On June 6, 2025, photos and videos allegedly shot on the Russian-Estonian border were distributed in Runet. They are captured how the message is projected on the wall of the castle in Narva: it will not work to ban the Russian language in Estonia. We checked the reliability of this story.

In the Russian -speaking segment of social networks and in the Russian media became viral videos and two photos, which, as reported, were shot in Ivangorod in the morning June 6, c birthday Alexandra Sergeyevich Pushkin, when also It is noted Russian Language Day. On the wall of the castle located across the river in the Estonian city of Narva, the unknown allegedly projected the message: “Do you want to ban the melodic, rich, expressive, majestic, singing, diverse, harmonious, eternal, literary, unique, multifaceted Russian language? X ** to you! " Behind the scenes you can hear the caccar -like roosters and the voice of a man who says: “Estonians are handed over to the Estonians” - and also laughs at the time of the projection of an obscene word. According to the publication Life.ru, this answer is especially significant, since most residents of Narva speak Russian. “Estonians hang Ukrainian and rainbow flags on their side, as well as Russophobic posters. Russians are answering their methods, ”commented on the action of the Telegram channel"Bad news 18+"(232,000 views at the time of writing this analysis).

According to the TGSTAT service, by the time of publication of this analysis, more than 800 similar Russian -speaking posts were placed in Telegram, which scored about 5 million views in total. Channels told about the projection in Narva "Solovyov"(259,000 views),"Russian Kolobok and Green Trick"(230,000),"Uncle Glory"(195 000),"Russia now"(167 000),"Knockout"(134 000), Rus_criminal (105,000), "Nightingale drop"(101 000),"Tsargrad-TV"(71 000),"Sputnik near abroad"(25,000) and others. Similar publications appeared in Facebookwhere the video posted a publicist in Estonia Arkady Babchenkoand in public in "VKontakte", Among which"Rhymes and Panchi"(428,000 views),"Leprozoria"(241 000) and"Free Peter"(194,000).

Video: social networks

In the fall of 2022, the Estonian government approved A plan for a gradual transition to training in schools and preschool institutions exclusively in Estonian. So, since September 2024, in kindergartens and primary grades, all classes should take place in the state language, and at least 60% in high school students (this share will increase over time). At the same time, teachers Obligated own Estonian at a level not lower than B2. At the beginning of 2024, the Narva City Administration asked the National Government permission so that several local schools and kindergartens in the new academic year continue to partially conduct classes in Russian, but received refusal.

Plot of Russian-Estonian Borders In recent years, between Narva and Ivangorod, in recent years, it has regularly become a place of mutual shares. So, after the start of a full -scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on the walls Narva Castle already three times by May 9 Placed posters with inscriptionssaying that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a war criminal. By assessment Estonia’s ministries, such messages that are clearly visible to the inhabitants of Ivangorod, should remind the Russians of the “destructive work”, which the “Russian terrorist regime” conducts in Ukraine. On the embankment of Ivangorod, in turn, on the Victory Day, screens and scene that are turned towards Narva annually set. On the screens show a parade on Red Square, and a concert with military songs is held on the stage.

As for the alleged action with a projection about the Russian language, it would be simply meaningless. If we assume that the distributed video is real, then the projector would be installed across the river, On the territory Ivangorod (most likely on the walls Ivangorod fortress). Then the message on the wall of the Narva Castle could mainly be seen by people who are on the Russian coast of the river, as the alleged author of the viral video. In theory, only those residents of Narva who were directly located could notice the inscription Under the wall.

The publications mentioned at the beginning of the analysis does not say who exactly conducted the alleged action with the projection (the man is not declared about his involvement, whose voice is heard in the video behind the scenes). At the same time, all posts and notes are given the same video, as well as two photographs shot from the same angle as the video. Note that the location place is located far from the location where the projector was allegedly installed (there could not be found any images of the projection from that angle). If we assume that the message on the castle wall was indeed demonstrated, it turns out that the organizers of the action initially hoped that one of the eyewitnesses would take it in the early morning, post a photo or video on the Internet, then these materials would be clamped and only after that the residents of Estonia learn about the action.

The authorities of Ivangorod called this obscene message about the ban on the Russian language by Fake. The head of the city administration, Yuri Parshin, in an interview with the publication "Rise" suggestedthat the distributed video was most likely mounted. “If she was, this inscription, then the inhabitants would record it on their phones. We have no such videos in the "lobster". So this is a fake. We have a repaired embankment, people walk almost at midnight, especially young people, so such things would be noticeable, ”the official said.

Indeed, the primary source of the recording were not Ivangorod publics. The earliest post with the roller "Checked" found in the Telegram channel "Kryminforum 🇿 🇴 🇻"(16,000 views), where the video was posted on June 6 at 10:38 Moscow time. Two photos appeared a little later-at 11:26 in the Telegram channel "Pool N3"(132,000 views). These channels are well familiar to our regular readers: both mentioned in set Our analysis of disinformation and repeatedly became the primary sources of fakes, including fake photos and videos.

The video with the appeal to the Estonians was no exception - traces of installation are also noticeable in it. For example, on a record on one of the supports Friendship bridge, connecting two cities, the UGC abbreviation, which is absent in two pictures, is noticeable. With such a letter combination, it is customary to denote the content created by users (user-generated conte), but it is “verified” to explain why such a tank was left in the video.

On the left is a screenshot from the video, in the center and right - fragments of viral shots. Photo: social networks / collage "Checked"

The projection, stated, was shown in the early morning (obviously much earlier than 10:38, when the video posted the “Kryminforum 🇿 🇴 🇻”), but one photograph, judging by the very dark sky, was to be taken closer to the night (June 6th (June 6th dawn In Narva, it was at about 03:55). In the dark, the wall of the castle Bright Slightly illuminated, and on the embankment and on the bridge, lights on the poles are burning. However, no street lighting lights are visible on viral materials. In addition, the backlighting of the wall would interfere with such a clear display of the projection on it. Judging by the shadows noticeable in the video, it can be assumed that in fact the video was shot not in the early morning, but in the daytime and then edited through the filter.

On the left is the Narva castle, on the right is the Ivangorod fortress. Photo: egorov.livejournal.com

Among others detailswho give a fake, you can distinguish a blurry background on the wall in the place where the inscription is imposed, which is why some are not noticeable on the stone Dark Spots.

Prochremple Telegram channels regularly publish fakes dedicated to different holidays and memorable dates, and sometimes they create similar videos with projections for disinformation. For example, in 2023, false ones were mounted on Victory Day videoswhich shows that on the facades of the White House in Washington, the buildings of the Reichstag in Berlin and supposedly headquarters of the UN in New York, the inscriptions “won the 45th-we won now” and “grandfathers won-the grandchildren will win”. A year later, a similar fake became viral video With the projection of the Banner of Victory on the Brandenburg Gate.

Thus, on Pushkin’s birthday on the wall of the Narva Castle, they did not show an Estonian message that the Russian language could not be banned. As evidence, photos and videos were used, on which the signs of installation were visible and which first appeared in Telegram channels, more than once caught in publications of this kind of fakes. The mayor of the Russian city, bordering Narva, also stated that such an action was not held there.

Photo on the cover: social networks