Novorossiya (confederation)
Novorossiya New Russia | |
---|---|
Anthem: "Живи Новороссия"
Zhivi, Novorossiya! on YouTube Template:Ru icon Template:Uk icon "Live, New Russia!" | |
![]() | |
Status | Self-proclaimed confederation |
Official languages | Russian Ukrainian |
Religion | Russian Orthodox (official)[1] |
Membership | ![]() ![]() |
Government | Provisional Confederation |
• Speaker of the Parliament | Oleg Tsaryov[2] |
• Head of the DPR | Alexander Zakharchenko |
• Head of the LPR | Igor Plotnitsky |
Confederation between Donetsk and Luhansk |
Novorossiya or New Russia (Russian: Новоро́ссия, romanized: Novorossiya, IPA: [nəvɐˈrosʲɪjə]; [Новоросія, Novorosiya] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)), also referred to as the Union of People's Republics (Russian: Сою́з наро́дных респу́блик, romanized: Soyuz Narodnykh Respublik, IPA: [sɐˈjus nɐˈrodnɨx rʲɪˈspublʲɪk]; [Союз Народних Республік, Soyuz Narodnykh Respublik] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)), is a political breakaway confederation of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) in eastern Ukraine, both of which share a border with Russia.
The two constituent republics of the confederation have limited diplomatic recognition and are classified by Ukraine as terrorist organizations.[3] The creation of Novorossiya was declared on 22 May 2014, and agreements were signed between the leaders of the two organizations on 24 May.[1][4] On 24 June, leaders from the "Supreme Soviet" of each group declared the merger of their constitutions, and the creation of Novorossiya as a confederal "Union of People's Republics".[5] On 1 January 2015 founding leadership announced the project has 'been put on hold', and on 20 May the constituent groups announced the 'freezing' of the confederation 'project'.[6]
Background
Novorossiya was the name of a territory of the Russian Empire formed from the Crimean Khanate, which had been annexed several years after the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca concluded the Russo-Turkish War in 1774. Novorossiya initially included today's Southern Ukraine as well as some parts of today's Russia (including Novorossiysk). The region was soon colonized by Ukrainian, Romanian, Russian, German, Greek, Bulgarian, Jewish and other settlers. The major cities were Odessa, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Novorossiysk.[citation needed]. In 1802 the province of Novorossiya was split into three Governorates. In 1917 most of 18th century Novorossiya was incorporated into the newly proclaimed Ukrainian People's Republic because ethnic Ukrainians constituted the majority of the population. After the defeat of pro-independence Ukrainians in the Ukrainian–Soviet War, the Soviet government confirmed that Southern Ukraine was part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union[7] the term Novorossiya began to be used again in calls for the independence or secession of regions of Ukraine corresponding to different areas.[8] However, throughout 1990s and 2000s, these movements remained marginal and failed to win support from the majority of the local population.[9] Dmitry Trenin of the Carnegie Moscow Center wrote that in 2003 some Russian academics discussed the idea of a pro-Russia Novorossiya state being formed out of southern Ukraine in response to moves towards bringing Ukraine into NATO.[8]
The term Novorossiya came into usage in 2014 among Antimaidan protesters following the Euromaidan Ukrainian Revolution. A Novorossiya account was created on Twitter and gained thousands of followers in the first weekend.[8] Amidst talks in Geneva on resolving the rising unrest in southern and eastern Ukraine, President Putin noted at a Q&A session that the southern and eastern portions of Ukraine had originally been part of Novorossiya and suggested that it had been a mistake to cede them.[10]
History
Formation
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/86/2014-12-24._%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%8F%2C_%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%B2%D1%8F%D1%89%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B5_90-%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%8E_%D1%81%D0%BE_%D0%B4%D0%BD%D1%8F_%D0%BE%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%94%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%86%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%B4%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D0%BC%D1%83%D0%B7%D0%B5%D1%8F_30.JPG/220px-thumbnail.jpg)
The New Russia Party, founded on 13 May 2014 in Donetsk, Ukraine,[11] declared on its first congress of 22 May 2014 the formation of a new self-declared state named 'Novorossiya', inspired by the historical region of the Russian Empire that carried that name. The congress was attended by separatist officials of the Donetsk People's Republic, Donbass People's Militia as well as by the Donetsk Republic leader Pavel Gubarev, ultranationalist/Stalinist writer Alexander Prokhanov,[12] nationalist bolshevist political scientist and Eurasia Party leader Aleksandr Dugin, and Valery Korovin.[13][13][14] According to Gubarev the state would include Kharkiv[nb 1], Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Odessa and Zaporizhia.[17][18] Two days later, the self-appointed 'Prime Minister' of Donetsk Alexander Borodai and Luhansk "head of the Republic" Aleksey Karyakin signed a document behind closed doors formalizing their merger into the new confederation.[19]
