Nikolay SEMENA,
Own correspondent of weekly newspaper
"Zerkalo nedeli" in Crimea,
specially for "Krimski studii".

IT IS TIME TO COLLECT - TREASURES, TRADITIONS, HISTORY...

How can the Crimean cultural treasures and historical-cultural legacy of indigenous peoples of Crimea be returned to the Motherland?

Recently, in Crimea a second meeting of the Working Group on the rebirth of historical-cultural legacy of Crimean Tatars, Karaites and Krimchaks, which was established few months ago, was held, It is worried about the passivity of government bodies. Nadir Bekirov, who is a coordinator of the Working Group, said that of 900 specific architectural monuments of Crimean Tatars, Karaites and Krimchaks only 10% of them were registered in the List of national cultural legacy, which are badly protected and are destroyed. "In addition to these accounted monuments there are a lot of unaccounted ones. Generally, that which we name as cultural property - is not limited only by age-old stone, architectural constructions and archaeological objects. The cultural legacy in the conception of contemporary international law - is practically everything that was created by any people during its history, including such specific demonstrations as folklore, traditions, oral re-tellings, national design, family structure, and even kinds of domestic animals, which were raised by any people."

Nadir Bekirov said that the Working Group relies, first of all, on support of official Kyiv, which regards the problems of Crimean Tatars more tolerantly than do the Crimean authorities: "Already, there are first, though, not very significant results of work: we inform the state bodies of Ukraine, including the President and Government, what we were able to collect, of cultural treasures, which are outside the Ukraine. Recently, the President of Ukraine gave instructions to conduct negotiations with other states, which have some of the cultural legacy of the Crimean Tatar people, for its possible return to Crimea. However, the Working Group considers its own mandate more broadly - it raises the question on return of treasures of not only of Crimean Tatars, and not only those, which are abroad, but also those which are in Ukraine and Crimea. It is not simply a matter of preservation of them as museum exhibits, but also an actualization as well - the attraction of them into living culture - as our peoples, as representatives of other nationalities, their preservation, enrichment and development". Members of the Working Group, in which entered not only Crimean Tatars, Karaites and Krimchaks, but also the representatives of other ethnical groups, including Crimean Ukrainians, still hope that state bodies as in Ukraine, as in Crimea will more actively join for the solution of these specific problems, which early or late would appear as before indigenous peoples, as before state bodies of our country and the international community…

As became known, recently, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has applied to the Russian Federation with a request to return the cultural treasures of Crimean Karaites and Krimchaks, which are in museums and libraries of Moscow and Saint-Petersburg. The exhibits of the Bakhchisaray museum on history and culture, including many other museums and archeological monuments of Crimea are in collections almost of all museums of Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Kyiv, Zaporizhia, Lvov, states of Europe, Asia and America. Many of them can be used for a restoration of national-cultural monuments in the places of their origin. But it doesn't settle the complicated problem on restoration of the lost cultural legacy…

Crimean Tatars: three centuries of losses

The scientists and public figures of Crimea of Crimean Tatars, Karaites and Krimchaks already drew up a list of problems concerning return, preservation of existing and restoration of already lost national-cultural treasures and monuments. Before with regard to the historical-cultural legacy, which was destroyed during years of previous history, the Working Group refers to lost treasures and such categories, as ethnical self-name of people, violation of religious identity, and distortion of historical geographical names, distortion of national names, and procedures and rules of civil and military service in conditions of Ukraine. Crimean Tatars and other Moslems who returned to their Motherland have got into a situation of a violation of national and religious identity. Formally, the Ukraine is a secular state. But that the most part of the population is Orthodox Christians, becomes apparent in legally established National dates and holidays. Crimean Tatars have no objections to that. However, they state that the Ukraine is to respect the religious, cultural and historical traditions of Crimea Tatars, who are Moslems. Crimean Tatars have their own not only religious, but also cultural and historical events, which it is necessary to bring in legislation and to celebrate at the state level. The main events include: 18th May, the Day of Russian annexation on April 8, and the days of traditional people's holidays as Kidirlez (5th May), Derviza (August - September), or New Year (21st March), religious - Kurban-bayram and others. The celebration of these festivals has a big importance for Crimean Tatar culture, and development of friendship between peoples in Crimea, but which were not recognized officially by the state.

