A new majority coalition formed in the Parliament of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea on September 29 quickly appointed new deputy prime ministers. The new coalition includes the Rukh-Qurultay, Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and Communist factions, and part of the Party of Regions. The Crimean leadership stated that the changes were made to curb political emotions on the peninsula. The opposition, which now consists of the For Yanukovych Bloc and Russian Bloc, described the new parliamentary coalition as an artificial one and said it will be a short-lived one. Speaker of the Parliament, Anatoliy Hrytsenko noted that the measures taken will ensure the normal working of the government because a number of MPs regularly disrupt it.

Parliamentary Development Project for Ukraine (PDP II )-News, 29 September 2009

On September 21, Yalta hosted the Open Championship of Crimea in Crimean Tatar wrestling Kuresh (a variety of belt wrestling). The Championship was held upon the initiative of Rustem Kazakov, a director of the Sports Club "Batyr Bohatyr," who is also an Olympic and twice world champion. The participants were wrestling right on Yalta Embankment, the Black Sea coast. Ilimdar Saidov of Kezlev, a master of sports in freestyle wrestling and a twice champion of Ukraine in freestyle wrestling among juniors became the winner of the competition.

E-Crimea News Agency, 18 September 2009
Crimean News Agency, 23 September 2009

On August 23, a rally was held in Simferopol to commemorate the victims of Stalinism and Nazism. This event was organized by the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people in cooperation with Crimean organizations of Narodnyy Rukh, Ukrainian People's Party, and Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists. 23 August 2009 marked the seventieth anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, signed by Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. This non-aggression Pact also included a secret protocol dividing Northern and Eastern Europe. The European Parliament and the OSCE designated 23 August as the European Day of Remembrance to Honor the Victims of National Socialism and Communism, with the aim of preserving the memory of the victims of mass deportations and executions. The participants in the Simferopol demonstration carried Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar flags as well as banners in Crimean Tatar, Ukrainian and English Languages. During the rally, a public prayer for those who died as a result of political repression and violence was cited by Haji Emirali Ablayev, the Mufti of Crimean Muslims.

E-Crimea News Agency, 23 August 2009

On August 8 and 9, Crimean Tatars and other ethnic minorities in Simferopol observed the International Day of the World's Indigenous People by organizing festive activities and a round-table discussion on the problems of the indigenous peoples of Eurasia. Participating organizations were Foundation for Research and Support of Indigenous Peoples of Crimea (FRSIPC), Republican Association of Karaims (Kirimkaraylar) and National and Cultural Society of Krimchaks. Activities included folk dancing, traditional sports of wrestling (Kuresh) and weight lifting, concerts featuring Tatar, Karaim, Krimchack, Nogay, Kalmyk and Khakassian folksongs as well as exhibition and sale of handcrafts and native foods.
Photographs relating to these events can be seen on Flickr Web site, posted by the FRSIPC.

Crimean Girls at Indigenous Day Festivities

In early August, Susanna Jamaladinova (Jamala), a singer of Crimean Tatar descent, won the first prize at the prestigious song competition Nova Khvylia (New Wave) in Yurmala, Latvia. Jamala's wonderful, unique voice and professionalism astonished the sophisticated listeners at this famous contest. Having acquired 358 points, Jamala made the whole auditorium burst into applause, who stood up three times during her performances. She was voted the best among 16 talented singers from a number of countries, including France, Italy, Georgia, Russia, China, Finland and Belarus.

Jamala's family lives in Kuru-Uzen, Alushta region, Crimea. Recalling her childhood, Jamala mentioned that her grandmother was always singing Crimean Tatar songs and believed that her granddaughter would be singing them too. Now she is making her dreams come true by singing, and through her songs she is touching the very bottom of our hearts. Jamala's winning performance at Yurmala opened new horizons and challenges for her, providing further opportunities for development of her talents.

Unian News Agency, 2 August 2009 and 6 August 2009
See also Jamala's performance on: You Tube

The First World Congress of Crimean Tatars was held in Crimea, May 19-22, 2009, following the observance of the 65th anniversary of Surgun (Deportation) in Simferopol on May 18. More than a year in planning, the Congress aimed to bring together representatives of Crimean Tatar organizations throughout the world. The opening ceremonies took in Bahçesaray, in the presence of over 800 delegates representing 162 ethnic organizations in 12 countries. The group adopted a declaration establishing the Congress as an international organization and elected members of the Coordinating Council. Mustafa Jemilev was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and the Congress drafted communications to various bodies of the Ukrainian government as well as international organizations such as European Union and the OSCE. For an excellent analysis of the recent Crimean Tatar political activities and The World Congress, and the implications for the Ukrainian state, please see: Mykyta Kasianenko's excellent article, "Mustafa Jemilev nominated for Nobel Peace Prize" as well as Ayla Bakkalli's Report on the World Congress.

A Wreath-Laying Ceremony was held on Monday, 18 May 2009, to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the deportation of Crimean Tatars and other nationalities from Crimea in 1944. The event took place at the Victims of Communism Memorial, Massachusetts Ave., NW and New Jersey Ave., NW, Washington, DC (about two blocks from the Union Station), at 6:00-6:30 pm. Organized by International Committee for Crimea, Ukraina Citizens International Association and U.S.-Ukraine Foundation, the event was attended by Crimean Tatars, members of the Ukrainian American community and representatives from the Assembly of Turkish American Associations.

In December 2008, The Ukrainian Parliament approved a list of significant dates in Ukrainian history that will be observed officially in 2009. Accordingly, the 65th anniversary of the deportation of Crimean Tatars and other nationalities (Crimean Greeks, Armenian, Bulgarians and Gypsies) from their homeland is one of these dates. Speakers at the Wreath-Laying Ceremony included Olexandr Aleksandrovych, Embassy of Ukraine, Washington, DC; Yuri Miroshnychenko, a member of the Parliament of Ukraine (Verkhovna Rada), Kyiv; Greta Uehling, anthropologist and author; and Inci Bowman, International Committee for Crimea. For additional information on the Wreath-Laying Ceremony, see the Report.

The 65th anniversary of the Deportation was also observed in Simferopol, Crimea. The large event was attended by about 35,000 Crimean Tatars, their leaders, the members of Crimean Tatar diaspora who were in town for The World Congress as well as the officials of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. A banner covered the wall of the balcony from where the speakers addressed the audience and had the following words written in Ukrainian: "May 18 - the Memorial Day of the Victims of Genocide of the Crimean Tatar Nation." The Ukrainian Secret Service (SBU) also presented the Crimean Tatar leadership with recently classified archival documents relating to former Milli Firka members who were executed in the 1930s by the former Soviet authorities. The SBU's gesture was received as a welcomed move by the Crimean Tatars. For additional information on the Simferopol meeting, please see Idil P. Izmirli's report, Day of Trauma....