Chairman of the Public Movement “Heroes of Crimea” Ibraim Shirin: “The country’s public diplomacy is working very well.”

Over the course of 10 years, a lot has changed, especially the attitude of the Crimean Tatars to all political processes has changed. There is a special program for the Crimean Tatars: kindergartens, schools, places of comfortable living are financed and built, roads are built. And this all generally changed the mood of the Crimean Tatars. Because accessible infrastructure, quality life, great opportunities in a country with different types of production, — notes Ibrahim Shirin.

He noted that the consolidation of the Crimean Tatar society is also influenced by communication with other representatives of the Turkic peoples who live in Russia. The country’s public diplomacy works very well, the social activist believes, and this makes us fall in love with Russia.

Crimean Tatars previously considered themselves only Crimean Tatars. Then they realized that they have a Golden Horde history, a centuries-old history throughout the vastness of Russia — the mentality is changing very much, especially among the young people with whom we work. They are very involved in life: they participate in patriotic and historical events, in geographical societies. Schoolchildren plant alleys where, for example, out of 36 heroes born in Crimea, nine holders of the Order of the Red Banner are Crimean Tatars. Big percentage. And people see this, because before this no one told the Crimean Tatars that they have heroes, that they have a historysays Shirin.

He noted that the turnout of Crimean Tatars in the presidential elections showed that they trust the president and see their future together with Russia:

What was it like ten years ago? The attitude was this: you are a Crimean Tatar, you deserve a piece of land, you were deported. You have nothing, stand up at rallies and demand a piece of land. And now they are working with the Crimean Tatars: these are forums, youth meetings, entrepreneurial forums, culture. They invest in everything. In Crimea, the only Crimean Tatar theater in the world [Крымскотатарский государственный академический музыкально-драматический театр в Симферополе]and it has been restored and equipped with the latest technologyhe noted.