Council under the President of the Russian Federation for the development of civil society and human rights. Referendum on the status of Crimea and Sevastopol (2014) Crimea annexation referendum

March 16, 2014. For Crimea and Sevastopol, March 16, 2014 was a historic day - a referendum was held in the republic, as a result of which the peninsula was reunited with Russia.

Two questions were included on the ballot papers for the referendum: “Are you for the reunification of Crimea with Russia as a subject of the Russian Federation?” and “Are you for the restoration of the Constitution of the Republic of Crimea of ​​1992 and for the status of Crimea as part of Ukraine?” For the first time in history, questions on ballots were printed in three languages ​​- Russian, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar. At the same time, absentee ballot voting was canceled in order to avoid suspicion of falsification.
There were 27 territorial and 1203 precinct referendum commissions in the republic. All polling stations opened in the morning, and the vast majority, with a few exceptions, on time - at 8.00.

Law and order during the expression of the will of citizens at the polling stations was provided by more than 2,500 police officers, as well as employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and members of the self-defense units of the republic.
In Crimea, 135 observers from 23 countries are registered for the referendum. Another 1,240 observers represent Crimean organizations. 623 journalists from 169 mass media have been accredited to cover the course of the all-Crimean referendum. In total, there were about 2.5 thousand journalists from many countries of the world on the peninsula.

Sergei Aksyonov voted with his daughter immediately after the opening of his polling station. "Only forward! Everything should end successfully, there is no doubt,” he told reporters. Vladimir Konstantinov said at the polling station that he had voted "for a happy future."
The official website of the all-Crimean referendum was subjected to a massive last-generation DDoS attack. Experts found out that the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign /USA/ turned out to be the site of the attacks. It was from there that the most powerful scanning of servers before the attack was recorded. In the middle of the day, the website of the Supreme Council of Crimea was also subjected to a massive DDoS attack.

The turnout at the polling stations in Sevastopol by 12.00 was 50%. By this time, 44.27% of the inhabitants of the peninsula had voted in the all-Crimean referendum. “There has never been such a turnout in all the years when I worked in the election commission,” Mikhail Malyshev, head of the republic's election commission, commented on these figures. By 2:00 pm, the turnout at the all-Crimean referendum also reached a psychological barrier and amounted to 54%. By the end of voting, the turnout will be 81.36%.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in a conversation with US Secretary of State John Kerry, confirmed his principled position regarding the referendum being held in Crimea. Lavrov and Kerry "agreed to continue working contacts to find ways of settling in Ukraine through the early launch of constitutional reform with the support of the international community in a generally acceptable form and respecting the interests of all regions of Ukraine."

Preliminary results of the referendum, announced before midnight, confirmed this result. Thus, 95.5% of the residents of the Republic and 93% of the residents of Sevastopol voted for the reunification of Crimea with Russia following the processing of 50% of the ballots.

Speaker of the Supreme Council Vladimir Konstantinov and Prime Minister of Crimea Sergei Aksenov from the stage of a rally-concert in the center of Simferopol congratulated the Crimeans on the decision of the referendum on reunification with Russia. “The commission is completing its work, but it is already clear to everyone that we have done it! Konstantinov said. - We won! It was we, the Crimeans, who turned the whole world upside down in these two weeks and said that we would return home to Russia!” Aksyonov also congratulated fellow citizens on this significant day. "We are going home! Crimea is in Russia!” he said. He assured that no one would take this victory.

Prime Minister of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov announces the departure of a delegation of the Supreme Council of Crimea on March 17 to Moscow to work with the Russian parliament on resolving the issue of joining the Russian Federation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in telephone conversation with US President Barack Obama said that the referendum in Crimea was fully in line with international law.

