Indigenous peoples of Crimea. Change of peoples who inhabited Crimea over the last millennia
Participants in the conference: Kozlov Vladimir Fotievich
On March 16, a referendum on the status of autonomy was held in Crimea. Thanks to 96.77% of the votes, he, along with Sevastopol, became a subject of the Russian Federation. The history of the peninsula with its historical monuments and architectural masterpieces is fraught with a lot of interesting and complex moments. The destinies of many peoples, states and civilizations are intertwined here.
Who owned the peninsula and when? Who fought for it and how? What is Crimea today? We talked about this and much more with the candidate of historical sciences, head of the department of regional history and local history of the Institute of History and Archives of the Russian State University for the Humanities Vladimir Kozlov.
Question: Igor Konstantinovich Ragozin 10:45 02/04/2014
Please tell me what peoples lived in Crimea historically? When did the Russians appear there?
Answers:
Kozlov Vladimir Fotievich 15:33 11/04/2014
Crimea is by far the most multinational region of Russia. For thousands of years, many peoples lived here, replacing each other. The first people appeared in Crimea about 150 thousand years ago, these were Neanderthals. Archaeologists have discovered ancient sites in the Kiik-Koba cave, Volchye and Chokurcha grottoes. Modern people appeared on the peninsula about 35 thousand years ago. Thanks to the Greeks we know about some ancient peoples Crimea and the Northern Black Sea region - the Cimmerians (X-VII centuries BC), their neighbors the Taurus (X-I centuries BC), the Scythians (VII - III centuries AD) Crimea - one from centers ancient Greek civilization, here in the 6th century. BC. appeared Greek colonies- Chersonesos, Paitikapei, Kerkinitida, etc. In the 1st century. BC. - III century AD Roman troops were also present in Crimea, conquering the Bosporus and fortifying themselves in other places on the peninsula. From the beginning of our era, various tribes began to invade Crimea and sometimes linger for a long time: Iranian-speaking Sarmatians (1st - 4th centuries AD), Germanic tribes ready (from the 3rd century AD) Simultaneously with the Goths in the Crimea with northern Caucasus Alan tribes migrate. The appearance of different tribes and peoples in Crimea was, as a rule, accompanied by conquest, and sometimes by the destruction or assimilation of other peoples. In the 4th century. AD part of the warlike nomadic tribes of the Huns invaded Crimea. Crimea existed from the 5th to the 15th centuries. part of the Byzantine civilization. Multinational state Byzantium, which was based on the Greeks, acted as the heir to the Roman Empire in Crimea. In the 7th century AD most Byzantium's possessions in Crimea were captured by the nomadic Turkic Khazars (destroyed in the 10th century by the Slavs). In the 9th century. AD appeared in Crimea Turkic tribes Pechenegs, who in the 11th century. AD replaced by new nomads - the Polovtsians (Cumans). From the 13th century Crimea, which had largely become Christian, was invaded by nomads - the Mongol-Tatars, who eventually, having separated from the Golden Horde, created in the 15th century. your state - Crimean Khanate, which quickly lost its independence and became a vassal of the Turkish Empire until the end of its history (1770s). The most important contribution to the history of Crimea was made by the Armenians (on the peninsula from the 13th century) and the Genoese (in the Crimea in the 13th - 15th centuries). Since the 15th century In Crimea, Turks appear on the southern coast - residents of the Turkish Empire. One of the ancient peoples of Crimea were the Karaites - Turks by origin, who appeared here earlier than the Mongol-Tatars. The multiethnic character of the population of Crimea reflected its history of settlement. The Slavs appeared in Crimea a long time ago: from the 10th century. the campaigns of the Kyiv princes against Byzantium, the baptism of St. Vladimir in Chersonesos are known; in this and other cities of Crimea there were Russian merchant colonies that existed in the 10th - 11th centuries. Principality of Tmutarakan. Russians as slaves were a constant element in the Middle Ages. Russians are constantly present in significant numbers in Crimea (from 1771 to 1783 - as the Russian army), and from 1783 the settlement of Crimea with subjects began Russian Empire, as well as invited Germans, Bulgarians, Poles, etc.
Question: Ivanov DG 10:55 02/04/2014
What was the era of the Crimean Khanate like? Is it possible to talk about it as an independent state with own culture, or is this just a fragment of the Golden Horde, transformed into part of the Ottoman Empire?
Answers:
Kozlov Vladimir Fotievich 09:41 11/04/2014
The Crimean Khanate existed from 1443 to 1783. It was formed on the basis of the Crimean ulus, which broke away from the Golden Horde. However, the truly independent period of the Crimean Khanate did not last long - until the invasion of the troops of the Turkish Sultan in 1475, which captured Caffa, the principality of Theodoro (Mangup). A few years after this, the Crimean Khanate became a vassal of Turkey, the Crimean khans were appointed by the Sultan from the Gerai clan, the Crimean Khan did not have the right to start a war and make peace. Part of the peninsula became part of Turkey. The Crimean Khanate became formally sovereign in 1772, when, as a result of an agreement between Russia and the Crimean Khan, Crimea was declared independent from Turkey under the auspices of Russia. According to the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi Treaty in 1774, Türkiye recognized the independence of Crimea. In February 1783, the last Crimean khan, Shagin-Girey, abdicated the throne and placed himself under the patronage of Catherine II. On April 8, Catherine II announced a Manifesto on the acceptance of the Crimean Peninsula into the Russian Empire.
Question: Sergey Sergeich 11:48 02/04/2014
Is there historical continuity among the various civilizations that inhabited Crimea? Is it possible to say that Chersonesus, Tatar Crimea and Russian Crimea are links in one process or we're talking about about eras isolated from each other?
Question: Irina Tuchkova 12:19 02/04/2014
Will it happen that Crimea will become an eternal sore point in relations between Ukraine and Russia? Will Ukraine be able to come to terms with his loss? (Now in the Ukrainian media we are talking exclusively about the occupation and the need to “liberate” the peninsula)
Question: Pavel Lvov 13:27 02/04/2014
Will Ukraine return Crimea? Are there any prerequisites for this? How will Russia behave if international courts oblige the Russian Federation to withdraw troops from Crimea and return it to Ukraine? Will the residents of Crimea, faced with Russian realities, want to go back? Is a reverse referendum possible? What is the likelihood of an armed confrontation with Ukraine?
Question: Ivan A 14:00 02/04/2014
Crimean Tatars claim their “historical right” to Crimea. Are there any people about whom we can say that they “created Crimea”?
