In the next story, within the framework of the project “Hostages of the Occupation”, we would like to introduce you to the family of real Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian patriots. Murtaza and Fatime Osmanov did not accept the occupation of Crimea and left for mainland Ukraine with their children. In the new place, the family was actively engaged in volunteering. Daughters of Murtaza and Fatima helped the Ukrainian army, and their son fought in the east of the country, defending the territorial integrity of Ukraine. However, this year (after writing the material) the tragedy happened in the Osmanovs family – their son died. The team of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center expresses sincere condolences! Allah rahmet eylesin!
The Osmanov’s family left Crimea in February 2015. Patriotism and modesty are the main features of this Crimean Tatar family. They have repeatedly proved and continue to prove their strong pro-Ukrainian position, where the interests of the people and the state are at the forefront.
The saying “children are the mirror of their parents” clearly exemplifies the story of the Osmanov’s family. A few months after moving to the mainland Ukraine, Murtaza’s and Fatime’s son headed to the east to defend Ukraine’s territorial integrity and take an active part in the war. One of their daughters was actively involved in volunteering and helping the Ukrainian military. Fatime jokes that post officers knew their daughter by sight as she was regularly sending parcels to our military. The younger daughter was expelled from college in Crimea because she refused from Russian citizenship.
In the student’s list, she was the one whose name was marked as a ‘foreigner’…” recalls her mother, adding ironically that her daughter became a ‘foreigner’ in her homeland.
Each story told by Fatima touches the soul and demonstrates genuine patriotic intentions of this family. One such story is how in the summer of 2014, she prepared over 700 cans of adjika sauce. Not for themselves. They were waiting for the Ukrainian military in the fall.
“We were waiting for our troops to come down in the fall. We were getting ready. We thought we would feed them canned staples and dry biscuits for the starters,” Fatime shares.
Besides, the family as long as it was possible refused to use Russian currency and did not change their Ukrainian phone numbers.
In Crimea, Fatime worked as a math teacher at a Crimean Tatar school until 2000. But after the relocation, the husband and wife re-qualified themselves as house-painters. However difficult it was, they do not complain, work hard, dream about home and believe that they will definitely return to their homeland, Crimea.
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.