Crimea Research Articles

Deoccupation and reintegration of Crimea: the influence of human rights protection non-governmental organizations

The article discusses the problems associated with the continuous military occupation of Crimea, which leads to serious changes, including to the decline of human rights. The state has long faced the task of liberating the occupied Crimea and returning it to Ukraine. It is argued that the de-occupation and reintegration of Crimea contains a number of problems that need to be dealt with, including problems of a legal nature. Non-governmental human rights organizations (hereinafter referred to as human rights NGOs) come to the aid of the state in this matter. Unfortunately, scientists do not pay much attention to the influence of human rights NGOs on the process of deoccupation and reintegration of Crimea. However, taking into account the public demand for the restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the actions of the power structures aimed at the liberation of Crimea from the Russian invaders, it is necessary to consider the contribution of human rights NGOs to the liberation of the Crimean peninsula.
 It was concluded that human rights non-governmental organizations exert a decisive influence on the level of the state of Ukraine in matters of human rights protection, de-occupation and further reintegration of the temporarily occupied Crimea. They carry out international advocacy, document war crimes and crimes against humanity, monitor human rights in Crimea and support and protect victims of repression. However, the normative regulation of the influence of human rights NGOs has not been resolved at the moment, in connection with which we propose to supplement Art. 5 of the Law of Ukraine “On Ensuring the Rights and Freedoms of Citizens and the Legal Regime in the Temporarily Occupied Territory of Ukraine” by the following clause: temporarily occupied territories to persons. Organizations have the right to document crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in temporarily occupied territories and cooperate with state authorities on the basis of partnership.”

Garum or Grain? Crimea and the Provisioning of Constantinople (7th to 9th centuries)

Historians have relied for too long on written sources (the letters that Pope Martin I wrote from Cherson, as well as De Administrando Imperio) to assess the economic situation in the Crimea, especially in Cherson, during the so-called Dark Ages (7th to 9th centuries). Many still believe that that city could not have survived without shipments of grain from the outside, particularly from the lands along the southern coast of the Black Sea. Seals of Byzantine officials found in Cherson tell a different story, as they indicate commercial exchanges between the Crimea and Constantinople. If the peninsula participated in trade, something must have been offered in exchange for the goods coming from the Capital. The archaeological evidence strongly suggests that during the 8th and 9th centuries, the hinterland of Cherson, as well as the Kerch Peninsula (eastern Crimea) witnessed rapid economic development, largely based on the cultivation of crops. Silos found on several settlement sites, both open and fortified, suggest a surplus, which was most likely commercialized. If so, the closest markets were across the Black Sea, to the south, primarily in Constantinople. Other commodities, such as wine transported in amphorae, traveled in the opposite direction, across the Sea of Azov and into the interior of Khazaria. In exchange, the peninsula received shipments of grain, which were then re-exported to Constantinople. Far from relying on shipments of grain from the Capital, Cherson and the rest of the Crimean Peninsula in fact supplied Constantinople with food. Numerous vats for the production of fish sauce have been found in Cherson, and many were in operation before 900. A good deal of the garum served at tables in Constantinople between the 7th and the 9th century must have come from Cherson. The archaeological evidence therefore calls for a re-assessment of the economic situation in the Crimean Peninsula during the “Dark Ages”.

SOIL FERTILITY ISSUES OF AGRICULTURAL LANDS IN THE REPUBLIC OF CRIMEA

Information on the soil cover structure in the Republic of Crimea and the soil's essential nutrient content is presented. An analysis of numerous literature sources and statistical data was conducted to highlight the main issues affecting the efficiency of agricultural production. The main problem lies in the need for more supply of cultivated crops with nutrients and organic matter. Weak accumulation of organic matter and nutrients leads to their deficiency and a shortfall in the quantity and quality of the obtained products. There needs to be more application of organic fertilisers to allow for the complete restoration of soil fertility. Although chernozem soils and their varieties dominate the soil structure of the Crimean Peninsula, there is a low content of available phosphorus and organic matter. The content of exchangeable potassium is characterised as elevated. Among micronutrients, the reserves of zinc, cobalt, copper, and manganese are characterised by low content, while the range of molybdenum and boron shows high levels. Agricultural producers can obtain environmentally friendly products since their concentration does not exceed the maximum permissible level.

