Presentation of the Crimea to the Ussr: how balanced and necessary was Khrushchev's decision? Crimea was not transferred to Ukraine by Khrushchev

Most often, the thesis about Nikita Khrushchev's "royal gift" comes up. Say, he gave the peninsula to Ukraine by his sole, and therefore illegitimate, decision. True, in the USSR, territorial ownership was a rather conventional concept: everything was common, Soviet.

However, we will still try to understand the true reasons why and how Crimea came under the jurisdiction of Ukraine. Russian historians often interpret this fact roughly as follows: Khrushchev adored this land, and used the anniversary of the Pereyaslav Rada so that his beloved country "grew in land." In fact, the act of transferring the peninsula from the RSFSR to the Ukrainian SSR had no ideological connotation. The decision was dictated by purely economic motives.

The transfer of land from one subordination to another has already happened in Soviet history. So, in 1924, the Taganrog district of the Donetsk province was transferred to Russia. Later, it became a district of the Rostov region. And, after all, the overwhelming majority of the population of this district, especially those living in rural areas, are ethnic Ukrainians.

However, back to our peninsula. So why is it believed that Khrushchev himself gave Crimea to Ukraine in 1954? Actually, it was then that he "himself" did not decide anything yet: his son-in-law, a well-known journalist Aleksey Adzhubey, told about this. He claims that in 1954 his father-in-law's position on the Soviet "throne" was still very shaky.

Khrushchev, of course, was the First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, but Stalin's "hawks" - Malenkov, Molotov, Kaganovich, Voroshilov, Bulganin - were still in control of the country. And he would simply not be allowed to make serious decisions, and even those that could lead to accusations of sympathy for national minorities to the detriment of the “great elder brother”.

Let's try to reproduce the events of that time. Crimea, like other lands that were under the Nazi occupation, suffered greatly during the war. But, the most terrible were the human losses. The population of the peninsula was halved, and in 1944 it was 780 thousand people. Rather than tackling the problem with labor resources, the Soviet leadership began "ethnic cleansing".

Fifty thousand Germans who had lived on the peninsula since the time of Catherine II were evicted in the early days of the war. And after its end, their fate was repeated by 250 thousand Crimean Tatars, who were accused of “complicity with the occupiers”. Together with them, ethnic Bulgarians, Greeks, Armenians and Czechs were also deported. As a result of such a mediocre policy, the peninsula's economy fell completely. To raise it, at least to the level of pre-war indicators, the government instructed the authorities of the Ukrainian SSR to provide the peninsula with water and energy resources. After all, they were in short supply there.

How did you try to get out of this situation? The Soviet government decided to "fill" the depopulated region with Russian settlers, who were brought mainly from the northern regions. Many of them began to live in the houses of the deported Tatars and received "inherited" all of their household land. Only, behold, the peasants from the Volga region and the Arkhangelsk Territory saw grapevine, tobacco, essential oil crops for the first time in their lives. And potatoes and cabbage did not germinate well in the arid Crimean climate.

As a result of ten years of "management" the economy of the peninsula fell into complete decline. Such a branch of agriculture as sheep breeding has completely disappeared. Vineyard plantings were down seventy percent, and orchard yields were even lower than those of wild trees.

That is why, it was the economic reason that lay, first of all, in the basis of the decision to transfer Crimea to Ukraine: collective farmers from the Ukrainian SSR were accustomed to growing southern vegetables and fruits, and the climatic conditions of the Kherson region and the Odessa region were not much different from the steppes of the Dzhankoy or Simferopol regions.

Of course, it was not without Khrushchev here. In the second half of 1953, having already become the First Secretary of the Central Committee, Khrushchev came to Crimea. He was accompanied by his son-in-law, Aleksey Adjubey. who recalled: “Nikita Sergeevich was surrounded by a crowd of collective farmers. Since the meeting was, indeed, a business one, and not for the record, the conversation was frank. The peasants complained that the potatoes did not grow here, the cabbage was withering, the conditions were unbearable. “We were deceived,” was heard more and more often from the crowd.

That same evening, Khrushchev went to Kiev. At a meeting at the Mariinsky Palace, he urged the Ukrainian leadership to help the suffering population of the peninsula. “There southerners are needed who love gardens, corn, not potatoes,” he said.

Many Russian historians argue that the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine was a simple "gift" on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the Pereyaslav Rada. And, therefore, such an act of alienating the peninsula from Russian lands is illegitimate. Consequently, the present annexation of Crimea to Russia is a "restoration of historical justice."

