response ok journalist john laurenson reporting from paris many thanks. and you're up to date now on news american evan steen from all of us. the floods have taken everything bail now despair this place got left climate refugees to ash. they seek shelter in the capital to come but even here waters are rising. the floods are cold. storage. on g.w. .

crimea with the rugged beauty of its landscapes its mild subtropical climate and strategically important location the peninsula has captivated visitors for more than three thousand years. throughout history of history on conquerors and settlers into a mosaic of cultures on the northern shores of the black sea. today the majority of crimea's inhabitants are ethnic russians ukrainians and crimean tatars. but the peninsula is also home to bellow russians armenians poles jews and germans. the crossroads of the orient and the oxygen to europe and asia. greeks came from across the mediterranean founded cities and opened up trade routes to europe.

nomadic tribes from the steps of asia conquered crimea well the mongols of the golden horde established a slave trade. we're. conquerors became settlers tradesmen and artisans farmers and citizens until new conquerors came and new cultures. for centuries crimea belong to the empire of the crimean tatars and the ottomans. under catherine the great it became russian and remained so for one hundred fifty years. then in one thousand nine hundred fifty four the peninsula became part of ukraine. i a demonstration in the crimean capital simferopol in march twenty fourth team was an overwhelming show of support by the majority ethnic russian population of crimea in favor of leaving ukraine and joining russia. legendary culture.

i that sentiment was reflected in the outcome of a referendum a few days later. some of the multiple sclerosis by on march sixteenth the referendum was held in crimea this referendum took place in line with international legal standards and the rules of democracy. eighty two percent of the electorate voted as the district teaching territory must have stable leadership the fact is that only russia can provide it. a totally offical order but only current crises. understanding the present situation requires a look back at the region's complicated history. in seven hundred eighty three emperors catherine announced that crimea had been incorporated into the russian empire. two hundred thirty one years later president vladimir putin signed

a treaty absorbing crimea into the russian federation. a look back into the distant past shows that history leaves no stone unturned. what remains bare is testimony to subsequent inevitable change. over two and a half thousand years ago the city is arrived in crimea from asia. with the sea ahead and the rough step behind them in america people settle here. at the same time the greeks established the first towns and settlements on the south coast of the peninsula. cultural coexistence developed in a relaxed and perfectly organic way in crimea. as the region became home to more and more waves of immigrants it blossomed through trade and change.

the guest list of material never varied but there was a blow is this place is the manifestation of a cultural melting pot. here we see traces of cultures that extend far beyond crimea the greeks thracians city and killed starry summits our missions as the days of my progress in all our excavations and what has been left behind we can see exactly how their cultures merged with one another the prototypical feature of crimea. but i get sort of the newest from the source and this site is called they are published skeptical scythian now pulitzer new time older historical works also described the place as the czarist fortress of man palace. this is the first and the oldest side to reveal the facts here you can survey the beginnings of the excavations provide us with the most compact information on lake city in settlement

of crimea here in the immediate vicinity of the present day city of simferopol and mr sorting in the record of the search for. empires rise and fall those of the greeks romans byzantines turks in tatters all succumb to the passage of time. in seven hundred seventy four russia defeated the last ruler of the crimean tatars catherine the great let it be known that henceforth and for all time crimea would be russian. the empress was right in saying henceforth but not in predicting for all time. in one nine hundred fifty four celebrations were held in moscow to mark the three hundredth anniversary of ukraine's reunification with russia to soviet leaders

transferring crimea to ukraine appeared a suitable gift in public there was applause but in private confusion crimea is part of ukraine. at the time it didn't really matter which flag flooded over crimea it was and remained a part of the soviet union. to get the stuff out the i wouldn't say that khrushchev made a gift of the peninsula that various explanations are offered him. the official reason in one nine hundred fifty four was that with electricity water and traffic routes in mind crimea was only accessible through the ukrainian soviet republic. yes he said that was the official reason but there is another explanation in one nine hundred fifty four crushed oak was one of the less probable candidates to replace stalin as the country's leader. had died in march of one thousand fifty three and it was initially uncertain whose success it would be next often as on and

off on paper on top of the suspicion is that khrushchev transferred crimea to ukraine in order to secure the support of the ukrainian party elite of its own. elite to force the. after russia conquered and annexed crimea in the late eighteenth century than insula became an underwriter for archaeologists the wealth and diversity of the relics uncovered here were a boon to the new rulers who came to be seen as the saviors of hellenistic culture . all. armenians also have a rich culture in crimea having lived here since the eleventh century. it was here that they founded the first center of the armenian d.s.p. or on european soil. despite being resettled by catherine the great in the late

eighteenth century and deported by stalin in one nine hundred forty four the armenian minority in crimea was never eradicated. today more than eleven thousand armenians live here. before. the armenian apostol the church is the oldest state church in the world. legend has it that the apostles brought christianity to the armenians seven hundred years ago . you know you sure we do lose it was peaceful soon flew over the sea and was only.

