New story – Narva: On the edge of Europe
October 6, 2022

A fancy limousine for hire with gold rims and a large hood ornament stands in a parking lot near Soviet-era khrushchyovka apartment blocs in Narva, Estonia, on Tue., May 10, 2022. Narva is Europe's easternmost and most Russian city (approximately 95% of the population is Russian) and sits on the border with Russia in northeastern Estonia. The city was practically leveled during World War 2 and was rebuilt with Soviet-style apartment buildings.
Soviet-era khrushchyovka-style apartment blocs are seen reflected in a puddle after a rainstorm in Narva, Estonia, on Thu., May 12, 2022. Narva is Europe's easternmost and most Russian city (approximately 95% of the population is Russian) and sits on the border with Russia in northeastern Estonia. The city was practically leveled during World War 2 and was rebuilt with Soviet-style apartment buildings.
People carry a casket down the steps of the Narva Icon of Our Lady Church, a Russian Orthodox church, after a funeral in Narva, Estonia, on Wed., May 11, 2022. Narva is Europe's easternmost and most Russian city (approximately 95% of the population is Russian) and sits on the border with Russia in northeastern Estonia.
A Soviet-era khrushchyovka-style apartment bloc stands over smaller houses in the outskirts of Narva, Estonia, on Thu., May 12, 2022. Narva is Europe's easternmost and most Russian city (approximately 95% of the population is Russian) and sits on the border with Russia in northeastern Estonia. The city was practically leveled during World War 2 and was rebuilt with Soviet-style apartment buildings.

I’ve just published a new story in the Documentary Projects section of my website. Narva: On the edge of Europe looks at the European Union’s most-Russian city at the time of heightened tension in the Eastern Europe and especially in border regions in the Baltics as Russia continues it’s invasion of Ukraine. I spent a few days there in May 2022. Click through to see the full story. 

An elderly woman looks at produce for sale outside the Grossi shopping complex in Narva, Estonia, on Wed., May 11, 2022. Narva is Europe's easternmost and most Russian city (approximately 95% of the population is Russian) and sits on the border with Russia in northeastern Estonia.
People walk through the empty and abandoned Kreenholm Manufacturing Company textile factory as part of a Russian-language tour of the building in Narva, Estonia, on Thu., May 12, 2022. The Kreenholm mill was built in 1857 by Russian cotton magnate Ludwig Knoop and went bankrupt in 2010. The Narva Museum organizes weekly tours of the facility.
Aleksandr, a cobbler from Baku, Azerbaijan, operates a small shoe repair shop in the corner of buildings where car mechanics work near the abandoned Kreenholm manufacturing facility in Narva, Estonia, on Thu., May 12, 2022. Narva is Europe's easternmost and most Russian city (approximately 95% of the population is Russian) and sits on the border with Russia in northeastern Estonia. Aleksandr says that he's been operating the shop in this location for about 12 years and pays 40 euros per month in rent for the shop. He says that gets his repair materials on periodic trips to Saint Petersburg, Russia, which is only a two-hour car or bus trip from Narva, but that sanctions relating to Russia's invasion of Ukraine have made that difficult in recent months. The materials he uses to repair shoes are much cheaper to purchase in Russia, he says.
Tatjana (pink jacket) and Alexei are a Ukrainian couple from Ukraine who have been living in Narva, Estonia, since 2019, seen here in Narva, Estonia, on Tue., May 10, 2022. Narva is Europe's easternmost and most Russian city (approximately 95% of the population is Russian) and sits on the border with Russia in northeastern Estonia. The couple work in a sushi restaurant with other Ukrainians who've moved to Narva. From 2013 to 2016 they all worked in a sushi restaurant in Kiev, Ukraine, and gradually moved to Narva and all work together in the Estonian city.
People walk along the bridge border crossing over the Narva River from Russia (at right) to Estonia in Narva, Estonia, on Wed., May 11, 2022. Narva is Europe's easternmost and most Russian city (approximately 95% of the population is Russian) and sits on the border with Russia in northeastern Estonia. As tensions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine rise, there have been calls to halt border crossings from Russia to Eastern Europe, including this border crossing.
Pastor Vladimir Sednev delivers a sermon during the weekly Wednesday night worship service at the charismatic Christian Word of God Church in Narva, Estonia, on Wed., May 11, 2022. Word of God is translated as Слово Божье (Slovo Bozhe) in Russian. Though this church is in Estonia, Narva is Europe's most Russian city and the church service was delivered in Russian language rather than Estonian. The worship services are highly produced and streamed live on youtube. The Word of God Church emphasizes the power of prayer and money donation as a part of their faith. This evening's sermon focused on the power of prayer, especially regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine. Pastor Sednev spoke about prayer healing different diseases and read scriptures from the Book of Daniel and Book of Isaiah. "I want to be church of prayers," Sednev said during the Russian-language sermon, "I want to pray about prayer.... As I see conflict in Ukraine I want to pray much more." Throughout the sermon Pastor Sednev said he would pray about the people of Ukraine, the people of Russia, the people of Narva, the people of Europe, and other groups.
Aleksandr fishes from the Estonian bank of the Narva River across the river from Russia in Narva, Estonia, on Tue., May 10, 2022. Narva is Europe's easternmost and most Russian city (approximately 95% of the population is Russian) and sits on the border with Russia in northeastern Estonia.
A water tower stands on top of a tall residential apartment building in Narva, Estonia, on Wed., May 11, 2022. Narva is Europe's easternmost and most Russian city (approximately 95% of the population is Russian) and sits on the border with Russia in northeastern Estonia. The city was practically leveled during World War 2 and was rebuilt with Soviet-style apartment buildings. The building was designed by Estonian architect Henno Sepmann and built in 1969.
Lights illuminate individual apartments in run-down looking Soviet-style khrushchyovka apartment buildings in Narva, Estonia, on Wed., May 11, 2022. Narva is Europe's easternmost and most Russian city (approximately 95% of the population is Russian) and sits on the border with Russia in northeastern Estonia. Most of the city was leveled during World War 2 and the city was rebuilt with these Soviet-style apartment blocs.
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