How was it really? In September 1953, a plenum of the CPSU Central Committee meets. The main topic is the state of agriculture. The head of the Presidium of the Central Committee and the Chairman of the Council of Ministers at that time was G.M. Malenkov. It was at this meeting that a decision was made to transfer the peninsula to the Ukrainian SSR, since the Crimean economy was already sufficiently integrated into the Ukrainian one.

A month and a half later, at the end of October 1953, the Crimean Regional Committee reacted to the Central Committee's decision. He came up with a corresponding "initiative from below". Throughout the winter of 1953-1954. intensive ideological work was carried out. Since nothing was done in the USSR without summing up the ideological base, it was decided to time the transfer of the peninsula from one fraternal republic to another for the 300th anniversary of the Pereyaslav Rada.

After passing the "Crimean issue" in all legal instances, on February 19, 1954, this historic event took place. The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR unanimously adopted the Decree on the transfer of the region from the Russian to the Ukrainian Union Republic. This decision was finally confirmed only in April 1954 at the Session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Since the spring of 1954, immigrants from Ukraine - Kiev, Chernigov and southern regions - began to come to the peninsula. The results have been visible for the past five years. A canal was built to divert water from the Dnieper. This irrigation system made it possible to bring the agriculture of the peninsula into good condition. The Ukrainian SSR built the world's longest trolleybus line, rebuilt Sevastopol, destroyed during the war, and raised the economy of the steppe Crimea. And the Crimea became a highly developed region and it was called the “all-Union health resort”.

Approx. ed. - in general, why was Crimea given to Ukraine? Yes, because, roughly speaking, they themselves “did not cope with the economy, with the recovery after the war,” so they gave it up.And three years ago, suddenly, they realized it and decided to take away

Why Khrushchev gave Crimea to Ukraine? This question still belongs to one of the most mysterious pages of post-war history and has not yet found an unambiguous answer. In the light of recent events in Ukraine, it unexpectedly gained relevance, confirming the undeniable truth that time will put everything in its place (many Russians did not have time to blink an eye when Crimea was annexed to Russia).

Questions regarding the self-determination of nations or the division of territories cannot be resolved with a stroke of the pen, without taking into account the opinions of the peoples inhabiting these territories: sooner or later this will lead to serious conflicts and interethnic strife.

What is happening now in Ukraine is a consequence of the short-sighted actions of the previous leadership of the country, the Soviets. Crimea played the role of a time bomb that went off as unrest in Ukraine reached its final stage.

Historical reference

Crimea was transferred to the Ukrainian Soviet Union Republic by a decree of the highest legislative body of the USSR dated February 19, 1954.

According to the official version, the procedure was due to the following reasons:

The deplorable state of the economy of the Crimean region in connection with the post-war devastation.
Lack of human resources and labor force resulting from the deportation of the Crimean Tatar population.
Lack of agrotechnical knowledge and experience in farm management in the climatic conditions of the Crimean Peninsula among migrants from Russia.

Thus, the need to transfer the peninsula was linked to the common economic, economic, cultural ties and territorial proximity.

According to this document, Ukraine was charged with the responsibility to restore the war-ravaged economy of the Crimean region. But this is only at first glance. Was the Supreme Soviet guided only by concern for the disastrous state of the peninsula?

Doubts arise already in connection with a gross violation of the legislation determining the procedure for carrying out such procedures.

What was the violation of the law during the transfer of Crimea?

What should have been the correct procedure for changing the administrative-territorial subordination of Crimea?

The question of the expediency of its annexation to the Ukrainian Republic at first had to be openly discussed.
Further, referendums were to be held among the population of Ukraine, the RSFSR and the Crimean region itself.
The final stage in the discussion of the issue was to be a referendum among the population of the entire Union.

None of the points of the mandatory protocol were fulfilled.

How was everything in reality?

The final decision to transfer the territory was made by Khrushchev after an unofficial trip to the region. The motivation behind it was information about the disastrous state of the region's economy and the situation of Russian immigrants.

The procedure for the official transfer of the region took less than a month: the issue was included in the agenda of the meeting of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on January 25, 1954, and took only eleventh place in it, as if it was about something insignificant, and took no more than a quarter of an hour.

On February 5, at the next meeting, a draft resolution was developed confirming the transfer.

On February 19, after the speeches of Kuusinen, Rashidov and Korotchenko, the resolution on the transfer of Crimea to the Ukrainian Republic was approved. At the same time, it was attended by less than half of the members of the presidium (13 people out of 27).

