Estonia's Narva hangs banner depicting Putin as Hitler on castle wall visible from across Russian border

In the Estonian city of Narva, a banner depicting Vladimir Putin as Adolf Hitler has been hung on the wall of a medieval castle overlooking the river that marks the country’s border with Russia.

A photo of the poster, which reads “Putler — war criminal,” was shared by the Narva Museum, which is located within the castle walls. 

The museum’s director, Maria Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova, called the banner “a message and a reminder of the full-scale war and [Russia’s] war crimes.”

“Today, on Europe Day, we celebrate peace and freedom… At the same time, right next to us, the full-scale war started by Putin is now raging in its fourth year. We’re calling the dictator a dictator, and the war crimes — war crimes,” she told the Estonian broadcasting network ERR.

This is the third year in a row that the Narva Museum has displayed a banner on May 9 with the slogan “Putin is a war criminal” so that it can be seen from the town of Ivangorod on the Russian side of the border.

Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova has previously said that the banners are “not a provocation, but an installation planned in advance by the museum and the organization Propastop.” In early 2025, a Moscow court issued an arrest warrant for Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova, accusing her of spreading “false information” about the Russian army as part of a group and for political motives.

Meanwhile, in Ivangorod, large screens and a stage are set up every year on May 9 along the riverfront, visible from the Estonian side. This year, the screens broadcast the Victory Day parade, followed by a festive concert titled “Shores of Victory.”