A year ago, the Crimean peninsula was an integral part of the state of Ukraine. But after March 16, 2014, he changed his "place of residence" and became part of the Russian Federation. Therefore, we can quite explain the increased interest in how the Crimea developed. The history of the peninsula is very stormy and eventful.
The first inhabitants of the ancient land
The history of the Crimean peoples has several millennia. On the peninsula, researchers discovered the remains of ancient people who lived back in the Paleolithic era. Near the sites of Kyik-Koba and Staroselye archaeologists found the bones of the people who at that time inhabited this area.
In the first millennium BC, the Cimmerians, Taurus and Scythians lived here. By the name of one nationality, this territory, or rather its mountainous and coastal parts, is still called Taurica, Tavria or Taurida. Ancient people were engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding on this not very fertile land, and also hunted and fished. The world was new, fresh and cloudless.
Greeks, Romans and Goths
But for some ancient states, the sunny Crimea turned out to be very attractive in terms of location. The history of the peninsula also has Greek echoes. Around the 6–5th centuries BC, the Greeks began to actively inhabit this territory. They founded entire colonies here, after which the first states appeared. The Greeks brought with them the benefits of civilization: they actively built temples and theaters, stadiums and bathhouses. At this time, shipbuilding begins to develop here. It is with the Greeks that historians connect the development of viticulture. The Greeks also planted olive trees here and collected oil. One can safely say that with the advent of the Greeks, the history of the development of Crimea received a new impetus.
But after several centuries, the mighty Rome laid eyes on this territory and captured part of the coast. This capture lasted until the 6th century AD. But the greatest damage to the development of the peninsula was done by the Goth tribes, which invaded in the 3-4th centuries and thanks to which the Greek states fell apart. And although the Goths were soon supplanted by other nationalities, the development of Crimea slowed down very much at that time.
Khazaria and Tmutarakan
Crimea is also called the ancient Khazaria, and in some Russian chronicles this territory is called the Tmutarakan. And these are not at all the figurative names of the locality where Crimea was located. The history of the peninsula left in the speech those toponymic names that at one time or another called this stretch of terrestrial land. Starting from the 5th century, the whole Crimea fell under severe Byzantine influence. But already in the 7th century, the entire territory of the peninsula (except Khersones) is in the Khazar Khaganate, powerful and strong. That is why in Western Europe the name "Khazaria" is found in many manuscripts. But Russia and Khazaria are always competing, and in the 960th year the Russian history of Crimea begins. The kaganate is defeated, and all Khazar possessions are subordinate to the Old Russian state. Now this territory is called Tmutarakan.
By the way, it was here that the Kiev prince Vladimir, who occupied Kherson (Korsun), was officially baptized in 988.
Tatar-Mongolian trail
Since the 13th century, the history of the annexation of Crimea has been developing again according to a military scenario: Mongol-Tatars invade the peninsula.
Here the Crimean ulus is formed - one of the units of the Golden Horde. After the Golden Horde disintegrates, in 1443 the Crimean Khanate appeared on the territory of the peninsula . In 1475, it completely fell under the influence of Turkey. It is from here that numerous raids are made on Polish, Russian and Ukrainian lands. Moreover, already at the end of the 15th century, these invasions became massive and threatened the integrity of both the Moscow state and Poland. Basically, the Turks hunted for cheap labor: they captured people and sold them into slavery in the slave markets of Turkey. One of the reasons for the creation of the Zaporizhzhya Sich in 1554 was the opposition to these seizures.
Russian history
The history of the transfer of Crimea to Russia continues in 1774, when the Kyuchuk-Kainardzhi peace treaty was concluded. After the Russo-Turkish war of 1768–1774, the almost 300-year rule of the Ottoman Empire came to an end. The Turks abandoned the Crimea. It was at this time that the largest cities of Sevastopol and Simferopol appeared on the peninsula. Crimea is booming, money is being invested here, and industry and trade are booming.
But Turkey did not leave plans to regain this attractive territory and was preparing for a new war. We must pay tribute to the Russian army, which did not allow this to be done. After another war in 1791, the Iasi Peace Treaty was signed.
The strong-willed decision of Catherine II
So, in fact, the peninsula has now become part of a powerful empire, whose name is Russia. Crimea, the history of which had many transitions from hand to hand, needed powerful protection. Acquired southern lands needed to be protected, ensuring border security. Empress Catherine II instructed Prince Potemkin to study all the advantages and weaknesses of the annexation of Crimea. In 1782, Potemkin wrote the Empress a letter in which he insisted on making an important decision. Catherine agrees with his arguments. She understands how important Crimea is both for solving internal state tasks and in foreign policy.
April 8, 1783, Catherine II publishes the Manifesto on the annexation of Crimea. It was a fateful document. From this moment, from this date, Russia, Crimea, the history of the empire and the peninsula were closely intertwined for many centuries. According to the Manifesto, all Crimean residents were promised protection of this territory from enemies, preservation of property and faith.
True, the Turks recognized the fact of the annexation of Crimea to Russia only after eight months. All this time the situation around the peninsula was extremely tense. When the Manifesto was made public, first the clergy swore allegiance to the Russian Empire, and only then did the entire population. Gala celebrations, feasts were held on the peninsula, games and races were held, cannon salutes were fired into the air. As contemporaries noted, the whole Crimea with joy and glee passed into the Russian Empire.