On the morning of the referendum on March 16, 2014 in Crimea

On the morning of the historic day of March 16, 2014, Crimeans and Sevastopol residents met in queues at polling stations for a referendum on the status of their small homeland. More than 97% of them will support reunification with Russia.
The voting ballots for the referendum in Crimea contained two options for the future of the republic to choose from: “Are you for the reunification of Crimea with Russia as a subject of the Russian Federation?” or “Are you for the restoration of the Constitution of the Republic of Crimea of ​​1992 and for the status of Crimea as part of Ukraine?” These questions were duplicated for the first time in three official languages ​​- Russian, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar.
Despite fears of provocations, almost all polling stations opened on time, with only a few exceptions. Order at the polling stations was ensured by more than 2.5 thousand law enforcement officers, rescuers of the Ministry of Emergencies and self-defense combatants, but their intervention was not required.
135 observers from 23 countries registered as observers of the referendum in the electoral commission, 623 journalists from 169 mass media were accredited.
Sergei Aksyonov voted with his daughter immediately after the opening of his polling station. "Only forward! Everything must end successfully, there is no doubt,” he told reporters. Vladimir Konstantinov said at the polling station that he had voted "for a happy future."
Now a massive DDoS attack on the official site of the all-Crimean referendum from the University of Illinois (USA) can be considered a curiosity — the site did not display any real-time data and, accordingly, was of no practical interest to attackers. By lunchtime, the website of the Crimean Supreme Council was also attacked.
Already at noon, it became clear that the turnout in Crimea and Sevastopol would be a record, and the city was ahead of the republic: if here by 12.00 the turnout was 50%, then in Crimea it has so far exceeded 44%. “There has never been such a turnout in all the years when I worked in the election commission,” Mikhail Malyshev, head of the republic's election commission, admitted at the time. At the end of the voting, the record will be set - the turnout was 81.36%.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry had time to discuss the referendum in Crimea on Sunday - in a conversation, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry again confirmed the principled position of his country.
The results of the only exit poll commissioned by Kryminform are published immediately after polling stations are closed. In accordance with them, 93% of Crimeans supported the reunification of Crimea with Russia in a referendum, 7% of those polled spoke in favor of an autonomous status within Ukraine. And although at first these data caused some skepticism, very soon the voting results will leave them far behind - already midnight preliminary results after processing 50% of the ballots showed the desire of 95.5% of the inhabitants of the Republic and 93% of the inhabitants of Sevastopol to return to their homeland.
By the closure of the sites, the city is filled with people. Speaker of the Supreme Council Vladimir Konstantinov and Prime Minister of Crimea Sergei Aksenov from the stage of a rally-concert in the center of Simferopol congratulated the Crimeans on the decision of the referendum on reunification with Russia.
“The commission is completing its work, but it is already obvious to everyone that we have done it! - said Konstantinov. - We won! It was we, the Crimeans, who over these two weeks turned the whole world upside down and said that we would return home - to Russia!”
"We are going home! Crimea is in Russia!” - said Aksyonov.
Here Aksyonov announces the departure of the delegation of the Supreme Council of Crimea on March 17 to Moscow to work out the issue of joining the Russian Federation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a telephone conversation with US President Barack Obama, said that the referendum in Crimea fully complied with international law. Over the next two years, he will never back down from his words.

A lot of changes happened in the world in 2014. For some, they passed unnoticed, others simply began to read the news more often, for others, the world became a war.

A lot has changed for this year. “The Crimean peninsula and the city of Sevastopol became part of the Russian Federation,” this is how the outcome of the 2014 referendum will sound for many descendants. It will be in 20, 30, maybe 40 years. And now some will say: “Crimea has returned home,” others will say: “Russia has occupied Crimea.”

Before we take a closer look at the events of early 2014 and understand what the Crimeans breathe after a year of annexation of Crimea to Russia, it is worth taking a short excursion into the past and finding out how the history of the peninsula and Russia is connected.

The transition of Crimea under the rule of the Russian Empire

In July 1774, the war between Russia and the Ottoman Empire ended. As a result, a number of Black Sea cities went to the winners, and they received the right to have merchant and warships in the Black Sea. An independent state appeared on the Crimean peninsula.

Already in 1774, it became clear that the annexation of Crimea to Russia is, as they say, a matter of time. But it was resolved not by military, but by political means.

With the help of Russia, he came to power in Crimea, and the previous ruler with his supporters was forced to flee to Turkey. The accession of Crimea to Russia in 1783 was secured by the manifesto of Empress Catherine II on April 8. Since then, the history of the peninsula has been inextricably linked with Russia.

Brief history of Crimea from 1921 to 1954

Crimea, after joining Russia in 1783, began to change dramatically, infrastructure and production developed, the national composition of the population changed.

When the Bolsheviks came to power and the Civil War ended, the Crimean ASSR was created. At the beginning of the 20th century, the peninsula was inhabited by: Russians, who made up almost half of the population (49.6%), Crimean Tatars (19.4%), Ukrainians (13.7%), Jews (5.8%), Germans (4 .5%) and other nationalities (7%).

