Tatar Deportation: Stalin’s Forgotten Genocide

Uncover the hidden tragedy of the Crimean Tatars during Stalin's reign in this shocking historical account. From deportation to enduring struggles, discover the resilience of a people fighting for justice.

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[KEZLEV]

I’m Crimean Tatar who emigrated after russian annexation. Just want to say I’m grateful for your job. Keep rocking, Simon!

[TheOGPlatypus]

1944 by Jamala is about the Tatar deportation and genocide. It won Eurovision back in 2016, and honestly, it’s the only piece of media that I’ve heard really talking about it.

[tally]

I'm a Crimean Tatar. My grandmother never talked about the deportation. She didn't talk much at all. And never in Tatar. My parents and their siblings speak russian only. It's only with my generation that the rebirth of the unique Crimean Tatar language and culture began, which was brutally crushed by the russian annexation in 2014.

[jacquese.f.m.paganel]

It is not forgotten. I am Kalmyk (Kalmyks are mongolic ethnic group historically based in the south of European Russia) and here in Kalmykia this is taught in schools and most elderly people never forgave the soviet government. There is also the national 'Day of Mourning' on the day when decree on the deportation was issued.

In 1943 Kalmyks, as a whole ethnicity, were accused of treason and collaboration with nazis and scattered all across Siberia. Most of the deported were women, children and elderly people. Then, men were taken from the front, only to be sent to one of gulag's building projects. Don't forget that many of them didn't even know Russian and NKVD scared local people stiff with rumours about cannibals, savages and nazi collaborators. Kalmyks as all other deported peoples could not leave the place of their deportation under threat of 20 years in gulag. And even after Stalin's death, Kalmyks could not return to their homeland until 1956.

Between thirty and fifty percents of all the deported died. Kalmyk language is now under the threat of extinction.

[zaros]

"In 1991 the USSR made it's greatest contribution to the world by collapsing". One of the best sentences I've heard in a while.

[theawesomeman]

I'm not surprised about this.
Stalin once said, "a single death is a tragedy and a million deaths is a statistic."

[trevornewton]

I live in KZ and heard a saying, "Where there are Tartars there is trouble." I am beginning to understand where this comes from. The good ole Soviet Union where lies and BS reigned supreme and continue to do so as the Russian Federation.

[andarara-cp]

Loved it when Simon said the USSR made a favour to the world by collapsing

[rinatenitska]

It's not forgotten, at least in Crimea it isn't. A lot of the newcomers, who moved to Crimea after WWII (which my family was a part of, my granparents moved there in 70-s) are still pretty unfriendly to say the least towards tatars, who have returned to their land. I myself always felt a bit of a disconnect, couldn't reaaly understand them, until very recently: I couldn't feel the connection with Crimean land like they do, because they have generations after generations of history there, while me is the first generation, who was born there in my family. That's why it was relatively easy for me to leave Crimea behind after 2014, and tatars are staying there despite everything

[pgr]

Russian propaganda has intensified. I had a middle aged Slovakian tell me just last week that "Russia never invaded anyone before this Ukraine war." Can you believe that? A CZECHOSLOVAKIAN whose own parents told me the story of how they spent early 1968 dodging Warsaw pact tanks and Russian troops in their city because there was a curfew imposed? When someone who had family in a city that was directly invaded by Russian troops denies Russia ever invaded anywhere you know you got a very serious information war going on

[filipro]

The same thing happend to latvia 🇱🇻 1949 43000 people got deported to Omsk Amur and Tomsk region

[Polska_Edits]

My great great Polish grandparents knew people killed by and Deported by (they themselves had to escape from Ukraine to Poland) Soviet troops, both during ww2 and after ww2. Stalin is absolutely terrible

[HelgaVictim]

Thank you so much for talking about this important and truly horrible part of our history which still continues. I really hope more people would know and recognize it.

[ellaeadig]

This is like a horror movie. We cannot let this be forgotten.

[Rtem_Furych]

A great video about the Crimean Tatar deportation. Thank you!

[murraymclean]

It's not forgotten..Stalin was a heart less cold blooded sociopath..it just gets lost in his catalogue or carnage.

[williestyle]

tbh, I never thought I would ever see this part of Stalin and Soviet Union history get any wide exposure. Bravo, Into The Shadows !

[CPX]

5 months before the Tatars, Stalin and Beria committed genocide of the Chechen Ingush peoples. Operation "Chechevitsa" in February 23 1944. Read about it. Horrific atrocities commited by the soviet regime. People who lived in mountains and were difficult to transport were executed in place, (Khaibakh village massacre, over 700 burned alive).
USSR was just as bad, if not worse, than Nazi Germany.

[Alexanderrrr]

Tatars, Chechens, Finns, Koreans, Greeks...

[Tempest_Murder]

Dear Simon's editing and writing team, good job for all your hardwork.