Answers:
Each of the peoples who lived on the peninsula (including those that disappeared) made their contribution to the history of Crimea. It can be argued that today there is no people who “created” Crimea, or have been “indigenous” since its appearance as a people on the territory of the peninsula. Even the most ancient ones, surviving until today peoples - Greeks, Armenians, Karaites, Tatars, etc. were at one time newcomers to the peninsula. Crimea has almost never been the territory of a separate stable independent state. Long time its territory was part of the empires - Byzantine, Turkish and Russian.
Question: Otto 15:45 02/04/2014
Was there a real threat of Crimea being seized from Russia as a result of Crimean War 1853-1856?
Question: Vitaly Titov 16:35 02/04/2014
What caused the Crimean War?
Answers:
Kozlov Vladimir Fotievich 15:34 11/04/2014
The Crimean War (Eastern War 1853-1856) - a war between Russia and the coalition of England, France, the Kingdom of Sardinia and Turkey for dominance in the Middle East. They were the reason for the start of the war. The immediate cause of the war was a dispute over the holy places in Jerusalem. In 1853, Turkey refused the demands of the Russian ambassador to recognize the rights of the Greek (Orthodox) Church regarding holy places; and Emperor Nicholas I ordered Russian troops to occupy the Danube principalities of Moldavia and Volachia, subordinate to Turkey. In October 1853, Turkey declared war on Russia; in February 1854, England and France took the side of Turkey, and in 1855, the Kingdom of Sardinia. According to one of the plans of the allies, Crimea was to be torn away from Russia, but thanks to the decisive operation of the Crimean War - the heroic 349-day defense of Sevastopol, the peninsula with Sevastopol remained with Russia. Russia was prohibited from having a navy, arsenals and fortresses in the Black Sea.
Question: Zizitop 16:54 02/04/2014
Is it true that the Ukrainian history of Crimea began with the site of Neanderthals in the Kiik-Koba cave? In general, is it possible to talk about some kind of " Ukrainian history Crimea" before 1954?
Question: LARISA A 17:02 02/04/2014
Was it worth returning the CRIMEA at all?
Question: Victor FFadeev 17:07 02/04/2014
In 1954, Crimea was transferred to Ukraine as an internal transfer of territory within one state, i.e., the USSR. This is not some kind of geopolitical operation, but ordinary accounting. And why is there suddenly such a stir now around something that has been put in its place. Question: Ukraine is now wringing its hands over Crimea. What is this, Ukrainian ignorance or their political myopia? (L. Kravchuk, the first president of Ukraine, said in his interview that if B. Yeltsin had put then, in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, I have before me a question about Crimea, I would return it without hesitation. But then, apparently, there was no time before that.)
Question: Shebnem Mammadli 17:25 02/04/2014
what was actually the main reason for the deportation of the Crimean Tatars in 1944? Was the official reason given, the alleged collaboration of the majority of the Crimean Tatar population with the occupiers during the German occupation of Crimea, really so plausible as to unreasonably attribute them to the entire Tatar population of Crimea?
Answers:
Justifying the impending deportation of the Crimean Tatars, L. Beria wrote to Stalin on May 10, 1944: “Taking into account the treacherous actions of the Crimean Tatars against Soviet people and based on the undesirability of further residence of the Crimean Tatars on the border outskirts of the Soviet Union, the NKVD of the USSR submits for your consideration a draft decision of the State Defense Committee on the eviction of all Tatars from the territory of Crimea...” Since May 18, 1944, over the course of several days, more than 180 people were evicted from Crimea thousand Crimean Tatars. The eviction of entire peoples, some of whose representatives collaborated with the occupiers, was quite widely practiced in 1943-1944, when Chechens, Karachais, Ingush, Balkars and others were evicted from their homeland. On April 26, 1991, the Supreme Council of the RSFSR adopted the law “On rehabilitation of repressed peoples."
Question: Gondilov Pavel 17:33 02/04/2014
Who did they fight for? Crimean Tatars during the civil war?
Question: Alexander Simonyan 17:51 02/04/2014
What can you say about the contribution of the Armenian people to the history and culture of Crimea?
Answers:
The contribution of Armenians to the history and culture of Crimea is very great. Armenians appeared in Crimea in the 11th-13th centuries. The resettlement came from Constantinople, Sinop, Trebizond. The second wave of resettlement of Armenians to the peninsula occurred in the 14th-15th centuries. The Armenians are the oldest Christian people, they brought a high level of crafts to Crimea, they were skilled blacksmiths, builders, stone carvers, jewelers, and traders. Armenians formed a significant stratum in the medieval cities of Kaffa, Karasubazar, and Gezlev. The oldest monument of Armenian culture is the Sudrb-Khach monastery and the city. Old Crimea. Almost all cities of Crimea had Armenian churches and historical necropolises: In Simferopol, Yalta, Old Crimea, Yevpatoria, Belogorsk, Feodosia, etc. The Armenians had a significant influence on the development of Feodosia. The outstanding marine painter I.K. Aivazovsky lived and worked here, who donated his home and his creative heritage. Big waves Armenian immigrants from Turkey followed in the 1890s and in 1915 in connection with the genocide unleashed there.
Question: Katerina Deeva 22:42 02/04/2014
Fierce battles and grandiose projects were implemented on the peninsula during the reign of Catherine the Great. What was the role of Grigory Potemkin in the annexation and reconstruction of Crimea. Is the name of Grigory Potemkin-Tauride rightly forgotten?
Answers:
Kozlov Vladimir Fotievich 15:34 11/04/2014
In modern historiography, the role of the outstanding Russian statesman and military figure G. A. Potemkin (1739 - 1791) in the development of the Black Sea region and the annexation of Crimea to Russia is underestimated. In 1776, he was appointed governor general of the Novorossiysk, Azov and Astrakhan provinces. It was he who was one of the main founders of new cities - Kherson (1778), Nikolaev (1789). Ekaterinoslav (1783), Sevastopol (1783). It was under his leadership that the construction of military and merchant fleets on the Black Sea was carried out. For his services in the annexation of Crimea, he received the title of “His Serene Highness Prince of Tauris.” It was Potemkin who developed and implemented the project of annexing Crimea to Russia, he took the Crimean population’s oath of allegiance to Russia, in fact organized Empress Catherine II’s visit to the newly annexed Crimea in 1787, and actively participated in the exploration and development of the peninsula. About the contribution of G. A. Potemkin to the annexation of Crimea to Russia, read the books by V. S. Lopatin “Potemkin and His Legend”, “The Serene Highness Prince Potemkin” and others.
