Ivangorod

:"For the fortress, see Ivangorod fortress."Ivangorod ( _ru. Ивангород; Estonian: "Jaanilinn") is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. Population: 11,900 (2003 est.); 11,206 (2002 Census). It is situated on the right bank of the Narva River by the Russian-Estonian border 159 km west of St.-Petersburg. The town is known for the Ivangorod fortress.

Ivangorod is a major border crossing point and a railroad station by the Tallinn–St.-Petersburg line. It is located just opposite to the Estonian town of Narva.

The fortress was established in 1492 during the reign of Ivan III of Moscow and was named after him. Between 1581–1590 and between 1612–1704 it was controlled by Sweden. Ivangorod was granted city privilegies and administered as a Russian township under the Crown of Sweden until 1649, when its burghers were ordered to remove to a Narva suburb. Despite other changes in territory and sovereignty, Ivangorod was considered an administrative part of the town of Narva from 1649 until 1945.

In the aftermath of the collapse of the Russian Empire, the newly independent Republic of Estonia gained control over the whole town of Narva, including Ivangorod, in January 1919, and it was subsequently recognized by Soviet Russia in the 1920 Treaty of Tartu. Having reoccupied Estonia during World War II in 1944, the Soviet authorities separated Ivangorod administratively from the rest of Narva, and transferred the territory to the Leningrad Oblast of the Russian SFSR in January 1945. Ivangorod received the status of town in 1954.

After Estonia regained independence in 1991, the border as per 1920 Treaty of Tartu was considered by Russia legally superseded by an between two former Soviet republics drawn later by the Soviet authorities. Ivangorod thus remained a part of Russia. Due to political tensions, a new border treaty between Estonia and Russia has not yet come into force.

ister Cities

*flagicon|Estonia Narva, Estonia

External links

* [http://ivangorod.ru Official website]
* [http://www.enlight.ru/camera/309/index.html Photo gallery]