Emigration of Crimean Tatars in the Second Half of the 1850s Based on the Materials of Case Files on the Provision of Assistance to the Inhabitants of the Novorossiya Region

Abstract

After the end of the Eastern (Crimean) War of 1853-1856, a significant part of the Crimean Peninsula’s population found itself in a state of profound socio-economic decline. Four years of active hostilities, accompanied by prolonged military quartering and intensive resource requisitions, led to the destruction of the region’s economic base and pushed many residents to the brink of survival. To partially compensate for the damages, the ‘Main Committee for rendering assistance to the residents of the Novorossiya Region who suffered losses in the war of 1853-1856’ was established in Odesa.

The purpose of this article is to analyze these compensation cases as an additional source that details the nature of the economic losses of Crimean Tatars and identifies the administrative factors that stimulated the Great Migration of the second half of the 1850s.

The research is based on newly introduced archival documents from the State Archives of Odesa Region (fund 1, list 230). Despite a massive overall volume of claims, only about 140 were submitted by Crimean Tatars, reflecting a deep distrust of the indigenous population toward the Russian bureaucratic system. The author explores a representative sample of surviving cases covering all strata of the Tatar population: townspeople, peasants, clergy, and nobility. Notably, a significant portion of the applications was filed by women, the vast majority of whom were widows.

The analyzed petitions vividly illustrate the structure of the losses, highlighting the systematic requisition of draft animals and the devastating logging of fruit orchards, which were of strategic importance to the economic well-being of the locals. However, the outcomes of these appeals demonstrate a zero success rate; not a single analyzed case resulted in the assignment of payments, regardless of the applicant’s social status or the submission date. Authorities systematically denied compensation using formal pretexts such as ‘missed deadlines’ or a lack of specific orders from higher authorities. Additionally, special restrictive lists were compiled to deny payments to those on occupied territories or those suspected of collaboration.

In stark contrast to the systemic rejections faced by Crimean Tatars, the imperial administration exhibited selective loyalty by occasionally redistributing resources to Russian nobles. The paper concludes that the bureaucratic strategy of ignoring the needs of the victims, combined with the comprehensive economic ruin, served as a deliberate administrative tool. The absence of real compensation made further agricultural activity impossible, deepening the crisis and serving as a major catalyst for the emigration of the autochthonous population from the peninsula.