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Republic of Crimea

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Map of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and of Sevastopol.

The Republic of Crimea is a federal subject of Russia, comprising most of the Crimean Peninsula[wp], excluding Sevastopol, which has the status of a federal city. Its territory corresponds to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea[wp], which seceded[wp] from Ukraine in 2014, constituted itself as an independent republic, and as such subsequently joined the Russian Federation.[1]

The capital and largest city located within its borders is Simferopol[wp], which is the second-largest city in Crimea. As of the 2021 Russian census, the Republic of Crimea had a population of 1,934,630.

Diagram showing the merge, short-lived independence, and separation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea[wp] and Sevastopol that led to the Republic of Crimea becoming a federal subject of the Russian Federation.

History

Raions with national status, as of 1938[2]
 Crimean Tatar in light blue
 Russian in pink
 Jewish in indigo
 German in orange
 Ukrainian in yellow

Crimea becomes Russian

Until the Russo-Turkish War[wp] (1768-1774), the Khanate of Crimea was a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire[wp]. With the help of the Russian Empire[wp], it managed to break away, and the Ottomans had to recognise the 'independence' of Crimea in the Peace of Küçük Kaynarca in 1774, which was followed by a creeping Russification[wp]. Under Grigory Potyomkin, the Crimean Tatar state finally came under Russian rule through annexation: on 8 April 1783, Crimea was formally declared Russian by Catherine II[wp] 'from now on and for all time'.

Following the incorporation, colonists were recruited, including Germans, Italians, Greeks, Bulgarians, Balts and Russians. The latter were mainly soldiers discharged from service or Zaporozhian Cossacks[wp]. The Tatar peasants, who made up 96 per cent of the Tatar population, were forced back into the barren areas in the interior of Crimea. Large parts of the fertile areas were distributed to landed Junkers under Potjomkin's[wp] leadership from 1784 onwards. As a result of this policy, there was an increased exodus of Tatars[wp] into the Ottoman Empire.

In the first half of the 19th century, Sevastopol was developed into the main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet[wp] under the leadership of Admiral Mikhail Lazarev[wp]. From 1853 to 1856, Crimea and Sevastopol in particular were the theatre of the Crimean War[wp].

Russian civil war

In December 1917, following the October Revolution[wp] in Crimea, the Crimean Tatars proclaimed the Crimean People's Republic[wp], the first attempt at a secular-democratic order in the Islamic world. It was crushed by the Bolsheviks[wp] in January 1918 and replaced by the Taurian Soviet Socialist Republic (Russian: Советская Социалистическая Республика Тавриды). This only lasted a few weeks until troops of the Ukrainian People's Republic[wp] under Petro Bolbochan invaded Crimea.

The White Army[wp] occupied Crimea during the Russian Civil War[wp]. After Wrangel's[wp] defeat, the Red Army[wp] marched in, and in 1921 Crimea was proclaimed an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic[wp] (ASSR) within Soviet Russia[wp]. It thus remained administratively separate from the mainland, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Second World War

After the Battle of Crimea[wp] on 18 May 1944, almost all of the Crimean Tatars still living in Crimea towards the end of the war, around 190,000 people, were deported to Central Asia by NKVD[wp] units on Stalin's orders under the blanket accusation of collaboration with Nazi Germany. However, significantly more Crimean Tatars had fought as soldiers in the Red Army or as partisans in the Crimea against the Wehrmacht and SS than had collaborated. The deportation of the Crimean Tatars in May 1944 had created the conditions for Crimea to lose its status as an autonomous Soviet republic. On 30 June 1945, it was declared a simple oblast within the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic[wp] (RSFSR).

Ukrainian interlude

Background

In 1954, one year after Stalin's death, Crimea was transferred from the territory of the RSFSR to that of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic[wp] (USSR). This transfer was embedded in the celebrations to mark the 300th anniversary of the Pereiaslav Agreement[wp] of 1654, when the Ukrainian Cossacks submitted to the Russian Tsar. While Ukrainian historiography sees this as a short-term alliance against the Polish king, Russian historians see the treaty as a reunification of ‘"Great"[wp] and "Little Russians"[wp] against the backdrop of the first East Slavic state of Kievan Rus[wp].[3]