During the years of the Great Patriotic War fierce battles were going on in the Crimea, a long occupation unrecognizably changed the appearance of the peninsula and the character of its inhabitants. In the spring of 1944, an operation began to liberate the Crimea from the invaders.

In 1944-1946 Crimean Tatars were deported from the peninsula for their support Nazi Germany, the Crimean region was formed as part of Russia.

Crimea and Ukraine

In 1954, Crimea was included in the composition. This was logical and dictated by close economic and cultural ties, as well as the unity of the territories. Many communications, railway and road routes were connected with the mainland of Ukraine.

In 1989, the attitude of the government of the Union towards the Crimean Tatars changed and their return migration to the peninsula began.

In early 1991, the first referendum was held, as a result of which Crimea again received the rights of autonomy within the Ukrainian SSR. After the collapse of Crimea, it remained part of the now independent state of Ukraine. From 1994 to 2014, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea existed. At the beginning of 2014, a new annexation of Crimea to Russia took place.

How it all started

In November 2013, protests began. President of the country V. Yanukovych postponed the signing of the association agreement with the European Union. This was the reason for people to take to the streets.

The action, which began with a student rally, grew into a powerful movement. Tens of thousands of people organized a tent city in the center of Kyiv, began to occupy administrative buildings, burn tires.

Gradually, the peaceful rally turned into a tough confrontation between the demonstrators and the police. There were first casualties on both sides. At the same time, in the western regions of Ukraine, actions began against the existing government, their own heads of city and regional councils were appointed, and monuments to the Soviet regime collapsed.

Coup d'état in Ukraine

In February 2014, the action in Kyiv, which became known as Euromaidan, reached its peak. Dozens of protesters and law enforcement officers were killed by unknown snipers. The opposition and the leaders of the protest movement staged a coup, President Yanukovych and his family fled the country.

Pro-Western leaders came to power, aggressively disposed against the Russians, Russia, Soviet Union. Illegal armed formations began to move from Kyiv to the regions. Mass response actions against the new regime began.

Crimea: from demonstrations to a referendum

The crisis of Ukrainian power in February 2014 led Crimea to the need to determine its future fate. The adoption of a new government in Ukraine meant a break in the historical, cultural, social connection peninsulas with Russia. The forces that carried out the coup in Kyiv were unequivocally hostile and aggressive about Russians, including those living in Crimea.

Protests began in Kerch and other cities against the new government in Kyiv, the oppression of the Russian language, the imposition of their history, the arrival of armed aggressive supporters of Euromaidan, and the destruction of Soviet-era monuments. However, it must be said that part of the Crimean population supported the leaders who came to power and, in general, the action in the center of the capital of Ukraine. Basically, agreement with the new government was expressed by the Crimean Tatars.

Defending their values, culture, way of life and security, the inhabitants of Crimea announced their desire to hold a referendum to determine the will of the majority of the citizens of the peninsula: to remain under the rule of Ukraine or join Russia.

Preparation, implementation and results of the 2014 referendum

The date for the referendum on the fate of Crimea was set for May 25. While active preparations were being made on the peninsula, the question of the illegality of such a referendum was discussed in Ukraine, the United States and European countries, and they spoke in advance about the non-recognition of its results.

Later, against the backdrop of a growing voting date, it was postponed to March 16. The people in Crimea showed great activity and turnout, exceeding 80% of the population. Crimeans were aware of the fatefulness of the referendum. It was not yet the date of the annexation of Crimea to Russia, but now it is the day of March 16 that is proposed to be made a holiday on the peninsula.

Already on March 17, the results were summed up. The population of Crimea voted for unification with Russia. And the law was approved and signed, according to which Crimea and Sevastopol were officially annexed to Russia.

Russian military in Crimea

At the end of the winter of 2014, active movements of people were noticed on the Crimean peninsula. military uniform. Politicians who illegally gained power in Kyiv immediately accused Russia of military aggression. In turn, Russia denied the presence of its military contingent on the peninsula, except for the units based in accordance with the agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

Later, the military, who redeployed on the territory of the peninsula, began to be called "little green men" and "polite people."

It must be said that Ukraine refused the leadership of the Autonomous Republic to create conditions for the will of the people. And, thanks to the presence of the Russian military contingent, which had the right to be on the peninsula, the annexation of Crimea to Russia took place peacefully.

