MOSCOW, April 18. /TASS/. The incorporation of Crimea and Kuban into the Russian Empire in 1783 was a huge moment in the country's history, giving it a strategic edge in the global arena, the legacy of which remains in today's Russia, Dmitry Belik, a member of the Russian State Duma's International Affairs Committee and a deputy from Sevastopol, told TASS.
In 2018, Russia marked the day Crimea, Taman and Kuban became a part of the Russian Empire as a commemorative date on the Russian calendar. It was on April 19 (April 8 by the old calendar) of 1783 that Empress Catherine II, better known as Catherine the Great, signed a manifesto incorporating Crimea, the Taman Peninsula and the Kuban River area into the Russian Empire.
"The decree signed by Catherine the Great was the logical outcome of the Russian Empire's decades-long struggle for Russian lands and unhindered access to the Black Sea. Our state’s strategic position in the region was significantly strengthened as a result. The admission of the Crimean Peninsula, Taman and Kuban enhanced the security of the southern borders of the Russian Empire; this had an immense geopolitical and progressive significance," Belik said.
Catherine II’s decision enabled Russia to have ports and cities on the Black Sea and strengthen its fleet. Crimea's admission to the Russian Empire expanded the development of southern territories and gave a new impetus to the country's growth in the economy, culture and other important spheres.
"Suffice to say that internal trade duties were eliminated in Crimea, their elimination immediately boosting the peninsula’s trade turnover," the deputy said, adding that "internal strife and discontent among the population ceased" in Crimea. "Europe also took notice - Russia was clearly asserting itself as a great power," Belik pointed out.
Military and strategic significance
"In the times of Catherine II, the presence of the Russian fleet in the Crimea served to protect the country’s southern borders and solidify its presence in the Northern Black Sea region. Modern-day Russia has a strategic advantage in the Black Sea and strengthens military and political influence on neighboring countries thanks to its ownership of Crimea. Then as now, Crimea’s incorporation stands as a symbol of strength and resolve in protecting its interests and territorial integrity, as well as a great source of discontent among other global actors who have their own plans for the peninsula," Belik emphasized.
Speaker of Crimea’s State Council Vladimir Konstantinov echoed the sentiment that the incorporation of Crimea into the Russian Empire had far-reaching military and strategic implications that Russia still holds to this day.
"It was a turning point for Russia, which transformed itself into an advanced power with a secure border in the south and a free access to the Black Sea - it was a huge game changer for the country. Today, we still feel the impact of that strategy. In particular, Kuban is of great importance for Russia in terms of resorts and agriculture, and that’s before even mentioning Crimea itself," he said.
Special date for Crimea and Sevastopol
Belik also noted that the decision to enshrine April 19 as the commemorative date for the adoption of the southern lands in 2018 meant a lot to the people of Sevastopol and Crimea. "Now its importance is even greater, because the unification and defense of Russian lands initiated by Empress Catherine II continues in the 21st century thanks to our President Vladimir Putin. Our country relies on the achievements enshrined in our great history," he explained.
Today it is simply impossible to imagine Russia without Crimea, and the "Crimean Spring" of 2014, when the Crimean peninsula reunited with Russia following the referendum, was an act of restoring historical justice. "In fact, we are restoring what Catherine II achieved, although we have not yet completed this process," said the speaker of Crimea’s State Council.