Crimean Tatars have reacted to Russian plans in Bakhchisaray

The Crimean Tatar Resource Center has condemned the Russian occupation authorities’ plans to use the Bakhchisaray Khan’s Palace to promote Russian imperial narratives and propaganda.

This is stated in a press release from the Crimean Tatar Resource Center.

According to available information, from October 31 to November 1, 2026, organizers plan to recreate a Russian Empire military camp on the grounds of the historic site. They also plan to hold a historical reenactment of the “Heroic Defense of Sevastopol” and open a museum exhibition dedicated to the Crimean War of 1853–1856.

The Center emphasizes that these events will take place on the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea—an inseparable part of Ukraine. They noted that UN General Assembly Resolution 68/262 reaffirmed Ukraine’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. It also called for the non-recognition of the change in Crimea’s status based on the so-called 2014 referendum.

The statement notes that the Bakhchysarai Khan’s Palace is one of the main symbols of the history and statehood of the Crimean Tatar people and a unique legacy of the Crimean Khanate. According to the authors of the statement, the activities taking place on its grounds are aimed at distorting the historical significance of the monument and erasing from it the memory of the people who created it.

Separately, the Center drew attention to the choice of the Crimean War as a theme. In that war, the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain, and France acted as allies against the Russian Empire. Under the current occupation, the Center believes that addressing this theme at the Khan’s Palace takes on special political significance.

They also noted that the occupying authorities are carrying out a so-called “restoration” of the palace. According to experts, this is accompanied by interference with the building’s authentic structures and historical elements. Combined with the imposition of foreign historical interpretations, this, in the Center’s view, threatens both the physical authenticity of the monument and its significance for the Crimean Tatar people.

The Center expressed concern over the disregard for the rights of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people and their representative body—the Mejlis. The statement emphasizes that Russia’s 2016 ban on the Mejlis’s activities does not negate the Crimean Tatars’ right to representation and participation in decision-making regarding their own cultural heritage.

The Center cited the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Specifically, it cites Articles 18, 19, and 31, which enshrine the right to participate in decision-making through elected representatives, as well as the right to preserve, control, protect, and develop their own cultural heritage.

In addition, the Center noted that the Russian Federation, as the occupying power, is obligated to comply with the norms of international humanitarian law regarding the protection of cultural property. This refers, in particular, to the 1954 Hague Convention and its 1999 Second Protocol.

Ірина Глухова