Issues of the legality of the detachment of Crimea from Ukraine

Ukraine and its allies immediately announced the illegal actions of the government of Crimea and Russia. The results of the referendum and the very fact of its holding, according to the leaders of many countries, are illegal. The EU countries and the United States did not recognize the annexation of Crimea to Russia and continue to assert that the peninsula is under occupation.

At the same time, they supported the unconstitutional coup in Kyiv, and, moreover, representatives of the United States and European countries met with Euromaidan activists and even advised its leaders.

The announcement of a referendum in Crimea was accepted by the legitimate government of the autonomous republic. The turnout at the polling stations showed the interest of the population in resolving the issue later life peninsula in the context of the growing crisis in Ukraine and the world. The absolute majority, more than 90% of those who voted, supported the annexation of Crimea to Russia.

International law implies the possibility of a people living in a certain territory to independently decide their own destiny. And the population of Crimea did it. The autonomy of a republic within Ukraine allowed the government to call for a referendum, and that is exactly what happened.

The first months after the referendum

The transitional period is difficult for the inhabitants of the peninsula. The annexation of Crimea to Russia in 2014 is undoubtedly the most important historical event in the life of the whole country. But what has become and will be the life of the Crimeans in the near future?

In March-April 2014, enterprises and banks began to close on the peninsula, payments by cards and at the box office stopped. Ukrainian businessmen were withdrawing their assets.

Interruptions with water and electricity began, unemployment increased, and queues for reissuing documents did not add joy to the everyday life of Crimeans. In April-May, the first wave of refugees poured into the peninsula from the southeast of Ukraine, where an armed confrontation between the Kyiv authorities and the militia of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions began.

How, after a few months, they began to perceive locals annexation of Crimea to Russia? The reviews were very different. Someone succumbed to longing and panic due to the deteriorating economic situation. Others showed a willingness to follow the chosen path through any obstacles. The life of the peninsula has changed and not in all areas for the better, but the Crimeans live and enjoy the changes.

Haven't changed numbers yet cell phones, have not taken the hryvnia out of circulation, have not received new license plates for cars, but tricolor flags are already flying everywhere.

How the Crimeans met the New Year 2015

The annexation of Crimea to Russia in 2014 added trouble and worries to the life of the indigenous population. Behind these worries, someone did not notice the approach of the New Year. In cities, electricity and water are increasingly being cut off, prices are rising just like traffic jams, new jobs have not yet been created, so many will celebrate the holidays modestly: no work - no money.

It will be almost a year since the annexation of Crimea to Russia took place. Opinions are still different. But here and there you can hear the call: "Don't whine, we'll survive."
In 2015, the Crimeans are waiting for a lot of changes, but they have already learned patience. The main thing that many of them note is calmness, which allows them to look into the future without fear.

Russia after the annexation of Crimea

Many political scientists, economists, entrepreneurs believe that joining Crimea to Russia costs the country so much that it was cheaper to buy the peninsula from Ukraine. The sanctions initiated by the United States began to be felt in the work by the summer of 2014 Russian enterprises. The financial system of the country also destabilized.

Even large enterprises are forced to reduce the number of products produced, in connection with which layoffs are expected, which means an increase in unemployment throughout the country.

The United States was supported by most of the EU countries. Sanctions are getting tougher, Russia is accused of occupying Crimea and actively helping the militias of the South-East of Ukraine. The Kyiv authorities constantly make statements about the presence of regular Russian troops on their sovereign territory.

Europe and the United States seek to isolate the Russian economy, bring down financial markets to force her to play by her own rules. But the situation has not gotten out of control, the country has serious allies, the economy is beginning to reorient itself to new markets.

The events of the Crimean spring are just the implementation by Russia of its own decisions on the status of Crimea and Sevastopol!

Valery Podyachy

The world community should not associate the legalization of the Russian status of Crimea and Sevastopol only with the results of the all-Crimean referendum on March 16, 2014, in which the inhabitants of the peninsula almost unanimously voted for the reunification of Crimea with Russia as a subject of the Russian Federation. The fact that the West questions this referendum and rejects its results does not at all mean international recognition of Ukraine's sovereignty over Crimea and Sevastopol. After all, Ukraine received international legal personality within the borders without Crimea and Sevastopol, which at that moment were part of the RSFSR. Since 1945 Ukraine has been a subject of international law and one of the founders of the United Nations. She joined the UN without Crimea and Sevastopol. Since then, there have been no legally significant documents that included Crimea or Sevastopol in the state territory of Ukraine. Assignment, that is, the transfer of sovereignty from one state to another by agreement between them, requires the conclusion of an international treaty between the respective states, which must comply with all the basic principles of modern international law. Ukraine has not concluded any similar agreements on Crimea provided for by international law.

The Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR of February 5, 1954 and the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of February 19, 1954 "On the transfer of the Crimean region from the RSFSR to the Ukrainian SSR" were internal documents Even after its collapse, the USSR did not give independent Ukraine any rights to Crimea. The jurisdiction exercised by Ukraine over Crimea for almost 23 years was temporary. Russian sovereignty over the peninsula has never been transferred to anyone. In the early 1990s, Russia confirmed its sovereignty over Crimea and Sevastopol by the relevant resolutions of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation.

So on May 21, 1992, the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation adopted Decree No. 2809-1 “On the legal assessment of decisions supreme bodies of the state power of the RSFSR on changing the status of the Crimea, adopted in 1954. By this legal act, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR of February 5, 1954 "On the transfer of the Crimean region from the RSFSR to the Ukrainian SSR" as adopted in violation of the Constitution (Basic Law) of the RSFSR and the legislative procedure was recognized as having no legal force from the moment of adoption. With this document, the Russian Parliament set the task - "to consider it necessary to resolve the issue of Crimea through interstate negotiations between Russia and Ukraine with the participation of Crimea and on the basis of the will of its population." The day after the adoption of this historic decision, the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation appealed to the President and the Supreme Council of Ukraine with a call "to refrain from any actions aimed at suppressing the free will of the population of Crimea, which, in accordance with international standards, has the full right to independently determine its fate." “At the moment, everyone who cherishes the ideals of democracy and justice needs to show wisdom, responsibility and restraint towards Crimea, to ensure strict observance of the rights of the entire population of Crimea,” the text of the appeal says. The Supreme Council of Russia expressed the hope that "all issues of Russian-Ukrainian relations will be resolved peacefully through political negotiations in order to achieve fair agreements that meet the interests of the parties and contribute to peace and harmony", and also "that the same approach will be shown by Ukraine and its highest authorities.

On July 9, 1993, the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation adopted Decree No. 5359-1 “On the status of the city of Sevastopol”. This legal act confirmed the Russian federal status of the city of Sevastopol within the administrative-territorial boundaries of the city district as of December 1991. The Parliament of Russia in this document set the task of the Council of Ministers - the Government of the Russian Federation in the shortest possible time to develop state program ensuring the status of the city of Sevastopol, giving relevant instructions to ministries and departments, as well as to negotiate with the government of Ukraine on the city of Sevastopol as the main base of the unified Black Sea Fleet. At the same time, it was planned to prepare a draft law on fixing the federal status of the city of Sevastopol in the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

At the time of the adoption of these resolutions, the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation was defined as the supreme body of power, competent to decide any a question assigned to the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation. The events of the Crimean spring are just the implementation by Russia of its own decisions on the status of Crimea and Sevastopol. The executive power and the President of the Russian Federation, as its leader, must strictly and conscientiously implement the decisions of the country's supreme legislative body. This is a common practice throughout the civilized world. And if this cannot be done immediately, then it must be done as soon as even the slightest opportunity presents itself for this. It appeared immediately after the overthrow of the legitimate president of Ukraine in February 2014, at the moment when the country left the constitutional field and found itself on the verge of chaos and civil war. The Constitution of Ukraine either operates in its entirety, or does not operate at all, while selective law enforcement is not allowed. Since it has ceased to operate, the time has come to return the original Russian lands under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation. The statehood of Ukraine must be re-registered and constitutionally fixed, because the former state, provided for by the Constitution of Ukraine of June 28, 1996, no longer exists. This is a different state, albeit with the same name. Therefore, it has no right to demand for itself territories that are not participating in the reformatting of the new Ukrainian project. Before the writing of the new basic law of the country, the issue of its territory is debatable, which is clearly demonstrated by the events of recent months in Novorossia.

