Transfer of Crimea to Ukraine: Difference between revisions

Transfer of Crimea in the Soviet Union
	Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet ("About the Transfer of the Crimean Oblast") on the Supreme Council Herald, 9 March 1954
Date	19 February 1954 – 17 June 1954
Location	Soviet Union
Participants	Russian SFSR; Ukrainian SSR
Outcome	Administrative authority of the Crimean Oblast transferred to the Ukrainian SSR from the Russian SFSR

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In 1954, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union transferred the Crimean Oblast from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR. The territory had been recognized within the Soviet Union as having "close ties" to the Ukrainian SSR, and the transfer commemorated the Union of Russia and Ukraine Tercentenary.

Amidst the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Ukrainian SSR seceded from the Soviet Union and Ukraine continued to exercise sovereignty over the territory as the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Russia did not dispute the Ukrainian administration of Crimea for just over two decades, but retracted this stance on 18 March 2014, when Crimea was annexed by Russia after coming under Russian military occupation.

The Soviet-era transfer of Crimea has remained a topic of contention between the two countries in light of the Russo-Ukrainian War, as the Russian government has stated that the Ukrainians must recognize Russia's sovereignty over the territory as part of any negotiated settlement to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022.

Background

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Empire (1783)

Prior to being incorporated into the Russian Empire, the Crimean Peninsula was independent under the Crimean Khanate. The Muslim Turkic Crimean Tatars were under the influence of the Ottoman Empire, while also bordering the Russian Empire. In 1774, following the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–74, the Russian and Ottoman empires agreed to refrain from interfering with the Crimean Khanate through the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca. In 1783, following the increasing decline of the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire annexed the Crimean Khanate.

Crimea was transferred between various internal administrations within Russia. It was governed by 14 administrations during its time in the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR, up to its transfer to the Ukrainian SSR in 1954.

Deportation of Crimean Tatars by the Soviet Union

Throughout its time in the Soviet Union, Crimea underwent a population change. Because of alleged collaboration with the Germans by Crimean Tatars during World War II, all Crimean Tatars were deported by the Soviet regime and the peninsula was resettled with other peoples, mainly Russians and Ukrainians. Modern experts say that the deportation was part of the Soviet plan to gain access to the Dardanelles and acquire territory in Turkey, where the Tatars had Turkic ethnic kin, or to remove minorities from the Soviet Union's border regions.^[1] Nearly 8,000 Crimean Tatars died during the deportation, and tens of thousands perished subsequently due to the harsh exile conditions.^[2] The deportation resulted in the abandonment of 80,000 households and 150,000 hectares (360,000 acres) of land.

The autonomous republic without its titled nationality was downgraded to an oblast within the Russian SFSR on 30 June 1945.

Decree

On 19 February 1954, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union issued a decree transferring the Crimean Oblast from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.^[3] The documents which are now housed at the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF) do confirm that the move was originally approved by the Presidium (Politburo) of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) on 25 January 1954, paving the way for the authorizing resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union three weeks later.^[4] According to the Soviet Constitution (article 18), the borders of a republic within the Soviet Union could not be re-drawn without the agreement of the republic in question. The transfer was approved by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. The constitutional change (articles 22 and 23) to accommodate the transfer was made several days after the decree issued by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet.^[5]^[6]

The decree was first announced, on the front page of Pravda, on 27 February 1954.^[7] The full text of the decree was:^[8]

On April 26, 1954 The decree of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet transferring the Crimea Oblast from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR.

Taking into account the integral character of the economy, the territorial proximity and the close economic and cultural ties between the Crimea Province and the Ukrainian SSR, the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet decrees:

To approve the joint presentation of the Presidium of the Russian SFSR Supreme Soviet and the Presidium of the Ukrainian SSR Supreme Soviet on the transfer of the Crimea Province from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR.

Consequently, amendments were made to the republican constitutions of Russia and Ukraine. On 2 June 1954 the Supreme Soviet of Russia adopted amendments to the Russian Constitution of 1937, which, among other things, excluded Crimea from list of subdivisions enumerated in article 14, and on 17 June 1954, the Supreme Soviet of Ukraine added Crimea to article 18 of the 1937 Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR.^[9]^[10]

Sevastopol became a closed city due to its importance as the port of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet and was attached to the Crimean Oblast only in 1978.^{[citation needed]}

Question of constitutionality

On 27 June 2015, after the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation accepted the request of the leader of A Just Russia party, Sergey Mironov, to evaluate the legitimacy of 1954 transfer of Crimea and stated that the transfer violated both the Constitution of the Russian SFSR [Wikidata] and the Constitution of the Soviet Union. The text of the document signed by Russian Deputy Prosecutor General Sabir Kekhlerov stated: "Neither the Constitution of the RSFSR nor the Constitution of the USSR [and, by extension, of the UkSSR] empowers the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to consider changes in the constitutional legal status of Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics, which are members of the union republics. In view of the above, the decision adopted in 1954 by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR and the Soviet on the transfer of the Crimean region of the RSFSR to the UkSSR did not correspond to the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the RSFSR or the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the USSR."^[11]

Mark Kramer, director of Cold War Studies at Harvard University, argued that Proceedings of the USSR Supreme Soviet Presidium meeting indicated that the parliaments of both the Russian SFSR and the Ukrainian SSR had given their consent to the transfer of Crimea, and so had complied with Article 18 of the Soviet Constitution, which stated that "the territory of a Union Republic may not be altered without its consent." Additionally, Kramer disputed the relevance of questioning the transfer's constitutionality by stating that the "legal system in the Soviet Union was mostly a fiction," and that the Russian Federation recognised Crimea as being a part of Ukraine in 1991 in the Belovezha Accords, as well as in 1994 in the Budapest Memorandum.^[12]

Motivation

The transfer of the Crimean oblast to Ukraine has been described as a "symbolic gesture", marking the 300th anniversary of the 1654 Treaty of Pereyaslav, called the "Reunification of Ukraine with Russia" in the Soviet Union.^[8]^[13]^[14] It was also attributed to Communist Party first secretary Nikita Khrushchev, although the person who signed the document was Chairman Kliment Voroshilov, the Soviet Union's de jure head of state.^[15] The transfer had taken place on the basis of "the integral character of the economy, the territorial proximity and the close economic and cultural ties between the Crimea Province and the Ukrainian SSR"^[16] and to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Ukraine's union with Russia (also known in the Soviet Union as the Pereiaslav Agreement).^[17]^[18]

Mark Kramer, professor of Cold War Studies at Harvard University, also claimed that the transfer was partly to help Khruschev's then-precarious political position against the Prime Minister Georgii Malenkov through winning support of the First Secretary of the Ukrainian Communist Party Oleksiy Kyrychenko. Kramer believed that the transfer also aimed to greatly increase the number of ethnic Russians in the Ukrainian SSR which itself was going through problems integrating previous Polish territory due to organized Ukrainian nationalist resistance.^[19]

