Crimean Tatars commemorate 62nd anniversary of deportation by Stalin

KYIV- On May 18, Ukraine marked the 62nd anniversary of the massive deportation of the Crimean Tatar people.

It was on May 18, 1944, that the NKVD (the predecessor of the KGB), upon the order of Joseph Stalin, began a sweeping operation in Crimea to deport the Crimean Tatars, who were accused of being Nazi collaborators. Within a mere three days, over 200,000 people were deported to Central Asia, the Urals and Siberia, resulting in the death of nearly half of the deported people in the first year alone. Also among the deported were 11,000 Armenians, 12,000 Bulgarians and 14,500 Greeks from Crimea.

By October 1, 1948, over 7,000 former POWs were deported on similar supicions. Later that year, on November 28 the Supreme Soviet of the USSR issued a decree which stipulated that those deported from Crimea would remain in exile forever and that those who attempted to leave their settlements would be ordered to serve 20 years in labor camps.

Over 280,000 Crimean Tatars have returned to Ukraine since 1989, when they were allowed to return from exile.

At a commemorative rally in Symferopol, Mustafa Djemilev, the head of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis (Council), highlighted the difficulties the Crimean Tatars face in maintaining their culture and identity.

"Ninety percent of our children do not have the opportunity to be educated in their native language," he said, adding that only 10 schools have been built or reconstructed, where subjects are taught in the Crimean Tatar language to 3,200 students, while the majority of schools in Crimea remain Russian-language institutions.

Mr. Djemilev went on to say that "an assimilation policy of Russification continues here," underscoring that "no conditions have been created in this country for Crimean Tatars to preserve their ethnic identity."

On May 11, the Ukrainian government endorsed a program for the years 2006-2010 of settling and socially accommodating the Crimean Tatars and other returning ethnic groups. The returnees have been allotted 47,500 land plots, with approximately 22,000 Crimean Tatar returnees obtaining land property certificates.

Speaking at a meeting on the occasion of the 62nd anniversary of the Crimean Tatars' deportation, Crimean Prime Minister Anatolii Bordiugov noted that, irrespective of the political situation in Ukraine, the Crimean Tatars have openly demonstrated their support for Ukraine's independent statehood and have always supported Ukraine's territorial integrity, which is a manifestation of the Crimean Tatar people's inherent wisdom.

President Viktor Yushchenko said that Ukrainian authorities will do what they can to solve the Crimean Tatar returnees' problems. He admitted, however, that this process has been rather slow.

At the commemoration the president stated that all Ukrainian citizens pay tribute to the tens of thousands of innocent victims. The Crimean Tatars have found support from outstanding Ukrainians, such as the late Gen. Petro Grigorenko and the late Vyacheslav Chornovil, because of their shared experience of the totalitarian regime's repressions.

President Yushchenko said that Ukraine's record of societal calm, inter-ethnic accord and stability will guarantee both the Crimean Tatars' and the entire nation's successful development.

- Ukrinform, RFE/RL

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, May 28, 2006, No. 22, Vol. LXXIV

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