REUTERS

Crimean sketches: What is it like in Crimea today?

14:12, 25.01.2015
7 min.

What’s it like in Crimea now? There are no gunmen roaming the streets, locals are not deprived of utilities, and not all of them are “traitors” despite myths from the “mainland.” But the situation on the peninsula remains difficult.

The Day of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea was celebrated on January 20. On this day in 1991, a referendum was held in Crimea where the majority voted for the restoration of Crimean autonomy. Through all the years of Ukraine's independence, this holiday has never been widely celebrated on the peninsula. But Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 makes internally displaced persons from the peninsula remind the Kremlin of autonomy’s special status, assigned earlier.

However, to do so they have to go on a rally not in Simferopol but in Kyiv, near the Russian Embassy. “We want you to know that no referendum was actually held on March 16 by Putin and the traitors of the Ukrainian people. There is a most large-scale occupation of the peninsula,” said Sergei Mokrenyuk, chairman of the board of the Coordination Council of the organizations of persons internally displaced from Crimea.

Meanwhile, the views of Crimeans who stayed “under occupation” is divided...

Видео дня

Journey from Kyiv to Crimea

On the eve of the Crimea Day, I decided to learn how things are going now on the peninsula and in my native town of Feodosia, feel the mood of local residents and dispel myths and fears.

“Have a safe trip and say ‘Hi’ to my favorite sea,” said a note my neighbor left on my table in the morning. She lives with her parents in Vinnytsia region and, until recently, her family spent each summer vacation in my hometown Feodosia. Now they will not have such a pleasure, because they decided on principle not to visit Crimea, as have many other Ukrainians.

And it’s not easy to get to Crimea nowadays. For two weeks I hesitated to purchase a ticket, and then I spent my New Year’s holidays away from family for the first time ever. The reason is fear. Here, on the mainland, they tell all kinds of stories. “A whole day at the border checkpoint”, “ one has to walk in the cold,” “they don’t let you in with Ukrainian passports…” But it turned out not so bad, but still, it was very expensive.

Now just one train – the number 12 – has travels between Kyiv and Novoalekseevka in Kherson region. The average ticket cost is UAH 350-400 in mainland ticket offices, while the prices for the same tickets in Crimea soar to RUR 5,000-7,000, several times higher than Ukraine’s prices, which are literally unaffordable for many.

Therefore, to get through two “borders”, people cooperate. Some decide to walk 4.5 km through the buffer zone on foot. It seems close, but the suitcases and a marrow-chilling wind make this short distance a real challenge. Some ride a bus that picks up commuters right on the platform. It's cheaper than getting a private cab, but it really is a long wait: Crossing the first border at 1000, I saw a few such buses. “These are with the passengers of a 0500 train from Kharkiv,” says my driver, “They are always stuck here for a long time.”

By the way, one can travel by car from Novoalekseevka in Crimea for approximately UAH 250-350. You should look for someone to split your ride, desirably making prearrangements via social networks, for if you don’t find any, you can practically freeze while at the border control without a car. At the Ukrainian border the luggage and vehicles are inspected first, and only then - the documents. On the Russian side it’s the other way round.

We show documents, pass a regular Q&A routine and cross the Ukrainian border rather quickly, within half an hour. Young males are of particular interest to the border guards. The situation is similar on the Russian check point. There are signs hanging everywhere prohibiting filming without the permission of the Russia’s Federal Security Service. Documents are being checked swiftly enough.

  - Why do you need a beard? - a young man is startled by the female border guard’s question.

  - It’s for the looks - he replies, embarrassed.

  - Ah, the looks, - she reiterates and hands him back his Ukrainian passport and the immigration card. The borders have been crossed.

“Crimea, blooming like a garden!”

Now, it’s time to relax, I’m already in Crimea. I split a ride with the same people to Simferopol with the same driver. The road through Dzhankoi is not the most picturesque one. Besides, at this time of the year, the peninsula beauty can’t boastof  its beauty, as nature is resting. The water in the North-Crimean canal is only in the form of snow and an icy crust.

REUTERS

In Simferopol, whenever taxi drivers see people with suitcases, they offer a ride to Novoalekseevka. Realizing that the visitors have just arrived “from the mainland”, they offer a ride through Crimea, but it’s expensive. It’s better to wait for the bus. The bus schedule is thick; you just have to live through the queue in the ticket office. A bus ticket to Feodosia cost RUR 160 rubles (about UAH 39), while previously, it had cost UAH 40.

We became interested in prices of food products right out of the railway station. RUR 80 for a 0.5 l soft drink, RUR 60-90 for a chocolate bar. I’m not into any conclusions, clearly understanding that this is not a regular price but that of a railway station.

Feodosia, it seems, remains unchanged. But this impression is quickly dispelled. Taking a closer look, it is hard to describe the horror of what has become of the town. Here it is called “pruning” which looks creepy without exaggeration. Apparently, in order to distract attention from this, the city posters say “Feodosia - the most beautiful city!” It is unclear, what administration decided to disfigure the trees, which had been gaining strength for decades.

