On the temporarily occupied Crimean Peninsula, Russia continues to implement a colonial policy that leads to changes in the region’s ethnic composition, persecution of Crimean Tatars, and the deliberate destruction of the cultural and linguistic identity of indigenous peoples. This was stated by Olga Kuryshko, the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, during a media briefing dedicated to violations of the rights of national minorities in Crimea under Russian occupation.
Olga Kuryshko noted that the systemic policy of the Russian Federation has remained unchanged for centuries. She described it as a classic colonial strategy involving the settlement of Crimea by citizens loyal to Russia. According to various estimates, up to one million Russians have been illegally relocated to the peninsula, which not only alters the demographic situation but also creates assimilation pressure on the local population.
Kuryshko emphasized that conditions for the development of the Crimean Tatar language and culture are practically non-existent. She pointed out that the Crimean Tatar language is on the verge of extinction, while the Ukrainian language is almost inaccessible. Two international courts have already documented these human rights violations.
Crimea has become a “hub of assimilation technologies,” and Russia has been implementing repressive models against indigenous peoples for years, said Yulia Tyshchenko, Chair of the Board of the Ukrainian Independent Center for Political Research. She highlighted that Russia is carrying out a purge of disloyal communities by banning representative bodies such as the Mejlis and dismantling self-governance.
Tyshchenko also drew attention to the fact that in schools where the Crimean Tatar language is formally taught, “educational activities” are reduced to celebrations that have no connection to the culture or history of the Crimean Tatars, such as “Chekhov’s birthday” or the “annexation of Crimea to Russia.”
She stressed that children in grades 4–7 participate in events under slogans like “I serve the people of Russia” and meetings with various military organizations, which indicates a complete erasure of historical memory among the younger generation.