Nina Khrushcheva, a political scientist and the great-granddaughter of Nikita Khrushchev, said of his motivation, "it was somewhat symbolic, somewhat trying to reshuffle the centralized system and also, full disclosure, Nikita Khrushchev was very fond of Ukraine, so I think to some degree it was also a personal gesture toward his favorite republic. He was ethnically Russian, but he really felt great affinity with Ukraine."^[8] Sergei Khrushchev, Khrushchev's son, claimed that the decision was due to the building of a hydro-electric dam on the Dnieper River and the consequent desire for all the administration to be under one body.^[20] Since Sevastopol in Crimea was the site of the Black Sea Fleet, a quintessential element of Soviet and then of Russian foreign policy, the transfer had the intended effect of binding Ukraine inexorably to Russia, "Eternally Together", as a poster commemorating the event proclaimed. Other reasons given were the integration of the economies of Ukraine and Crimea and the idea that Crimea was a natural extension of the Ukrainian steppes.^[21] There was also a desire to repopulate parts of Crimea with Slavic peoples, mainly Russians and Ukrainians, after the peninsula was subject to large-scale deportations of Crimean Tatars to Central Asia by the Soviet regime in 1944.^[22]

Aftermath

The transfer increased the ethnic Russian population of Ukraine by almost a million people. Prominent Russian politicians such as Alexander Rutskoy considered the transfer to be controversial.^[23]

In January 1992, the Supreme Soviet of Russia questioned the constitutionality of the transfer, accusing Nikita Khrushchev of treason against the Russian people and said that the transfer was illegitimate.^[24] Alexander Rutskoy, the former Vice President of Russia, said that this was a “harebrained scheme”, and that those who signed the document must have been suffering from sunstroke or hangovers.^[25]

There was confusion about the status of Sevastopol and whether it was a part of the transfer as it had a degree of independence from the Crimean Oblast and never formally ratified the transfer,^[26] although it was later mentioned as Ukrainian territory in the Soviet Constitution and the Belavezha Accords between Ukraine and Russia.^[26]

In 1994, a Russian nationalist administration under Yuriy Meshkov took over in Crimea with the promise to return Crimea to Russia, although these plans were later shelved.^[27] In a 1997 treaty between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, Russia recognized Ukraine's borders, and accepted Ukraine's sovereignty over Crimea.^[28]

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation (2014)

After the 2014 Revolution of Dignity, the territories of Sevastopol and Crimea were seized by the Russian Federation; the annexation was formalized following a referendum in which 96% of the Crimean population is reported to have voted "Yes." This move was denounced by the Ukrainian government and disregarded by most UN states, which continue to recognize Crimea as part of Ukraine.^[29]^[30] The Venice Commission (an advisory body of the Council of Europe in the field of constitutional law) issued an opinion in 2014, concluding that the referendum was illegal under the Ukrainian constitution and that "circumstances in Crimea did not allow the holding of a referendum in line with European democratic standards."^[31]

References

^ Bezverkha, Anastasia (4 August 2015). "Reinstating Social Borders between the Slavic Majority and the Tatar Population of Crimea: Media Representation of the Contested Memory of the Crimean Tatars' Deportation". Journal of Borderlands Studies. 32 (2). Informa UK Limited: 127–139. doi:10.1080/08865655.2015.1066699. ISSN 0886-5655. S2CID 148535821.
^ Rywkin, Michael (1994). Moscow's lost empire. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe. p. 67. ISBN 1-56324-236-2. OCLC 28889426.
^ "Chronology for Crimean Russians in Ukraine". Retrieved 10 September 2021.
^ Mark Kramer (19 March 2014). "Why Did Russia Give Away Crimea Sixty Years Ago?".
^ "The Gift of Crimea". www.macalester.edu. Archived from the original on 10 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
^ Ignatius, David (2 March 2014). "Historical claim shows why Crimea matters to Russia". PunditFact, PolitiFact.com. Tampa Bay Times.
^ Siegelbaum, Lewis, 1954: The Gift of Crimea, SovietHistory.org, archived from the original on 10 March 2014, retrieved 3 March 2014
^ ^a ^b ^c Calamur, Krishnadev (27 February 2014). "Crimea: A Gift To Ukraine Becomes A Political Flash Point". NPR. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
^ Dmitry Karaichev (11 January 2013). Мифы о незаконности передачи Крыма в 1954 году [Myth of illegality of the 1954 transfer of Crimea]. Dzerkalo Tyzhnia (in Russian). Archived from the original on 16 March 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
^ Yarmysh, Oleksandr; Cherviatsova, Alina (2016). "Transferring Crimea from Russia to Ukraine: Historical and Legal Analysis of Soviet Legislation". In Nicolini, Matteo; Palermo, Francesco; Milano, Enrico (eds.). Law, Territory and Conflict Resolution Law as a Problem and Law as a Solution. BRILL. pp. 151–152. ISBN 9789004311299. Retrieved 28 February 2018. However, at that time, Ukraine could not fully claim jurisdiction over Crimea. Indeed, further legislative acts and constitutional amendments were needed to legitimise the territorial changes in that region. On 2 June 1954, the Supreme Council of the Russian SFSR adopted the Law on the introduction of changes and amendments to Article 14 of the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the SFSR, according to which the Crimean Region was excluded from Soviet Russia at the same time that the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SFSR introduced changes to the Ukrainian Constitution.
^ "Генпрокуратура РФ: передача Крыма Украине в 1954–м была незаконной". BBC. 27 June 2015.
^ "Why Did Russia Give Away Crimea Sixty Years Ago?". wilsoncenter.org. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
^ Arutunyan, Anna (2 March 2014). "Russia testing the waters on Ukraine invasion". USA Today. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
^ Keating, Joshua (25 February 2014). "Khrushchev's Gift". Slate. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
^ "Meeting of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics," 19 February 1954, History and Public Policy Program Digital Archive, GARF, f.7523 op.57, d.963, ll. 1-10. Published in "Istoricheskii arkhiv," issue 1, vol. 1 (1992). Translated by Gary Goldberg. https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/119638
^ Calamur, Krishnadev (27 February 2014). "Crimea: A Gift To Ukraine Becomes A Political Flash Point". NPR. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
^ Ragozin, Leonid (16 March 2019). "Annexation of Crimea: A masterclass in political manipulation". Al Jazeera.
^ Crimea profile – Overview BBC News. Retrieved 30 December 2015
^ "Why Did Russia Give Away Crimea Sixty Years Ago?". wilsoncenter.org. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
^ Khrushchev's Son: Giving Crimea Back to Russia Not an Option, Andre de Nesnera, Voice of America, 6 March 2014
^ "The Transfer of Crimea to Ukraine". International Committee for Crimea. July 2005. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
^ To understand Crimea, take a look back at its complicated history, Adam Taylor, The Washington Post, 27 February 2014
^ Vladimir P. Lukin, “Our Security Predicament”, Foreign Policy, No. 88 (Autumn, 1992), pp. 57–75
^ USSR's Nikita Khrushchev gave Russia's Crimea away to Ukraine in only 15 minutes, Pravda.ru, 19 February 2009
^ Page 5, Crimea: Dynamics, Challenges and Prospects, edited by Maria Drohobycky
^ ^a ^b Forget Kiev. The Real Fight Will Be for Crimea, Andrei Malgin, Moscow Times, 25 February 2014
^ Celestine Bohlen, Russia vs. Ukraine: A Case of the Crimean Jitters, The New York Times (23 March 1994).
^ Subtelny, Orest, Ukraine: A History (University of Toronto Press) 2000, ISBN 0-8020-8390-0, 600
^ "Ukraine Crisis: World Leaders React to Unfolding Disaster in Crimea". International Business Times. 2 March 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
^ "Sanctions threat grows as Ukraine tensions rise". Mainichi Shimbun. 4 March 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
^ Opinion no. 762 / 2014, Venice Commission (21 March 2014).