Salaries not catching up on prices

The most favorite and truly relevant topic for discussion for Crimean residents is the issue of prices. For example, here are some prices in Russian Rubles:

Beef (sirloin) - 380, pork mince – 390, chicken (whole) - 120, herring - 150, potatoes - 35, cabbage - 25, onions - 15, apples - 40-50, sometimes up to 80, sugar - 45, butter – 310 for a 1 kg, 1 kg rolled oats - 65, noodles - 45 rubles, a pack of 10 eggs - 70.

UNIAN

The cost of the cheapest loaf of bread varies from RUR 7.5 to 11. Crimea’s average price of 1 kg white bread is RUR 17-13, dark bread – RUR 19-16. Authorities explain that the higher prices for bread followed the increased wages.

1 kg of anchovy costs RUR 100, 1 kg sprats - RUR 80. Interestingly, locally caught fish is not that much cheaper than imported.

According to local media, the highest increase since the beginning of the summer was in prices for milk (230%), butter and eggs (120-130%), and meat (58-65%). Chicken meat remains the most stable product in Crimea: its price has increased only by 9% (Ukrainian brand Nasha Ryaba), while local chicken meat from the local farmers is 2-2.5 times more expensive).

Prices for household chemicals, at first glance, have also risen several times, not only in comparison with their value in UAH, but also since the introduction of the Ruble - RUR 400-600 for a large (4 kg) pack of washing powder. There is an impressive range of cosmetics from Belarus and Ukraine on the shelves of local stores.

Zombybox [colloquial term for propaganda TV]

While in the Crimea, I’ve been watching cartoons for three days straight. How Come? Because every now and then on the Russian TV channels they show children in the Donbas “tortured by Ukrainians.” But even a children's TV channel calls for young Russians to become soldiers or astronauts. Entertainment TV channel is OK with petty American comedies and vulgar shows for young people...

UNIAN

News here is interpreted peculiarly, but effectively - people believe everything they hear. Only those who rarely watch TV or abstain from watching it can ensure uncluttered thinking and try to at least question the information they receive. News broadcasts instigate genuine concern and anxiety, so are difficult to resist. Close-ups of mutilated children, video clips backed with emotional comments, will hardly leave anyone cold-headed,  no matter the level of education and a clear mind. And what if one watches such news every day? Draw your own conclusions.

Meanwhile, the director of Feodosia’s public library system was fined for possession of “extremist materials”, local media reported, after 12 copies of a book by Vasil Marochko “Genocide of Ukrainians. Series: Holodomors of 1932-1933. Holodomor” was found in the public domain in Feodosia’s Central City Library and in the Central Children's Library. The copies of the book, which is included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials, were confiscated. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were burned.

Vox Populi

On January 20, the Crimea Day, I found out that resettlers from Crimea went on a protest to the Russian embassy in Kyiv. This holiday has never been widely celebrated on the peninsula. Only thematic exhibitions were held in libraries and civil servants received greeting cards from their supervisors. Therefore it would be rather dubious to try to understand the attitude of locals to this holiday today. But I still thought there was no harm in trying.

The result of my communications is depressing. Young people have mostly never heard of this holiday. 18-year-old Anna says that this day has never been a holiday for her. “To be honest, I forgot about that day. I understand that this date is the “beginning” of Crimean autonomy... I cannot remember a single time I ever celebrated this day at school or at my university. So, I can hardly call myself a patriot. I love my beautiful peninsula, but not the republic,” she said.

“I’ve never heard of this holiday,” echoes 19-year-old Catherine, “Now, when the Crimea has separated, I am grateful only for the fact that my family is alive. I’m not happy with all the rest.”

25-year-old Kyril hasn’t heard about the Crimea Day either. Besides, he believes that Crimea has a new holiday now – the Day of Annexation to Russia.

Radio Liberty

Older residents of the autonomy recall the January 20 but they say that it was never a day off, therefore it was not really celebrated by locals. “You can give any day its name, it is not a holiday for me,” said a 45-year-old Dmitry.

In general, he is unhappy with the collapse of the Soviet Union and believes that the opinion of residents Crimea was never taken into consideration when geopolitical decisions were made. The Crimean pensioners think similar way. “Before, the Crimean autonomy felt like a holiday, but it was unclear where it would lead to. Initially, it was good, but then the authority was gradually taken away...” said Antonina Nikolaevna, adding that she considers herself a patriot of Crimea.

“The republic’s autonomous powers seemed like a good prospect, but in fact it turned out that Crimea became equal with all other regions [of the country]. Only the name was left, and the [region’s] symbols,” says 70-year-old Vyacheslav Ivanovich.

Finally, I want clear up one more thing: there truly are no gunmen roaming the streets in Crimean cities, nobody is deprived of utilities (water and electricity), one should not say “It serves those traitors right!” But the situation remains difficult. There are difficulties with registries and real estate transactions. Prices have increased significantly but entrepreneurs and average citizens of the autonomy cannot boast increased income like, for instance, state employees and senior citizens whose salaries and pensions also grew significantly. It’s difficult to buy alcohol here but, obviously, there is more of a positive side to it. Although, many received a license to sell alcohol beverages according to local media reports.

Fellow Ukrainians, please, do not forget that not all residents of Crimea can afford to live in Ukraine today, even if they want it. Try not to make facile conclusions based on the primitive propaganda that is all around. The good and the bad in people is not measured by their political views - they often become hostages to circumstances, and pawns in a larger game.

Angelina Bachurina

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