“The tragedy we must not forget”

Seventy-two years ago Crimean Tatars were deported. On May 18, 1944, the Stalin’s regime of Soviet Union had forcibly relocated 180,000 Crimean Tatars. In boxcars, they were sent into exile to Central Asia.

The sad anniversary has seen a number of events and actions throughout Ukraine. Highest state officials, including President Petro Poroshenko, head of the National Security Council Oleksandr Turchynov, Speaker Andrii Parubii and many others, expressed their sympathy. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has published a video on the Day of Remembrance of the genocide committed against Crimean Tatar people, which includes the following quote: “On May 18, 1944, officers of the NKVD came to Crimean Tatar houses and announced the owners that they would be deported from Crimea because of their betrayal.”

Meanwhile, the EU has commented on a ban on commemoration of the Crimean Tatars’ tragedy in the occupied Crimea: “Barring a peaceful, independent public commemoration of the historic tragedy of Crimean Tatars is unacceptable.”

The victims of deportation were honored by politicians and Ukrainian general public alike.

In Kyiv, a commemoration event was held near the red building of Taras Shevchenko University, organized by the university’s Student Parliament and the Student Council of Crimean Tatars.

The initiative was supported by students and teachers. Crimean Tatar students stood out from the crowd – they were dressed in national clothes or wrapped in flags of Crimean Tatar people.

“It is a tragedy we must not forget. In the circumstances of Crimea’s annexation and the terrible pressure exerted against Crimean Tatars, the tragedy acquires a new meaning,” said Tetiana Fedorchuk, the head of the Student Parliament. “We want to achieve maximum publicity, so that those who haven’t heard of it were informed – and those, who want us all to forget the deportation of Crimean Tatars, would never achieve their goals.”