Republic of Crimea (Russia)

TheRepublic of Crimeais arepublic of Russia, comprising most of theCrimean Peninsula, but excludingSevastopol.Its territory corresponds to the pre-2023territory of theAutonomous Republic of Crimea, ade juresubdivisionofUkraine. Russiaoccupiedandannexedthe peninsula in 2014, although the annexation remainsinternationally unrecognized.
The capital and largest city located within its borders isSimferopol, which is the second-largest city on the Crimean Peninsula. As of the2021 Russian census, the Republic of Crimea had a population of 1,934,630.
In February 2014, following the2014 Ukrainian revolutionthat ousted theUkrainian President,Viktor Yanukovych, the Russian leadership decided to "start working on returning Crimea to Russia"(i.e. envisaged the annexation of the peninsula), and after atakeover of CrimeabyRussian armed forces without insigniasand pro-Russian separatists, the territory within weeks came under Russian effective control.
To facilitate the annexation politically,on 6 March theCrimean parliamentand theSevastopol City Councilannounced areferendumon the issue of joining Russia. This referendum, the holding of which was a violation of theUkrainian Constitution,was to be held on 16 March. The upcoming vote allowed citizens to vote on whether Crimea should apply to join Russia as afederal subject of the Russian Federation, or restore the1992 Crimean constitutionand Crimea's status as a part of Ukraine. The available choices did not include keeping thestatus quoof Crimea and Sevastopol as they were at the time the referendum was held.
On 11 March 2014, theCrimean parliamentand theSevastopolCity Council jointlyissued a letter of intenttounilaterally declare independencefrom Ukraine in the event of a "Yes" vote in the upcoming referendum, citing the "Kosovo precedent" in the lead part.The envisaged process was so designed to allow Russia to claim that "it did not annex Crimea from Ukraine, rather the Republic of Crimea exercised its sovereign powers in seeking a merge with Russia".
On 16 March 2014, according to the organizers ofCrimean status referendum, a large majority (reported as 96.77% of the 81.36% of the population of Crimea who voted) voted in favour of independence of Crimea from Ukraine and joining Russia as a federal subject.The referendum was not recognized bymost of the international communityand the reported results were disputed by numerous independent observers.The BBC reported that most of theCrimean Tatarsthat they interviewed were boycotting the vote.Reports from the UN criticised the circumstances surrounding the referendum, especially the presence ofparamilitaries,self-defence groupsandunidentifiable soldiers.The European Union, Canada, Japan and the United States condemned the vote as illegal.
After the referendum, Crimean lawmakers formally voted both to secede from Ukraine and applied for their admission into Russia. The Sevastopol City Council, however, requested the port's separate admission as afederal city.On the same day Russia formally approved the draft treaty on absorption of the self-proclaimed Republic of Crimea,and on 18 March 2014 the political process of annexation was formally concluded,with the self-proclaimed independent Republic of Crimea signing a treaty of accession to the Russian Federation.The accession was granted but separately for each the former regions that composed it: one accession for theAutonomous Republic of Crimeaas theRepublic of Crimea—the same name as the short-lived self-proclaimed independent republic—and another accession for Sevastopol as a federal city. A post-annexation transition period, during which Russian authorities were to resolve the issues of integration of the new subjects "in the economic, financial, credit and legal system of the Russian Federation", was set to last until 1 January 2015.
The change of status of Crimea was only recognised internationally by a few states with most regarding the action as illegal. Ukraine refused to accept the annexation, however the Ukrainian military began to withdraw from Crimea on 19 March,and by 26 March, Russia had acquired complete military control of Crimea, so the annexation was essentially complete.
The post-annexation integration process started within days. On 24 March, theRussian rublewent into official circulation with parallel circulation of theUkrainian hryvniapermitted until 1 January 2016, however,taxesandfeeswere to be paid in rubles only, and thewagesof employees at budget-receiving organisations were to be paid out in rubles as well.On 29 March, the clocks in Crimea were moved forward toMoscow time.Also on 31 March, theRussian Foreign Ministrydeclared that foreign citizens visiting Crimea needed to apply for avisato theRussian Federationat one of Russian diplomatic missions or its consulates.
On 3 April 2014,Moscowsent adiplomatic notetoUkraineon terminating the actions of agreements concerning the deployment of theRussian Federation'sBlack Sea Fleeton the territory of Ukraine. As part of the agreements, Russia used to pay theUkrainian government$530 million annually for the base, and wrote off nearly $100 million ofKyiv's debt for the right to use Ukrainian waters. Ukraine also received a discount of $100 on each 1,000 cubic meters of natural gas imported from Russia, which was provided for by cutting export duties on the gas, money that would have gone into the Russian state budget. TheKremlinexplained that because the base was no longer located in Ukraine, the discount was no longer legally justifiable.Crimea and the city ofSevastopolbecame part of Russia'sSouthern Military District.