The legislative document approving the decree of the Presidium and amending the Constitution of the USSR appeared on April 26, 1954.

Motives of the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU

No one doubts that the initiative to transfer the peninsula came personally from Khrushchev.

Why did he give Crimea?

1. The most important reason for this initiative was the fierce struggle for the leadership of the country. After the death of I. V. Stalin, three people claimed him: Malenkov, Beria and Khrushchev.

Beria controlled the power structures. With the support of the army and Marshal Zhukov, Khrushchev held a strong position in Moscow. Malenkov was the initiator and leader of the "Leningrad affair", as a result of which the top of the Leningrad regional committee of the CPSU (b), which was a serious competitor to Malenkov, was destroyed.

Transferring Crimea to Ukraine, Khrushchev could not help but know that as a result of this transfer, the party leadership in the region would change: loyal Ukrainian comrades would replace the wary Russian communists.

2. The version that such a generous gift from Khrushchev was made by him in order to at least partially atone for his own guilt for his personal participation in repressive actions in Ukraine is not devoid of sound grain. In the period from 1938 to 1947, Khrushchev served as the first secretary of the central committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine and on his conscience many ruined lives.

Planning an unprecedented process to debunk the personality cult of Stalin, which led to brutal repression and crimes against his own people, Khrushchev, to some extent, tried to downplay his own role in these atrocities.

3. According to the official version, the annexation of Crimea was timed to coincide with the three hundredth anniversary of the annexation of Ukraine to Russia. The reunification of the lands of the Zaporozhye army and the Russian kingdom, which occurred as a result of a national decision during the Pereyaslavl Rada, took place in 1654.

4. Summing up the economic basis for his decision to transfer the Crimean lands to Ukraine, Khrushchev spoke of the need to build a North Crimean irrigation canal, which would help solve the problem of irrigating the arid steppe regions of the peninsula. It was advisable to manage construction works from Kiev, rather than from distant Moscow.

Preceding events

Whatever motives the government of the Union was guided by, within the framework of an indestructible monolithic state (which was then the Union), the administrative-territorial re-subordination of Crimea in those years had neither economic nor political consequences.

Then even the most heated imagination could not imagine that after only four decades the collapse of the most powerful world power would begin, ending with the formation of a number of sovereign states.

Why Crimea was given to the Ukrainian SSR? There is another version of the prerequisites for such a decision. A number of events led to its execution:

1) In 1923, negotiations took place between the Soviet government and the head of the Jewish financial organization, Frank Rosenblatt. He discussed the possibility of creating a Jewish autonomous region, which included the north of the Crimean lands, the territory of Sochi, Odessa, Kherson and Abkhazia. Western Ukrainian and Belarusian Jews were supposed to inhabit the autonomy.

If the Soviet government agreed, Rosenblatt promised his assistance in negotiations with the government of the United States of America regarding the allocation of a significant financial loan.

2) When discussing the project, Rosenblatt agreed to limit the territory of the future autonomy within the framework of the peninsula alone, however, due to fears of acute interethnic strife in the territory inhabited by dozens of peoples, the leadership of the Soviets refused to implement the plan.

Nevertheless, the urgent need for material support forced the government to go for a trick. During the talks in Berlin, diplomat Georgy Chicherin deliberately went for a deception, assuring the Jewish bankers that the Soviet Union agreed to the implementation of the Crimean project, and the government had developed a decree for its implementation.

3) The Jewish Congress, with the consent of the Soviet diplomat, decided to provide the Union with a loan of fifteen million dollars. The money was received, but no one thought to start the implementation of the Crimean project.

4) In 1944, the deadline for the first payments approached. The US government again began to demand either the creation of the promised autonomy, or the return of the entire amount of the debt, taking into account the interest accrued during this time (which amounted to over twenty million dollars).

5) Since the country, which had just ended the bloody war, had no money at that time, a decision arose to transfer the peninsula to the jurisdiction of Ukraine, which had no obligations to the American government, since the Russian CEC was formally the debtor.

By handing over Crimea, Khrushchev closed the issue of repaying the country's overwhelming debt.

Most people know history at the level of myths or anecdotes. Very often such folklore is created and constantly supported by the so-called "competent authorities". One of these myths is the wildest fable about how Khrushchev "gave" Crimea to Ukraine. Historians are well aware that Khrushchev simply could not make such a "gift", even if he really wanted to. In January 1954, Nikita Sergeevich was fifth in the Soviet table of ranks, after Malenkov, Molotov, Kaganovich and Bulganin.

