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