Secondly, on national names. Formally, the Law on national minorities allows to persons, belonging to national minorities, to use national forms of names and last names. But, because of a lack of the established procedure, the authorities are not able to implement this judicial procedure. Currently, during substitution of passports or obtaining Ukrainian citizenship, Crimean Tatars are forced to receive documents (certificates, passports, diplomas and so on.), in which their national names, which were changed by Russification and influence of Central-Asian phonetics, are changed again in accordance with grammar, traditions and pronunciation which are peculiar to the Ukrainian language. The phonetics of Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian languages are completely different, so practically, it is impossible to express or pronounce correctly Crimean Tatar names, which were written in Ukrainian and here it is necessary that the scientists seriously work on this.

A situation of discomfort of indigenous peoples stimulates also a distortion of historical toponymies, which also are a part of national culture. The renaming of historical names in Crimea did big damage to people: 95-97% of geographical names were introduced by special decrees of the Supreme Soviet of USSR with the aim "to wipe a memory on existence of Crimean Tatars off the face of the earth". The authorities not only didn't take any measures for its restoration, but generally didn't pay serious attention to this question, and there were absolutely wrong approaches.  At the same time, the Working Group stresses, Crimean Tatars by no means aspire to change of the historical Russian, Ukrainian and other toponymy of Crimea, which was also distorted by Soviet power and is to be restored as a part of culture of our peoples.

On destroyed legacy

There is not yet complete information on the scale of damage and lost cultural legacy as a result of forcible migrations, wars, mass execution and deportation of people, however preliminary information represents a very painful picture. Currently, are practically inaccessible, the historical-cultural treasures of Crimean Tatars, which have been removed from Crimea in a process of: emigrations of Crimean Tatar population from the end of the 18th - to beginning of the 20th centuries, confiscations of property in period of political repressions of 30s of XX century, plunder in period of WW I and II, activity on collection of expeditions of museums and private collectors practically since beginning of 19th century, and illegal removal out of the museum collections of Crimea and transfer in central museums of Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and other cities.

A removal out of the museum funds. A big number of monuments of Crimean Tatar culture were completely destroyed. A destruction of cultural treasures of Crimean Tatars in the XX century can be illustrated by some examples: 1902 - under order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Empire 100 kadee books (collection on decisions of court), 12 (juridical) decisions of XVII - beginning of XIX, were given to the Public Library of Saint-Petersburg (Russia); in 1905-1938, the hundreds of objects of people's art, life, ethnography of Crimean Tatars were bought up for nothing or were removed without compensation at first by tsarist, and latter by Soviet government and were handed in to central museum establishments of Russia. Thus, only in the State ethnographic museum in Saint-Petersburg there is a collection, consisting of more than 2000 objects. In 1920, a trade agreement between the Government of the USSR and England was concluded, in accordance with it the USSR paid with art treasures for economical and food assistance. The special offices of so-called "Trade syndicate" changed bread on art treasures and jewelry in Crimea, which latter were carried abroad.

On October 18, 1941, before occupation of Simferopol by fascists, the most valuable collections of the Central museum of Tavrida were packed in 41 boxes and under order of the People's Committee on Education of Crimean ASSR were evacuated in Armavir. The 41st inventor and document on transfer of exhibits were kept. Total number of exhibits constituted 21321 (including books from library - 3837, archeology -16291, ethnography - 1193 objects). One should whether say that nothing was returned?

The German troops did their share for destruction of the cultural legacy of Crimean Tatars as well. Thus, for the period of occupation of Tavrida, they several times withdrew exhibits, including furniture and books for equipping of officer's club-house. In archive of museum, the documents on taking of exhibits of 1943-1944s were kept. A general number of losses of Central museum of Tavrida for period of occupation includes the following:  the archaeological collection lost 16709 objects, ethnographic - 1293, library - 5000 books, and a list of lost objects of Bakhchisaray museum (in accordance with document #1 from 29th April 1944) - 310. One can state that today a collection of Berlin museum on ethnography contains over 500 exhibits, which during WW I-II were removed from Crimea.

The removal of cultural treasures from Crimea took place in that period, when Crimea was under the jurisdiction of Ukraine. For example, in 1955, from Bakhchisaray historical-archeological museum to Kyiv historical one was given 15 exhibits, in 1958, in Kyiv museum of Russian painting - 6 exhibits, in 1959 in Kahovskyi museum of local lore - 16 exhibits.

The conserved documents testified that the most part of the cultural legacy of Crimean Tatars was removed in 1960-1970: in 1965 in Zaporizhia museum of local lore was given 14 exhibits, in 1964 in Leningrad Russian Museum on History - 1 exhibit, in 1966 in Leningrad State Museum Hermitage - 3 exhibits, in 1975 in Lviv Museum on History, Religion and Atheism - 30 exhibits, in 1976, with permit of the Ministry of Culture of Ukrainian SSR from 29 April 1976 in library by Salitov-Shchedrin (Peterburg) was given 337 exhibits, in 1993 in Kyiv Historical Museum - 89 exhibits.

