severe repressions against Tatars began already during the rule of Catherine II. Of course, a numerous numbers of Tatars left then their native land. That was the first tide of emigration. All these processes led to the drastic decrease in the number of Tatars. If during the height of the Crimean Khanate rule the population was over five million, on the eve of the Bolshevik revolution it totaled only 300 000. During this revolution, on November 28, 1917 an independent Crimea was established, but it lasted less than six months. Bolsheviks as well realized the importance of this region and made their best to get it into sphere of their influence. Finally, in October 1921 the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Crimean ASR) was established. During the period of 1921-1927 Crimean Tatars lived in a golden age under the leadership of Veli Ibrahim. But this ended with the arrest of Veli and his colleagues. Bolsheviks decided to continue the policy of Tsarist Russia and went on persecuting and humiliating Tatars. Till the beginning of the Second World War almost all leaders and elite were destroyed. But the biggest tragedy in the history of Tatars happened on the 18th of May 1944, when, according to the Stalins decree, which blamed Tatars in cooperation with Nazis, all Tatar population of Crimea (at that time it consisted mainly of children, women and old people), during one night were taken to the railway stations and placed in the freight cars, that took them to Special Settlement Camps, situated mostly in Uzbekistan, but also in Siberia and Urals. 46,2 percent of Tatars died during this transportation because of hunger, thirst and diseases. The next two important events are connected with the name of Nikita Khrushchev. First, in 1954, in order to celebrate 300 anniversary of union brotherly Ukrainian and Russian nations he issued a decree that affiliated Crimean peninsula to Ukraine (it was a part of Russian republic before). Secondly, in 1956, during desalinization all Tatars were officially released from their camps. But full rehabilitation took place only in 1967. after that lot of Tatars tried to return to their homeland just to find out that they were not welcome their any more. Crimea was occupied by other people, mainly Russians, who were attracted by good living conditions of the regions. Certainly, they did not want to give back to Tatars their homes. There were even cases of deportation of Tatar families, who came, back, by local authorities.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 19:54:57 +0000
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