Day of the Republic of Crimea: Why celebrating this date calls for reflection and what is currently happening on the peninsula.
Today, January 20, Ukraine commemorates the Day of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. UNN has gathered information on how Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars are "surviving" under Russian occupation on the peninsula, and the Representation of the President of Ukraine in the AR of Crimea has stated that the celebration of the "Day of AR Crimea" requires rethinking.
Considering the interconnectedness of the economy, territorial proximity, and close economic and cultural ties, on January 25, 1954, the Crimean region was transferred from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. The status of Crimea within Ukraine was defined in a general Crimean referendum on January 20, 1991, which was enshrined at the legislative level by the Law of the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR "On the Restoration of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic."
In accordance with Section X of the Constitution of Ukraine, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is an integral part of Ukraine. However, contrary to international law, in February 2014, Russia occupied the territory of the AR Crimea. The occupation of Ukraine's territory has not been recognized by the international community, which has imposed sanctions against the Russian Federation. On December 9, 2021, the UN General Assembly adopted a strengthened resolution against the militarization of Crimea titled "The Problem of the Militarization of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol (Ukraine), as well as Parts of the Black and Azov Seas," which reflects the unwavering position of the global community in support of Ukraine and its readiness to further consolidate support to ensure the rights of Ukrainian citizens in the temporarily occupied territories of the Russian Federation.
The Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea notes that the celebration of the "Day of AR Crimea" on January 20 requires rethinking and explained why. Key points:
⦁ The roots of the "Day of ARK" date back to Soviet times, when on January 20, 1991, a referendum was held on the restoration of the Crimean ASSR. The initiative for this referendum came from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in Moscow, which aimed to maintain Russian influence in the region and continue the presence of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea. Crucially, it sought to keep both Ukraine and Crimea under its control.
⦁ This day is used by the Russian occupying administration as part of its propaganda. After the beginning of the occupation in December 2014, this date was "approved" by the occupying administration as the "Day of the Republic of Crimea." The occupiers refer to the 1991 referendum as the first stage of the "annexation of Crimea to Russia," linking this event to the illegal "referendum" of 2014.
⦁ It is the occupiers who conduct mass celebrations, official events, conferences, and information campaigns on "Day of ARK," promoting the idea of "reunification with Russia."
"Instead, January 20 should be a day to honor the memory of the defenders of Donetsk airport and the heroism of the military, volunteers, and medics who selflessly defended the airport from Russian occupiers," the Representation of the President states.
Crimea Under Occupation
For over 10 years, Crimea has been occupied by Russia and suffers from the Kremlin's crimes. However, as noted by the Representation of the President, citizens of Ukraine in temporarily occupied Crimea continue to resist Russian invaders, demonstrating unwavering spirit and confidence in the future de-occupation of the peninsula. The occupying administration systematically persecutes Crimean residents for supporting Ukraine, expressing Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar identity, and for any criticism of the Russian occupation and military aggression. As early as 2022, Russia amended its criminal and administrative legislation, introducing penalties for the so-called "discrediting of the armed forces of the Russian Federation." This has become an additional tool for suppressing activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens.
The increase in resistance to the occupation in Crimea is evidenced by the rise in the number of illegal administrative proceedings in the occupying "courts" under the article concerning the so-called "discrediting of the armed forces of the Russian Federation." As of January 9, 2025, there have been 1,139 cases reported based on Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation in the so-called "courts" in the temporarily occupied Crimea and other competent bodies. Of these, in 1,022 cases, a decision was made to impose administrative penalties in the form of fines or to join the case with another article and issue a cumulative decision. In 20 cases, the consideration of materials is ongoing.
By gender, 466 (46%) of the decisions were made against women, and 555 (54%) against men. In total, the cumulative amount of imposed fines has already reached at least 33 million Russian rubles.
Militarization of Crimea
Russia has transformed Crimea into a military base. The Chairman of the Board of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, head of external relations and human rights activities of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Eskender Bariyev, has stated that the Russians continue to use the occupied peninsula of Crimea for military exercises. In 2024, there were 124 exercises conducted by the occupiers.
The partisan movement "ATEŞ" reported that the occupiers have begun to further strengthen air defense in occupied Crimea. Additionally, Russian authorities, with the onset of full-scale war, are using recreation centers in occupied Crimea for the rehabilitation and treatment of Russian military personnel. The report on the activities of the Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea for 2022-2024 states that since the beginning of the occupation, around 50,000 residents of Crimea have been mobilized into the Russian army.
Another painful topic is the militarization of Ukrainian children in Crimea. Russia continues its attempts to draw more Ukrainian children into its military training system.
The publication Crimea.Reality reported in October 2024 that about 45,000 children in Crimea are members of the "Yunarmiya" and other organizations related to Russian patriotic education. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine does not recognize any occupied territory as Russian, including those captured since 2014, and is not ready to concede Crimea in a peace agreement. He emphasized that Crimea can be returned diplomatically, without significant human losses.