sore because each the monastery of the holy cross is the only armenian apostolate monastery outside armenia. built in thirteen fifty eight it served as a sanatorium during the soviet era. it was not until two thousand and two that it was reopened as a monastery and handed back to the armenian church. where . crimea became the home and the center of life of national minorities but they also experienced great suffering here in the form of persecution expulsion and death. one of them from the as a multi-ethnic region in the soviet union crimea experienced a great deal that was positive but also much that was extremely negative. the fate of the crimean tartars in particular is without parallel after the communist

revolution the crimean tartars had many opportunities to participate in the formation of the young soviet state. of course but during the second world war the nazis played them off against the other peoples in crimea. it was a political tactic and one of the tartars fell victim to. give us the illusion of when german occupation came to an end stalin accused the crimean tatars on months of collaboration and had them reported to central asia. when she went. it was not until the late one nine hundred eighty s. that they were allowed to return to their homeland for three hundred years back she's there i was the capital of the state of the crimean tatars the crimean khanate. when mongol had germany came to an end they dominated crimea and large parts of modern day ukraine. in fifteen seventy one crimean

tatar warriors advanced as far as moscow and set fire to the city. the con palace is a reminder of long gone power and glory she has good radiance he led some of the con palace is a unique monument to history and architecture and it is the only palace of the crimea. a pearl in the world's cultural heritage. but for us crimean tars from the palace is also a symbol of our self-confidence and our identity our link to this palace along with the rebirth of our tatarstan rit. thought like it seems today as if it were calling the crimean tars to return and to see new opportunities for themselves here. this place is sacred to us it's a bridge to our roots and to our past it is his and she saw guy living as a bit of

a hand. forty seven kings ruled the empire of the crimean tatars the day the grass or forgetfulness grows over their graves. but nothing has shaken the tars resolute adherence to islam. it continues to characterize their identity and sense of unity as it has all through the highs and lows of their history. for centuries the faithful have heeded the noise ins call to prayer. in the inner courtyard of the con palace is the fountain of tears russian writer alexander pushkin immortalized in a poem the fountain of. droplets

of water dripped into a ball of flowers from a cold spring legend has it that they are the tears of a total king shed over the death of a beloved slave girl from the north who died before she was able to learn to love the tarkington. move. located in the mountains above bakshi serai it is the fact was a year old cave city of two foot collie the jewish fortress. it was inhabited by the car its a jewish sect who fled to crimea from palestine and egypt in the twelfth century. the car ites led secluded lives here apart from other jewish communities. the russian conquerors saw them as good jews catherine the great grand of the car it's the same civil rights as the native russian population. during the german

occupation of crimea in the second world war that status meant the car its were largely spared the persecution that their fellow jews suffered during the holocaust . s.s. mobile killing units murdered almost all of the crimea's other jewish inhabitants. the reemergence of a jewish community in the region is nothing short of remarkable. the fact that crimean jews recently acquired russian citizenship doesn't seem to bother anyone here on the contrary. look on the one you look at the studies mentally and spiritually we have always remained crim chon we were never ukrainians nor were we ever russians we have always been crimean jews and i don't wish to say anything bad

about ukraine but like other single crimea it was as if we had been hung out to dry now legislation has been adopted to ensure that money's no longer siphoned off from crimea instead funds will be invested in regional development i get the feeling they are now pulling out all the stops to ensure that crimea doesn't just exist but that it's given a developmental boost. jewish life has a long history in crimea there's fresh hope that it will have a bright future in the region. the influence of the ottoman empire during the crimean tatar era brought islam to the peninsula the ottoman rulers drew their legitimacy from the concept of holy war

