"After purple night" - the artwork of Khalil Dervish

During the decades of deportation, Crimean Tatar weddings (toy, dügün) were not just weddings.

In Soviet times, at these weddings, people collected money for the national movement to return to their homeland, as well as discussed the political situation and trials of the dissidents.

In 2014, after Russia's occupation of the peninsula, the tradition of political weddings had to be restored. In banquet halls, Crimeans not only congratulate the newlyweds, but also share ideas, finally say what they think, and collect money for the families of political prisoners (according to statistics, about 120 Crimean Tatars are in prison for politically motivated cases, more than 200 children remain without father's support).

So, what wedding is that without the music?

On September 11, in the Bakhchisaray restaurant “Arpat”, hundreds of relatives and friends welcomed the birth of the new family - the Abdullayevs.

Traditionally guests danced to their favorite songs, Ukrainian ones included - they haven’t lost their popularity there since the days of free Crimea. Despite fear and risk, Crimean musicians performed “Chervona Kalina” (The Red Viburnum), a song symbolizing the fight against the occupants. 

The video of people dancing to that song was posted on Instagram by Akhtem Gemedzhi - a well-known DJ in Crimea, who was responsible for the musical accompaniment of the Abdullayevs’ wedding.

Less than an hour later, pro-Russian blogger Oleksandr Talipov, who is called an unofficial adviser to Gauleiter Aksyonov, reposted the video on his Telegram channel with the caption: “The Nazi song Chervona Kalina is playing. Bastards, we will find everyone, we will ask everyone.” 

Screen translation: "Friend, repost, please!

Crimea, Bakhchisaray 10.09.2022, at the restaurant "Arpat" people from the villages of Dolyne, Furmanivka, and Novinke are celebrating the wedding party.

The Nazi song "Chervona Kalina" is playing.

Bastards, we will find everyone, we will ask everyone.

So, Abdulaevs, did you get many presents and money? Save them for the lawyers!"

Screen translation: 

"These Crimean Tatars should be sent to Kolyma, as they don't appreciate the place they are allowed to live at"

"Back to the Uzbeks"

"In Schyolkine the cafe was closed for this song!" 

The hunt has begun.

Talipov published a photo of all the musicians who, according to him, “performed the Bandera national anthem.” 

Screen translation: 

"Here are the musicians that performed the nationalist bandera anthem. So, comrades, the final countdown for your apologies has started. Three, two, one... But there´s just one problem - I don't need your apologies, just f*ck off from Crimea if you don't want to live peacefully."

Later, another pro-Russian Telegram channel with the eloquent name “SMERSH” joined the public harassment. Its contributor made public the personal data of the wedding host Ablyaziz Bekirov, the already mentioned DJ Akhtem Gemedzhi, singer Edem Mustafayev, musician Asan Tokhtarov, cameraman Emir Aliyev and photographer Ferat Ablyametov. 

For the Crimean Tatars, these people are celebrities. Everyone has tens of thousands of followers on social networks. Their calendars with dates for weddings and events are packed for the year to come. The occupants in fact declared war on the Crimean Tatar culture.

Talipov didn't stop here. He found a video already from another wedding, where the Crimean Tatars danced to the song that won Eurovision 2022 - “Stefania”. 

Screen translation: 

“This is not a coincidence, here is another Crimean Tatar wedding, this time in Simferopol, but a bit earlier. And the photographer there was the same, the one from the previous post.

The fact that some f*ckers simply make money means that they don't understand that they won't get anything in Crimea. Crimea is Russia, but they want to sh*t for the last time and poison the immature young minds"

The next day, Talipov's thesis was publicly repeated by his boss. Sergey Aksyonov said: “All organizers and participants of a public event where the nationalist Ukrainian songs and slogans were heard will be punished.” In particular, he threatened to close the businesses of event organizers, calling them "traitors". 

On the occupation channels, Krym 24 and Millet TV, hour-long talk shows were dedicated to the Crimean Tatar “music killers” and “wedding banderas”. These shows were with puppet "experts" who only nodded to each other.

DJ Akhtem Gemedzhi was forced to record a public apology on September 12, which was immediately distributed by pro-Russian Telegram channels. 

But Talipov didn't stop there either, publicly calling to gather all the participants of the wedding again, so that they could perform the "patriotic songs" this time. He also demanded that all the money given to the newlyweds should be taken away and used for the needs of the Russian army. 

Screen translation:

"I believe that the case of Crimean wedding in Bakhchisaray can be closed only if 100% of the participants will get together at that very same place, but this time they perform it in a patriotic style.

The national anthem of Russia will be opening the event and everyone will have to sing along.

Then Gazmanov's “Gentlemen Officers”, Belyi Oryol's “How delightful evenings are in Russia”, Lyubé's "Birch trees" just have to be performed.

To continue the evening they should show support for the special military operation and perform Lyubé's - “Combat”.

Then the popular dance hits of the Russian singers that have shown support towards Russia should be played and in the end Shaman's “I’m Russian" has to be sung!"

On September 14, another public apology was recorded under pressure - this time by the owner of the “Arpat” restaurant, Eldar Kochkarov.

On the same day, on the website of the press service of the occupants’ “Bakhchisaray District Court” appeared information on the administrative prosecution of six people for "reproducing the song of Ukrainian nationalists".

Despite the forced humiliating apology, the owner of the "Arpat" restaurant was arrested for 15 days, DJ Akhtem Gemedzhi and the guest who danced to Ukrainian songs - for 10, and the groom's mother - for 5 days.

The bride's mother and the restaurant’s owner's wife were fined 50,000 rubles each.

However, the occupants obviously fail to calm the Crimeans with new repressions. On the night of September 17, Russian propagandist Dmitry Kiselyov was left without a Land Rover SUV and a golf cart in Koktebel. Both cars accidentally burned right on the territory of the propagandist's villa. Usually, the wedding season in Crimea lasts until November.