External links

Mark Kramer. "Why Did Russia Give Away Crimea Sixty Years Ago?". Wilson Center. Retrieved 28 March 2014.

[Bezverkha_2015_pp._127–139-1] Bezverkha, Anastasia (4 August 2015). "Reinstating Social Borders between the Slavic Majority and the Tatar Population of Crimea: Media Representation of the Contested Memory of the Crimean Tatars' Deportation". Journal of Borderlands Studies. 32 (2). Informa UK Limited: 127–139. doi:10.1080/08865655.2015.1066699. ISSN 0886-5655. S2CID 148535821.

[Rywkin_1994_p._67-2] Rywkin, Michael (1994). Moscow's lost empire. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe. p. 67. ISBN 1-56324-236-2. OCLC 28889426.

[Chronology-3] "Chronology for Crimean Russians in Ukraine". Retrieved 10 September 2021.

[4] Mark Kramer (19 March 2014). "Why Did Russia Give Away Crimea Sixty Years Ago?".

[The_Gift_of_Crimea-5] "The Gift of Crimea". www.macalester.edu. Archived from the original on 10 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.

[FactCheck-6] Ignatius, David (2 March 2014). "Historical claim shows why Crimea matters to Russia". PunditFact, PolitiFact.com. Tampa Bay Times.

[Gift-7] Siegelbaum, Lewis, 1954: The Gift of Crimea, SovietHistory.org, archived from the original on 10 March 2014, retrieved 3 March 2014

[Calamur-8] Calamur, Krishnadev (27 February 2014). "Crimea: A Gift To Ukraine Becomes A Political Flash Point". NPR. Retrieved 2 March 2014.

[9] Dmitry Karaichev (11 January 2013). Мифы о незаконности передачи Крыма в 1954 году [Myth of illegality of the 1954 transfer of Crimea]. Dzerkalo Tyzhnia (in Russian). Archived from the original on 16 March 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2015.

[10] Yarmysh, Oleksandr; Cherviatsova, Alina (2016). "Transferring Crimea from Russia to Ukraine: Historical and Legal Analysis of Soviet Legislation". In Nicolini, Matteo; Palermo, Francesco; Milano, Enrico (eds.). Law, Territory and Conflict Resolution Law as a Problem and Law as a Solution. BRILL. pp. 151–152. ISBN 9789004311299. Retrieved 28 February 2018. However, at that time, Ukraine could not fully claim jurisdiction over Crimea. Indeed, further legislative acts and constitutional amendments were needed to legitimise the territorial changes in that region. On 2 June 1954, the Supreme Council of the Russian SFSR adopted the Law on the introduction of changes and amendments to Article 14 of the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the SFSR, according to which the Crimean Region was excluded from Soviet Russia at the same time that the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SFSR introduced changes to the Ukrainian Constitution.

[11] "Генпрокуратура РФ: передача Крыма Украине в 1954–м была незаконной". BBC. 27 June 2015.

[12] "Why Did Russia Give Away Crimea Sixty Years Ago?". wilsoncenter.org. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2017.

[Gesture-13] Arutunyan, Anna (2 March 2014). "Russia testing the waters on Ukraine invasion". USA Today. Retrieved 2 March 2014.

[14] Keating, Joshua (25 February 2014). "Khrushchev's Gift". Slate. Retrieved 12 February 2017.

[15] "Meeting of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics," 19 February 1954, History and Public Policy Program Digital Archive, GARF, f.7523 op.57, d.963, ll. 1-10. Published in "Istoricheskii arkhiv," issue 1, vol. 1 (1992). Translated by Gary Goldberg. https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/119638

[16] Calamur, Krishnadev (27 February 2014). "Crimea: A Gift To Ukraine Becomes A Political Flash Point". NPR. Retrieved 27 September 2017.

[17] Ragozin, Leonid (16 March 2019). "Annexation of Crimea: A masterclass in political manipulation". Al Jazeera.

[18] Crimea profile – Overview BBC News. Retrieved 30 December 2015

[19] "Why Did Russia Give Away Crimea Sixty Years Ago?". wilsoncenter.org. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2017.

[20] Khrushchev's Son: Giving Crimea Back to Russia Not an Option, Andre de Nesnera, Voice of America, 6 March 2014

[21] "The Transfer of Crimea to Ukraine". International Committee for Crimea. July 2005. Retrieved 9 March 2014.

[22] To understand Crimea, take a look back at its complicated history, Adam Taylor, The Washington Post, 27 February 2014

[23] Vladimir P. Lukin, “Our Security Predicament”, Foreign Policy, No. 88 (Autumn, 1992), pp. 57–75

[24] USSR's Nikita Khrushchev gave Russia's Crimea away to Ukraine in only 15 minutes, Pravda.ru, 19 February 2009

[25] Page 5, Crimea: Dynamics, Challenges and Prospects, edited by Maria Drohobycky

[themoscowtimes.com-26] Forget Kiev. The Real Fight Will Be for Crimea, Andrei Malgin, Moscow Times, 25 February 2014

[27] Celestine Bohlen, Russia vs. Ukraine: A Case of the Crimean Jitters, The New York Times (23 March 1994).

[Subtelny-28] Subtelny, Orest, Ukraine: A History (University of Toronto Press) 2000, ISBN 0-8020-8390-0, 600

[29] "Ukraine Crisis: World Leaders React to Unfolding Disaster in Crimea". International Business Times. 2 March 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2014.

[30] "Sanctions threat grows as Ukraine tensions rise". Mainichi Shimbun. 4 March 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2014.

[31] Opinion no. 762 / 2014, Venice Commission (21 March 2014).

