Attempts to Return to Crimea

The difficult situation of the Greeks in the lands of the Nadazov region pushed them, even after ten years of living in this territory, to strive to return to Crimea. In the case “Case of the Mariupol Greek Court on the attempt of the inhabitants of the village of Cherdakly and some other villages to return to Crimea. 1790,” facts are recorded about the settlers’ attempts to go back, as well as the actions taken by the court and overseers to prevent escapes from the Azov lands.

A second case contains the report of the Mariupol Greek Court to the Yekaterinoslav Vicegerency Administration of November 16, 1793, the decree of Empress Catherine II of January 16, 1794, regarding the return of runaway Greeks back to the territory of the Nadazov region, as well as a list of all Greeks who fled to Crimea from the town of Mariupol (by quarters), and from the villages of Stary Krym, Karan, Sartana, and Urzuf. In the list, the head of the family was indicated first, along with other family members related to him, for example: “Tokhtash Dmitriev, his son-in-law Paniot Yankov, his wife Varvara with their two daughters” [folio 8].

If one counts the number of fugitives, for example, only from the village of Stary Krym there were 73 people, which made up a significant portion of the population of that village, it becomes clear that even after 14 years had passed since resettlement, living conditions and longing for their homeland prompted the Greeks to abandon everything and return to Crimea [Case 3474-D, folio 8].

 

List of cases: