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Crimea or the
Autonomous Republic of Crimea is the only
autonomous republicAn autonomous republic is a type of administrative division similar to a province. A significant number of autonomous republics can be found within the successor states of the Soviet Union, but the majority are located within Russia. Many of these republics were established during the Soviet...
of
UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
. It is located on the northern coast of the
Black Seaur a loser!The Black Sea is an inland sea bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas and various straits. The Bosporus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects it to...
, occupying a
peninsulaA peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by water but connected to mainland via an isthmus. Word origin: Latin paenīnsula : paene, almost + īnsula, island.A peninsula can also be a headland, cape, island promontory, bill, point, or spit....
of the same name.
The territory of Crimea was conquered and controlled many times throughout its history. The
CimmeriansThe Cimmerians or Kimmerians were ancient equestrian nomads of Indo-European origin.According to Herodotus, they originally inhabited the region north of the Caucasus and the Black Sea, in what is now Ukraine and Russia, in the 8th and 7th centuries BC. Although Herodotus's view was widely...
,
GreekAncient Greece is the civilisation belonging to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca. 1100 BC and the Dorian invasion, to 146 BC and the Roman conquest of Greece after the Battle of Corinth. It is generally considered to be the seminal culture which provided the...
s, Persians,
GothsCrimean Goths were those Gothic tribes who remained in the lands around the Black Sea, especially in Crimea. They were the least-powerful, least-known, and paradoxically longest-lasting of the Gothic communities....
,
HunsThe Huns were a group of nomadic pastoral people who, appearing from beyond the Volga, migrated into Europe c.AD 370 and built up an enormous empire in Europe. They were possibly the descendants of the Xiongnu who had been northern neighbours of China three hundred years before and may be the first...
,
BulgarsThe Bulgars were originally semi-nomadic people, probably of Turkic descent, originating in Central Asia, who from the 2nd century onwards conquered different parts of Europe...
,
KhazarsThe Khazars were a semi-nomadic Turkic people who dominated the Pontic steppe and the North Caucasus from the 7th to the 10th century CE. The name 'Khazar' seems to be tied to a Turkic verb form meaning "wandering"....
, the state of
Kievan Rus'Kievan Rus , usually written simply Kievan Rus and sometimes Kyivan Rus, was a medieval state which existed from approximately 880 to the middle of the 13th century...
,
ByzantineThe Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...
Greeks,
KipchaksKipchaks were an ancient Turkic people who originally formed part of the group of Kimäks in Siberia along the middle reaches of Irtysh or along the Ob. Around the middle of the eleventh century they split off from the bulk of the Kimaks and departed in the direction of Europe...
, and the
MongolsThe name Mongol specifies one or several ethnic groups, now mainly located in Mongolia, China, and Russia.-Definition:...
all controlled Crimea in its early history. In the 13th century, it was partly controlled by the
VenetiansThe Most Serene Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century AD until the year 1797...
and by the
GenoeseThe Most Serene Republic of Genoa was an independent state in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast from 1005 to 1797, when it was invaded by armies of Revolutionary France under Napoleon. It was then succeeded by the Ligurian Republic, which existed until 1805 before being annexed by the...
; they were followed by the
Crimean KhanateThe Crimean Khanate or the Khanate of Crimea was a Crimean Tatar state from 1441 to 1783. Its native name was Crimean Yurt The Crimean Khanate or the Khanate of Crimea was a Crimean Tatar state from 1441 to 1783. Its native name was Crimean Yurt...
and the
Ottoman EmpireThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
in the 15th to 18th centuries, the
Russian EmpireThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia, and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
in the 18th to 20th centuries, the
Russian SFSRThe Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , also called the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic, the Russian SFSR and the RSFSR for short, was the largest and most populous of the fifteen Soviet republics of the Soviet Union and became the Russian...
and later the
Ukrainian SSRThe Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or the Ukrainian SSR was one of the founders of the Soviet Union constituent republic that made up the former Soviet Union from its formation in 1922 to its abolition in 1991.-Name:...
within the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
in the rest of the 20th century,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
in
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and now Crimea is an autonomous
UkrainianUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
administrative region.
Crimea is a
parliamentary republicA parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a type of republic which operates under a parliamentary system of government .- The Power of Parliament :In contrast to republics operating...
which is governed by the Constitution of Crimea in accordance with the laws of Ukraine. The capital and administrative seat of the republic's government is the city of
SimferopolSimferopol is the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in southern Ukraine. As the capital of Crimea, Simferopol is an important political, economic, and transport center of the peninsula...
, located in the center of the peninsula. Crimea's area is and its population was 1,973,185 as of 2007.
Crimea was originally occupied by the
Crimean TatarsCrimean Tatars or Crimeans are a Turkic ethnic group originally residing in Crimea. They speak the Crimean Tatar language...
, an ethnic minority who now make up about 13% of the population. The Crimean Tatars were
forcibly expelledPopulation transfer in the Soviet Union may be classified into the following broad categories: deportations of "anti-Soviet" categories of population, often classified as "enemies of workers", deportations of nationalities, labor force transfer, and organized migrations in opposite directions to...
to
Central AsiaAsia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east, and from southern Russia in the north to northern India in the south. It is also sometimes known as Middle Asia or Inner Asia, and is within the scope of the wider Eurasian continent.Various definitions of its...
by
Joseph StalinJoseph Stalin was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee from 1922 until his death in 1953...
's government. After the fall of the Soviet Union, some Crimean Tatars began returning to the region.
Etymology of the name
The name
Crimea comes from the name of a city, Qırım (today's
Stary Krym), which served as a capital of the Crimean province of the
Golden HordeThe Ulus of Jochi or the Golden Horde is an East Slavic designation for the Mongol—later Turkicized—Muslim khanate established in the western part of the Mongol Empire after the Mongol invasion of Rus' in the 1240s: present-day Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, and the Caucasus...
. The word
Qırım is believed by most researchers to derive from archaic Turkic "moat". However, there are other versions of the etymology of
Qırım (like f. ex.
qır – hill,
-ım – my in modern
Crimean TatarThe Crimean Tatar language , also known as Crimean and Crimean Turkish is the language of the Crimean Tatars. It is spoken in Crimea, Central Asia , and the Crimean Tatar diasporas in Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria...
). Russian
Krym is a Russified form of Qırım. The
ancient GreeksAncient Greece is the civilisation belonging to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca. 1100 BC and the Dorian invasion, to 146 BC and the Roman conquest of Greece after the Battle of Corinth. It is generally considered to be the seminal culture which provided the...
called Crimea
Tauris (later
TauricaThe Tauric Chersonese was the name by which the Crimea was known to the Greeks and Romans.- Etymology of the name :The Greeks named the region after its inhabitants, the Tauri: Ταυρική Χερσόνησος or Χερσόνησος Ταυρική , "Tauric peninsula"...
), after its inhabitants, the
TauriThe Tauri , also Scythotauri, Tauri Scythae, Tauroscythae were a people settling on the southern coast of the Crimea peninsula, inhabiting the Crimean Mountains and the narrow strip of land between the mountains and the Black Sea...
. The Greek historian
HerodotusHerodotus of Halicarnassus was a Greek historian who lived in the 5th century BC and is regarded as the "Father of History" in Western culture. He was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
mentions that
HeraclesIn Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles , Alcides or Alcaeus , was a divine hero, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
plowed the land that became Crimea using a huge ox ("Taurus"): the name of the land thus asserts that its people named their land, and hence themselves, after an
ox used by a
mythical Greek figure.
In
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
, Crimea is sometimes referred to with the definite article, as
the Crimea, as in
the NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
,
the GambiaThe Gambia , commonly known as Gambia, is a country in Western Africa. The Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, bordered to the north, east, and south by Senegal, and has a small coast on the Atlantic Ocean in the west.Its borders roughly correspond to the path of the Gambia River,...
, etc. However, usage without the article has become more common in journalism since the years of the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
.
Early history
The earliest inhabitants of whom we have any authentic traces were the
CimmeriansThe Cimmerians or Kimmerians were ancient equestrian nomads of Indo-European origin.According to Herodotus, they originally inhabited the region north of the Caucasus and the Black Sea, in what is now Ukraine and Russia, in the 8th and 7th centuries BC. Although Herodotus's view was widely...
, who were expelled by the Scythians during the seventh century BC. The remaining Cimmerians, those who took refuge in the mountains later, became known as the
TauriThe Tauri , also Scythotauri, Tauri Scythae, Tauroscythae were a people settling on the southern coast of the Crimea peninsula, inhabiting the Crimean Mountains and the narrow strip of land between the mountains and the Black Sea...
. According to other historians, the Tauri were known for their savage rituals and piracy and were also the earliest indigenous peoples of the peninsula. In the fifth century BC
GreekAncient Greece is the civilisation belonging to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca. 1100 BC and the Dorian invasion, to 146 BC and the Roman conquest of Greece after the Battle of Corinth. It is generally considered to be the seminal culture which provided the...
colonists began to settle along the
Black Seaur a loser!The Black Sea is an inland sea bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas and various straits. The Bosporus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects it to...
coast; among them were the Dorians from
HeracleaHeraclea Pontica , an ancient city on the coast of Bithynia in Asia Minor, at the mouth of the river Lycus...
who founded a sea port of
ChersonesosChersonesos was an ancient Greek colony founded approximately 2500 years ago in the southwestern part of Crimea, known then as Taurica...
outside
SevastopolSevastopol is a port city in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451...
and the
IoniaIonia is an ancient region of central coastal Anatolia in present-day Turkey, the region nearest İzmir, which was historically Smyrna. It consisted of the northernmost territories of the Ionian League of Greek settlements...
ns from
MiletusMiletus was an ancient city on the western coast of Anatolia , near the mouth of the Maeander River in ancient Caria...
who landed at Feodosiya and
PanticapaeumPanticapaeum , present-day Kerch: an important Greek city and port in Taurica , situated on a hill Panticapaeum (Greek: Παντικάπαιον, Pantikápaion), present-day Kerch: an important Greek city and port in Taurica (Tauric Chersonese), situated on a hill Panticapaeum (Greek: Παντικάπαιον,...
(also called
Bosporus).
