De-Tatarization of Crimea
The De-Tatarization of Crimea (Crimean Tatar: Qırımnıñ tatarsızlaştırıluvı; Russian: Детатаризация Крыма, romanized: Detatarizatsiya Kryma) refers to the Soviet and Russian efforts to remove traces of the indigenous Crimean Tatar presence from the peninsula. De-Tatarization has manifested in various ways throughout history, from the full-scale deportation and exile of Crimean Tatars in 1944 to other measures such as the burning of Crimean Tatar books published in the 1920s and toponym renaming.[1]
Manifestations[]
Topography renaming[]
The vast majority of districts, raions, villages, and geographic features in Crimea bearing Crimean Tatar names were given Slavic names shortly after the deportation of the Crimean Tatars per a decree of the Crimean Regional Committee mandating such renaming. Most places in Crimea still bear the post-deportation names, many redundant, that were imposed in the 1940s to remove traces of Crimean Tatar existence. Very few localities – Bakhchysarai, Dzhankoy, İşün, Alushta, Alupka, and Saky – were spared renaming.[2][3][4]
Propaganda[]
Soviet party officials in Crimea indoctrinated the Slavic population of Crimea with Tatarophobia, depicting Crimean Tatars as "traitors", "bourgeoisie", or "counter-revolutionaries", and falsely implying that they were "Mongols" with no historical connection to the Crimean peninsula (despite their Greek, Italian, Armenian, and Gothic roots.)[5] A 1948 conference in Crimea was dedicated to promoting and sharing anti-Crimean-Tatar sentiments.[6]
Amet-khan Airport[]
The attempts to paint Amet-khan Sultan as a Dagestani contrary to his Crimean origins has faced backlash from the Crimean Tatar community. Despite the flying ace being born in Crimea to a Crimean Tatar mother and always identifying himself as Crimean Tatar, the Russian Federation named a Dagestani Airport after him while naming Crimea's main airport after Ivan Aivazovsky instead, ignoring numerous petitions from the Crimean Tatar community requesting that the airport bearing Amet-khan's name be in his homeland.[7][8][9]
See also[]
- Imperialism
- Ethnic cleansing
- Settler colonialism
- Russification
- Hebraization of Palestine
- Colonization of the Americas
References[]
Citations[]
- ^ Williams 2015, p. 111.
- ^ Polian, Pavel (2004). Against Their Will: The History and Geography of Forced Migrations in the USSR. Central European University Press. p. 152. ISBN 978-963-9241-68-8.
- ^ Allworth 1998, p. 14.
- ^ Bekirova, Gulnara (2005). Крым и крымские татары в XIX-XX веках: сборник статей (in Russian). Moscow. p. 242. ISBN 9785851670572. OCLC 605030537.
- ^ Williams 2001, p. 29.
- ^ Williams 2015, p. 114.
- ^ Williams 2015, p. 105-114, 121-123.
- ^ Allworth 1998, p. 227.
- ^ "Добро пожаловать в аэропорт "Амет-Хан Султан" города Симферополя!". Милли Фирка (in Russian). 2018-11-28. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
Bibliography[]
- Williams, Brian (2001). The Crimean Tatars: The Diaspora Experience and the Forging of a Nation. Boston: BRILL. ISBN 9004121226. OCLC 803626761.
- Williams, Brian (2015). The Crimean Tatars: From Soviet Genocide to Putin's Conquest. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0190494711. OCLC 928643532.
- Allworth, Edward (1998). The Tatars of Crimea: Return to the Homeland: Studies and Documents. London: Duke University Press. ISBN 0822319942. OCLC 799694940.
External links[]
- History of Crimea
- Ethnic cleansing in Europe
- Racism in the Soviet Union
- Political repression in the Soviet Union
- Linguistic discrimination
- Russification
- Soviet national policy
- Tatarophobia
- Language policy in the Russian Empire, Soviet Union and Russian Federation