A Home of His Own After Captivity: Rinat Akhmetov Foundation Provides an Apartment to Mariupol Defender Mykhailo Murza
13.08.2026
Mariupol defender Mykhailo Murza has received the keys to his own apartment through the Home programme, which the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation implements in partnership with the Heart of Azovstal project.
Twenty-six-year-old Mykhailo Murza was born in Mangush, Donetsk region. When the full-scale war began, he took up the defence of Mariupol. During urban combat, he repeatedly came under mortar and artillery fire. As a result, he sustained blast injuries and several concussions.
In March 2022, he was taken captive by Russian forces. Nearly three years in captivity were a severe ordeal for him. During that time, he was subjected to physical and psychological abuse, including torture by electric shock. As a result, the defender developed post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep problems, and injuries to his knee joints.
After returning to Ukraine, Mykhailo spent a long time recovering from what he had endured. The Heart of Azovstal project helped him cope with these experiences. He received a comprehensive rehabilitation programme and underwent psychological screening. Receiving an apartment was a major source of support. For Mykhailo, having a home of his own means having a safe space where he can recover and make plans for the future.
“I am grateful to Rinat Leonidovych for everything he does for the defenders of Mariupol. Every serviceman released from captivity receives vital support from the Heart of Azovstal project,” Mykhailo said.
While presenting the serviceman with the certificate and keys to his new apartment, Kseniia Sukhova, General Director of the Foundation, emphasised that supporting defenders and their families remains one of the Foundation’s and the Heart of Azovstal project’s key priorities.
Mykhailo admits that when he first crossed the threshold of his new apartment, he was overwhelmed with emotion. The apartment has everything the family needs for comfortable living, so all that remains is to unpack their belongings and settle in.
“The apartments we provide are the foundation that helps our heroes, the defenders of Mariupol, move forward, particularly as they build their lives after military service. This is the core objective of post-traumatic growth, an approach that lies at the heart of the Heart of Azovstal project and one that we also see as a new national norm for Ukraine as a whole. A vast number of people in Ukraine have either lived through traumatic experiences or are going through them right now. For us, it is extremely important that people understand how the trauma of war can be transformed into a source of strength. It should not be stigmatised as a disorder, nor should trauma be viewed as something that simply needs to be cured. Rather, it should be understood as a complex experience that can and should become a source of strength,” said Nataliia Yemchenko, Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation.
The Home programme provides apartments to Mariupol defenders with Group I and Group II disabilities. For them, having a home of their own is not only a solution to everyday challenges but also an important part of the journey of post-traumatic growth — a return to a full and meaningful life after combat and captivity.
