On December 11, the Day of Remembrance for the Jews and Krymchaks of Crimea who perished during World War II is observed. This solemn day marks the anniversary of the mass shootings of Crimean Jews and Krymchaks by the Nazis near Simferopol in 1941. Officially recognized by the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in 2004, it serves as a reminder of the atrocities committed during that dark chapter of history.

Before the Russian occupation in 2014, commemorative events on this day included wreath-laying ceremonies, recitations of Krymchak and Jewish prayers, and speeches by government officials, representatives of the Krymchak and Jewish communities, the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, and the Orthodox clergy.

According to the 1926 census, Crimea was home to 39,921 Jews and approximately 6,000 Krymchaks, a Turkic-speaking Indigenous People of Ukraine closely associated with Judaism. By 1939, the population of Jews in Crimea had risen to 65,452, including over 7,000 Krymchaks, though they were not counted separately.

Following the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, evacuations from Crimea began. However, by November 1941, the German occupation authorities recorded 40,000 Jews remaining on the peninsula. Crimea held strategic significance for the Nazis, envisioned as a future part of the Reich to be entirely resettled by Germans.

Einsatzgruppe D, a paramilitary unit that had operated in Romania and southern Ukraine, arrived in Crimea alongside the German army. Led by Otto Ohlendorf, the unit carried out systematic mass executions of Crimean Jews and Krymchaks. The Nazi regime deemed Krymchaks to be Jews due to their linguistic and cultural ties to Judaism, subjecting them to the same extermination policies.

Between November and December 1941, the Nazis massacred most Jewish and Krymchak residents of major cities. For instance, on November 25–26, 603 Jews were executed near Yevpatoriia. Between December 9–11, approximately 12,000 Jews, including 1,500 Krymchaks, were killed in an anti-tank trench near Simferopol. In Yalta, 1,500 Jews were taken to Maharach and executed on December 18. Similar atrocities occurred across other towns, including Karasubazar, Bakhchysarai, Kerch, and Feodosiia.

Documenting the precise number of victims is challenging due to limited records, particularly from rural areas. However, Nazi reports indicate that from mid-November 1941 to late March 1942, Einsatzgruppe D killed 30,211 Jews in Crimea, including 2,504 Krymchaks within a single month.

While mass executions tapered off in 1942, killings continued sporadically. Following the capture of Sevastopol in July 1942, an additional 1,500 to 4,200 Jews were murdered. Historians estimate that approximately 40,000 Jews and Krymchaks fell victim to the Nazi genocide in Crimea. By the end of the Nazi occupation, only 499 Jews and Krymchaks remained alive on the peninsula. Tragically, the Nazis eradicated nearly 80% of the Krymchak population, causing irreparable cultural and demographic losses.

Among the horrors, acts of courage emerged. Some Crimeans risked their lives to hide and protect Jews and Krymchaks. To date, 68 individuals from Crimea have been recognized as Righteous Among the Nations for their heroism.

We encourage everyone to honor the memory of the Krymchak and Jewish victims of the Holocaust in Crimea. Their stories remind us of the devastating consequences of hate and the enduring need for remembrance and vigilance.