But even the 1996 Constitution does not unequivocally define the belonging of Crimea and Sevastopol to Ukraine. I can say this based on my own experience of proving this fact in Ukrainian courts, where I was a defendant in a criminal case on “separatism” against activists of the Popular Front “Sevastopol-Crimea-Russia”. To do this, I propose to recall some legal norms and definitions. Part 3 of Article 2 of the Constitution of Ukraine states: "The territory of Ukraine within the existing border is integral and inviolable." The state border of Ukraine, in accordance with Article 1 of the Law of Ukraine "On the State Border of Ukraine" dated November 4, 1991, is a line and a vertical surface that runs along this line and defines the limits of the territory of Ukraine - land, water, subsoil, air space.

The delimitation of the border provides for the definition general position and directions state border between neighboring states through negotiations, and demarcation of the border - drawing the line of the state border on the ground with its designation by special border signs. In accordance with Article 2 of the Law of Ukraine "On the State Border of Ukraine", the state border of Ukraine is determined by the Constitution of Ukraine and the laws of Ukraine, as well as international treaties of Ukraine, the consent to be bound by which is given by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The issue of borders is regulated by the Treaty between the Russian Federation and Ukraine on the Russian-Ukrainian state border. Article 5 of this treaty, signed in Kyiv on January 28, 2003, states that "nothing in this Treaty prejudices the positions of the Russian Federation and Ukraine regarding the status of the Sea of ​​Azov and the Kerch Strait as internal waters of two states." Crimea is located between Ukraine and Russia just in the zone of the Sea of ​​Azov and the Kerch Strait, where there are no borders and, moreover, they are not provided for by the agreement. Thus, the absence of a state border between Ukraine and the Russian Federation in the Azov-Kerch water area is fixed by agreement.

On April 20, 2004, this agreement was ratified by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine by law No. 1681-IV. On the same day - April 20, 2004 - President of Russia Vladimir Putin signed a decree on awarding the Order of Merit to the Fatherland, 1st class, to Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma. The order was presented to Kuchma in the Kremlin seven years later on July 28, 2011 by Dmitry Medvedev. Thus, the merits of the former Ukrainian president were noted in fixing at the contractual level the absence of a state border between Ukraine and Russia. Putin awarded Kuchma with an order because Russia, at any moment convenient for it, could raise the issue of the territorial affiliation of Crimea and Sevastopol, which was subsequently done.

The absence of a state border between Ukraine and Russia in the Crimean sector became most evident during the scandalous trial against activists of the Sevastopol-Crimea-Russia movement in February 2011. The lawyer of the defendants, Ivan Bakai, addressed relevant requests to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and the State Border Service. “Today, the negotiation process between Ukraine and the Russian Federation continues regarding the definition of the state border in the Azov and Black Seas, as well as the Kerch Strait,” the director of the legal department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine answered the lawyer. “At the moment, the negotiation process continues to demarcate the state border in the Sea of ​​Azov and the Kerch Strait. The negotiation process is led by representatives of the Foreign Ministries of Ukraine and the Russian Federation,” the response from the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine also says. It follows from these documents that neither the delimitation nor the demarcation of the Ukrainian-Russian border in the area of ​​the Sea of ​​Azov and the Kerch Strait was carried out. It was also not carried out in the Black Sea region. Consequently, there is no state border between Crimea and Russia.

However, despite the absence of borders between Crimea and Russia, on February 28, 2011 Court of Appeal In the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, activists of the Popular Front "Sevastopol-Crimea-Russia" Valery Podyachy and Semyon Klyuev were convicted under Article 110, part 2 of the Criminal Code "Infringement on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine" to three years in prison. The SBU accused us of organizing and holding a press conference on January 21, 2008, during which a press release was read out, the last paragraph of which contained the text: “In order to prevent dramatic events for the inhabitants of the peninsula, the Crimean parliament must immediately implement the results of the referendum on January 20, 1991, for which the 1998 Constitution of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea should be canceled as contrary to the will of the Crimean people, and adopt the Declaration on the reunification of Crimea with Russia. Then declare the peninsula a territory under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation, as well as remove the occupation symbols from the building of the Supreme Council of Crimea and oblige all local authorities in Crimea and other institutions subordinate to them to hang out the state flags of Russia”. The verdict has not been canceled yet.

