Russia opens rebuilt Mariupol theater more than 3 years after Moscow airstrike killed hundreds there

A historic theater in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol has reopened more than three years after it was destroyed in a Russian airstrike that claimed hundreds of civilian lives. The rebuilt Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theater was unveiled with a gala concert on Sunday evening, showcasing its restored marble pillars, grand staircases, and traditional Russian cultural performances.

The original structure was decimated on March 16, 2022, during the early weeks of Russia’s invasion when Moscow’s forces besieged the strategic port city. At the time of the attack, hundreds of civilians had sought shelter inside the building as Russian bombardment of the city intensified. In a desperate attempt to prevent an attack, the word “children” had been painted in large Russian letters on the ground outside, visible from the air.

An in-depth investigation by the Associated Press concluded that approximately 600 people perished in the bombing, nearly double the initial government estimates. The investigation directly contradicted Moscow’s claims that Ukrainian forces had demolished the theater themselves.

The theater bombing became one of the most emblematic atrocities of the war’s early phase, highlighting the devastating impact on civilian infrastructure and populations. Shortly after the airstrike, Russian forces secured control of Mariupol’s city center and subsequently razed the theater ruins, with human remains reportedly transported to mass graves in and around the city.

Mariupol’s exiled Ukrainian city council, which relocated to Ukrainian-controlled territory when the city fell, denounced the reopening ceremony as “singing and dancing on bones” in a statement released on Telegram.

“The ‘restoration’ of the theater is a cynical attempt to conceal the traces of a war crime and part of an aggressive policy of Russification of the city,” the council stated, adding that the theater’s planned repertoire consists primarily of Russian works, further reinforcing Moscow’s cultural dominance in the occupied city.

Sunday’s reopening ceremony featured prominent Russian-appointed officials, including Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-installed head of the partially occupied Donetsk region, and Alexander Beglov, governor of St. Petersburg. The northern Russian city has maintained close ties with Mariupol since Russia claimed full control of the Ukrainian port in May 2022, with St. Petersburg workers heavily involved in the theater’s reconstruction project.

The rebuilding of the theater represents part of Russia’s broader efforts to normalize its occupation and integrate captured territories into the Russian Federation. Since occupying Mariupol, Russian authorities have implemented Russian educational curricula, replaced Ukrainian street signs with Russian ones, and introduced the ruble as the official currency.

The Donetsk region, home to Mariupol, remains a critical battleground throughout the ongoing conflict. Russia formally annexed the territory in 2022 following internationally condemned referendums, despite not controlling the entire region. The status of Donetsk and other occupied territories continues to be one of the primary obstacles in potential peace negotiations between the warring sides.

Mariupol itself holds significant strategic importance as a major industrial center and port city on the Sea of Azov. Before the war, it was home to approximately 450,000 people and housed the massive Azovstal steel plant, which became the site of a last stand by Ukrainian defenders before the city’s eventual fall.

The theater’s reopening occurs against the backdrop of ongoing fighting across eastern Ukraine, with Russian forces continuing offensive operations in multiple sectors of the front line while Ukrainian troops struggle with ammunition and manpower shortages as Western military aid has faced delays.