Russian authorities in the occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol have begun demolishing much of the theater damaged in the aggressive war. According to Ukrainian sources, an air raid in March killed hundreds of civilians who had sought protection from Russian bombs in the building. The demolition of large parts of the building is documented in videos that were recently posted on the platforms of both warring parties. The facade remained untouched.
“The Mariupol Theater no longer exists,” Ukraine’s Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko wrote on Facebook. “The occupiers cover up the traces of their crimes and don’t care in the least whether it’s part of cultural heritage.”
The Russian state news agency TASS quoted the theatre’s current director, Igor Solonin, as saying that the demolition only concerns the parts of the building that cannot be reconstructed. The reconstruction should be completed by the end of 2024.
On March 16, during the early stages of Russia’s war of aggression, Ukrainian civilians had taken refuge in the theater building, which was marked with huge signs reading “Children.” Despite this, the building was destroyed by Russian bombs, killing at least 300 people, according to Ukrainian sources. Russia, on the other hand, denies that it deliberately used the theater as a target.