Question: Rusinov YUT 01:36 03/04/2014
Was the transition of Crimea to Russia in 1783 accompanied by repressions against the Crimean Tatars? What happened to the elite of the former Crimean Khanate?
Question: VKD 01:50 03/04/2014
How many people actually became victims of the “Red Terror” after the defeat of the Whites in Crimea in 1920?
Answers:
Soon after the abandonment of Crimea by the troops of P.N. Wrangel (November 1920), the Bolshevik government began mass arrests and executions of those who did not want to evacuate from Crimea. The “Red Terror” in Crimea was led by Bela Kun and Rosalia Zemlyachka, who arrived from Moscow. As a result of the “Red Terror” in 1920-1921. According to various sources, many tens of thousands of people were shot in Simferopol, Evpatoria, Sevastopol, Yalta, Feodosia, and Kerch. According to official data, 52 thousand people died without trial or investigation, according to Russian emigration - up to 100 thousand (the latest information was collected based on materials from the former doctors' unions of Crimea). The writer I. Shmelev also cited the number of victims at 120 thousand, he wrote: “I testify that in a rare Russian family in Crimea there was not one or more executed.” Monumental monuments to the victims of the “Red Terror” were installed in the vicinity of Yalta (in Bagreevka), in Feodosia, memorial signs and foundation stones were installed in the vicinity of Sevastopol (Maksimova Dacha), in Evpatoria.
Question: Zotiev 14:42 03/04/2014
Is it true that the historical baptism of Prince Vladimir Yasnoye Solnyshko took place in Crimea? How deep a mark did the Russian Tmutarakan principality leave in Crimea?
Answers:
Kozlov Vladimir Fotievich 09:40 11/04/2014
According to most modern historians, the baptism of Prince Vladimir took place in Kherson (Chersonese) between 988 and 990. Nowadays it is generally accepted to consider 988 as the date of baptism. There are versions that Vladimir was baptized not in Kherson, but in Kyiv or somewhere else. Some historians even suggested that the prince was baptized several times, and the last time in Kherson. In the 19th century, on the site of a medieval temple discovered by archaeologists in Kherson, where, according to some historians, baptism took place, the grandiose Cathedral of St. Vladimir was built. The ancient Russian principality of Tmutarakan did not exist for long (X-XI centuries). Its center was the city of Tmutarakan on the Taman Peninsula (near the modern Taman station). The city with the cathedral was surrounded by a powerful wall. In the 60s of the 11th century, the principality belonged to the possessions of the Chernigov prince Svyatoslav. In the 12th century. under the blows of the Polovtsians it loses its independence. The Tmutarakan principality included the city of Korchev (modern Kerch), located on the Crimean Peninsula.
Question: Best regards, Anton 16:50 03/04/2014
Good afternoon What was the point of transferring Crimea to Ukraine in 1954? Was this decision purely political or did it have some economic reasons?
Answers:
Kozlov Vladimir Fotievich 10:24 11/04/2014
By decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of February 19, 1954, the Crimean region of the RSFSR was transferred to the union republic - Soviet Ukraine. Official reasons The “gifts” were: “common economics, territorial proximity, close economic and cultural ties, anniversary - the 300th anniversary of the reunification of Ukraine and Russia.” In fact, these reasons were of secondary importance - Crimea existed safely as part of the RSFSR and was even quickly restored from ruins after the Great Patriotic War. Khrushchev’s voluntarism in donating Crimea to Ukraine was caused by the need to politically strengthen Khrushchev’s personal power and gain the trust of the Ukrainian party organization. At the shameful meeting of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on February 19, 1954, the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR D. Korotchenko expressed Ukraine’s “heartfelt gratitude to the great Russian people for an exceptionally wonderful act of fraternal assistance.” Unfortunately, the opinions of the “Russian people” of Russia and Crimea were not asked about this.
Question: Misailidi Evgenia 19:00 03/04/2014
Good afternoon Please tell me, is the resettlement of the Greeks from Crimea to the Azov region connected with Catherine’s decision to weaken the economy of the Crimean Khanate, as the Greeks believe, or with the salvation of Christians, as they wrote in history textbooks? Also: in Kerch, a Russian fortress has been preserved from the time of Tsar Alexander II (I could be wrong) on Cape Ak-Burun (not Yenikale, which everyone knows), occupying a huge territory. Officially, it's not even a museum. What do you think is the future prospect of its existence?
Answers:
Kozlov Vladimir Fotievich 10:23 11/04/2014
The resettlement of Crimean Christians (about 19 thousand Greeks, more than 12 thousand Armenians), carried out by A. V. Suvorov from May to November 1778 outside the peninsula, pursued several political and economic goals: weakening the economy of the Crimean Khanate (Greeks and Armenians were important trade and craft element on the peninsula), preserving the lives of Christians in the event of unrest and hostilities in the Crimea, settling the desert regions of New Russia (Azov region) by evicted Crimeans. It is unlikely that Russia would have undertaken this action if it had plans for the immediate conquest of Crimea. On the outskirts of Kerch near Cape Ak-Burun on the seashore on a vast territory (more than 400 hectares) there are numerous fortifications (underground and above ground) created in the second half of the 19th century, which are known as Fort “Totleben” (famous engineer E.I. Totleben built a fortress in the 1860s) or the Kerch fortress. Since the beginning of the 2000s. The fortress ensemble was liberated from the military units located there and transferred to the jurisdiction of the Kerch Historical and Cultural Reserve. Nowadays the museum conducts excursions around part of the fortress territory. The unique fortification structure has enormous excursion and tourism potential.
The fertile climate, picturesque and generous nature of Taurida create almost ideal conditions for human existence. People have inhabited these lands for a long time, so the eventful history of Crimea, dating back centuries, is extremely interesting. Who owned the peninsula and when? Let's find out!
History of Crimea since ancient times
Numerous historical artifacts found by archaeologists here suggest that the ancestors of modern man began to settle fertile lands almost 100 thousand years ago. This is evidenced by the remains of Paleolithic and Mesolithic cultures discovered in the site and Murzak-Koba.
At the beginning of the 12th century BC. e. Tribes of Indo-European nomads, the Cimmerians, appeared on the peninsula, whom ancient historians considered the first people who tried to create the beginnings of some semblance of statehood.