Two centuries later (438 BC), the Archon (ruler) of the latter settlers assumed the title of the
Kings of Cimmerian Bosporus-Later rulers:* Genger ca. 1150 BC?* Franco* Esdron* Gelio* Basabiliano* Plaserion I* Plesron* Eliacor* Gaberiano* Plaserion II* Antenor ca. 800-Migration to Ukraine:* Priam II* Helenos II* Plesron II* Basabiliano II...
, a state that maintained close relations with
AthensAthens , the capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery; as one of the world's oldest cities, its recorded history spans around 3,400 years....
, supplying the city with wheat, honey and other commodities. The last of that line of kings, Paerisades V, being hard-pressed by the Scythians, put himself under the protection of
Mithridates VI-Early reign:Mithradates VI was the son of Mithradates V , who died when he was a boy. During Eupator's minority, supreme power was exercised by his mother queen Laodice, whom he eventually deposed and committed to prison...
, the king of
PontusPontus or Pontos is a historical Greek designation for a region on the southern coast of the Black Sea, located in modern-day northeastern Turkey. The name was applied to the coastal region in antiquity by the Greeks who colonized the area, and derived from the Greek name of the Black Sea: Pontos...
, in 114 BC. After the death of this sovereign, his son,
Pharnaces IIPharnaces II was king of Pontus until his death. He was the son of the great Mithridates VI, a famed enemy of the Roman Republic.-Coup:He was raised as his father's successor and treated with distinction...
, was invested by
PompeyGnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey /'pɑmpi/, Pompey the Great or Pompey the Triumvir , was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic...
with the kingdom of Bosporus in 63 BC as a reward for the assistance rendered to the
RomansThe Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a republican form of government. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, c...
in their war against his father. In 15 BC, it was once again restored to the king of Pontus, but then was ranked as a tributary state of
RomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality , with over 2.7 million residents in , while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 3.46 million. The metropolitan area of Rome is estimated by OECD to have a population of 3.7 million...
.
Throughout the later centuries, Crimea was invaded or occupied successively by the
GothsCrimean Goths were those Gothic tribes who remained in the lands around the Black Sea, especially in Crimea. They were the least-powerful, least-known, and paradoxically longest-lasting of the Gothic communities....
(AD 250), the
HunsThe Huns were a group of nomadic pastoral people who, appearing from beyond the Volga, migrated into Europe c.AD 370 and built up an enormous empire in Europe. They were possibly the descendants of the Xiongnu who had been northern neighbours of China three hundred years before and may be the first...
(376), the
BulgarsThe Bulgars were originally semi-nomadic people, probably of Turkic descent, originating in Central Asia, who from the 2nd century onwards conquered different parts of Europe...
(fourth–eighth century), the
KhazarsThe Khazars were a semi-nomadic Turkic people who dominated the Pontic steppe and the North Caucasus from the 7th to the 10th century CE. The name 'Khazar' seems to be tied to a Turkic verb form meaning "wandering"....
(eighth century), the state of
Kievan Rus'Kievan Rus , usually written simply Kievan Rus and sometimes Kyivan Rus, was a medieval state which existed from approximately 880 to the middle of the 13th century...
(tenth–eleventh centuries), the
Byzantine EmpireThe Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...
(1016), the
KipchaksKipchaks were an ancient Turkic people who originally formed part of the group of Kimäks in Siberia along the middle reaches of Irtysh or along the Ob. Around the middle of the eleventh century they split off from the bulk of the Kimaks and departed in the direction of Europe...
(the Kumans) (1050), and the
MongolsThe name Mongol specifies one or several ethnic groups, now mainly located in Mongolia, China, and Russia.-Definition:...
(1237).
In the mid-tenth century, the eastern area of Crimea was conquered by Prince
Sviatoslav I of KievSviatoslav I Igorevich , also spelled Svyatoslav, was a warrior prince of Kievan Rus...
and became part of the Kievan Rus' principality of
TmutarakanTmutarakan is an ancient city that controlled the Cimmerian Bosporus, the passage from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov. It was situated on the Taman peninsula, in the present-day Krasnodar Krai of Russia, roughly opposite Kerch....
. In 988, Prince
Vladimir I of KievVladimir Svyatoslavich the Great, also sometimes spelled Volodymer Old East Slavic: Володимеръ Святославичь was the grand prince of Kiev who converted to Christianity in 988, and proceeded to baptise the whole Kievan Rus'...
also captured the Byzantine town of Chersones (presently part of
Sevastopol) where he later converted to
ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
. An impressive
Russian OrthodoxThe Russian Orthodox Church ; or The Moscow Patriarchate , also known...
cathedral marks the location of this historic event.
In the 13th century, the
Republic of GenoaThe Most Serene Republic of Genoa was an independent state in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast from 1005 to 1797, when it was invaded by armies of Revolutionary France under Napoleon. It was then succeeded by the Ligurian Republic, which existed until 1805 before being annexed by the...
seized the settlements which their rivals, the
VenetiansVenice is a city in northern Italy, the capital of the region Veneto, a population of 271,367 . Together with Padua, the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area . The city historically was an independent nation...
, had built along the Crimean coast and established themselves at
CembaloBalaklava is a town on the Crimean peninsula in a district of the city of Sevastopol which carries a special administrative status in Ukraine. It was a city in its own right until 1957 when it was formally incorporated into the municipal borders of Sevastopol by the Soviet...
,
SoldaiaSudak or Sudaq is a small historic town located in Crimea, Ukraine situated to the west of Feodosiya and to the east of Simferopol, the capital of Crimea...
,
ChercoKerch is a city on the Kerch Peninsula of eastern Crimea, is an important industrial, transport and tourist centre of Ukraine.-Ancient times:...
and Caffa, gaining control of the Crimean economy and of Black Sea commerce for two centuries.
Crimean Khanate: 1441–1783
A number of
Turkic peoplesThe Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern, central and western Eurasia. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
, now collectively known as the
Crimean TatarsCrimean Tatars or Crimeans are a Turkic ethnic group originally residing in Crimea. They speak the Crimean Tatar language...
, have been inhabiting the peninsula since the early
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
. The ethnicity of the Crimean Tatars is quite complex as it absorbed both nomadic Turkic and European components (in the first place, the
GothsCrimean Goths were those Gothic tribes who remained in the lands around the Black Sea, especially in Crimea. They were the least-powerful, least-known, and paradoxically longest-lasting of the Gothic communities....
and the
GenoeseGenoa is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria. The city has a population of about 610,000 and the urban area has a population of about 900,000...
) which is still reflected in their appearance and language differences. A small enclave of the
KaraimsThe Crimean Karaites , also known as Karaim and Qarays, are a community of ethnic Turkic adherents of Karaite Judaism in Eastern Europe...
, possibly of Khazar (i.e. Turkic) descent but members of a Jewish sect, was founded in the 8th century. It existed among the Muslim Crimean Tatars, primarily in the mountainous
Çufut QaleÇufut Qale sometimes spelled as Chufut Kale is a historic fortress in Crimea, near Bakhchisaray. Its name is Crimean Tatar and Turkish for "Jewish Fortress" . Çufut Qale was historically a center for the Crimean Karaite community...
area.
After the destruction of the
Golden HordeThe Ulus of Jochi or the Golden Horde is an East Slavic designation for the Mongol—later Turkicized—Muslim khanate established in the western part of the Mongol Empire after the Mongol invasion of Rus' in the 1240s: present-day Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, and the Caucasus...
by
TimurTimur , also known as Tamerlane , was a 14th-century conqueror of much of western and central Asia, and founder of the Timurid Empire and Timurid dynasty in Central Asia, which survived until 1857 as the Mughal...
in 1441, the Crimean Tatars founded an independent
Crimean KhanateThe Crimean Khanate or the Khanate of Crimea was a Crimean Tatar state from 1441 to 1783. Its native name was Crimean Yurt The Crimean Khanate or the Khanate of Crimea was a Crimean Tatar state from 1441 to 1783. Its native name was Crimean Yurt...
under
Hacı I GirayHacı I Giray Angel was the founder and the first ruler of the Crimean Khanate. He is sometimes referred to as Hacı Devlet Giray or Devlet Hacı Giray...
, a descendant of
Genghis KhanGenghis Khan , ; 1162–1227), born , was the founder, Khan and Khagan of the Mongol Empire, the largest contiguous empire in history....
. He and his successors reigned first at
Qırq YerÇufut Qale sometimes spelled as Chufut Kale is a historic fortress in Crimea, near Bakhchisaray. Its name is Crimean Tatar and Turkish for "Jewish Fortress" . Çufut Qale was historically a center for the Crimean Karaite community...
, and from the beginning of the 15th century, at
BakhchisarayBakhchisaray is a town in Central Crimea, centre of the Bakhchisaray raion , best known as the former capital of the Crimean Khanate...
.
The Crimean Tatars controlled the steppes that stretched from the
KubanKuban is a geographic region of Southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Don Steppe, Volga Delta and the Caucasus...
and to the Dniester River, however, they were unable to take control over commercial
GenoeseGenoa is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria. The city has a population of about 610,000 and the urban area has a population of about 900,000...
towns. After the Crimean Tatars asked for help from the
OttomansThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
, an Ottoman invasion of the Genoese towns led by
Gedik Ahmed PashaGedik Ahmet Pasha was a distinguished Ottoman grand vizier as well as an army and navy commander during the reigns of sultans Mehmed the Conqueror and Beyazid II....
in 1475 brought Kaffa and the other trading towns under their control.
After the capture of Genoese towns, the Ottoman Sultan held
Meñli I GirayMeñli I Giray , also spelled as Mengli I Giray, was a khan of the Crimean Khanate and the sixth son of the khanate founder Haci I Giray....
captive, later releasing him in return for accepting Ottoman sovereignty above the Crimean Khans and allowing them rule as tributary princes of the Ottoman Empire. However, the Crimean Khans still had a large amount of autonomy from the Ottoman Empire, particularly, followed the rules they thought were best for them: Crimean Tatars introduced raids into Ukrainian lands, which were used to get slaves to be sold on markets.
In 1553–1554,
CossackCossacks were originally members of military communities in the uninhabited borderland areas in the steppe that lies North of Black Sea...
HetmanHetman was the title of the second highest military commander used in 15th to 18th century Poland, Ukraine and Grand Duchy of Lithuania, known from 1569 to 1795 as the Rzeczpospolita....
