Ukraine honors the memory of the victims of the genocide of Crimean Tatars today.

History of the genocide of the Crimean Tatar people

Today, May 18, Ukraine honors the memory of the victims of the genocide of the Crimean Tatar people. This day has become a symbol of the struggle for the rights of Crimean Tatars and reminds of the deportation that occurred in May 1944. This event in the past Soviet Union and the memory of it are important for every Ukrainian.

At dawn on May 18, 1944, the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people from Crimea began...

After the retrogressive step of the Nazis from Crimea, the Soviet regime deported nearly 200 thousand Crimean Tatars in three days. This was a criminal decision aimed at depriving people of their homeland and identity. Even after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the oppression and bans against the Crimean Tatar people continued.

Children of the displaced could study in Russian or Uzbek, but not in Crimean Tatar.

Bans on using the Crimean Tatar language and returning to their homeland lasted for decades. And even after the official recognition in 1989 of the deportation as illegal, Crimean Tatars again became targets of repression in 2014 after the occupation of Crimea by Russia.

Modern realities

After the annexation of Crimea in 2014, the oppression and repression of the Russian occupation regime against the Crimean Tatar people only intensified. Journalists, activists, and representatives of various civic groups found themselves at risk of detention and persecution. The history of the genocide of the Crimean Tatar people reminds of the importance of the struggle for human rights and nationality at all times.