We are Crimea is a project about Crimea we love, we miss, and we are waiting to come back

“We are Crimea” project - the collaboration of the Ukrainian Institute* and Ukraїner**.

We show Crimea through the eyes of people who cannot be there because of temporary occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. Akhtem Seitablaiev, Mustafa Jemilev, Oleg Sentsov, Jamala told what they remember about Crimea and how this loss affected them. The project focuses on people’s lives after the occupation, people’s rights violation, and persecutions in Crimea.

People for whom Crimea was home, people who used to visit it often or have never been there, - they all can see Crimean places that are now beyond our reach through the eyes of our storytellers. VR-videos create a sense of presence so that everybody can see and feel places of the warmest memories of Crimea.

Four stories of famous people who were born, raised or lived in the Crimea published in the project “We are Crimea”. For whom Crimea was and remains forever their home. The viewer will receive an emotional VR-video, in which he will see both the heroes of the story shot in the studio and the 360-format places shot on the Crimean Peninsula, such as Bakhchysarai, the cave city of Bakla, Khan's Palace and others.

In the series “We are Crimea” created jointly with @ukrainer_net, the heroes in VR glasses look at sights in Crimea that are important for them, share their memories and memorable stories about their native peninsula.

Director and stage and film actor, ethnic Crimean Tatar Akhtem Seitablaiev was born in Yangiyul town near Tashkent in Uzbekistan; the place where his parents, like other Crimean Tatars, were deported to from their native Crimea in May 1944.

His family returned home only in the early 90’s, and later Akhtem was forced to leave his homeland again due to the occupation. Today he is one of the most successful Ukrainian actors and directors and heads ‘Crimean House’.

Read Akhtem’s story and watch VR-video on the Ukraїner website.https://ukrainer.net/akhtem-and-his-crimea/

https://ukrainer.net/akhtem-and-his-crimea/

#WeAreCrimea

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* The Ukrainian Institute is a public institution affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. Our mission is to strengthen Ukraine's international standing through the means of cultural diplomacy. We facilitate international connections between people and institutions and create opportunities for Ukraine to interact and cooperate with the world.

** Ukraїner tells educational stories — from Ukraine’s farthest corners — about people, art, and business in Ukraine. More than 400 volunteers create these stories for you, showing Ukraine from a different perspective. We are grateful for your interest and support. Your involvement by reading, watching, and sharing our stories is crucial to Ukraїner’s success.