Dmytro VyshnevetskyDmytro Ivanovych Vyshnevetsky was a Hetman of the Ukrainian Cossacks. Dmytro Vyshnevetsky was born into the powerful Ruthenian magnate Vyshnevetsky family , and lived in the town of Vyshnivets of the Kremenets Powiat . In 1550–1553, Vyshnevetsky became a starosta of the Cherkasy and the Kaniv...
gathered together groups of Cossacks, and constructed a fort designed to obstruct Tatar raids into Ukraine. With this action, he founded the Zaporozhian Sich, with which he would launch a series of attacks on the Crimea peninsula and the
Ottoman TurksThe Ottoman Turks were the subdivision of the Ottoman Muslim Millet that dominated the ruling class of the Ottoman Empire. Reliable information about the early history of the Ottomans is scarce. According to some sources , the leader of the Kayi tribe of the Oguz Turks, Ertugrul, left Persia in...
. In 1774, The Crimean Khans fell under Russian influence with the
Treaty of Küçük KaynarcaThe Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca was signed on July 21, 1774, in Küçük Kaynarca, Dobruja between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire after the Ottoman Empire was defeated in the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774.The treaty was by far the most humiliating blow to...
. In 1783, the entire Crimea was annexed by the
Russian EmpireThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia, and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
.
Russian Empire and Civil War: 1783–1922
The
Crimean WarThe Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire on one side and an alliance of the British Empire, France, the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia on the other. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
(1853–1856) devastated much of the economic and social infrastructure of Crimea. The
Crimean TatarsCrimean Tatars or Crimeans are a Turkic ethnic group originally residing in Crimea. They speak the Crimean Tatar language...
had to flee from their homeland
en masse, forced by the conditions created by the war, persecution and land expropriations. Those who survived the trip, famine and disease, resettled in
DobrujaDobruja, or Dobrudja , is a historical region shared by Bulgaria and Romania, located between the lower Danube river and the Black Sea, including the Danube Delta, Romanian coast and the northernmost part of the Bulgarian coast....
,
AnatoliaAnatolia is a geographic region of Western Asia, comprising most of the modern Republic of Turkey. The region is bounded by the Black Sea to the north, the Caucasus to the northeast, the Iranian plateau to the southeast, the Mediterranean Sea to the south and the Aegean Sea to the west...
, and other parts of the
Ottoman EmpireThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
. Finally, the Russian government decided to stop the process, as the agriculture began to suffer due to the unattended fertile farmland.
During the
Russian Civil WarThe Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed and the Soviets under the domination of the Bolshevik party assumed power, first in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a multi-party war that...
, Crimea was a stronghold of the anti-Bolshevik
White ArmyThe White movement , whose military arm was the White Army aka the White Guard , and as the Whites comprised some of the politico-military Russian forces who unsuccessfully fought the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution and...
, including the
Crimean People's RepublicThe Crimean People's Republic existed during December 1917-January 1918 on the territory of the Crimean Peninsula, now located in modern-day Crimea of southern Ukraine. It was the first attempt to establish a democratic and secular republic in the Muslim world; see also Azerbaijan Democratic...
. It was in Crimea that the White Russians led by
General WrangelBaron Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel was an officer in the Imperial Russian army and later commanding general of the anti-bolshevik White Army in Southern Russia in the later stages of the Russian Civil War.-Life:Wrangel was born in Mukuliai , Lithuania , a descendant of the...
made their last stand against
Nestor MakhnoNestor Ivanovych Makhno was a Ukrainian anarcho-communist guerrilla leader turned army commander who led an independent anarchist army in Ukraine during the Russian Civil War....
and the
Red ArmyThe Red Army The Red Army The Red Army was the Soviet government’s revolutionary militia beginning in the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the USSR. Since 1946, after the Second World War, it was called the Soviet Army.The 'Red...
in 1920. After the resistance was crushed, many of the anti-Communist fighters and civilians had to board the ships and escape to
IstanbulIstanbul is the largest city in Turkey and fifth largest city proper in the world with a population of 12.6 million. Istanbul is also a megacity, as well as the cultural and financial centre of Turkey. The city covers 39 districts of the Istanbul province...
.
Soviet Union: 1922–1991
On October 18, 1921, the
Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist RepublicCrimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was created on October 18, 1921 as part of RSFSR within the Crimean Peninsula, its capital being Simferopol...
was created as part of the
Russian SFSRThe Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , also called the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic, the Russian SFSR and the RSFSR for short, was the largest and most populous of the fifteen Soviet republics of the Soviet Union and became the Russian...
. However, this did not protect the Crimean Tatars, who constituted about 25 percent of the Crimean population, from
Joseph StalinJoseph Stalin was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee from 1922 until his death in 1953...
's repressions of the 1930s.
The
GreeksThe Greeks , also known as Hellenes, are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions, who can also be found in diaspora communities around the world....
were another cultural group that suffered. Their lands were lost during the process of
collectivisationCollective farming is an organization of agricultural production in which the holdings of several farmers are run as a joint enterprise. A collective farm is essentially an agricultural production cooperative in which members-owners engage jointly in farming activities...
, in which farmers were not compensated with wages. Schools which taught
GreekGreek , an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, is the language of the Greeks. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. In its ancient form, it is the language of classical...
were closed, and printed matter containing
Greek literatureGreek literature refers to writings composed in areas of Greek influence, typically though not necessarily in one of the Greek dialects, throughout the whole period in which the Greek-speaking people have existed.-Ancient Greek literature :...
was destroyed, because the Soviets considered the Greeks as "counter-revolutionary" with their links to
capitalistCapitalism is an economic and social system in which the means of production are privately controlled; labor, goods and capital are traded in a market; profits are distributed to owners or invested in technologies and industries; and wages are paid to labor...
state
GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula....
, and their independent culture.
During
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Crimea was a scene of some of the bloodiest battles. The leaders of the
Third ReichNazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany between 1933 and 1945, while it was led by Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Worker's Party . The name Third Reich refers to the state as the successor to the Holy Roman Empire of the Middle Ages and the German...
were anxious to conquer and colonize the fertile and beautiful peninsula as part of their policy of resettling the Germans in Eastern Europe at the expense of the Slavs (
Generalplan OstGeneralplan Ost was a secret Nazi plan of genocide and ethnic cleansing to be realised in the territories occupied by Germany in Eastern Europe during World War II...
). The Germans suffered heavy casualties in the summer of 1941 as they tried to advance through the narrow
Isthmus of PerekopThe Isthmus of Perekop is the narrow, 5-7 km wide strip of land that connects the peninsula of Crimea to the mainland of Ukraine. The isthmus is located between the Black Sea to the west and the Azov Sea the east...
linking Crimea to the Soviet mainland. Once the German army broke through (
Operation TrappenjagdBattle of the Kerch Peninsula was a World War II offensive by German and Romanian armies against the Soviet Crimean Front forces defending the Kerch Peninsula, in the eastern part of the Crimea. It was launched on May 8, 1942 and concluded around May 18, 1942 with the near complete destruction of...
), they occupied most of Crimea, with the exception of the city of
SevastopolSevastopol is a port city in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451...
, which was later awarded the honorary title of
Hero CityHero City is a Soviet honorary title awarded for outstanding heroism during the Great Patriotic War of 1941 to 1945. It was awarded to twelve cities of the Soviet Union. In addition the Brest Fortress was awarded an equivalent title of Hero-Fortress...
after the war.
Sevastopol held out from October 1941 until July 4, 1942, when the Germans finally captured the city. From September 1, 1942, the peninsula was administered as the
Generalbezirk Krim (general district of Crimea)
und Teilbezirk (and sub-district)
Taurien by the Nazi
Generalkommissar Alfred Eduard Frauenfeld (1898–1977), under the authority of the three consecutive
ReichskommissarReichskommissar , in German history, was an official gubernatorial title used for various public offices during the period of the German Empire and the Nazi Third Reich....
e for the entire Ukraine. In spite of heavy-handed tactics by the Nazis and the assistance of the
RomanianThe Kingdom of Romania was the old Romanian state based on a form of parliamentary monarchy between 13 March 1881 and 30 December 1947, specified by the first three Constitutions of Romania...
and
ItalianThe Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia which is its legal predecessor State, and with the decisive help of France and Great Britain...
troops, the Crimean mountains remained an unconquered stronghold of the native resistance (the partisans) until the day when the peninsula was freed from the occupying force.
In 1944, Sevastopol came under the control of troops from the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
. The so-called "City of Russian Glory" once known for its beautiful architecture was entirely destroyed and had to be rebuilt stone by stone. Due to its enormous historical and symbolic meaning for the Russians, it became a priority for Stalin and the Soviet government to have it restored to its former glory within the shortest time possible.
On May 18, 1944, the entire population of the
Crimean TatarsCrimean Tatars or Crimeans are a Turkic ethnic group originally residing in Crimea. They speak the Crimean Tatar language...
were forcibly deported in the "Sürgün" (Crimean Tatar for exile) to Central Asia by Stalin's
SovietThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
government as a form of
collective punishmentCollective punishment is the punishment of a group of people as a result of the behaviour of one or more other individuals or groups. The punished group may often have no direct association with the other individuals or groups, or direct control over their actions...
on the grounds that they had collaborated with the
NaziNazism, known officially in German as National Socialism , is the totalitarian ideology and practices of the Nazi Party or National Socialist German Workers’ Party under Adolf Hitler, and the policies adopted by the dictatorial government of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945.Nazism is often considered...
occupation forces. An estimated 46 percent of the deportees died from hunger and disease. On June 26 of the same year the
ArmenianThe Armenians are a nation and ethnic group which originated in the Caucasus and the Armenian Highland. It is estimated that there are 8 million Armenians around the world. There is a large concentration of Armenians in the Caucasus, especially in Armenia, and there is a significant presence in...
,
BulgarThe Bulgars were originally semi-nomadic people, probably of Turkic descent, originating in Central Asia, who from the 2nd century onwards conquered different parts of Europe...
and
GreekThe Greeks , also known as Hellenes, are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions, who can also be found in diaspora communities around the world....
populations were also deported to Central Asia. By the end of summer 1944, the
ethnic cleansingEthnic cleansing is a term that has come to be used broadly to describe all forms of ethnically inspired violence, ranging from murder, rape, and torture to the forcible removal of populations...
of Crimea was complete. In 1967, the Crimean Tatars were rehabilitated, but they were banned from legally returning to their homeland until the last days of the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
.
The Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was abolished in June 30, 1945, and transformed into the
Crimean OblastThe Crimean Oblast was a former oblast of the former Ukrainian SSR, which was at the time part of the Soviet Union. Its capital was the city of Simferopol.The Crimean Oblast was created from the newly abolished Crimean ASSR on June 30, 1945...
(
provinceOblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...
) of the
Russian SFSRThe Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , also called the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic, the Russian SFSR and the RSFSR for short, was the largest and most populous of the fifteen Soviet republics of the Soviet Union and became the Russian...
. On February 5, 1954 the Presidium of the RSFSR Supreme Council requested the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine. On February 19, 1954, the oblast was transferred from the
Russian SFSRThe Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , also called the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic, the Russian SFSR and the RSFSR for short, was the largest and most populous of the fifteen Soviet republics of the Soviet Union and became the Russian...
to the
Ukrainian SSRThe Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or the Ukrainian SSR was one of the founders of the Soviet Union constituent republic that made up the former Soviet Union from its formation in 1922 to its abolition in 1991.-Name:...
. According to the decree by the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, the transfer was caused by close (1) geographic, (2) economic, and (3) cultural ties to the Ukrainian SSR. The transfer was also conducted to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Pereyaslav Treaty 1654. On April 26, 1954 the decree was confirmed by a law unanimously passed in the Supreme Council of the Soviet Union.
In post-war years, Crimea thrived as a prime tourist destination, built up with new attractions and sanatoriums for tourists. Tourists came from all around the Soviet Union and neighbouring countries, particularly from the
German Democratic RepublicThe German Democratic Republic was a Communist state that originated from the Soviet Zone of occupied Germany and the Soviet sector of occupied Berlin...
. Also, Crimea's infrastructure and manufacturing developed, particularly around the sea ports at
KerchKerch is a city on the Kerch Peninsula of eastern Crimea, is an important industrial, transport and tourist centre of Ukraine.-Ancient times:...
and
SevastopolSevastopol is a port city in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451...
and in the oblast's landlocked capital,
SimferopolSimferopol is the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in southern Ukraine. As the capital of Crimea, Simferopol is an important political, economic, and transport center of the peninsula...
. Populations of
UkrainiansUkrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly—citizens of Ukraine...
and
RussiansThe Russian people are an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
alike doubled, with more than 1.6 million Russians and 626,000 Ukrainians living on the peninsula by 1989.
On September 10, 1990 the Oblast Council of the People's Deputies adopted the statement to annul the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Soviet Union of June 30, 1945 and the corresponding laws of the
Russian SFSRThe Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , also called the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic, the Russian SFSR and the RSFSR for short, was the largest and most populous of the fifteen Soviet republics of the Soviet Union and became the Russian...
in regards to the administrative changes that changed the Republic into Oblast. In November 1990 in
KievKiev or Kyiv , is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300...
Boris YeltsinBoris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999....
and
Leonid KravchukLeonid Makarovych Kravchuk is a Ukrainian politician, the first President of Ukraine serving from December 5, 1991 until his resignation on July 19, 1994, a former Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada and People's Deputy of Ukraine serving in the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine faction.After a...
signed the Russian-Ukrainian Treaty which commits the two sides to respect each others territory. On January 20, 1991 the All-Crimean was held in Crimea with 81% participants involved. Out of those 93.3% voted for the restoration of the Crimean
Autonomous SSRCrimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was created on October 18, 1921 as part of RSFSR within the Crimean Peninsula, its capital being Simferopol...
in Soviet Union. On February 12, 1991 the
Verkhovna RadaThe Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
recognized the referendum and adopted a law that restored the status of the autonomous republic within the borders of
Ukrainian SSRThe Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or the Ukrainian SSR was one of the founders of the Soviet Union constituent republic that made up the former Soviet Union from its formation in 1922 to its abolition in 1991.-Name:...
and the city of Sevastopol was granted special government status in the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
. In the
Ukrainian referendum on independenceThe Referendum took place in Ukraine on December 1, 1991. The only question of the referendum was: "Do you support the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine?" with the text of Act printed first...
on December 1, 1991, 54.19 percent of residents from Crimea and 57.07 percent from Sevastopol city voted in favour of Ukrainian independence.
Autonomy within independent Ukraine
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Crimea became part of the newly independent Ukraine, a situation largely unexpected by its population. This led to tensions between Russia and Ukraine. With the
Black Sea FleetThe Black Sea Fleet is a large sub-unit of the Russian Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century...
based on the peninsula, worries of armed skirmishes were occasionally raised. In August 1991
Yuriy MeshkovYuriy Oleksandrovych Meshkov was a Ukrainian politician and Russian separatist in Crimea. Yuriy Meshkov served as the first and only President of Crimea from 1994 to 1995....
established the Republican Movement of Crimea and was registered on November 19.
On September 2, 1991 the National Movement of Crimean Tatars appealed to the V Extraordinary Congress of People's Deputies in Russia demanding the program how to return the deported Tatar population back to Crimea. Based on the resolution of the
Verkhovna RadaThe Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is the 100-member unicameral parliament of the Ukrainian territory the Autonomous Republic of Crimea...
(the Crimean parliament) on February 26, 1992, the Crimean ASSR was renamed the Republic of Crimea. Crimea proclaimed self-government on May 5, 1992, and on the next day passed the first Crimean constitution.
On May 19, Crimea agreed to remain as part of Ukraine and annulled their proclamation of self-government. By June 30, Crimean Communists forced the
KievKiev or Kyiv , is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300...
government to expand on the already extensive autonomous status of Crimea. In the same period, Russian president
Boris YeltsinBoris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999....
and Ukraine's
Leonid KravchukLeonid Makarovych Kravchuk is a Ukrainian politician, the first President of Ukraine serving from December 5, 1991 until his resignation on July 19, 1994, a former Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada and People's Deputy of Ukraine serving in the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine faction.After a...
agreed to divide the former Soviet Black Sea Fleet between Russia and the newly formed
Ukrainian NavyThe Ukrainian Naval Force is the navy of Ukraine and part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It was established in 1992. It consists of 5 branches: surface forces, submarine forces, Navy aviation, coast rocket-artillery and marines...
. On October 24 Meshkov re-registered his movement as the
Republican Party of Crimea - Party of the Republican Movement of Crimea. On December 11, 1992 the
President of UkraineThe President of Ukraine is the head of state of Ukraine, representing the state in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the State, conducts negotiations and concludes international treaties of Ukraine....
called the attempt of "the Russian deputies to charge the Russian parliament with a task to define the status of
SevastopolSevastopol is a port city in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451...
as an
imperial disease". On December 17, 1992 was created the office of the Ukrainian presidential representative in Crimea which caused wave of protests a month later. Among the protesters that created the unsanctioned rally were the Sevastopol branches of the National Salvation Front, the Russian Popular Assembly, and the All-Crimean Movement of
the Voters for the Republic of Crimea. The protest was held in Sevastopol on January 10 at Nakhimov Square.
On January 15, 1993 Kravchuk and Yeltsin in the meeting in Moscow appointed Eduard Baltin as the commander of the Black Sea Fleet. At the same time the Union of the Ukrainian Naval Officers protested the Russian intervention into the Ukrainian internal affairs. Soon after that there were more anti-Ukrainian protests led by the Meshkov's party, the Voters for the Crimean Republic,
YedinstvoYedinstvo or Edinstvo was a faction within the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party between 1914 and 1917 and then a small independent party in 1917 and 1918. It was led by Georgi Plekhanov.-Background:...
, and the Union of Communists that demanded to turn
SevastopolSevastopol is a port city in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451...
under the Russian jurisdiction and followed by the interview given by the Sevastopol's Communist, Vasyl Parkhomenko, who said that the city's Communists request to recognize the Russian as the state language and restoration of the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
. On March 19, 1993 the Crimean deputy and the member of the National Salvation Front, Alexander Kruglov, threatened the members of the Crimean Ukrainian Congress not allow into the building of the Republican Council. Couple of days after that
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
established an information center in
SevastopolSevastopol is a port city in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451...
. In April 1993 the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense submitted an appeal to
Verkhovna RadaThe Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
to suspend the Yalta Agreement 1992 that divided the Black Sea Fleet that was followed by the request from the Ukrainian Republican Party to recognize the Fleet either fully Ukrainian or a
fleet of a foreign country in Ukraine. Also over 300 Russian legislators called the planned Congress of Ukrainian Residents the political provocation.
On April 14, 1993 the Presidium of the Crimean parliament called upon the creation of the presidential post of the Crimean Republic. A week later the Russian deputy, Valentin Agafonov, stated that Russia is ready to supervise the referendum on Crimean independence and include the republic as a separate entity into CIS. On July 28, 1993 one of the leader's of the Russian Society of Crimea, Viktor Prusakov, stated that his organization is ready for an armed mutiny and establishment of the Russian administration in Sevastopol. In September Eduard Baltin accused Ukraine in converting some of his fleet and an armed assault on his personnel and threatened to take the
countermeasures by placing fleet on alert.
On October 14, 1993, the Crimean parliament established the post of
President of CrimeaThe President of the Republic of Crimea was the head of the state of the Republic of Crimea, Ukraine from February 16, 1994 to the time of its liquidation on March 17, 1995...
and agreed on the quota of the Crimean Tatars representation in the Council to 14. The head of the Russian People's Council in Sevastopol, Alexander Kruglov, called it
excessive. The chairman of the Tatar
MejlisThe Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People or parliament is a representative body of the Crimean Tatars, living in their homeland of Crimea, Ukraine...
, Mustafa Cemiloglu (Djemilev), used words
categorically against in regards to the proposed election for Crimean president on January 16. He stated that there cannot be two presidents in a single state. On November 6, the Crimean Tatar leader, Yuriy Osmanov was murdered. Series of terrorist actions rocked the peninsula in the winter among them were the arson of the Mejlis apartment, the shooting of the Ukrainian official, several hooligan attacks on Meshkov, the bomb explosion in the house of a local parliamentary, the assassination attempt on a Communist presidential candidate, and others. On January 2, 1994 Mejlis announced a boycott of the presidential elections, which later canceled. The boycott itself was later taken over by other Crimean Tatar organizations. On January 11, Mejlis announced their representative, Mykola Bahrov, the speaker of the Crimean parliament, as the presidential candidate. On January 12, some other candidates accused Bahrov for severe methods of agitation. At the same time
Vladimir ZhirinovskyVladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky is a Russian politician, colonel of the Russian Army, founder and the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia , Vice-Chairman of the State Duma, and a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe...
called people of Crimea to vote for the Russian Sergei Shuvainikov.
