Problem of Crimean Tatar Migrations in Ismail Gasprinsky’s Publicistics
Nowadays, Crimean pre-revolutionary press coverage of Crimean Tatar migrations of 19th - early 20th centuries is not well studied matter. Meanwhile, this is a very interesting challenge, significant, both in scientific and in the practical sense: in today''s world, mass media play an important role in shaping public opinion on such sensitive issue as mass population migration. The subject matter of my article is the problem of Crimean Tatar migrations in the publicistic heritage of Ismail Gasprinsky, who was famous Crimean Tatar enlightener. For my research purposes, I used source, textual and discourse analysis in the framework of ethno-social and narrative approaches. As a result of such research of publications in weekly newspaper Terdzhiman [ Interpreter ] issued by Ismail Gasprinsky in his own typography in Bakhchisarai, I have shown this newspaper covered a lot of different aspects of Muslim migrations (Muhajirism) from Russian Empire into Turkey. In their weekly articles, Gasprinsky and his minded circle regularly described several facts of migrations, laid out their own opinions and visions of this problem, covered consequences of migration movement and the fate of Crimean Tatars (as well as muhajirun from the Caucasus and Central Asia) in Turkey. Their outreach efforts led to a decrease of the flow of Crimean Tatar Muhajirs in Turkey, and to the cessation of the emigration process in 1904. I conclude Ismail Gasprinsky was a staunch opponent of mass emigrations of Crimean Tatars, and his repeatedly efforts to persuade his fellow countrymen not to leave their homeland were of great information impact on the readership of his newspapers. So, Ismail Gasprinsky’s publicism not lost its relevance even today, as a rich source for studying problem of Crimean Tatars migration.