This is not complete information. It considers only the most valuable: the best models of ethnographical collection, objects of numismatics, mainly, gold and silver, kinds of cold steel and guns, pictures and works of arts and crafts, and ancient manuscripts. The wording of documents on transfer is monotonous: for increase of funds of such museum ask to inform following. Frequently, an initiator of transfer was a Union or Republican Ministry of Culture. However, there are documents, which testify that an initiator on transfer of exhibits was a leadership of the Bakhchisaray museum that from the point of view of museum practice is absurd and illegal. Totally, was withdrawn from Bakhchisaray museum from 1941 up to now 1295 objects of museum keeping. Present requests on return of exhibits to Bakhchisaray reserve received not only refusal, but even a negative appraisal.

Archeological finds. As result of expeditionary-research work of scientists and archival commissions, central institutions and museums of Moscow and Saint-Petersburg, since the beginning of the 19th century a vague number of archeological and ethnographical treasures, was found far more than boundaries of Crimea. Everything that archaeologists found was removed from Crimea to Russia. Even, the Simferopol treasure, which was found already in 1967 and dated by 13 - 15 centuries, and consisted of 328 gold and silver decorations and coins weighing 2,584 kg are kept up to now in funds of the State historical museum of the Russian Federation. Besides, if before the materials, were found during excavations, for example, Solkhat - a cultural center of a great Golden Horde region, and were removed to the Hermitage, then now the situation is worse. Currently, a removal of cultural property outside the Ukraine is prohibited under law, and local museums can take away only five per cent of found things, it means that 95% of found items simply are hidden or are illegally removed, they disappear already forever or in private collections, or are for sale on the world auctions.

A return of archival material. In the Central State archive of the CrimASSR by beginning of the war there were documental materials from 1916 to 1938's with general number of 914 funds, and 214781 objects being kept. As a result of special arson that was committed by German-Fascist troops on April 10, 1944, the building and its documents were destroyed. However, the documental materials of secret department to the number of 264 funds, and 177418 kept objects were evacuated in connection with a precarious situation in Tumen, where they were kept in the City State Archive of the NKVD. How to return them, if they are most valuable materials on life of Crimea?

In Crimea there is information about the presence of many documents, enlightening the political, economical and military relations between the Crimean Khanate and Ottoman Empire in the State Ottoman Archive of Turkey (Istanbul), and between Crimea and Russia - in the Central State Archive of very old documents of Russia (Moscow). In the collections of the State archives of Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Rumania and Hungary materials very well reflect the diplomatic and political relations with the Crimean Khanate. The Crimean Working Group considers it expedient to ask for the gratuitous transfer of copies of these primary sources concerning the history and culture of Crimean Tatars to Crimean archives and museums.

A restoration of sacred and ritual places. Crimean Tatars, as many other peoples have a practice of sacred places - aziz - having a historical, cultural or religious meaning. Currently, all of them were desecrated, and all of objects for worship were destroyed and used for violation of customs and traditional religious practice of people. This includes areas at Baglar-bashi in Alushta, Aziz-oba, Kirk-azizler, Gazi-Mansur in Bakhchisaray, Odzhakli in Yevpatoria, Gazi shakh Saray in Stariy Krim, Salgir-baba in Simferopol, Kirk-azizler in village Zuya of Simferopol region and others. The Moslem religious buildings are architectural symbols of religion; however, when they remained without owners they lost their protection as well. If at the end of the 18th century in Bakhchisaray alone were 38 mosques, then now remain only 8, and only two of them are active, the rest are used as kitchen of boarding school, housing, movie theatre "Start", sausage department and association of invalids. If in city Karasubazar (Belogorsk) at the end of the 18^th century were 21 mosques, then now there are not any monuments of the medieval architecture, though in the 20's of 20th century the buildings of 2 caravanserais of 17th century, 2 bath-houses "Buyuk-khammam" and "Ermeni-khammam" and three mosques "Khan-dzhami", "Shor-dzami" and "Buyuk-dzhami" were related to monuments, which were under state protection. In the city Gezlev (now Yevpatoria) at the beginning of the 17th century were 26 mosques, in 1786 - 21, now there are only 3. The total number of mosques, which were constructed in 6 cities and 1474 villages of Crimea, by 1786 constituted over 1600, in 1850's they were reduced to 1492. In 20's of the 20th century there were 632 active mosques, in 1937 - 23, and after 1944 up to the end of the 20th century came a period, when one destroyed everything, that could remind the indigenous people of Crimea - cemeteries, religious buildings, and whole villages.

