State and Legal Status of Crimea: History and Modern Time

The aim of the present paper is proving the position that modern development of Crimea as a part of the Russian Federation has deep historical, cultural and civilizational foundations. Having been integrated to Russia at the end of the 18th century, this region became open to the whole world. At the same time, the Russian paradigm of state development was dominant and virtually unconditionally supported by the majority of the population. The Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was formed at the beginning of the 20th century within the established Russian traditions and development. After the Great Patriotic War, Crimea kept its development in the all-Russian cultural course, despite the republic was transmitted into administration of Ukraine in 1954. The transfer of Crimea to the Ukrainian SSR in 1954 within the framework of the all-Soviet statehood did not change the established axiology, state and legal priorities of the local population. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the violent ukrainization and westernization caused the rejection by the prevailing majority of Crimeans. The reunification of Crimea with Russia according to the results of the referendum, held on March 16, 2014, is historically justified and complies with the universally recognized principles of democracy, law and universal morality.