It is significant that Ukraine condemned those who demanded the implementation of the results of the all-Crimean referendum, which gives the peninsula the legal right to reunite with Russia. We are talking about voting on January 20, 1991 on the re-establishment of the Crimean ASSR, as a subject of the Union and a participant in the Union Treaty. Let me remind you that 81% of the inhabitants of the peninsula, including Sevastopol, who have the right to vote, took part in the referendum. "FOR" voted 93%. The ballots for the referendum had one wording, but they restored autonomy in a completely different form - as an integral part of Ukraine. The former Crimean ASSR existed as part of the RSFSR, and therefore it could only be recreated in the status in which it was abolished (only what had previously taken place can be restored, recreated). Since the Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR No. 2013-1 of March 7, 1991 canceled the Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces of June 30, 1945 “On the transformation of the Crimean ASSR into the Crimean region as part of the RSFSR”, the Crimean ASSR, restored following the results of the will of the Crimeans on January 20 1991 was legally supposed to be part of the RSFSR. It should be especially noted that in 1954 the Crimean region was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR, and the Crimean ASSR existed almost until 1946 as part of the RSFSR. Therefore, according to the results of the all-Crimean referendum on January 20, 1991, the Crimean ASSR should be recreated as part of the then RSFSR.

Moreover, the wording of the all-Crimean referendum provided for the Crimean ASSR "... as a subject USSR and a member of the Union Treaty. At the time of the referendum, the USSR existed both de jure and de facto, and therefore the Crimean ASSR, undoubtedly, became a subject of the USSR. In this context, it would be appropriate to recall another referendum, the results of which are still hushed up. Meanwhile, following the results of the all-Ukrainian referendum on the independence of Ukraine on December 1, 1991, the decision to withdraw the Crimean ASSR from the USSR was not adopted. Crimea did not leave the USSR and did not have the right to be part of Ukraine.

On December 1, 1991, an all-Ukrainian referendum on the independence of Ukraine was held within the administrative borders of the Ukrainian SSR. Voting took place, including on the territory of the Crimean ASSR. The All-Ukrainian referendum was organized by the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SSR and the government of the Ukrainian SSR. The voting ballot contained the question: "Do you confirm the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine?".

Since on December 1, 1991, the Ukrainian SSR was part of the USSR and its territory was under the jurisdiction of the USSR, such referendums should have been held in strict accordance with Union legislation. The law regulating these legal relations was the Law of the USSR “On the procedure for resolving issues related to the withdrawal of a union republic from the USSR” No. 1409-1 dated April 3, 1990. Article 3 of this law provides that in a union republic that includes autonomous republics, a referendum is held separately for each autonomy.

The Crimean ASSR was restored by the Law of the Ukrainian SSR “On the Restoration of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic” dated February 12, 1991, and at the time of the all-Ukrainian referendum on December 1, 1991 it existed de jure and de facto. Therefore, the all-Ukrainian referendum on December 1, 1991 was to be held separately for the Crimean ASSR. In accordance with Article 6 of the aforementioned Law of the USSR "On the procedure for resolving issues related to the secession of a union republic from the USSR" in a union republic that includes autonomous republics, the results of the referendum are considered by the Supreme Soviet of the Union Republic jointly with the Supreme Soviet of the Autonomous Republic.

At the beginning of 2014, I turned to the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Vladimir Konstantinov, with a request to inform: did the Supreme Council of the Crimean ASSR, together with the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SSR, consider the results of the all-Ukrainian referendum on December 1, 1991? From the official response received from the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, it follows that the Supreme Council of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic did not consider the results of the referendum on the independence of Ukraine on December 1, 1991 at all, as required by the law of the state.

Article 6 of the USSR Law "On the procedure for resolving issues related to the withdrawal of a union republic from the USSR" provided that the decision to withdraw the republic from the USSR is considered adopted by means of a referendum if at least two-thirds of the citizens of the USSR permanently residing in the territory of the republic by the time raising the issue of its withdrawal from the USSR and having the right to vote in accordance with the legislation of the USSR that existed at that time. The same applies to an autonomous republic, since in a union republic that has autonomous republics in its composition, a referendum is held separately for each autonomy. According to Ukrainian data in the Crimean ASSR in the referendum of 01.12.1991. 67.5% of the persons included in the voting lists took part, of which 54.2% voted "For".

That is, in Crimea, only 36.5% (for comparison, in Ukraine - 76%) of those with voting rights voted positively. And this is by no means two-thirds, but a little more than a third, and not even living, but being at the time of this referendum on the territory of the peninsula of citizens of the USSR. Soviet passports (including residents of not only Ukraine, but also other union republics). Bulletins in Crimea and Sevastopol were also distributed to servicemen military service who temporarily resided on the territory of the peninsula. In total, these are several tens of thousands of those who did not have the right to take part in such referendums as permanent residents in the territory of the autonomous republic.

