As part of Youth Work Week, Narva was visited together with young people. Our youth worker Liisi Soo recalls this trip.
On November 11, we organized a trip for young people to Narva, where we visited the Narva Youth Centre, briefly explored the city, and participated in an exciting excursion at the Kreenholm Manufactory. We hopped on the bus at 9:30 AM, and our journey to Narva began!
Upon arriving in Narva, we walked along the river and observed the fortresses on both riverbanks. We then moved towards Kreenholm, where we spent an hour and a half exploring the museum grounds and learning about the manufactory's exciting history.
The Kreenholm Manufactory is a textile industry enterprise, named after its location (Kreenholm Island), and operated for a total of 153 years (1857–2010). In the second half of the 19th century, the Kreenholm Manufactory was the most modern industrial enterprise in the Russian Empire and for several decades the largest textile factory in all of Europe. It produced cotton yarn, thread, fabric, and wadding. For example, in 1913, there were as many as 10,459 workers and officials.
Next, we had lunch together at Café Inger, and then it was time to visit the youth centre. We were given a tour of the building, seeing many different rooms used for crafts, video editing, a band room, various meeting rooms, and even a bedroom. We also got to spend some casual time in their open youth room, and then we set off for home. Our spirits were also stirred by a surprise police visit to the bus, where everyone's documents were checked. Everything was in order, and we continued our journey home, singing together.
Youth Counselor Oksana Knjaz: “None of us has to handle everything on our own!”
Every young person has their own story, questions, and challenges. Sometimes, all it takes to move forward is for someone to help them clarify their thoughts and identify possible solutions. The youth counselors at the Tartu Youth Work Center support young people in precisely these moments, offering them the chance to talk about both everyday worries and more complex issues. Let’s meet Oksana Knjaz, a youth counselor working at our Anne House.
