March 18 is the Day of Crimea's Reunification with Russia: history and traditions

On March 18, Russians will celebrate the Day of Crimea's Reunification with Russia for the 12th time. In 2026, it falls on Wednesday. It was on this day in 2014, following a referendum supported by the majority of Crimeans, that the peninsula became part of the Russian Federation as a new entity. How the holiday originated, what events preceded it, and how it is celebrated in our country, read the Izvestia article.

The day of the reunification of Crimea with Russia – 2026: the history of the holiday

The day of Crimea's reunification with Russia was established after the events of March 2014. On February 27, 2015, the State Council of the Republic amended the law "On Holidays and Memorable Dates of the Republic of Crimea", fixing March 18 as a public holiday.

In Sevastopol, the date received its own official name — the Day of the Return of the city of Sevastopol to Russia — and was also included in the list of public holidays.

The date was not chosen by chance: on March 18, 2014, an agreement was signed on the admission of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to the Russian Federation. This event was preceded by the political crisis in Ukraine and a sharp escalation of the situation on the peninsula.

The turning point was February 2014, when political tension on the peninsula sharply increased after the change of power in Kiev. Against this background, rallies and public appearances have intensified in Crimea.

On March 6, the Supreme Council of Crimea decided to hold a referendum and appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin with a proposal for the republic to join the Russian Federation. On March 11, the Supreme Council of Crimea and the Sevastopol City Council adopted the Declaration of Independence of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, a document that became an important legal step before the subsequent registration of the new status of the peninsula.

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According to the results of the referendum held on March 16, 2014, 96.77% of Crimeans and 95.6% of Sevastopol residents voted for reunification with Russia. Two days later, on March 18, an agreement was signed in the Kremlin on the admission of the Republic of Crimea to the Russian Federation and the formation of new subjects within it. The document was signed by Vladimir Putin, Chairman of the State Council of Crimea Vladimir Konstantinov, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Republic Sergey Aksenov and the head of Sevastopol Alexey Chaly.

On March 20, 2014, the document was ratified by the State Duma, and on March 21 it was approved by the Federation Council. On the same day, the law on ratification and the federal constitutional law on the admission of Crimea and Sevastopol to Russia were signed. These events in March 2014 were called the "Crimean Spring".

After that, the Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol became part of the country as new subjects of the Federation. The legal framework also stipulated that the inhabitants of the peninsula are recognized as citizens of Russia if they do not declare their desire to retain another citizenship within the prescribed period.

Crimea as part of Russia has a history spanning several centuries

The history of Crimea goes back to ancient times. Back in the ancient era, the ancient Greek colony cities of Panticapaeum, Tauric Chersonesos, and Feodosia appeared on the peninsula. Later, the development of the region was influenced by the Roman Empire and Byzantium, at different periods the Bosporan Kingdom existed here, and then various peoples and political forces came to the peninsula and consolidated themselves — Goths, Huns, Khazars.

In the Middle Ages, Crimea remained a territory of complex historical intertwining, there were Genoese colonies, the principality of Feodoro, and later the Crimean Ulus and the Crimean Khanate were formed, which became vassalage to the Ottoman Empire.

For Russia, the Crimean direction acquired special importance in the 18th century, when control over the region became critically important for ensuring the security of state borders. In 1783, Crimea was annexed to the Russian Empire by the will of Catherine II.

In 1784, Sevastopol was founded and the Taurida region was established. It was then that Crimea finally began to be considered as one of Russia's key strongholds on the Black Sea.

In the 19th century, the importance of the peninsula only increased. During the Crimean War of 1853-1856, Sevastopol found itself at the center of one of the most dramatic episodes in Russian military history. The long-term defense of the city has become a symbol of fortitude and military training, and Crimea itself has finally become firmly entrenched in historical memory as a strategic territory closely linked to the army, navy and the southern policy of the state. The peninsula was perceived as such later, already in the era of the imperial decline and the revolutionary upheavals of the early 20th century.

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The events of the Civil War of 1917-1922 turned Crimea into an arena of fierce struggle between various political forces. After the establishment of Soviet power on the peninsula, the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was formed as part of the RSFSR. During the Soviet period, the region developed as an important part of the south of the country. The economy was modernized here, industry, agriculture, transport and the resort sector were developed.

During the Great Patriotic War, Crimea was one of the first to be hit, and the defense of Sevastopol lasted 250 days. The final liberation of the peninsula took place on May 12, 1944, and post-war reconstruction required extensive efforts.

In 1954, the Crimean region was transferred from the RSFSR to the Ukrainian SSR. In official documents of that time, territorial proximity, common economy, as well as close economic and cultural ties were mentioned as the basis.

In the post-Soviet period, political discussions were held about the peninsula, questions were raised about the status of the Russian language, economic ties and the nature of relations with Kiev. By early 2014, these contradictions had sharply escalated against the backdrop of the Ukrainian political crisis, culminating in a referendum that returned the peninsula to Russia.

Traditions of celebrating the Day of Crimea's Reunification with Russia

Festive events dedicated to the Day of the Reunification of Crimea with Russia are traditionally held in all Russian regions. The main events unfold in Crimea and Sevastopol. Concerts, mass actions and memorial events are organized at the main city venues.

On this day, museums, libraries, schools, cultural institutions hold lectures, open lessons, historical hours, documentary screenings, exhibitions of photographs and archival documents, recall the chronology of March 2014, talk about the place of Crimea and Sevastopol in the history of the country, about the changes that have occurred on the peninsula over the past 12 years.

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