The top US diplomat has declared that Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine are living under a “reign of terror”, but the pictures speak for themselves. So, here it is – the Crimea – that the local residents and tourists alike see and perceive.

The US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland has declared that Crimea, and parts of Eastern Ukraine, are living under a ‘reign of terror”. This is how the terror apparently looks.

© Flickr / ilya Yalta beach

"Even as Ukraine is building a peaceful, democratic, independent nation across 93 percent of its territory, Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine are suffering a reign of terror," she confidently told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

© Sputnik / Konstantin Chalabov Fireboat of the Russian Ministry for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Disaster Relief hoses down city residents during Russian Navy Day celebrations in Sevastopol

"Today Crimea remains under illegal occupation and human rights abuses are the norm, not the exception, for many at risk groups there," she said.

© Sputnik / Mihail Mokrushin The city embankment in Yalta

Nuland also claimed that several groups — Crimean Tatars, Ukrainians who refuse to surrender their passports, gays and lesbians, journalists and others — are at risk of persecution.

© Sputnik / Maks Vetrov Women celebrate Shrovetide near Simferopol, Crimea

In eastern Ukraine, Russia and its separatist puppets unleashed unspeakable violence and pillage," she claimed.

© Flickr / Fr Maxim Massalitin Lastochkino Gnezdo

What Victoria Nuland however opted not to mention is the poll result of the Ukrainian branch of Germany's biggest market research organization, GfK.

© Flickr / Taema Dreiden Crimea

One year later, 82 percent of those polled said they fully supported Crimea's inclusion in Russia, and another 11 percent expressed partial support. Only 4 percent spoke out against it.

© AP Photo / Mikhail Metzel Girls stand in front of a sand sculpture

Just over half (51 percent) reported that their well-being had improved in the past year. That especially concerns retirees, who have started receiving much higher Russian pensions.

© AP Photo / Alexander Zemlianichenko In this photo taken on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2014, Rameta Kushkhova walks by barrels of wine in the state-owned Massandra winery in Yalta, Crimea

The vast majority of Crimeans are not interested in going back to Ukraine.

© Flickr / ilya Crimea

According to the group, in 2015, the peninsula will receive 47 billion rubles ($705 million), or 75 percent of its budget, from Russia, not counting the increased pensions. Ukraine never financed the peninsula at that level: in 2014, it had planned to transfer 3.03 billion hryvnias ($378 million at the time) to Crimea.