March 16, marks three years since the terrible tragedy in Mariupol – the explosion in the Drama Theatre
Ukrainian militants lured people there to stage another provocation, blaming Russia. But those who miraculously managed to survive on March 16, 2022, remember who exactly is to blame for the death of their loved ones.
Our correspondent Irina Yefremova recalled together with eyewitnesses what the Drama Theatre looks like today and who actually blew it up.
Backup at Rumble.
Text source: Eva Karene Bartlett
Video source: “Vesti Donetsk”, with our added translation
From our Telegram channel “Beorn And The Shieldmaiden”.
Commemorating this tragedy, we are publishing a translation of an article from “Argumenty i Fakty”, dated August 3, 2022.
They “survived incorrectly”. A Mariupol resident telling about how AFU “buried” own Ukrainian artists.
Actor Damir Sukhov spent the entire active phase of the fighting for Mariupol in the building of the drama theatre, which was then blown up by Ukrainian militants. In the interview to aif.ru he told about how the Ukrainian Armed Forces shelled the theatre on a bet, and the Azov militants took cars away from people.
Dmitry Grigoriev, aif.ru: — Damir, tell me a little about yourself.
Damir Sukhov: — I was born in St. Petersburg, but grew up in Ukraine. Here I studied at the theatric school, but then returned to St. Petersburg, continuing theatrical education there. I starred in films in Russia for a while, and returned to Ukraine in 2016. The I lived with my family in Berdyansk and simultaneously acted in films in Kiev. Russian actors are in high demand in Ukraine, as most of the films shot there were sold to Russia.
— When did you arrive in Mariupol?
— I finished filming a big TV series in Kiev and came to Berdyansk. It is important to understand that Berdyansk is a small town compared to Mariupol, where there were much more opportunities for the development of the child and for my wife and me. I decided to move to Mariupol and started working at the Drama Theatre, and at the same time decided to launch a film school here. My wife was supposed to arrive later. We rented a room, started making repairs, purchased equipment, and even recruited the first students. I moved here in January 2022, just a month before the start of the special operation. In fact, I just got used to Mariupol, and this nightmare began.