In March 2014, mass rallies “For a United Ukraine” took place across Crimea. In cities and towns, people gathered in central squares and near Ukrainian military bases blockaded by Russian troops to demonstrate their support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
The rallies on March 9, 2014, marking the 200th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko’s birth, were particularly large-scale. Participants recited Shevchenko’s poems, sang Ukrainian songs, raised state flags, and chanted patriotic slogans. People openly declared that they had come to the squares to show that Crimea is Ukraine and that they did not accept the Russian occupation.
The mass rallies on March 9 served as further proof that no pseudo-referendums or military pressure could break the Ukrainian resistance. On that day, hundreds of people rallied in Sevastopol, and about a thousand gathered in Simferopol.
At the same time, the occupying “administration” began to actively suppress the civic protests. During the rally in Sevastopol on March 9, Russian security forces detained Mykola Shyptur, an activist of the Revolution of Dignity.
In Simferopol on the same day, a large rally took place near the Taras Shevchenko monument. However, its organizers, Andriy Shchekun and Anatoliy Kovalskyi, were unable to reach the event. They were detained that morning at the Simferopol railway station while meeting a train to receive a parcel containing Ukrainian symbols.
Despite the repression, throughout March 2014, people in many cities and villages across Crimea continued to hold rallies in support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, forming “human chains” and conducting peaceful protests. Eventually, due to increased pressure, intimidation, and persecution of activists, the mass protests ceased. However, the resistance did not disappear—it went underground.
The events of March 2014 remain an important reminder of the courage and indomitability of the residents of Crimea. They proved that Crimeans have not accepted the occupation and continue to fight for their freedom.