In an interview on 31 May, Denis Pushilin, then acting as head of state of the Donetsk People's Republic, stated that Novorossiya currently existed as a union of people's republics, but cooperation could be deepened if more territories were to join.[20] On 24 June, the two People's Republics proclaimed their accession to the union of people's republics, and at the second plenum of the new Parliament of Novorossiya on 15 July, the confederation adopted the official name of Novorossiya.[21] Since the 2 November 2014 Donbass parliamentary elections the Parliament did not gather anymore.[6]
Parallel December 2014 declaration
On 12 December 2014, a "Congress of Deputies of All Levels" led by former DPR deputy foreign minister Boris Borisov, alongside figures such as Pavel Gubarev, issued a renewed declaration of the state sovereignty of the "Union of Sovereign Republics" of Novorossiya, claiming it to be an amendment of the 1922 Treaty on the Creation of the USSR.[22][23] In contrast to the May agreement, the new declaration aimed to build a new executive "from scratch".[23] An official of the DPR responded that although Borisov was well-intentioned, his initiative did not have the material backing necessary for success.[23]
May 2015 Suspension of Activity
On 20 May 2015 the political leadership announced the "freezing of activities"[6] Speaker of the Parliament Oleg Tsaryov declared this was done because the confederation did not comply with the Minsk II declaration.[6] DPR's Foreign Minister Alexander Kofman stated the same day that "the project Novorossiya" was closed till all its proposed regions had "grow new political elite, able to lead the movement".[24] Kofman also stated "We cannot decide for them".[6]
In June 2015 the leaders of DPR and LPR submitted their proposed changes to the Constitution of Ukraine that, while calling for wide autonomy of the Donbass region, considered them as territory of Ukraine along with the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.[25]
Military
The armed forces of Novorossiya were composed of the Donbass People's Militia[26][27] and the LPR People's Militia (formerly known as Army of the South-East).
The militias of the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic, merged into one group on 16 September 2014, forming the "United Armed Forces of Novorossiya".[28]
It is regarded as a terrorist group by the Ukrainian government, and was accused in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on 17 July 2014.
International recognition
No country recognized Novorossiya as a sovereign state or political entity. Only two of its components, the Lugansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic, were recognized on 18 June and 27 June 2014 respectively by South Ossetia, a breakaway republic of Georgia which, itself, was occupied by the Russian Army during the Russo-Georgian War, and has extremely limited recognition.[29][30]
Controversy
The status of Novorossiya came into dispute on 26 May 2014, when according to Bolotov, "none of the agreements have been concluded" but the intention is to form a "Union of People's Republics".[31]
On 1 January 2015, former Donetsk Republic Prime Minister Alexander Borodai, who resigned on 7 August 2014,[32][33] stated that "there is no Novorossiya" and that the proposed state was a "dream that was not brought to life" and called it a false start.[34]
Russian dissidents Alexandr Skobov and Andrey Piontkovsky commented that in its political features (nationalism, imperialism) the entity has similarities to 20th-century fascist movements.[35][36]
See also
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- 2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine
- United Armed Forces of Novorossiya
- War in Donbass
- Pavel Gubarev
- Donetsk–Krivoy Rog Soviet Republic
- List of active separatist movements in Europe
- List of active rebel groups
- 2014 Crimean crisis
Notes
- ^ The city of Kharkiv was not part of the historical region of Novorossiya; but of the historical region Sloboda Ukraine.[15][16]
References
- ^ a b Babiak, Mat (22 May 2014). "Welcome to New Russia". Ukrainian Policy. Archived from the original on 8 June 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Federal State of Novorossiya / Union of People's Republics".
- ^ "Ukraine's prosecutor general classifies self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk republics as terrorist organizations". Kyiv Post. 16 May 2014.
- ^ "Donetsk, Lugansk People's Republics unite in Novorossiya". Voice of Russia. 24 May 2014. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Babiak, Mat (24 June 2014). "Terrorist organizations declare New Russian "Union of People's Republics"". Euromaidan Press. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d e "Russian-backed 'Novorossiya' breakaway movement collapses". Ukraine Today. 20 May 2015.