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|none}}
-{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
+{{Infobox event
+| title = Transfer of Crimea in the Soviet Union
+| image = File:The transfer of Crimea.jpg
+| caption = Decree of the [[Presidium of the Supreme Soviet]] ("About the Transfer of the Crimean Oblast") on the [[Printed media in the Soviet Union|Supreme Council Herald]], 9 March 1954
+| date = {{nowrap|19 February 1954 – 17 June 1954}}
+| location = {{flagicon image|Flag of the USSR (1936-1955).svg}}&nbsp;[[Soviet Union]]
+| participants = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1954–1991).svg}}&nbsp;[[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Russian SFSR]]<br />{{flagicon image|Flag of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (1949–1991).svg}}&nbsp;[[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukrainian SSR]]
+| result = Administrative authority of the [[Crimea in the Soviet Union|Crimean Oblast]] transferred to the Ukrainian SSR from the Russian SFSR
+}}
 {{Crimean Crisis of 2014}}
+In 1954, '''the [[Presidium of the Supreme Soviet]] of the [[Soviet Union]] transferred the [[Crimea in the Soviet Union|Crimean Oblast]] from the [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Russian SFSR]] to the [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukrainian SSR]]'''. The territory had been recognized within the Soviet Union as having "close ties" to the Ukrainian SSR, and the transfer commemorated the [[Union of Russia and Ukraine Tercentenary]].
-{{Ukrainian crisis}}
-The transfer of the [[Crimean Oblast]] in 1954 was an administrative action of the [[Presidium of the Supreme Soviet]] of the [[Soviet Union]], which transferred the government of the [[Crimean Peninsula]] from the [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic]] to the [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukrainian SSR]].
+Amidst the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]] in 1991, the Ukrainian SSR seceded from the Soviet Union and [[Ukraine]] continued to exercise sovereignty over the territory as the [[Autonomous Republic of Crimea]]. [[Russia]] did not dispute the Ukrainian administration of Crimea for just over two decades, but retracted this stance on 18 March 2014, when [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|Crimea was annexed by Russia]] after coming under [[Russian occupation of Crimea|Russian military occupation]].
+The Soviet-era transfer of Crimea has remained a topic of contention between the two countries in light of the [[Russo-Ukrainian War]], as the Russian government has stated that the Ukrainians must recognize Russia's sovereignty over the territory as part of any negotiated settlement to end the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]], which began in 2022.
+==Background==
+{{See also|History of Crimea| Crimea in the Soviet Union}}
+=== Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Empire (1783) ===
+Prior to being incorporated into the [[Russian Empire]], the Crimean Peninsula was independent under the [[Crimean Khanate]]. The Muslim [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] [[Crimean Tatars]] were under the influence of the Ottoman Empire, while also bordering the Russian Empire. In 1774, following the [[Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774)|Russo-Turkish War of 1768–74]], the Russian and Ottoman empires agreed to refrain from interfering with the Crimean Khanate through the [[Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca]]. In 1783, following the increasing decline of the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Empire|annexed the Crimean Khanate]].
+Crimea was transferred between various internal administrations within Russia. It was governed by 14 administrations during its time in the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR, up to its transfer to the Ukrainian SSR in 1954.
+=== Deportation of Crimean Tatars by the Soviet Union ===
+Throughout its time in the Soviet Union, Crimea underwent a population change. Because of alleged collaboration with the Germans by [[Crimean Tatars]] during World War II, [[Deportation of the Crimean Tatars|all Crimean Tatars were deported]] by the Soviet regime and the peninsula was resettled with other peoples, mainly Russians and Ukrainians. Modern experts say that the deportation was part of the Soviet [[Turkish Straits crisis|plan to gain access]] to the [[Dardanelles]] and acquire territory in [[Turkey]], where the Tatars had Turkic ethnic kin, or to remove minorities from the Soviet Union's border regions.<ref name="Bezverkha 2015 pp. 127–139">{{cite journal |last=Bezverkha |first=Anastasia | title=Reinstating Social Borders between the Slavic Majority and the Tatar Population of Crimea: Media Representation of the Contested Memory of the Crimean Tatars' Deportation |journal=Journal of Borderlands Studies | publisher=Informa UK Limited |volume=32 |issue=2 |date=2015-08-04 |issn=0886-5655 |doi=10.1080/08865655.2015.1066699 |pages=127–139|s2cid=148535821 }}</ref> Nearly 8,000 Crimean Tatars died during the deportation, and tens of thousands perished subsequently due to the harsh exile conditions.<ref name="Rywkin 1994 p. 67">{{cite book |last=Rywkin |first=Michael |title=Moscow's lost empire |publisher=M.E. Sharpe |publication-place=Armonk, N.Y. |date=1994 |isbn=1-56324-236-2 |oclc=28889426 |page=67}}</ref> The deportation resulted in the abandonment of 80,000 households and {{convert|360,000|acre|ha|order=flip}} of land.
+The autonomous republic without its titled nationality was downgraded to an oblast within the Russian SFSR on 30 June 1945.
 ==Decree==
+{{context|date=February 2021}}
-[[File:The transfer of Crimea.jpg|thumb|upright|right|300px|Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet "About the transfer of the Crimean Oblast". Supreme Council Herald, 9 March 1954.]]
-On 19 February 1954, the [[Presidium of the Supreme Soviet]] of the [[Soviet Union]] issued a decree transferring the [[Crimean Oblast]] from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic to the Ukrainian SSR.
+On 19 February 1954, the [[Presidium of the Supreme Soviet]] of the [[Soviet Union]] issued a decree transferring the [[Crimean Oblast]] from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.<ref name="Chronology">{{cite web |title=Chronology for Crimean Russians in Ukraine |url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/469f38ec2.html |access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref>
-The documents which are now housed at the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF) do confirm that the move was originally approved by the Presidium of the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union]] (CPSU) on 25 January 1954, paving the way for the authorizing resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union three weeks later.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/why-did-russia-give-away-crimea-sixty-years-ago|title=Why Did Russia Give Away Crimea Sixty Years Ago?|date=March 19, 2014|author=Mark Kramer}}</ref>
+The documents which are now housed at the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF) do confirm that the move was originally approved by the [[Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Presidium (Politburo)]] of the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union]] (CPSU) on 25 January 1954, paving the way for the authorizing resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union three weeks later.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/why-did-russia-give-away-crimea-sixty-years-ago|title=Why Did Russia Give Away Crimea Sixty Years Ago?|date=19 March 2014|author=Mark Kramer}}</ref>
-According to the Soviet Constitution (article 18), the borders of a republic within the Soviet Union could not be re-drawn without the agreement of the republic in question. The transfer was approved by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. The constitutional change (articles 22 and 23) to accommodate the transfer was made several days after the decree issued by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet.<ref name="The Gift of Crimea">{{cite web |url=http://www.soviethistory.org/index.php?page=subject&SubjectID=1954crimea&Year=1954 |title=The Gift of Crimea |publisher=www.macalester.edu |accessdate=2014-03-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310012536/http://www.soviethistory.org/index.php?page=subject&SubjectID=1954crimea&Year=1954 |archive-date=2014-03-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="FactCheck">{{Cite news | url = http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2014/mar/02/david-ignatius/historical-claim-shows-why-crimea-matters-russia/| title = Historical claim shows why Crimea matters to Russia| first = David | last = Ignatius |department= PunditFact, [[PolitiFact.com]]| newspaper = [[Tampa Bay Times]] | date = March 2, 2014}}</ref>
