The recent history of Mariupol is full of pain, destruction and suffering. At the same time, the city demonstrated valiance and indomitability in the face of true evil. 

Azovstal became a legendary fortress of the heroic defenders of Ukraine, where they spent weeks under siege. 

Today, Mariupol is almost completely destroyed by the Russian invaders, but the belief that the city will be liberated and filled with life again does not fade.

Mariupol is an industrial seaside city that was an economic heart of Ukraine. Russia has had a yen for it since 2014, and even managed to briefly take control of the city back then, but Ukraine’s defenders were able to restore the legitimate authority. 

After those events, Mariupol spent eight harmonious years in buildout under the temporary status of the regional center, obtained due to the Russian occupation of Donetsk. 

Despite being dangerously close to the front line, Mariupol had managed to become an attractive economic center for investors in eastern Ukraine. 

Before the full-scale invasion, Mariupol brought in up to 8% of GDP, and shortly before February 24, the city’s port signed a billion-dollar deal with a European company. Although, even without it, the economic well-being of Mariupol residents was impressive enough — the average salary in Mariupol was not inferior to the figures in EU cities. 

But the bloodthirsty neighbor could not allow Mariupol, a part of democratic Ukraine, to become a “showcase of the Ukrainian Donbas” and a developed city with modernized infrastructure, efficient public and communal services, and large profitable enterprises.

The destruction of Mariupol likely had to do with Russian envy. Though the city was not perfect, it was buzzing with life and had stunning cultural events taking place, as well as a developing economy.

The siege of Mariupol was one of the bloodiest pages of the Russian-Ukrainian war. 

The Hero City now lies in ruins, full of mass graves. It was in Mariupol that Russia carried out its most cynical terrorist attack, dropping two half-ton aerial bombs on the Mariupol Drama Theater, despite the giant inscription “CHILDREN” (in Russian) on the square right in front of the building. 

Due to Azovstal defenders, Mariupol has become known for its resistance to the seemingly insurmountable Russian evil. 

For Russia, though, Mariupol is a page of eternal shame and its cruel crimes against humanity.