Jamala's Parents Leave Occupied Crimea and Reside in Turkey

The parents of singer Jamala, a well-known Ukrainian performer, definitively left the Russian-occupied Crimea in 2024. Currently, they reside in Turkey along with their elder daughter. Jamala, in an extensive interview with Masha Efrosinina, shared her feelings of guilt over her parents being left without a home in Crimea, a topic that has become very painful for her.

The singer admitted that she feels a profound sense of responsibility for her parents, who, in their old age, find themselves with nothing. "For me, this is a painful topic. I feel guilty that my parents are left with nothing in their old age. My sister and I insisted on their move, talking about how frightening it is. It is very scary that they are there. We cannot influence them in any way. Moreover, we know how the local authorities operate, how they do everything, and blame others, and so on. It is already very frightening. After the first 'cotton' in Crimea, they came to my parents' house for searches," Jamala recounted.

The singer also emphasized that there was no official reason for the occupying authorities to seize her parents' home, as she has been officially registered out of that house since she was 14. She explained that after enrolling in a music school in Simferopol, she has no ties to Crimea anymore. "They came looking for something at my parents' place. Why do I always say my parents' house? Because I was officially registered out of the house at 14. When I entered the music school in Simferopol, there was no trace of me there anymore. Therefore, there were no grounds to take my grandfather's house, to take these fig orchards, to take my parents' house. Because if, hypothetically, they call me a terrorist, then that would concern me. But I have no property in Crimea. There were videos circulating on the internet: 'If Jamala speaks for all of us here, then let’s do something 'dark' to her parents,'" she added.

Jamala's parents built their home over 25 years, and now they are left with nothing. "My parents are currently left with nothing. When I visit Istanbul to see my sister, who runs a small music school there, my father found a small piece of land and planted various magnolias there. He cannot live without land. It means everything to him," Jamala shared, noting that her father dreams of planting his seedlings in Crimea. This situation highlights not only Jamala's personal experiences but also the pain of thousands of Ukrainians who have been forced to leave their homes due to Russian aggression.