On January 30, 1994, the pro-
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n
Yuriy MeshkovYuriy Oleksandrovych Meshkov was a Ukrainian politician and Russian separatist in Crimea. Yuriy Meshkov served as the first and only President of Crimea from 1994 to 1995....
was
elected to the new postThe first and only presidential elections were contested in the Republic of Crimea for the post of President of Crimea, at the time a republic within Ukraine. The office was created by the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea, the republic's unicameral parliament October 13, 1993...
but quickly ran into conflicts with parliament. On September 8, the Crimean parliament degraded the President's powers from the head of state to the head of the executive power only, to which Meshkov responded by disbanding parliament and announcing his control over Crimea four days later. Amendments to the constitution eased the conflict, but on March 17, 1995, the
parliament of UkraineThe Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
intervened, scrapping the Crimean Constitution and removing Meshkov along with his office for his actions against the state and promoting integration with
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. After a interim constitution lasting from April 4, 1996, to December 23, 1998, the currently existing constitution was put into effect, changing the territory's name to the
Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
Following the ratification of the May 1997 Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership on friendship and division of the
Black Sea FleetThe Black Sea Fleet is a large sub-unit of the Russian Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century...
, international tensions slowly eased off. With the treaty,
MoscowMoscow is the capital and the largest city of Russia. It is also the largest metropolitan area in Europe, and ranks among the largest urban areas in the world. Moscow is a major political, economic, cultural, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the world, a...
recognized Ukraine's borders and territorial integrity, and accepted Ukraine's sovereignty over Crimea and Sevastopol. In a separate agreement, Russia was to receive 80 percent of the Black Sea Fleet and use of the military facilities in Sevastopol on a 20-year
leaseA lease is a contract conferring a right on one person to possess property belonging to another person to the exclusion of the owner landlord, and all others except with the invitation of the tenant. It is a rental agreement between landlord and tenant...
.
However, other controversies between Ukraine and Russia still remain, including the ownership of a
lighthouseA lighthouse is a tower, building, or framework designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire and used as an aid to navigation and to pilots at sea....
on
Cape SarychSarych is a headland located on shore of the Black Sea on the Crimean Peninsula in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukraine....
. Because the
Russian NavyThe Russian Navy or VMF is the naval arm of the Russian Armed Forces. The international designation of Russian naval vessels is RFS—"Russian Federation Ship"....
controlled 77 geographical objects on the south Crimean Shore, the
SevastopolSevastopol is a port city in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451...
Government Court ordered the vacating of the objects, which the Russian military did not carry out. Since August 3, 2005, the lighthouse has been controlled by the Russian Army. Through the years, there have been various attempts to return Cape Sarych to Ukrainian territory, all of which were unsuccessful.
In 2006,
protests broke outThe Crimean anti-NATO protests of 2006 were series of political demonstrations in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukraine, against United States military maneuvres and against Ukraine's possible bid to join NATO.-Events:In June 2006, 200 U.S...
on the peninsula after
U.S. MarinesThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for providing force projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
arrived at the Crimean city of Feodosiya to take part in the Sea Breeze 2006
UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
-
NATOThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization ); ), also called "the Atlantic Alliance", is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on April 4, 1949...
military exerciseA military exercise is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat...
. Protesters greeted the marines with barricades and slogans bearing "Occupiers go home!" and a couple of days later, the
Crimean parliamentThe Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is the 100-member unicameral parliament of the Ukrainian territory the Autonomous Republic of Crimea...
declared Crimea a "NATO-free territory." After several days of protest, the U.S. Marines withdrew from the peninsula.
In September 2008, the
Ukrainian Foreign MinisterThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is the Ukrainian government ministry which oversees the foreign relations of Ukraine. The ministry is located in Ukraine's capital Kiev in the city's historic uppertown district, located in close proximity to the recently-rebuilt St...
Volodymyr OhryzkoVolodymyr Stanislavovych Ohryzko is a Ukrainian diplomat. He has served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine since December 18, 2007 till March 3, 2009. On March 3, 2009 he was fired by the Ukrainian Parliament...
accused Russia of giving out
Russian passportRussian passports are issued to citizens of Russia for the purpose of international travel.- Internal passport :The Russian internal passport is the primary identity document for citizens of the Russian Federation residing in Russia. It is initially issued to citizens at the age of 14 by the...
s to the population in the Crimea and described it as a "real problem" given Russia's declared policy of military intervention abroad to protect Russian citizens.
During a press conference in
MoscowMoscow is the capital and the largest city of Russia. It is also the largest metropolitan area in Europe, and ranks among the largest urban areas in the world. Moscow is a major political, economic, cultural, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the world, a...
on 16 February, 2009, the
Mayor"Mayor" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government....
of
SevastopolSevastopol is a port city in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451...
Serhiy Kunitsyn claimed (citing recent polls) that the population of Crimea is opposed to the idea of becoming a part of
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Although western newspapers like
the Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal is an English-language international daily newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, in New York City, with Asian and European editions. As of 2007, it has a worldwide daily circulation of more than 2 million, with approximately 931,000...
have speculated about a Russian coup in Sevastopol or another Crimean city in connection with the
Russian-Georgian warThe 2008 South Ossetia War, also known as the Russia–Georgia War, was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and the Russian Federation together with Ossetians and Abkhazians on the other....
and the
Recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by RussiaAbkhazia and South Ossetia are two disputed regions in the Caucasus with De Facto independence as the Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of South Ossetia, respectively. The two republics each claim to be sovereign states deserving of full international recognition and recognise each other as...
. Valentyn Nalyvaychenko, acting head of the
Security Service of UkraineThe Security Service of Ukraine is Ukraine's main government security agency.The SBU is responsible for state security , counterintelligence , fighting terrorism, smuggling, illegal trading of restricted substances and personal security of the President,...
(SBU), stated on February 17, 2009, that he is confident that any “
OssetianSouth Ossetia is a disputed region in the South Caucasus, located in the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic....
scenario” is impossible in Crimea. The SBU had started criminal proceedings against the pro-Russian association "People's front Sevastopol-Crimea-Russia" in January 2009.
On the 55th anniversary of the transfer of Crimea transfer of the
Russian SFSRThe Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , also called the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic, the Russian SFSR and the RSFSR for short, was the largest and most populous of the fifteen Soviet republics of the Soviet Union and became the Russian...
to the
Ukrainian SSRThe Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or the Ukrainian SSR was one of the founders of the Soviet Union constituent republic that made up the former Soviet Union from its formation in 1922 to its abolition in 1991.-Name:...
(on February 19, 2009) some 300 to 500 people took part in rallies to protest against the transfer.
On 24 August 2009, anti-Ukrainian demonstrations were held in Crimea by ethnic Russian residents. Sergei P. Tsekov said that he hoped that Russia would treat the Crimea the same way as it had treated South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Return of Crimean Tatars
Another area of conflict on the peninsula is land ownership. Since the Crimean Tatars were forcibly deported from their homeland by Stalin in May 1944, other people, particularly
RussiansThe Russian people are an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, settled the peninsula and took control of the lands formerly belonging to the Crimean Tatars. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Crimean Tatars were allowed to return to Crimea, but conflict arose when they demanded the return of land seized after their deportation.
Government and politics
Crimea is a
parliamentary republicA parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a type of republic which operates under a parliamentary system of government .- The Power of Parliament :In contrast to republics operating...
that has no
presidentPresident is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. Etymologically, a "president" is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
. The legislative body is a 100-seat parliament, the
Verkhovna Rada of CrimeaThe Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is the 100-member unicameral parliament of the Ukrainian territory the Autonomous Republic of Crimea...
which is elected every five years since amendments to the Crimean Constitution in 2009.
The executive power is represented by the
Council of MinistersThe Council of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is the executive branch of government of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, a republic within southern Ukraine...
, headed by a
Prime MinisterThe Prime Minister of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is the head of government of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, located in the southern region of Ukraine...
who is appointed and dismissed by the Verkhovna Rada, with the consent of the
President of UkraineThe President of Ukraine is the head of state of Ukraine, representing the state in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the State, conducts negotiations and concludes international treaties of Ukraine....
. The authority and operation of the Verkhovna Rada and the Council of Ministers of Crimea are determined by the
Constitution of UkraineThe Constitution of Ukraine is the act of parliament of Ukraine. The constitution was adopted and ratified at the 5th session of the Verkhovna Rada of the second convocation on June 28, 1996. The constitution was passed with 315 ayes out of 450 votes possible .Other laws and other normative legal...
and other the laws of Ukraine, as well as by regular decisions carried out by the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea.
Justice is administered by courts that belong to the
judicial system of UkraineThe judicial system of Ukraine consists of four levels of courts of general jurisdiction, as follows:* Local courts of general jurisdiction consisting of:** district, urban district and town courts;...
.
Elections and parties
While not an official body controlling Crimea, the
Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar PeopleThe Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People or parliament is a representative body of the Crimean Tatars, living in their homeland of Crimea, Ukraine...
is a representative body of the Crimean Tatars, which could address grievances to the
Ukrainian centralThe Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
government, the
Crimean governmentThe Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is the 100-member unicameral parliament of the Ukrainian territory the Autonomous Republic of Crimea...
, and international bodies.
During the
2004 presidential electionsThe Ukrainian presidential election, 2004 was held in November 21 and December 26, 2004. The election was the fourth presidential election to take place in Ukraine following independence from the Soviet Union. The last stages of the election was contested between the opposition leader Viktor...
, Crimea largely voted for the presidential candidate
Viktor YanukovychViktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician, the current leader of the influential opposition Party of Regions in the Verkhovna Rada...
. In both the
2006 Ukrainian parliamentary electionsThe Ukrainian parliamentary election took place on March 26, 2006. Election campaigning officially began on July 7, 2005. Between November 26 and December 31, 2005 party lists of candidates were formed....
and the
2007 Ukrainian parliamentary electionsEarly parliamentary elections in Ukraine took place on 30 September 2007. The date of the election was determined following agreement between the President Viktor Yushchenko, the Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Moroz on 27 May 2007, in an attempt...
, the Yanukovych-led
Party of RegionsThe Party of Regions is a Ukrainian political party created in March 2001. According to the party’s leadership in 2002, from the creation of the party to the end of 2001 the number of members jumped from 30,000 to 500,000...
also won most of the votes from the region.
