Main points
- On May 18, Ukraine celebrates the Day of Struggle for the Rights of the Crimean Tatar People and honors the memory of the victims of deportation.
- Ukrainian stars, Jamala and Akhtem Seitablaev, who are of Crimean Tatar origin, actively support the right of their people to return and preserve their cultural heritage.
Ukrainian stars of Crimean Tatar origin / Collage of Channel 24
Today, May 18, Ukraine celebrates the Day of Struggle for the Rights of the Crimean Tatar People. Among the representatives of Ukrainian show business, there are many who have Crimean Tatar roots, as well as those who were born and raised in Crimea.
It is important to remember this date, because it should be sacred for everyone. Therefore, Channel 24 today will tell not only about famous people, but also about the history of this day.
Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Genocide of the Crimean Tatar People – May 18
Today, Ukraine celebrates not only the Day of Struggle for the Rights of the Crimean Tatar People, but also honors the memory of the victims of the policies of the Soviet regime.
According to the website of the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine, in 1944 the Soviet totalitarian regime began the forced deportation of Tatars from Crimea. In just a few days, over 190,000 people were forcibly deported in freight cars to Central Asia and remote regions of the USSR.
People lost not only their homes, but they were also deprived of the right to speak their native language, have their own history and future.
Thousands died in the first years of exile due to hunger, disease, exhaustion, and inhumane conditions.
In 2014, when Russia occupied Crimea, it again resorted to repression of Crimean Tatars, imitating Soviet policies.
Which Ukrainian stars are of Crimean Tatar origin?
Jamala
The Ukrainian singer of Crimean Tatar-Armenian origin was born in Kyrgyzstan and raised in Crimea, in the village of Malorichenske near Alushta.
In 2016, the artist represented our country at Eurovision with the song “1944”. Her track told about the tragic events of the past, which should not happen again. The star was inspired to write the composition by her grandmother's stories about the deportation of Crimean Tatars and the annexation of Crimea. This was the first time that the Crimean Tatar language was heard on the Eurovision stage.
Jamala – “1944” (Eurovision-2016): watch the video online
At the time, the Russians claimed that the text was politicized, but the European Broadcasting Union recognized that the track did not violate the rules of the competition.
Today, May 18, Jamala posted a post on social media with an archive photo of herself with her grandmother. The star wrote that this is not just a date for her.
On this day, I always see my great-grandmother Nazilkhan before my eyes. Her stories about five in the morning, the carriages, the death of her daughter… For Crimean Tatars, this is a memory that cannot be extinguished or forgotten,
– the singer wrote poignantly.
Jamala with her grandmother / Photo from the star's Instagram
Recall that in 2024, the Russian occupiers took away the property of Jamala and her parents in Crimea, including two plots of land and a house in Alushta.
The property of the winner of Eurovision 2016 has already been cynically sold. The invaders have stated that they want to use the funds to finance the Russian army, which is committing genocide against Ukrainians.
Akhtem Seitablaev
Akhtem is known as a Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar film actor, director, screenwriter, and Honored Artist of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
The man was born near Tashkent and comes from a family of deported Crimean Tatars. Later, his family moved to Crimea, where Akhtem began to develop as a director.
When Russia illegally occupied Crimea in 2014, the actor began to speak openly about the territorial integrity of Ukraine and condemned and continues to condemn the actions of the aggressor country. During that period, he made the film “Haytarma”, which tells the story of the forced deportation of Crimean Tatars in 1944.
“Haytarma”: watch the movie online
On the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Deportation of the Crimean Tatar People, Akhtem published a post in which he shared his own pain regarding the tragic page of the history of this people.
But we were not broken. We persevered and sprouted, like those seeds thrown into a foreign land. Despite decades of exile, humiliation and persecution, my people preserved their language, culture, memory and faith in return. We knew that sooner or later we would set foot on our land again,
– the director emphasized.
He emphasized that the responsibility for the future of this history lies with everyone, because the struggle continues.
At the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Akhtem Seitablaev joined the defense of Ukraine. Today, Akhtem Seitablaev is the artistic director of a creative team that documents war crimes and works on documentary projects about territorial defense units.
Akhtem Seitablaev / Photo from Instagram
Which Ukrainian stars were born in Crimea?
Masha Efrosinina was born in Kerch. Due to the occupation, her family lost the opportunity to visit the graves of loved ones buried on the peninsula.
Nadya Dorofeeva always remembers Crimea as her home. The singer was born in Simferopol and does not give up hope that her small homeland will be freed from the hands of the invaders.
Ksenia Mishina was born in Sevastopol. Despite the fact that she continued to build her acting career in the capital, her heart will forever be in Crimea.