At the dawn of the Bronze Age, they were forced out of the steppe regions by the warlike Scythians, moving closer to the sea coast. The foothill areas and the southern coast were then inhabited by Tauris, who, according to some sources, came from the Caucasus, and in the north-west of the unique region they settled Slavic tribes who migrated from modern Transnistria.
Ancient heyday in history
As the history of Crimea testifies, at the end of the 7th century. BC e. The Hellenes began to actively develop it. Immigrants from Greek cities created colonies, which over time began to prosper. The fertile land gave excellent harvests of barley and wheat, and the presence of convenient harbors contributed to the development of maritime trade. Crafts actively developed and shipping improved.
The port cities grew and became richer, uniting over time into an alliance that became the basis for the creation of the powerful Bosporan kingdom with its capital in, or present-day Kerch. The heyday of an economically developed state, which had a strong army and an excellent fleet, dates back to the 3rd-2nd centuries. BC e. Then an important alliance was concluded with Athens, half of whose need for bread was provided by the Bosporans; their kingdom includes the lands of the Black Sea coast beyond the Kerch Strait, Feodosia, Chersonesos, flourish. But the period of prosperity did not last long. The unreasonable policies of a number of kings led to the depletion of the treasury and the reduction of military personnel.
The nomads took advantage of the situation and began to ravage the country. At first he was forced to enter the Pontic kingdom, then he became a protectorate of Rome, and then of Byzantium. Subsequent invasions of barbarians, among which it is worth highlighting the Sarmatians and Goths, weakened it even more. Of the necklace of once magnificent settlements, only the Roman fortresses in Sudak and Gurzuf remained undestroyed.
Who owned the peninsula in the Middle Ages?
From the history of Crimea it is clear that from the 4th to the 12th centuries. Bulgarians and Turks, Hungarians, Pechenegs and Khazars marked their presence here. The Russian prince Vladimir, having taken Chersonesos by storm, was baptized here in 988. The formidable ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Vytautas, invaded Taurida in 1397, completing his campaign in. Part of the land is part of the state of Theodoro, founded by the Goths. By the middle of the 13th century, the steppe regions were controlled by the Golden Horde. In the next century, some territories were redeemed by the Genoese, and the rest were conquered by the troops of Khan Mamai.
The collapse of the Golden Horde marked the creation of the Crimean Khanate here in 1441, 
independently existed for 36 years. In 1475, the Ottomans invaded the area, to whom the khan swore allegiance. They expelled the Genoese from the colonies, took by storm the capital of the state of Theodoro - the city, exterminating almost all the Goths. The khanate with its administrative center was called the Kafa eyalet in the Ottoman Empire. Then the ethnic composition of the population is finally formed. The Tatars are moving from a nomadic lifestyle to a sedentary one. Not only cattle breeding begins to develop, but also agriculture and gardening, and small tobacco plantations appear.
The Ottomans, at the height of their power, complete their expansion. They move from direct conquest to a policy of hidden expansion, also described in history. The Khanate becomes an outpost for conducting raids on the border territories of Russia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Looted jewelry regularly replenishes the treasury, and captured Slavs are sold into slavery. From the XIV to the XVII centuries. Russian tsars undertake several campaigns to the Crimea through the Wild Field. However, none of them leads to pacification of the restless neighbor.
When did the Russian Empire come to power in Crimea?
An important stage in the history of Crimea. TO early XVIII V. it becomes one of its main strategic goals. Possessing it will not only secure the land border from the south and make it internal. The peninsula is destined to become the cradle of the Black Sea Fleet, which will provide access to the Mediterranean trade routes.
However, significant success in achieving this goal was achieved only in last third centuries - during the reign of Catherine the Great. An army led by Chief General Dolgorukov captured Taurida in 1771. The Crimean Khanate was declared independent, and Khan Giray, a protégé of the Russian crown, was elevated to its throne. Russian-Turkish War 1768-1774 undermined the power of Turkey. Combining military force with cunning diplomacy, Catherine II ensured that in 1783 the Crimean nobility swore allegiance to her.
After this, the infrastructure and economy of the region begins to develop at an impressive pace. Retired Russian soldiers settle here. 
Greeks, Germans and Bulgarians come here in large numbers. In 1784, a military fortress was founded, which was destined to play bright role in the history of Crimea and Russia in general. Roads are being built everywhere. Active grape cultivation contributes to the development of winemaking. South coast becoming increasingly popular among the nobility. turns into resort town. Over a hundred years, the population of the Crimean peninsula increases almost 10 times, its ethnic type. In 1874, 45% of Crimeans were Great Russians and Little Russians, approximately 35% were Crimean Tatars.
Russian domination of the Black Sea has seriously worried a number of European countries. A coalition of the decrepit Ottoman Empire, Great Britain, Austria, Sardinia and France unleashed. The mistakes of the command, which caused the defeat in the battle on , and the lag in the technical equipment of the army led to the fact that, despite the unprecedented heroism of the defenders shown during the year-long siege, the allies captured Sevastopol. After the end of the conflict, the city was returned to Russia in exchange for a number of concessions.
During the Civil War in Crimea, many tragic events occurred that were reflected in history. Since the spring of 1918, German and French expeditionary forces, supported by the Tatars, operated here. The puppet government of Solomon Samoilovich Crimea was replaced by the military power of Denikin and Wrangel. Only the Red Army troops managed to take control of the peninsular perimeter. After this, the so-called Red Terror began, as a result of which from 20 to 120 thousand people died.
In October 1921, it was announced the creation of the Autonomous Crimean Soviet from the areas of the former Tauride province Socialist Republic in the RSFSR, renamed in 1946 into the Crimean region. The new government paid great attention to her. The policy of industrialization led to the emergence of the Kamysh-Burun ship repair plant and, in the same place, a mining and processing plant was built, and a metallurgical plant.
The Great Patriotic War prevented further equipment. 
Already in August 1941, about 60 thousand ethnic Germans who lived on a permanent basis were deported from here, and in November Crimea was abandoned by the Red Army. There were only two centers of resistance to the Nazis left on the peninsula - the Sevastopol fortified area and, but they also fell by the fall of 1942. After the retreat Soviet troops they began to actively act here partisan detachments. The occupation authorities pursued a policy of genocide against “inferior” races. As a result, by the time of liberation from the Nazis, the population of Taurida had decreased almost threefold.
The occupiers were expelled from here. After this, facts of massive cooperation with the fascists of the Crimean Tatars and representatives of some other national minorities were revealed. By decision of the USSR government, more than 183 thousand people of Crimean Tatar origin, a significant number of Bulgarians, Greeks and Armenians were forcibly deported to remote regions of the country. In 1954, the region was included in the Ukrainian SSR at the suggestion of N.S. Khrushchev.