Therefore, in accordance with the USSR Law "On the procedure for resolving issues related to the secession of a union republic from the USSR," the Supreme Council of the Crimean ASSR had to consider the results of the all-Ukrainian referendum on the independence of Ukraine on December 1, 1991 and announce that the decision to secession the Crimean ASSR from the USSR not accepted .

Valeriy Podyachy, leader of the Sevastopol-Crimea-Russia movement, convicted by a Ukrainian court of "separatism"

On March 16, 2014, an all-Crimean referendum was held on the status of the Crimean peninsula and the city of Sevastopol. During the referendum, Crimea returned to the Russian Federation. This loud, already historical fact, was preceded by dramatic political events in Ukraine that began in the fall of 2013.

The political crisis in Ukraine, which grew from November 2013 to February 2014, revealed a new force in the country - radical representatives of nationalist parties and movements. Representatives of these movements became the driving force of the opposition not only in Kyiv, but also in many regions of Ukraine. Their provocative tactics, as well as aggressive actions in confrontation with the country's law enforcement agencies, led to mass bloodshed in Kyiv, and then, after the illegal resignation of Ukrainian President Yanukovych, they began to spread to the regions of the country with incredible speed. This phenomenon was associated with the support of nationalists in the ruling structure of the new government in Ukraine. The open speeches of the opposition leaders were not just nationalistic, but also openly Russophobic in nature.

Against the background of the struggle for power, events in the regions of Ukraine took a sharp turn. The question of the need for federalization of the country began to arise.

The new government of Ukraine categorically refused to consider the possibility of federalization and continued to put pressure on its opponents, gradually bringing the situation in eastern Ukraine to a state of civil war - when the confrontation between the armed formations of the newly formed Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics and government troops with the support of the armed formations of a nationalist orientation.

Events in the Crimea took a different turn. On February 27, 2014, the authorities of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea decided to hold a referendum, scheduling it for May 25, 2014. The original referendum question did not include a decision to secede from Ukraine, but only proposed a return to the provisions of the 1992 Constitution, which granted Crimea and its population greater rights. The reason for this decision was the refusal to recognize the legitimacy of the new government, as well as reasonable fears for the fate of the population of the Republic of Crimea in the context of the radicalization of political events and the growth of nationalist manifestations among representatives of the new power structures, condoning the spread and activities of fascist armed groups.

Further escalation of the crisis and threats from the government of Ukraine led to the fact that in the first days of March the date of the referendum was postponed to March 30, 2014, and on March 6 this date was again postponed to the 16th. On the same day and on the same date, a referendum of similar significance was scheduled in Sevastopol. The decisions of the authorities of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol were supported by the overwhelming majority of the population of these two regions. However, now the question was different. Residents of the two regions were asked to make a choice: either join Russia or return to the 1992 Constitution and remain part of Ukraine.

Simultaneously with the preparations for the referendum, the Crimean authorities appealed to the Russian government with a request to consider the possibility of Crimea joining the Russian Federation.

The unfolding events in Crimea were followed by a corresponding reaction from Kyiv, where the decisions of the Crimean authorities were called illegal and void, and the situation in Crimea is the work of Russia, which has actually already occupied Crimea. The European Union, the United States and many other states refused to consider the decision of the authorities of Crimea and Sevastopol legal. The OSCE also refused to send its observers for the referendum, referring to the fact that such an appeal had not been received from the official authorities of Ukraine.

On March 11, 2014, the authorities of Crimea and Sevastopol adopted the Declaration of Independence of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia was not slow to announce that it considers the Declaration a legitimate decision and "will respect the results of the free will of the people of Crimea and Sevastopol during the upcoming referendum."

On the day of the all-Crimean referendum, March 16, 2014, more than 80% of voters came to vote, of which more than 90% of voters voted for reunification with Russia.

On March 17, following the results of the referendum, Crimea adopted a resolution on independence from Ukraine, and the next day a solemn and exciting event took place - the signing of the Treaty on the entry of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol into the Russian Federation. The agreement was approved by the Russian parliament, and on March 21, Russian President V.V. Putin signed the law on the ratification of the Treaty.