In its publications, the Crimean Tatar Resource Center has repeatedly drawn attention to the restoration of the historical names of settlements in Crimea, as well as reservoirs and railway stations. However, it is worth raising another equally important topic – the names of the streets and squares of the peninsula.
Why is this important?
Indeed, the names of squares and streets, like other toponyms, have a symbolic meaning. They influence the formation of identity and the preservation of historical memory. For example, compare the worldview of a person who grew up on Moskow Street and a person who grew up on Heroes of Heavenly Hundred Street. It may be a small thing, but it is a small thing that has a big impact.
Therefore, the Crimean Tatar Resource Center calls for thinking now about renaming streets and squares in Crimea and invites our subscribers to support our initiative.
We would like to invite you to start by renaming one of the central squares and streets in Simferopol, namely Soviet Square and Catherine II Street.
We offer:
1) Rename Soviet Square to Petro Hryhorenko Square.
2) Rename Catherine II Street to Hryhorii Skovoroda Street.
Friends, do you support our proposal? Agree that we need to prepare now so as not to waste time after the de-occupation.
#decolonization_toponymy_of Crimea
Historical background: Petro Hryhorenko is a Ukrainian Soviet human rights activist, dissident and major general. Founding member of the Moscow and Ukrainian Helsinki Union. He spoke in defense of the Crimean Tatars and other deported peoples. In 1964, for legal human rights activities, he was demoted to the ranks and deprived of all state awards. He was in Soviet prisons and camps. No one in the world has done as much for the Crimean Tatars as Peter Grigorenko has done. His numerous interviews, statements, and press conferences contributed to the fact that the Crimean Tatar problem went beyond the borders of the Soviet Union, recalled Mustafa Dzhemilev. In 1999, in Simferopol, on the initiative of the Crimean Tatars, a monument to Petro Hryhorenko was unveiled, but the authorities did not allow the square to be named after him.
Hryhorii Skovoroda is an outstanding Ukrainian philosopher who has Crimean Tatar roots. After all, he is a direct relative of Shahin Giray.
This campaign was presented by the Crimean Tatar Resource Center as part of the ENGAGE Program, which is 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.