Festive Port: how Mariupol celebrates Russia Day

Russia Day in Mariupol is a special holiday. In 2022, some of the fiercest fighting took place here during the entire special operation. Many could not leave the city and were forced to live in basements for months. Today, mass events are still prohibited on the territory of the republic, but on June 12, a solemn atmosphere is still felt in the cities. This also applies to the largest port of the Sea of Azov. Despite the threats of attacks from the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the locals do not hide: they organize small solemn actions, decorate buildings with tricolors, and make small gifts to the guests of the city. About how Russia Day is celebrated in one of the largest centers of the DPR — in the Izvestia article.

How Russia Day is celebrated in Mariupol

The weather in the morning, however, was not pleasant: it was pouring rain. However, this did not prevent fans of outdoor activities: at the entrance to the city, a crowd of cyclists stopped at the sign "Mariupol". It turned out that these were activists of the Donbassteploenergo enterprise.

— We organized a bike ride in honor of Russia Day. Our company's employees are here, about 30-40 people. We tend to actively celebrate Russia Day, not just lying on the couch. Otherwise, there won't be any celebration, but it's an important day for us," the participants of the action told Izvestia.

The cyclists took a photo near the tricolor sign and turned back towards Mariupol. At the entrance to the city, the countless number of buildings under construction immediately catches the eye. There are already completely new houses — fresh and bright.

In Mariupol, locals can receive compensatory housing. In 2024, the first mortgage housing was built in the city at a discounted rate of 2% per annum. Private houses are also being renovated.

But at the same time, of course, there are echoes of the fighting in Mariupol.: Destroyed buildings remain throughout the city. Most of all, this applies to private homes outside the center. Their owners probably left and still haven't returned.

Nevertheless, the streets are full of people, public transport is running, and cafes are packed. In addition to the cycling event, the patriotic run "The Power of Russia" was also held, organized by the Healthy Fatherland movement with the participation of the Youth Policy Department and the Sports and Tourism Department of the Mariupol City Administration. It was attended by young athletes from the city's sports schools — basketball, volleyball, and track and field athletes.

Residents are trying to somehow celebrate an important holiday for the city - in Mariupol, as well as throughout the DPR, mass events are prohibited due to the threat of attacks from the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

— There was no end. I don't want to endanger the locals, it's a tasty morsel for the enemy during the holidays. The danger has not passed. The UAV raid in Donetsk continues to this day. Therefore, a curfew is still in effect in our republic," Nikita Olendar, head of the Department of Socio—cultural activities at the Donetsk Republican Library for Youth, tells Izvestia.

Despite the absence of concerts and official events, there is a festive atmosphere in Mariupol: banners with congratulations are hung around the city, patriotic songs are heard from driving cars with open windows.

The celebration is also felt in local cafes: in one of them, non-alcoholic cocktails in tricolor are served to guests when ordering as a compliment. All the cafes are decorated: the verandas are framed by balloons, also in the colors of the Russian flag. As soon as the wind blows, they start to burst, and the locals shudder and turn around.

— Until now, we, the residents of Mariupol, do not like loud, harsh sounds. We instinctively start looking for a suitable hiding place," Valery, a cafe visitor, tells Izvestia.

In the morning, a solemn raising of the Russian flag took place on Freedom Square in the city center. Later, locals gathered there, wrapped in tricolors.

— I can't even believe that our city lives freely and peacefully. Emotions overwhelm on this day. Anyway, in three years you've been looking at Mariupol, comparing it to what it was like in '22: destroyed, burnt out. Two years ago, it was impossible to watch without tears. Now the city is recovering as much as possible: people are returning, tourists are coming, the embankment has been rebuilt," Artem Tkachev, one of the participants in the action, tells Izvestia.

Freedom Square has many lanterns in the form of a white dove, a symbol of peace. However, it still has a large area with rubble that has not yet been dismantled.

"I was constantly scared"

May 20 marked three years since the complete liberation of Mariupol by the Russian Armed Forces. The battle for the city lasted for more than two months. The port became one of the first large settlements at that time to be fought for during the war. As a result, the Ukrainian Armed Forces garrison at the Azovstal plant surrendered. Later, more than 2.5 thousand soldiers left the enterprise and surrendered.

As a result of the fighting and shelling, about 5 thousand civilians of Mariupol were killed, the mayor of the city Konstantin Ivashchenko reported in April 2022. According to human rights organizations, all hospitals, 93% of apartment buildings, and 97% of educational institutions were damaged throughout the city.

— Now we have built a new school. But in 2022 it was bombed. I was in the fourth grade at the time. Then my mom and I lived in the basement. I remember being constantly scared, it was still unusual for me to walk around the city center," Alina, a schoolgirl, tells Izvestia.

Many residents could not leave the city during the fighting before the arrival of the Russian army and the start of the evacuation. Some of them lived in basements for more than two months.

— When the fighting was going on, I lived in the port. I watched everything that was happening there. This circle was closing in on me. I'm one of the last people to come out of the basement on April 17th. Then the military moved away from us to Azovstal," says Artyom Tkachev.

Azovstal is a large metallurgical plant on the shore of the Sea of Azov, which began operations in 1933. The company was mothballed in February 2022. The plant was the main focus of resistance of the Ukrainian military. It was there that the retreating units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine retreated. The fighting for the factory continued even when the rest of the city was liberated.

— Even when the battles for Azovstal were still going on, it was already relatively quiet in our area, humanitarian aid and food were distributed. Everyone could already evacuate," Valery recalls.

The plant is currently out of business for obvious reasons. The authorities planned to make a tourist site on its territory. The Blast Furnace project was being considered, where those who wish can learn about metallurgical production, the city district administration reported.

Tourism in Mariupol is really actively developing. Recently, a new equipped embankment appeared in the city center. Despite the cloudy and cool weather, many people, including tourists, were walking along it.

— We came on vacation from Makeyevka. We've been coming here every summer for a couple of years now. It's nice and peaceful here in Mariupol. Everything is still wrong in Makeyevka: drones are flying, explosions are heard, and the air defense system is probably working," vacationer Valentina tells Izvestia.

At the same time, fighting is still going on in the part of the DPR. However, the Russian army has reached the western border of the republic and is advancing in the Dnipropetrovsk region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on June 11.