Crimea
Tauris or Taurica, the classical name for Crimea, is derived from Greek and refers to the peninsula's Scytho-Cimmerian inhabitants, the Tauri. The peninsula is now known as Qirim in Crimean Tatar.
The Crimean Peninsula's recorded history begins around the fifth century BCE with the establishment of various Greek colonies along its southern coast, the most important of which was Chersonesos near modern-day Sevastopol. For about two thousand years, the south coast was dominated by Greek civilization, including Roman successor kingdoms, the Byzantine Empire, the Empire of Trebizond, and the independent Principality of Theodoro. Some Crimean port cities were controlled by the Venetians and the Genovese in the 13th century.
The Mongol Golden Horde conquered the north and center of Crimea in the 13th century, while the south coast was still controlled by the Christian Principality of Theodoro and Genoese possessions. Between the 13th and 15th centuries, the Genoese-Mongol Wars were fought for control of south Crimea.The Crimean Khanate emerged from the horde's demise in the 1440s, but it was quickly subsumed by the Ottoman Empire.
Catherine the Great defeated the Ottoman Empire in 1774 with the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, which granted the Crimean Tatars political independence. The absorption of Crimea into the Russian Empire by Catherine the Great in 1783 increased Russia's power in the Black Sea region.
Crimea has been occupied by Russia but most countries acknowledge Crimea as part of Ukraine. After the annexation of Crimea, Russian built a bridge connecting the Crimean city of Kerch to the Taman Peninsula of Krasnodar Krai. Bridge was attacked and partially damaged many times.
- Princess Olga of Kiev was baptized in Crimea.
- During the Russian Civil War, Crimea was the last stand of Wrangel's anti-Bolshevik White Army.
- Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade" describes the Battle of Balaclava, which occurred in Crimea.
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