The video of the performance “Making Spaces” presented by the contemporary Ukrainian feminist artist, performance artist, and media artist Alevtyna Kakhidze is now publicly available on the Crimea Platform’s YouTube channel. The art intervention was held during a side event at the Second Parliamentary Summit of the Crimea Platform in Prague on October 24, 2023, which drew the attention of the participants of the meeting to the hardships that have marked the Crimean Tatar history since ancient times. 

In the performance on paper, the artist recalled the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Empire in 1783 and the occupation by Russia in 2014. In her work, Alevtyna Kakhidze also depicted the deportation of Crimean Tatars in 1944; Musa Mamut’s self-immolation in 1978 to protest against the oppression of the Soviet government; a protest organized by Crimean Tatar activists in the center of Moscow in 1987, and other events that represent the history of Crimea.  

At the end of the side event, the artist mentioned those who were illegally imprisoned by the occupiers in Crimea, including Nariman Dzhelial, Iryna Danylovych, Bohdan Ziza, Oleksandr Tarapon, Seiran Saliiev, Servet Mustafaiev, Amet Suleimanov, Servet Haziiev, Halyna Dovhopola. Ms. Alevtyna also emphasized that the occupiers in Crimea have illegally imprisoned 189 people as of October 2023.  In addition, the artist emphasized the peaceful resistance movement of Crimean residents who are waiting for the Ukrainian Armed Forces and return to Ukraine. Among them are activists of the Crimean Combat Seagulls, the Yellow Ribbon, the Zla Mavka, and ATESH movements.  

During the public creation of the “living drawings” the artist was approached by many representatives of governments of different countries who were eager to learn about the depths of the history of the Crimean peninsula. Now we invite everyone to watch the recording and ask you to share it on social media to promote art on social issues, especially those that highlight human rights violations:

We are deeply grateful to Alevtyna Kakhidze for her concern for the painful issues embodied in her artworks, which inspire the struggle for the liberation of Crimea and leave no viewer untouched.