Crimean Tatars’ Democratic Triumph: Safeguarding Ukraine’s Independence in 1991

Abstract

This article examines the democratic triumph of the Crimean Tatars in safeguarding Ukraine’s independence during the crucial referendum of 1991. Using the theoretical framework of political mobilization and indigenous people electoral behavior, the study analyzes how the active participation of Crimean Tatars in the Ukrainian independence referendum on December 1, 1991, significantly influenced its outcome in Crimea. Based on archival data, voting statistics, interviews with key participants, and recent testimonies from Crimean Tatar movement leaders, including Mustafa Dzhemilev, the leader of the Crimean Tatar people and a member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the article demonstrates that the Crimean Tatars’ support for Ukrainian independence was a decisive factor in ensuring a positive referendum result on the peninsula.

Introduction

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 raised questions about the future status of the Crimean Peninsula, which had been part of the Ukrainian SSR since 1954. The referendum on Ukrainian independence, held on December 1, 1991, became a key moment in determining Crimea’s fate. In this context, the role of the Crimean Tatars, the indigenous people of the peninsula, is of paramount importance.

In 1944, the Crimean Tatar nation fell victim to a state-sponsored campaign of genocide, euphemistically and misleadingly termed “deportation” by Soviet authorities. This deliberate use of the term “deportation” was part of a broader strategy of disinformation, aimed at obscuring the true nature of the atrocity committed against an indigenous people on their ancestral homeland. In reality, this act constituted a deliberate attempt to eradicate a nation with a rich history of statehood and self-governance. It involved the forcible and violent removal of the entire Crimean Tatar people from their historical territory, resulting in massive loss of life, cultural devastation, and the near-destruction of a distinct national entity. This act not only targeted individuals but aimed to dismantle the political, social, and cultural structures that defined the Crimean Tatar nation.

The survivors and their descendants were only able to begin returning to their homeland en masse in the late 1989s, coinciding with the final years of the Soviet Union. This return, occurring against the backdrop of significant political upheaval, set the stage for the Crimean Tatars’ crucial role in the 1991 referendum and the subsequent incorporation of Crimea into independent Ukraine.

Methodology

The research is based on the analysis of the following sources:
1. Official results of the 1991 referendum.
2. Archival documents of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People.
3. Interviews with Crimean Tatar movement leaders and Ukrainian politicians of that period.
4. Statistical data on the demographic situation in Crimea at the time of the referendum.
5. Interview with Mustafa Dzhemilev, leader of the Crimean Tatar national movement, given to “Qirim News” media on August 24, 2024.

Results and Discussion

Demographic Context

According to the 1989 census, Crimean Tatars constituted about 1.9% of Crimea’s population. However, by the time of the 1991 referendum, their share had increased to approximately 10% as a result of mass return from places of deportation (Guboglo & Chervonnaya, 1992).

Referendum Results

The overall result of the referendum in Crimea was 54.19% of votes in favor of Ukrainian independence. Analysis of vote distribution in areas with high concentrations of Crimean Tatar population shows a significantly higher percentage of support for independence – up to 80-90% (The Central Election Commission of Ukraine, 1991).

Political Mobilization and Social Tension

New evidence obtained from the 2024 interview with Mustafa Dzhemilev sheds additional light on the political situation in Crimea during the 1991 referendum period and subsequent years. Dzhemilev notes: “Crimean Tatars were ardent supporters of Ukrainian independence, and consequently, there was a very hostile attitude towards them from the residents of Crimea” (Qirim News, 2024). This testimony confirms the presence of significant inter-ethnic tension on the peninsula, which was likely due to different political orientations of Crimean Tatars and the majority Russian-speaking population of Crimea.

Leaders of the Crimean Tatar movement, particularly Mustafa Dzhemilev and Refat Chubarov, actively called on their people to support Ukrainian independence. This decision was driven by several factors:

1. Hope for more favorable conditions for return and reintegration in an independent Ukraine.
2. Concerns about possible discrimination if Crimea remained part of Russia.
3. Strategic vision of Ukraine as a more democratic state capable of ensuring the rights of indigenous people (Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. “Pro korenni narody Ukrainy,2021).

Symbolic Struggle and Repression

Of particular note is the case of Abdullaev Kurtseit, a Crimean Tatar who, according to Dzhemilev, “was the first to tear down the Soviet flag” and raise the Ukrainian flag in Crimea after the proclamation of Ukrainian independence. For this act, Abdullaev was arrested for 15 days, despite Crimea already being under Ukrainian jurisdiction. Subsequently, he was sentenced to 4 years in prison on new charges (Qirim News, 2024).

This incident illustrates the complexity of the transition period and the ambiguity of the political situation in Crimea after the referendum. It also demonstrates that support for Ukrainian statehood by Crimean Tatars entailed real risks and consequences, which underscores the strength of their political position.

Impact on the Referendum Outcome

Dzhemilev provides an important clarification regarding the referendum results: “While in all regions of Ukraine there was an overwhelming majority – 80-90% voted for Ukraine there, in Crimea it exceeded 50% precisely due to the votes of Crimean Tatars. If it weren’t for the votes of Crimean Tatars, it would have been less than 50 percent”(Qirim News, 2024).. This statement confirms our previous analysis and further emphasizes the decisive role of Crimean Tatars in ensuring a positive referendum result in Crimea.

Considering that Crimean Tatars provided approximately 12% of votes for independence with an overall result of 54.19%, it can be argued that their participation was decisive. Without the votes of Crimean Tatars, the referendum result in Crimea could have been the opposite, potentially leading to Crimea’s separation from Ukraine as early as 1991 (Wilson A., 2013)

Conclusion

New evidence provided by Mustafa Dzhemilev not only confirms the key role of Crimean Tatars in ensuring Crimea’s incorporation into independent Ukraine but also reveals the complexity of the political situation in the post-referendum period. The symbolic struggle, expressed in the flag incident, and subsequent repression against Crimean Tatar movement activists point to deep contradictions in Crimean society at that time. These facts underscore the need for further research into the long-term consequences of Crimean Tatars’ political mobilization for inter-ethnic relations and state-building processes in Crimea and Ukraine as a whole.

The analysis also shows that the active participation of Crimean Tatars in the 1991 referendum played a key role in ensuring Crimea’s incorporation into independent Ukraine. This demonstrates the significance of political mobilization of an indigenous people at critical moments of state-building. The support of Ukrainian independence by Crimean Tatars laid the foundation for their further integration into the political life of Ukraine and contributed to the formation of a more inclusive model of the Ukrainian civic nation.

Bibliography

1. Chervonnaia, Guboglo, “Vozvrashchenie krymskotatarskogo naroda”;”Statistical Yearbook of Ukraine for 1991. Kyiv: Tekhnika, 1992.
2. Central Election Commission of Ukraine. Protocol of the Central Election Commission on the results of the referendum of December 1, 1991.
3. Dzhemilev M. National Liberation Movement of Crimean Tatars // Suchasnist. 1992. № 8. P. 70-85.
4. Wilson A. The Crimean Tatars: A Quarter of a Century after Their Return // Security and Human Rights. 2013. Vol. 24. No. 3-4. P. 418-431.
5. Interview with Mustafa Dzhemilev // Qirim News. August 24, 2024.

 

By Zarema Mustafaieva & Zera Mustafaieva

Scholars at Purdue University, Brian Lamb School of Communication

Published August 25, 2024