Application Potential of the Blue Intensity Parameter for Estimation of Tree Radial Growth Climatic Response on the Crimean Peninsula

Application Potential of the Blue Intensity Parameter for Estimation of Tree Radial Growth Climatic Response on the Crimean Peninsula

Age, Growth, and Maturity of Painted Comber Serranus scriba (Serranidae) from the Crimea Region, the Black Sea

Age, Growth, and Maturity of Painted Comber Serranus scriba (Serranidae) from the Crimea Region, the Black Sea

Vegetation Dynamics of Sub-Mediterranean Low-Mountain Landscapes under Climate Change (on the Example of Southeastern Crimea)

In the context of a changing environment, understanding the interaction between vegetation and climate is crucial for assessing, predicting, and adapting to future changes in different vegetation types. Vegetation exhibits high sensitivity to external environmental factors, making this understanding particularly significant. This study utilizes geospatial analysis techniques, such as geographic information systems, to investigate vegetation dynamics based on remote sensing data and climatic variables, including annual air temperature, annual precipitation, and annual solar radiation. The research methodology encompasses data collection, processing, and analysis, incorporating multispectral imagery and multilayered maps of various parameters. The calculation of the normalized difference vegetation index serves to evaluate changes in vegetation cover, identify areas experiencing variations in green biomass, and establish strategies for the future development of different vegetation types. During the period from 2001 to 2022, the average normalized difference vegetation index value in the Southeastern Crimea region amounted to 0.443. The highest average values were recorded in the year 2006, reaching a magnitude of 0.469. Conversely, the lowest values were observed in the years 2001–2002, constituting 0.397. It has been ascertained that an overarching positive trend in the evolution of NDVI values from 2001 to 2022 is apparent, thus implying a notable augmentation in vegetative biomass. However, adversarial trends manifest in discrete locales adjacent to the cities of Sudak and Feodosia, along with the coastal stretches of the Black Sea. Correlation analysis is employed to establish relationships between vegetation changes and climatic indicators. The findings contribute to our understanding of the vulnerability of various vegetation types and ecosystems in the Southeastern Crimea region. The obtained data provide valuable insights for the development of sustainable vegetation resource management strategies and climate change adaptation in the region.

Анализ показателей социально-экономического развития муниципальных образований Республики Крым (2019–2022 гг.)

The article considers the socio-economic processes in the Republic of Crimea in 2019-2022. Based on the methodology developed by scientists D.Yu. Zemlyansky, L.V. Kalinovsky, A.G. Makhrova, D.M. Medvednikova, V.A. Chuzhenkova and used to determine the complex index of socio-economic development of Russian cities, the index of socio-economic development of municipalities of the Republic of Crimea was calculated. As a result of the calculations, the municipalities of the Crimea were divided into six groups, depending on the level of socio-economic development: municipalities with maximum, high, increased, medium, low and minimal levels of socio-economic development. It is concluded that municipalities with the lowest level of socio-economic development are located in the northern part of the Crimean peninsula (Dzhankoy and Krasnoperekopsky districts), and with a low, mainly in the eastern part. In turn, the largest number of municipalities with maximum, high and increased level of socio-economic development is recorded in the southern part of Crimea. Most areas of the central part of Crimea have a medium level of socio-economic development.

