Director of Estonian museum arrested in absentia in Russia for “fakes about army”

This was reported by Mediasona, Ukrinform reports.

According to the publication, the court hearing took place in mid-January.

It is noted that a criminal case was ened against Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova under the article on spreading “fakes” about the Russian military by a group of pele for pitical reasons. There is no information about the nature of the charges or who else is part of the “group of persons”.

Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova has been on the Russian Interior Ministry's wanted list since the summer of 2024.

The Narva Museum is located in a medieval castle in the Estonian city of Narva on the border with Russia. For the past two years, on May 9, a banner “Putin is a war criminal” with bloodstains has been hung on its wall, which was visible in the Russian city of Ivangorod on the other side of the Narva River.

Russian border guards demanded that the poster be removed, but the Estonian authorities refused.

Read also: Putin has not changed his main goals in war against Ukraine – Estonian FM

As reported, on May 9, 2023, in the Russian city of Ivangorod, near the walls of the fortress (posite Narva Castle), a screen facing Estonia was installed on the city's embankment, which broadcast a Victory Day concert with “patriotic” Russian songs.

After that, a poster “Putin is a war criminal” was hung on the wall of Narva Castle.

In January 2025, the conservative Isamaa party initiated a bill according to which the Estonian parliament would instruct the government to close the border with Russia.