Crimea: the history of the peninsula. How did the Crimea develop and what is the history of its people?

A year ago the peninsula Crimea was an integral part of the state of Ukraine. But after March 16, 2014, he changed the "place of residence" and joined the Russian Federation. Therefore, we will explain very much the increased interest in how the Crimea developed. The history of the peninsula is very stormy and full.

The first inhabitants of the ancient land

The history of the peoples of the Crimea counts several millennia. On the territory of the peninsula, researchers discovered the remains of ancient people who lived in the Paleolithic era. Near the stands of Kiik-Koba and Staroselie, archaeologists have found the bones of people who at that time inhabited this area.

In the first millennium BC lived here Cimmerians, Taurians and Scythians. By the name of one nationality, this territory, or rather its mountainous and coastal parts, is still called Taurica, Tavria or Tavrida. Ancient people engaged in this not very fertile land farming and cattle breeding, and also hunted and fished. The world was new, fresh and cloudless.

Greeks, Romans and Goths

But for some ancient states, sunny Crimea turned out to be very attractive in terms of location. The history of the peninsula also has Greek echoes. Approximately in the 6th-5th centuries BC this territory became actively populated by the Greeks. They founded here entire colonies, after which the first states appeared. The Greeks brought with them the benefits of civilization: they actively built temples and theaters, stadiums and baths. At this time shipbuilding begins to develop here. It is with the Greeks that historians associate the development of viticulture. Also the Greeks planted olive trees here and collected oil. It can be safely said that with the advent of the Greeks the history of the development of the Crimea received a new impetus.

But after several centuries, a powerful Rome laid eyes on this territory and seized part of the coast. This capture lasted until the 6th century AD. But the greatest damage to the development of the peninsula was inflicted by the tribes of the Goths who invaded the 3-4th centuries and thanks to which the Greek states disintegrated. And although ready to be replaced by other nationalities, the development of the Crimea very much at this time slowed down.

Khazaria and Tymutarakan

The Crimea is also called the ancient Khazaria, and in some Russian annals this territory is called Tmutarakan. And these are not at all figurative names of the terrain on which the Crimea was located. The history of the peninsula left in the speech those toponymic names, which at one time or another called this part of the earth's land. Since the 5th century, the whole Crimea has fallen under the strict Byzantine influence. But already in the 7th century the entire territory of the peninsula (except Chersonesos) is in the Khazar Khaganate, powerful and strong. That is why in Western Europe in many manuscripts the name "Khazaria" is found. But Russia and Khazaria always compete, and in 960 the Russian history of the Crimea begins. The Khaganate was defeated, and all Khazar possessions are subordinated to the Old Russian state. Now this territory is called Tmutarakan.

By the way, it was here that the prince Vladimir of Kiev, who occupied Kherson (Korsun), was officially baptized in 988.

Tatar-Mongolian trace

Since the 13th century the history of the annexation of the Crimea has been developing again according to the military scenario: the Mongol-Tatars invade the peninsula.

Here is formed Crimean ulus - one of the divisions 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 falls under the influence of Turkey. It is from here that numerous raids on Polish, Russian and Ukrainian lands take place. And already at the end of the 15th century these invasions become massive and threaten 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 Turkey's slave markets. One of the reasons for the creation of the Zaporozhye Sich in 1554 was the resistance to these seizures.

Russian history

The history of the transfer of the Crimea to Russia continues in 1774, when the Kyuchuk-Kainarji peace treaty was concluded. After the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774, the 300-year rule of the Ottoman Empire came to an end. The Turks abandoned the Crimea. It was at this time on the peninsula there are the largest cities of Sevastopol and Simferopol. The Crimea is developing rapidly, money is being invested here, a rapid flourishing of industry and commerce is beginning.

But Turkey did not abandon 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 it. After the next war in 1791, the Treaty of Yass was signed.

The willful 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 counted many conversions from hand to hand, needed a powerful defense. Acquired southern lands had to be protected, ensuring the security of borders. Empress Catherine II instructed Prince Potemkin to study all the advantages and disadvantages of joining the Crimea. In 1782 Potemkin wrote to the Empress a letter in which he insisted on making an important decision. Catherine agrees with his arguments. She understands how important the Crimea is for solving internal state problems, and in the foreign policy perspective.