But pundits are stubbornly silent and are not going to share their knowledge with the people. Moreover, this is strongly discouraged. However, living in the age of high technologies, it is not so difficult to obtain the necessary information that will make sure that Nikita Sergeevich is completely undeservedly using the reputation of a sympathizer of Ukraine and a “donor” of Crimea. After Stalin's death, the fate of Crimea was of the least interest to the leaders of the state. The country of the Soviets entered a five-year period of endless political battles, when careers were broken, destinies were crippled, when leaders of the highest rank had to show all their skills and miracles of resourcefulness. Thank God, unlike the recent, Stalinist times, removal from a high position did not mean an inevitable execution. This period of time, with an exciting political struggle, in the spirit of Shakespeare's tragedies, is of little interest to anyone today. But in vain!

Khrushchev is an attentive student of the leader.

The famous English historian Len Dayton, in the preface to his book, wrote amazing words, which it is not superfluous to quote: “Misconceptions very often take root in history, and it is especially difficult to get rid of them when they become generally recognized and closed for revision. Historical misconceptions are not the province of the British, however. Germans, Russians, Japanese and Americans also have their own myths and try to live according to them, which often leads to tragic consequences. "

Almost everyone, today, has an idea of N.S. Khrushchev as the eccentric leader of the country, which he had become by 1964. Khrushchev was far from always a tyrant barin who made extraordinary decisions. And in January 1954, when by the decision of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, in an atmosphere of general rejoicing, Crimea was solemnly "presented" to fraternal Ukraine as a symbol of eternal friendship between the Russian and Ukrainian peoples, Khrushchev was not the first person in the state. And he did not enjoy special authority in the highest party and state circles. Let's try to trace the unexpected rise of Nikita Sergeevich's career against the background of the chronology of the Crimean events. As Kozma Prutkov said: “Behold at the root.” (It’s not the funniest thing to remember half-forgotten politicians who once desperately fought for the right to “rule” a huge state, but without recalling the affairs of the past, we will not be able to understand the whole meaning of the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine ).

Stalin and his entourage.

Let's remember who was on the political Olympus of the country of the Soviets in the last days of Stalin's life. This is Stalin himself, who served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers and General Secretary. The most important post of General Secretary in the USSR was, oddly enough to hear, unofficial, not spelled out in any documents. Malenkov was the second person in the state and the First Deputy of the Council of Ministers. Khrushchev held a prominent, but not defining post of First Secretary of the Moscow Regional Committee of the Communist Party. Stalin, due to his age, tried to get away from the daily routine that required a lot of time to work with documents. Therefore, the facsimile signature was delegated to Malenkov, Beria and Bulganin. Stalin, as it were, let those close ones "steer" a little.

Panteleimon Kondratyevich Ponomarenko.

The head of state was intensely looking for a successor. And I found it! If Stalin died two weeks later, then Panteleimon Ponomarenko, who worked as the leader of Belarus from 1938 to 1948, would become the Chairman of the Council of Ministers. And from 1948 to 1953 he was the secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU and a member of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the CPSU. And our whole history would have gone, perhaps, along a completely different path. To approve a high-ranking party official in a new position, the corresponding document, according to the then rules, had to be signed by 25 members of the Presidium. There were still 4 signatures left. And then Stalin died.

Happy heirs. 10 months before the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine.

The happy heirs of the deceased leader began to divide the portfolios. Malenkov became the Chairman of the Council of Ministers (the second person in the country automatically became the first). Beria became the first deputy and minister of internal affairs. Bulganin was appointed Minister of Defense. The veterans, Molotov and Kaganovich, who had been pushed into a remote corner by Stalin, returned to the ranks. Both became the first deputies of Malenkov. In addition, Molotov was given control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Kaganovich was given control over several important ministries. P. Ponomarenko received a "consolation" post of Minister of Culture. Khrushchev was instructed to focus on work in the Central Committee of the CPSU, which was to be collegially managed - the post of General Secretary was abolished. That is, the prospects for Nikita Sergeevich were very vague, rivals were not going to let him go to the leadership of the state.

Georgy Maksimilianovich Malenkov, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR from March 5, 1953 to February 8, 1955. Just in the middle of his "term" was the "donation" of Crimea.

Deadly games. 6 months before the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine.