Language and education. The deportation of 1944 was accompanied by well-directed destruction of institutions of national education. Crimean Tatar secondary and the higher schools fully stopped their activity.  According to archival information 371 schools, pedagogical institution, two normal schools, institution of literature and language and numerous libraries were closed. The books and textbooks were collected and burned. In 1940-41, in Crimea there were 191,500 pupils; including 46,000 Crimean Tatars and of them 40,100 were taught in their native language. Of 7,500 of teachers, who worked in schools of the Crimean ASSR, over 3,000 of them were Crimean Tatars. Of 3,007 students in Crimea, 1,089 of them were Crimean Tatars, and of 5,367 students of technical schools - 1,089 of them were representatives of indigenous people.

Is it possible to restore a former system of education?

That's the trouble, as they think in the Foundation on Research and Support of Indigenous peoples of Crimea, that the dynamic of development of Crimean Tatar education in modern period is not yet satisfactory. In Crimea, of 704 child infant schools there is not one with education in the Crimean Tatar language. In 1990, under pressure of parents were opened the first three pre-school groups, in 1991, they constituted 12, in 1992 - 24, in 1993 - 40, in 1994 - 38. However, by 2003 the number of Crimean Tatar groups, was reduced to 20, in which study about 400 children out of 25,200 Crimean Tatar children of ages up to 7 years old. During the 13 years of return, not one Crimean Tatar kindergarten was opened.

The schools of general education. Currently, in Crimea function 641 schools, in which study 274,800 children. In 13 Crimean Tatar schools of general education study 4,070 pupils. In 62 Russian-speaking schools were opened 133 classes with Crimean Tatar language of education, in which study 1802 pupils. Thus, only 5872 pupils, that is 12, 5%, of the total number of pupils of Crimean Tatars study in their native language.

-The necessity for education at all levels in Crimean Tatar is not an extremist, unjustified demand of a minority - said Nadir Bekirov. - There are objective conditions for such raising this question. A lack of higher education in Crimean Tatar results that the living prospects of our graduates are limited. The fact is that an opportunity of receiving of a higher education in Ukrainian and Russian, as well as in languages of any other national minorities (Armenian, Hungarian, Polish and so on) exists in Ukraine or abroad. Currently, it is impossible to receive a higher education in Crimean Tatar any where in the world. But, namely, the Crimean Tatars constitute by number the third largest group of tax-payers in the state.

The ethno-cultural legacy of Crimean Karaites

The main centers of preservation and development of ethno-culture of Karaites in Crimea are their national sacred places: tribal nest - city- fortress Dzhuft-Kale ("Paired fortress") with its temples, ritual ground, Holy Way (Ayruk yol), cemetery- sanctuary with Sacred Oaks - "Balta Tiymez" ("The axe doesn't touch"), complex of temples-kenassa in Yevpatoria with national library, museum, Karaite Religious School (seminary). Before the revolution there were 11 temples-kenasa, about 20 national schools and colleges in Crimea.

- As before, the sacred place Dzhuft-Kale is in catastrophic situation, - tells a researcher on the history of Karaites, scientist Yuri Polkanov. - The architectural buildings and monuments of the cemetery are destroyed. The object is under the jurisdiction of the Bakhchisaray historical-cultural reserve. The department of cave cities, in which composition enters Dzhuft-Kale, is passive, does nothing for preservation of monuments, has no contact with and does not co-ordinate works with the Association of Crimean Karaites. Only, by virtue of activity of society, they started restoration works in the complex of the kenasa, but were not finished because of a lack of funds. An illiteracy of employees of the department results in insult of national and religious feelings. For example, against ritual ground was built a lavatory. The stories of guides and literature, which is selling on monument quite often distort our history and misinform readers, as it happened with a book by Gertsen and Mogarichev, practically not distinguishing Karaites from Jewry. The temples and cemetery-sacred place were not returned to believers up to now.

In the press appeared publications on designing of a rope-way in to the city-fortress. The project was not come to an agreement with Association and Religious government of Crimean Karaites, and heads of clergy of Christians and Moslems, though it can touch also on the interests of the nearby located Svyato-Uspenskyi Monastery and the complex of the Zindzhirli Madrasah. A realization of a project fraught with violation of religious canons concerning places of pilgrimage, and national traditions can result in national and religious conflicts.

