The bench, rough-hewn from wood, commemorates Charles XII of Sweden's victory. The king was said to have rested on a similar seat later in the war.

The clash itself saw a Swedish relief army under Charles XII defeat a Russian siege force three to four times its size.

The opening on Härmamäe, just west of the town, was accompanied by battle reenactors showcasing period-specific uniforms and weaponry.

The first salvos of the war, which lasted over 20 years, were fired in Narva at the end of November 1700 (using the Gregorian calendar).

The local heritage protection society and the Embassy of Sweden in Estonia together wanted to preserve Swedish historical heritage with the installation, on the site of a previous monument destroyed during World War Two, "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported.

"In Estonia it is customary to place benches for important people. And we, with the Narva heritage protection society, have been here repeatedly cleaning the ground under the former location of the lion. We thought this place should be marked in some way," Swedish Honorary Consul in Narva Jaanus Mikk said.

"This is a copy of the bench where Charles XII rested in 1716, so we made exactly the same copy here in Narva. We marked the place, and it should simply be maintained every year," he explained further.

Russian Tsar Peter I was driven off at the Battle of Narva. A monument was erected in 1936 to honor the victorious Swedish army, but it was destroyed in World War Two. A lion monument commemorating the battle is also located close to the town's castle.

The Great Northern War lasted from 1700 to 1721. It pitted the Swedish empire and its allies on one side and a coalition led by tsarist Russia on the other.

Sweden's eventual defeat led to the end of a period of Estonian history known as the "Good old Swedish times" ("Vana hea Rootsi aeg") and its replacement with Russian imperial rule, which lasted over 200 more years.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and X and never miss an update!