Recent history of Crimea and our days
After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Crimea remained in Ukraine, gaining autonomy with the right to have its own constitution and president. After lengthy negotiations, the basic law of the republic was approved by the Verkhovna Rada. Yuri Meshkov became the first president of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in 1992. Subsequently, relations between official Kiev worsened. The Ukrainian parliament decided in 1995 to abolish the presidency on the peninsula, and in 1998 
President Kuchma signed a Decree approving the new Constitution of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, with the provisions of which not all residents of the republic agreed.
Internal contradictions, which coincided with serious political aggravations between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, split society in 2013. One part of the residents of Crimea was in favor of returning to the Russian Federation, the other was in favor of remaining in Ukraine. On this issue, a referendum was held on March 16, 2014. The majority of Crimeans who took part in the plebiscite voted for reunification with Russia.
Even during the times of the USSR, many were built in Taurida, which was considered an all-Union health resort. had no analogues in the world at all. The development of the region as a resort continued both in the Ukrainian and Russian periods of the history of Crimea. Despite all the interstate contradictions, it still remains a favorite vacation spot for both Russians and Ukrainians. This region is infinitely beautiful and is ready to warmly welcome guests from any country in the world! We suggest in conclusion documentary, Enjoy watching!
Just a year ago, the Crimean peninsula was an integral part of the state of Ukraine. But after March 16, 2014, he changed his “place of registration” and became part of the Russian Federation. Therefore, the increased interest in how Crimea developed is quite understandable. The history of the peninsula is very turbulent and eventful.
The first inhabitants of the ancient land
The history of the peoples of Crimea goes back several thousand years. On the peninsula, researchers discovered the remains of ancient people who lived back in the Paleolithic era. Near the sites of Kiik-Koba and Staroselye, archaeologists found the bones of people who inhabited this area at that time.
In the first millennium BC, Cimmerians, Taurians and Scythians lived here. By the name of one nationality, this territory, or rather its mountainous and coastal parts, is still called Tavrika, Tavria or Taurida. Ancient people engaged in farming and cattle breeding on this not very fertile land, as well as hunting and fishing. The world was new, fresh and cloudless.
Greeks, Romans and Goths
But for some ancient states, sunny Crimea turned out to be very attractive in terms of location. The history of the peninsula also has Greek echoes. Around the 6th-5th centuries, the Greeks began to actively populate this territory. They founded entire colonies here, after which the first states appeared. The Greeks brought with them the benefits of civilization: they actively built temples and theaters, stadiums and baths. At this time, shipbuilding began to develop here. It is with the Greeks that historians associate the development of viticulture. The Greeks also planted olive trees here and collected oil. We can safely say that with the arrival of the Greeks, the history of the development of Crimea received a new impetus.
But a few centuries later, powerful Rome set its sights on this territory and captured part of the coast. This takeover lasted until the 6th century AD. But the greatest damage to the development of the peninsula was caused by the Gothic tribes, who invaded in the 3rd and 4th centuries and thanks to whom the Greek states collapsed. And although the Goths were soon supplanted by other nationalities, the development of Crimea slowed down very much at that time.
Khazaria and Tmutarakan
Crimea is also called ancient Khazaria, and in some Russian chronicles this territory is called Tmutarakan. And that's not at all figurative names the area where Crimea was located. The history of the peninsula has left in speech those toponymic names that at one time or another called this section of the earth's land. Starting from the 5th century, the entire Crimea came under strict Byzantine influence. But already in the 7th century the entire territory of the peninsula (except Chersonesus) was powerful and strong. That is why in Western Europe in many manuscripts the name “Khazar” appears. But Rus' and Khazaria compete all the time, and in 960 the Russian history of Crimea begins. The Kaganate was defeated and all Khazar possessions were subjugated Old Russian state. Now this territory is called Tmutarakan.
By the way, it was here that the Kiev prince Vladimir, who occupied Kherson (Korsun), was officially baptized in 988.
Tatar-Mongol trace
Since the 13th century, the history of the annexation of Crimea again develops according to a military scenario: the Mongol-Tatars invade the peninsula.
Here the Crimean ulus is formed - one of the divisions of the Golden Horde. After the Golden Horde disintegrated, the peninsula emerged in 1443. In 1475, it completely fell under the influence of Turkey. It is from here that numerous raids on Polish, Russian and Ukrainian lands are carried out. Moreover, already at the end of the 15th century, these invasions became widespread and threatened the integrity of both the Moscow state and Poland. The Turks mainly hunted for cheap labor: they captured people and sold them into slavery in the slave markets of Turkey. One of the reasons for the creation of the Zaporozhye Sich in 1554 was to counter these seizures.
Russian history
The history of the transfer of Crimea to Russia continues in 1774, when the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi Peace Treaty was concluded. After the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774, the almost 300-year rule of the Ottoman Empire came to an end. The Turks abandoned Crimea. It was at this time that the largest cities of Sevastopol and Simferopol appeared on the peninsula. Crimea is developing rapidly, money is being invested here, industry and trade are beginning to flourish.
But Türkiye did not abandon plans to regain this attractive territory and was preparing for a new war. We must pay tribute to the Russian army, which did not allow this to happen. After another war In 1791, the Treaty of Jassy was signed.
The volitional decision of Catherine II
So, in fact, the peninsula has now become part of a powerful empire, whose name is Russia. Crimea, whose history included many changes from hand to hand, needed powerful protection. The acquired southern lands had to be protected by ensuring border security. Empress Catherine II instructed Prince Potemkin to study all the advantages and weak sides annexation of Crimea. In 1782, Potemkin wrote a letter to the Empress, in which he insisted on making an important decision. Catherine agrees with his arguments. She understands how important Crimea is both for solving internal government problems and from a foreign policy perspective.
On April 8, 1783, Catherine II issues a Manifesto on the annexation of Crimea. It was a fateful document. It was from this moment, from this date, that Russia, Crimea, the history of the empire and the peninsula were closely intertwined for many centuries. According to the Manifesto, all Crimean residents were promised the protection of this territory from enemies, the preservation of property and faith.
True, the Turks recognized the fact of Crimea’s annexation to Russia only eight months later. All this time, the situation around the peninsula was extremely tense. When the Manifesto was promulgated, first the clergy swore allegiance to the Russian Empire and only then the entire population. On the peninsula, ceremonial celebrations, feasts were held, games and horse races were held, and cannon salutes were fired into the air. As contemporaries noted, all of Crimea passed into the Russian Empire with joy and jubilation.
