Description of the attraction
At the end of the 1860s, the Narva Town Hall was the most representative public building in the city. The Swedish king Karl XI gave the order to the city authorities to build the town hall. The project was based on the project of the architect from Lübeck, Georg Teiffel. Construction began in 1868 and continued for three years. And already in 1871 the building of the town hall was ready. At the end of the construction, a gilded forged weather vane in the shape of a crane, made by the master Grabber, was installed on the top of the tower. However, the interior decoration of the building continued for another 4 years.
In subsequent years, a clock and a portal, brought from Stockholm, were installed on the facade of the building. The construction of the stairs was also completed. The last elements installed were a wrought iron staircase, which was gilded at the time, and a door knocker. Inside, the town hall was decorated in abundance with paintings. On the first floor there was a huge hall covered with painted beams. There were rows of rooms on either side of the lobby. On the second floor, to which a staircase led from the vestibule, there was a meeting room for the magistrate (later the Duma). The northern part of the second floor contained the higher court room, office and waiting room, while the southern wing housed the lower court premises and the chamber of commerce. In the basement floor there was a chamber of measures and weights, a prison, as well as utility rooms.
The town hall building was badly damaged during the Second World War. Then the tower, roof, ceilings were destroyed, the figures on the portal and the staircase were severely damaged. Restoration work on the restoration of the town hall was carried out from 1956 to 1963. During this period, the tower was rebuilt, the facade, portal and staircase were restored. From the interior, only the festive lobby has survived, in which the staircase leading to the second floor and the ceiling beams decorated with paintings have been restored.
The current building of the Narva Town Hall is a three-storey building with a high plinth. The roof of the tower is crowned with a dome, and its top, as in previous times, is decorated with a crane, which is a symbol of vigilance. The location of the windows, which are on the same plane with the outer wall, is also characteristic of Narva. The undoubted decoration of the town hall is the portal, on which there are three figures symbolizing justice, wisdom and moderation. It was on the basis of these three ethical principles that justice in the town hall was to be administered. Between the figures was the historical coat of arms of the city, which was a blue shield, on which were located a sword, saber and 3 cannonballs. The saber symbolized the importance of the city, as a fortress, on the border of the east, the sword - on the border of the west. Two fish are depicted between the symbols of the border town. According to one version, this image meant the right to fish, which was given to the city by the rulers. In ancient times, Estonian bodies of water were known for their abundance of fish. Popular rumor says that Peter I, confirming the coat of arms of the city in 1585, said: "Be silent like fish, and thus you will be obedient to the new government."
Since the mid 60s. 20th century, the building of the town hall was occupied by the Palace of Pioneers. Victor Kingisepp. In recent years, this building has been empty. In the distant future, turn the town hall into a representative building of the city government.
