Weltschau

Crimea is a peninsula with a long and rich history. Its story goes far into the past. At the beginning of the second millennium, this land was home to native peoples — Crimean Tatars, Karaites, and Krymchaks. Today, Crimea is mostly known as a land occupied by Russia. This situation repeats earlier attempts to control and change the peninsula. But it was not always like this.

People lived in Crimea even before our era. Scientists found signs of Greek colonies there. This made Crimea an important place for trading. It has access to the Black Sea, which is good for the economy. At the same time, nearby regions often wanted to control Crimea because it was valuable.

An important time in Crimea’s history was the Crimean Khanate. It came after the Golden Horde. It was a large and strong state. It had a rich culture and good education. Because of its location, Crimea was a place where different cultures and religions met. Its capital, Bakhchisarai, was an important cultural and political center.

In 1475, the Crimean Khanate became dependent on the Ottoman Empire. This happened after the Ottomans took control of the southern coast of Crimea. During this time, local people had less freedom and became financially dependent by the Ottoman Empire.

Ottoman rule ended after the Russo-Turkish War in 1768. The Crimean Khanate was expected to become independent again. But firstly, the Russian Empire started to control its internal affairs. Then, in 1783, it annexed Crimea.

When Crimea was part of the Russian Empire, there was strong cultural and religious pressure. The authorities tried to change the people and make them follow Russian language, culture, and religion. Many native people were forced to leave their homes. They faced persecution and false accusations here.

Deportations also happened during the Soviet Union period. People were called “traitors” without real reasons. Many were sent to Central Asia. Many people died in the process.

In 1954, Crimea became part of the Ukrainian Republic. This brought changes to the population and economy. Crimean Tatars slowly returned to their home. New economic projects were built here.

After Ukraine became independent, Crimea also started to develop. It became an autonomous republic. Native peoples got back some cultural and political rights. They rebuilt their religious and cultural life. Also, support from mainland Ukraine helped the economy grow here.

However, in 2014, Crimea was occupied by Russians. The annexation is not recognized by most countries. After this, native peoples again had to leave their homes. The Russian government moved new people into Crimea. This again pushed out local culture and religion.

Today, Crimea is very important for Ukraine. The main goal is to return it. It is also important to help native peoples come back home and restore their rights and independence.

Iryna Yegorova is a first-year master’s student majoring in Journalism at V. I. Vernadsky Taurida National University.