Crimean peninsula constitutes a very unique in South-Eastern Europe “contact zone” of ultimate contact of old civilizations (Cimmerians, Taurians, Skiffs, antique Greeks, Romans, Goths, Khazars, Pechenegs, Polovians changed each other by waves of great migrations), zone of a very early (which greatly outstripped the process of “Christianization” of the Kyiv Russ) spreading of Christianity, and, finally, formation in the Middle Ages of the strongest point of Islam.
The carrier of Islamic culture and religion here is native (autochthonous, formed as solid ethnic substrate out of many polyethnical constituents) population of the peninsula – the Crimean Tatars. With their national history the formation of Crimean ulus of the Golden Horde (with the capital in Old Crimea - Solhat) and further military fame, economical strengthening, glorious flourishing, - under the protectorate and influence of the Ottoman Empire, - the Crimean khanate is connected. Its capital – Bakhchisaray – already in the Renaissance epoch and at the dawn of the New Age gave the European civilization amazing examples of Muslim sacral and memorial culture (mosques, mausoleums, gravestones)2, refined art of calligraphy (mainly, on the basis of “divani” writing, of which masters-scribes of khan office had perfect command3), theater art4, high poetry and erudition, developed in first Muslim medrese, which were the oldest universities in this part of Europe5. “On the territory of Ukraine, - writes in this connection popular newspaper “Voice of Crimea”, which is published in the Russian language, - first medrese appeared in Crimea, where actually after adoption of Islam as state religion started the spread of Muslim culture and education. Medrese, built by khan-reformer Uzbek in the city of Eski Qyrym (Old Crimea), is dated 1314. It would hardly be a mistake to call this educational institution the oldest in Ukraine. Among the huge quantity of educational institutions which appeared in Crimea after that special attention goes to Zyndzyrly-medrese, which was founded in 1428 by the Crimean khan Mengly-Girey. Scholar and poet, he decided to build a huge madrasa on a high hill behind his new capital – Bakhchisaray, and started to build it before his own palace”.6
Joining of the Crimean khanate at the end of the XVIII century to Russia meant the increase of part of Muslims among Russian citizens. It put the Russian Empire front necessity to become familiar in this way or another with that great layer of Muslim culture which it got as a result of annexation of Crimea. Though in the paradigm of imperial policy this “familiarizing” reduced mainly to destruction of unique monuments of Islamic culture and forcing out native population – the Crimean Tatars - from their historical Motherland, to colonization of the peninsula by new inhabitants, still Crimea for a long time stayed outstanding European center of Islamic education, basis of stable development of Islamic ceremonial and law, cult architecture, spiritual areal of formation of Muslim identity of many generations of Crimean Tatars, bulwark of formation of Muslim movements which included nationally-liberation fight against tsarizm.
Here it’s especially necessary to note these conditions which let us understand the importance of Islamic factor in history and culture of Crimea. First of all, it is that penetration of Islam to Crimea was early (at least, in European historical context): it starts in the IX – X centuries and becomes triumphal at the beginning of the XIV century. Secondly, it is the presence of two sources of Muslim influence on Crimea: from South and from North, from Seljuk Turkey and the Great Steppe with its migrant hordes and state structures – remnants of the ancient Turkic khanate. Thirdly, this is traditional co-existence, peaceful cohabitation in Crimea of different religions, among which Islam never came out in aggressive role: it was not spread by force and did not strive to expel from Crimea other religions. In historical memory of the Crimean population deeply rooted ideas about peaceful spread of Islam, voluntary conversion to Islam of the rulers of the Crimean khanate (ulus of the Golden Horde) and main mass of Crimean population, and about tolerance of representatives of Islamic faith in Crimea who never destroyed churches, did not disturb their neighbors on the peninsula, and did not prevent national and religious minorities who lived on the territory of the Crimean state to follow Christian, Jewish or another faith. Finally, at fourth it is necessary to consider the duration in Crimea of Islamic religion and culture which preserved here its dominating position during six centuries – from the epoch of the Golden Horde to last years of existence of Crimean khanate. Such a long and stable period of predominance of Islam did not know any another European country.