+According to the Soviet Constitution (article 18), the borders of a republic within the Soviet Union could not be re-drawn without the agreement of the republic in question. The transfer was approved by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. The constitutional change (articles 22 and 23) to accommodate the transfer was made several days after the decree issued by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet.<ref name="The Gift of Crimea">{{cite web |url=http://www.soviethistory.org/index.php?page=subject&SubjectID=1954crimea&Year=1954 |title=The Gift of Crimea |publisher=www.macalester.edu |access-date=6 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310012536/http://www.soviethistory.org/index.php?page=subject&SubjectID=1954crimea&Year=1954 |archive-date=10 March 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="FactCheck">{{Cite news | url = http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2014/mar/02/david-ignatius/historical-claim-shows-why-crimea-matters-russia/| title = Historical claim shows why Crimea matters to Russia| first = David | last = Ignatius |department= PunditFact, [[PolitiFact.com]]| newspaper = [[Tampa Bay Times]] | date = 2 March 2014}}</ref>
-The decree was first announced, on the front page of ''[[Pravda]]'', on 27 February 1954.<ref name="Gift">{{Citation | url = http://www.soviethistory.org/index.php?page=subject&SubjectID=1954crimea&Year=1954 | title = 1954: The Gift of Crimea | first = Lewis | last = Siegelbaum | publisher = SovietHistory.org | accessdate = March 3, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140310012536/http://www.soviethistory.org/index.php?page=subject&SubjectID=1954crimea&Year=1954 | archive-date = 2014-03-10 | url-status = dead }}</ref> The full text of the decree was:<ref name=Calamur>{{cite news|last=Calamur|first=Krishnadev|title=Crimea: A Gift To Ukraine Becomes A Political Flash Point|url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/02/27/283481587/crimea-a-gift-to-ukraine-becomes-a-political-flash-point|accessdate=2 March 2014|publisher=NPR|date=27 February 2014}}</ref>
+The decree was first announced, on the front page of ''[[Pravda]]'', on 27 February 1954.<ref name="Gift">{{Citation | url = http://www.soviethistory.org/index.php?page=subject&SubjectID=1954crimea&Year=1954 | title = 1954: The Gift of Crimea | first = Lewis | last = Siegelbaum |authorlink=Lewis Siegelbaum| publisher = SovietHistory.org | access-date = 3 March 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140310012536/http://www.soviethistory.org/index.php?page=subject&SubjectID=1954crimea&Year=1954 | archive-date = 10 March 2014 | url-status = dead }}</ref> The full text of the decree was:<ref name=Calamur>{{cite news|last=Calamur|first=Krishnadev|title=Crimea: A Gift To Ukraine Becomes A Political Flash Point|url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/02/27/283481587/crimea-a-gift-to-ukraine-becomes-a-political-flash-point|access-date=2 March 2014|publisher=NPR|date=27 February 2014}}</ref>
 <blockquote><poem>On April 26, 1954 The decree of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet transferring the Crimea Oblast from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR.
@@ Line 19: / Line 45: @@
 To approve the joint presentation of the Presidium of the Russian SFSR Supreme Soviet and the Presidium of the Ukrainian SSR Supreme Soviet on the transfer of the Crimea Province from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR.</poem></blockquote>
-Consequently, amendments were made to the republican constitutions of Russia and Ukraine. On 2 June 1954 the [[Supreme Soviet of Russia]] adopted amendments to the [[Russian Constitution of 1937]], which, among other things, excluded Crimea from list of subdivisions enumerated in article 14, and on 17 June 1954, the [[Verkhovna Rada]] added Crimea to article 18 of the 1937 Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gazeta.zn.ua/internal/mify-o-nezakonnosti-peredachi-kryma-v-1954-godu.html|script-title=ru:Мифы о незаконности передачи Крыма в 1954 году|trans-title=Myth of illegality of the 1954 transfer of Crimea|author=Dmitry Karaichev|date=2013-01-11|website=[[Dzerkalo Tyzhnia]]|accessdate=2015-05-31|archiveurl=https://archive.is/20140316092842/http://gazeta.zn.ua/internal/mify-o-nezakonnosti-peredachi-kryma-v-1954-godu.html|archivedate=2014-03-16|language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Yarmysh|first1=Oleksandr|last2=Cherviatsova|first2=Alina|editor1-last=Nicolini|editor1-first=Matteo|editor2-last=Palermo|editor2-first=Francesco|editor3-last=Milano|editor3-first=Enrico|title=Law, Territory and Conflict Resolution Law as a Problem and Law as a Solution|date=2016|isbn=9789004311299|pages=151–152|url=http://booksandjournals.brillonline.com/content/books/b9789004311299s009|accessdate=28 February 2018|chapter=Transferring Crimea from Russia to Ukraine: Historical and Legal Analysis of Soviet Legislation|quote=However, at that time, Ukraine could not fully claim jurisdiction over Crimea. Indeed, further legislative acts and constitutional amendments were needed to legitimise the territorial changes in that region. On 2 June 1954, the Supreme Council of the Russian SFSR adopted the Law on the introduction of changes and amendments to Article 14 of the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the SFSR, according to which the Crimean Region was excluded from Soviet Russia at the same time that the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SFSR introduced changes to the Ukrainian Constitution.}}</ref>
+Consequently, amendments were made to the republican constitutions of Russia and Ukraine. On 2 June 1954 the [[Supreme Soviet of Russia]] adopted amendments to the [[Russian Constitution of 1937]], which, among other things, excluded Crimea from list of subdivisions enumerated in article 14, and on 17 June 1954, the [[Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Supreme Soviet of Ukraine]] added Crimea to article 18 of the 1937 Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gazeta.zn.ua/internal/mify-o-nezakonnosti-peredachi-kryma-v-1954-godu.html|script-title=ru:Мифы о незаконности передачи Крыма в 1954 году|trans-title=Myth of illegality of the 1954 transfer of Crimea|author=Dmitry Karaichev|date=11 January 2013|website=[[Dzerkalo Tyzhnia]]|access-date=31 May 2015|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140316092842/http://gazeta.zn.ua/internal/mify-o-nezakonnosti-peredachi-kryma-v-1954-godu.html|archive-date=16 March 2014|language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Yarmysh|first1=Oleksandr|last2=Cherviatsova|first2=Alina|editor1-last=Nicolini|editor1-first=Matteo|editor2-last=Palermo|editor2-first=Francesco|editor3-last=Milano|editor3-first=Enrico|title=Law, Territory and Conflict Resolution Law as a Problem and Law as a Solution|date=2016|isbn=9789004311299|pages=151–152|url=http://booksandjournals.brillonline.com/content/books/b9789004311299s009|access-date=28 February 2018|chapter=Transferring Crimea from Russia to Ukraine: Historical and Legal Analysis of Soviet Legislation|publisher=BRILL |quote=However, at that time, Ukraine could not fully claim jurisdiction over Crimea. Indeed, further legislative acts and constitutional amendments were needed to legitimise the territorial changes in that region. On 2 June 1954, the Supreme Council of the Russian SFSR adopted the Law on the introduction of changes and amendments to Article 14 of the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the SFSR, according to which the Crimean Region was excluded from Soviet Russia at the same time that the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SFSR introduced changes to the Ukrainian Constitution.}}</ref>
