Editing Simferopol (section)

==History==
===Early history===
{{stack|[[File:Карло Боссоли. Симферополь.jpg|thumb|The city in 1856, by [[Carlo Bossoli]].]]}}

Archaeological evidence in the {{Interlanguage link|Chokurcha cave|ru|	Чокурча (пещера)|uk| Чокурча (печера)}} shows the presence of ancient people living in the territory of modern Simferopol. The [[Scythian Neapolis]], known by its Greek name, is also located in the city, which is the remnants of an ancient capital of the Crimean [[Scythian]]s who lived in the territory from the 3rd century BC to the 4th century AD.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9067842/Simferopol|title=Simferopol|access-date=2008-05-13|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica|Encyclopædia Britannica Online]]}}</ref>

Later, the [[Crimean Tatars]] founded the town of Aqmescit. For some time, Aqmescit was the residence of the [[Kalga (title)|Qalğa-Sultan]], the second most important position in the [[Crimean Khanate]] after the [[List of Crimean khans|Khan]] himself.<ref name="crimea-kvn">{{cite web|url=http://www.crimea-kvn.ru/cities/simferopol.html|title=Simferopol|access-date=2008-05-14|work=Vacation in Crimea|language=ru}}</ref> The area of the city once known as Aqmescit is today called [[Old Simferopol]].

===Russian Empire===
[[File:Ruins of a Greek Chapel and Monastery, upon the South Coast of the Crimea, near Derykêuy - Clarke Edward Daniel - 1810.jpg|thumb|Ruins of Greek chapel near Simferopol and [[Chatyr-Dag]], pictured in 1810]]
In 1784 modern Ukrainian{{citation needed|date=February 2024}} Simferopol was founded after the annexation of the [[Crimean Khanate]] to the [[Russian Empire]] by [[Catherine II of Russia]]. The name Simferopol is in [[Greek language|Greek]], Συμφερόπολις (''Simferopolis''){{citation needed|date=February 2024}}<!--It is mentioned above on the Etymology section in a different name in Greek, which is confusing and needed some explanation. Besides, should this sentence explaining the name be moved to the etymology section?--> and literally means "the city of usefulness." The tradition of Greek place names in newly acquired southern territories began with the [[Greek Plan]] of Russian Empress [[Catherine the Great]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Russian cities with Greek names|url=http://gazeta.sebastopol.ua/2006/07/20/vopros-otvet/|work=Sevastopolskaya gazeta|date=20 July 2006|access-date=2008-05-14|language=ru}}</ref> In 1802, Simferopol became the administrative centre of the [[Taurida Governorate]]. During the [[Crimean War]] of 1854–1856, the [[Russian Imperial Army]] reserves and a hospital were stationed in the city. After the war, more than 30,000 Russian soldiers were buried in the city's vicinity.

===20th-century wars===
In the 20th century, Simferopol was once again affected by wars and conflicts in the region. At the end of the [[Russian Civil War]], the headquarters of General [[Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel|Pyotr Wrangel]], leader of the anti-[[Bolshevik]] [[White movement|White Army]], were located there. On 13 November 1920, the [[Red Army]] captured the city and on 18 October 1921, Simferopol became the capital of the [[Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]].

[[File:TankT34.jpg|thumb|[[OT-34]], monument of World War II]]
During [[World War II]], Simferopol was occupied by [[Nazi Germany]] from 1 November 1941 to 13 April 1944. Retreating [[NKVD]] police shot a number of prisoners on 31 October 1941 in the NKVD building and the city's prison.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iccrimea.org/historical/crimeanturks.html|title=Complete Destruction of National Groups as Groups|access-date=2008-05-13|last=Kirimal|first=Edige|work=International Committee for Crimea}}</ref> Germans perpetrated one of the largest war-time massacres in Simferopol, killing in total over 22,000 locals—mostly [[Jews]], [[Russians]], [[Krymchaks]], and [[Romani people|Romani]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.simferopol.ws/|title=Simferopol|access-date=2008-05-13|work=simferopol.ws|language=ru}}</ref> On one occasion, starting 9 December 1941, the [[Einsatzkommando|Einsatzkommando 11b]], which was under the command of [[Werner Braune]], whose main unit and superior were [[Einsatzgruppen|Einsatzgruppe D]] and [[Otto Ohlendorf]], respectively, command killed an estimated 14,300 Simferopol residents, mostly Jewish.<ref>Das Personenlexikon zum Dritten Reich. Wer war was vor und nach 1945. Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, Zweite aktualisierte Auflage, Frankfurt am Main 2005, page 72</ref>

