The Crimea, with 26,000 square kilometers almost the size of the federal state of Brandenburg, has a checkered history. Ruled for centuries by Greeks, Turks and Tatars, the strategically important peninsula in the Black Sea initially belonged to Russia after the Second World War. Before that, Crimea was still considered an autonomous republic within Soviet Russia during the course of the October Revolution.
In 1954, the then Ukrainian head of the Kremlin, Nikita Khrushchev, declared the peninsula, which was mostly inhabited by Russians, to be part of the Ukrainian Soviet Republic.
After the collapse of the USSR, Ukraine declared its independence in 1991. A year later, the central government in Kiev prevented a referendum on Crimea’s independence that was being sought by pro-Russian forces. As a concession, it was declared an autonomous republic with far-reaching rights.
In 2010, Russia and Ukraine signed a contract for Russian gas supplies – in return, the lease contract with the Russian Navy in Crimea was extended. Located on the peninsula, Sevastopol has been the main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet since the 19th century.
In March 2014, Russia annexed the peninsula.
Image source: ZDF