Center of Information
and Documentation for Crimean Tatars
(with assistance of Deputy Chairman Bakhchisaray regional state administration,
member of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Ilmi UMEROV)

LAND DISTRIBUTION FOR CRIMEAN TATARS:
IS THERE A SOLUTION?

Up to 1988, the return to Crimea was categorically prohibited for Crimean Tatars. At the same time, those who did return, in spite of prohibitions, were faced with persecution and repression from the hand of authorities, including even a forcible deportation from Crimea. The situation began to be ameliorated only when the Supreme Council of the USSR, on November 14, 1989, adopted the Declaration "On the recognition as illegal and criminally repressive measures against peoples, who suffered a forcible transfer and on the provision of their rights". However, after adoption of the mentioned Declaration, Crimean authorities continued, with implicit support of Moscow, to make concerted efforts to reduce the number of Crimean Tatars, who return to Crimea. In 1989-1991s, the Crimean authorities organized campaigns against resettlement of Crimean Tatars. However, the policy of limitation not only didn't stop mass repatriation of Crimean Tatars, but also significantly stimulated those living outside Crimea to return immediately to their Motherland. It was an effect of the so-called "closing doors", when it is necessary to hurry, because the authorities can "change their mind".

The accelerating demands of repatriates for housing in Crimea caused prices to sky-rocket. The solution of this issue for tens thousands of returnees could have been a mass allotment of land plots for individual housing construction. However, the Crimean authorities being intractable in their opposition protracted artificially an allotment of land plots for repatriates. Moreover, namely through violent allocation of allotted land plots the Crimean authorities have hoped to reduce a mass repatriation of Crimean Tatars. The authorities raised artificial barriers to land allocation thereby acting to dissuade the repatriates from returning. At the same time, in 1988-1990s in Crimea a mass distribution to post-war settlers was made for country-houses and for horticultural-garden companies, of lands, which were most appropriate for resettlement of repatriates. In answer to the local authorities, which opposed their aspiration to resettle in their Motherland the Crimean Tatars began to help themselves to land. In this connection, there appeared many large settlements of repatriates, in which were resettled tens of thousands families. Only after in 2-3 years were these settlements legalized. As a result of such opposition much precious time was lost. During this period the personal economies of most of the repatriates were "demolished" by swelling inflation, and their savings were exhausted. One could have avoided these problems, if at the time the Crimean authorities had not taken so ill-disposed a position towards Crimean Tatars coming back to their homeland.

The solution for the problem of obtaining Ukrainian citizenship for Crimean Tatars was difficult. Here one should note that first of all those Crimean Tatars who returned to Crimea after October 1991 faced this issue. The Ukrainian Law "On citizenship of Ukraine", did not contain provisions for problems arising out of mass repatriation of peoples. It was necessary to search for many years to find mechanisms by which tens of thousands of persons, who had returned to Crimea from Uzbekistan, could be considered free citizens of Ukraine. Unfortunately, the issue of a simplified procedure for formerly deported Crimean Tatars and their children to renounce Russian and acquire Ukrainian citizenship remains unresolved for those, who return to Ukraine from Russia. One should note that during the first phase of repatriation of Crimean Tatars (several years) many officials of Ukraine felt that the issue of obtaining citizenship of Ukraine by Crimean Tatars, who were coming back from places of deportation, was not realistic. Instead of finding solutions for this issue, they frequently speculated that: "Crimean Tatars don’t really want to acquire Ukrainian citizenship". This lasted until the President of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma, took on the solution of the issue. The Agreement on citizenship for formerly deported citizens and their children that was signed between the President of Ukraine and President of Uzbekistan has allowed in the course of one year for over 50,000 Crimean Tatars, who have returned to Crimea, to acquire Ukrainian citizenship. However, even in this case, one lost precious time, when tens of thousands of Crimean Tatars could not enjoy political and economic rights. In this connection, they could not fulfill their wish to be citizens of Ukraine. In March 1998 tens of thousands of Crimean Tatars were not allowed to take part in parliamentary elections and forming organs of power of the ARC. It is reprehensible that this disallowance for a significant number of Crimean Tatars to take part in elections was a so-called "present" to mainly leftist forces and pro-Russian organizations of the Crimean peninsula. During 1998 the positions of the Communist Party of Ukraine and other anti-state political forces were significantly consolidated.

Without delving too deeply into the citizenship issue in the present article, it still remains a real one for several ten's of thousands of Crimean Tatars who have returned to Crimea, not to speak of those who still remain in places of deportation. One notes only that people lay big hopes for adoption of a new version of the Law "On citizenship of Ukraine", which was considered, in first recitation, by the Parliament of Ukraine.

It would seem that the enumerated blunders (are they the blunders?) would have taught the state organs of power to attach more importance to the specific Crimean issue during implementation of any legal innovations in the Ukrainian community. Pursuing agrarian reform in Ukraine, specifically in transferring state agricultural lands as private property to citizens of Ukraine, that we appreciate as a positive measure, when it pertains to the Crimean Autonomous Republic reinforces the economic inequality of repatriates in comparison with other residents of Crimea and creates new problems in relations between them. A significant number of Crimean Tatars living in villages, according to requirements, which were defined by State, were not members of collective enterprises, in this connection, were not included in lists of citizens of Ukraine, who have a right to get a land share.

Some statistics:

According to information of the State Committee on Statistics, on 1 January 2000, the total number of the population of the ARC (without Sevastopol) constitutes 2,086 million persons, including the rural population-974, 200 persons, including 158,300 Crimean Tatars who are citizens of Ukraine, which constitute 16,2% of the total number of the rural population of Crimea. (With account of non-citizens the number of Crimean Tatars living in villages of the ARC constitutes about 188,000 or 19,2% of the rural population of the ARC-ed.)

The number of adults (over 18 years) in 14 rural regions of the ARC constitutes 666,200 persons, including 132,900 Crimean Tatars (citizens of Ukraine-117, 076) that constitute 20%.

Thus of about 786,200 (974,200-188,000) of the rural population of Crimea of other national groups 180,965 (199,311-18,346) persons received certificates for land shares or 23,1%. Of about 188,000 Crimean Tatar's villagers only 18,346 or 9,7% receive certificates.

We already mentioned above that 71% of returned Crimean Tatars live in villages. Therefore, for them, as for any person living in a village, the issue of the presence or lack of private land is an issue of survival of his family and providing the for children future. Naturally it is not an exaggeration to say that in the course of events the claims related to land issues have a specific importance in the Crimean conditions and require unique solutions in order to be fair.

Crimean Tatars, being concerned that they were being left aside in this process, started an active campaign of protests. Everywhere they began to hold meetings, picketing with demands to provide an equal participation of Crimean Tatars in land distribution. A case in point, in the Simferopol region attempt was made to redistribute the lands of the “Urozhaynoye” collective enterprise. As Kyiv, as Crimean authorities know about difficulties of land distribution in the ARC. The President of Ukraine gave the appropriate instructions, but most of the officials are not ready to take any concretive mechanisms for regulation of present situation. For them more easy using the present normative acts than take a responsibility themselves to submit any proposals to the President of Ukraine for amendments and additions in current decrees on land reform, which were adopted by them.

In this situation, it is worth to pay attention on experience of the Bakhchisaray regional administration, which after detailed studying of land situation in region, made a conclusion on opportunity to redistribute lands. It stands to reason that prior to making such recommendations detailed analysis should be conducted. One estimates that every land share, on the average, is reduced in 0,31 ha (from 0,18 to 0,97 ha in territories of different rural councils). This variant maintains completely all reserve and resource lands, which the rural councils can use later, including an allotment of land shares for teachers, medics and workers of culture. Besides, one keeps an opportunity to develop villages and enlarge grazing areas, etc. At the same time, one should not forget that many Crimean Tatars are still unable to return to Crimea from their places of deportation.

On 24 April 2000, in Kyiv a "round table" was held, entitled "The ways of overcoming social tensions, appearing in connection with land distribution in Crimea" in the press-club "Irex ProMedia". The Ukrainian Fund “For Support of Reforms” with assistance of the party "The Reforms and Order" organized this "round table". The representatives of the Administration of the President of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Parliament of Ukraine, the heads of Bakhchisaray and Kirovskyi regional state administration, Mr. Tsiganskyi and Mr. Kerichenko and deputy of the Head of the Bakhchisaray regional state administration Mr. Umerov took part in this seminar. A necessity to re-distribute lands to provide the repatriates - Crimean Tatars - equally with the rest of population of Crimea was discussed.

There are as supporters, as opponents of the “Bakhchisaray idea” in bodies of the government. The Chairman of the Parliament of the ARC Mr. Hrach is the point-blank opponent an opportunity to redistribute lands in Crimea. At the same time, the Prime Minister of the ARC, Mr. Kunitsin, supported the idea of possible redistribution, because he thinks that this measure can to reduce a tension in the peninsula.

We think that any decision is to direct for the weal of all inhabitants of Crimea. Crimean Tatar people sustained innumerable casualties during forcible deportation and a semi-centennial exile, is to not to face new iniquity already in their Motherland.