In April 1944 the Red Army liberated Simferopol. On 18 May 1944 the Crimean Tatar population of the city, along with the whole Crimean Tatar nation of Crimea, was [[Deportation of the Crimean Tatars|forcibly deported]] to Central Asia as [[collective punishment]] for the perceived collaboration of Tatars with Nazi Germany.<ref>{{cite web|title=Crimean Tatars and Russification|author=Mark A. Green| url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/crimean-tatars-and-russification| publisher=Wilson Center}}</ref>

===Ukraine===
On 26 April 1954, Simferopol, together with the rest of the [[Crimean Oblast]], was [[1954 transfer of Crimea|transferred]] from the [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic]] to the [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic]] by Soviet Premier [[Nikita Khrushchev]].

An [[asteroid]], discovered in 1970 by Soviet astronomer [[Tamara Mikhailovna Smirnova]], is named after the city ([[2141 Simferopol]]).<ref>{{cite book|last=Schmadel|first=Lutz D.|title=Dictionary of Minor Planet Names|pages=174|edition=5th|year=2003|publisher=Springer Verlag|location=New York City|isbn = 3-540-00238-3}}</ref>

Following a [[1991 Crimean sovereignty referendum|referendum on 20 January 1991]], the [[Crimean Oblast]] was upgraded to an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic on 12 February 1991 by the [[Verkhovna Rada|Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukrweekly.com/Archive/1991/499101.shtml |title=Day in history – 20 January |access-date=6 August 2007 |date=8 January 2006 |work=[[RIA Novosti]] |language=ru |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930034959/http://www.ukrweekly.com/Archive/1991/499101.shtml |archive-date=30 September 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Simferopol became the capital of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

After the [[History of the Soviet Union (1985-1991)|collapse of the Soviet Union]] in 1991, Simferopol became the capital of the [[Autonomous Republic of Crimea]] within newly [[History of Ukraine#Independence|independent Ukraine]]. Today, the city has a population of 340,600 (2006) most of whom are ethnic Russians, with the rest being Ukrainian and [[Crimean Tatars|Crimean Tatar]] minorities.

After the Crimean Tatars were allowed to return from exile in the 1990s, several new Crimean Tatar suburbs were constructed, as many more Tatars returned to the city compared to number exiled in 1944. Land ownership between the current residents and returning Crimean Tatars is a major area of conflict today with the Tatars requesting the return of lands seized after their deportation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=106815|title=Tatars push to regain their historic lands in Crimea|access-date=2008-05-14|date=31 March 2006|work=Today's Zaman|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930210216/http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=106815|archive-date=30 September 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

===Russian annexation===
{{update|section|date=February 2024}}
{{further|Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation}}
After Russia occupied and formally [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|annexed]] Crimea on 18 March 2014, Simferopol was named the capital of a new [[Republic of Crimea (Russia)|federal subject]] of the [[Russian Federation]] encompassing the majority of the peninsula by decree of Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]], with the exception of [[Sevastopol]], which became a [[Federal cities of Russia|federal сity]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dw.com/en/russian-president-vladimir-putin-signs-laws-completing-annexation-of-crimea/a-17512613|title=Russian President Vladimir Putin signs laws completing annexation of Crimea|date=21 March 2014|access-date=8 September 2022|website=Deutsche Welle }}</ref>

Prior to the seizure of the city by Russia, a mass protest was organised by the city's [[Crimean Tatars]] in support of Crimea remaining as part of Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-02-26 |title=Russia puts military on high alert as Crimea protests leave one man dead |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/26/ukraine-new-leader-disbands-riot-police-crimea-separatism |access-date=2023-01-11 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref>