Mariupol lives in its people.
29.09.2026
Today is a special day for every Mariupol resident – Mariupol City Day. For the fifth year in a row, they have celebrated this day not by the Sea of Azov, but in different parts of Ukraine and around the world. russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has scattered Mariupol residents across thousands of homes, forcing them to start their lives from scratch. But they are all united by a shared pain, memories of their hometown, and the belief that the City of Mary will certainly be reborn. Behind every face of a Mariupol resident today is a story of heroism, resilience, and great love for the city.
Today, Hanna Karablinska lives with her family in social housing in Chernivtsi. In 2022, she found herself in besieged Mariupol, where she prepared food for thousands of Ukrainian soldiers. Her husband and daughter took up the defense of the city. During the siege, Hanna ran a field kitchen and later survived russian captivity. In Chernivtsi, she stays in touch with the Mariupol community.
“I baked them a big apricot pie because, as it turned out later, Mariupol is associated with apricots. Here, we are like one Mariupol – like one street. We are all neighbors here, we help each other, somehow support each other,” Hanna says.
Watch her story here:https://bit.ly/4jbxV8n
Andrii Servetnyk is the chief physician of Mariupol City Hospital No. 4 named after Matsuк. During the siege, his office and operating rooms became a place of salvation for hundreds of wounded people. Under constant shelling, he performed highly complex surgeries, obtained donor blood, and searched for scarce fuel for generators so that ventilators could keep working. With an unwavering pro-Ukrainian position, he remained at his workplace until the very end, until the occupiers came within close range. Today, Andrii Servetnyk continues to fight for his city on the international stage. Recently, he spoke in The Hague, where he told the truth about how his heroic team saved lives under the bombs and presented an important initiative there – the Mariupol Justice platform.
“The russians spared no one – they methodically shelled the city and killed its residents. I witnessed it with my own eyes. Ordinary people – elderly people, young people, women, men, and children. It is extremely important that we do not lose these memories, do not forget them, and do not allow them to be manipulated in the future, so that future generations know the truth about this war,” says Andrii Servetnyk.
His story is here:https://bit.ly/4z0NHr5
Mariupol resident Marharyta Hariaha miraculously survived after a russian missile hit their building. An aerial bomb took the lives of 12 people – relatives and loved ones. They were preparing to leave the city when a powerful explosion occurred. Marharyta still keeps a family photo: in it, all her relatives are celebrating her birthday in their hometown, peaceful Mariupol. Today, only she and her mother remain – everyone else was killed. Marharyta continues living - with scars on her body and memories that can never be erased. She does not try to get rid of them: for her, these marks have become reminders of what she survived and of the value of life. In 2022, Marharyta and her mother gave testimony about what they had endured. Criminal proceedings have been opened over the deaths of almost her entire family.
“When I was eight years old, I gave testimony. I would like those who did this to feel what I went through. There are many children who have had the same experience. I want to tell children like me that they are not alone and that they need to keep living. Our stories need to be preserved so that people know what war is,” the girl says.
“When I was eight years old, I gave testimony. I would like those who did this to feel what I went through. There are many children who have had the same experience. I want to tell children like me that they are not alone and that they need to keep living. Our stories need to be preserved so that people know what war is,” the girl says.
Watch her story here: https://bit.ly/4bUGShZ
The collection of the Museum of Civilian Voices founded by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation now contains more than 145,000 stories about the war. It is the world’s largest collection of testimonies from civilians affected by russia’s war against Ukraine.