On 11 April 2014, theparliament of Crimeaapproved a newconstitution, with 88 out of 100lawmakersvoting in favor of its adoption.The new constitution confirms the Republic of Crimea as a democratic state within theRussian Federationand declares both territories united and inseparable. The Crimean parliament would become smaller and have 75 members instead of the current 100.According to theKommersantnewspaper, the authorities, including the State Council chairVladimir Konstantinov, unofficially promised that certain quotas would be reserved forCrimean Tatarsin various government bodies.On the same day, a new revision of theRussian Constitutionwas officially published, with the Republic of Crimea and the federal city ofSevastopolincluded in the list offederal subjects of the Russian Federation.
On 12 April 2014, theConstitution of the Republic of Crimea, adopted at the session of the State Council on 11 April, entered into legal force. The constitution was published by the Krymskiye Izvestiya newspaper, becoming law on the publication date, the State Council of Crimea said. The Constitution consists of 10 chapters and 95 articles; its main regulations are analogous to the articles of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The text proclaims the Republic of Crimea is a democratic, legal state within the Russian Federation and an equal subject of the Russian Federation. The source of power in the Crimean Republic is its people, which constitutes to the multinational nation of the Russian Federation. It is noted that the supreme direct manifestation of the power of the people is referendum and free elections; seizure of power and appropriation of power authorization are unacceptable.
On 1 June 2014, Crimea officially switched over to theRussian rubleas its only form of legal tender.
On 7 May 2015, Crimea switched its phone codes (Ukrainian number system) to theRussian number system.
In July 2015, Russian Prime Minister,Dmitry Medvedev, declared that Crimea had been fully integrated into Russia,similar statements were also expressed at the Russian Security Council.
In July 2016, Crimea ceased to be a separatefederal district of the Russian Federationand was included into theSouthern federal districtinstead.
Russia has since the annexation supported large migration into Crimea, and the Office of the Federal State Statistics Service in Crimea and Sevastopol records as of 2021 since 2014 205,559 Russians have moved to Crimea. Ukrainian Ministry and Crimean Human Rights Group say the real number could unofficially be many times higher.
On 31 March 2014, the RussianPrime MinisterDmitry Medvedevannounced a series of programmes aimed at swiftly incorporating the territory into Russia'seconomyandinfrastructure. The creation of a newMinistry of Crimean Affairswas announced too.After 2014 the Russian government invested heavily in the peninsula's infrastructure—repairing roads, modernizing hospitals and building theCrimean Bridgethat links the peninsula to the Russian mainland.
In 2017 the Russian government also began modernising theSimferopol International Airport,which opened its new terminal in April 2018.
Russia provides electricity to Crimea via a cable beneath the Kerch Strait. In June 2018 there was a full electrical outage for all of Crimea, but the power grid company Rosseti reported to have fixed the outage in approximately one hour.
On 28 December 2018, Russia completed a high-tech security fence marking the border between Crimea and Ukraine.
Once Ukraine lost control of the territory in 2014, it shut off the water supply of theNorth Crimean Canalwhich supplies 85% of the peninsula's freshwater needs from theDnieper river, the nation's main waterway.Development of new sources of water was undertaken, with huge difficulties, to replace closed Ukrainian sources.In2022, Russiaconqueredportions of Kherson Oblast, which allowed it to unblock the North Crimean canal by force, resuming water supply into Crimea.
On 15 April 2014, theUkrainian ParliamentdeclaredCrimea and the city of Sevastopol "occupied territories".
In 2021, Ukraine launched theCrimea Platforma diplomatic initiative aimed at protecting the rights of Crimean inhabitants and ultimately reversing the illegal annexation of Crimea.
TheState Council of Crimeais a legislative body with a 75-seat parliament.The polling held on 14 September 2014 resulted inUnited Russiasecuring 70 of the 75 members elected.
Justice is administered by courts, as part of thejudiciary of Russia. Under Russian law, all decisions delivered by the Crimean branches of thejudiciary of Ukraineup to its annexation remain valid.This includes sentences (for "encroaching on Ukraine's territorial integrity and inviolability") for pre-2014 calls for an incorporation of Crimea into Russia.
