On 20 January 1991 the first referendum in the history of the USSR was held in Crimea, with the following question put to the vote: "Are you in favour of the re-establishment of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic as a subject of the USSR and

The right to vote was held by 1,777,841 people. The referendum was attended by 1,441,019 voters, which amounted to 81.37 % of the total number registered.

The restoration of autonomy was supported by 1,343,855 people, that is 93.26 % of those who voted. Against were 81,254 people, or 5.64 %. About 1 % of the ballot papers were declared invalid.

The referendum was initiated by the regional Council of People's Deputies against the background of the political transformations of the late 1980s and demands to return to Crimea the status of an autonomous republic, lost in 1945 when the Crimean ASSR was converted into a region.

The majority of the participants in the referendum supported the restoration of autonomy. Within a few weeks the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR decided to re-establish the Crimean ASSR. Thus the results of the vote were put into practice.

The referendum took place at a time when demands to extend the rights of the republics and regions were growing throughout the USSR. Many still counted on the preservation of a renewed Union, which is why the question was tied specifically to the future Union Treaty.