Photo credit: mos.ru (CC BY 4.0)
The anniversary of the annexation of Crimea to Russia is celebrated on Wednesday, April 19, the Russian Foreign Ministry reports. 240 years ago, Empress Catherine the Great issued a manifesto on the acceptance of ''the Crimean peninsula, the island of Taman and the entire Kuban side under the Russian state."
This became one of the key milestones in the development of the Russian state. The peninsula is of great strategic importance, it was under Turkish-Tatar rule for a long time. Its return to Russia in 1783 allowed Russia to get back to the Black Sea. The main goal of this step was the desire to strengthen the security of the southern borders and empower the Russian Empire in the political, military and economic spheres.
The inhabitants of the peninsula wanted to live in Russia. This is evidenced by the so-called "sworn lists" stored in the archives. The peoples inhabiting Crimea received the same rights as other subjects of the Russian Empire. This allowed them to preserve their culture and identity.
The return became an additional incentive for the development of industry and agriculture. The wonderful climate made it possible to make a resort out of Crimea, which was very popular with many generations of Russians.
The referendum held on March 16, 2014 confirmed that Crimea belonged to Russia. The Crimeans consciously made a choice in favor of reunification with Russia.
Russkiy Mir