Analysis of Radial Growth Dynamics of Pinus Nigra Subsp. Pallasiana (Lamb.) Holmboe in Different Parts of the Slope Profile

The results of the research of radial growth of Pinus nigra trees growing in the foothill-forest-steppe zone (in Belogorosk district) with continental climate type of the Crimean Peninsula are presented. The research was con[1]ducted to evaluate the influence of the location of the growth site on the local slope on the total width of the annual ring. Geomorphologically, the sampling points were located along the profile of a gentle convex slope of eastern exposure. Wood samples were collected at sites within the lower, middle and watershed parts of the slope, as well as at the top of the Biyuk-Karasu River watershed. Generalised tree-ring chronologies were obtained for each part of the slope, the average age of the chronologies being 50 years. As a result of the research, a synchronism in growth dynamics of trees growing in the lower part of the slope and in the watershed was established; the radial growth of Pinus nigra trees in the middle parts of the slope reacts the earliest to the influence of environmental factors. The reaction lag of radial growth in the watershed part of the slope is about 11 years. Analysis of the constructed chronologies shows that over the past 50 years, the radial growth is comparable to the dynamics of meteorological parameters. The analysis of correlations of the obtained chronologies with the values of average monthly air temperatures and annual precipitation according to the data of the Simferopol meteorological station was carried out. For the lower and middle parts of the slope, as well as for the watershed, the amount of precipitation is more significant than air temperature. Correlations have been established between the radial growth index of the lower and middle parts of the slope, as well as watershed and the sum of precipitation in May, and the summer months of both the current and previous years. For Pinusnigra trees growing on the watershed parts of the slope, air temperatures of summer months of the current and previous year are more significant. The established close relationship can be used to reconstruct climatic conditions of Pinus nigra trees.

Seismic structure of the Eastern European crust and upper mantle from probabilistic ambient noise tomography

The Eastern European lithosphere is a natural laboratory to study continental formation and evolution through time, comprising Archean continental remnants, Proterozoic rifts and belts, and younger accreted terranes. We investigate the seismic structure of the East European Craton (EEC) crust and uppermost mantle, and the transition from Precambrian to Phanerozoic Europe across the Trans European Suture Zone (TESZ) using probabilistic transdimensional ambient noise tomography. We cross-correlate noise recorded at broadband seismic stations from Eastern, Northern, and Central Europe, remove earthquake signals using continuous wavelet transform, and extract Rayleigh wave phase velocity dispersion curves. We invert these for the highest resolution shear wave velocity model of the Eastern European lithosphere to date, using Markov chain Monte Carlo Bayesian inversion. Our shear wave velocity model exhibits spatial correlation with major tectonic units and bears similarities with active seismic survey profiles in terms of seismic velocity patterns and main discontinuities. The crust thickens across the TESZ boundary and the mantle is seismically faster than beneath younger terranes, consistent with a less dense Precambrian lithosphere in the EEC. The crust and lithosphere beneath the Pannonian region is hyper-extended but the adjacent Transylvanian basin crust shows significant heterogeneity. The Precambrian building blocks of the EEC exhibit contrasting seismic fabrics. The Baltic orogens of Fennoscandia are underlain by uniform crust with a flat Moho, while Sarmatia shows alternating high and low velocity layers and a regional south-dipping crustal boundary from beneath the Ukrainian Shield towards the Crimean Peninsula. The last observation supports a geodynamic style driven by horizontal rather than vertical tectonics, with fundamental implications for the formation and evolution of early continents.

History and Current Status of Mediterranean Spotted Fever (MSF) in the Crimean Peninsula and Neighboring Regions along the Black Sea Coast.

Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is a tick-borne rickettsiosis caused by Rickettsia conorii subspecies conorii and transmitted to humans by Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks. The disease was first discovered in Tunisia in 1910 and was subsequently reported from other Mediterranean countries. The first cases of MSF in the former Soviet Union were detected in 1936 on the Crimean Peninsula. This review summarizes the historic information and main features of MSF in that region and contemporary surveillance and control efforts for this rickettsiosis. Current data pertinent to the epidemiology of the disease, circulation of the ticks and distribution of animal hosts are discussed and compared for each of the countries in the Black Sea basin where MSF occurs.

