On October 23, a screening of the documentary film titled “The True History of Crimea” by Ukrainian director Akim Halimov took place at the House of the Blackheads in Riga as part of the Third Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform. The event was attended by speakers of the parliaments of Ukraine and Latvia, members of the Saeima of Latvia, representatives of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, foreign delegations, diplomats, historians, and journalists.

In their opening remarks, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, the Speaker of the Saeima of Latvia, Daiga Mieriņa, and the Mayor of Riga, Vilnis Kīrķis, addressed the audience.

Following the film screening, a discussion took place with Akim Halimov, the Permanent Representative Tamila Tasheva, the Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Refat Chubarov, and other invited participants. The discussion focused on the historical aspects of the film and the current challenges facing the Crimean Tatar people during the ongoing temporary occupation of Crimea by Russia.

Permanent Representative Tamila Tasheva emphasized the importance of implementing Ukraine’s Peace Formula, which includes the de-occupation of Crimea. Tamila Tasheva highlighted the results achieved by the Ukrainian state in developing reintegration policies, introducing cognitive de-occupation, and the importance of disseminating the true history of Crimea.

The True History of Crimea is a documentary project revealing the authentic history of Crimea based on unique archival documents and testimonies of authoritative historians. The film’s creators gathered materials from archives in Türkiye, England, Sweden, and France to demonstrate that Russian governance in Crimea was never legitimate and that its colonial policies aimed to erase the culture and identity of Ukraine’s Indigenous Peoples.