History of Crimea

History of Crimea

The Crimea has an ancient and rich history. Across the centuries a variety of people have settled on its shores, including the Greeks, the Venetians and the Genoese; all of whom left distinctive footprints in the peninsular that can be seen today.

The history of Crimea can be viewed through its monuments and remains. The first major civilisation to inhabit Crimea's shores that left remains to this day were the Greeks, whose first colonists came in the 5th century BC. The town of Kerch on the far east of Crimea was its capital, and they also founded Feodosia, Evpatoria, and Khersones. A great day out in Crimea can be had visiting the impressive and extensive remains of the Greek town in Khersones, which is now located within the town of Sevastopol. Many towns in Europe share this history, but few have left such impressive remains.

The history of Crimea took a turn in the 1st century AD with the arrival of the Romans. They established naval bases and protected areas. During the later centuries, Crimea was invaded or occupied successively by the Goths ( AD.250), Huns (AD.376), Bulgars (6th century), Kharzars (8th century), and the Slav state of Kievan Rus (10th-11th centuries.)

In the 1200's was a significant moment in the history of Crimea, as the Geonese seized some settlements on the South coast of Crimea. They left their mark at Sudak, where you can visit a well preserved and spectacularly located fortress built by the Genoeans at that time.

In the mid 1200's, the history of Crimea took another sudden and important turn; Crimea was overrun by the Tartars; a division of Chingiz Khan's huge army. Originating in current day Mongolia, the Tatars were a collection of nomadic tribes who joined together with others tribes of Turkish ethnicity, and conquered vast swaths of Central Asia and Eastern Europe. This huge empire stretched to Crimea all the way from China. The arrival in Crimea of the Tartars set about a new path of history, which is very relevant to this day.

Being so far away from the homeland, these Crimean Khans were given a large amount of autonomy from the centre of power in Mongolia. The first Crimean capital was called Qirim, and it is very possible that this was where the name Crimea originated. Nowadays Qirim is a small town in the east of Crimea called Stary Krim (old Crimea). In the 15th century the capital was moved to Bakhchisarai, close to the present day Simferopol. In modern day Bakchisarai, you can plunge into this part of the history of Crimea. Here you can see, for instance, the perfectly preserved Khans-palace, a former residence of the Crimean Khans from the 15th century.

The next paramount event in the history of Crimea was in 1783, when it was successfully invaded by the Slavs and transferred to the Russian empire. Quickly Russians, Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Armenians, and even Germans settled in Crimea, a process which continued into the 19th century.

In the 19th century, there was no let up in the bloody history of Crimea. With the Ottomon Empire declining, Britain and France became concerned about Russia's expansionist plans. They were worried that the Russians would completely destroy the Ottoman empire and gain control of the passage from the Black Sea into the Mediterranean. Because of this they took an active interest in the Crimean war which began in 1853 between Turkey and Russia, and sent British and French boats into Balaklava in 1854 to attack the Russians. There were no real victors in the war, and there were terrible casualties on both sides. You can visit the scene of these battles in and around Balaklava and Sevastopol.

The bloody history of Crimea continued in the 1st World War, in which Crimea was taken by German forces, and the Russians suffered heavy losses on the battlefield. After the Russian revolution of 1917, Crimea was established in 1921 as an Autonomous Republic for the Tatars within the Russian Soviet Republic. However, Stalin, in his finest tradition, did his best to make the Tartars and other minorities such as the Greeks suffer; carrying out regular purges on them.

The history of the involvement of Crimea in the Second World War is long and complicated. The war brought the return of German forces to Crimea, who completely occupied the peninsula for 2 years from 1942-1944. In this time Crimea lost nearly half its population, and now the peninsula contains numerous impressive memorials to this war. In Sevastopol in particular there are some impressive war monuments, and this is a great place to visit if you are interested in this part of the history of Crimea.

After the war, Stalin deported all the remaining Tartars, stating their collaboration with the Germans as the reason.

In 1945, a great event in the history of Crimea took place; the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, US President Roosevelt and Russian leader Stalin chose the Livadia Palace near Yalta as the venue for the Yalta conference, in which the 'Big Three' carved up Europe and set the stage for the Cold War years which followed. You can visit this palace today, which is located in a beautiful spot overlooking the sparkling Black Sea, and see where the negotiations were held and documents signed.

In 1954, Khrushchev created the Autonomous Crimean Soviet Socialist Republic, and transferred control of Crimea to the Ukrainian SSR. The transfer was also meant by the Soviet leader to be a symbolic gesture to mark the 300th anniversary of the Treaty of Pereyaslav that unified Russia and the Ukraine. Little did he know how much that moment in history would change the fate of Crimea.

In 1991, the most notable event of the modern history of Crimea; the USSR collapsed, Ukraine declared its independence, and as a result of Khrushchev previous actions, Crimea became an Autonomous Republic within the independent Ukraine.

With the fall of the Soviet Union, the Tatar families and members of other deported groups were allowed to return to Crimea in significant numbers.

Today, as a result of its colourful and complex history, there is a fascinating mix of people and places in the Crimea, all for you to explore and witness for yourself.

At AccessCrimea, we have a history of providing the highest level of tourism services in Crimea. If you would like to visit Crimea for its historical monuments, or for any other reason, then we can arrange everything for you. Take a look at our website at http://www.accesscrimea.com