Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Crimean Tatar Genocide: Karazin Community Remembers

Every year on May 18, Ukraine and the world bow their heads in memory of one of the most tragic events of the 20th century — the forced deportation of the Crimean Tatar people, carried out by the Soviet regime in 1944. Today, this date is not only a day of mourning for those who died in the “death wagons” and in the early years in exile, but also a symbol of the resilience of a people who for decades fought for the right to live on their native land.

Eighty-two years ago, within just a few days, an entire people was declared “criminal” and uprooted from their homeland in Crimea. Tens of thousands of deaths, destroyed lives, and an attempt to erase identity, culture, and even the very name of the people — this is a textbook definition of genocide.

For Karazin University, as a center of free thought and humanistic values, this memory is fundamental. We understand that unpunished evil always returns. Today, amid Russian aggression and the temporary occupation of Crimea, the Crimean Tatar people once again find themselves under attack. Searches, unlawful detentions, political prisoners, and attempts at intimidation — the aggressor’s methods have not changed.

But the will for freedom remains just as unshakable. Today, Crimean Tatars stand shoulder to shoulder with all citizens of Ukraine, fighting for our shared victory — on the front line, in volunteer centers, and on diplomatic platforms.

The Karazin community expresses sincere support to Crimean Tatar students, lecturers, and all families whose relatives have suffered from repression in the past and present. We believe that academic freedom and human dignity will certainly return to a free Ukrainian Crimea.

We call on everyone today to remember the victims of the deportation and light a candle of remembrance.