Why Crimea Became Part Of Ukraine

Harvard speaks.

So why was ethnic Russian Crimea transferred to Ukraine in 1954? The Ukrainians hated the Russians, why give them this gargantuan gift of tax rubles? Let’s ask the Director of Cold War Studies at Harvard University. Take it away, Mark Kramer.

He reports that government documents from the time show only platitudes about eternal friendship with Ukraine. Right. Mark opines that it was really about keeping hostile Ukraine under Russian control. There are “indications” that

Khrushchev saw the transfer as a way of fortifying and perpetuating Soviet control over Ukraine now that the [1944 onward] civil war had finally been won. Some 860,000 ethnic Russians would be joining the already large Russian minority in Ukraine.

The dissolution of the USSR didn’t change this. Russia wanted the newly democratic Ukraine dominated by a pro-Russian majority.

Mark also mentioned that it was a time of struggle for party leadership. Khrushchev wanted to make sure of support from Ukrainian Communist Party bigwigs. A big gift couldn’t hurt.

Note that when Crimea left Ukraine that meant the end of the Russian majority. Control of Ukraine was sacrificed to keep the big naval base in Sevastopol. It was arguably a net loss for Russia.