Ismet Suleimanov received the University of Tartu Asia Centre scholarship for his MA thesis on the genocide memory of the Crimean Tatars

We are pleased to announce that the University of Tartu Asia Centre scholarship in the Faculty of Social Sciences was awarded to Ismet Suleimanov for his MA thesis. Read about why he chose the topic and his own personal connection to it.

Read the full MA thesis

What was your main trigger whilst choosing this topic for your thesis on the genocide memory and collective tragedy of the Crimean Tatars?

First of all, I would like to thank my supervisor Alevtina Solovyeva that she brought up the idea to write a thesis about Crimean Tatars, arguing that there are not many works about the ethnic group in English language. In the process of discussion, she shared with me a Finnish project dedicated to collective memory of Finnish people. Eventually, rotating and fitting the concept on the Crimean Tatars, the topic has been eventually chosen. Moreover, growing up in Crimea and especially within the Crimean Tatar environment, you, in one way or another, encounter such a statement « we shouldn’t live the trauma», however, it is always easier to say than to start implementing it. This thesis in a way proves that the trauma is rather is the indelible part of one’s life than a merely historical event during the Stalinist’s regime.

What challenges did you face during your research, and how did you overcome them?

I guess, I have encountered the same challenge as every researcher of the Soviet atrocities - the difficulty of the old generation to talk about the tragic memory, being insisted by the fear which was the dominant aspect of every evil empire. Additionally, the current political situation also dictates its rules, for example, those respondents who were in Crimea during the interview, were concerned about confidentiality since, in their opinion, the memory of the deportation is still ostracised and can cause a potential danger to the person and his/her surroundings. To overcome these aspects, I was just patient. First, you explain what your topic is about, then who you are. Gain trust through these tools and then people were usually opening up, unveiling whatever their memory wants them to reveal.

Were there any surprising or unexpected discoveries in your research?

Undoubtedly… simply the stories shared by my respondents had many surprising moments and turns. On the one hand, you know the official history and facts, but oral history helps to zoom in at the life of an individual and have some parallel path. I would say that in many cases the findings were obvious to me just because I am from this community and we are in the same boat, but, of course, it doesn’t mean that it is the same for someone who is outside it. Moreover, the stories shaped my existing pictures of, for instance, the process of return to Crimea or the meaning of 18th of May as a commemoration day.

Considering the current situation in Crimea today then what are the three most important lessons from your thesis that we, as a society should be aware of?

The only thing I want people to be aware of that for many ethnic groups that suffered during the Soviet time, justice has not been restored and their rights and thriving are still suppressed by Russia.

What advice would you give to other students or researchers interested in this field?

Working with oral testimonies requires patience and empathy. Having these two features will be the key to exciting discoveries.
 

Thank you!

Interview with the author after his graduation ceremony in 2024
Questions: Evelyn Pihla

Thesis summary in the Estonian language