On May 18, the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Crimean Tatar Genocide, the Foreign Department of Ukrainian Students for Freedom (Studfreedom Worldwide) hosted “Güzel Qırım” (“Beautiful Crimea” in Crimean Tatar) in Warsaw. The evening was dedicated to celebrating Crimean Tatar culture and honoring the victims of the 1944 deportation.
It was on May 18, 1944, that the Soviet regime began the forced deportation of Crimean Tatars from their native homeland. Within just a few days, hundreds of thousands of people were packed into cattle cars and forcibly relocated to remote areas of the USSR, predominantly Uzbekistan. Stripped of their homes, property, and the right to return, tens of thousands perished during the journey or within the first years of exile. This tragedy left a deep collective trauma for the Crimean Tatar people, the consequences of which still resonate today.
To mark this critical anniversary, the event bridged the dark history of 1944 with the modern challenges brought by the ongoing Russian occupation of Crimea. It introduced international guests to the rich Crimean Tatar culture—a heritage Russia has spent centuries trying to erase from history.
The program of “Güzel Qırım” blended traditional music and dance with insightful speeches and an open dialogue about Crimea’s past and present. The evening commenced with a poignant theatrical reading of deportation testimonies, featuring monologues based on firsthand accounts of Crimean Tatars.
Featured Speakers and Panelists
The panel featured prominent voices dedicated to rights, culture, and awareness:
- Ernest Suleimanov — journalist, public activist, and owner of the KRYM restaurant in Warsaw
- Elmira Seit-Ametova — director of the KRYM Foundation and co-founder of the KRYM restaurant
- Nataliia Kondel — human rights defender focused on the protection of political prisoners
- Islam Belokiev — deputy representative of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria in Poland
- Ms. Esma and Ms. Sofiie — performers who presented traditional Crimean Tatar songs and dances
This gathering was organized in close partnership with the KRYM restaurant and “Odwaga nie zna granic” (Courage Knows No Borders), a volunteer initiative dedicated to weaving camouflage nets and assembling FPV drones.
Founded by a Crimean Tatar family in 2023, the KRYM restaurant has quickly evolved into a vital cultural hub in Poland. A central element of the event was a panel discussion with its founders, Ernest Suleimanov and Elmira Seit-Ametova. They shared personal family memories of the deportation, the subsequent return to their homeland, and their lived experiences prior to the 2014 occupation and their subsequent forced relocation.
The venue also hosted a moving photography exhibition juxtaposing archival images of pre-war Crimea with historical photos of the deportation itself, offering a stark visual understanding of the tragedy’s scale. Guests were further immersed in the region’s heritage through “Crimea Before Deportation,” an exhibition of graphic artworks by artist Amet Seit-Ametov.
To support Ukrainian volunteer efforts in Poland, a charity auction and souvenir sale were held throughout the evening. Attendees raised over 2,000 PLN, with all proceeds directed to the “Odwaga nie zna granic” initiative.
More than 80 guests attended the event, including Ukrainians, Crimean Tatars, Poles, Chechens, and Belarusians. The room filled with conversations in Ukrainian, Polish, and Crimean Tatar, fostering a genuine space for intercultural dialogue and solidarity.
For those present, “Güzel Qırım” was more than an evening of remembrance; it served as an immersive gateway into the history and culture of the Crimean Tatar people, grounding the current struggle for Crimea in deeply personal stories.
We extend our gratitude to our partners and speakers for making this evening possible, and to all the guests who joined us to share this space. Crimea is Ukraine.