In the XIX century Crimea became the epicenter of the reformatory movement – jadidizm9, directed ant modernization of the whole way of life of Russian Muslims. The leader of this movement was great Crimean-Tatar educator Ismail Gasparinsky (1851 – 1914). Through his multi-faced literary, pedagogical and journalistic works runs thought about possibility of peaceful co-existence, fruitful humanitarian contacts between Islamic and Christian civilizations. However, he considered protection of rights of Russian Muslims to be the key of this fruitfulness, and historical experience led to the fact, that this protection took the form of national war for freedom – by word and by action. Gasparinsky is the author of the triad, which many times repeated in his works, which formulates moral imperative, directed to the peoples of Turkic-Islamic world "Dilde, fikirde, iste birlik” (“Unity is in language, religion and labor”).
His views on unity of Turkic-Muslim world and on perspectives of its cooperation, agreement with Christian world which defined theoretical bases of liberal jadidizm, Ismail Gasparinsky stated in his works “Russian Islam. Thoughts, Notes and Observances of a Muslim”, “Russian-Eastern Treaty” (Bakhchisaray, 1896) and in many articles published in his newspaper “Terjiman”, which appeared in 1883 and was first in Russia newspaper published in Turkic language.
All totality of Turkic, Muslim peoples of Russia, Gasparinsky defines as ethno-cultural community which possesses stable inner unity. Muslim religious, cultural and moral commencement he considered to be the most important cementing substance of this unity. Second important core of this unity, according to Gasparinsky, was historical connection of these peoples with Russia, separating by this sign “Turkic-Tatar tribe” or “Russian Muslims” from Persians, Arabs, Muslims of India, Africa and other regions where Islam is also wide-spread, but there is no specifically Russian situation which defines character and fate of Turkic-Tatar group of peoples which he is interested in.
Considering Russia as successor of former Tatar country (The Golden Horde) he wrote the following, “…in the future, maybe even in the near future Russia will be destined to become one of the most important Muslim countries, what, to my opinion, will not lessen its importance as great Christian state. Separate branches of Turkic-Tatar tribe, in its time united and powerful, go in the power of Russia and become its inseparable constituent”. He saw real perspective for successful “settling”, progressive cultural development, for solution of vital social and political problems of Turkic-Muslim world inside of Russian state unity, in union and agreement with Russian people, about which he wrote the following, “The most numerous and important people of Russia – Russians – are gifted by rather rare and happy character to live peacefully and friendly with all other tribes. Envy, enmity, malevolence to aliens is absent in the character of an ordinary Russian man. This is a good quality, unquestionable pledge of greatness and calmness of Russia… ”
Sad experience of the XX century led to collapse of these romantic illusions. Russia got neither greatness, nor calmness, enduring several tragedies of its bloody revolutions and state wars, militant atheism, which destroyed all religions on its territory and state terror, directed against its own peoples, and against Crimean-Tatars, too, who in 1944 became victims of Stalin genocide and were subjected to total and “eternal” deportation on Asian foreign land. Organized national movement of Crimean-Tatars, spontaneous at first, formed in the way of “initiative groups”, but already in 1960th headed by the leaders of dissident underground (among which is the national hero of perfect charisma Mustafa Jemilev, who almost third of is life spent as a prisoner of jails and camps), on the boundary of 1980-90th already crystallized in clear party (founded in 1989 OCNM – Organization of Crimean-Tatar National Movement) and national structures (called in June of 1991 Kurultay and formed by it as a representative body of the whole Crimean-Tatar nation – Milly-Mejlis) and worked out methods of constitutional opposition to communist regime, could break all barriers which were built on the way of the Crimean-Tatars home-coming and to head mass repatriation of their fellow-countrymen and gradual integration in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, which became a part of Ukraine.
Preserving stable devotion to Islam even in the Soviet time, and in the course of tragic events of deportation, when Muslim faith served them as a source of consolation, means of salvation of national identity and strengthening of historical memory of the nation, Crimean Tatars returned to Crimea as faithful Muslims. The number of repatriates grew dynamically – from first few thousands (less than 1% of the whole population of Crimea, which totaled 2, 5 millions of people) at the end of the 1980th to 100 thousands already in 1991 and 280 thousands to the end of the first decade of the XXI century17. This created new, not only according to political, social, cultural, ethno-psychological, but also religious parameters – situation in Crimea, where at the second half of the XX century up to the beginning of mass repatriation of Crimean Tatars absolutely dominated population of Christian Orthodox orientation18. Forgotten voice of muezzins which never sounded up to 1991 in post-war Crimea, again filled area around revived mosques, and funeral and holiday prayers – collective namaz, performed on open city squares, national meetings and gatherings became demonstration of mass Muslim orientation of new citizens of Crimea which are returning to their Motherland, to the roots of their ancient culture.
Svetlana CHERVONNAYA
On the materials of Mejlis.org