Since then, Crimea, the history of the peninsula and the way of life of its population have been inextricably linked with all the events that took place in the Russian Empire.
A powerful impetus to development
The brief history of Crimea after its annexation to the Russian Empire can be described in one word - “heyday”. Start here at a fast pace develop industry and Agriculture, winemaking, viticulture. Fishing and salt industries appear in the cities, and people are actively developing trade relations.
Since Crimea is located in a very warm and favorable climate, many rich people wanted to get land here. Nobles, members of the royal family, and industrialists considered it an honor to establish a family estate on the territory of the peninsula. In the 19th - early 20th centuries, a rapid flowering of architecture began here. Industrial magnates, royalty, and the Russian elite build entire palaces here and create beautiful parks that have survived on the territory of Crimea to this day. And following the nobility, people of art, actors, singers, painters, and theatergoers flocked to the peninsula. Crimea becomes the cultural Mecca of the Russian Empire.
Don’t forget about the healing climate of the peninsula. Since doctors proved that the air of Crimea is extremely favorable for the treatment of tuberculosis, a mass pilgrimage began here for those wishing to be cured of this deadly disease. Crimea is becoming attractive not only for bohemian holidays, but also for health tourism.
Together with the whole country
At the beginning of the 20th century, the peninsula developed along with the entire country. The October Revolution and the subsequent civil war did not escape him either. It was from Crimea (Yalta, Sevastopol, Feodosia) that the last vessels and ships on which the Russian intelligentsia left Russia left. It was in this place that a mass exodus of White Guards was observed. The country was creating a new system, and Crimea did not lag behind.
It was in the 20s of the last century that Crimea was transformed into an all-Union health resort. In 1919, the Bolsheviks adopted the “Decree of the Council of People’s Commissars on healing areas of national importance.” Crimea is included in it with a red line. A year later, another one was signed important document- decree “On the use of Crimea for the treatment of workers.”
Until the war, the territory of the peninsula was used as a resort for tuberculosis patients. In Yalta in 1922, a specialized Institute of Tuberculosis was even opened. Funding was at the proper level, and soon this research institute became the country's main center for pulmonary surgery.
Epochal Crimean Conference
During the Great Patriotic War, the peninsula became the scene of massive military operations. Here they fought on land and at sea, in the air and in the mountains. Two cities - Kerch and Sevastopol - received the title of hero cities for their significant contribution to the victory over fascism.
True, not all the peoples inhabiting the multinational Crimea fought on the side Soviet army. Some representatives openly supported the invaders. That is why in 1944 Stalin issued a decree on the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people outside the Crimea. Hundreds of trains transported an entire people to Central Asia in one day.
Crimea entered world history due to the fact that the Yalta Conference was held in the Livadia Palace in February 1945. The leaders of the three superpowers - Stalin (USSR), Roosevelt (USA) and Churchill (Great Britain) - signed important international documents in Crimea, according to which the world order was determined for the long post-war decades.
Crimea - Ukrainian
In 1954 a new milestone comes. The Soviet leadership decides to transfer Crimea to the Ukrainian SSR. The history of the peninsula begins to develop according to a new scenario. The initiative came personally from the then head of the CPSU Nikita Khrushchev.
This was done on a special occasion: that year the country celebrated the 300th anniversary of the Pereyaslav Rada. To commemorate this historical date and to demonstrate that the Russian and Ukrainian peoples are united, Crimea was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR. And now the pair “Ukraine - Crimea” has begun to be considered as both a whole and a part of the whole. The history of the peninsula is beginning to be described in modern chronicles from scratch.
Whether this decision was economically justified, whether it was worth taking such a step then - such questions did not even arise at that time. Since the Soviet Union was united, no one attached much importance to whether Crimea would be part of the RSFSR or the Ukrainian SSR.
Autonomy within Ukraine
When the independent Ukrainian state was formed, Crimea received autonomy status. In September 1991, the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Republic was adopted. And on December 1, 1991, a referendum was held in which 54% of Crimean residents supported the independence of Ukraine. In May of the following year, the Constitution of the Republic of Crimea was adopted, and in February 1994, Crimeans elected the first President of the Republic of Crimea. It was Yuri Meshkov.
It was during the years of perestroika that disputes began to arise more and more often that Khrushchev illegally gave Crimea to Ukraine. Pro-Russian sentiment on the peninsula was very strong. Therefore, as soon as the opportunity arose, Crimea returned to Russia again.
Fateful March 2014
While a large-scale state crisis began to grow in Ukraine at the end of 2013 - beginning of 2014, in Crimea voices were increasingly heard that the peninsula should be returned to Russia. On the night of February 26-27, unknown people raised the Russian flag over the building of the Supreme Council of Crimea.
The Supreme Council of Crimea and the Sevastopol City Council adopt a declaration of independence of Crimea. At the same time, the idea was voiced to hold an All-Crimean referendum. It was originally scheduled for March 31, but was then moved two weeks earlier to March 16. The results of the Crimean referendum were impressive: 96.6% of voters were in favor. The overall level of support for this decision on the peninsula was 81.3%.
The modern history of Crimea continues to take shape before our eyes. Not all countries have yet recognized the status of Crimea. But Crimeans live with faith in a bright future.
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Our Motherland - Crimea
...There is no other country within Russia that has lived so long and so intensely historical life, involved in Hellenic Mediterranean culture in all centuries of its existence...
M. A. Voloshin
The Crimean peninsula is "the natural pearl of Europe" - due to its
geographical location and unique natural conditions since ancient times
was the crossroads of many sea transit roads connecting various
states, tribes and peoples. The most famous "Great Silk Road"
passed through the Crimean peninsula and connected the Roman and Chinese empires.
Later, it connected together all the uluses of the Mongol-Tatar Empire
and played a significant role in the political and economic life of peoples,
inhabited Europe, Asia and China.
Science claims that approximately 250 thousand years ago man first appeared on the territory of the Crimean Peninsula. And from that time on, at different historical eras Various tribes and peoples lived on our peninsula, replacing each other, and there were different state structures.
Many of us have had to deal with the names “Tavrika”, “Tavrida”, which were and continue to be used in relation to Crimea. The appearance of these geographical names has a direct relation to the people, who can rightfully be considered Crimean aborigines, since their entire history from beginning to end is inextricably linked with the peninsula.
The ancient Greek word "tauros" translates as "bulls". On this basis, it was concluded that the Greeks called this local residents, since they had a cult of the bull. It was suggested that the Crimean highlanders called themselves something unknown word, consonant with the Greek word for "bulls". The Greeks called the mountain system in Asia Minor Taurus. Having mastered the Crimea, the Hellenes, by analogy with Asia Minor, named the Crimean Mountains Taurus. The people who lived in them (Taurs), as well as the peninsula (Tavrika) on which they were located, got their name from the mountains.
Ancient sources brought to us scant information about the ancient inhabitants of Crimea - the Cimmerians, Taurians, Scythians, Sarmatians. Ancient authors call the Tauris the main population of Crimea, especially the mountainous part. The most ancient people recorded in writing in the Crimea and the Black Sea steppes were the Cimmerians; they lived here at the turn of the 2nd-1st millennia BC, and some scientists consider the Tauri to be their direct descendants. Around VII-VI centuries. BC. the Cimmerians were supplanted by the Scythians, then the Scythians were supplanted by the Sarmatians, while the remnants of first the Cimmerian, then the Taurus and Scythian tribes, as researchers think, retreat to the mountains, where they preserve their ethnocultural identity for a long time. Around 722 BC e. The Scythians were expelled from Asia and founded a new capital, Scythian Naples, in Crimea on the Salgir River (within the boundaries of modern Simferopol). The "Scythian" period is characterized qualitative changes within the population itself. Archaeological data show that after this the basis of the population of northwestern Crimea were peoples who came from the Dnieper region. In the VI – V centuries BC. e., when the Scythians ruled the steppes, the Greeks founded their trading colonies on the coast of Crimea.
The settlement of the Black Sea region by the Greeks occurred gradually. Mostly the sea coast was populated, and in some places the density of small settlements was quite high. Sometimes settlements were in direct line of sight from one another. Ancient cities and the settlements were concentrated in the region of the Cimmerian Bosporus (Kerch Peninsula) with the largest cities of Panticapaeum (Kerch) and Feodosia; in the Western Crimea region - with the main center Chersonesos (Sevastopol).
During the Middle Ages, a small Turkic people appeared in Taurica - the Karaites. Self-name: Karai (one Karaite) and Karailar (Karaites). Thus, instead of the ethnonym “Karaim” it is more correct to say “Karai”. Big interest They are caused by material and spiritual culture, language, life and customs.
Analyzing the available anthropological, linguistic and other data, a significant part of scientists see the Karaites as descendants of the Khazars. This people settled mainly in the foothills and mountainous Taurica. The settlement of Chufut-Kale was a kind of center.
With the penetration of the Mongol-Tatars into Taurica, whole line changes. First of all, this concerned the ethnic composition of the population, which underwent great changes. Along with the Greeks, Russians, Alans, and Cumans, Tatars appeared on the peninsula in the middle of the 13th century, and Turks in the 15th century. In the 13th century, the mass migration of Armenians began. At the same time, Italians are actively flocking to the peninsula.
988, the Kiev prince Vladimir and his squad adopted Christianity in Chersonesus. On the territory of the Kerch and Taman peninsulas, the Tmutarakan principality was formed with the Kyiv prince at its head, which existed until the 11th - 12th centuries. After the fall of the Khazar Kaganate and the weakening of the confrontation between Kievan Rus and Byzantium, the campaigns of Russian squads in the Crimea ceased, and trade and cultural ties between Taurica and Kievan Rus continued to exist.
The first Russian communities began to appear in Sudak, Feodosia and Kerch in the Middle Ages. These were merchants and artisans. The massive resettlement of serfs from central Russia began in 1783 after the annexation of Crimea to the empire. Disabled soldiers and Cossacks received land for free settlement. Construction railway V late XIX V. and the development of industry also caused an influx of Russian population.
Now in Crimea live representatives of more than 125 nations and nationalities, the main part are Russians (more than half), then Ukrainians, Crimean Tatars (their number and share in the population is growing rapidly), a significant proportion of Belarusians, Jews, Armenians, Greeks, Germans, Bulgarians , Gypsies, Poles, Czechs, Italians. The small peoples of Crimea - the Karaites and Krymchaks - are small in number, but still noticeable in culture.
The centuries-old experience of nationalities leads to the conclusion:
Let's live in peace!
Anatoly Matyushin
I won't reveal any secrets,
There is no ideal society
If only the world consisted of aesthetes,
Maybe there would be an answer.
Why is the world so restless,
A lot of anger and all kinds of enmity,
We are neighbors in a huge apartment,
We shouldn't end up in trouble.
Taking up arms is not the point,
Grieving for all the oppressed,
Don't try to change others,
Maybe just improve yourself?
In order to improve something,
I would like to convince people
The world would be a little better,
We all just need to be friends together!!
The sites of primitive people discovered by archaeologists on the Crimean peninsula (Kiik-Koba, Staroselye, Chokurcha, Volchiy Grotto) indicate the settlement of the region by humans already in the Stone Age.
The most ancient population of the Black Sea region and Crimea consisted of those who lived here at the turn of the 2nd-1st millennium BC. e. semi-sedentary and nomadic tribes, known under the general name of Cimmerians. The memory of them was preserved in local toponyms mentioned in ancient Greek sources: Cimmerian Bosporus, Cimmeric, Cimmerium. The Cimmerians apparently inhabited all the Black Sea steppes, but in the Eastern Crimea, as well as on the Taman Peninsula, they lived longer.
In the 7th century BC e. The Cimmerians acted in alliance with the Scythians. There is information about a defeat in 652 BC. the Lydian capital Sardis by the Cimmerians and Scythians. The Cimmerian culture discovered by archaeologists is close to the Scythian and dates back to the end of the Bronze Age. This is evidenced by excavations on the Kerch and Taman peninsulas, where burials of the 8th-7th centuries were discovered. BC e., associated with the Cimmerians. According to the story of Herodotus, the Cimmerians were driven out of the Northern Black Sea region by the Scythians, who dominated here already in the 7th century. BC e.
The descendants of the Cimmerians are considered to be the Tauri, who already lived in the Scythian times in the mountains of Crimea. The mountain range on the south coast of the peninsula was also called Taurus. The Greek name of the Crimean Peninsula - Taurica, which was preserved in antiquity and the Middle Ages, is associated with this name.
