The Permanent Representative Tamila Tasheva participated in the discussion Crimea as a Text and Context: Representation of the Peninsula in Literature at the KyivBookFest.

Oleksandra Visych, literary scholar and professor of the Faculty of Ukrainian Language and Literature at the National University of Ostroh Academy; Alim Aliiev, Deputy Director General of the Ukrainian Institute; Hulnara Abdulaieva, historian and writer; Svitlana Taratorina, writer and author of the novel House of Salt; and Dzhemilie Abliakimova, project manager of the Kitap Qalesi project, also joined the discussion.  

Rustem Khalilov moderated the discussion. 

The panelists discussed how the representation of Crimea in Ukrainian literature has changed and the main themes of Crimean narratives. They also emphasized why telling about Crimea as part of the Ukrainian cultural landscape is essential. 

The Permanent Representative emphasized the need to highlight Ukrainian culture in a broader context for both Crimeans and residents of mainland Ukraine. Tamila Tasheva mentioned the 2008 Barricade on Tuzla festival as one of the first cases of collaboration between Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian literature and music. 

“The beginning of this cooperation impeded many other initiatives implemented in mainland Ukraine after 2014. It was after 2014 that Ukrainians began to discover Crimean Tatar culture actively. Today, people write about Crimea in Ukrainian, and there is translated literature. I am sure the situation will improve yearly,” the Permanent Representative noted.

Tamila Tasheva also spoke about the importance of studying how Russian literature promoted colonization policy and the decolonization optics of perceiving the topic of Crimea in the present. 

“We should talk about Crimean Tatar literature as part of Ukrainian literature. Just as the Crimean Tatars are part of the Ukrainian political nation, so is the Crimean Tatar cultural heritage, which is part of the vast and diverse Ukrainian culture,” emphasized Tamila Tasheva.