The political background to Crimea being placed under the jurisdiction of Ukraine is complex and has not yet been conclusively clarified.[[4] Ukrainians were settled in Crimea even before 1954 in order to counteract the labour shortage following the deportation of the Crimean Tatars[wp].[5] Soviet authors often described the transfer as a "gift" from Khrushchev[wp].[6] Due to Khrushchev's Ukrainian origins, he is credited with a special interest in Ukrainian affairs.[7] This myth was not critically scrutinised even after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.[8] Ukrainian and Russian historians focused their attention on the events of 1654.[9]

Eastern European historian Susanne Schattenberg[wp] emphasises that the handover to Ukraine was primarily due to the "economic similarities, territorial proximity and close economic and cultural ties", as Crimea could only be supplied by land via Ukraine. In addition, they wanted to send a symbolic signal for the upgrading of the Ukrainian SSR.[10] Eine Auflösung der Sowjetunion schien ohnehin unvorstellbar.[11] A dissolution of the Soviet Union seemed unimaginable anyway.[12] With the reorganisation of Crimea, Ukraine became more closely tied to the most powerful constituent state of the USSR - Russia[wp] - especially as Soviet Russian interests in Sevastopol, for example, were not called into question.[13] The population of Crimea was predominantly Russian and Russophone. The increase in the Russian population in the Ukrainian Soviet Republic may have been a desirable side effect of the transfer.[14]

Russian-Ukrainian confusion

Quote: «93 per cent of Crimeans voted in a referendum in favour of the 're-establishment of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic[wp] (ASSK) as a subject of the USSR and participant in the Union Treaty', i.e. in favour of remaining part of the Soviet Union.»

On 20 January 1991, 93 percent of Crimeans voted in a referendum for the "re-establishment of the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of Crimea[wp] (ASSK) as a subject of the USSR and participant in the Union Treaty", i.e. for remaining in the Soviet Union.[15]

In a decision on 12 February 1991, the Supreme Soviet of Ukraine confirmed the establishment of an ASSK, but announced the "re-establishment of the ASSK as part of the Ukrainian SSR". However, an ASSK construct had never previously existed within the Ukrainian SSR, meaning that the decision was legally flawed. However, it was incorporated into the constitution of the ASSK on 6 June 1991, thus making it legally valid.[16] Within these limits, the Ukrainian SSR declared itself independent[wp] on 24 August 1991. On 4 September, the ASSK declared itself autonomous within the USSR, i.e. not part of Ukraine.[17]

The attempted coup against Mikhail Gorbachev[wp] in the summer of 1991, its consequences and the referendum on the independence of Ukraine effectively sealed the fate of the USSR. In the latter referendum, the population of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea was not asked whether they wanted to remain in Ukraine after the dissolution of the USSR or, alternatively, rejoin the Russian Federation. In the referendum on the independence of Ukraine on 1 December 1991, 54 percent of voters in the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of Crimea voted "yes",[18] while the Crimean parliament voted in favour of independence for the peninsula itself.

In fact, the Soviet Union was dissolved on 8 December 1991 at a meeting of the heads of state of the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Belarus[wp].[19]

Ukrainian nightmare and return to Russia

On 5 May 1992, the Crimean parliament proclaimed the self-government of Crimea and adopted its first constitution, although a passage expressly affirming Crimea's affiliation with Ukraine was subsequently added to the constitution on 6 May 1992 under pressure from the Ukrainian central state[wp].

On 19 May 1992, the proclamation of Crimean self-government was annulled by the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada[wp]). In return, Kiev agreed to strengthen Crimea's autonomous status. This led to a verbal exchange of blows between Russia and Ukraine, including in relation to the naval base there. In an initial compromise, the rights of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea within the Ukrainian state were extended on 30 June 1992. In return, the secessionist forces renounced a referendum aimed at annexation to Russia. It was granted sovereign rights in the areas of finance, economy, culture, administration and law, while foreign, defence and monetary policy remained with Ukraine.

On 14 October 1993, the Crimean parliament used these extended legal powers to establish the office of the President of Crimea and granted the Crimean Tatars[wp] regular representation in the Consultative Council of Fourteen.

On 17 March 1995, the Ukrainian parliament annulled the Crimean constitution of 1992, removed the then President of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Yuriy Meshkov[wp], from office and abolished his post. The president was accused of anti-state activities and of promoting the secession of Crimea from Ukraine and its integration into the Russian Federation.