Following the Crimean parliamentary election, 2006, the following political parties are represented in the Verkhovna Rada bloc: "Za Yanukovycha!" (
Party of RegionsThe Party of Regions is a Ukrainian political party created in March 2001. According to the party’s leadership in 2002, from the creation of the party to the end of 2001 the number of members jumped from 30,000 to 500,000...
and the Russian Bloc): 32.55% (44
mandateIn politics, a mandate is the authority granted by a constituency to act as its representative.The concept of a government having a legitimate mandate to govern via the fair winning of a democratic election is a central idea of democracy...
s); party "Soiuz": 7.63% (10 mandates); Kunytsyna Electoral Bloc: 7.63% (10 mandates);
Communist Party of UkraineThe Communist Party of Ukraine is a political party in Ukraine, currently led by Petro Symonenko. At the parliamentary elections on 29 March 1998, the party gained 25% of the vote and 123 seats, becoming the largest party in Parliament. At the parliamentary elections on 30 March 2002, the party...
: 6.55% (9 mandates);
People's Movement of UkraineThe People's Movement of Ukraine is a Ukrainian center-right political party.The party is an observer member of the European People's Party ....
: 6.26% (8 mandates);
Yulia Tymoshenko Electoral BlocThe Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc is the name of the bloc of political parties in Ukraine led by Yulia Tymoshenko.-Overview:Founded for the 2002 parliamentary elections the party always has attracted most of its voters from Western Ukrainian, Ukrainian speaking provinces...
: 6.03% (8 mandates);
People's Opposition Bloc of Natalia VitrenkoThe People's Opposition Bloc of Natalia Vitrenko, was a political alliance in Ukraine led by Natalia Vitrenko.It consisted of*Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine...
: 4.97% (7 mandates); Opposition Bloc "Ne Tak": 3.09% (4 mandates).
Crimea – United States relations
On 18 February 2009 the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea sent a letter to the
Cabinet of Ministers of UkraineThe Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is the highest body of state executive power in Ukraine and serves as the cabinet of government. There are 20 Ministries and 25 seats in the Cabinet. The Cabinet is responsible to the President of Ukraine and is under the control of and accountable to the...
and the
President of UkraineThe President of Ukraine is the head of state of Ukraine, representing the state in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the State, conducts negotiations and concludes international treaties of Ukraine....
in which it stated that it deemed it inexpedient to open a representative office of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in Crimea, and it urged the Ukrainian leadership to give up the idea. The letter is to be sent also to the Chairman of the UN General Assembly. The contents of letter were adopted as policy in a 77-to-9 roll-call vote with one abstention in the Crimean parliament.
Administrative divisions
Crimea is subdivided into 25 regions: 14
raionA raion is a type of administrative unit of some post-Soviet states. The term, which is from French rayon 'honeycomb, department,' describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is almost always translated as "district"...
s (
districtDistricts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
s) and 11 city municipalities, officially known as "territories governed by city councils". While the
City of SevastopolSevastopol is a port city in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451...
is located on the Crimean peninsula, it is administratively separate from the rest of Crimea and is one of two special municipalities of Ukraine.
Raions
- 1. Bakhchisaray Raion
Bakhchisaray Raion is one of the 25 regions of Crimea. Bakhchisaray raion is situated in the southwestern part of the republic. 2/3 of the raion's area is mountainous, while the western part of the region is occupied by the coastal plain....
- 2. Bilohirsk Raion
Bilohirsk Raion is one of the 25 regions of Crimea. This landlocked region is situated in the foothills of the central Crimea. The raion's centre is the historical town of Bilohirsk....
- 3. Dzhankoy Raion
Dzhankoy District is one of the 25 regions of Crimea. It is located in the northern part of the Crimean steppe near the Syvash bay. The city of Dzhankoy is the raion's centre, but it is excluded from the region and form a separate city municipality...
- 4. Kirovskiy Raion
- 5. Krasnohvardiyske Raion
Krasnohvardiyske Raion is one of the 25 regions of Crimea. Krasnohvardiyske raion is situated in the central part of the republic....
- 6. Krasnoperekopsk Raion
Krasnoperekopsk Raion is one of the 25 regions of Crimea. It is situated in the northern part of the republic....
- 7. Lenine Raion
Lenine Raion is one of the 25 regions of Crimea. It is situated in the eastern part of the republic....
|
8. Nizhnyohirskyi Raion
9. Pervomayske Raion
10. Rozdolne Raion Rozdolne Raion is one of the 25 regions of Crimea....
11. Saky RaionSaky raion is one of the 25 regions of Crimea....
12. Simferopol RaionSimferopol raion is one of the 25 regions of Crimea. Simferopol raion is situated in the central part of the republic....
13. Sovetskyi RaionSovetskyi Raion is one of the 25 regions of Crimea....
14. Chornomorske RaionChornomorske Raion is one of the 25 regions of Crimea. It is located in the far west of the republic on the Tarhanqut peninsula. The raion's centre is the town of Chornomorske.-External links:* - Chornomorske...
|
City municipalities
- 15. Alushta municipality
Alushta city municipality , officially "the territory governed by the Alushta city council", also known as Greater Alushta is one of the 25 regions of Crimea...
- 16. Armyansk municipality
- 17. Dzhankoy municipality
- 18. Yevpatoria municipality
- 19. Kerch municipality
- 20. Krasnoperekopsk municipality
|
21. Saki municipality
22. Simferopol municipalitySimferopol city municipality officially "the territory governed by the Simferopol city council" is one of the 25 regions of Crimea.Besides the Crimean capital Simferopol the region includes 4 towns: Hresivskyi, Aeroflotskyi, Komsomolske and Ahrarne and the village of Bitumne. Municipality's...
23. Sudak municipalitySudak city municipality , officially "the territory governed by the Sudak city council" is one of the 25 regions of Crimea. It is a resort region, located at the south-eastern shore of Crimea.- Subdivisions :...
24. Feodosiya municipality
25. Yalta municipalityYalta city municipality , officially "the territory governed by the Yalta city council", also known as Greater Yalta is one of the 25 regions of Crimea...
26. Sevastopol municipality |
Major cities
- Simferopol
Simferopol is the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in southern Ukraine. As the capital of Crimea, Simferopol is an important political, economic, and transport center of the peninsula...
: capital
- Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a port city in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451...
: Hero CityHero City is a Soviet honorary title awarded for outstanding heroism during the Great Patriotic War of 1941 to 1945. It was awarded to twelve cities of the Soviet Union. In addition the Brest Fortress was awarded an equivalent title of Hero-Fortress...
, Black Sea FleetThe Black Sea Fleet is a large sub-unit of the Russian Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century...
base (administratively separate)
- Kerch
Kerch is a city on the Kerch Peninsula of eastern Crimea, is an important industrial, transport and tourist centre of Ukraine.-Ancient times:...
: Hero CityHero City is a Soviet honorary title awarded for outstanding heroism during the Great Patriotic War of 1941 to 1945. It was awarded to twelve cities of the Soviet Union. In addition the Brest Fortress was awarded an equivalent title of Hero-Fortress...
, important industrial, transport and tourist centre
- Yevpatoria: major port, a rail hub, and resort city
- Feodosiya: port and resort city
|
YaltaYalta is a city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea.The city is located on the site of an ancient Greek colony, said to have been founded by Greek sailors who were looking for a safe shore on which to land. It is situated on a deep bay facing south towards the Black...
: one of the most important resorts in Crimea
DzhankoyDzhankoy is a city in the north of Crimea, Ukraine, and the capital of Dzhankoy raion. It is located about from the Crimean capital, Simferopol. Two railroad lines, Kharkiv-Sevastopol and Armyansk-Kerch, cross Dzhankoy. In 1926, Dzhankoy was granted city status.Dzhankoy is a great railroad junction...
: important railroad connection
BakhchisarayBakhchisaray is a town in Central Crimea, centre of the Bakhchisaray raion , best known as the former capital of the Crimean Khanate...
: historical capital of the Crimean KhanateThe Crimean Khanate or the Khanate of Crimea was a Crimean Tatar state from 1441 to 1783. Its native name was Crimean Yurt The Crimean Khanate or the Khanate of Crimea was a Crimean Tatar state from 1441 to 1783. Its native name was Crimean Yurt...
KrasnoperekopskKrasnoperekopsk is a city in Crimea, Ukraine which is located on the southern part of the Perekop Isthmus, on the shore of the Stare lake, and about from the Crimean capital, Simferopol...
: industrial city
AlushtaAlushta is a resort town in Crimea, Ukraine, founded in the 6th century CE by Emperor Justinian. It is situated on the Black Sea on the road from Gurzuf to Sudak, as well as on the Crimean Trolleybus line....
: resort city |
Geography and Climate
Crimea is located on the northern coast of the
Black Seaur a loser!The Black Sea is an inland sea bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas and various straits. The Bosporus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects it to...
and on the western coast of the
Sea of AzovThe Sea of Azov is the world's shallowest sea, linked by the Strait of Kerch to the Black Sea to the south. It is bounded on the north by Ukraine, on the east by Russia and on the west by the Crimean peninsula. The Don River flows into it.-Geology and bathymetry:The sea is long and wide and has...
, bordering
Kherson OblastKherson Oblast is an oblast in southern Ukraine, just north of Crimea. Its administrative center is Kherson...
from the North. Although located in the southwestern part of the Crimean peninsula, the city of
SevastopolSevastopol is a port city in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451...
has a special but separate municipality status within
UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
. Crimea's total land area is 26,100 km² (10,038 sq mi).
Crimea is connected to the mainland by the 5–7-kilometre (3–4 mi) wide
Isthmus of PerekopThe Isthmus of Perekop is the narrow, 5-7 km wide strip of land that connects the peninsula of Crimea to the mainland of Ukraine. The isthmus is located between the Black Sea to the west and the Azov Sea the east...
. At the eastern tip is the Kerch Peninsula, which is directly opposite the
Taman PeninsulaThe Taman Peninsula is a peninsula in the present-day Krasnodar Krai of Russia. It is bounded on the north by the Sea of Azov, on the west by the Strait of Kerch and on the south by the Black Sea...
on the Russian mainland. Between the Kerch and Taman peninsulas lies the 3–13-km (2–9 mi)-wide
Strait of KerchThe Kerch Strait connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, separating the Kerch Peninsula in the west from the Taman Peninsula in the east. The strait is to wide and up to deep....