April 8, 1783 Catherine II publishes the Manifesto on the annexation of the Crimea. It was a fateful document. From this moment, from this date, Russia, Crimea, the history of the empire and the peninsula are 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 admitted the fact of annexation of the Crimea to Russia only eight months later. All this time the situation around the peninsula was extremely tense. When the Manifesto was promulgated, at first the faithful of the Russian Empire were sworn by clerics and only then by the whole population. On the peninsula, festive festivities, feasts, games and jumps were held, volleys of cannon salute were given in the air. As contemporaries noted, the whole Crimea joyfully and jubilantly passed into the Russian empire.

Since then, the Crimea, the history of the peninsula and the way of life of its population have been inseparably linked with all the events that took place in the Russian Empire.

A powerful impetus to development

A brief history of the Crimea after joining the Russian Empire can be described in one word - "flowering". Here, industry and agriculture, wine-making, viticulture begin to develop rapidly. In the cities there are fish and salt fisheries, the people are actively developing trade ties.

Since Crimea is in a very warm and favorable climate, many rich 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 19 th - early 20 th century here begins a rapid flowering of architecture. Industrial magnates, tsarist persons, the elite of Russia are building entire palaces here, breaking beautiful parks that have been preserved in the territory of Crimea today. And after the nobility on the peninsula, people of art, actors, singers, artists, theater-goers were drawn. Crimea becomes a cultural mecca of the Russian Empire.

Do not forget about the healing climate of the peninsula. Since the doctors proved that the air of the Crimea is extremely favorable for the treatment of tuberculosis, a massive pilgrimage of those wishing to be cured of this deadly disease began here. Crimea becomes attractive not only for bohemian rest, but also for health tourism.

Together with the whole country

In the beginning of the 20th century the peninsula developed along with the whole country. The October Revolution did not pass him, and the civil war that followed. It was from the Crimea (Yalta, Sevastopol, Feodosia) that the last ships and ships departed, on which Russian intelligentsia left Russia. It was in this place that a mass exodus of the White Guards was observed. The country was creating a new system, and Crimea did not lag behind.

It was in the 20s of the last century that the Crimea became an all-Union health resort. In 1919 the Bolsheviks adopted the "Decree of the Council of People's Commissars on medicinal areas of national importance". Crimea is inscribed in it with a red line. A year later another important document was signed - the decree "On the use of the Crimea for the treatment of workers".

Until the war, the territory of the peninsula was used as a resort for tuberculosis patients. In Yalta in 1922 a specialized Institute of Tuberculosis even opens. Financing was at the proper level, and soon this research institute becomes the main center of the country for pulmonary surgery.

The Epoch-making Crimean Conference

During the Great Patriotic War the peninsula became the arena of massive military operations. 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, not all peoples inhabiting a multinational Crimea fought on the side of the Soviet Army. Some representatives of the Crimean Tatars frankly supported the invaders. That is why in 1944 Stalin issued a decree on the deportation of Crimean-Tatar people outside the Crimea. Hundreds of echelons in one day took the whole people to Central Asia.

Crimea entered the 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 the long post-war decades.

Crimea - Ukrainian

In 1954 a new milestone came. 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.

It was made to a round date: in 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, the Crimea was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR. And now it began to be viewed as a whole and part of a whole pair of "Ukraine-Crimea". The history of the peninsula begins to be described in a modern chronicle from scratch.

Whether this decision was economically justified, whether then it was worth taking such a step - at that time such questions did not even arise. Since the Soviet Union was united, no one attached particular importance to whether the Crimea would 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, the Declaration on State Sovereignty of the Republic was adopted. And on December 1, 1991, a referendum took place, at which 54% of Crimean residents supported Ukraine's independence. In May of the next year, the Constitution of the Republic of Crimea was adopted, and in February 1994 the Crimeans elected the first President of the Republic of Crimea. They became Yury Meshkov.

It was during the years of perestroika that disputes arose that Khrushchev illegally gave Crimea to Ukraine. Pro-Russian sentiments on the peninsula were very strong. Therefore, as soon as the opportunity arose, the Crimea again returned to Russia.

The fateful March of 2014

While in Ukraine in late 2013 - early 2014 began to expand a large-scale state crisis, in the Crimea, more and more voices were voiced that the peninsula should be returned to Russia. On the night of 26 to 27 February, by unknown people over the building of the Supreme Council of the Crimea was raised the Russian flag.

The Supreme Council of the Crimea and the Sevastopol City Council are adopting a declaration on the independence of the Crimea. At the same time, the idea to hold the All-Crimean referendum was voiced. 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 favored joining the 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 the Crimea continues to form before our very eyes. Not all countries have yet recognized the status of the Crimea. But Crimeans live with faith in a bright future.