Ivangorod
Ivangorod is a small town in Leningrad Oblast, sitting right at the Estonian border at the Narva River, opposite the Estonian city of Narva. Ivangorod was for most of its history more or less in municipal union with Narva, as the junior partner. It is part of the Silver Ring of cultural and historical centers of Northwestern Russia.
Understand
It has been much more difficult to move back and forth across the Narva river following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the ensuing poor relations between Russian and Estonia, which has divided the populace (and somewhat stranded those on the Russian side from the city's actual centre). The river became the border only in 1945, and at the time both sides were part of the Soviet Union.
Get in
By train
The overnight train between Tallinn and Saint Petersburg calls here. There is one to two additional services from Saint Petersburg per day.
- 🌍 Ivangorod-Narvsky railway station.
By car
Ivangorod is right at the Tallinn-St. Petersburg highway. Check out Driving in Russia for what documentation you need to bring a foreign car to Russia.
By bus
Buses between Tallinn and St. Petersburg stop here.
By foot
The border crossing from Narva is also open to pedestrians, and one of the places you can cross into Russia with a cheaper e-visa.
See
- 🌍 Ivangorod Fortress. Established by Ivan III in 1492, today it functions as a museum.
- 🌍 Ivangorod Art Museum (Ивангородский Художественный музей), ☏ +7 81375 51-792.