, which connects the waters of the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov.
The Crimean coastline is broken by several bays and harbors. These harbors lie west of the
Isthmus of PerekopThe Isthmus of Perekop is the narrow, 5-7 km wide strip of land that connects the peninsula of Crimea to the mainland of Ukraine. The isthmus is located between the Black Sea to the west and the Azov Sea the east...
by the Bay of Karkinit; on the southwest by the open Bay of Kalamita, with the ports of
EupatoriaYevpatoria or Eupatoria is a city in Crimea, Ukraine.-History:The first recorded settlement in the area, called Kerkinitis , was built by Greek colonists around 500 BC...
and
SevastopolSevastopol is a port city in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451...
; on the north by the
Bay of ArabatThe Bay of Arabat is on Crimea's eastern coast on the Azov Sea.-External links:*...
of the Isthmus of Yenikale or
KerchKerch is a city on the Kerch Peninsula of eastern Crimea, is an important industrial, transport and tourist centre of Ukraine.-Ancient times:...
; and on the south by the Bay of Caffa or Feodosiya, with the port of Feodosiya.
The southeast coast is flanked at a distance of 8–12 km (5–8 mi) from the sea by a parallel range of mountains, the Crimean Mountains. These mountains are backed by secondary parallel ranges. Seventy-five percent of the remaining area of Crimea consists of semi-arid
prairiePrairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
lands, a southward continuation of the Pontic steppes, which slope gently to the northwest from the foot of the Crimean Mountains. The main range of these mountains shoots up with extraordinary abruptness from the deep floor of the
Black Seaur a loser!The Black Sea is an inland sea bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas and various straits. The Bosporus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects it to...
to an altitude of 600–750 metres (2,000–2,500 ft), beginning at the southwest point of the
peninsulaA peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by water but connected to mainland via an isthmus. Word origin: Latin paenīnsula : paene, almost + īnsula, island.A peninsula can also be a headland, cape, island promontory, bill, point, or spit....
, called Cape Fiolente. At one time it was believed that this cape was crowned with the temple of
ArtemisArtemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. In the classical period of Greek mythology, Artemis was often described as the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister of Apollo...
, where
IphigeneiaIphigenia is a daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra in Greek mythology. In Attic accounts, Iphigenia is sometimes called a daughter of Theseus and Helen raised by Agamemnon and Clytemnestra...
is said to have officiated as priestess.
Uchan-suUchan-su , is a waterfall on the the river Uchan-su on the southern slopes of the Crimean Mountains. The name translates from the Crimean Tatar language for 'swift water' ....
waterfallA waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation :Typically, a river flows over a large step in the rocks that may have been formed by a fault line. As it increases its velocity at the edge of the waterfall, it plucks...
on the south slope of the mountains is the highest in Ukraine.
Numerous
kurganKurgan is the Russian word for a tumulus, a type of burial mound or barrow, heaped over a burial chamber, often of wood....
s, or burial mounds, of the ancient
ScythiaThe Scythians or Scyths were an Ancient Iranian people of horse-riding nomadic pastoralists who throughout Classical Antiquity dominated the Pontic-Caspian steppe, known at the time as Scythia. By Late Antiquity the closely-related Sarmatians came to dominate the Scythians in this area...
ns are scattered across the Crimean steppes.
The terrain that lies beyond the sheltering Crimean Mountain range is of an altogether different character. Here, the narrow strip of coast and the slopes of the mountains are smothered with greenery. This "riviera" stretches along the southeast coast from Cape Sarych, in the extreme south, to Feodosiya, and is studded with summer sea-bathing resorts such as
AlupkaAlupka is a resort city located in Crimea, Ukraine, situated to the west of Yalta. It is famous for the Vorontsov's Palace, designed by English architect Edward Blore in an extravagant mixture of Scottish baronial and Neo-Moorish styles and built in 1828–1846 for prince Mikhail Semyonovich...
,
YaltaYalta is a city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea.The city is located on the site of an ancient Greek colony, said to have been founded by Greek sailors who were looking for a safe shore on which to land. It is situated on a deep bay facing south towards the Black...
,
GurzufGurzuf or Hurzuf is a resort in Crimea, Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea.Gurzuf is a former Crimean Tatar village, now a part of Greater Yalta. It was made famous by Alexander Pushkin who visited the place in 1821. The famous ballet master Marius Petipa died here...
,
AlushtaAlushta is a resort town in Crimea, Ukraine, founded in the 6th century CE by Emperor Justinian. It is situated on the Black Sea on the road from Gurzuf to Sudak, as well as on the Crimean Trolleybus line....
,
SudakSudak or Sudaq is a small historic town located in Crimea, Ukraine situated to the west of Feodosiya and to the east of Simferopol, the capital of Crimea...
, and Feodosiya. During the years of
SovietThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
rule, the resorts and
dachaDacha is a Russian word for seasonal or year-round second homes often located in the exurbs of Soviet and Russian cities. In some cases, they are occupied for part of the year by their owners and rented out to urban residents as summer retreats...
s of this coast served as the prime perquisites of the politically loyal. In addition, vineyards and fruit orchards are located in the region. Fishing, mining, and the production of essential oils are also important. Numerous
Crimean TatarCrimean Tatar may refer to:* Crimean Tatars, ethnic group* Crimean Tatar language, language of the Crimean Tatars...
villages,
mosqueA mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. Muslims often refer to the mosque by its Arabic name, masjid, —...
s,
monasteriesMonastery , a term derived from the Greek word μοναστήριον, neut. of μοναστήριος - monasterios denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer Monastery (plural: monasteries), a term derived from the Greek word μοναστήριον, neut. of μοναστήριος - monasterios...
, and
palaceA palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome...
s of the Russian imperial family and nobles are found here, as well as picturesque ancient Greek and medieval castles.
Most of Crimea has a temperate continental climate, except for the south coast where it experiences a humid subtropical climate, due to warm influences from the Black Sea. Summers can be hot ( Jul average), and winters are cool ( Jan average) in the interior; on the south coast winters are milder ( Jan average), and temperatures much below freezing are exceptional. Precipitation in the interior is low with only a year. On the south coast precipitation is more than double that, with Yalta annually receiving about . Because of its climate, the southern Crimean coast is a popular beach and sun resort for Ukrainian and Russian tourists.
Places of interest
- Livadia Palace
Livadia Palace was a summer retreat of the last Russian tsar, Nicholas II, and his family in Livadiya, Crimea in southern Ukraine. The Yalta Conference was held there in 1945, when the palace housed the apartments of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and other members of the American delegation...
- Mount Mithridat
The Mount Mithridat is located at the city center of Kerch, Ukraine and was one of the nominees for the seven wonders of Ukraine. To the top of the mountain with the height of over 90 m leads the Large Mitridates Staircase that was built in 1833-40 by the Italian architect Alexander Digbi...
- Scyth's treasure
- Swallow's Nest
Swallow's Nest ; ) is a decorative castle near Yalta on the Crimean shore in southern Ukraine. It was built between 1911-1912 near Gaspra, on top of 40-meter high Aurora Cliff, to a Neo-Gothic design by the Russian architect Leonid Sherwood. The castle overlooks Ai–Todor cape of the Black Sea ...
- Tauric Chersonesos
Chersonesos was an ancient Greek colony founded approximately 2500 years ago in the southwestern part of Crimea, known then as Taurica...
- Vorontsov's Palace (Alupka)
The Vorontsovsky Palace is an historic palace located in the town of Alupka, Ukraine. It is situated at the foot of the Crimean Mountains.-Construction history:...
Economy
The main branches of the Crimean economy are tourism and agriculture. Industrial plants are situated for the most part in the northern regions of the republic. Important industrial cities include
DzhankoyDzhankoy is a city in the north of Crimea, Ukraine, and the capital of Dzhankoy raion. It is located about from the Crimean capital, Simferopol. Two railroad lines, Kharkiv-Sevastopol and Armyansk-Kerch, cross Dzhankoy. In 1926, Dzhankoy was granted city status.Dzhankoy is a great railroad junction...
, housing a major railway connection, and
KrasnoperekopskKrasnoperekopsk is a city in Crimea, Ukraine which is located on the southern part of the Perekop Isthmus, on the shore of the Stare lake, and about from the Crimean capital, Simferopol...
, among others.
The most important industries in Crimea include food production, chemical fields, mechanical engineering and metal working, and fuel production industries. Sixty percent of the industry market belongs to food production. There are a total of 291 large industrial enterprises and 1002 small business enterprises.
The main branches of vegetation production in the region include
cerealCereals, grains or cereal grains, {as a collective} are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their fruit seeds - the endocarp, germ and bran...
s, vegetable-growing, gardening, and
wine-makingThe wine industry of Ukraine is well-established with long traditions. Several brands of wine from Ukraine are exported to bordering countries, the European Union, and North America.-History:...
, particularly in the
YaltaYalta is a city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea.The city is located on the site of an ancient Greek colony, said to have been founded by Greek sailors who were looking for a safe shore on which to land. It is situated on a deep bay facing south towards the Black...
and
MassandraMassandra is a townlet in the Yalta region of Crimea. Occupying the spot of an ancient Greek settlement, Massandra was acquired by Counts Potocki in 1783....
regions. Other agricultural forms include cattle breeding, poultry keeping, and sheep breeding. Other products produced on the Crimea Peninsula include
saltA salt, in chemistry, is an ionic compound, and can result from the neutralization reaction of acids and bases. Salts are ionic compounds composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
,
porphyryPorphyry is a variety of igneous rock consisting of large-grained crystals, such as feldspar or quartz, dispersed in a fine-grained feldspathic matrix or groundmass. The larger crystals are called phenocrysts...
,
limestoneLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the mineral calcite . The deposition of limestone strata is often a by-product and indicator of biological activity in the geologic record...
, and
ironstoneIronstone is a fine-grained, heavy and compact sedimentary rock. Its main components are the carbonate or oxide of iron, clay and/or sand. It can be thought of as a concretionary form of siderite. Ironstone also contains clay, and sometimes calcite and quartz.-Appearance:Freshly cleaved ironstone...
(found around
KerchKerch is a city on the Kerch Peninsula of eastern Crimea, is an important industrial, transport and tourist centre of Ukraine.-Ancient times:...
