Malgorzata Flaga, Wojciech Janicki Department of Economic Geography Maria Curie-Sklodowska University of Lublin, Poland
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Malgorzata Flaga, Wojciech Janicki Department of Economic Geography Maria Curie-Sklodowska University of Lublin, Poland Crimea – difficult return to lost multiethnicity Introduction The Crimean Peninsula is commonly called „the peninsula of diversity”. This name reflects, first of all, the diversity and richness of the area’s nature and landscapes. However, it can also relate to the cultural sphere since in Crimea there are historic monuments and material remains dating from all historic epochs. Another consequence of its rich history is its incredible mosaic of peoples. In spite of the constant rotation of tribes and nations, Crimea could always serve as an example of the co-existence of a variety of societies of very different cultural features. This multiethnicity, which nowadays can be considered as an important element of the “diversity” of the peninsula and a representation of its non-material resources, in the times of communism was regarded as one of the drawbacks to the area. The existence of a number of different nations did not match the Soviet vision about nationally homogenous Crimea. That ideology resulted in numerous repressions against minorities, which entailed a long-term destruction of the area’s multiculturalism. Not before a new political order had been implemented after the collapse of the USSR, was it possible for the persecution-affected communities to regenerate. A gradual return to ethnic diversity on the peninsula became possible as well. The aim of the following paper is to show Crimea’s multiethnicity, which, having been subdued for many years, is reborn nowadays. The paper presents the stages of the formation of the multiethnic Crimean society, along with the events that led to its destruction. It also describes the contemporary ethnic structure of the population, and the circumstances in which individual minorities are being reborn. The paper shows not only the opportunities that the minorities can take, but also the obstacles that they face when wishing to return to the Crimean society and exist in the political and social life of the region. It appears that multiethnicity in the peninsula, in spite of its long tradition, is not easy to recreate, but if it is supposed to exist as a sign of Crimea’s cultural heritage, then it constitutes a serious challenge for the authorities and inhabitants themselves. It seems that with reference to this region the following question is extremely relevant: “Multicultural society – a reality, a goal or a myth?” Forming basis of the multiethnic society of the peninsula Among the nationalities that inhabit Crimea now, it is the Greeks that appeared here first, namely already in 8 th century B.C. (fig.1). They established several settlements on the coast, where their main occupations were craftsmanship, minor industry and trade with the local Scythian population. With time, they assimilated into the inhabitants of the peninsula (Chazbijewicz, 2001b; Matelski 2004). The second stage in the development of the Greek settlement was connected with the time when Byzantium imposed its superiority and introduced Christianity. There were more and more people in Greek towns, whereas in the mountains religious centres appeared and monastic life developed (Matelski, 2004; www.eastway.pl). Fig.1. Peoples and states in the region of the Crimea in the antiquity and the Middle Ages Source: elaborated by K.Łucjan on the basis of: Wielki atlas historyczny świata, ed. Demart, Warszawa, 2003. Another two nations whose connections with the Crimean Peninsula date back to ancient times and which were formed in Crimea are the Karaims and Crimchaks. The very Karaim religion, which later became a symbol of the Karaim nation, reached Crimea around the 9 th century as a result of Karaim missionary work. At that time in the peninsula there existed the country of the Khazars (see fig.1), a nomadic people of Turkish descent, whose ruler was famous for his religious tolerance, thanks to which Khazar cities were inhabited by pagans, Christians, Muslims and the Jews living next to each other (Jakowenko, 2000). The new religion was accepted by the Khazar khagan and his closest environment and by a major part of Kipchack-Polowiecki Turkish tribes that inhabited the Crimean steppes. Out of the fusion of the tribes inhabiting Crimea a new nation arose. It professed the Karaim religion, after which it was named the Karaims. As gifted farmers, craftsmen and soldiers, Karaims played an important role in Crimea’s development (Połkanow, Połkanowa, Zinczenko, 2004). Regardless of who ruled in the peninsula, they could enjoy a considerable religious freedom and numerous privileges and because of their model way of life they were respected by other nationalities (Karaimi..., 1987; Pełczy ński, 1995). In the 19 th and 20 th centuries Karaims were involved in various forms of cultural and social activity. They arranged artistic and scientific