Comprehensive agrobiological assessment and analysis of genetic relationships of promising walnut varieties of the Nikitsky Botanical Gardens.

Walnut is an important horticultural crop, the production of which ranks second among all nut crops. Despite the significant demand in the domestic market in Russia, the industrial production of walnut fruits in Russia is currently underdeveloped. At the same time, there is a need to update the assortment with new highly productive varieties adapted to local agro-climatic conditions and having high quality nuts that are competitive at the world level. An important issue for the successful implementation of breeding programs is a comprehensive study of the gene pool. In this regard, within the framework of the study, the task was to evaluate promising varieties from the collection of the walnut gene pool of the Nikitsky Botanical Gardens and analyze genetic relationships based on microsatellite genotyping. On the basis of the performed phenotypic assessment, the study sample, which included 31 varieties, was divided into several groups according to the main phenotypic traits, such as frost and drought resistance, the start of the growing season, the ripening period, the weight and type of flowering, the weight of the fruit, and the thickness of the endocarp. Varieties with economically valuable traits that can be recommended as promising as initial parental forms in breeding work for resistance to abiotic stress factors have been identified, as well as varieties with increased productivity and large fruit sizes. Based on the analysis of eight SSR markers (WGA001, WGA376, WGA069, WGA276, WGA009, WGA202, WGA089 and WGA054), an analysis of the level of genetic diversity was performed and genetic relationships were established in the studied sample of varieties. Six (for WGA089) to eleven (for WGA276) alleles per locus have been identified. A total of 70 alleles were identified for the eight DNA markers used, with an average value of 8.75. Analysis of SSR genotyping data using Bayesian analysis established the presence of two main groups of genotypes. Taking into account the fact that all the studied varieties are selections from local seed populations in different regions of the Crimean Peninsula, the revealed level of polymorphism may indirectly reflect the level of genetic diversity of the local walnut populations. Furthermore, the presence of two genetically distant groups indicates the presence of two independently formed pools of the autochthonous gene pool of the species Juglans regia L. on the Crimean Peninsula.

The potential of using the Blue Intensity parameter to assess the climate response of radial tree growth on the Crimean peninsula

The results of assessing the climate signal contained in the width of tree rings and the indicator of optical density of wood (Blue Intensity) of related species of pine trees – black (Pinus nigra Arnold) and Pitsunda (Pinus brutia Ten) growing on the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula are presented. The influence of the cumulative effect of moisture deficiency on the radial growth and lignification processes of late wood of the studied conifer species is shown. A specific reaction of P. nigra in high mountain areas to conditions of prolonged drought was revealed. The prospects for using the Blue Intensity indicator for dendroclimatic studies on the territory of the Crimean Peninsula have been demonstrated.

Age, Growth, and Maturity of Painted Comber Serranus scriba (Serranidae) from the Crimea Region, the Black Sea

The painted comber Serranus scriba, a subtropical marine fish species assigned to the famiy Serranidae in the Black Sea is insufficiently studied. It is a simultaneous hermaphrodite fish. Data on age, growth, and maturity of the painted comber inhabiting the Black sea area around Crimea, including its spatial variation within the entire habitat range are reported. Overall, 537 specimens caught from July to October 2022 are analyzed. The biggest specimen ever caught in the Black Sea with 26.1 cm total length and 265.1 g weight at the age of 15 years was registered. The values for the von Bertalnffy equation parameters were estimated. Thus, asymptotic length, asymptotic weight, and growth constant made up 28.3 cm, 358.6 g, and 0.17 year−1, respectively. The exponent of 3.10 in the length-weight relationship equation (positive allometry) was estimated. Maturity was defined in 50% spesimens at 12.0 ± 0.2 cm total length in the third year of life. It was ascertained that spatial variation in the life history traits for the specimens is weakly expressed. The painted comber inhabiting the Black Sea is slightly different from the representatives of this species found in the Aegean and Adriatic Seas in age, size, and growth. In addition, the biggest and faster-growing specimens are recorded more often under the low-latitude climate conditions, in the water areas off Egypt and the Canary Islands.

