“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 2. The Black Century of the Crimean Tatars: how russia seized Crimea and started colonizing the peninsula

Why did Russia need Crimea? Who was Şahin Geray, the last Crimean Khan — a reformer, a traitor, or a victim of an imperial game? How did Russia construct the myth of a "barren Crimea," and why were ancient names turned into tools of colonial policy?

In this video, historian Oleksii Savchenko explains what happened to Crimea after its annexation by the russian empire in 1783.

We discuss Qara devir — the Black Century in Crimean Tatar history: mass migrations, the loss of statehood, the colonization of the peninsula, and the consequences that resonate to this day.

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