Russia. Crimea. History. Nikolay Starikov

of the Constitution of the Republic of Crimea of 1992 and the status of the Crimea as part of Ukraine?”[113]

      The municipal Council of Sevastopol adopted the same day a resolution about the Referendum[114].

      • Crimea. The first deputy of the Prime Minister of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Rustam Temirgaliev said that all Ukrainian property in Crimea would be nationalized in favor of the new authorities of the region; all private property on the territory of the peninsula will be re-registered according to the legislation of the Russian Federation. He pointed out that Crimea is ready to switch into the Ruble’s zone[115].

      7 March 2014. Crimea. The Speaker of the Russian State Duma Sergey Naryshkin stated that Russia would support “a free and democratic choice of Crimean and Sevastopol people”. The same day a delegation of the Crimean deputies had a meeting with the Speaker of the Council of Federation of Russia Valentina Matvienko. She assured that if a decision of accession of Crimea to Russia would be made, the members of the Council of Federation would support this[116].

      9 March 2014. Crimea. The first rallies supporting the accession of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea into the Russian Federation took place in Simferopol, Sevastopol, Kerch and Eupatorium. Representatives of the new Crimean authorities called on the people of the peninsula to vote for the reunification with Russia[117].

      • Crimea. As of 9 March, all Ukrainian TV channels stopped broadcasting. Instead, the Russian channels – “The First Channel”, “Russia-24”, NTV, TNT, STS, and “Russia-1” are on air. The local channel “Crimea” also continued to broadcast.

      11 March 2014. Crimea. The Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the Municipal Council of Sevastopol adopted a Declaration of Independence of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol. According to it, in case of the Crimean Referendum’s decision to reunite with Russia, Crimea will be declared a sovereign Republic and – according to this international status – will re-unite with the Russian Federation as one of its subjects[118].

      13 March 2014. Crimea. The four leading political parties of Crimea adopted a Memorandum about the full cooperation in expediting of free will of Crimeans during the All-Crimean referendum. The document was signed by the head of the Crimean Regional organization of the Party of Regions Vladimir Konstantinov, the leader of the “Russian Unity” party Sergey Aksenov, Deputy Chairperson of the Crimean Regional organization of the “Union” (Soyuz) party Svetlana Savchenko, the leader of the Crimean Regional organization of the Communist Party of Ukraine Oleg Solomakhin[119].

      16 March 2014. Crimea. The Referendum was held. Participated 83.1 % of the registered voters of Crimea (without Sevastopol), around 96.77 % out of them voted for the accession of Crimea to Russia. The corresponding figures for Sevastopol were 89.5 % and 95.6 %[120]. Unparalleled surge of spirit and incredibly high turnout at the poll stations. After the end of the ballot, fests were arranged at the central squares of Sevastopol and Simferopol. Streets were overcrowded with people shouting “Russia!” and with a festive salute as a background of the whole action.

      17 March 2014. The President of Russia Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognizing the Republic of Crimea as a sovereign and independent state in which the city of Sevastopol has a special status[121].

      • Crimea. Russia provided Crimea a financial aid in the amount of 15 billion Rubles[122].

      18 March 2014. Russia and Crimea signed a Treaty about the accession of the Republic of Crimea into the Russian Federation. The signing ceremony took place in the Georgian Hall of the Kremlin. The Document was signed by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin, the Chairman of the State Council of Crimea Vladimir Konstantinov, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Crimea Sergey Aksenov and the municipal head of Sevastopol Alexey Chaly. Simultaneously to the accession of Crimea into the Russian Federation, there were constitutionalized two new subjects of Federation – the Republic of Crimea and a City of Federal subordination Sevastopol[123]. The State Duma adopted the appropriate federal constitutional law[124].

      • Crimea. An unknown sniper of a subversive group of the “Right Sector” has shot dead a Cossack – a member of the Crimean self-defense force – just few steps from the gates of a Ukrainian military installation. The same sniper just in seconds has also killed a Ukrainian soldier, thus instigating a confrontation[125]. All Ukrainian mass media immediately raised a hysteria – Russia assaulted a Ukrainian army, blood was shed![126] Afterwards, some Russian media published a detailed description of the incident and the hysteria came to naught. Historians of the future will tell how many subversive group were neutralized during these historical days. However, one such group has not unfortunately been neutralized on time – as the result the price of the accession of Crimea to Russia is two human lives[127]. They are – a volunteer from Volgograd Ruslan Kazakov[128], and a Ukrainian trooper Sergey Kokurin, killed by the same sniper. Russian names, Russian family names – from both sides. Nothing gives us understand more explicitly, how nominal are the boundaries, which have split one great nation…

      21 March 2014. Vladimir Putin signed the Federal Constitutional Law about the accession of Crimea into the Russian Federation and about the formation of two new subjects of Federation – the Republic of Crimea and a City of Federal subordination Sevastopol. Together with the law, Putin has approved the ratification of the Agreement on the accession of Crimean Republic into the Russian Federation and the formation within the Russian Federation of new subjects. Simultaneously a decree on the establishment of the Crimean Federal District was signed[129].

