On June 26, Ukraine celebrates the Crimean Tatar Flag Day.
This unofficial holiday has been observed since 2010, symbolizing the historical struggle of the Crimean Tatar people for freedom and self-determination, as reported by Ukrinform.
The Crimean Tatar flag is a national symbol, featuring a sky-blue color with a golden authority sign in the upper left corner. The color represents the clear sky, while the background signifies the unity of the people, as noted by the Institute of National Memory.
The Crimean Tatars are the largest indigenous group in Crimea and Ukraine, having formed in territories that are now internationally recognized as part of Ukraine, lacking statehood beyond its borders.
The Crimean Tatars lost their statehood in 1783, when the Crimean Khanate was annexed by the Russian Empire.
The national revival of the Crimean Tatar people began after the February Revolution of 1917. Similar to other parts of Ukraine, national life in Crimea was revitalized under the banners of democracy and self-determination. Crimean Tatar political organizations began to use the blue flag as their national symbol.
In December 1917, the first Kurultai of Crimean Tatars, held in Bakhchisarai, took place under the blue flag. However, during this time, the status of the flag was not formally defined in the national constitution - the Crimean Tatar basic laws.
In early 1919, the Crimean Tatar Parliamentary Bureau approved the "Regulations on the Cultural and National Autonomy of Muslims of Crimea", which recognized the flag as a gray-blue cloth with the national emblem in the upper corner near the staff. This document serves as the first evidence of the national emblem and flag of the Crimean Tatars in their modern form.
After the establishment of the communist regime in Crimea, the national flag was no longer used at public events.
The Second Kurultai of the Crimean Tatar people, held in Simferopol on June 30, 1991, adopted a resolution to restore the blue flag with the golden tamga in the upper left corner as the national flag. Its proportions are 1:2.
Today, this flag serves as a symbol of the struggle for the rights of the indigenous people of Crimea, the liberation of the peninsula from occupation, and the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity.
As reported by the head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Refat Chubarov, this year's events for the Crimean Tatar Flag Day will take place in Kyiv, regions of Ukraine, and abroad.
In Kyiv, on June 26, there will be several ceremonies to raise the Crimean Tatar flag. At 9:00 AM, it will be raised at the Kyiv City State Administration, at 10:00 AM at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and at 11:00 AM at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. An event will also take place near Tavria National University.
Flag-raising events will also occur in regional centers with the participation of Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian communities. Ukrainian diplomatic missions abroad will conduct various activities for the holiday together with Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian communities.
In the evening of June 26, outdoor concerts, children's competitions, and art fairs will take place at the Dovzhenko Film Studio in Kyiv. Chubarov invites everyone interested to attend these events.
