This was reported by the Head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration and Chief of the Regional Military Administration, Vadym Filashkin.
Today marks the 4th anniversary of the bombing of the Mariupol Drama Theater by Russian forces.
In Kyiv, in front of the National Palace of Arts "Ukraine", the word “CHILDREN” was laid out and candles were lit as a reminder of the people who had taken shelter in the theater during the shelling. Following the memorial, the Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theater (Mariupol) presented the premiere of the Ukrainian-Canadian play “MEZHA” (“The Line”).
The production was directed by Christopher Morris (Human Cargo Theatre, Canada), who spent about a year in Ukraine working on the play. As part of his research, he spoke with many Mariupol residents who survived the siege. On stage, Kateryna Poletaieva and Sofiia Vasylieva shared personal stories reflecting the pain and loss of Mariupol.
In Uzhhorod, the word “CHILDREN” appeared in front of the Zakarpattia Academic Regional Puppet Theater "Bavka" and the PADIYUN Center for Children and Youth Creativity. Candles were lit, and a symbolic “human chain” involving children was formed.
Other national and regional theaters across Ukraine also joined the commemoration — a total of 89 theaters participated.
“I thank everyone who came today to share the memory of the innocent civilians killed in Mariupol. I also thank Deputy Minister of Culture of Ukraine Ivan Verbytskyi, Director of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory Oleksandr Alforov, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets, and Head of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine Pavlo Kyrylenko for their support.
We remember. And we will return to a Ukrainian Mariupol,” emphasized Vadym Filashkin.