+[[Sevastopol]] became a [[closed city]] due to its importance as the port of the Soviet [[Black Sea Fleet]] and was attached to the Crimean Oblast only in 1978.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}
 == Question of constitutionality ==
+On 27 June 2015, after the [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|annexation of Crimea]] by the Russian Federation, the [[Office of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation]] accepted the request of the leader of [[A Just Russia]] party, [[Sergey Mironov]], to evaluate the legitimacy of 1954 transfer of Crimea and stated that the transfer violated both the {{Interlanguage link multi|1937 Constitutions of the RSFSR|WD=Q2812224|lt=Constitution of the Russian SFSR}} and the [[1936 Soviet Constitution|Constitution of the Soviet Union]]. The text of the document signed by Russian Deputy Prosecutor General Sabir Kekhlerov stated: "Neither the Constitution of the RSFSR nor the Constitution of the USSR [and, by extension, of the UkSSR] empowers the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to consider changes in the constitutional legal status of Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics, which are members of the union republics. In view of the above, the decision adopted in 1954 by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR and the Soviet on the transfer of the Crimean region of the RSFSR to the UkSSR did not correspond to the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the RSFSR or the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the USSR."<ref>{{cite news|title=Генпрокуратура РФ: передача Крыма Украине в 1954–м была незаконной|url=http://www.bbc.com/russian/russia/2015/06/150627_russia_mironov_crimea|agency=[[BBC]]|date=27 June 2015}}</ref>
-According to a 2009 article on Russian website [[Pravda.ru]], the Presidium of the Supreme Council gathered for a session on 19 February 1954 when only 13 of 27 members were present. There was no quorum, but the decision was adopted unanimously.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.pravda.ru/history/19-02-2009/107129-ussr_crimea_ukraine-0/|title=USSR's Nikita Khrushchev gave Russia’s Crimea away to Ukraine in only 15 minutes|work=pravda.ru|accessdate=12 February 2017}}</ref>
-The earlier published documents and materials that have emerged more recently confirm that the transfer of Crimea from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR was carried out in accordance with the 1936 Soviet constitution, which in Article 18 stipulated that "the territory of a Union Republic may not be altered without its consent." The proceedings of the USSR Supreme Soviet Presidium meeting indicate that both the Russian SFSR and the Ukrainian SSR had given their consent via their republic parliaments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/why-did-russia-give-away-crimea-sixty-years-ago|title=Why Did Russia Give Away Crimea Sixty Years Ago?|date=19 March 2014|work=wilsoncenter.org|accessdate=12 February 2017}}</ref>
+[[Mark Kramer (journalist)|Mark Kramer]], director of Cold War Studies at Harvard University, argued that Proceedings of the USSR Supreme Soviet Presidium meeting indicated that the parliaments of both the [[Russian SFSR]] and the [[Ukrainian SSR]] had given their consent to the transfer of Crimea, and so had complied with Article 18 of the Soviet Constitution, which stated that "the territory of a Union Republic may not be altered without its consent." Additionally, Kramer disputed the relevance of questioning the transfer's constitutionality by stating that the "legal system in the Soviet Union was mostly a fiction," and that the Russian Federation recognised Crimea as being a part of Ukraine in 1991 in the [[Belovezha Accords]], as well as in 1994 in the [[Budapest Memorandum]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/why-did-russia-give-away-crimea-sixty-years-ago|title=Why Did Russia Give Away Crimea Sixty Years Ago?|date=19 March 2014|work=wilsoncenter.org|access-date=12 February 2017}}</ref>
+==Motivation==
-On 27 June 2015, after the [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|annexation of Crimea]] by the Russian Federation, the [[Office of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation]] accepted the request of the leader of [[A Just Russia]] party, [[Sergey Mironov]], to evaluate legitimacy of 1954 transfer of Crimea and stated that the transfer violated both the {{Interlanguage link multi|1937 Constitutions of the RSFSR|WD=Q2812224|lt=Constitution of the Russian SFSR}} and the [[1936 Soviet Constitution|Constitution of the Soviet Union]]. The text of the document signed by Russian Deputy Prosecutor General Sabir Kekhlerov stated: "Neither the Constitution of the RSFSR or the USSR Constitution provide powers of the Presidium Supreme Soviet of the USSR for the consideration of the changes in the constitutional legal status of the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, members of the union republics. In view of the above, the decision adopted in 1954 by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviets of the RSFSR and the Soviet on the transfer of the Crimean region of the RSFSR to the USSR, did not correspond to the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the RSFSR and the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the USSR."<ref>{{cite news|title=Генпрокуратура РФ: передача Крыма Украине в 1954–м была незаконной|url=http://www.bbc.com/russian/russia/2015/06/150627_russia_mironov_crimea|agency=[[BBC]]|date=27 June 2015}}</ref>
+[[File:Stamp of USSR 1756.jpg|thumb|1954 Soviet propaganda stamp marking the 300th anniversary of Ukraine's reunification with Russia.]]
+The transfer of the Crimean oblast to Ukraine has been described as a "symbolic gesture", marking the [[Union of Russia and Ukraine Tercentenary|300th anniversary of the]] 1654 [[Treaty of Pereyaslav (1654)|Treaty of Pereyaslav]], called the "Reunification of Ukraine with Russia" in the Soviet Union.<ref name="Calamur"/><ref name=Gesture>{{cite news|last=Arutunyan|first=Anna|title=Russia testing the waters on Ukraine invasion|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/03/02/ukraine-crimea-russia-putin/5944117/|access-date=2 March 2014|newspaper=USA Today|date=2 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_world_/2014/02/25/separatism_in_ukraine_blame_nikita_khrushchev_for_ukraine_s_newest_crisis.html|title=Khrushchev's Gift|first=Joshua|last=Keating|date=25 February 2014|access-date=12 February 2017|journal=Slate}}</ref> It was also attributed to [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Communist Party first secretary]] [[Nikita Khrushchev]], although the person who signed the document was Chairman [[Kliment Voroshilov]], the Soviet Union's ''de jure'' [[List of heads of state of the Soviet Union|head of state]].<ref>"Meeting of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics," 19 February 1954, History and Public Policy Program Digital Archive, GARF, f.7523 op.57, d.963, ll. 1-10. Published in "Istoricheskii arkhiv," issue 1, vol. 1 (1992). Translated by Gary Goldberg. https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/119638</ref> The transfer had taken place on the basis of "the integral character of the economy, the territorial proximity and the close economic and cultural ties between the Crimea Province and the Ukrainian SSR"<ref>{{cite news |last=Calamur |first=Krishnadev |date=27 February 2014 |title=Crimea: A Gift To Ukraine Becomes A Political Flash Point |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2014/02/27/283481587/crimea-a-gift-to-ukraine-becomes-a-political-flash-point |access-date=27 September 2017 |newspaper=NPR}}</ref> and to commemorate the 300th anniversary of [[Union of Russia and Ukraine Tercentenary|Ukraine's union with Russia]] (also known in the Soviet Union as the [[Pereiaslav Agreement]]).<ref>{{cite news |last=Ragozin |first=Leonid |date=16 March 2019 |title=Annexation of Crimea: A masterclass in political manipulation |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/annexation-crimea-masterclass-political-manipulation-190315174459207.html |publisher=Al Jazeera}}</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-18287223 Crimea profile – Overview] BBC News. Retrieved 30 December 2015</ref>
-==Complications of the "personal gesture"==
-<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Naveki.jpg|thumb|upright|right|"Eternally Together": a Soviet poster made for the 300th anniversary of the [[Treaty of Pereyaslav]] in 1954.]] -->