which was designed to extend the boundaries of islam. as a result in the early seventeenth century it was turkish architects who built the mosque in yes but area. you have put henri is known as the little jerusalem of crimea. jews muslims and orthodox christians. here in close quarters. russian orthodoxy often pertains primarily to a cultural affinity and only after that to religious affiliation. and yet legend has it that russia's conversion to christianity began in crimea. with the book east of course after having been himself baptized in the town of

choice on a source runs for the mayor had the citizens of kenya in the cuban roofs baptized on the banks of the neighbor. to work it was an important act one essential to understanding russia as a nation and the significance of baptism for the identity and culture of the empire . this baptism by prince bloody mirror nine hundred eighty eight had long been forgotten. russia no longer had access to the black sea because. it was only under catherine the great that this changed. it gave russia a new identity as a major european state and returned to its cultural roots which had been laid by prince bloody mir back in the tenth century it was a surgical suite. situated outside the gates of the port city of sevastopol on crimea's southwestern most point by the ruins of the ancient greek city of. in

one thousand nine hundred two seen flatterers cathedral was built in the middle of the excavation site on the very spot where prince flood a mirror of the king evan roosts is said to have adopted the christian faith. let him here had conquered no switch at the time belonged to the byzantine empire in a military campaign. he planned to crown his victory by mary. the daughter of the byzantine emperor. byzantium consented to the union but only if the prince agreed to be christians. let him use exceptions of the faith laid the foundations for the christianisation of the russian empire. for centuries later russia would justify the legitimacy of its claim to crimea with the legendary reference to ancient church sussan else as the birthplace of its orthodoxy and civilization.

i. think. modern day military presence and power. with the russian black sea fleet based in sebastopol peace in crimea moscow says is guaranteed by. russia for a long and costly war against the touch ours and the turks for position of crimea. it's conquest and annexation in seven hundred eighty three marked the start of russia's rise as a major european power. establishing sebastopol as the base of its black sea fleet

enabled russia to control the key maritime links with the mediterranean. on her journey across the newly conquered lands in the south in seven hundred eighty seven catherine the great also visited crimea which was also known as the tower of peninsula. she was impressed by its oriental flair but she also observed backwardness and poverty. katherine had an advisor and a favorite prince gregory potemkin whom she appointed governor general of what was called new russia. his task was to oversee the swift economic development of the new lands. to ensure that they were populated by loyal subjects the empress invited

settlers and colonists from central russia and abroad. he would buy things of. the russian empire laid claim to the former territory of the ottoman empire on the northern shore of the black sea. because russia had long been cut off from the black sea and set itself the goal of gaining access. over cool sweet peter the great had opened a window on europe but communicating with european nations solely through a window was difficult. for her door was needed and that door access to the black sea on the mediterranean was opened by catherine the great. to the russian nobility crimea seemed like an arcadia within the borders of their empire they spoke of it in almost tender tones as the pearl of the empire.

principle runs off the governor general of new russia and crimea during the first half of the nineteenth century was one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in russia. in eight hundred twenty eight he had a palace built in a mauritian meo graphic style designed by the british architects of buckingham palace. it's an aftershock it's a start and i have to go sorest empire conquered crimea in seventeen eighty three it became a desirable place for russians to visit or for various reasons these included climate of which compared to russian conditions and especially central russian or conditions it was like another world. and desist is kind of the south coast in

particular with its mediterranean climate and volume seen or slides oysters and this was something russians had absolutely no experience of all they knew with the cold water is of our hunger for example angles so that was certainly one reason big t.v. so many another factor that makes crimea such an attractive location from a russian perspective at least among the elite was the spread of western culture and values in the late eighteenth century and even since peter the great vest o.p.'s in all the in classical antiquity was in vogue at this particular time the ante and the crimea russia had obtained a region that had contributed to this period and bequeath the rich classical heritage of viet shacks non-peak with cotton c.p.s. what. it was mainly the rich and powerful who profited from the conquest of crimea.

