Beauty pageant dreams in politically fraught Crimea | Unreported World

I've come to Crimea exactly a year after its annexation by Russia outside a youth center in the capital Simferopol 2,000 children are rehearsing for the anniversary celebrations to anyone of a certain age a site like this brings back memories the old Soviet Union there's nothing forced about these children they seem proud 12 months ago this was Ukraine but you wouldn't know it now [Music] she's Tatyana tear dorfner is in charge of these rehearsals for her reunification has righted a historic wrong and ended years of neglect she thinks Crimea should never have been part of Ukraine she'll soon see bursting with dwarma don't worry stringier 17 year old Tania shows me round the Palace of youthful creativity flush with new Russian money a budding singer she's been picked to star at the anniversary celebrations I asked Tania's group to show me one of the dancers they're learning [Music] [Music] last year Russia snatched Crimea from Ukraine virtually unopposed the vast majority of crimeans are Russian speakers who like Tanya seemed delighted to be part of Russia and who have avoided the bloodshed in eastern Ukraine all gets tossed away Sally receives Lamia dear Buddha sham you vote for shift shoot action is my newest yes Panama's to me and inaudible she was Moses Takata Brigitta could add a way to achieve luge Easter pasta blue desert which typist repeating a spoon but not all crimeans are so happy to be part of Russia I've come to the town of back Chasseur I the old capital of the Crimean Tartars a Muslim minority who've lived here for centuries I'm on my way to a party Nazz lease a table liver has invited me to her grandmother's birthday what's a grander music with myself three generations of her family are here to celebrate for there's one person missing Natalie's dad he's a director and he made this epic film about the deportation of the entire crimean tatar people in 1944 by stalin it was the culmination of centuries of distrust tens of thousands died Nazz Lee's dad Actium SATA Blythe also starred in it he's now in exile in Ukraine because he opposed the Russian annexation Nez Lee was also in the film she's been acting since she was six but this role was special well most of the video momentum active at the cannula Babu's idea to Chicago on a shelter Somalis but also to Panama's taqwa press could do this it sounds really heat up was too polished William G a discrete opposed to Palestine Medina morose and you can not pretend escaped Republican not vodka he just a yapper palace to cooperate Grenada Bashar chest Natalie's grandparents lived through the deportation I did sort very well only upon school I notice all circle Jared Italy with Molly what's our ID Italy merely pada rody either genius named Miguel immaturely pasta ownership embarrass Emily so I'm gonna steer avoidable cara cara de partir every National Zoo yet somebody El Mina soon Dupree Italia pom still available soon degrees girl decibel noise simile innocency beneath ready delusion new video in the last days of the Soviet Union as restrictions loosened Nazz lease family moved back here along with many other Crimean Tartars there now 12% of the population Nazz lease performing one of the dances they brought back to their homeland but since the Russian takeover many Crimean Tartars are weighing up their futures some like Natalie's dad have chosen exiled [Music] others like Nestle are waiting to see if there are still opportunities for them under Russian rule [Music] [Music] early the next day I'm at a university that was set up for the returning Crimean Tartars Nazz lead rehearsing this isn't part of the official celebrations it's the annual Miss Crimea beauty pageant if Natalie can be the first Crimean Tatar to win it would make history for her people but it would have a more personal meaning for her [Music] it would mean someone whose father is a dissident is still welcome in the new Crimea she's competing against women from 12 of Crimea's different ethnic groups because the size of the stunts establish what passage nickname is a sinless appearing system but a mustard oil mother Virginia I see Chaz's you catch the Sam Jesse battle scars et cetera Karcher periodical founded the competition this is its tenth year but the first since Crimea became Russian Piccard sir cell concourse at receipt Naga brassiere SATs vehicle to the road of crema Kotori pressure valve disease understand long but at least break it disappeared Koch's got good reason to feel stressed the contest has already been delayed by a year because of the annexation this isn't an easy moment to be celebrating tolerance and diversity Crimea's new russian status is not recognized by the rest of the world and is disputed by ukraine the two countries are virtually in this tense atmosphere there's another anniversary this is a Ukrainian national hero taras shevchenko whose birthday it is today he's something like Robbie Burns is for the Scottish but these celebrations for obvious reasons have to be very discreet under Ukraine this was a national holiday today only student Christina is brave enough to be here her nails painted the colours of the Ukrainian flag this store big budget Shevchenko [Music] but which functional to do slow never was not the most forgiving in Libya forgive me so let's repeat Christina tells me some people have just been arrested for waving the Ukrainian flag I go to the police station which the natural Authority is I totally apologize for I go with the three men who's been charged with displaying political symbols as they meet a lawyer even before their case is heard one of them's been punished volume is nian Daoist oh yeah they do petrovna day till next school year no freezer races come across a tourist wall with that reputation 25 year old Leonid doesn't seem to have much chance of teaching again but on Simferopol x' main square someone else is coming back into favor Lenin is getting a makeover [Applause] meanwhile Nez Lee has asked me to an event as a leading young Crimean tartar she's been invited to a cultural evening it's billed