1991 Crimean sovereignty referendum

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Referendum on the State and Legal Status of Crimea,
20 January 1991
Do you support re-establishing the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic as a subject of the Union SSR and a participant of the Union Treaty?
Results
Response Votes %
Yes 1,343,855 94.30%
No 81,254 5.70%
Valid votes 1,425,109 98.74%
Invalid or blank votes 18,151 1.26%
Total votes 1,443,260 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 1,770,841 81.5%
The decision of the Crimean Regional Council to hold a referendum of 12 November 1990 signed by N.V. Bagrov

A referendum on sovereignty was held in the Crimean Oblast of the Ukrainian SSR on 20 January 1991,[1] two months before the 1991 All-Union referendum. Voters were asked whether they wanted to re-establish the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, which had been abolished in 1945. The proposal was approved by 94% of voters.

Background[]

Ballot.

The Crimean ASSR was originally created in 1921, as part of the Russian SFSR in the Soviet Union.[2] Crimea was invaded by Nazi Germany during World War II, and when the region was reclaimed by the USSR in 1944, the Crimean Tatars, Armenians, Bulgarians and Greeks were deported to Central Asia under the pretext of alleged collaboration with the German occupiers.[3][4] The ASSR was dissolved in 1945 and Crimea became an oblast of the Russian SSR.[5] On 5 February 1954, it was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR.[5] During the collapse of the Soviet Union at the start of the 1990s, the Ukrainian SSR declared itself sovereign on 16 July 1990.

Results[]

Choice Votes %
For 1,343,825 94.30
Against 81,254 5.70
Invalid/blank votes 15,910 –
Total 1,441,019 100
Registered voters/turnout 1,770,841 81.37
Source: KIA News

Aftermath[]

Following the referendum, the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR passed the law "On Restoration of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialistic Republic as part of USSR" on 12 February 1991, restoring Crimea's autonomous status as independent from the Ukrainian SSR. In September 1991, the Crimean parliament declared the territory to be a sovereign constituent part of Ukraine.[6] However, the parliament did not have the authority to make this decision, because according to USSR law, "On the procedure for resolving issues related to the withdrawal of a union republic from the USSR" from (3 April 1990) this issue could only be resolved via a referendum.[7]

References[]

  1. ^ Crimean Tatars: Reflections On “Autonomy” Day UNPO
  2. ^ Sergei Lavrov defends Russia's position on Ukraine Euronews, 3 March 2014
  3. ^ Online Encyclopedia of Mass Violence. "Sürgün: The Crimean Tatars' deportation and exile - Online Encyclopedia of Mass Violence". Massviolence.org. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
  4. ^ To understand Crimea, take a look back at its complicated history The Washington Post, 27 February 2014
  5. ^ a b Maria Drohobycky (1995) Crimea: Dynamics, Challenges and Prospects, Rowman & Littlefield, p40
  6. ^ "Chronology for Crimean Russians in Ukraine". Refworld. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  7. ^ "On the procedure for resolving issues related to the withdrawal of a union republic from the USSR". Refworld.
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