In the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, occupied by Russian forces, the occupation authorities have installed a New Year’s tree near the Drama Theater, the site of a mass killing of civilians, the Mariupol City Council has reported.
In 2022, Russian occupiers dropped two bombs on the building, where civilians were sheltering from Russian attacks. Between 300 and 600 children and adults were killed in the bombing.
Mystyslav Chernov, who won an Oscar award for his 20 Days in Mariupol movie, estimates 70,000-80,000 people have likely been killed during the battle for the city, as per The Conversation.
Putting up a New Year’s tree at the site of the largest known civilian massacre in Europe in the 21st century is part of Russia’s strategy: to conceal evidence, erase memory, and replace tragedy with a propaganda “celebration.”
Holiday events as tool to legitimize Russia's occupation
Mariupol City Council reported that the Christmas tree near the Drama Theatre is 14 meters high and serves as the main New Year's decoration in the city.
"In the place where Russian occupiers killed civilians on 16 March 2022, people will be encouraged to dance in circles, celebrate, dance, and sing,” it said.
The Ukrainian authorities also noted that the occupiers installed the main New Year’s tree near the building for the first time, “timed” to coincide with the reopening of the Drama Theater after “restoration.”
The process took the invaders more than three years. The City's Council revealed that first, the Russians fenced off the building with a high barrier to hide evidence of their crime and conceal the true number of Mariupol victims.
"Then they began ‘repair work’ to rewrite history and turn the theater from a site of mass killing into a symbol of ‘restoration’ and ‘Russian culture,’” the council said.
Large screens for broadcasting Russian ruler Vladimir Putin's New Year's address will also be placed near the theater, in the very place where Russians killed hundreds of innocent people.
“But local Mariupol residents remember the truth. For them, this is not a Christmas tree but a 14-meter candle of remembrance…,” the city council emphasized.
According to the council, work inside the theater continues, with seats being installed near the main stage and the central chandelier being mounted.
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