In connection with recent events, probably, there are no people who have not heard about Crimea. Autonomy from Ukraine passed as a Republic to the Russian Federation. It is this fact that is proclaimed in the constitutional law adopted by the State Duma in March 2014. The population of Crimea has been on the path of gaining its own statehood for almost 100 years, having experienced ups and downs. Let's take a short excursion into history in order to trace the steps of state building on the territory of ancient Tavria.
Within the Russian Empire
At the beginning of the last century, the Crimean peninsula was part of the Russian Empire, which it joined back in 1783. Initially, the status of Crimea was defined as a region, and since 1802 - a province with a specially allocated city of Sevastopol, directly under imperial subordination. From that time to the present day, Sevastopol has always had a special position. Most of the population was made up of Tatars, equated to the state peasants, but received greater rights in comparison with the latter. By 1917In the same year, the composition of the population on the peninsula changed, the majority were now Little Russians and Russians, and only 25% were Tatars. A quarter of the population are foreign colonists: Greeks, Germans, Armenians, Bulgarians.
Establishment of the first autonomy in Crimea
In the fiery events of the civil war, there was no power in Tavria: the Reds, the German invaders, the White Guards of Wrangel, and the Greens. After the victory of the Bolsheviks in the newly created Russian state, the legal status of Crimea changed. The political platform of the Social Democrats was built on the right of nations to self-determination, the ability to create their own state formations. Since Crimean Tatars historically lived on the peninsula, Crimea also received state status. Autonomy had fairly broad rights within the framework of the RSFSR. When promoted to leadership positions, preference was given to the Tatars. The Constitution of 1936 confirmed this provision. But according to the 1939 census, the ethnic composition of the Crimean autonomy was still determined by the predominance of the Russian population over representatives of other nations and peoples (almost 50%), while the Crimean Tatars were only about 20%. Ukrainians were approaching the mark of 14%, there were only 5.8% of Jews, and 4.5% of Germans. Before the war, the deportation of Greeks, Bulgarians, Germans began in Crimea, so their number dropped significantly.
A bit about terms
Speaking of Crimean statehood, we must understand what autonomy means in general? Translated from Greekthis term means independence, independence. Simply put, within the framework of a single state, there can be areas that have a certain freedom in resolving a number of issues, their own constitution and laws that do not contradict the fundamental law of the state as a whole, legislative and executive authorities. In the Soviet state, autonomous republics were created on a national basis. So, Crimea is an autonomy that appeared thanks to the Tatar population of the peninsula. In the modern world, autonomy is seen as a territorial-administrative unit, which can be based on a variety of features. Many states, even those that have declared themselves unitary, have autonomous regions and republics in their composition.
Attempts to create Jewish autonomy
Jewish autonomy in Crimea is rather a rosy dream of the Jewish people's ascetics than a reality. The first attempts to put into practice the ideas of creating Jewish statehood date back to the 1920s. In the northern regions of the peninsula, there were sparsely populated lands where Jews began to be resettled in order to create a network of communes that would form the basis of a national republic. Attempts to implement the project ran into a number of problems. Firstly, it was completely unprofitable for the local Tatar population, which itself was in dire need of land. The interests of the titular nation at that time were actively defended by Veli Ibraimov, chairman of the Crimean Central Executive Committee. And, although the activists of the Jewish initiative were able toto eliminate it with the hands of the OGPU, it was much more difficult to cope with another problem. It lay in the very essence of the Jewish nationality. Very few of them could and wanted to engage in agricultural activities. Most of the settlers settled in the cities (about 40,000 people), and about 10,000 of those who settled on the land experienced great difficulties with food in the uninhabited territories. Clashes continued with the local Tatar population, whose discontent intensified in connection with the dispossession policy. The map of the Crimea of that time shows two large areas of Jewish settlers: Larindorf and Freidorf. But by 1938, the resettlement of Jews in the Crimea had ceased. The project was forgotten for a while, especially since a republic with Birobidzhan as its capital was created in the Far East.
Liquidation of the first Crimean autonomy
After the liberation of the Crimea in 1944, the leaders of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee again raised the issue of Jewish autonomy. But the position of the Soviet leadership this time was more clear and precise. She denied the possibility of creating a Jewish state. Moreover, after the end of the war, a mass deportation of Tatars and other peoples from the peninsula was carried out, it was essentially “closed”. The status of Crimea has also changed. On June 25, 1946, amendments were made to the Constitution of the RSFSR, which affected the territorial and administrative structure of the state. They fixed the transfer of the Crimean autonomy to the status of a region. Two years later, Sevastopol received a special position, essentially equal to that of the Crimean region.