Six months before the solemn transfer of Crimea to Ukraine, all the attention of Khrushchev and other applicants for power was occupied by more important issues for them. The people of the country of Soviets perceived Malenkov as Stalin's successor. Meanwhile, the fierce war for power continued. Beria gained control over all punitive structures and his “comrades-in-arms”, who lived in an atmosphere of constant fear after the recent shootings in the fabricated “Leningrad” case, considered that the time had come not to wait for possible reprisals, but to eliminate their potentially dangerous “colleague” themselves. Many sources point to Khrushchev as the initiator who received the supportive support of the party-state elite of the USSR. On June 26, 1953, the unsuspecting Beria was arrested, and on December 23 he was shot.

Successful "operation" of Khrushchev. 3 months before the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine.

But the power struggle continued. The rivals closely monitored the “punctures” and mistakes of their colleagues. Malenkov made the decisive "mistake" in May 1953. He cut the salaries of party officials in half, which caused great discontent among this privileged caste. This allowed Khrushchev, who had secured the support of the "offended", in September to establish the post of First Secretary of the Central Committee, similar to the post of General Secretary. Nikita Sergeevich followed in the footsteps of Stalin, who gained absolute power in the country, being in the position of the head of the party. The position is the position, but the rivals are very experienced, who have gone through the Stalinist school. So the struggle was going to be intense and without rules. There are 3 months left before the "donation" of Crimea.

Crimea was transferred to Ukraine. Undercover contractions widen and grow.

The cleansing of the theater of political struggle continued. In February 1954, Panteleimon Ponomarenko, the failed USSR Pre-Council of Ministers, was sent away from Moscow and headed the Communist Party of Kazakhstan. A year later, he found himself in Poland, as an ambassador. In February 1955, Malenkov was removed from the post of the Pre-Council of Ministers and appointed to the post of Minister of Power Plants. Bulganin became the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. In May 1955, Kaganovich loses his position and is transferred to the State Committee for Labor and Wages. (Where he did, probably, the only good deed in his life, he introduced pensions for urban residents. Before that, the vast majority of people survived in old age as best they could. collective farmers, after 8 years, Khrushchev took care). In June 1956, Molotov was removed from the post of foreign minister. All these figures, including Khrushchev, were clearly not up to the Crimea.

Nikolai Aleksandrovich Bulganin, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR from February 8, 1955 to March 27, 1958

February 1956. XX Congress of the CPSU. Desperate move by Khrushchev. 2 years as Ukrainian Crimea.

At one time, the highbrow Marxists, who quoted Marx almost by heart, underestimated the tongue-tied Caucasian with an elementary education. And they paid for it with their lives. A similar situation developed with Khrushchev, whom his colleagues perceived as Stalin's jester. The precarious balance that had developed in the Communist Party by the time of the congress, Khrushchev violated in his favor, using a non-standard move. His current competitors held leading positions under Stalin and were implicated in all Stalinist crimes. On the last day of the congress (so that opponents would not have the opportunity to answer), Khrushchev unexpectedly came out with an emotional exposure of Stalin's crimes at a closed meeting. (True, we tried to make this information known to the maximum possible number of people throughout the country). Although Stalin was accused of everything, the main blow was inflicted on the old Stalinist guard, first of all on Molotov, who was predicted for the post of First Secretary. Many hesitant delegates, already accustomed to a secure and calm life, did not want more turbulent Stalinist times and joined the supporters of Nikita Sergeevich.

Crimea has been Ukrainian for three and a half years. The struggle for power has reached its climax.

Khrushchev, in his swift ascent to the "Olympus", pressed many highly respected people. In the end, they launched a powerful counterstrike. On June 18, 1957, the Presidium of the Central Committee of the CPSU decided to remove N.S. Khrushchev from the post of First Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU. Khrushchev and his supporters managed to delay the resolution of the issue. The message about the removal of Khrushchev from the post of First Secretary, transmitted by Bulganin to the media and the State Committee on radio and television, was not published. In the meantime, members of the Central Committee were urgently transported from all over the country by military planes. Khrushchev took timely measures and did not allow the Presidium of the Central Committee of the CPSU to take power over the country. The meeting of the Presidium dragged on for several days and took on such acute forms that not everyone's nerves could stand it - Leonid I. Brezhnev, for example, lost consciousness and was taken out of the hall.

The "old guard" who lost the struggle for leadership and "joined them" Shepilov.