+Mark Kramer, professor of Cold War Studies at [[Harvard University]], also claimed that the transfer was partly to help Khruschev's then-precarious political position against the Prime Minister [[Georgii Malenkov]] through winning support of the [[First Secretary of the Ukrainian Communist Party]] [[Oleksiy Kyrychenko]]. Kramer believed that the transfer also aimed to greatly increase the number of ethnic Russians in the Ukrainian SSR which itself was going through problems integrating previous [[Second Polish Republic|Polish]] territory due to organized Ukrainian nationalist resistance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/why-did-russia-give-away-crimea-sixty-years-ago|title=Why Did Russia Give Away Crimea Sixty Years Ago?|date=19 March 2014|work=wilsoncenter.org|access-date=12 February 2017}}</ref>
-The transfer of the [[Crimean Oblast]] to Ukraine has been described as a "symbolic gesture", marking the 300th anniversary of Ukraine becoming a part of the [[Tsardom of Russia]].<ref name="Calamur"/><ref name=Gesture>{{cite news|last=Arutunyan|first=Anna|title=Russia testing the waters on Ukraine invasion|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/03/02/ukraine-crimea-russia-putin/5944117/|accessdate=2 March 2014|newspaper=USA Today|date=2 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_world_/2014/02/25/separatism_in_ukraine_blame_nikita_khrushchev_for_ukraine_s_newest_crisis.html|title=Khrushchev’s Gift|first=Joshua|last=Keating|date=25 February 2014|publisher=|accessdate=12 February 2017|via=Slate}}</ref> That "symbolic gesture" came out as a ''post factum'' and was never discussed as one of the reasons prior to the transfer. It was also attributed to [[Nikita Khrushchev]], although the person who signed the document was [[Kliment Voroshilov]].{{original research inline|date=November 2016}}
-[[Nina L. Khrushcheva|Nina Khrushcheva]], the political scientist and great-granddaughter of [[Nikita Khrushchev]], the then [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union]] said of Khrushchev's motivation "it was somewhat symbolic, somewhat trying to reshuffle the centralized system and also, full disclosure, Nikita Khrushchev was very fond of Ukraine, so I think to some degree it was also a personal gesture toward his favorite republic. He was ethnically Russian, but he really felt great affinity with Ukraine."<ref name="Calamur"/> [[Sergei Khrushchev]], Khrushchev's son, claimed that the decision was due to the building of a hydro-electric dam on the [[Dnieper River]] and the consequent desire for all the administration to be under one body.<ref>[http://www.voanews.com/content/khrushchevs-son-giving-crimea-back-to-russia-not-an-option/1865752.html Khrushchev’s Son: Giving Crimea Back to Russia Not an Option], Andre de Nesnera, [[Voice of America]], March 6, 2014</ref> [[Sevastopol]] in Crimea being the site of the Soviet [[Black Sea Fleet]], a quintessential element of Russian and then of Soviet foreign policy, the transfer had the intended{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} effect of binding Ukraine inexorably to Russia, "Eternally Together", as a poster commemorating the event of 1954 proclaimed.
+[[Nina L. Khrushcheva|Nina Khrushcheva]], a political scientist and the great-granddaughter of [[Nikita Khrushchev]], said of his motivation, "it was somewhat symbolic, somewhat trying to reshuffle the centralized system and also, full disclosure, Nikita Khrushchev was very fond of Ukraine, so I think to some degree it was also a personal gesture toward his favorite republic. He was ethnically Russian, but he really felt great affinity with Ukraine."<ref name="Calamur"/> [[Sergei Khrushchev]], Khrushchev's son, claimed that the decision was due to the building of a hydro-electric dam on the [[Dnieper River]] and the consequent desire for all the administration to be under one body.<ref>[http://www.voanews.com/content/khrushchevs-son-giving-crimea-back-to-russia-not-an-option/1865752.html Khrushchev's Son: Giving Crimea Back to Russia Not an Option], Andre de Nesnera, [[Voice of America]], 6 March 2014</ref> Since [[Sevastopol]] in Crimea was the site of the [[Black Sea Fleet]], a quintessential element of Soviet and then of Russian foreign policy, the transfer had the intended effect of binding Ukraine inexorably to Russia, "Eternally Together", as a poster commemorating the event proclaimed. Other reasons given were the integration of the economies of Ukraine and Crimea and the idea that Crimea was a natural extension of the [[Ukrainian steppes]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.iccrimea.org/historical/crimeatransfer.html |title=The Transfer of Crimea to Ukraine |access-date=9 March 2014 |date=July 2005 |work=International Committee for Crimea }}</ref> There was also a desire to repopulate parts of Crimea with Slavic peoples, mainly Russians and Ukrainians, after the peninsula was subject to [[Deportation of the Crimean Tatars|large-scale deportations]] of [[Crimean Tatars]] to Central Asia by the Soviet regime in 1944.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/02/27/to-understand-crimea-take-a-look-back-at-its-complicated-history/ To understand Crimea, take a look back at its complicated history], Adam Taylor, [[The Washington Post]], 27 February 2014</ref>
-The transfer was described by some of the Supreme Soviet as a gift to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the [[Treaty of Pereyaslav]]<ref name="The Gift of Crimea"/> in 1654 when the [[Cossack Rada]] apparently decided to unify with [[Muscovy]], putting in place the eventual acquisition of Ukraine by Russia.  Other reasons given were the integration of the economies of Ukraine and Crimea and the idea that Crimea was a natural extension of the [[Ukrainian steppes]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.iccrimea.org/historical/crimeatransfer.html |title=The Transfer of Crimea to Ukraine |accessdate=March 9, 2014 |date=July 2005 |work=International Committee for Crimea  }}</ref>
-There was also a desire to repopulate parts of the Crimea which had suffered large-scale expulsions of its native [[Tatar]]s to Central Asia in 1944.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/02/27/to-understand-crimea-take-a-look-back-at-its-complicated-history/ To understand Crimea, take a look back at its complicated history], Adam Taylor, [[The Washington Post]], February 27, 2014</ref>
 ==Aftermath==
+The transfer increased the ethnic Russian population of Ukraine by almost a million people. Prominent Russian politicians such as [[Alexander Rutskoy]] considered the transfer to be controversial.<ref>Vladimir P. Lukin, “Our Security Predicament”, ''Foreign Policy'', No. 88 (Autumn, 1992), pp. 57–75</ref>
-{{Main|Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|International reactions to the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation}}
+In January 1992, the [[Supreme Soviet of Russia]] questioned the constitutionality of the transfer, accusing [[Nikita Khrushchev]] of treason against the [[Russian people]] and said that the transfer was illegitimate.<ref>[http://english.pravda.ru/history/19-02-2009/107129-ussr_crimea_ukraine-0/ USSR's Nikita Khrushchev gave Russia's Crimea away to Ukraine in only 15 minutes], [http://english.pravda.ru Pravda.ru], 19 February 2009</ref> [[Alexander Rutskoy]], the former Vice President of Russia, said that this was a “harebrained scheme”, and that those who signed the document must have been suffering from sunstroke or hangovers.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=I-oHNmgViH8C&q=1954&pg=PA110 Page 5], Crimea: Dynamics, Challenges and Prospects, edited by Maria Drohobycky</ref>
-The transfer increased the ethnic Russian population of Ukraine by almost a million people. Prominent Russian politicians such as [[Alexander Rutskoy]] considered the transfer to be controversial.<ref>Vladimir P. Lukin, “Our Security Predicament”, ''Foreign Policy'', No. 88 (Autumn, 1992), pp. 57–75</ref> Controversies surrounding the legality of the transfer remained a sore point in relations between Ukraine and Russia for the first few years after the [[breakup of the Soviet Union]], and in particular in the internal [[politics of the Crimea]]. However, in a [[Russian–Ukrainian Friendship Treaty|1997 treaty between the Russian Federation and Ukraine]], Russia recognized Ukraine's borders, and accepted Ukraine's sovereignty over Crimea.<ref name="Subtelny">[[Orest Subtelny|Subtelny, Orest]], ''Ukraine: A History'' ([[University of Toronto Press]]) 2000, {{ISBN|0-8020-8390-0}}, 600</ref>