The executive power is represented by theCouncil of Ministers, headed either by thePrime Minister of Crimeaor by theHead of the Republic of Crimea. The authority and operation of the State Council and theCouncil of Ministersof Crimea are determined by theConstitution of the Republic of Crimeaand other Crimean laws, as well as by regular decisions carried out by the Council.
Crimeans who refused to takeRussian citizenshipare barred from holding government positions or municipal jobs.
By July 2015, 20,000 Crimeans had renounced their Ukrainian citizenship.From the time of Russia's annexation until October 2016, more than 8,800 Crimean residents receivedUkrainian passports.
On 18 September 2016, the whole of Crimea participated in theRussian legislative election.
The Republic of Crimea continues to use the administrative divisions previously used by theAutonomous Republic of Crimeabefore 2020, which is subdivided into 25 regions: 14 districts (raions) and 11 city municipalities (gorodskoj sovetorgorsovet), officially known asterritories governed by city councils.
Crimea's only land boundary is with mainland Ukraine, which continues to claim sovereignty over the peninsula, with a number of road and rail connections. These crossings have been under the control of Russian troops since at least mid-March 2014.
Crimea has no land connection to Russia. In 2014–2019, Russia built theCrimean Bridge, a multibillion-dollar road–rail fixed link across the Kerch Strait.The link has been open for road traffic since 2018, and for rail traffic since 2019 (passenger) and 2020 (freight).During the 2022Russian invasion of Ukraineit became an important logistical link for Russian forces. In October 2022 it was badly damaged by anexplosion.
According to the Russian occupation authorities, the best result inlife expectancythe Republic of Crimea had in 2019, it reached 72.71 years. But during two years the COVID-19 pandemic the region had one of the largest summary fall in life expectancy in Russia, and in 2021 it became 69.70 years (65.31 for males and 73.96 for females)
According to the Constitution of the Republic of Crimea:
According to the 2014 census by occupation authorities, 84% of Crimean inhabitants namedRussianas their native language; 7.9% namedCrimean Tatar; 3.7%Tatarand 3.3%Ukrainian. The previous census was held more than decade ago in 2001, when Crimea was still controlled by Ukraine.
According to the Republic of Crimea Ministry of Education, Science, and Youth,most primary and secondary school pupils have decided to study in Russian in 2015.
Its Education Minister Natalia Goncharova announced mid-August 2014 that (since no parents of first-graders wrote an application for learning Ukrainian) Crimea had decided not to form Ukrainian language classes in itsprimary schools.Goncharova said that since more than a quarter of parents at the Ukrainian gymnasium in Simferopol had written an application to teach children in Ukrainian; this school might have Ukrainian language classes.Goncharova also added that the parents of first-graders had written application for learning the Russian language, and (in areas inhabited by Crimean Tatars) for learning Crimean Tatar.Goncharova stated on 10 October 2014 that at that time Crimea had 20 schools where all subjects were conducted in Ukrainian.
A report (realised in the summer of 2015) of theOrganization for Security and Cooperation in Europe(OSCE) stated that the Republic of Crimea had the aim to "end the teaching of Ukrainian" by "pressure on school administrations, teachers, parents, and children".
In 2013, before the Russian occupation, the majority of theCrimean populationadhered to theOrthodox Church, with theCrimean Tatarsforming aSunni Muslimminority, besides smallerRoman Catholic,Ukrainian Greek Catholic,Armenian ApostolicandJewishminorities. In 2013, Orthodox Christians made up 58% of the Crimean population, followed by Muslims (15%, mainly Tatars) and believers without religion (10%).
Since 2014, the United Nations has reported a regime of human-rights violations imposed by the Russian occupation authorities, including targeting religious minority groups and individuals.
Peninsula economy is based on tourism, agriculture (wines, fruits, wheat, rice and further crops), fishing, pearls, mining and natural resources (mainly iron, titanium, aluminium, manganese, calcite, sandstone, quartz and silicates, amethyst, other), metallurgical and steel industry, shipbuilding and repair, oil gas and petrochemical, chemical industry, electronics and devices machinery, instruments making, glass, electronics and electric parts devices, materials and building.
After annexation of the peninsula, Russia doubled payments to about 560,000 pensioners and 200,000 public workers (in Crimea).Those raises were cut back in April 2015.
In June 2015The Economistestimated that the average salary in Crimea was about two-thirds of the average salary in Russia.According to Russian statistics by March 2015 the inflation in Crimea was 80%.According to the Crimean authorities localfood priceshave grown 2.5 times since Russia's annexation.Since then the peninsula now has to import most of its food from Russia.
