According to the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine 792-III of 12.11.2015 ‘On recognition of the genocide of the Crimean Tatar people’, 18 May is established as the Day of Remembrance for the victims of the genocide of the Crimean Tatar people in Ukraine.

On 18 May 1944, the Soviet authorities forcibly deported the Crimean Tatar people from the Crimean Peninsula. Within a few days, hundreds of thousands of Crimean Tatars were forcibly deported to the remote areas of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Siberia and other regions. People were transported in freight trains in inhumane conditions, without sufficient food, water or medical care. According to various estimates, up to 46% of the Crimean Tatar population died as a result of the deportation.

This crime was accompanied by massive repression, destruction of cultural heritage and a ban on Crimean Tatars returning to their historic homeland. The deportation resulted in a tragic gap between generations, loss of homes, and the destruction of social structures and language. The memory of these events is of crucial importance for the Crimean Tatar people and the entire Ukrainian nation, as it reminds us of the need to protect human rights, combat ethnic discrimination and prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future.

The Public Library of the Kremenchuk Flight College of KhNUIA joins the commemoration of the victims of the genocide of the Crimean Tatar people and offers a brief historical essay with a selection of books about the occupation of Crimea, the history and culture of Crimea to help understand the tragedy of the Crimean Tatars and the entire Ukrainian people.