Commemorative events took place in Ukraine and abroad to honor the victims of the Russian bombing of the Mariupol Drama Theater in 2022. According to Vadym Filashkin, head of the Donetsk region, 89 national and regional theaters across Ukraine participated in the memorial activities.
In Kyiv, candles were lit in front of the National Palace of Arts “Ukraine,” forming the word “ДІТИ” (children). Filashkin remarked, “We remember. And we will definitely return to Ukrainian Mariupol.” The memorial also occurred in front of the Lviv Opera Theater, organized by the civic organization “I Am Mariupol.”
In Prague, candles were arranged to spell “Дети” (children) on the roof of the National Theater. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian diaspora in Italy honored the deceased in front of the La Scala theater in Milan.
On March 16, 2022, Russian forces dropped bombs on the Mariupol Drama Theater, where hundreds of civilians had sought refuge. Estimates of casualties range from 300 to 600 individuals. Human rights advocates have classified the bombing of the theater as an “obvious war crime.”
According to confirmed data from the city administration, at least 20,000 people have died in the devastated and Russian-occupied city of Mariupol, as stated by Mayor Vadym Boychenko in an interview with Radio Svoboda.
Memorial events were conducted both in Ukraine and internationally to remember the victims of the Mariupol theater bombing. The commemoration highlighted the significant loss of life and the ongoing impact of the conflict in the region.