printers counts and generals. and czarist empire generously gifted its elite with sea front properties. the recipients built luxury as parks and palaces. transforming the landscape into a scene of unrivalled opulence. is this boy who we spoke or see you as always for sure russian influence in crimea was substantial but crimean influence on russia was just as great politics but above all on culture with. all its old russian poets painters and writers flocked

to the peninsula it was going to take alexander pushkin. toward the peninsula soaking up the spirit of classical antiquity which question was captivated by the scenery so unfamiliar to the russian i. should like greece crimea also western influence on the fine arts. the history of russian painting is almost inconceivable without crimea one of russia's greatest painters was even to write off ski it was here that he reached the pinnacle of his artistic talent he wrote softly repeatedly painted the black sea in the landscapes of crimea he wasn't an ethnic russian he was an armenian but he had a tremendous influence on russian and european painting. a selection of events of his works is on display in the artist's former residence in fair dosia. his life he enjoyed the patronage of his are

a grant from nicholas the first allowed him to study at the imperial academy of arts in st petersburg. this are also financed a five years study trip in western europe for the young artist and appointed him the official painter of the russian navy. even softly produced more than four thousand paintings. but he wasn't only a popular artist he was also an entrepreneur. he made a decisive contribution toward the financing of a railway line to theodosia. my home address he wrote to a friend will always be fair dosia crimea. give itself he was born in fair dos or in eight hundred seventeen. he died in one thousand nine hundred in fair dosia crimea. in eight hundred ninety

eight the playwright anton chekhov had the white villa built in the mountains above the altar. chekhov suffered from tuberculosis and hope to find relief from his illness there. check of an actors from the moscow art theater at a reading of his play the siegel. leo tolstoy the patron saint of russian literature. the altar and the white fellow became a place to run devil for russian writers and intellectuals in crimea. in the winter of one thousand know one chekhov wrote to his future bride in moscow i'm absolutely fine apart from a petty little matter my health. in july nine hundred four check of died on

a visit to the german spa town of biden viler. he was forty four years old. peace was to last for another ten years then war broke out and everything changed. develop a course coming to an end sorry russia would soon be consigned to the annals of history. during the first world war stately homes in crimea were converted to military hospitals. then came the october revolution. lenin and the bolsheviks seized power in russia the revolution rolled across the country. crimean tatars proclaimed the people's republic of crimea. then the red army arrived in crimea became the town read

a soviet republic. but the revolution had not yet triumphed. german troops occupied crimea followed by the british and the french. and finally the remnants of the czarist army rallied here. the little song the profit of the october revolution civil war broke out in russia between the reds and the conservative white gods the red army drove the white forces south relatively quickly and on time on the tonsil in around one nine hundred twenty crimea was one of the last region still controlled by the likes and in other words by the czarist military company of a large number of intellectuals fled to istanbul and western europe fiacre amir and all based on all the high school. or. for long time this modest looking wooden lodge in the middle of a forest near my son drought was shrouded in mystery. it was rumored that every now

and then black limousines would pull up to the property which remained closely guarded even though it stood empty for decades. it has since been established that stalin had the house built for himself and a small circle of aides the rooms it said were furnished in line with his wishes so that he could conduct business as usual if need be. but was he actually ever here. possibly but no one knows for sure. so the school solution. globally in the soviet era society was dedicated to implementing the idea of communism which we all believe that if we worked hard and

implemented the idea the bright future of communism awaited us which. was to kill but gradually the idea assumed the form of a state religion. and eventually it became clear that the idea of communism was a big illusion because the course really. for almost a hundred years the dream of communism in crimea had a concrete name arctic. seven kilometers of beach front a holiday paradise for four thousand children. patek is a touch our word that means the best. established in one nine hundred twenty five by the soviet government are to. first served as a clinic for children suffering from tuberculosis it was then turned into a camp for elite members of the young pioneers the communist party youth group. children and teenagers from every soviet republic vacation joined by youngsters

from all over the communist world. their relationships and friendships fostered here were geared toward securing a bright communist future for all an invitation to vacation in arctic was considered a great honor. only the very best were included. in twenty fifteen our check was reopened as a youth camp for children and adolescents. the russian government has invested a lot of money here sports and games three weeks of holiday and lessons combined offered all year round and free of charge. no one here talks politics the war and eastern ukraine may as well be going on on another planet not on our tax doorstep.

i friends focus on remembrance the words from the loudspeaker echo around the square. what's being reversed here and what might seem to be a relic of the past is a review in remembrance of the heroic days of the soviet union. in memory of the victory over nazi germany in the second world war i. owe. the grove of honor contains the marble busts of those who spent their holidays here as children and lost their lives in war.

in nazi propaganda crimea was idealised as an inch and germanic region that it once been conquered in settled by the chaos. since off and on the here lies the truth what we have here is a typical mix of military strategy considerations economic expectations and something transcendental the symbolic as in we were here once before and now we have to take it back. but what we have also discovered is that many of the van most soldiers who were in crimea experienced it as a fascinating place course and that's one of. the palaces and stately residences remained unscathed in the battles for crimea.

