Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Presidium of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People have condemned events planned for 31 October–1 November at the Bakhchysarai Khan’s Palace. The Ukrainian side says Russia is using a Crimean Tatar cultural landmark to glorify imperial policy and justify the occupation of Crimea.
This is stated in a statement by Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and by Mejlis chairman Refat Chubarov.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its protest over mass events planned on the grounds of the Khan’s Palace, aimed at publicly glorifying the actions of the Russian Empire in the 19th century. The ministry urged UNESCO and its member states to activate international mechanisms to protect the cultural heritage of the Crimean Tatars. This is stated in the Foreign Ministry’s statement.
According to the Ukrainian side, the events are planned for 31 October–1 November 2026. The Foreign Ministry believes they are intended to glorify actions by the Russian Empire that led to the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Crimean Tatars from Crimea.
The ministry also reported a deterioration in the condition of the monument due to the so-called restoration being carried out by the Russian occupation authorities in Bakhchysarai. According to the Foreign Ministry, the works have already caused a number of damages to the palace.
The Presidium of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People also condemned the planned events and called on UNESCO and other international organisations to secure an end to the use of the landmark for propaganda purposes. A corresponding statement was published by Mejlis chairman Refat Chubarov on Facebook.
According to the Mejlis, the programme includes setting up a “field camp of the Russian army”, recreating the everyday life of regiments that were stationed in Crimea, and opening an exhibition titled “The Crimean War of 1853–1856”.
The Mejlis believes that such events on the grounds of the Khan’s Palace are an attempt to glorify Russia’s colonial policy, which was accompanied by persecution of the Crimean Tatar people and the settlement of Crimea by Russian colonists. It also stresses that using the palace for propaganda is intended to justify Russia’s current policy towards the Crimean Tatars.
The Presidium of the Mejlis appealed to Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to send an official note of protest to UNESCO’s Director-General and the Chair of the organisation’s Executive Board, and to initiate an extraordinary session of the Executive Board to consider the situation in temporarily occupied Crimea.
Ukraine has already informed UNESCO’s leadership and the organisation’s member states about the planned events. The Foreign Ministry called for an assessment of Russia’s actions, stronger international protection for Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar cultural heritage, and consideration of Russia’s responsibility for its systematic destruction.
The Khan’s Palace in Bakhchysarai was the main residence of the Crimean khans of the Giray dynasty. Its construction began in the first half of the 16th century. The complex includes the khan’s chambers, the Great Khan Mosque, the harem, the Divan Hall, the khan’s cemetery, and the famous Fountain of Tears.
This is the only surviving example of Crimean Tatar palace architecture. The palace is a cultural heritage monument of national significance and has been included by Ukraine on UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage.