Mariupol
A city of Greek settlers and the largest port of the Azov coast.
Founded in 1778 as a centre for Greeks resettled from Crimea, the city kept its Greek community, stone buildings of the 19th century, a drama theatre of 1960 and the water tower — a symbol of old Mariupol. After 2014 it became the free regional capital of Donetsk oblast and flourished. The 86-day siege of 2022 destroyed it almost entirely. In 2014 the Azov battalion of Andriy Biletsky was formed here; in 2022 the city's defence was led by Denys Prokopenko "Redis". In March 2022 the paramedic Yuliia Paievska "Taira" filmed the siege on a bodycam; on 16 March she was taken prisoner while evacuating women and children. Among the defenders was Mariupol native Vasyl Kopan “Neznaika”, who went through the siege of the city and of Azovstal and was killed in 2024 near Toretsk.
Temporarily occupied since 2022. The drama theatre is a separate memorial point.
Chronicle
- 13 June 2014 — Mariupol was cleared of armed groups and became the temporary centre of Donetsk oblast.
- 24 February 2022 — The siege began: within days the city was cut off from every land route.
- 2 March 2022 — Full blockade — no power, water, heating or communications.
- 9 March 2022 — An air strike on Maternity Hospital No. 3.
- 16 March 2022 — An air strike on the drama theatre, where hundreds were sheltering; the word "CHILDREN" had been written on the asphalt outside.
- April–May 2022 — The last stand at Azovstal: the garrison and civilians in the plant's underground works.
- 16–20 May 2022 — The defenders of Azovstal came out on orders from command. The siege had lasted 86 days.