A street and a public garden will be renamed in honour of Reshat Ametov and Noman Celebidzhikhan in Odessa

July 29, 2024
A street in honour of Hero of Ukraine Reshat Ametov and a public garden in honour of the chairman of the First Kurultai of the Crimean Tatar people Noman Chelebidzhikhan will be renamed in Odessa within the framework of the Law of Ukraine on decolonisation.

This was reported by the deputy of the Odessa Regional Council, chairman of the Public Organisation ‘Crimean Tatars of Odessa region’ Fevzi Mamutov .

We would like to remind that Reshat Ametov is the first victim of the Russian occupiers in Crimea. 10 years ago, on March 3, 2014, Reshat Ametov was kidnapped by unknown persons in camouflage uniforms in the centre of Simferopol, where he was holding a solitary picket against the occupation of Crimea. The body of the man was found on 15 March in the field of the village Zemlyanichne of Belogirsk district with stab wounds in the area of the left eye socket and other numerous bodily injuries. His head was tied with duct tape, his hands were handcuffed.  Three young children were deprived of their father.

Noman Chelebidzhikhan – the first chairman of the government of the Crimean People’s Republic, organiser of the I Kurultai of the Crimean Tatar people, the first Mufti of Muslims of Crimea, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus. He is also known as the author of the poem ‘Ant etkenmen’ (‘I swear’), which became the national anthem of the Crimean Tatars.

This renaming is an important step towards preserving and honouring the history and cultural heritage of the Crimean Tatar people, and it is also a symbol of support and solidarity with the Ukrainian people in their struggle against the colonial past.