Contribution short abstract:

This paper studies Crimean Tatars under Russian occupation, focusing on absences, silences, and erasures caused by systemic repression. It examines the constraints of surveillance, the value of fragmented narratives, and the persistence of identity despite forced displacement, suppression and exile.

Contribution long abstract:

This paper explores the application of "negative methodology" in the study of Crimean Tatars living under Russian occupation since 2014. Negative methodology, as articulated by Yael Navaro (2020), provides a framework for engaging with absences, silences, and erasures resulting from systemic repression. For researchers of Crimea, violence, such as occupation, war, and state surveillance, creates, significant barriers to traditional research methods, necessitating innovative approaches that center on the (im)possibilities of knowledge production.

The paper focuses on two key aspects of negative methodology: the limitations imposed by violence and surveillance and the value of fragmented narratives. Under occupation, the pervasive presence of state control constrains fieldwork or even makes it completely impossible for many researchers. Researchers must contend with restricted access to the field, the risks of endangering participants, and the ethical imperatives of protecting sensitive information. Remote documentation, reliance on digital traces, and attention to what cannot be accessed emerge as critical strategies. Furthermore, the fragmented nature of Crimean Tatar experiences—shaped by forced displacement, the suppression of public practices, and political repressions —aligns with the negative methodology’s embrace of partial, incomplete accounts. By foregrounding silences and fragments, the study highlights the persistence of Crimean Tatar identity within the voids created by systemic repression.

Anthropologists who study fields under violence, such as occupation, also face emotional and methodological challenges, balancing advocacy and academic rigor. Ethnography of absent field offers critical insights into resilience and power dynamics under occupation, contributing to broader discussions on human rights, cultural preservation, and political agency.