On February 19, 1954, a decree was adopted on the transfer of the Crimean region to the Ukrainian SSR. Nikita Khrushchev handed Crimea over to Ukraine with a broad gesture.
Credit history
One of the versions of the transfer of Crimea is a "credit history" linking the RSFSR and the American Jewish organization "Joint". The idea of resettlement of Jews to Crimea began to be discussed immediately after the end of the Civil War.
The question was actively lobbied by foreign foundations. The Politburo discussed this project on several occasions. His active supporters were Trotsky, Kamenev, Zinoviev, Bukharin, Rykov. A branch of Agro-Joint Bank was established in Simferopol. In January 1924, the talk was already about "an autonomous Jewish government, federated with Russia," a draft decree was prepared on the creation of a Jewish Autonomous SSR in the northern part of Crimea. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency (ETA) on February 20, 1924, spread a message abroad. In 1929 an agreement was signed between the RSFSR and the Joint organization. The document, which bore the beautiful name "On Crimean California", contained the obligations of the parties. The Joint allocated the USSR $ 1.5 million a year (up to 1936 it received $ 20 million), and for this amount the CEC left 375 thousand hectares of Crimean land as a pledge. They were converted into shares that were bought by more than 200 Americans, including politicians Roosevelt and Hoover, financiers Rockefeller and Marshall, General MacArthur.
The decision to create "Crimean California" was delayed. During the Tehran conference, Roosevelt reminded Stalin of his obligations, the secretary general was in no hurry, but some historians explain the deportation of the Tatars in 1944 by the liberation of Crimea for Jewish settlers.
1954 was the deadline for paying off debts and Khrushchev made a "knight's move", giving Crimea to Ukraine.
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National question
One of the main "Crimean" issues is the national issue. In 1944, the deportation of peoples began from the Crimea. Usually they only talk about the deportation of Tatars, but not only Tatars were evicted. Greeks (almost 15 thousand) and Bulgarians (12.5 thousand) were deported. The Tatars left most of all for Uzbekistan. Greeks and Bulgarians were settled in Central Asia, in Kazakhstan and in some regions of the RSFSR. According to the 1939 census, about 50% of Russians, 25% of Tatars and only 10.2% of Ukrainians lived in Crimea. After the deportation of the Tatars in 1944, the Crimea "howled". Agriculture suffered especially heavy losses. In 1950, compared with 1940, the production of grain fell by almost five times, three times - tobacco, half - vegetables. In 1953, 29 grocery stores and 11 manufactured goods stores operated throughout the region. In the 1960s, the process of the return of the Tatars and the settlement of the Crimea by Ukrainians and Russians began. There was a voluntary-compulsory Ukrainization. Everywhere, except for Sevastopol, the Ukrainian language was introduced into the school curriculum. Today there are more than 2 million people in Crimea. 1 million - Russians, more than 400 thousand - Ukrainians and 240 thousand - Tatars. It is not surprising that the words "One country, one people, one religion" are perceived in Crimea at least ambiguously.
Historical background
The transfer of Crimea to Ukraine is an idea that was in the air for ten years before 1954. Even at the height of the Great Patriotic War, when the Germans were driven out of the peninsula, Khrushchev, who was then the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine, ordered to draw up a certificate on Crimea. Khrushchev searched the archives for historical ties between Russia and Ukraine. One of the employees of the apparatus recalled that Nikita Sergeevich told him about 1944: “I was in Moscow and said:“Ukraine is in ruin, and everyone is pulling out of it. And if you give her Crimea? " So after that, as soon as they did not call me and as soon as my soul was not shaken. We were ready to dust it off."
The question of legitimacy
The issue of the legitimacy of the transfer of Crimea is still controversial. The main fuss is raised when the question of a referendum comes up. Allegedly, a nationwide referendum was supposed to be held in the country, but the rights and legal framework of the referendum were not described in the Soviet Constitution, except for the mention in Article 33 that the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR could hold it. Important: I could, but I don't have to. Thus, the question of a referendum is removed. The answer to the question about the body, which has the authority to give or not give consent to change the borders, gives us article 22 of the Constitution: "The highest body of state power of the RSFSR is the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR." According to article 24 "The Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR is the only legislative body of the RSFSR." Article 151 states that amending the Constitution is possible only by a decision of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR,adopted by a majority of "at least two-thirds of the votes." Thus, the amendment of Article 14 of the Constitution of the RSFSR and the removal of the Crimean region from it can be regarded as the consent obtained for the transfer of this region to another union republic. Thus, the legal procedure for the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine in 1954 was absolutely correct. The issue was discussed by the Presidiums of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation and the Ukrainian SSR, they jointly applied to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. And only on the basis of this appeal was a resolution adopted and a decree signed on the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine.the legal procedure for the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine in 1954 was absolutely correct. The issue was discussed by the Presidiums of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation and the Ukrainian SSR, they jointly applied to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. And only on the basis of this appeal was a resolution adopted and a decree signed on the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine.the legal procedure for the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine in 1954 was absolutely correct. The issue was discussed by the Presidiums of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation and the Ukrainian SSR, they jointly applied to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. And only on the basis of this appeal was a resolution adopted and a decree signed on the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine.
Who made the decision?
It is believed that the decision to transfer Crimea was made by Khrushchev. In November 1953 he made a trip to the Crimea. According to his son-in-law, journalist Aleksey Adzhubei, who accompanied him, he was shocked that vegetables and fruits were absent from the state trade in the southern region. It is a common misconception that Khrushchev was Ukrainian and this influenced the decision to transfer Crimea. This is certainly not the case. Khrushchev was not Ukrainian; he never spoke Ukrainian. Another thing is that he had a certain Ukrainian sentiment, as well as a sense of guilt for participating in the repressions. This could indirectly affect, but government decisions are not made at the level of sentimentality, and the decision to transfer was made not only by Khrushchev. The king is made by the retinue. Khrushchev's retinue included Bulganin, Malenkov, Molotov, Kaganovich, Kuusinen. The main role was played by Georgy Malenkov,headed the Council of Ministers.
Author: Kirill Shishkin