On 31 March 1995, the then Ukrainian President Kuchma[wp] issued a decree placing Crimea directly under the administration of the central government.

On 15 April 1995, the Crimean parliament announced its intention to hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the 1992 constitution, which was withdrawn by the parliament on 31 May.

On 22 August, autonomy was partially restored: the right to appoint and dismiss the head of government was transferred to the Crimean parliament, although the relevant official acts could only be carried out after consultation with the President of Ukraine.

On 1 November 1995, a new constitution for Crimea came into force, but it did not take into account the rights of the Crimean Tatars, who boycotted the vote and whose representatives went on hunger strike after the result.

Following the political uncertainty in Ukraine in the wake of the Euromaidan coup[cp], there was a resurgence of separatist endeavours in February 2014, which led to a referendum on the secession of Crimea from Ukraine and later to the founding of the Republic of Crimea.

In the Referendum on the status of Crimea held on 16 March 2014, 96.77% of voters were in favour of annexation to Russia with a turnout of 83.1% according to the official final result.[20][21]

References

  1. ↑ Wikipedia: Republik Krim (Sezessionsregion)
  2. ↑ Wikipedia: Crimea in the Soviet Union
  3. ↑ Kerstin S. Jobst: Geschichte der Krim. Iphigenie und Putin auf Tauris., 1st edition, De Gruyter, 2020, ISBN 3-11-051808-2, pp. 292
  4. ↑ Kerstin S. Jobst: Geschichte der Krim. Iphigenie und Putin auf Tauris., p. 293
  5. ↑ Gwendolyn Sasse: The Crimea Question. Identity, Transition, and Conflict., Harvard Univ. Press, Cambridge, Mass. 2007, ISBN 1-932650-12-1, pp. 116
  6. ↑ Gwendolyn Sasse: The Crimea Question. Identity, Transition, and Conflict., p. 95
  7. ↑ Gwendolyn Sasse: The Crimea Question. Identity, Transition, and Conflict., pp. 114
  8. ↑ Gwendolyn Sasse: The Crimea Question. Identity, Transition, and Conflict., p. 956
  9. ↑ Gwendolyn Sasse: The Crimea Question. Identity, Transition, and Conflict., pp. 104
  10. ↑ Susanne Schattenberg[wp]: Geschichte der Sowjetunion. Von der Oktober­revolution bis zum Untergang, C.H.Beck, 2022, ISBN 3-406-78518-2, p. 80
  11. ↑ Gwendolyn Sasse: The Crimea Question. Identity, Transition, and Conflict., pp. 100
  12. ↑ Gwendolyn Sasse: The Crimea Question. Identity, Transition, and Conflict., pp. 100
  13. ↑ Gwendolyn Sasse: The Crimea Question. Identity, Transition, and Conflict., p. 121
  14. ↑ Kerstin S. Jobst: Geschichte der Krim. Iphigenie und Putin auf Tauris., p. 295
  15. ↑ Maria Drohobycky: Crimea: Dynamics, Challenges and Prospects., American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1995, ISBN 0-8191-9954-0, p. 108
  16. ↑ Maria Drohobycky: Crimea: Dynamics, Challenges and Prospects., American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1995, ISBN 0-8191-9954-0, pp. 40
  17. ↑ Der große Ploetz, 33rd edition, 2002, p. 1534
  18. ↑ Pdf-icon-extern.svg Politische Lage auf der Krim. Debatte um den Nato-Beitritt der Ukraine[ext] (page 2)
  19. ↑ Conor O'Clery: Moscow, December 25, 1991: The Last Day of the Soviet Union, Hachette UK, 2011
  20. ↑ Krim-Referendum: 96,77 Prozent stimmen für Wiedervereinigung mit Russland - Endergebnis[archived March 17, 2014], RIA Novosti on March 17, 2014
  21. ↑ Nach dem Krim-Referendum: Die Fronten sind geblieben, TAZ on March 17, 2014
    Teaser: Nach dem deutlichen Ausgang des Referendums bereitet Russland die Aufnahme der Krim vor. Barack Obama will dagegen das Ergebnis niemals anerkennen.
    English: Following the clear outcome of the referendum, Russia is preparing to accept Crimea. Barack Obama, on the other hand, will never recognise the result.

Internal links

External links

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