In occupied Mariupol, Russians put up main Christmas tree outside theatre where civilians were killed

The Russian authorities in temporarily occupied Mariupol have begun to put up the city's main Christmas tree outside the Drama Theatre – the place where hundreds of civilians were killed while sheltering from Russian bombs.

Source: Mariupol City Council

Quote: "Today the occupiers, seeking to erase the traces of their war crimes, are putting up the main (bloody) Christmas tree outside the theatre. Not for children to honour their fallen peers there, but to dance in circles and celebrate beside the place where people were killed."

Details: In addition, the Russians plan to officially open the Drama Theatre this year after more than three years of rebuilding work. They intend to open the season with Russian productions of The Scarlet Flower (the Russian version of Beauty and the Beast) and The Empress's Favourite.

"They will quite literally be performing on the blood of murdered people," the council emphasised.

The council recalled that on 16 March 2022, where the Christmas tree is now, the word "ДЕТИ" ("CHILDREN") was spelled out in large letters outside the Drama Theatre so that it would be visible from the air. Families with children were sheltering in the building from attacks at the time.

But that did not stop the Russian troops: they dropped bombs on the theatre. Associated Press journalists reported that up to 600 people may have been killed, although the exact figures are not known.

From the start of the full-scale invasion until its destruction, the Mariupol Theatre had served as a refuge for civilians, a hub for distributing food and water, a centre for information about evacuation corridors, and a gathering point for evacuations.

From 24 February to 4 March, around 100 people used the theatre as a shelter, mostly current and former theatre staff and their families, as well as people fleeing violence in early 2022.

Three years on, the Russian occupation authorities have completed the external reconstruction of the theatre they themselves destroyed.

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