After the annexation, Russian Crimean authorities started nationalization of what they called strategically important enterprises, which included not only transportation and energy production enterprises, but also, for example, a wine factory inMassandra. The enterprises which belonged to Russian citizens were nationalized against financial reimbursement, which was, however, much lower than the actual value; those which belonged to Ukrainian citizens, for example,PrivatBankowned byIhor KolomoyskyiorUkrtelecomowned byRinat Akhmetov, were expropriated without any reimbursement. The future of the nationalized enterprises is decided by the government.Reasons given for this were (among others) "the company helped to finance military operations againstDonetsk People's RepublicandLuhansk People's Republic" and "the resort complex illegally blocked public access to nearby park lands".The government can nationalise assets considered to have "particular social, cultural, or historical value".In the case of theZalyv Shipbuilding yard, Crimean "self-defense" forces stormed the company's headquarters to demand nationalization.Head of the RepublicSergey Aksyonovclaimed that in at least one case "Employees established control of the enterprise on their own, we just helped them a little".The nationalization ofIhor Kolomoyskyi's assets was, according to Aksyonov, "totally justified due to the fact that he is one of the initiators and financiers of the specialanti-terrorist operationin theEastern UkrainewhereRussian citizensare being killed".
By late October 2014 90% of the heads of Crimeangovernment-owned corporationwere fired as part of a supposed anti-corruptioncampaign, although no charges have been filed against anyone. Human rights activists in the region have described the seizures as lacking a legal basis and dismissed the "anti-corruption" rationale.In June 2015 theFederal Security Service(FSB) started several anti-corruption criminal cases against high ranking Crimean officials.According to Aksyonov the FSB had opened these criminal cases because it was "interested in destabilizing the situation in Crimea".
On 6 May 2014 theNational Bank of Ukraineordered Ukrainian banks to cease operations in Crimea; the following weeks theCentral Bank of Russiaclosed all Ukrainian banks in the peninsula because "they had failed to meet their obligations to creditors".Eight months after the21 March 2014 formal annexation of Crimea by Russiait became impossible for clients of Ukrainian banks to access their deposits and most of them did not pay interest (on loans).A "Fund for the Protection of Depositors in Crimea", as part of Russia's Deposit Insurance Agency, was set up by Russia to compensate Crimeans.By 6 November 2014 it paid out more than $500 million to 196,400 depositors; the fund has a limit of about $15,000 per bank account.In July 2015, 25 banks were operating in Crimea while prior to the Russian annexation there were 180 banks.
While many international businesses left the region, in 2015 only a few Russian companies are reported to have invested in Crimea, fearing sanctions.
Under theinternational sanctionsCrimea's once bustlingIT-sector shrunk to a few IT companies.
Russia invests significantly in Crimea, according to "The Federal Target Program for the Development of the Republic of Crimea andSevastopol" they plan to invest onetrillionRussian rubles(15.3billiondollars) before 2022The Russian government claims that those investments are necessary becauseUkrainianmismanagement of the Crimean territory caused losses of 2.5trillionRussian rubles(38.3billiondollars) to theAutonomous Republic of CrimeaandSevastopolMeanwhile, Ukraine estimates their losses due to Russian annexation of the peninsula to 100 billion dollars.
Gross regional product:
In 2014 about two million tourists holidayed in Crimea, including 300,000 Ukrainians.In 2013 3.5 million Ukrainian and 1.5 million Russian tourists visited Crimea.Tourism is the mainstay of the Crimean economy.In August 2014 Head of the Republic Aksyonov was confident that in 2015 Crimea would welcome "at least five million visitors – I have no doubts about that".Early August 2015 the press service of his government stated that in 2015 2.02 million tourists had visited Crimea (16.5% more than in 2014).They stated in January 2016 (that in 2015) more than 4 million tourists had vacationed in the peninsula.Over 6.4 million tourists visited Crimea in 2018, according to occupation authorities.Some tourists went home after an airbase attack in August 2022.Crimean Bridge explosionalso influenced the tourists.
The internet connection goes viaKrasnodar Krai.
In Crimea Peninsula worked four mobile operators already offers voice and mobile data for 2G, 3G and 4G users.
Simferopolis an air transport hub of the Republic of Crimea.
Crimean trolleybus linelength of 86 kilometres (53 mi) long of service «Krymtrolleybus».
Routes:Airport Simferopol—Simferopol—Alushta—Yalta
Although Russian, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages have official status, reports say that Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar education is being squeezed.
