For the indigenous peoples of Ukraine, the destruction of historical toponyms was a huge blow. This became especially evident after the illegal deportation of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people in 1944. It was then that the most massive and destructive wave of renaming took place. Back then, the Soviet authorities tried to destroy everything associated with the Crimean Tatars, and the Russian authorities also continue this practice.
All the hastily invented Russian names of Crimean cities have no meaning or history, unlike the authentic names. And the restoration of historical place names is an important step to preserve the history and cultural heritage of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine.
First, the return of historical names to the peninsula will demonstrate that Crimea is a Ukrainian peninsula .The toponyms used by Ukrainian maps will be used by the international maps.
It is a way to show the world that Ukrainian Crimea has Ukrainian, Crimean Tatar, Krymchak, and Karaite villages and towns. The true toponym in one single word – instead of thousands of explanations why Crimea looks so Russian.
Secondly, the restoration of toponyms is an important way to fight in the ideological war against the occupiers. As soon as the real name of a Crimean city appears in the information space, the history of this place before it was renamed suddenly becomes visible. A history in which indigenous peoples live on the peninsula.
Indeed, it is impossible to estimate the richness of Ukrainian culture, including Crimean Tatar culture. And by restoring historical toponyms in Crimea we will help preserve the true history of the peninsula and share it with the world.
#decolonization _of Crimea’s_toponymy
The #LIBERATECRIMEA campaign was presented by the Crimean Tatar Resource Center as part of the Engage Program, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Pact in Ukraine. The content of the campaign is the sole responsibility of Pact and its partners and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the US Government.