).
The number of tourists visiting Crimea dropped by 12.7% (to 4.8 million people) in 2009 compared to 2008. A total of 261
sanatoriumA sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, typically tuberculosis. A distinction is sometimes made between "sanitarium" and "sanatorium" .-History:The rationale for sanatoria was that before antibiotic treatments existed, a regimen of rest and good...
s and other tourist institutions are operating in Crimea as of October 2, 2009 (274 in 2008), and they were 46.1% full (50.9% in 2008).
Transport
Almost every settlement in Crimea is connected with another settlement with bus lines. Crimea contains the longest (96 km or 59 mi)
trolleybus routeCrimean Trolleybus Line in Crimea, Ukraine is currently the longest trolleybus line in the world. It is about 86 kilometres long, and runs between the autonomous republic's capital, Simferopol, and the coastal city of Yalta on the Black Sea.The trolleybus line, managed by the public transport...
in the world, stretching from Simferopol to Yalta. The trolleybus line starts in near
Simferopol's Railway StationSimferopol is the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in southern Ukraine. As the capital of Crimea, Simferopol is an important political, economic, and transport center of the peninsula...
through the mountains to
AlushtaAlushta is a resort town in Crimea, Ukraine, founded in the 6th century CE by Emperor Justinian. It is situated on the Black Sea on the road from Gurzuf to Sudak, as well as on the Crimean Trolleybus line....
and on to
YaltaYalta is a city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea.The city is located on the site of an ancient Greek colony, said to have been founded by Greek sailors who were looking for a safe shore on which to land. It is situated on a deep bay facing south towards the Black...
.
The cities of Yalta, Feodosiya,
KerchKerch is a city on the Kerch Peninsula of eastern Crimea, is an important industrial, transport and tourist centre of Ukraine.-Ancient times:...
,
SevastopolSevastopol is a port city in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451...
, Chornomorske, and Yevpatoria are connected to one another by sea routes. In the cities of Yevpatoria and nearby
townletUrban-type settlement is an official designation for a certain type of urban localities used in some of the countries of the former Soviet Union....
Molochnoye are
tramA tram, tramcar, trolley, trolleycar, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a conventional train, designed for the transport of passengers within, close to, or between villages, towns and/or cities, on tracks running primarily on streets...
systems. Railroad lines running through Crimea include
ArmyanskArmyansk is a city in northern Crimea, Ukraine. It is located on the Isthmus of Perekop.Armyansk was founded in the beginning of the 18th century by Armenians and Greeks, who had come from the nearby city of Or Qapı . The first name of the town was Ermeni Bazar .-External links:*...
—Kerch (with a link to Feodosiya), and
MelitopolMelitopol is a city in the Zaporizhia Oblast of the southeastern Ukraine. It is situated on the Molochna River that flows through the eastern edge of the city and into the Molochnyi Liman, which eventually joins the Sea of Azov. The city was formerly named Kyzyl-Yar until 1816, and...
—Sevastopol (with a link to Yevpatoria), connecting Crimea to the Ukrainian mainland.
Demographics
As of 2005, the total population of Crimea is 1,994,300.
From 1989 to 2001, Crimea's population declined by 396,795 people, representing 16.33% of the 1989 population, despite the return of displaced groups such as
Crimean TatarsCrimean Tatars or Crimeans are a Turkic ethnic group originally residing in Crimea. They speak the Crimean Tatar language...
. From 2001–2005 the population declined by another 39,400 people, representing a decline from 2001 of another 2%.
According to
2001 Ukrainian CensusThe first Ukrainian Census was carried out by State Statistics Committee of Ukraine on 5 December 2001, twelve years after the last Soviet Union census in 1989....
, the population of Crimea was 2,033,700. The ethnic makeup was comprised the following self-reported groups:
RussiansThe Russian people are an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
: 58.32%;
UkrainiansUkrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly—citizens of Ukraine...
: 24.32%;
Crimean TatarsCrimean Tatars or Crimeans are a Turkic ethnic group originally residing in Crimea. They speak the Crimean Tatar language...
: 12.1%;
BelarusiansBelarusians are an East Slavic ethnic group who populate the majority of the Republic of Belarus. Introduced to the world as a new state in the early 1990s, the Republic of Belarus brought with it the notion of a re-emerging Belarusian ethnicity, drawn upon the lines of the Belarusian language...
: 1.44%;
TatarsTatars , sometimes spelled Tartars, are a Turkic ethnic group mainly inhabiting Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. They numbered 10 million in the late 20th Century, which includes all subgroups of Tatar people, such as...
: 0.54%;
ArmeniansThe Armenians are a nation and ethnic group which originated in the Caucasus and the Armenian Highland. It is estimated that there are 8 million Armenians around the world. There is a large concentration of Armenians in the Caucasus, especially in Armenia, and there is a significant presence in...
: 0.43%; and Jews: 0.22%.
Other minorities are
Black Sea GermansThe Black Sea Germans are ethnic Germans who left their homeland in the 18th and 19th centuries, and settled in territories off the north coast of the Black Sea, mostly in southern Ukraine...
, Roma people,
BulgariansThe Bulgarians are a South Slavic people, generally associated with the Republic of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian language. Emigration has resulted in Bulgarian minorities or immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-Ethnogenesis:...
,
PolesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a Western Slavic ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. Poles are sometimes defined as people who share a common Polish culture and are of Polish descent. Their religion is predominantly Roman Catholic...
, Azerbaijanis, Koreans and
GreeksThe Greeks , also known as Hellenes, are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions, who can also be found in diaspora communities around the world....
. The number of
Crimea GermansThe Crimea Germans were ethnic German settlers who were invited to settle in the Crimea as part of the East Colonization.- History :From 1783 onwards, there was a systematic settlement of Russians, Ukrainians, and Germans to the Crimean Peninsula in order to weaken the native population of the...
was 45,000 in 1941. In 1944, 70,000
GreeksThe Greeks , also known as Hellenes, are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions, who can also be found in diaspora communities around the world....
from the Crimea were deported to
Central Asia and Siberia, along with 200,000 Crimean Tatars and other nationalities.
Language
Ukrainian languageUkrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses the Cyrillic alphabet....
is the single official state language countrywide, and is the sole language of government in Ukraine. In Crimea government business is still carried out mainly in
RussianRussian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe...
. Attempts to
expand the usage of UkrainianUkrainization is a policy of increasing the usage and facilitating the development of the Ukrainian language and promoting other elements of Ukrainian culture, in various spheres of public life such as education, publishing, government and religion.The term is used, most prominently, for the...
in education and government affairs has been less successful in Crimea than in other areas of the nation.
Another language widely spoken is
Crimean TatarThe Crimean Tatar language , also known as Crimean and Crimean Turkish is the language of the Crimean Tatars. It is spoken in Crimea, Central Asia , and the Crimean Tatar diasporas in Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria...
. According to the census mentioned, 77% of Crimean inhabitants named Russian as their native language; 11.4% – Crimean Tatar; and 10.1% – Ukrainian.
Migration
Currently 2/3 of the migrants into Crimea are from other regions of Ukraine, every 5th is from the former Soviet Union and every 40th from outside of the former Soviet Union. 3/4 of those leaving Crimea move to other areas in Ukraine. Every 20th migrates to the West.
Trends
The population of the Crimean peninsula has been consistently falling at a rate of 0.4% per year. This is particularly apparent in both the Russian and Ukrainian ethnic populations, whose growth rate has been falling at the rate of 0.6% and 0.12% annually respectively. In comparison, the overall growth rate of the ethnic Crimean Tatar population has been growing at the rate of 0.9% per annum.
The growing trend in the Crimean Tatar population has been explained by the continual Crimean Tatar repatriation (mainly from
UzbekistanUzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan , is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia, formerly part of the Soviet Union...
), the high birth rate amongst the resettlers, and the low death rate as few senior citizens have resettled back into their ancestral home.
Sport
Crimea figures prominently in Ukrainian sports, especially the most popular: Association football. The most successful Crimean football club is Tavriya Simferopol in the
Ukrainian Premier LeagueThe Ukrainian Premier League is the highest division of Ukrainian annual football championship. The league was founded in 1991 after the fold of the Soviet Union's Vysshaya Liga.-Overview:...
, and it possesses one championship title. In the
Ukrainian First LeagueThe Persha Liha or Ukrainian First League is a football league in Ukraine.- History :The league is lower than the Vyscha Liha . The League is the top league of the Professional Football League...
Crimea is represented by
FC Feniks-Illychovets KalinineFC Feniks-Illichovets is a Ukrainian football club based in Kalinine which is located south-west of Dzhankoy . It participates in the Ukrainian First League.-History:...
, FC Ihroservice Simferopol,
FC Krymteplitsia MolodizhneFC Krymteplytsia Molodizhne are a Ukrainian football club based in Molodizhne .From the 2006-07 season they compete in the Ukrainian First League.-League and Cup History:- Current squad :...
,
PFC SevastopolPFC Sevastopol is a Ukrainian football club based in Sevastopol. The club is taking part in the Persha Liha football competition of Ukraine.Colours all red. all dark blue-Stadium:...
. In the
Second LeagueThe Druha Liha is a football league in Ukraine. The league is lower than the Persha Liha, also known as the Ukrainian First League. Druha Liha is third level of the football championship in Ukraine.-Quick overview:...
Crimea has the club FC Tytan Armyansk.
Crimea is represented within Ukrainian
BandyBandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.The rules of the game have many similarities to those of association football: the game is played on a rectangle of ice the same size as a soccer field. Each team has eleven...
and Rink-bandy Federation.
See also
- Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is a region lying in the Eastern part of Europe. The term is highly context-dependent and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
- Black Sea
ur a loser!The Black Sea is an inland sea bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas and various straits. The Bosporus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects it to...
- Black Sea Fleet
The Black Sea Fleet is a large sub-unit of the Russian Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century...
- Artek
Artek was an All-Union and international Young Pioneer camp in the Soviet Union. It was established on June 16 1925 near the Black Sea in the town of Gurzuf located on the Crimean peninsula, near Medved Mountain located in Ukraine. The camp first hosted eighty children but it grew rapidly...
- Seven Wonders of Ukraine
The Seven Wonders of Ukraine are the seven historical and cultural monuments of Ukraine, which were chosen in the Seven Wonders of Ukraine contest held in July, 2007...
External links