In the complex of temples-kenasa in Yevpatoria by donations the Small Kenessa was restored. It is necessary to restore the Big kenassa as well. The building of the Karaite Religious College (seminary) was not returned, where it would be possible to place an ethnocultural center, including reviving library and museum. The national library "Karay bitikligi" in Yevpatoria in 1920 had 8000 volumes of books and 1500 important manuscripts. In 1928, the most part of this fund was destroyed. A part of the books and manuscripts was removed in 1929 to Leningrad (library and museum of Academy of Sciences) and Moscow (Rumyantsevskyi museum and library). In accordance with information of the Fund these materials are in Petersburg department of institution on oriental studies of Russian Academy of Sciences and in the former Lenin library in Moscow and other establishments. In 30's was destroyed a library by I.Kazas in Simferopol.

In a sad state are Karaite's museums. In 1930's was destroyed a national museum under library in Yevpatoria. The valuable clothes with fancy embroidery were sold to artel on tailoring of skull-caps. The local museums of local lore received the objects of material culture, temple plate and literature from closed Karaite kenasa and schools. These materials were in museums of Bakhchisaray, Simferopol, Yevpatoria, Feodosia and Yalta. In period of deportation of 1944, during destruction of ethnographical department in museum of local lore of Simferopol, along with Crimean Tatar, was lost the important material of Crimean Karaites.

The preservation of cultural legacy of Krimchaks

As notes a researcher on the history of this people, Igor Achkinazi, Krimchaks are more assimilated and assimilating community of population of Crimea. The materials of the last census fixed a catastrophic reduction of a number of Krimchaks: from 604 persons in 1989 to 204 ones in 2002. These figures reflect not only a natural "extinction" of Krimchaks, but also their departure from Crimea. Krimchaks - a small ethno-confessional community was formed in the medieval period of history of Crimea by representatives of different ethnoses on the basis that they confessed Orthodox Judaism. A peak of population (evaluative) fell on eve of WW II to 8,000 persons. During the last 200 years, Krimchaks were put on all trials, connected with assimilation - as cultural, as ethnical. Only a small part of the community succeeded to avoid a fascist genocide.

In 1913, Krimchaks independently made a national census, in which they looked for answers on the origin of their own people, and cultural values, which were kept in Krimchaks' families. Up to the end of 30's I. Kay had these materials and before the war he gave them to the Museum of Ethnography of peoples of USSR. Currently, they are kept in department of manuscripts of Russian ethnographical museum in Petersburg. Early in 30's, by virtue of I.Kay some manuscripts were saved from destruction and given through his mediation to the Leningrad department of Institution on oriental studies of AS USSR. One should note by that period in other Leningrad depository - State public library by M.E.Saltikov-Shchedrin already were kept hand-written documents of Krimchaks of Karasubazar which A.Firkovich found 100 years before, and sold to this library in second half of 19th century. Thus, it happened that the sources on history and ethnography of Krimchaks are kept not in Crimea, but mainly in Sankt-Petersburg.

In 50-60's E.I.Peysakh organized the accumulation of different sources on history and ethnography of Krimchaks. In the museum of ethnography of peoples of USSR (modern Russian ethnographic museum) from 1964 started to be formed the first ethnographical collection on Krimchaks, materials on folklore, description of customs and traditions and language were given to the department of manuscripts of this museum, and in Manuscript department of State public library by M.E.Saltikov - Shchedrin. All of them were given in mentioned depositories free of charge - in gift. And when the national-cultural associations, which were established in late 80's - early 90's, initiated an appearance of Crimean ethnographical museum, by that period on Crimean territory remained only single objects illustrating separate elements of culture of Krimchaks.

The cultural-educational association "Krimchahlar" in 1990 initiated establishment of a data bank on the history of Krimchaks, which are kept in Petersburg. By request of association was microfilmed a part of the collection of the fund by E.I.Peysah in State public library. However a preservation of similar materials in kind of photographic film lasting a long time is very unsafe, it is necessary to use digital technologies on making copies of documents. But, a voluntary organization uniting Krimchaks has no sufficient funds for forming of modern archive of copies. Thus, a cultural legacy of Krimchaks is kept mainly in depositaries of Petersburg, but they became practically inaccessible, as for present representatives of community, as for researchers. One can as much as one wants to declare a necessity of preservation of cultural legacy, but without financing of this work a problem will be furthered only on paper, - thinks Igor Achkinazi.