Narva (river)

The etymology of the toponym Narva is not clear. According to one hypothesis it is related to the Finnic word narva which, for example, in Veps means 'waterfall' or 'stream'.{{cite web |url=http://www.narvamuuseum.ee/?next=kujunemine&lang=eng&menu=menu_ajalugu |title=Formation of city |access-date=2009-01-11 |publisher=Narva Museum}}

File:EU-EE-IV-Narva-Jõesuu-Russia-Estonia board.JPG (2009)]]

The Narva River has its source at the northeastern end of Lake Peipus, near the villages of Vasknarva (Estonia) and Skyamya (Russia). There are a few more small villages on the upper section of the river, Permisküla and Kuningaküla on the Estonian side and Omuti on the Russian side, but up to the city of Narva the shores of the river are mostly forested or marshy land. The river is dammed entering Narva and Ivangorod, forming the Narva Reservoir, which extends up to {{convert|38|km|mi}} upstream.{{cite web |url=http://www.loodusajakiri.ee/eesti_loodus/index.php?id=230 |title=Sada aastat Narva jõe äravoolu mõõtmisi |access-date=2009-01-11 |work=Eesti Loodus|language=et}} The Narva empties into Narva Bay near the Estonian town of Narva-Jõesuu, third largest settlement on the river after Narva and Ivangorod.

The Plyussa is the largest tributary, joining the Narva River at the reservoir from the right. The large Lake Peipus notably drains the much longer Russian river, the Velikaya, and a large, splayed drainage basin in the two countries.

{{Main|Narva Falls}}

File:Narowa Wasserfall und Fabrik Kränholm 1886.png and Kreenholm island (right) in 1886]]

Kreenholm ({{langx|de|Krähnholm}} for crow islet) is a river island in Estonia, located in the Narva River, within the city limits of Narva.

File:Narva Waterfall-3.jpg

Between the southeast part of the city of Narva and the rest, facing the Russian city of Ivangorod, the river flows over the Baltic Klint, forming Narva Falls, at times, as it historically was, the most powerful in Europe.{{cite book |last= Suuroja |first= Kalle |title=Põhja-Eesti klint |publisher=Eesti Geoloogiakeskus |year= 2005 |isbn= 9985-815-53-X|language=et}} Before the water reaches the falls it is split into two branches by the Kreenholm island, thus the falls consist of two branches. Kreenholm Falls, west of the island, is {{convert|60|m|ft}} wide and {{convert|6.5|m|ft}} high with multiple terraces. Joala Falls, to the east, is {{convert|110|m|ft}} wide and makes the same descent. The international border follows the latter.

Since the creation of Narva Reservoir, an anabranch, in 1955, the falls are usually near-dry, but water is allowed to flow in them for a few days each year. When in flow non-flying viewing access is difficult, being in the border zone and most of the west bank is private, closed industrial land belonging to Krenholm Manufacturing Company.

The Narva was used as a trade route during the Viking Age, from the 5th to 11th centuries. It was an offshoot of the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks.{{cite web |url=http://tourism.narva.ee/?mid=60 |title=Narva - History |access-date=2009-02-13 }}

The Narva has for centuries been an important border river. Beginning in the 13th century it was the border of Medieval Livonia and the Novgorod Republic.{{cite journal |last=Selart |first=Anti |author-link=Anti Selart |year=1996 |title=Narva jõgi - Virumaa idapiir keskajal |journal=Akadeemia |volume=8 |issue=12 |language=et}} Though in earlier periods Narva was part of a larger buffer zone between the two territories, gradually the river emerged as the exact border. Castles built on the river banks (Narva Hermann Castle, founded at the beginning of the 14th century, Ivangorod fortress, established in 1492 and Vasknarva Castle, first built in the 14th century) were one of the main reasons behind this. Treaties from the 15th century between the Livonian Order and Novgorod Republic, later Tsardom of Russia, also recognize the Narva as the border. In the 17th century during the time of Swedish Estonia, when Ingria was also part of Sweden, the importance of the river as a border diminished. During the Russian Empire, from the end of the Great Northern War until the establishment of the Republic of Estonia in 1918, the Narva was the border of Governorate of Estonia and Saint Petersburg Governorate, with the exception of the town of Narva, which was part of the latter. By the Treaty of Tartu, signed in 1920, the Estonian–Russian border went slightly east of the river, up to {{convert|10|km|mi|0}}, and, in particular, the town of Ivangorod was assigned to Estonia. In 1944 the former Estonian territory east of the river was transferred to Russian SFSR and the Narva was thus established as the eastern border of Estonian SSR, an internal border within USSR. In 1991 the same border became the de facto border of Estonia and Russia. Although no official border treaty has been ratified since then,{{cite news |title=Russian-Estonian border agreement will be ratified |work=New Europe |date=22 September 2007 |access-date=13 February 2009 |url=http://www.neurope.eu/articles/78037.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722032446/http://www.neurope.eu/articles/78037.php |archive-date=22 July 2011}} today the Narva is the eastern border of the European Union and Schengen Zone.

File:Narva highway bridge.jpg

The Narva River is crossed only by a handful of bridges between Narva and Ivangorod. Besides the dam of the Narva Reservoir, these are, in downstream order:

• a pedestrian bridge below the Kreenholm island
• {{ill|Narva Railway Bridge|ru|Нарвский железнодорожный мост}}: Carrying the Tallinn–Saint Petersburg railway line.
• Friendship Bridge: The Tallinn–Saint Petersburg highway bridge on E20 just downstream from the Hermann Castle and Ivangorod Fortress. It was built in 1960 and is {{convert|162|m|ft}} long.

{{clear}}

• {{cite book|last= Feršel|first= Anne-Ly|title= The River Narva|url= https://www.keskkonnaamet.ee/sites/default/files/keskkonnaharidus/narva_jogi_eng_varv.pdf|access-date= 2 August 2020|year= 2010|publisher= Estonian Environmental Board|isbn= 978-9949-9057-4-4|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131203013137/http://www.keskkonnaamet.ee/public/joelised_elupaigad/Narva_jogi_eng.pdf|archive-date= 3 December 2013}}

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{{Narva landmarks}}

{{Rivers of Russia}}

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Category:Rivers of Leningrad Oblast

Category:Rivers of Estonia

Category:International rivers of Europe

Category:Landforms of Ida-Viru County

Category:Narva

Category:Ingria

Category:Estonia–Russia border

Category:Border rivers