meetings within their own community. Moreover, they became engaged in charity, which was beyond ethnic or religious boundaries (Połkanow, Połkanowa, Zinczenko, 2004). The genesis and moment of the Crimchaks’ arrival in Crimea are only known to some extent. It probably came into existence in the 6 th – 7th century out of the local non-Tartar population (the Jewish diaspora) and other tribes (the Khazars) that adopted Judaism (Matelski, 2004; www.eastway.pl). The Crimchaks belonged to the poorer strata of the Crimean society and their main occupations were craftsmanship or agriculture. In the times of the khanate’s rule they adopted many Tartar characteristics, however distinguishing themselves by their religion and way of life. In the Roman Empire, because of the belief that they professed, they were often associated with the Jews, due to which they experienced some legal restraints. The consolidation of the Crimchaks’ community, an increase in the sense of national autonomy and its legal confirmation took place in the 19 th century due to the necessity of being distinguished from new Jewish settlers that flooded Crimea (Matelski, 2004; www.eastway.pl). Since the Middle Ages there has been a record of the existence of the Armenians and the Jews in Crimea as well. The influx of the Armenian population was gradual and it resulted from wars that reached Armenia (Matelski, 2004; www.eastway.pl). The Armenian colonies were of commercial nature. In the 14 th and 15 th centuries, when the Armenians enjoyed the time of prosperity, the peninsula was called the “Seaside Armenia”. Thanks to the Armenian population, that concentrated in big towns and built numerous temples and monasteries, Christianity grew stronger and stronger in Crimea. Since the end of the 15 th century, once Crimea was conquered by Turkey, the Armenian community started to diminish. The Jews constituted a less numerous but also significant Crimean community. They were mostly immigrants looking for refuge from their persecutors in Europe. Similarly to the Armenians, they lived mostly in large administrative centres, developing their trade. The Jewish colonization, due to the introduction of settlement restrictions, diminished for some time after Russia took over Crimea but after the abolishment of those barriers there was another influx of the Jews into Crimea. A drastic depletion of the Jewish community was caused by both world wars (Matelski, 2004). Along with nations and tribes already living in Crimea, since the turn of the13 th and 14 th centuries, a new nation of the Crimean Tartars started to form there. It was formed out of the tribes and nations of Turkish origin, which inhabited Crimea in various periods of time: the Huns, Khazars, Pechengs, Turks, Kipchaks and Protobulgarians. The gradual assimilation of those peoples was a pre-initial stage of the Crimean-Tartar nation’s development (Chazbijewicz, 2001b; Kucy, 2006). The next stage was connected with the conquest of Crimea by the Mongolian army in the 13 th century, as well as the rule of the Golden Horde that started to transform from a Mongolian khanate into a Tartar country and undergo Islamisation (fig.1). From the onset of the Golden Horde Islam became the dominant religion in the peninsula. Because the Tartar population was characterized by significant religious tolerance, towns in Crimea were of multi-confessional nature and there were churches of various confessions, synagogues and mosques functioning next to each other. Interdenominational marriages were not a rarity either (Kucy, 2006). The further development of the Tartar nation concurred with historic events: the collapse of the Golden Horde and the rise of the Crimean Khanate in the first half of the 17 th century (fig.1 and fig.2). From then on, a gradual displacement of the Crimean-Tartar nation from its ethnic land commenced, which did not prevent it though from keeping and further forming its national identity (Chazbijewicz, 2001b). Fig.2. Peoples and states in the region of the Crimea in the 16 th century and before the outbreak of the World War I Source: elaborated by K.Łucjan on the basis of: Wielki atlas historyczny świata, ed. Demart, Warszawa, 2003. In order to make the national image of Crimea complete, it is necessary to point out that the Italians also did mark their presence in the peninsula. Those were the Venetians and Genoveses, who already in the 12 th century traded with settlements on the south coast. Their descendants still lived in Crimea in the 20 th century, distinguishing themselves solely by professing Catholicism (Chazbijewicz, 2001b; Hryszko, 2004). In the 14th century there were also the Cherkes flooding Crimea, migrating from nearby Caucasus (fig.2) and since the 16 th century Slavonic people started to appear. Tartar hordes brought them as captives, mainly from the areas of the Republic of Poland and Russia (Matelski, 2004). The annexation of Crimea by Russia in 1783 ended a certain specific stage in its history; most of all, it ended the period of the Crimean Khanate, which, according to Chazbijewicz (2001b, p.33): “..