On the Brink of a Tatar Revival

 
By Zenia Kish

Crimea is the most densely multicultural area of Ukraine; some 80 ethnic groups co-exist in a territory the size of Lake Erie. One vital patch of this variegated cultural quilt is the population of Crimean Tatars.

A Turkic tribe who accompanied the invading Mongols to Crimea over seven centuries ago, the Tatars suffered a tragic fate in the last century when Stalin accused them of conspiring with the Nazis. He used these trumped-up charges as an excuse to deport the entire population in 1944. More than one-third died of starvation and disease en route. The rest lived out their lives in exile in the Caucasus, mainly Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

Since Ukraine’s independence, the Tatars have been trickling back. Yet, Crimea’s 250,000 Tatars often encounter pervasive legal and social discrimination and are fighting for official recognition of their language, which is marginalized by the Russian school system and administration.

Reclaiming property has also proved to be an uphill battle. Unlike the authorities in the Baltic States, who have returned stolen land to the Tatars, the defiantly pro-Russian Crimean authorities have resisted all efforts at reconciliation and compensation.

“The greatest offence of it all,” quips Tatar resident Lira Sheykhislyamov, “is that when we came back after 40 years of exile, our houses were occupied by Russian settlers who didn’t even take care of them. They were in worse shape than when we left them!”

The preservation of their culture hinges upon the Tatar’s ability to obtain economic autonomy. It’s not an easy task given that they have been denied the valuable arable and coastal lands that belonged to their families before the Stalinist deportation. The high rate of unemployment and underemployment standing at 60 percent demonstrates the extent to which the marginalization of Tatars continues to hinder their economic opportunities.

However, some individuals are carving out economic niches in the tourist industry. They provide excursions, horseback-riding tours, and selling traditional souvenirs.

Other Tatars, like Aidar Asanov, who returned from exile in Uzbekistan, are resuming the economic and cultural life they left behind decades ago. Asanov, who is in his eighties, worked as a silversmith on a street in Bakhchisaray, where more than 70 Tatar artisans had workshops. Now, these are gone.

Yet, Asanov continues to practise his ancient craft. He manipulates slender strands of silver into complex, microscopic, interpolated patterns. Each piece of jewelry is painstakingly crafted over the space of many days, even weeks. “My jewelry is worn by women in Poland, Germany, Russia, Italy, Mexico, and Canada,” he says proudly.  His fine filigree handiwork is so revered that he has been graced with the title of National Artist of Ukraine, and he regularly holds exhibitions around the country and beyond.

Some artists, like prominent Crimean embroidery and ceramic artist Mamut Churlu are using their public visibility to call attention to the state-endorsed discrimination that impedes the economic independence and cultural expression of Tatars. “I think racism in Crimea is a governmental policy and they simply don’t want to give us back our land,” he said in a recently published interview.

He believes art can play a significant role in building new bridges between different groups who have trouble finding common ground. His work is admired beyond Crimea, and the Yushchenko family owns rugs made by him.

“There is enough space in Crimea for all of us,” Churlu asserts. “We are all descendents of different cultures that have lived on the Crimean peninsula since ancient times. Crimean Tatar culture is a unique one, which should be preserved and developed along with other cultures – not destroyed and neglected.”

When President Yushchenko was elected there was hope among the Tatars that their situation would improve. They then became frustrated when they felt Ukraine’s government was slow to recognize their needs.

But in May, the Tatars brokered a deal with the Yushchenko-appointed Prime Minister of Crimea, Anatoliy Matviyenko. The deal has granted them increased government representation and broader economic rights.  The government has also helped to promote awareness of the Tatar cause by giving them a TV channel and media space, and it has promised more encompassing state involvement to improve the Tatars’ plight.