The
Crimean ASSR was originally created in 1921, as part of the
Russian SFSR in the
Soviet Union. Crimea was invaded by
Nazi Germany during
World War II, and when the region was reclaimed by the USSR in 1944, the
Crimean Tatars and other ethnic groups were
deported to Central Asia, and the ASSR was dissolved in 1945 with Crimea becoming an
oblast of the Russian SSR. On 5 February 1954, it was
transferred to the Ukrainian SSR. The referendum did not just call for the restoration for the ASSR, but further called for Crimea to be a participant in the
New Union Treaty – an ultimately futile attempt by
Mikhail Gorbachev to reconstitute the USSR. This would have meant that Crimea would have been a sovereign subject of the renewed USSR and separate from the Ukrainian SSR.
Decision on carrying out referendum (text) • Temporary resolution about referendum and order of carrying it out on territory of
Crimean Oblast of the
Ukrainian SSR is to be approved (annex #1) • Carry out referendum on 20 January 1991 • Create a commission in organization of the referendum consisting of 29 people (annex #2) • Appeal to Supreme Councils of the RSFSR, Ukrainian, Uzbek, Tajik, Kirgiz, and Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republics to render a necessary cooperation in carrying out the referendum among the Crimean Tatars and other people who were deported out of the Crimean Oblast and currently reside on territory of the mentioned republics • The Oblast Executive Committee must review the issue of allocating necessary funds for carrying out the referendum and make an expert analysis of the forecasted social and economic development of Crimea • Consider expedient to find ways of participating in preparation for the
new Union treaty both people deputies of the USSR and the UkrSSR elected from Crimean Oblast as well as the regional council's deputies • To recommend for the Regional Tele- and Radio Committee and editors of regional, cities and districts newspapers widely publicize all activities in preparation and carrying out the referendum • The present decision is to be published in regional newspapers "Krymskaya Pravda" and "Sovetskiy Krym" ==Results==