Crimea inpart of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
The reasons for the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine are still not entirely clear. Some blame the voluntarism of Nikita Khrushchev, who simply committed an ill-conceived act on emotions. In addition, there are other actions of his that confirm the obviousness of such a reason. Others say that this step is quite rational and pragmatic. First, in terms of a common border. Secondly, due to economic problems in the supply of electricity and water from the territory of Ukraine. Thirdly, all the same, this is one state - the Soviet Union, the collapse of which no one foresaw and could not even imagine. Be that as it may, the status of Crimea changed again in 1954. In addition, the decree on the transfer of Crimea did not cover the issue of Sevastopol, which has always had a special position as a Russian naval base.
And autonomy again
In 1990, when national contradictions grew in the USSR, resulting in the so-called "parade of sovereignties", the Crimean Regional Council of Deputies again began to discuss the status of Crimea. In accordance with the policy of glasnost, the recognition of the mistakes of the Soviet government in connection with the deportation of peoples and the return of the Crimean Tatars to their historical homeland, it was decided to recognize the liquidation of the autonomy of Crimea as an unconstitutional action. So it was announced that Crimea is an autonomy within the USSR and therefore a full-fledged subject of the Union State. To legitimize this decision on the territorypeninsula held a referendum. The overwhelming majority expressed support for the decision of the Crimean Council and for the formation of state independence within the Soviet Union.
Establishment of autonomy within Ukraine
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Crimean peninsula, unexpectedly for the Crimeans themselves, ended up in Ukraine. In the constitution of Crimea, adopted in May 1992, it was written that the Republic of Crimea is a sovereign state within Ukraine. The next year, the post of President of Crimea was introduced. Yuri Meshkov won the democratic elections and became the first president of the republic. But according to the laws of Ukraine, all these decisions were illegitimate; in 1995, Leonid Kuchma abolished the 1992 Crimean Constitution. Only after long negotiations, in 1998, the Constitution of the ARC (Autonomous Republic of Crimea) was approved. The main task was completed - to maintain the state status for the Crimea. The Russian language, along with the Crimean Tatar, received official status and was recognized as the language of interethnic communication. Nevertheless, the rights of the autonomy of Crimea remained not fully disclosed and caused controversy both in Ukraine itself and in Crimea. Until 1998, the Constitution was not harmonized with the laws of Ukraine, and later there were also disagreements.
Disputes over autonomy
For more than 20 years, disputes over the Crimean autonomy of Ukraine have not subsided in Ukraine. Many deputies of the Verkhovna Rada called for depriving the Republic of its status, turning it into a region following the example of 1946. Proposals were made to hold an All-Ukrainian plebiscite on this issue. It was noted that its existence violates the integrity and unity of the state. Thus, the population of Crimea has never felt calm, stable and safe. In addition, pro-Russian tendencies in this territory remained quite strong, and the Russian Black Sea Fleet continued to be based in Sevastopol.
Secession from Ukraine
Due to the political crisis in Ukraine and the strengthening of the anti-Russian movement in late 2013 - early 2014, the Crimean authorities have repeatedly called for the restoration of order in the country. But the Kyiv "Maidan" led to the removal of a democratically elected president and the transfer of power to right-wing radical political groups. In this regard, in the Crimea at the end of February, active and decisive actions of pro-Russian forces began, which considered it possible not to participate in the Ukrainian events, leaving the rebellious state. Despite the protests of Europe, Russia supported the Crimean initiative and even sent troops to the peninsula to repel a possible confrontation from the Kyiv authorities. After the referendum on March 16, 2014, it became possible to appeal to the government of the Russian Federation with a request to accept the Autonomy and the city of Sevastopol as part of the Federal Russian State. In the shortest possible time, all decisions were agreed between the branches of government. Map of Crimea changed from blue-yellow to white-blue-red of Russia in most internet search engines.
Crimea and Sevastopol are subjects of the Russian Federation
SoThus, in March 2014, Sevastopol and Crimea were annexed to Russia as separate entities. Autonomy, for which the population of the peninsula fought for so long, ceased to exist, but the Republic of Crimea arose. Until January 1, 2015, a transitional period has been announced, during which the integration process must go through without loss for the population. The drafting of the Constitution and current legislation has begun, while the Constitution of 1998 of the ARC is still in force. The international community has not recognized the reunification of Crimea with Russia (although there are serious historical, economic and social prerequisites for this), but this does not bother either the Russian or the Crimean government. Kyiv also assesses what is happening as the Russian occupation of its territory. Ahead of the struggle for international recognition.
