Mass deportations and the end of Civil War in Crimea happened on this day in Russian history.
Forced Exodus
Today in 1989, the USSR formally recognised that the forced resettlement of 3.5 million people had been illegal.
The declaration condemned the Stalin regime’s mass deportations.
The main victims had been Poles, Kurds and Koreans, though many other nationalities had also been affected. They were sent to Kazakhstan, Siberia and other Eastern regions for helping the enemy.
Some of the deportations occurred even prior to World War II.
Read more on this event in Russian history
Bolsheviks take over Crimea
On this day in 1920, a fleet of ships carrying over 145,000 soldiers and refugees departed from the port of Sevastopol.
They were defeated supporters of the White Movement, headed by Baron Vrangel. He ordered the evacuation when it became clear that the Crimea would fall to the Bolsheviks.
The event is considered to mark the end of the Civil War in the south of Russia.