"Narva 54" explores the myths and narratives that were forged alongside the rebuilding of the city, some of which are still believed today. Having destroyed Narva and unwilling to restore it to its former glory, the Soviets crafted a propaganda narrative to paint themselves in a blameless light as the rebuilding of the city began in 1954.

"Everyone knows that it was destroyed, and everyone knows that Soviet power built a new city," said Zurab Jänes, head of collections at Narva Museum Foundation, in an interview. "But if we go inside and talk about who destroyed it and how it was destroyed, then the conflict of different narratives begins."

Narva's Old Town was built in the 17th Century when Estonia was under Swedish rule and was once considered a "Baroque Pearl," according to Narva Museum.

But the Red Army deployed devastating airstrikes on Narva during World War II as the Soviets fought to retake the country from the Nazis. Bombing campaigns by the USSR from March to July in 1944 destroyed 90 percent of the city, leaving only about 20 pre-war buildings surviving to this day. The Red Army used fire bombs, which destroyed the inside of buildings but left the walls and facades intact, Jänes said. This history was explored in the previous exhibition "Narva 44."

The Soviets then claimed the Nazis were responsible for the destruction. The ruins were extensively catalogued, a price list for each building drawn up and reparations were sought at the Nuremberg Trials, a series of military tribunals that held top Nazi officials accountable for the regime's crimes.

"The photos that the Soviets took weren't meant for preservation or restoration, they were meant for propaganda purposes," Jänes said. "But unfortunately, this money or whatever they got in return didn't come back to Narva."

After the end of the war, the Architectural Authority of the Estonian SSR drafted a plan to fully restore the old town, as many Estonian art historians and heritage protectors were still active. But as time progressed, they were replaced by officials loyal to Moscow and the Soviet Union. Dreams of restoring Narva to its pre-war grandeur faded and were eventually shelved altogether.

In the mid-1950s, the Soviet regime demolished much of the remaining structures that could have been salvaged and replaced them with Soviet-style buildings.

Leaders justified the demolition of the ruins, arguing that practical issues, such as lack of resources and safety risks posed by the ruins, made demolition necessary. What was once a plan to restore 80 historical structures shrank to just seven by 1953. 

Narva was also likely not restored due to internal fights in the Communist Party, Jänes said. Soviet leaders did not want to glorify the city's Baltic-German and Swedish heritage. 

Few residents understood the loss. Many of the pre-war Estonian residents never returned to their homes either because they were not allowed or did not want to live under the growing Soviet political influence. 

"They were directed to other regions and were forbidden to come back," Jänes said. "Some came back, but they understood that it was not the same Narva where they had lived."

Russian speakers from across the USSR were moved into the city, making it easier for the Soviet leadership to convince residents of the twisted narrative. 

"It was easier to proceed with brainwashing and it was easier to tell them it was the Germans that destroyed it," Jänes said. "There's this narrative that 'We freed the land and we built it up.' Actually, they blew it up, and then they started building it up differently."

The city's ruins were used to construct new buildings, houses and roads. Stalin-era apartments and Khrushchevkas began popping up in the 1950s, symbolizing Narva's transformation into a Russian-majority city under strong Soviet influence.

More than 80 years after the bombings, some Russian-speaking residents still believe the false narratives of Narva's history as a result of only hearing Russia's side of the story. 

"They usually speak Russian. They read basically only Russian literature or Russian history, and through that, they were forced to believe that this is the way it all happened," Jänes said. 

The new exhibition is displayed in Narva Castle Park, close to the Estonia-Russia border checkpoint, the castle ruins, and a street that was completely destroyed by the Red Army. 

"We located it this way so that you could see the Narva Castle that is in ruins," Jänes said. "You can see the street that was in ruins, and you can see what was there and what it's become."

The panels, which contain photos and written descriptions of the reconstruction process in Estonian, Russian, and English, are a physical representation of a timeline where observers can walk along and learn about the circumstances surrounding rebuilding. 

Including translations in Russian, Jänes said, is essential to try and communicate the true historical background of Narva's reconstruction to those who were only taught false narratives from Russian propaganda. 

"If you don't speak any other language, you get information only in Russian," Jänes said. "Estonian historians write Estonian history in Estonian. You can sell Estonian books in Narva, but if people can't read it in Estonian, they can't understand it. They don't get this information that there is another perspective on what they were told."

The Soviet-era propaganda around Narva draws parallels to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine today, in which Moscow has tried to paint Kyiv as the aggressor.  

Jänes said: "This is the way that Russia and especially the Soviet Union have done things. But it's now a different world. It's harder to hide it."

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"Narva 54" is on display and can be viewed for free in the museum's grounds. The "Narva 44" exhibition can be viewed online here.

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