+There was confusion about the status of [[Sevastopol]] and whether it was a part of the transfer as it had a degree of independence from the Crimean Oblast and never formally ratified the transfer,<ref name="themoscowtimes.com">[http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/forget-kiev-the-real-fight-will-be-for-crimea/495145.html Forget Kiev. The Real Fight Will Be for Crimea], [[Andrei Viktorovich Malgin|Andrei Malgin]], [[Moscow Times]], 25 February 2014</ref> although it was later mentioned as Ukrainian territory in the Soviet Constitution and the [[Belavezha Accords]] between Ukraine and Russia.<ref name="themoscowtimes.com"/>
-In January 1992, the [[Supreme Soviet of Russia]] questioned the constitutionality of the transfer, accusing [[Nikita Khrushchev]] of treason against the [[Russian people]] and said that the transfer was illegitimate.<ref>[http://english.pravda.ru/history/19-02-2009/107129-ussr_crimea_ukraine-0/ USSR's Nikita Khrushchev gave Russia’s Crimea away to Ukraine in only 15 minutes], [http://english.pravda.ru Pravda.ru], 19 February 2009</ref> [[Alexander Rutskoy]], the former Vice President of Russia, said that this was a “harebrained scheme” for which Khrushchev was famous saying that those who signed the document must have been suffering from sunstroke or hangovers.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=I-oHNmgViH8C&pg=PA110&dq=transfer+of+crimea&hl=en&sa=X&ei=DoQbU7ysCqGm4ATknYGwAQ&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=1954&f=false Page 5], Crimea: Dynamics, Challenges and Prospects, edited by Maria Drohobycky</ref>
+In 1994, a Russian nationalist administration under [[Yuriy Meshkov]] took over in Crimea with the promise to return Crimea to Russia, although these plans were later shelved.<ref>Celestine Bohlen, [https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/23/world/russia-vs-ukraine-a-case-of-the-crimean-jitters.html Russia vs. Ukraine: A Case of the Crimean Jitters], ''[[The New York Times]]'' (23 March 1994).</ref> In a [[Russian–Ukrainian Friendship Treaty|1997 treaty between the Russian Federation and Ukraine]], Russia recognized Ukraine's borders, and accepted Ukraine's sovereignty over Crimea.<ref name="Subtelny">[[Orest Subtelny|Subtelny, Orest]], ''Ukraine: A History'' ([[University of Toronto Press]]) 2000, {{ISBN|0-8020-8390-0}}, 600</ref>
-There was confusion about the status of [[Sevastopol]] and whether it was a part of the transfer as it had a degree of independence from the Crimean Oblast and never formally ratified the transfer,<ref name="themoscowtimes.com">[http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/forget-kiev-the-real-fight-will-be-for-crimea/495145.html Forget Kiev. The Real Fight Will Be for Crimea], Andrei Malgin, [[Moscow Times]], February 25, 2014</ref> although it was later mentioned as Ukrainian territory in the Soviet Constitution and the [[Belavezha Accords]] between Ukraine and Russia.<ref name="themoscowtimes.com"/>
+=== Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation (2014) ===
-In 1994, a Russian nationalist administration under [[Yuriy Meshkov]] took over in Crimea with the promise to return Crimea to Russia, although these plans were later shelved.<ref>Celestine Bohlen, [https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/23/world/russia-vs-ukraine-a-case-of-the-crimean-jitters.html Russia vs. Ukraine: A Case of the Crimean Jitters], ''[[The New York Times]]'' (March 23, 1994).</ref>
+{{Main|Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|International reactions to the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation}}
-After the overthrow of President [[Victor Yanukovych]] during the [[2014 Ukrainian revolution]], the territories of [[Sevastopol]] and [[Crimea]] were [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|seized by the Russian Federation]]; the annexation was formalized following an unconstitutional [[2014 Crimean status referendum|referendum]] in which 96% of the Crimean population purportedly voted "Yes." This move was denounced by the new Ukrainian government and disregarded by most UN states, which continue to recognize Crimea as part of Ukraine.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ukraine-crisis-world-leaders-react-unfolding-crisis-crimea-1438553|title=Ukraine Crisis: World Leaders React to Unfolding Disaster in Crimea|publisher=International Business Times|date=2014-03-02|accessdate=2014-03-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20140304p2g00m0in014000c.html|title=Sanctions threat grows as Ukraine tensions rise|publisher=Mainichi Shimbun|date=2014-03-04|accessdate=2014-03-04|archive-url=https://archive.is/20140304013849/http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20140304p2g00m0in014000c.html|archive-date=2014-03-04|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Venice Commission]] (an advisory body of the [[Council of Europe]] in the field of [[constitutional law]]) issued an opinion in 2014, concluding that the referendum was illegal under the Ukrainian constitution and that "circumstances in Crimea did not allow the holding of a referendum in line with European democratic standards."<ref>[https://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/default.aspx?pdffile=CDL-AD(2014)002-e Opinion no. 762 / 2014], Venice Commission (March 21, 2014).</ref>
+After the 2014 [[Revolution of Dignity]], the territories of [[Sevastopol]] and [[Crimea]] were [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|seized by the Russian Federation]]; the annexation was formalized following a [[2014 Crimean status referendum|referendum]] in which 96% of the Crimean population is reported to have voted "Yes." This move was denounced by the Ukrainian government and disregarded by most UN states, which continue to recognize Crimea as part of Ukraine.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ukraine-crisis-world-leaders-react-unfolding-crisis-crimea-1438553|title=Ukraine Crisis: World Leaders React to Unfolding Disaster in Crimea|work=International Business Times|date=2 March 2014|access-date=4 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20140304p2g00m0in014000c.html|title=Sanctions threat grows as Ukraine tensions rise|publisher=Mainichi Shimbun|date=4 March 2014|access-date=4 March 2014|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140304013849/http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20140304p2g00m0in014000c.html|archive-date=4 March 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Venice Commission]] (an advisory body of the [[Council of Europe]] in the field of [[constitutional law]]) issued an opinion in 2014, concluding that the referendum was illegal under the Ukrainian constitution and that "circumstances in Crimea did not allow the holding of a referendum in line with European democratic standards."<ref>[https://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/default.aspx?pdffile=CDL-AD(2014)002-e Opinion no. 762 / 2014], Venice Commission (21 March 2014).</ref>
 ==See also==
-{{Portal|Russia|Ukraine}}
+{{Portal|Russia|Ukraine|Politics}}
 * [[North Crimean Canal]]
+* [[History of Crimea]]
-{{clear}}
+* [[Crimea in the Soviet Union]]
 ==References==
@@ Line 61: / Line 87: @@
 ==External links==
-*{{cite web |url=http://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/why-did-russia-give-away-crimea-sixty-years-ago |title=Why Did Russia Give Away Crimea Sixty Years Ago? |author=Mark Kramer |publisher=Wilson Center |accessdate=28 March 2014}}
+*{{cite web |url=http://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/why-did-russia-give-away-crimea-sixty-years-ago |title=Why Did Russia Give Away Crimea Sixty Years Ago? |author=Mark Kramer |publisher=Wilson Center |access-date=28 March 2014}}
 {{2014 Crimean crisis}}
-{{Territorial evolution of the world}}
 [[Category:1954 in Ukraine]]
@@ Line 75: / Line 100: @@
 [[Category:Territorial evolution of Russia]]
 [[Category:Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic]]
-[[Category:Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic]]
+[[Category:Politics of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic]]