The Crimean Tatar Resource Center continues a series of publications about the life stories and fates of the Crimean Tatar families, which were prepared within the project “Hostages of the Occupation”. The next hero is Isa Akayev. After the occupation of Crimea by Russia, he was forced to leave the peninsula and moved to Vinnitsa region, and later, on his own initiative took an active part in the anti-terrorist operation in the east of Ukraine. What was the reason behind such choice? How has Isa Akayev’s life changed since the war? What is his dream and values? You may read about it in our material.
Before the annexation, Isa Akayev lived in the downtown area of Simferopol. When in March 2014, he saw in the window the Russian flag hanging over the national security agency’s building, he realized it was time to leave. Isa wanted to evacuate his family first but did not know where to.
“One of our activists was evacuating his family and his car broke down in Vinnytsia. This is how he happened to stay there”, Isa reminisces.
Soon, the number of the Crimean Tatar families who settled in Vinnytsia increased significantly. It was difficult at first. Changing accommodation three times, they finally settled in an abandoned dormitory near the city. Combining efforts, they reconstructed the building and tidied up the neighborhood. But this is where Isa's story only begins. Immediately afterwards, in May 2014, he volunteered to travel to the east of the country to defend the territorial integrity of Ukraine. His motivation was to return to Crimea as soon as possible.
"I realized that the sooner the war in the east ends, the sooner we would return to Crimea," Isa Akayev explains.
Together with his comrades, he actively participated in the battle of Savur-Mohyla in the summer of 2014. As Isa recounts those events, he mentally rekindles and recalls every moment. For almost a year he defended Ukrainian soil against the Russian invaders. After that, he returned to Vinnytsia, where he continues to deal with the issues of infrastructure development and landscaping in his village.
Isa Akayev raises nine children. Together with his comrades, he organizes various commemoration events and days of national culture in Vinnytsia, thus acquainting Ukrainians with the customs, traditions, and lifestyle of the Crimean Tatars. Isa, nonetheless, never forgets for a second about his homeland, Crimea, and dreams to return home as soon as possible. Meanwhile, forced to reside in the mainland Ukraine, he envisions an ethnic settlement of the Crimean Tatars.
"We need to create our own society in order to preserve ourselves as a nation, and this is our main goal," he says, adding that it is very important to pass on to the next generations three components: religion, traditions, and language.
Isa Akayev emphasizes that "we must reborn as a nation and feel the need for one another."
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Project manager: Zarema Bariieva
Author of pictures: Elvir Sagirman
Text writer: Elvir Sagirman
Translation into English: Zarema Bariieva
We remind that on February 26 in Kyiv, the presentation of the album and the exhibition “Hostages of the Occupation” took place, which tell us about the fate of 20 Crimean Tatar families after the annexation of the peninsula. On March 10, the exhibition opened in Vinnytsia. The exhibition is expected to be presented in Lviv and Dnipro as well.
The project was prepared by the Crimean Tatar Resource Center with the support of the Democracy Grants Program of the US Embassy to Ukraine.