United Nationsmonitors (who had been in Crimea from 2 April to 6 May 2014) said they were concerned about treatment of journalists, sexual, religious and ethnic minorities andAIDSpatients.The monitors had found that journalists and activists who had opposed the2014 Crimean referendumhad been harassed and abducted.They also reported that Crimeans who had not applied forRussian citizenshipfaced harassment and intimidation.Russia said that it did not support the deployment of human rights monitors in Crimea.The (new) Crimean authorities vowed to investigate the reports of human rights violations.
According toHuman Rights Watch"Russia has violated multiple obligations it has as an occupying power under international humanitarian law – in particular in relation to the protection of civilians' rights."
In its November 2014 report on Crimea, Human Rights Watch stated that "The de facto authorities in Crimea have limited free expression, restricted peaceful assembly, and intimidated and harassed those who have opposed Russia's actions in Crimea".According to the report, 15 persons went missing since March 2014; according to Ukrainian authorities 21 people disappeared.Head of the RepublicSergey Aksyonovpledged to find the missing persons as well as the culprits behind the kidnappings.Aksyonov regularly meets with a group of parents, whose children have gone missing, and human rights activists.These parents and human rights activists have complained that rotation of the team of investigators into these missing persons has harmed these investigations.
TheMejlis of the Crimean Tatar Peoplehas come under the scrutiny of the RussianFederal Security Service, which reportedly took control of the building where the Mejlis meets and searched it on 16 September 2014. Crimean Tatar media said FSB officers also searched the office of theAvdetnewspaper, which is based inside the Mejlis building. Several members of the Mejlis were also reportedly subjected to FSB searches at their homes. Several Crimean Tatar opposition figures were banned from entering Crimea for five years.Since Russia annexed Crimea several Crimean Tatars have disappeared or have been found dead after being reported missing.Crimean authorities state these deaths and disappearances are connected to "smoking an unspecified substance" and volunteers for theSyrian civil war; human rights activists claim the disappearances are part of a repression campaign against Crimean Tatars.
In February 2016 human rights defenderEmir-Usein Kukufrom Crimea was arrested and accused of belonging to the Islamist organizationHizb ut-Tahrir, although he denies any involvement in this organization.Amnesty Internationalhas called for his immediate liberation.
In May 2018,Server Mustafayev, the founder and coordinator of the human rights movement Crimean Solidarity, was imprisoned by Russian authorities and charged with "membership of a terrorist organisation". Amnesty International andFront Line Defendersdemand his immediate release.
The status of the republic is disputed, as Russia andsome other statesrecognised the annexation, whilstmost other nationsdo not. Ukraine still considers both the Autonomous Republic and Sevastopol as subdivisions of Ukraine under Ukrainian territory and subject to Ukrainian law.
TheUnited States,European Union, andAustraliaall claim to not issue visas to residents of Crimea withRussian passports.However, Russian media has claimed that several member states of theSchengen Areahave issued visas to Crimeans with Russian passports.
On 21 March 2014,Armeniarecognised the Crimean referendum, which led to Ukraine recalling its ambassador to that country.The unrecognizedNagorno-Karabakh Republicalso recognised the referendum earlier that week on 17 March.On 22 March 2014, President Hamid Karzai ofAfghanistantold a U.S. delegation that he recognised and supported the Crimean referendum and "respects the free will of the people of Crimea and Sevastopol to decide their own future".On 23 March 2014,Alexander Lukashenko, thePresidentofBelarusstated that Crimea wasde factopart of Russia, but the country did not officially recognise the Russian claim until November 2021.On 27 March 2014,Nicaraguaunconditionally recognised the incorporation of Crimea intoRussia.
On 27 March 2014, the UN General Assembly voted on anon-bindingresolution claiming that the referendum was invalid and reaffirming Ukraine's territorial integrity, by a vote of 100 to 11, with 58 abstentions and 24 absent.Australia,Canada,Chile,France,Germany,Italy,Indonesia,Japan,Mexico,United Kingdom,United Statesand 89 other countries voted for;Armenia,Belarus,Bolivia,Cuba,North Korea,Nicaragua,Sudan,Syria,VenezuelaandZimbabwe, as well as Russia, voted against.Among the abstaining countries wereChina,India,Pakistan,South AfricaandBrazil.Israelwas among the countries listed as absent.Reutersreported unnamed UN diplomats saying the Russian delegation threatened with punitive action against certain Eastern European and Central Asian countries if they supported the resolution.Subsequent United Nations General Assembly resolutions also reaffirmed non-recognition of the annexation and condemned "the temporary occupation of part of the territory of Ukraine—the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol".