Last month, the Defense League's anti-propaganda blog Propastop published an article in several languages about the "Narva People's Republic," a tiny group supposedly calling for a separatist movement in Estonia's border town.

The security services called the social media pages, which had a handful of followers, a cheap information operation.

Postimees newspaper looked into the issue and found that there is little interest in supporting the idea of an "autonomous Narva," that the initiative lacks a credible base and meaningful funding.

However, the resulting publicity sparked a huge wave of international interest in the town, which has often found itself at the center of similar claims since Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea over a decade ago.

"The pressure from foreign journalists isn't letting up, and can get very unpleasant at times — not to mention the time it takes," Raik wrote in a social media post on Tuesday.

"Everyone wants to know about the 'Narva People's Republic,' which neither I nor anyone else here in Narva knows anything about," she continued. "Drones aren't being controlled from Narva either. We shouldn't be giving these stories any weight."

In a similar post just last week, Raik said the question "Is Narva next?" has fueled continuous Western media coverage of the city for more than a decade, even as locals are left confused, frustrated and even disgusted by the attention.

'Like a spoiled herring' out of nowhere

Residents, she noted, remain focused on everyday concerns like rising prices, jobs and how to pay the bills.

"Now God knows who from God knows where has chucked this nonexistent 'Narva People's Republic' onto the table like a spoiled herring," Raik said.

It may make for an interesting spectacle in Tallinn, she added, but it also reinforces negative stereotypes about Ida-Viru County.

The mayor described the latest episode as "a classic case of shooting yourself in the foot," where a minor claim quickly spiraled into international attention.

"There was some carelessness involved, starting with Propastop and so on," Raik said, adding that at some point, someone should have hit the brakes.

On top of everything else, the mayor continued, stories like this are clickbait and only deepen the divide between Narva and Tallinn.

"'Look at those crazy people in Narva, wanting their own republic — they can't be trusted!'" she said, summarizing the familiar angering and disheartening narrative they push.

Disappointingly regular city

Raik believes journalists covering the issue did not consider the international context.

"It's no longer just a Narva issue," she warned. "It becomes a problem for all of Estonia, being portrayed as some questionable place where part of the country wants to break away."

Some visiting journalists have even been disappointed to find no real story when they arrive, the mayor said.

She typically declines interviews to avoid amplifying these narratives, though explaining why still takes time and effort; the city handles several foreign journalists a day.

Raik said she hopes audiences at home and abroad get the chance to see Narva as a regular city, with many positive developments and local residents simply going about their daily lives.

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