as a celebration of spring traditions but as soon as the music stops the meetings taken over by two Crimean Tartars employed by the government they've come with a message for those Tartars still opposed to the Russian annexation like Natalie's dad [Music] Nestle keeps quiet as a foreign journalist I'm an object of suspicion film bro good if she knows she's invested English Dobies it's going to be with you for the riser shot it's the morning of the competition Nestle will soon be under the spotlight I cut one swallows for astronomy Natasha super nose possible loca rich sandwich cheapest noise David see syllabus follow her mother's ARIMA tells me it's a tense time she's moved back in with her elderly parents to save money Nesta business teachers economicus salut patek Pyrenean música solution you didn't zap Trish Lamia the autumns two years in America is electronic of Mariotti valuable attacks such as vertical periods Lorna crystal economic madam by the moon new logical reasons such as contact ratio but in spite of her money worries the Ramos sparing no expense to give Nestle the best chance of winning victory would mean a lot to both of them next stop Lenin square for the contest a boy Murakami in the original million in our dimanche one of the rounds of the competition is a bake-off Nazz Lee's bringing baklava as the clock ticks down tension mounts the competition is a big deal televised by broadcasters from across Russia among the onstage guests is one of the most powerful men in Crimea Dmitry Polanski first the new Minister of Information with Russian supremacy established the celebration of diversity can begin the contestants include crimeans with Armenian Bulgarian and even German ancestry a legacy of Crimea's complex history [Applause] break a leg [Music] here we go this is NASA these big moment in the spotlight a chance to bring it home for the Tartar people nataly's by far the most experienced performer as she's viewed as a front-runner she's one of six Crimean Tartars in the competition [Music] there's a break for the judges to sample the baking and someone has turned up fashionably late in parts of Ukraine they pulled down statues of Lenin is a symbol of Russian rule and the former Soviet Union it's amazing to see that here he's being relaunched he's just in time the results are about to be announced [Music] everyone gets a prize for taking part but only one woman will become Miss Crimea miss extravagance the Russian it might look greedy in a year when Russia has taken everything else miss uniqueness the Ukrainian probably not this year miss harmony the German shooing if it goes to penalties or will it be miss charm nasally sated lyova the daughter of a tartar dissident it's a bittersweet result a Crimean Tatar wins but it's not Natalie [Music] I'm sad for Nestle a victory would have proved that her father's reputation was no obstacle in Russian Crimea now she's left wondering more than ever [Music] it's time for a spring clean at the government building seized by Russian soldiers last year but as the anniversary of the takeover draws near another commemoration is taking place almost in secret it's also been exactly a year since the funeral of rish at our meta according to Crimean Tatar custom his family has gathered to remember the father of three on March 3rd last year while Russian soldiers guarded the government offices a small crowd assembled including Richard who was a Tartar activist suddenly some men in the uniform of a local pro-russian militia marched him away they can be seen in this video forcing Rashad into a car they later told police they didn't know the driver who dropped them off and drove Rashad to an unknown location [Music] Zarina tells me about the terrible moment when she identified her husband's body his brother tells us they're desperate for justice Cosmo is sick creams that are Ukraine Kira see Esther - lura see PACA me an ID no beats animal which is pecuniary frost animal that Ana was mark postulated bit the whole decision s so far despite the existence of the video the police had made no arrests despite the letter sent to the family the Crimean authorities told us investigations are ongoing they say the prime suspect is in Ukraine and can't be arrested as well as reshat five other activists were murdered last year no one's been charged I catch up with Maz Lee during a driving lesson she's been thinking about her future in the due process ancestors cocked not for my money Nia deserves the most indiscriminate solutions no segimerus Nicomachean basically cherry vodka Toro Yahoo Latham milazzo Co no gel canister stove Amina crimper cadet Mohammed Boudia Suriname ooh privacy acronym Akram ski Tutera Tanis Rosen inertia corn is dis da bomb on ouya Julio escucha enter school three weeks later nurse Lee would leave for Ukraine [Music] the big day has arrived the anniversary of the Russian takeover that's been branded the Crimean spring [Music] I'm here with Tonya the 17 year old who's moment has finally come she's about to sing her solo in praise of Russia she wants to do her new stage where the Muslim you know [Applause] [Music] for the Russian majority the Crimean spring is the fulfillment of a long-held dream but for Nazli and others it feels like the beginning of another exile [Music] [Music] thanks for watching this classic unreported world episode click the logo to subscribe for more award-winning documentaries from the unreported world team we upload videos every Wednesday and Sunday keeping you up-to-date with content from all over the world [Music]

Channel: Unreported World

Views: 71,941

Rating: 4.7644587 out of 5

Keywords: crimea, russia, ukraine, miss crimea, beauty pageant, beauty, political, annexation of crimea, tatar, crimean tatar, muslim minority, ukrainian annexation, marcel theroux, unreported world miss crimea, unreported world miss crimea documentary, unreported world crimea tatar, unreported world, channel 4 unreported world, channel 4, pageant, beauty contest, russian beauty contest

Id: 2rmVTfVFUOs

Length: 23min 35sec (1415 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 11 2018