The bulk of the Scythians were tribes that came in the 8th century. BC e. from Central Asia. Several Scythian tribes of the Northern Black Sea region are known: the royal Scythians, who also lived in the Crimea, the Scythian nomads, the Scythian ploughmen, the Scythian farmers, the Scythian Vonns. The social system of the Scythians in the middle of the 1st millennium BC. e. characterized by the gradual collapse of tribal lines and the emergence of class relations. Patriarchal slavery was already known among the Scythians. The change from Cimmerian culture to Scythian culture in the 8th-7th centuries. BC e. coincided with the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age. By the 4th century. BC e. The Scythian kingdom, which united individual tribes, turned into a strong military power that successfully repelled the Persian invasion. Remarkable monuments of the famous Scythian “animal” style were discovered by archaeologists in the burial mounds and mountainous mountains of Crimea - in the Kulakovsky Kurgans (near Simferopol, Ak-mosque), unique gold items depicting human figures, animals and plants were found in the famous Scythian burial mounds of Kul-Oba, Ak-Mosque Burun, Golden Mound.
In the VIII-VI centuries. BC e. there is an intensive process of Greek colonization of the North Pontic coast, due to economic and social development Ancient Hellas. In the 7th century BC e. the west was colonized, and in the 6th century. BC e. - northern coast of the Black Sea.
First of all in Taurida, probably in the first half of the 6th century. BC e., on the site of modern Kerch on the shores of the Cimmerian Bosporus, the city of Panticapaeum was founded by the Milesians. The city itself was called by the Greeks and simply Bosporus. Around the middle of the 6th century. BC e. Tiritaka, Nymphaeum, and Cimmeric arose in Eastern Crimea. In the VI century. BC e. Theodosius was founded by the Milesian Greeks, as well as Myrmekium, located not far from Panticapaeum.
Around 480 BC e. In the Eastern Crimea, the previously independent Greek city-states (polises) are united into a single Bosporan state under the rule of the Archeanactids, immigrants from Miletus. In 438 BC. e. power in the Bosporus passes to the Spartokids, a dynasty possibly of Thracian origin.
Crafts, agriculture, trade, coin circulation of Panticapaeum, where from the middle of the 6th century. minted its own silver coin, were at a relatively high level development. There was an expansion of the external expansion of the Bosporan state. However, in the III-II centuries. BC e. The onslaught of the Scythians intensifies from the west, and the Sarmatians penetrate from the Kuban region.
The creation of a Scythian state in Crimea and the aggravation of social contradictions in the Bosporan kingdom contributed to the weakening of the latter.
In the western part of Crimea, Chersonesos, founded in the 5th century, played an important role. BC e. immigrants from the southern shore of the Black Sea (from Heraclea Pontic). Initially it was a trading post, which later became a center of agricultural and handicraft production. Trade also grew, the development of which was associated with the issuance of its own coins made of silver and copper. The remains of ancient Chersonesus are preserved on the western outskirts of modern Sevastopol.
Chersonesos probably followed a hostile policy towards the Bosporus. However, by the end of the 2nd century. BC e. The onslaught of the Scythians on Chersonesos intensifies. The Pontic king Mithridates VI Eupator provided military assistance to Chersonesus. Eastern Crimea and Chersonesus then came under the rule of the Pontic king. Perisad, the last king of the Bosporus from the Spartokid dynasty, abdicated the throne in favor of Mithridates VI. But this only exacerbated the emerging social contradictions in the slave-owning Bosporus. In 107 BC. e. An uprising led by the Scythian Savmak took place here, but it was suppressed by the troops of the Pontic king.
The Pontic kingdom became the main obstacle to further expansion of the Romans to the East. This led to the wars of Mithridates with Rome, which lasted from 89 BC. e. until the death of the Pontic king in 63 BC. e. The death of Mithridates meant the actual loss of political independence by this part of the Black Sea region. By the end of the 1st century. BC e. A portrait of the Roman emperor and members of his family appears on Bosporan coins. True, in 25 BC. e. Rome confirms the independence of Chersonese, but this independence was largely nominal.
City-states of Taurica in the first centuries AD. were developed slave-owning policies. This opinion is supported by their administrative structure, as well as the monuments of material culture discovered by archaeologists.
The dominant force in the steppe zone during this period were the Sarmatians, led by tribal nobility, surrounded by warriors. Several alliances of Sarmatian tribes are known - Roxolani, Aorsi, Siracs. Obviously, from the 2nd century. And. e. Sarmatians receive the general name Alans, probably from the name of one of their tribes. However, in Crimea, the Sarmatians, apparently, were inferior in number to the mass of Scythians who survived here, as well as the descendants of the ancient Tauri. In contrast to the Sarmatians, this old population is called Tauro-Scythians in ancient sources, which perhaps indicates the erasure of the differences between them.
The center of the Scythian tribes in Crimea was Scythian Naples, located on the site of present-day Simferopol. Scythian Naples was founded at the end of the 3rd century. BC e. and existed until the 4th century. n. e.
In the I-II centuries. The Bosporan kingdom is experiencing a new rise; it occupies approximately the same territory as under the Spartokids. Moreover, the Bosporus actually exercises a protectorate over Chersonesos. At the same time, Sarmatization of the population of the Bosporan cities occurs. In foreign policy The Bosporan kings showed a certain independence, including in relations with Rome.
In the 3rd century. In the Crimea, the Christian religion spread here, probably from Asia Minor. In the 4th century. an independent Christian bishopric already existed in Bosporus.
Chersonesos at this time continued to develop as a slave-owning republic, but the previous democratic system (within the framework, of course, of the slave-owning formation) was now replaced by an aristocratic one. At the same time, the Romanization of the ruling city elite took place. Chersonesus becomes the main stronghold of the Romans in the Northern Black Sea region. It housed a Roman garrison and supplied food to the center of the empire.
In the middle of the 3rd century. n. e. The Bosporan state was experiencing economic and political decline, reflecting the general crisis of the ancient slave system. Starting from the 50-70s. in Crimea, the onslaught of the Borans, Ostrogoths, Heruls and other tribes that were part of
to the Gothic League. The Goths defeated the Scythians and destroyed their settlements in the Crimea. Having captured almost the entire peninsula, with the exception of Chersonesos, they established their dominance over the Bosporus. The Gothic invasion led to the decline of the Bosporan kingdom, but it was dealt a mortal blow in the 70s. IV century tribes of the Huns who appeared in Eastern Crimea. The Bosporus, destroyed by them, lost its former significance and gradually disappeared from the historical arena.
From the collection “Crimea: past and present", Institute of History of the USSR, USSR Academy of Sciences, 1988
