members loyal to the Republic of Estonia in their place.
“I fully support the statement of the Estonian Museums Association on this topic and believe that it is necessary to ensure labor peace in the Narva Museum. Moreover, I would like to note that museums are autonomous in their content, and it is completely unacceptable for council members to exert pressure on the museum's director and employees” Minister of Culture Heidi Purga later said. She also called for the dismissal of Orlov and Mägi from the museum's council, considering that they had damaged its reputation.
“I was only out of Estonia for a week. I returned to my homeland as an enemy of the state” Orlov wrote on Facebook on March 15. Effectively accused of supporting hostile historical narratives of Russia, Orlov and Mägi tried to justify themselves, explaining that they were not so much concerned about the fact of the exhibition itself but about the misuse of funds. They suggested that about 30,000 euros could have been spent on printing and distributing flyers that do not refer to the exhibition itself, and that happened in spite of the fact that the museum is constantly underfunded.
“Participation in such an expensive project rang alarm bells because in January and February, information came from a board member that the Narva Museum was in a very difficult financial situation. The museum is not able to timely pay for monthly utilities and electricity bills. The production of leaflets could have caused significant material damage”, Orlov explained. In his opinion, such decisions needed to be agreed upon with other council members.
“I myself am one of the initiators of the project to restore the old Narva quarter. Frankly, I did not expect that our concern about the catastrophic, almost bankrupt state of SA Narva Museum would cause such a reaction from a board member” Orlov also said, answering a journalist's question on social media.
Smorzhewskih-Smirnova countered this by stating that not a penny from the museum's budget was spent on the leaflets, as they were fully paid for by Propastop. However, it is known that the museum recently requested an increase in subsidy and, in December, asked for a loan to cover expenses for construction works during renovation.
The attempts of the council members to justify themselves did not convince the leadership of the Ministry of Culture, and a few days later, Orlov was excluded from Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’ Reform Party as having damaged its reputation.
At the same time, there have been no changes in the council of the Narva Museum; despite persistent calls from high-ranking officials, including the minister, Orlov and Mägi remain on the council. At an extraordinary meeting in mid-March, council members agreed not to air scandals in the press. “The council concluded that emotions now need to be taken off the agenda. We want both the council and the board of the Narva Museum to continue working and to establish labor peace” city mayor Jaan Toots said.
“The official position of the Estonian state”
The financial situation of the museum is set to be discussed by the council on April 2nd, when the auditor's report will be ready. In the meantime, the troubles for both sides of the conflict have not ended. Maria Smorzhewskih-Smirnova has been collecting not only personal insults on social networks but also threats.
“Overall, I feel great because the amount of words and letters of support for me outweigh the negativity and threats I have received all this time” she told Veridica. According to her, she is mainly supported by Estonians, although there were also several letters from Russian-speaking residents of other Estonian cities.
Vadim Orlov has now lost not only his party membership but also his position as the head of the Narva Industrial Park, a part of the Ida-Virumaa Investment Agency (IVIA), which he had held for 14 years.
The official reason is the reorganization of IVIA, but obviously, this reason is contrived. In the corridors, there is talk that if Orlov had not left the management of the Narva Industrial Park, the organization would not have received government funding for one of its ambitious projects. He himself has promised to contest his dismissal.
The exhibition is still open in Narva Castle Park, and visitors can attend for free. According to the organizers, it turned out to be very popular, and they received a lot of positive feedback from all over Estonia. „We will definitely continue our cooperation with Propastop and institutions representing the official position of the Estonian state” promises Zurab Jänes.
