“What do we know about Crimea?” is a 6-episode podcast exploring the history of Crimea and the Crimean Tatars to better understand the peninsula's past, its ties to Ukraine, and how that past influences us today.

Episode 1. Where did the Crimean Tatars come from and how did they build a state that lasted 300 years?

Was the Crimean Khanate fully independent, or merely a vassal of the Ottoman Empire? Did the Crimean Tatars establish a state, or did the state shape the nation? What was Crimea like back then — an impoverished periphery or a thriving hub of trade, crafts, and growth?

In this video, you will learn about the Crimean Khanate: its origins, the legacy of the Mongol Empire, the Giray dynasty, Islam, complex alliances with the Ottoman Empire, and one of the most difficult topics in Crimean history — the slave trade.

This is a story about a state that endured for over 300 years and became a cornerstone of the history of Crimea, Ukraine, and the entire Black Sea region.

Guest of the first video – Oleksandr Halenko, PhD in History, Turkologist.
Host – Eskender Zova, creator of a blog on Crimean Tatar language and culture.

This podcast was created by Crimea Vox with the support of International Media Support (IMS).