On June 22, the Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU opened, which worked until June 29. The KGB unequivocally supported Khrushchev. The army was desperately seduced by both sides, trying to involve it as a very powerful argument. The Minister of Defense, G.K. Zhukov, in the end took the side of Khrushchev, which finally broke the resistance of the "old party members". Molotov, Malenkov, Kaganovich and Shepilov were expelled from the Central Committee. These events showed the great role of the leadership of the Armed Forces. Marshal Zhukov allowed himself a number of careless statements that impressed Nikita Sergeevich, and Khrushchev considered it good, four months after the Plenum, to remove Zhukov from his post.

Four years Crimea was a part of Ukraine. Khrushchev received full power.

In March 1958 Bulganin and N.S. Khrushchev became Chairman of the Council of Ministers in addition to his title of First Secretary. Thus, in his hands was as much power as Stalin had. Old enemies have been eliminated, but new ones are not yet visible. Now it was possible to plant corn, launch space rockets, give Crimea to Ukraine or Kamchatka to Belarus. But the Belarusians did not need Kamchatka, and Crimea was a part of Ukraine for the fifth year already. How did it happen that in the process of the most acute political struggle no one used the very fact of the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine as a strong trump card against the author of this idea? Because the initiator of the transfer of Crimea from one union republic to another died on March 5, 1953, and everyone else was somehow all the same and, in general, not before.

The famous corn or, as it was called in the time of Pushkin, "beloyarovo millet". Ivanushka the Fool fed the mare that brought him the hunchbacked horse with Beloyarov millet.

Who prompted Stalin to take the Crimea from Russia and give it to Ukraine?

Of course, the leadership of the Russian Soviet Socialist Federal Republic. The letter to Stalin was signed by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR Boris Nikolayevich Chernousov. Not because of a good life, Chernousov turned to the leader. The work of his government was harshly criticized by Stalin, including for the ecological and economic disaster in the Crimea. After the unusually dastardly eviction of the Crimean Tatars from their native land (first, men were drafted into the army, and then they were loaded into a freight train of women, old people and children), Crimea began to be settled by settlers from various regions of Russia.

Boris Nikolaevich Chernousov, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR from March 9, 1949 to October 20, 1952. He signed an appeal to Stalin with the idea of transferring Crimea to Ukraine.

These people, too, could not be envied. For thousands of years, their ancestors adapted to life in humid and waterlogged areas, where water and dampness are enemy number one. And they were sent to an area with an extremely arid climate, where water is worth its weight in gold. Naturally, the ecological, and after it the economic catastrophe was not long in coming. And plus, in addition, in the Crimea there was an immeasurable amount of excellent inexpensive wine - an ordeal for a Russian person. In general, the situation is awful and hopeless. And the leader requires an early solution of problems and does not want to enter anyone's position.

The leadership of the RSFSR decided to take advantage of the regular "Great Construction of Communism" started in September 1952. The creation of an energy complex in the lower reaches of the Dnieper began, including the construction of a power plant with a large reservoir and a pumping station for pumping water through the projected canal. The main work on the construction of the Kakhovsky hydroelectric complex, the South-Ukrainian and North-Crimean canals was carried out in Ukraine. The object was designated as "The Great Construction Site of Communism". Stalin was "thrown" into the idea that in order not to break such an important object between the two republics, it would only complicate the implementation of the work in organizational terms, it was proposed to transfer the Crimean region to the Ukrainian SSR. The Crimean region of the RSFSR was created in 1946 after the liquidation of the national republic of the Crimean Tatar people.

Postage stamp 1951 - "The Great Construction Sites of Communism".

To Stalin, the arguments of the leadership of the RSFSR seemed quite reasonable and, despite attempts to resist the Ukrainian side, to which all responsibility for the problematic territory with a destroyed economy and an alarming ecology was transferred, the transfer was authorized. The leader himself understood that in the conditions of the planned Soviet economy, the Crimean region of the RSFSR could obtain some materials and resources only in the Russian Federation. And all this will have to be transported from Russia for many kilometers. Of course, something could have been taken in Ukraine as well. But for this it would have to go through complicated bureaucratic slingshots and get it according to the leftover principle. Materials and resources were sorely lacking, and Ukraine was intensively restoring the national economy destroyed by the war. So, Crimea, a stranger to the leaders of Ukraine, could not count on serious injections. And the fate of Crimea was decided.

Already in 1952, work on the design of the program began to boil, which had not yet been advertised. The gift of the "Russian people to the Ukrainian" was planned for January 1954 - just in time the historical date came, which was going to be widely celebrated at the state level: the so-called "Three hundredth anniversary of the reunification of Ukraine with Russia." Such was the Soviet tradition - to time significant events to the solemn dates.

After Stalin's death, G.M. Malenkov became the main person in the USSR, who signed the transfer of the peninsula organized by Stalin, but Khrushchev inherited the "glory" of the donor of Crimea to Ukraine. The history of Georgy Maksimilianovich took a very short period of being in power as the “first” person, and the people could not link the “donation” of Crimea with his name.

I have shared with you the information that I "dug up" and systematized. At the same time, he has not become poorer at all and is ready to share further, at least twice a week.

If you find errors or inaccuracies in the article, please report. My e-mail address: [email protected] . I'll be very thankful.

Few now remember that in the battles for Crimea, the Russian army conducted several campaigns and this war lasted with interruptions for several centuries. The last company ended in 1878. It is not known how many people died and what gigantic sums were spent on this, but after only less than two centuries, a man was found who simply took and presented an outlet to the sea, tortured by sweat and blood, to a completely different country and his name was Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev.

And it was like this:

The son of a miner from the Crimean province, Nikita Khrushchev, in his youth, surprised everyone with his peasant assertiveness and ingenuity, which more than compensated for the lack of education. Having joined the ranks of the red army in 1918, he quickly moved to the top on the political side and already in 1938 he held the post of First Secretary of the Ukrainian SSR. And after Stalin's death, Khrushchev became the first person in the Soviet Union.

In those years, the transfer of the Crimean region from the RSFSR to the Ukrainian SSR within the "indestructible" Soviet Union was a simple formality. Ukraine received Crimea as a "tsarist gift" on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of reunification with Russia. Then no one could even imagine that the USSR would disintegrate and Ukraine would become "independent".

Historians explain Nikita Sergeevich's generosity quite simply. Having come to power after Stalin's death, debunking the personality cult and condemning repression, the leader of the state himself was involved in many repressive cases. As the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Ukrainian Communist Party in 1938-1947, he himself waged an active struggle against the "enemies of the people" and, to some extent to atone for the fault of Ukraine and enlist the support of the Ukrainian "elite", Khrushchev made a broad gesture. Gave the republic a whole resort peninsula!

The first secretary informed his party comrades about his decision, as if by the way, during a break at one of the sessions of the Central Committee Presidium, on the way to lunch. “Yes, comrades, there is an opinion here to transfer Crimea to Ukraine,” he said in passing. No one had the courage to protest. The desire of the first person of the ruling party is the law.

On the agenda of the next meeting of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the CPSU, held on January 25, 1954, the 11th item was the issue "On the transfer of the Crimean region from the RSFSR to the Ukrainian SSR." The question took 15 minutes. They listened and decided: "To approve the draft Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the transfer of the Crimean region from the RSFSR to the Ukrainian SSR."

Nobody objected, nobody doubted the expediency and political consequences. No one even had a question: how will the population of Crimea, almost completely Russian, react to this? It turned out that "such important issues as the territorial relocation of individual regions to a particular republic are resolved without any difficulty."

According to the law, the issue then had to be brought up for open discussion of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR, to find out at referendums the opinion of the inhabitants of both republics - and the Crimea itself, and only then to hold an all-Union referendum. But they did without it: on February 19, 1954, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR met, and only 13 of its 27 members were present, but there was no quorum, but for "the greatest friendly act, testifying to the boundless trust and love of the Russian people for the Ukrainian people", they voted unanimously ...

On July 16, 1990, the Supreme Soviet adopted the Declaration on State Sovereignty of the Ukrainian SSR. And a year later, Ukraine became samastia, but for some reason it forgot to return Crimea.

In 1992, the illegality of the transfer was officially recognized by the Supreme Soviet of Russia.

Now the region is called the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and it does not include the south-west of the peninsula, subordinate to the Sevastopol City Council, which is a unit of national subordination and the northern half of the Arabat Spit, which is part of the Kherson region.

The region is part of Ukraine, despite the fact that about 60% of those living there are Russians. For the maintenance of the Black Sea Fleet in the region of the Russian Federation, Ukraine pays money, and the lease expires in 2017.

On February 19, 1954, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a decree on the transfer of the Crimean region from the RSFSR to the Ukrainian SSR. Thanks to this document, Crimea was, in fact, donated by the Khrushchevs to Ukraine. The "Tsar's Gift" was made on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the reunification of Ukraine with Russia ...

