Queues on the border in Narva: families with children are invited to pass the time in the Narva Library
In recent days, the queue at the border transition Narva 1 is built over the entire length of Petrovskaya Square. Waiting time can be up to 16 hours.
The capacity of the Narva border post “to exit” towards the Russian Federation amounted to 833 people a day last week. The transition is open from 7 a.m. to 23 in the morning, while a total customs inspection is carried out here – all baggage is inspected, sanctions, the number of which is growing with each new package of European sanctions, is removed. All this is extremely detained by the promotion of the queue, and if smuggling is detected, there is a need to draw up documents, fines and protocols, which further reduces customs throughput.
The people (June 17) stood in the heads of the queue of the Narva newspaper, who had been in the heads of the Narva newspaper, who came to the border post in the previous evening. “We, it turns out, is standing for 17 hours, we are very tired, but it remains quite a little,” says Mikhail wrapped in raincoat. Today it rains all day, yesterday the sky was clear, and people were languishing from the heat.
There are caring
Against the backdrop of an ongoing border crisis, caring organizations and citizens offer their assistance. The Narva Central Library, located on Malmie Street, invites travelers with children (and there are a lot of them now) to relax and take refuge for some time from weather conditions in the library children’s hall.
“We, it turns out, is standing for 17 hours, we are very tired, but it remains quite a little.
Tatyana Krivolap, Deputy Director of the Narv Central Library, notes that the library is trying to help people standing on the border as far as possible.
“Back in 2022, when an influx of Ukrainian refugees was recorded in Narva, we organized a place for them by our own forces where we could relax from the road, leave our things and bags for a while. Today we try to help those who are stuck in Russia. Some families have already become our good acquaintances and stop the second and third time,” says Krevolap.
According to her, citizens of Finland, Brazil, Argentina, and other EU countries and, in general, the whole world, resort to the proposed library.
You can’t leave it
The question of opening a border crossing at night was raised by journalists, politicians and social activists repeatedly. However, the position of the Ministry of Internal Affairs remains the same. “Nobody will open the border room at night, and if the queues are too large or are dangerous for travelers and the public, then the transition will be completely closed,” said Igor Taro Minister of the Interior.
The local authorities can do something for their part: the mayor of Narva Katri Raik recently said that the city plans to establish at least additional benches. Not to say that this will solve all the problems, but, for sure, it will slightly facilitate life standing in line.
On the other hand, they are in no hurry
It was originally planned that the bridge would be closed for cars for only a year and a half. Work on the reconstruction of the Ivangorod checkpoint was supposed to be completed by 2023, but the deadlines were shifted more than once. The last voiced date is 2026. However, there is no confidence that the bridge will again be open to the movement of vehicles: the geopolitical situation does not change for the better, on the Estonian side of the Friendship bridge, thorough fortifications are established – the “teeth of the dragon”.
The opening of the Finnish checkpoint is also not yet expected. For travelers from Europe and other Western countries, Narva continues to be the most convenient route-the proximity of the Tallinn and St. Petersburg airport on the other side of the border makes our city the most suitable border crossing point. If a person, of course, does not mind standing an hour and a half in the rain or the scorching sun.
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