Crimea became the point of no return for Russian revanchism and the first challenge to the legal order of Europe. The events of 2014 changed us all forever, but they especially affected the Crimean Tatars, who had just begun to rebuild their lives after years of deportation and repression. Today, ten years later, they still cannot return to their homeland, the cradle of their nation.
However, the project that the NGO El Cheber team brought to Copenhagen has not leave an impression of tragic fate of Crimea’s population only. Magically, it captured the hearts of the audience with the Crimean Tatars’ passionate respect for their roots and love for Crimea. The Crimean Tatars have not lost their identity, but rather enriched their culture, infusing it with new meanings shaped by the realities of their time.
The incredibly profound mastery work of Ukrainian Crimean Tatar ceramist Skybin Rustem , born in deportation in Uzbekistan, is dedicated to reborn and develop the artistic heritage of the Crimean Tatars. Historian Gul’nara Abdulayeva’s academic and thorough knowledge crushes Russian myths about the Crimean Khanate’s supposed militancy and backwardness, proving the khanate’s role in the political ethnogenesis of Europe ( Gulnar Abdula). Zakhida Adylovas awareness and passionate determination are examples of how people dedicate their lives for the preservation of things that will outlive us all. Great thanks to Julia Zaitseva-Kirk for masterful moderation of the panel discussion!
For two hours, the audience in the Ungdommens Demokratihus was deeply moved, getting just a glimpse into the beautiful world of cultures art and the intertwined fates of the Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian peoples. El Cheber came to Copenhagen at the invitation of UaDialogues to open us Crimea we never knew. But in truth, they showed us an incredibly passionate love for their land, something we all share.
We thank everyone who was with us yesterday and who supports our guests in their research and educational mission!
