In other words, Narva actually became the Ingrian capital and remained so for almost the entire17th century (in 1641-1654 the capital of the region was the city of Nien - the future St. Petersburg).
Along with this, Narva also served as the spiritual and cultural center of Ingria. Among other things, several significant structures were erected here. The most famous of them were the city hall (builtin 1671), and Lutheran church parishes.In 1641 these parishes were separated into a separate Ingria diocese. Moreover, the first superintendent of Ingermanland, Henrik Stahl, tried at the beginning1640s. even establish a gymnasium in Narva. True, not very successful.
After what happenedin 1659 After the fire, the city was completely rebuilt in stone. It is noteworthy that the establishedin the 17th centuryThe appearance of the city remained virtually unchanged untilXX century.
A settlement called Narvia on the site of the current city has been known sinceXIII century. During that era, the lands of the Northern Baltic came under the control of the Danish king. The Narva River became the border between the possessions of Veliky Novgorod and Denmark. The border status promised not only dangers, but also benefits of international trade. The important settlement was well known to Novgorod merchants under the name Rugodiv. Among other things, there was a river route along Narova through Lake Peipsi to Pskov. Narva began to grow rapidly and soon received city rights.
Such an important point was quickly surrounded by strong stone fortifications. Narva did not lose its significance even after the Danish kingin 1346sold Estland to the knights of the Livonian Order. In the second half of the 14th century, warrior-monks built a powerful stone castle on the western bank of the Narova. It was a classic order fortress: a citadel with a high tower (bergfried) and external fortifications (foreburg). The massive main square main tower, named after Herman, has since become not only an important fortification structure, but a symbol of the power of the order in these lands.
In 1492 Moscow Grand Duke Ivan III (who, by the way, took the title of Tsar) ordered the construction of his own fortress, which received the name Ivangorod, opposite the German castle on the eastern bank of the river. This is how the unique appearance of two powerful strongholds arose at a distance of only about a hundred meters from each other. Both fortresses were separated only by the Narova River.
For a long time the neighborhood was relatively peaceful. Both the Order and the Moscow Principality tried to extract maximum benefits from the geographical location of their fortresses. Ivangorod quickly grew into a suburb and turned into a fairly large shopping center.
Everything changed after the start of the Livonian War. The Russian Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible set out to conquer the Baltic lands, believing that the Livonian Order would not offer serious resistance. The first obstacle on his way was Narva. After the siegein 1558 the fortress fell. Then Russian troops conquered several more important fortresses. But soon the military happiness left the paranoid king, who imagined a conspiracy in the event of any failure. Ivan IV the Terrible was unable to capture either Riga or Revel (modern Tallinn). And soon Poland and Sweden intervened in the conflict. The Livonian War dragged on for a quarter of a century (from January1558 to May 1583) and ended in the complete defeat of Muscovy. True, during the two decades that Narva was under the rule of Ivan IV the Terrible, the city acquired the status of one of the main trading centers of the Baltic. But subsequently, all the benefits of this trade were reaped by the Swedes, who in 1581 expelled the Russian garrison not only from Narva, but also from Ivangorod.
The status of Ingria at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries.
For the first time, the toponym Ingria, synonymous with the toponym Ingria, appeared on maps of Europe at the end of the 16th century. First of all, this was due to the end of the Livonian War. As a result of the conflict in1583 Moscow and Stockholm concluded the Truce of Plus. Sweden got most of Ingria, including the city of Narva. However, the truce did not last long. Alreadyin 1590A large-scale war broke out between Russia and Sweden, lasting for five years. As a result of the confrontation, Moscow achieved the conclusion of the Tyavzin Peace Treaty, according to which Ingria returned to the Russian kingdom. However, the Swedes managed to save Narva. The city was part of Estonia (modern Estonia), and Russia, under the terms of the Tyavzin Peace, renounced its claims to this territory. This outcome of the conflict was important for the future of Ingria.
War in Ingria. Creation of the Ingria province.
In 1610, when Russia was in the grip of the Time of Troubles, the Kingdom of Sweden made an attempt to recapture those lost during the war1590-1595 territories, especially Ingermanland. The next confrontation between the two powers lasted seven years. Moscow was defeated. Following the warin 1617 The Stolbovo Peace Treaty was signed, according to which the entire territory of Ingria was ceded to Sweden. In addition, the toponym Ingermanlandia was legalized as the official name of the newly created Swedish province.
After the emergence of a new province within the Swedish kingdom, the city of Narva was removed from Estonia and acquired the status of the administrative center of Ingria.
The end of the era of Swedish Ingria and its reintegration into the Russian Empire.
Ascended to the thronein 1682 From the very beginning of his reign, Peter I was obsessed with the idea of finding for Russia the coveted access to the sea (the White and Caspian seas did not suit him for various reasons). This was one of the reasons for the announcementin 1700 Swedish wars. This large-scale conflict later became known as the Great Northern War. One of the important events of the protracted confrontation was the siege of Narvain 1704. It's important to remember thatin 1700 Peter I suffered a crushing defeat at the walls of the fortress. Therefore, success in this place played an important ideological significance. During the decisive assault, Narva fell into the hands of Russian troops.
From that moment on, all of Ingermanland was under the control of Peter I. This fact was officially confirmedin 1721after the signing of the Peace of Nystadt, which ended the war. True, the city of Narva, being an important political center of Ingria under Swedish rule, lost this status after joining Russia.
In 1708 Peter I established the Ingermanland province, but two years later it was renamed St. Petersburg. This effectively ended the history of Ingrian autonomy.
Estonia, USSR and Estonia again.
Soon after the Bolsheviks came to power in Petrograd, the Civil War began in Russia. One of its results was the emergence of an independent Estonian state. Moreoverin 1920, concluding a peace treaty with Estonia, the Bolsheviks recognized the entry into the new country of not only Narva, but also Ivangorod and the surrounding area.
In 1940 Estonia was annexed by the Soviet Union. True, alreadyin 1941year, the entire territory of the country was occupied by the troops of Nazi Germany. But three years later, Narva was stormed by units of the Soviet army. This period had a tragic impact on the fate of the city. During the bombing and shelling, most of the city's buildings were partially or completely destroyed.
Under the rule of the Emperor of Russia.
As part of the Russian Empire, Narva lost its significance as a key fortress in the region. But the small town with a predominantly German population continued to remain an important trade and craft center. IN19th century Several large industrial enterprises arose here. In particular, the impressively sized buildings of the Krenholm manufactory were built right on the banks of the Narova. With the construction of the railway between Revel and St. Petersburg, a new impetus was received in the development of Narva. The city began to grow rapidly, turning into an industrial center.
From 1941 to 1991 Estonia, and therefore Narva, were part of the Soviet Union. An important consequence of this era should be recognized as radical changes in the national composition of the townspeople. The dominant ethnic group was people from the regions of central Russia. Since then, Narva has remained a predominantly Russian-speaking city.
In 1991 After the collapse of the USSR, Estonia gained independence for the second time. Narva again turned out to be a border city. Over the following years, the new authorities carried out large-scale reconstruction and restoration of the historical center. The ancient castle with its famous high tower was also renovated. During the improvement work, the river bank acquired the status of a nice walking and park area.
Modernity. Opening of the “House of Ingria” in Narva.
Despite all the cataclysms of past eras, many remember the former status of Narva and the times when the city was the capital of the Ingrian autonomy. On the initiative of regionalistsin 2021 north of the historical center of Narva, in an old stone mansion, the Ingria House was inaugurated, which is intended to become the cultural and spiritual heart of historical Ingria.
