page_title: Narva
section_title: Recent history
hierarchical_section_title: Narva / History / Recent history
caption_attribution_description: English: Narva town hall in what was before WWII the old town, surrounded by Soviet-era buildings. Eesti: Narva raekoda, ümbritsetud nõukaaegsete hoonetega.
context_page_description: Narva is a municipality and city in Estonia. It is located in Ida-Viru County, at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, at the Russian border, on the Narva River which drains Lake Peipus. The city of Narva is the country's third largest after Tallinn and Tartu.
context_section_description: When Estonia regained its independence in 1991, Narva again became a border city. Local leaders, holdovers from the Soviet era, wanted autonomy, and contended that the notion of a breakaway 'Transnarovan SSR' republic in northeastern Estonia was becoming increasingly popular, but this was contradicted by polls showing 87% of the region's population opposed secession from Estonia. In 1993, dissatisfaction with newly enacted citizenship and election laws (non-citizens were not allowed to hold office) culminated in the Narva referendum of 16–17 July 1993, which proposed autonomy for both Narva and Sillamäe, a nearby town. Although 97% voted in favor of the referendum, turnout in Narva was a mere 55%, and there was credible charges of vote rigging. Russian residents nowadays are happy with their status as both Estonian and European Union citizens and live peacefully alongside their compatriots.
  After 1991, there have also been disputes regarding the Estonian-Russian border in the Narva sector, as the new constitution of Estonia (adopted in 1992) recognizes the 1920 Treaty of Tartu border to be currently legal. The Russian Federation, however, considers Estonia to be a successor of the Estonian SSR and recognizes the 1945 border between the two former national republics. Officially, Estonia has no territorial claims in the area, and which was also reflected in the new Estonian-Russian border treaty signed in Moscow on 18 May 2005. Russia failed to ratify it because, together with the ratification the Estonian parliament, approved a communiqué, which mentioned the Soviet Occupation. In 18 February 2014 a new border treaty was signed by both countries. The treaty must still be ratified by the parliaments of both Russia and Estonia.
caption: The Town Hall, surrounded by Soviet-era apartment blocks, is one of the few buildings which were restored after World War II.
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