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Narva |
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The River Narva separates Russia from Livonia and the two towns of Narva from each other. ... The two fortresses are mortal enemies, for in one of them one finds the Muscovites and the Russians with 70,000 men outside the city, and in the other the Swedes have some 30,000 men. Travel Account of August Freiherr zu Mörsberg und Beffort, 1592, written on 1st April 1603. |
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| The fortress of Narva was established by Danish crusaders at the beginning of the thirteenth century. The Pope gave the Danish King the task of defending the recently christianized Estonia against attacks from orthodox Russia. The River Narva thus became the dividing-line between western and eastern Europe, a status that the river still has today. In 1346 the Danish King Valdemar Atterdag sold the Danish possessions in Estonia to the Knights of the Teutonic Order. In 1558 Narva was captured by a Russian army, and in 1581 the castle and city were taken by he Swedes. In 1704 Tsar Peter the Great of Russia captured Narva, but the city retained many of its old privileges. |
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Exhibits
196
The arms of the city of Narva in 1426, painted on copper in 1863. In 1426 Narva was granted its arms by the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Cyse von Rutenberg.
Narva City Museum
197
The arms of the city of Narva in 1585, painted on copper in 1863. In 1585 Narva was granted its arms by the Swedish King Johann III.
The castle in Narva was founded in 1223 by King Valdemar II of Denmark. In 1558 it was captured by the Russians. In 1579 it was unsuccessfully besieged by the Swedes, who captured the fortress later in 1581 under Pontus de la Gardie; then it remained for many years in Swedish hands.
Narva City Museum.
198
Chain mail, Russian, 16th or 17th century.After the Russians had held Narva for 23 years, during the Livonian War (1558-1583) the fortress fell to the Swedes. Estonia was divided by the Treaty of Pljussa (10th August 1583) among Sweden, Denmark and Poland. In 1620 Sweden founded the Livonian province and southern Estonia became part of this.
Narva City Museum.
199
Map of the Baltic provinces drawn in c. 1683, dedicated to King Karl XII of Sweden. In 1628, during the Thirty Years’ War, General Wallenstein was appointed “General of the Ocean and the Baltic” with a view to keeping Dutch merchants out of the Baltic trade. King Gustav Adolf was thus provoked into deciding to become ruler of the Baltic.
Krigsarkivet, Stockholm.
200
The Battle of Narva, 20th November 1700. Print.In February 1700 King Augustus of Saxony-Poland invaded Swedish Livonia. In October 50,000 Russian soldiers besieged Narva, which had a Swedish force of 8000 men. While Karl XII was campaigning in Poland, Russia captured Swedish possessions along the Baltic coast. Narva was captured in the summer of 1704.
Krigsarkivet, Stockholm.
201
The Battle of Narva, 20th November 1700. Coloured hand drawing.
The fortress was captured for Tsar Peter the Great by a Scots artillery regiment during the Great Northern War (1700-21). Frederik IV of Denmark-Norway, Augustus of Saxony-Poland and Peter the Great of Russia entered into an alliance against Sweden, which had held Narva since 1581.
Krigsarkivet, Stockholm.
202
Medal of silver commemorating the victory at Narva on 20th November 1700. Engraved by A. Karlsteen.
Obverse: Half-length portrait of Karl XII with wig and armour. Reverse: The Swedish troops approaching the Russian army at Narva. In the foreground the King leads his army, in the background we see the fortress of Ivangorod.
Nationalmuseet, Den Kgl. Mønt- og Medaillesamling, Copenhagen.
203
Eric Dahlbergh. Portrait in Samuel Blesendorff: Suecia Antiqua et Hodierna, 1698. Dahlberg was the builder of all Swedish fortresses along the coast in the southeastern part of the Baltic area.
Det Kongelige Bibliotek, Copenhagen.
204
The capture of Narva, June 1704. Commemorative medal in bronze.
The Russian State Naval Museum, St. Petersburg.
205
King Karl XII of Sweden. Portrait drawing.
In June 1709 Karl XII was defeated by the Russians at Poltava. He fled to the Ottoman Empire and returned in 1714, but the Swedish supremacy was over. In September 1721 Livonia, Estonia, Ingria and Karelia came under Russian sovereignty. Russia took over Sweden’s role as the leading power in northern Europe.
Kungliga Biblioteket, Stockholm.
206
Septinas Dienas Augusta. Documentary film about ‘the Baltic chain’ which was established by the popular fronts in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in August 1989 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the non-aggression pact signed in 1939 by the Soviet Union and Germany. Thus the Soviet Union became Hitler’s ally in the invasion of Poland and the Baltic states.
Latvijas Valsts Kinofotofonodokumentu arhivs, Riga
207
Banner from ‘the Baltic chain’ showing the three Baltic states symbolically linked in national costumes, and a poster for ‘the Baltic chain’ in August 1989 from Tallinn to Vilnius.
Latvian War Museum, Riga.