Vladimir Dergachev; Dmitriy Kirillov (20 May 2015). Проект «Новороссия» закрыт [Project "New Russia" is closed]. Gazeta.ru (in Russian). - ^ Ст. Донецко-Криворожская советская республика (in Russian) (Большой энциклопедический словарь / Гл. ред. А. М. Прохоров. Изд. 2-е, перераб. и доп. — 2000 ed.). Archived from the original on 30 November 2012.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b c Kinstler, Linda (7 April 2014). "Protesters in Eastern Ukraine Are Chanting "Novorossiya", an Old Term That's Back in Vogue". The New Republic. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Patrick Heenan; Monique Lamontagne, eds. (2013). The CIS Handbook. Chicago and London: Fitzroy Dearborn. p. 75.
- ^ Gentleman, Amelia (17 April 2014). "Putin asserts right to use force in east Ukraine". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Donetsk announces creation of Novorossiya Party". Kyiv Post. 13 May 2014. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
- ^ Young, Cathy (21 May 2014). "Fascism Comes to Ukraine -- From Russia".
- ^ a b Состоялся учредительный съезд ОПД "Партия Новороссия" [Founding congress of the social-political movement "New Russia Party" held] (in Russian). novorossia.su. 22 May 2014. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Paul Goble (8 August 2013). "Window on Eurasia: To Save Russia and Himself, Putin Must Become a National Bolshevik, Izborsky Expert Says". windowoneurasia2.blogspot.ca. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- ^ Serhii Plokhy (1 January 2005). Unmaking Imperial Russia: Mykhailo Hrushevsky and the Writing of Ukrainian History. University of Toronto Press. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-8020-3937-8. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- ^ Richard Sakwa (18 December 2014). Frontline Ukraine: Crisis in the Borderlands. I.B.Tauris. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-85773-804-2. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- ^ У Донецьку створили партію "Новоросія". Ukrayinska Pravda (in Ukrainian). 23 May 2014. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|trans_title=
ignored (|trans-title=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Ukraine crisis timeline". BBC News Online. 8 May 2014. Archived from the original on 26 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ СМИ: Террористы из "ДНР" и "ЛНР" объединились (in Russian). UNIAN. 24 May 2014. Archived from the original on 25 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|trans_title=
ignored (|trans-title=
suggested) (help) - ^ Интервью Дениса Пушилина журналистам Washington Post 31 мая (video) (in Russian). 31 May 2014. 12 minutes in. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
{{cite AV media}}
: Unknown parameter|trans_title=
ignored (|trans-title=
suggested) (help) - ^ Парламент Союза народных республик принял конституцию Новороссии (in Russian). TASS. 15 June 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
- ^ В самопровозглашенных республиках Донбасса приняли "Декларацию о госсуверенитете Новороссии" (in Russian). Dialog.ua. 14 December 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ^ a b c Vladimir Dergachev (19 January 2015). Сепаратисты готовят замену ополченцам. Gazeta.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ^ Template:Uk iconTSAREV OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED THE COLLAPSE OF THE "PROJECT NEW RUSSIA", 5 Kanal (20 May 2015)
- ^ "The pro-Russia separatist regions just named Crimea as a part of Ukraine". Retrieved 9 June 2015.
- ^ Жители Славянска поддержали "Народное ополчение Донбасса" // "Взгляд.RU" от 12 апреля 2014
- ^ ""Народное ополчение Донбасса" строит баррикады"
Протесты в Славянске Донецкой области // "ИТАР-ТАСС" от 13 апреля 2014 - ^ ДНР и ЛНР приступили к созданию Армии Новороссии. Novorossiya (in Russian). 16 September 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ^ "South Ossetia Recognizes 'Luhansk People's Republic'". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- ^ "South Ossetia recognizes Donetsk People's Republic". Kyiv Post. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- ^ В.Болотов опроверг информацию об объединении ЛНР и ДНР в Новороссию [V. Bolotov denied the merger of the LNR and the DNR in Novorossiya] (in Russian). Ostro.org. 26 May 2014. Archived from the original on 20 June 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "August 7, 2014 - Donetsk People's Republic PM announces resignation". Rt.com. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ^ Olearchyk, Roman (7 August 2014). "Rebel leader quits Donetsk amid infighting". Financial Times. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ^ "Ex-prime minister of unrecognised Donetsk republic: There's no 'Novorossiya', but a false start". belsat.eu. 2 January 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
- ^ Aleksandr Skobov (21 July 2014). Реконструкция ада [Reconstruction of hell]. Grani.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 28 July 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Andrey Piontkovsky (18 July 2014). "Военная хитрость" Путина опрокинута санкциями США 16 июля [Putin's "military ruse" capsized by US sanctions on July 16]. kasparov.ru. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)