      The feelings of Russian citizens at those days can be best of all described by the words of Alexander Vassilievich Suvorov: “I am Russian! What a delight!”

      18 March 2014. The President of Russia addressed in Kremlin a speech to the deputies of the State Duma, to the members of the Council of Federation, to the heads of the regions of the country and civil society representatives in connection of the appeal of Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol for admission to the Russian Federation. This speech is very unusual[130]. This speech of Vladimir Putin is, perhaps, one of the best in his entire career. The head of our state spoke very clearly, resolute, colorful and – what is very important – very fair and square. It was possible to summarize the provisional outcome of that struggle on the territory of Ukraine, which was imposed on us by the West by funding and masterminding the coup d’état in Kiev. The Treaty of the accession of Crimea into Russia was signed, “the Crimean round” Russia won clearly. However, ahead we have hard and painstaking work on returning onto the orbit of the Russian world of the people of Ukraine. Those people, who were for two decades exposed to aggressive media attacks and who were brought up in the spirit of Russo phobia and hatred toward our common historical homeland[131].

      Let us quote here the most brilliant moments, when the head of Russia has spoken out, what was deep in hearts of all Russian people, when he explained why we have been always perceiving Crimea as a part of our country.

      “Everything in Crimea speaks of our shared history and pride. This is the location of ancient Chersoneses, where Prince Vladimir was baptized. His spiritual feat of adopting

113

The Crimean parliament decided to join Russia and appointed a referendum at 16 March. http://www.politnavigator.net/parlament-kryma-naznachil-referendum-o-vkhozhdenii-v-rossiyu-na-16-marta.html (in Russian).

114

S. Krasilnikov. Sevastopol City Council decided to hold a referendum 16 March on the accession of the city into the Russian Federation. http://itar-tass.com/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/1027055 (in Russian).

115

Crimean authorities have promised to hold a nationalization. http://lenta.ru/news/2014/03/06/nationalise/ (in Russian).

116

Naryshkin: the Russian Federation will support a “free and democratic choice of the population of Crimea and Sevastopol”. http://itar-tass.com/politika/1027950 (in Russian).

117

V. Matytsyn. In the center of Simferopol a rally held for joining Russia. http://itar-tass.com/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/1032682 (in Russian).

118

The Crimean Speaker: a return of Crimea into Ukraine on the former terms is impossible. http://ria.ru/society/20140311/999005660.html (in Russian).

119

Crimean political parties signed a memorandum of assistance at the time of the referendum. http://news.allcrimea.net/news/2014/3/13/partii-kryma-podpisali-memorandum-o-sodeistvii-na-vremya-provedeniya-referenduma-7367/ (in Russian).

120

Malyshev: for reunification with Russia voted 96.77 % of Crimeans, who took part in the referendum. http://itar-tass.com/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/1052196 (in Russian).

121

Putin signed a decree recognizing the independence of Crimea. http://www.forbes.ru/news/252281-putin-podpisal-ukaz-o-priznanii-nezavisimosti-kryma (in Russian).

122

Russia provided Crimea a financial aid for 15 billion Rubles. http://korrespondent.net/ukraine/politics/3320600-rossyia-predostavyla-krymu-fynpomosch-v-summe-15-myllyardov-rublei (in Russian).

123

In the Kremlin, an agreement on the accession of the Crimea and Sevastopol into Russia has been signed. http://www.rosbalt.ru/main/2014/03/18/1245493.html (in Russian).

124

The State Duma adopted the law on the annexation of the Crimea. http://www.rg.ru/2014/03/20/zakon-krim.html (in Russia).

125

M.Sobeski. In Crimea, a sniper opened fire on the self-defense soldiers. http://komtv.org/21835-v-krymu-snajper-otkryl-strelbu-po-bojcam-samooborony/ (in Russian).

126

Bloodshed in Crimea. A Ukrainian soldier is killed. http://www.ua-reporter.com/novosti/148885 (in Russian).

127

Along with the two dead at the rally in Simferopol – four lives altogether.

128

On 30 April 2014, the Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on awarding him posthumously the Order of Courage.

129

In honor of the accession of Crimea in Moscow, in Simferopol and in Sevastopol will be fireworks. http://www.ng.ru/news/461230.html (in Russian).

The full English translation of the speech see: http://eng.kremlin.ru/news/6889or here: http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Address_by_President_of_the_Russian_Federation_on_the_reunification_of_the_Republic_of_Crimea_and_the_city_of_Sevastopol_with_Russia

130

The full text of the speech of the President see: http://russian.rt.com/article/24532#ixzz34LVNOzPn (in Russian).

131

The speech of Putin about the Crimea in the Kremlin is worth reading in full.