“How many Russians with indignation and horror survived this weak-willed, in no way disputed, not the slightest protested, due to the flabbiness of our diplomacy at that time, the return of Crimea in 24 hours - and its betrayal at every subsequent Crimean conflict”. Alexander SOLZHENITSYN.

Crimea, they say, was presented to Ukraine by the first secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Khrushchev in a fit of "drunken generosity" - after two glasses of cognac. Of course, the transfer of the Crimean region from the RSFSR to the Ukrainian SSR within the framework of the "united and indestructible" Soviet Union was a simple formality. Then, in a nightmare, no one could have imagined that the USSR would collapse and Ukraine would become "independent." Of course, independent Ukraine did not return the gift.

But they did without it: on February 19, 1954, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR met, and only 13 of its 27 members were present, but there was no quorum, but for "the greatest friendly act, testifying to the boundless trust and love of the Russian people for the Ukrainian people", they voted unanimously ...

In 1992, the illegality of the transfer was officially recognized by the Supreme Soviet of Russia.

FROM THE STENOGRAM OF THE MEETING OF THE PRESIDIUM OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE USSR (02.19.1954)

KE VOROSHILOV, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR:
- Today we have to discuss one issue - the joint submission of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR and the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR on the transfer of the Crimean region from the RSFSR to the Ukrainian SSR. The floor is given by Comrade Korotchenko.

KOROTCHENKO D.S., Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR:
- Comrades! The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic expresses its heartfelt gratitude to the great Russian fraternal people for an exceptionally remarkable act of fraternal assistance ...

N. M. SHVERNIK, Chairman of the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions:
- ... Such a transfer of the largest region, rich in raw materials, with a developed large industry, valuable natural healing factors can be carried out only under the conditions of our socialist country, forever freed from the oppression of capitalists and landowners, in a country where care for people is in the foreground and his material and cultural needs.

RASHIDOV Sh.R., Chairman of the Presidium of the Armed Forces of the Uzbek SSR:
- The transfer of the Crimean region to the Soviet Ukraine is in the common interests of our great Motherland. This is possible only in our country, where there is no national strife and national contradictions, where the life of all Soviet people passes in an atmosphere of peaceful creative labor in the name of peace and happiness of all mankind ...

O. V. KUUSINEN, Chairman of the Presidium of the Armed Forces of the Karelo-Finnish SSR:
- Only in our country is it possible that such a great people as the Russian, without any hesitation, generously transferred one of their regions to another fraternal people ...

VOROSHILOV K. E .:
- There are no more signups. It is proposed to adopt the following resolution:

“Taking into account the common economy, territorial proximity and close economic and cultural ties between the Crimean region and the Ukrainian SSR, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR decides: Soviet Socialist Republic ".

No other suggestions? Those who are in favor of this proposal, I ask you to raise your hand. Who is "against"? There are none. Who abstained? Also no. Adopted unanimously.

Of course, the leaders of the RSFSR were well aware that the transfer of Crimea had to be provided with a reliable ideological justification. It was a rather advantageous and understandable jubilee for the Soviet masses - the 300th anniversary of the Pereyaslavl Rada, which the propaganda machine of both the Tsarist and Bolshevik empires presented as the reunification of Ukraine with Russia. It was decided to celebrate this date loudly and widely at the state level.

The transfer of the Crimean region to Ukraine on the eve of the grandiose holiday of "eternal friendship of two fraternal peoples" fit perfectly into the well-prepared Kremlin scenario. Further events showed that such a loud propaganda show staged in Crimea in the second half of May 1954 on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of reunification, apparently, was not in any of the Ukrainian regions, even in Pereyaslav.

On May 16, 1954, according to the decree of the executive committee of the Crimean regional and Simferopol city councils of workers' deputies, a joint jubilee session was held, dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the reunification of Ukraine with Russia. The meeting was held at the regional theater named after Gorky. On May 24, 1954, Krymskaya Pravda wrote:

"The working people of Crimea are celebrating a significant date as a great joyful holiday - the 300th anniversary of the reunification of Ukraine with Russia."

There is no doubt that such a scale and splendor, arranged on the peninsula, was at the same time a celebration of the official transfer of Crimea to Ukraine.

And nobody gave Sevastopol! Back in 1948, Sevastopol was separated into an independent administrative and economic unit subordinate to the RSFSR. The decree was not canceled. Unlike Crimea, there was not even a legal act of transfer in relation to Sevastopol. And Russia's rights to Sevastopol were not even formally violated in 1954.