Defiance accompanied by solemn ceremony. Crimea’s Tatars gather to remember and honor a quarter million community members accused in 1944 by Soviet leaders of sympathizing with Nazi Germany. They were subsequently expelled from the peninsula. Some experienced forced deportation firsthand. They remember parents and siblings who died in exile of starvation and exposure to the elements. Many who eventually made their way back to Crimea are determined to stay SIA reports.
The 1944 Soviet-era deportation of 200,000 Tatars to Siberia and central Asia killed many and is a reason for Tatars' deep mistrust of the Russian authorities. Many still associate Moscow's rule with oppression, exile and suffering.
Crimea’s estimated two hundred and fifty thousand Tatar Muslims are justifiably anxious: a March referendum split Crimea from Ukraine, turning control of the peninsula over to Russia. Many Tatars in the majority ethnic Russian region boycotted the referendum. Despite official assurances to preserve their rights and freedoms, some now fear persecution.. The surprise appearance of Russian helicopters at this memorial service did little to salve those fears
People here are furious because just as they say they are having a peaceful gathering, these helicopters are flying overhead, circling and circling over and over again. They’re saying here it’s clear provocation, as far as they’re concerned.
Despite the passage of time, on this 70th anniversary marking mass punishment, Tatars who claim historical rulership of Crimea centuries ago, remain doubtful and suspicious.
Crimean Tatars and local residents light candles during a memorial ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the deportation of Tatars from Crimea, in Kiev.
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