the last german troops left the peninsula in may nine hundred forty four crimea was liberated. only a few months later the region was in the headlines when in february one thousand nine hundred five the yotta conference was held at the live audio palace the summer residence of the last russians are. joseph stalin invited winston churchill and franklin delano roosevelt his allies in the war against nazi germany . the aim in yalta was to negotiate the distribution of power in post-war europe. the big three agreed on the division of germ. annie and the protection of their interests in the occupied countries of southern and central eastern europe. when the summit photo was taken the die had been cast and

a new chapter opened for europe and the worst. after abdicating in one thousand seven hundred nicholas the second asked to be allowed to retire here but his request was denied. instead the tsar and his family were banished to siberia and later executed. his summer residence was turned into a senatorial for farmers in the soviet union. the revolutionary soviet regime nationalized the palaces in crimea. under the auspices of the first workers and farmers state the russian riviera for a select few was to be turned into a holiday paradise for all. the new soviet man was seen as

a collective entity the principle of working and living together extended to vacations as well. rest and relaxation in the interests of increasing production. millions of soviet citizens gratefully accepted the state sponsored holidays. people from every soviet republic came to the cation in crimea the peninsula was part of the soviet union whether it was russian or ukrainian was of no interest it just didn't matter. for many people here the fact that the soviet union ultimately collapsed on the divergence of its constituent parts is an accident of history a painful failure. thinkers shorten the genesis of us. soviet people one that was no longer split up into separate nationalities but had something of a common identity was a concept repeated like a mantra in the soviet union for many years and i think that idea certainly existed

to an extent and is definitely still present in many people's minds today a few one hundred. the future is shaped by the past and in that sense to most inhabitants of crimea russia feels closer than ukraine. difficulty slots are experts of international law tell us that russia annexed crimea is the whole thing the demographic picture shows us that roughly sixty percent of its population is russian it's just under twenty five percent ukrainian and twelve percent crimean taught us and that the official result of the referendum was a communist style ninety seven percent in favor fifty but that is incorrect what we properly can say is that this referendum which was not recognized internationally

and was not held in accordance with international standards probably did result in a majority in favor of remix ation by russia but on the other hand of course it is unacceptable that minorities are simply ignored it is this not too little or. just money in the hide. all splendid. whether russia will learn to accept dissident thinkers and include them in its plans will prove decisive for everything that happens in crimea. the crimean is to last irrespective of nationality for the first time crimea is perhaps somehow relevant in the post soviet psyche and it is now clear to the u.k. . government that it can't simply relinquish crimea it's called. soul quo vadis crimea. it can only be hoped that the

people of crimea can decide for themselves what lies ahead. whether we like it or not in my view we have no alternative but to accept that crimea is now and will remain russian client. a question to receive you will carry the weight of the relationship between russia and ukraine is extremely dynamic and you put your basically even today it has yet to find a definitive for. you for forces if you're at a point in time in the past crimea was handed over to ukraine it passed from the russian to the ukrainian soviet republic within the framework of the soviet union. it's difficult to see that as a justifiable act as though it was a step within the framework of a single state and when one state is suddenly replaced by two independent states

it's logical that both will stake a claim. time will pass and the relationship between the two countries will find a form and bounds. but the most important thing is that the voices of the people who live here are heard just. in the eyes of most of its inhabitants much has changed for the good since russia annexed crimea for them a look back evokes little nostalgic. skulk and sheesh that time and again throughout the history of crimea there have been efforts to establish an independent state and in that respect we can say that if crimea belongs to anyone it belongs to itself.

to. enter the conflict zone confronting the powerful my guest this week here in thailand is martin helm a deputy leader of the conservative people's party of dystonia despite calling for blacks to leave the country feel insists fuz not a racist twenty c. then you must good w.-l. support by pressing on the fears of we don't want to be traced to stone in return for us conflicts of. interest in it.

five day minutes to venezuela's crisis in the fight to get aid to enter the country with a convoy of god own supporters an exclusive d.w. report alongside venezuelan journalist take. a closer look now at the country's catastrophic condition. on the way to colombia a show that. starts march eighteenth. water and on demand. language courses. video or. any talk. w. media sector.

this is do w. news live from berlin and new zealand is in mourning after a deadly attack on to my.