Political and legal assessment of the Budapest Memorandum: From Ukraine’s renunciation of nuclear weapons to the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula

Political and legal assessment of the Budapest Memorandum: From Ukraine’s renunciation of nuclear weapons to the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula

Emergence and Evolution of the West Karaim Bible Translation Tradition


 
 
 Karaim is a severely endangered language belonging to the Turkic language family and its only surviving dialect is Northwest Karaim with speakers in Lithuania and Poland. In the past few years numerous Karaim translations of the Bible have been discovered. Some of these are among the oldest texts written in this language. The authors present some of the oldest Karaim texts known today as well as recently discovered Karaim translations of the entire Tanakh. It is shown how these recent research results have broadened our knowledge regarding the Karaim written heritage. Furthermore, some preliminary conclusions are drawn on the relationships among the manuscripts and the biographies of the copyists and translators involved in their creation. Textual similarities between sources created separately in communities located far from one another in the regions of Crimea, Lithuania, Volhynia, and Galicia suggest that a common Karaim tradition of Bible translation must once have existed. Moreover, the textual complexity and the use of sophisticated translation techniques in the oldest known texts support the claim that they were based on older texts or on a well-established oral tradition of translation.
 
 

Exploring the Influence of Diverse Viticultural Systems on Soil Health Metrics in the Northern Black Sea Region

The present study investigates the functionalecological status of typical light clay soils in vineyards in the southern region of Crimea, using both traditional (including fallow soils) and organic land-use systems. This analysis was carried out by examining agrochemical indicators, microbial respiratory activity, microbial biomass, and the ecological status of the microbial community. In organic vineyard soils, the mean substrate-induced respiration, microbial biomass carbon and the ratio of microbial biomass to organic carbon were found to be 2.8, 4.0, and 4.1 times higher, respectively, compared to conventional farm soils. On the contrary, the microbial metabolic coefficient was 1.4 times lower, signifying more favorable conditions for the functioning of the soil microbiota. The increased mobile sulfur content in organic vineyard soils (18.3 mg kg−1 vs. 8.0 mg kg−1 in traditional farms) and inadequate mobile phosphorus supply in some farms present potential risks. The suboptimal functional state of the microbiome in fallow soils previously under traditional plant protection necessitates comprehensive ecotoxicological analyses before development. Assessing the soil functional ecological status through an ecophysiological evaluation of the microbiome is vital for understanding ampelocenosis soils and making informed decisions on vineyard management practices.

Multiyear changes in oceanographic factors of the autumn migration of the Black Sea anchovy to the shores of Crimea from satellite data in 2000–2021

The purpose of this work is to analyze long-term changes in oceanographic indicators in the southeastern area of the northwestern Black Sea in November-December 2000–2021, which determine the migration activity and fishery performance of the Black Sea hammerhead off the coast of Crimea. Materials and methods used: The fishery statistics, data of information system Copernicus Marine Service of satellite altimetry and surface temperature of waters near the western coast of the Crimean Peninsula in November-December 2000–2021, graphic and statistical methods of the analysis of these data were used in work. Novelty: The element of novelty in the work is the use of oceanographic satellite data in the study of the behaviour of the Black Sea anchovy and long-term changes in its catch off the coast of Crimea. Result: During the period under consideration, the tendency of catch increase of the Black Sea anchovy of the Crimean coast is obvious. The main reasons for the activation of the autumn migration of the Black Sea anchovy to the shores of Crimea is a multi-year increase in sea surface temperature and the strengthening of south-eastern currents to the west of the Crimean Peninsula. Practical significance: The revealed causes of the mass autumn approaches of the Black Sea anchovy to the Crimean coast allow hoping for possibilities of their use in forecasting the results of the Black Sea anchovy fishing in the Crimean fishing area, and also give grounds for continuing research with special attention to monitoring of the Black Sea anchovy occurrence on the Crimean shelf.

Contribution of doctor Stepan Rudansky to the organization of medical aid to the population of Crimea: to the 190th anniversary of the birthday of S.V. Rudansky (1834-1873)

The purpose of the research is scientific coverage of his professional and charitable activities in Yalta in the second half of the 19th century on the basis of a representative set of historical documents and the epistolary legacy of the Ukrainian doctor and poet Stepan Rudanskyi. Materials and methods. The article uses a complex of published, but little known to the medical community, scientific historical and medical publications. Historical-comparative, bibliographic and systematic analysis were chosen as research methods. The results. It is proven that Stepan Rudanskyi was the first licensed doctor on the Crimean Peninsula in 1861-1873, who provided qualified medical assistance to the local population. During the cholera pandemic that swept the European continent in the 1860s and 1870s, doctor Rudansky performed the duties of the only quarantine doctor in this region and led the fight against this disease. Conclusions. The intellectual and poetic heritage of the doctor and poet Stepan Rudanskyi continues to attract the attention of art critics, writers, historians of medicine and other scientists. In addition to wonderful poetry, folklore collections and translated works, the figure of Rudansky attracts people with his high spiritual imperative, which was the core of his professional medical activity, which took place on the Crimean peninsula. The memory of the conscientious doctor-poet will undoubtedly be immortalized in this Ukrainian land.

ВЫДЕЛЕНИЕ АМПЕЛОЭКОТОПОВ ДЛЯ ЭФФЕКТИВНОГО ВЫРАЩИВАНИЯ ВИНОГРАДА В СЕВАСТОПОЛЬСКОМ РЕГИОНЕ

The article presents the research results on the degree of favorability of agro-ecological conditions of Sevastopol for grapevine cultivation. The analysis according to the available multi-year data of weather stations of the Crimean peninsula is given. The following climatic indices characterizing vegetation period and grape ripening period were calculated: sum of temperatures above 20°C, ratio of sum of temperatures above 20 °C to sum of temperatures above 10 °C, Huglin and Winkler indices, average temperature of vegetation period, Selyaninov hydrothermal coefficient, sum of precipitation per year and vegetation period. Besides, the main agro-ecological factors limiting the possibility and efficiency of grapevine cultivation were considered: average of absolute minima of air temperature and sum of active temperatures above 10 °С. A digital complex map of the spatial distribution of these indices on the analyzed territory was constructed by means of geoinformation modeling. The distribution of Sevastopol territories that are not suitable for vineyards establishment was analyzed: with unfavorable soil conditions, with a height of more than 600 m above sea level, with a slope of over 20 degrees, as well as lands of forest and reserve funds. As a result of a comprehensive analysis of agro-ecological conditions in the territory of Sevastopol 9 ampeloecotopes were identified. According to the results of the comparison of agro-ecological conditions of the selected ampeloecotopes with the requirements of grapevine varieties to growing conditions, taking into account the dependence of the quality indicators of viticulture and winemaking products on agro-ecological factors, recommendations for agroecological optimization of the varietal composition and terroir specialization of the viticulture and winemaking industry in the territory of the city of federal significance − Sevastopol were developed.

A fossil viper (Serpentes: Viperidae) from the Early Pleistocene of the Crimean Peninsula

ABSTRACT A fragmentary maxilla and isolated vertebrae of a viperid snake were found in the Lower Pleistocene deposits of the Taurida cave, Crimean Peninsula. The snake is assigned to Vipera cf. renardi based on the morphology of the maxilla. This is the first unquestionable fossil record of the Vipera ursinii-renardi complex dispersed into Crimea earlier than previously supposed, already in the Early Pleistocene.