Mourning Meetings, flashmobs and prayers were organized in many Ukrainian cities on May 18 in order to pay the tribute to the memory of the victims of deportation of Crimean Tatar people. People gathered at central squares of their cities at both West and East of the country to voice their support to Crimean Tatars.
It’s been 70 years on May 18 since Stalin’s act of deportation of these people, about 40% of them died due to unbearable conditions, hunger and diseases.
In Kyiv, about 2,000 people attended the morning event organized by the Crimean Community. They opened the meeting with the Anthem of Crimean Tatars and the anthem of Ukraine. The participants gathered at the Sofiivska Square and then walked to Taras Shevchenko Park scanding “Crimea is Ukraine!”, “Millet! Vatan! Qırım!” (“People! Homeland! Crimea!”), “Allahu Akbar!” (“God is Great!”), Radio “Freedom” reports.
After the speeches and prayers, everyone was proposed to march to the Russian Embassy and sing the Crimean Tatars’ anthem “Ant Etkenmen” (“I swore”) in Ukrainian — to honour the victims of deportation and voice the protest against Russian occupation of the peninsula.
It’s remarkable that the participants streamed the biggest Crimean Tatar flag in Ukraine at the Shevchenko Park — 9x6 m.
Crimean Tatar flag also fluttered over the “Bykovnya Graves” memorial complex near Kyiv, where mourning ceremonies were held. Descendants of victims of political repressions summary executed and tortured to death along with spiritual leaders, state officials and average citizens honoured the memory of those who died in repressions. They laid flowers and wreaths at the memorial.
The general meaning of every speech was that one willing for a better future mustn’t forget the lessons of the past, and such inhuman acts like the Crimean Tatars’ deportation must be prevented from happening again.
Crimean Tatars And Ukrainians Have Common Flag Colors And A Common Goal Of Stopping Occupation
About hundred activists and average citizens carrying Ukrainian symbols arranged a flashmob in Mykolaiv. “We decided to support the Crimean Tatars in this difficult time and sing their anthem in Ukrainian. Similar flashmobs are to be held in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, and we eagerly join,” —one of facilitators, Ms. Catherine Litvinenko, said.
More than hundred people gathered at the Shevchenko monument in Lviv, holding Ukrainian and Crimean tatar Flags. People prayed together for the victims of Stalin’s deportations and for peace and consent in Ukraine, the “Channel 5” reports.
Lviv City Hall ran up the Crimean Tatar flag a day earlier. Master-classes on traditional Crimean Tatar crafts and lectures on this people’s history lasted all Sunday. the events ended with demonstrating “Haytarma” to Lviv citizens — a movie on the events of deportation.
Despite the tense situation in Donbass, people came to the prayers square in Donets’k, caring for the Crimean tatars’ grieve. This time the prayer marathon was opened with a prayer for the victims of deportation performed by Mufti of RAMU “Umma” Mr. Said Ismagilov. Activists streamed the Crimean tatar flag and lit the candles.
Volunteers from Zaporizhzhya prepared for the tragic date beforehand. They arranged an agenda with anthems and speeches, and planted flowerbeds shaped as symbols of Ukraine and Crimean Tatars near the City Hall.
A hundred-meter Ukrainian Flag was steamed at the central square of Kirovograd, hosting an event for the participants of Euromaidan from Crimea and 22 cities of the continental Ukraine, the TSN reports.
Events of solidarity with Crimean Tatars were also held in Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Melitopol, Vinnitsya and other cities.
Meetings With Military Helicopters Flying Above
Mourning events were held in Crimea as well. The local authorities, however, banned the annual meeting in Simferopol city centre, so only a mourning prayer was held near the stone symbolizing the victims of deportation of May 18, 1944.
The event was held without local authorities, however, large troops of special service forces, including Russian FSS, were located nearby, radio Freedom’s staff reporter told.
The event was peaceful, without any calls or political mottos.
Praying and laying the flowers took place in Simferopol, Bakhchisaray, and many villages, settlements, towns and cities of the peninsula.
All-Crimean dua about those who lost their lives in deportation was held in the Ak-Mechet district in the suburb of Simferopol, “Crimea.Reality” writes.
This meeting adopted a resolution where Crimean Tatars demand from the authorities of self-proclaimed “Crimean Republic” to grant them status of national autonomy on their native land, “The Comments” writes.
Since 8AM, military helicopters were flying above the Crimean tatar places of settlement. After the events were over, Head of Crimean Tatar Mejlis Mr. Refat Chubarov said that Russian military scoffed at the memory of the Crimean Tatars.
It bears reminding that acting head of the Crimean Republic Mr. Sergey Aksenov banned any public events up to June 6 and ordered the local executives and cultural organisations to cancel all the planned events, including this one.
The Crimean Tatar Mejlis, however, decided to hold the planned events at an extraordinary session of May 17.
