“Compared to the rest of the occupied territories, Mariupol is still relatively actively being rebuilt.”, — write: www.unian.ua
Compared to the rest of the occupied territories, Mariupol is still relatively actively being rebuilt.
Mariupol has become the main symbol of Russian presence on Ukrainian territories / photo t.me/andriyshTimeMariupol has been under Russian occupation for three and a half years. Despite the fact that Moscow is making significant efforts to turn the city into a showcase of “new territories”, life here still resembles a hellish concentration camp. This is written by The New York Times (NYT) based on interviews with 14 current and former residents of Mariupol.
The publication notes that Russia is trying to rebuild the city, which it itself completely destroyed in the first months of the full-scale invasion. According to a United Nations report, up to 90% of high-rise residential buildings and 60% of private homes in the city were damaged or destroyed.
The Kremlin is pouring billions of dollars into the construction of dozens of new high-rise buildings, rebuilding entire districts – unprecedented activity compared to the rest of the occupied territories. However, these new houses are not being built for Mariupol residents, whose homes were destroyed by Russian bombs and shells.
Showcase of “Russian Peace”In conversations with the NYT, some Mariupol residents praised the Russian reconstruction of the city, but others described the reconstruction as a “Potemkin village.”
“Despite all the ongoing construction, local residents do not see a holistic approach to the development of the city. They do not see its future,” said Mykola Osychenko, the former head of the Mariupol TV channel, who now hosts a talk show on YouTube from Kyiv.
Some heavily damaged sights of the city have been restored. But it is not always appreciated. For example, the Russians have completely rebuilt the Drama Theater, which was bombed by a Russian plane in March 2022, killing, according to various sources, between 300 and 600 civilians who were hiding there. Soon the theater should resume work, making the saying “dancing on bones” a reality.
Some residents of Mariupol who lived in the city center were given apartments in a new neighborhood on the outskirts. It was to this new district that Putin visited in 2023 for propaganda purposes.
However, people complain that the new area is still poorly served by public transport and the new hospital lacks medical staff.
Confiscation of housing from legal ownersAs Mariupol residents say, they cannot afford to buy housing in new high-rise buildings, because the price of their apartments starts at $100,000.
Initially, the Russian authorities promised to distribute free apartments in new buildings to those Mariupol residents whose homes were destroyed. But the Internet is filled with numerous videos of citizens’ collective appeals to the “new authorities”, in which they complain that they never received new housing.
What is even worse, the Russians take surviving or suitable for reconstruction housing from the rightful owners. First of all, those who left the occupied territory. The occupiers declare such real estate as unclaimed and confiscate it. But apartments are taken away even from those who stayed in the city and came to terms with life in the occupation, or even rejoiced in it.
Russians renamed many streets and even changed house numbers. As a result, Ukrainian property documents turned out to be irrelevant.
Gradually, the occupiers backed away from promises to give new housing to those whose homes were destroyed, leaving people in limbo. Those who accept cash compensation receive meager payments.
Colonization of the city”The most striking change is what some residents call the ‘Russification’ of Mariupol. The Russian tricolor flag is everywhere, and Ukrainian monuments have been dismantled,” the NYT writes.
Having canceled preferential mortgages in Russia (because all the money goes to the war), the Kremlin created a program of state subsidies for mortgages for occupied Ukrainian territories (except Crimea). And since new houses are built only in Mariupol, in fact this is a program just for him. Russians can buy apartments in the city at 2% per annum, which is much lower than the 22% rate in Russia itself.
At the same time, it is indicative that Russia deliberately opposes the return of Mariupol residents who left the city at the beginning of the war. To enter the city, Ukrainians must first arrive at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, where they must pass an ideological check on loyalty to the Russian state. Most of them do not pass the inspection, they are forbidden to enter Russia, and therefore to the occupied territories. Their home in Mariupol is being confiscated.
However, there are those from Mariupol who enjoy life with a Russian boot on their chest. Thus, a video blogger named Mykola highly appreciated the fact that the “grey Soviet city center” is gradually disappearing. He is also happy about the appearance in the city of a parody of McDonald’s – the Mak Fly diner.
However, even such fans of the “Russian measure” recognize the existence of a number of problems unseen before the war. For example, a pack of stray dogs attacking pedestrians, as well as whole blocks of private houses destroyed by the Russians, which still look “apocalyptic”.
Life under occupation: DonetskAs UNIAN wrote, after 11 years of Russian occupation, Donetsk never received the promised “prosperity”. The main problem was the complete mismanagement of the invaders, which led to chronic communal crises – lack of clean water, neglected networks, flooded basements and chaos with garbage.
Residents receive dirty water on a rotating schedule or carry it from tanker trucks, children often study remotely due to lack of water supply in schools, and the city suffers from an infestation of rats and stray dogs. Against this background, the occupying authorities are organizing ostentatious “celebrations”, while residents say that the city is actually declining.
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