Since then, Crimea, the history of the peninsula and the way of life of its population have been inextricably linked with all the events that took place in the Russian Empire.
A powerful impetus to development
A brief history of Crimea after joining the Russian Empire can be described in one word - "prosperity". Here industry and agriculture, winemaking, and viticulture are beginning to develop rapidly. Fisheries and salt industries appear in cities, people are actively developing trade relations.
Since Crimea is located in a very warm and favorable climate, many wealthy people of Tsarist Russia wanted to get land here. Nobles, members of the royal family, industrialists considered it an honor to establish a family estate on the territory of the peninsula. In the 19th - early 20th century, the heyday of architecture begins here. Industrial tycoons, royal people, the elite of Russia are building entire palaces here, setting up beautiful parks that have survived on the territory of Crimea today. And after the nobility, people of art, actors, singers, artists, theater-goers reached the peninsula. Crimea becomes the cultural mecca of the Russian Empire.
Do not forget about the healing climate of the peninsula. Since doctors have proved that the air of Crimea is extremely favorable for the treatment of tuberculosis, a mass pilgrimage began to those who wish to recover from this deadly disease. Crimea is becoming attractive not only for bohemian holidays, but also for health tourism.
Together with the whole country
At the beginning of the 20th century, the peninsula developed along with the whole country. The October Revolution and the ensuing civil war did not pass him. It was from the Crimea (Yalta, Sevastopol, Feodosia) that the last ships and ships, on which the Russian intelligentsia left Russia, left. It was in this place that a mass exodus of the White Guards was observed. The country created a new system, and Crimea did not lag behind.
It was in the 20s of the last century that Crimea was transformed into an all-Union health resort. In 1919, the Bolsheviks adopted the "Decree of the Council of People's Commissars on medical areas of national importance." Crimea is inscribed in it in red line. A year later, another important document was signed - the decree "On the use of Crimea for the treatment of workers."
Before the war, the peninsula was used as a resort for tuberculosis. In Yalta in 1922, even a specialized Institute of Tuberculosis was opened. Funding was up to standard, and soon this research institute became the country's main center for pulmonary surgery.
Mythic Crimean Conference
During the Great Patriotic War, the peninsula became the scene of massive hostilities. Here they fought on land and in the sea, in the air and in the mountains. Two cities - Kerch and Sevastopol - received the title of hero cities for their significant contribution to the victory over fascism.
True, far from all the peoples inhabiting the multinational Crimea fought on the side of the Soviet Army. Some representatives of the Crimean Tatars openly supported the invaders. That is why in 1944, Stalin issued a decree on the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people outside the Crimea. Hundreds of echelons transported a whole nation to Central Asia in one day.
Crimea entered world history due to the fact that in February 1945 the Yalta Conference was held in the Livadia Palace. The leaders of the three superpowers - Stalin (USSR), Roosevelt (USA) and Churchill (Great Britain) - signed important international documents in Crimea, according to which the world order was determined for long post-war decades.
Crimea - Ukrainian
In 1954, a new milestone sets in. The Soviet leadership decides to transfer Crimea to the Ukrainian SSR. The history of the peninsula begins to develop according to a new scenario. The initiative came personally from the then head of the CPSU, Nikita Khrushchev.
This was done by a round date: that year the country celebrated the 300th anniversary of the Pereyaslav Rada. To commemorate this historic date and demonstrate that the Russian and Ukrainian peoples are united, Crimea was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR. And now it began to be considered as a whole and part of the whole pair "Ukraine - Crimea". The history of the peninsula is described in the modern chronicle from scratch.
Was this decision economically justified? Was it worth taking such a step then? At that time, such questions did not even arise. Since the Soviet Union was one, no one attached particular importance to whether Crimea will be part of the RSFSR or the Ukrainian SSR.
Autonomy within Ukraine
When an independent Ukrainian state was formed, Crimea received the status of autonomy. In September 1991, a Declaration on the State Sovereignty of the Republic was adopted. And on December 1, 1991, a referendum was held in which 54% of Crimean residents supported the independence of Ukraine. In May of the following year, the Constitution of the Republic of Crimea was adopted, and in February 1994, Crimeans elected the first President of the Republic of Crimea. They became Yuri Meshkov.
It was during the years of perestroika that more and more disputes began to arise that Khrushchev illegally gave Crimea to Ukraine. The pro-Russian sentiments on the peninsula were very strong. Therefore, as soon as the opportunity arose, Crimea returned to Russia again.
The fateful March of 2014
While in Ukraine at the end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014, a large-scale state crisis began to grow, in Crimea voices were heard more and more strongly that the peninsula needed to be returned to Russia. On the night of February 26-27, unidentified people raised the Russian flag over the building of the Supreme Council of Crimea.
The Supreme Council of Crimea and the Sevastopol City Council adopt a declaration of independence of Crimea. Then the idea was announced to hold an All-Crimean referendum. Initially, he was appointed on March 31, but then moved two weeks earlier - on March 16. The results of the Crimean referendum were impressive: 96.6% of voters supported the accession of Crimea to Russia . The general level of support for this decision by the population of the Crimean peninsula was 81.3%.
The modern history of Crimea continues to take shape before our very eyes. Not all countries have yet recognized the status of Crimea. But Crimeans live with faith in a brighter future.