The city of Mariupol, once a lively and proud Ukrainian port city, is now under the weight of destruction and possession. During the early days of Russia’s invasion, the tragic story of Marriupol’s decline is not only one of war and destruction, but one of flexibility and uncontrolled hope. Despite controlling the Russian forces, the people of Mariaupol, in which still live there, continue to fight their freedom, culture and oppression. One such person is “John”, a resident of Ukrainian, whose name we have changed to protect their identity from Russian authorities.
Says John, “Most of Mariupols are still in ruins,” John says, a feeling is echoed by many of his fellow inhabitants. “What they are showing on Russian TV, there are fairy tales for fools,” he continues, stating how the media has painted a pink picture of life in the city, only highlighting aspects of buildings with buildings with main roads where cameras are brought to take photos. However, for most of the residents, reality, John explains, far more serious. “Around the corner, there is debris and emptiness. Many people still live in half-incomplete apartments, with barely standing along the walls.”
John’s description has depicted a clear picture of what is left for the rich city once after the richness of Russia’s full -scale invasion and the siege of Marialupol. Thousands of citizens were killed, and the United Nations estimates that 90% of residential buildings in the city were either damaged or destroyed. In the following months of business, Russian -backed supporters attempted to portray the city, which was well on the way of recovery. Social media videos and images flooded the internet, showing parts of the city where it was repaired, the belief was that life had become normal.
However, the reality faced by the residents of Mariaupol is very different. John is many of them who continue to live under harsh conditions, deprived of basic features. A 66 -year -old man says Olha Onisco, “Olha Onisko, who survived Marriupol at the end of last year and now lives in Turnopil, Ukraine,” there are a lot of lies. “She confirms John’s account, saying that only a small part of the city is re -built.” There is a central class – only the buildings there have been rebuilt. And there are also empty places where buildings were standing. He cleaned the debris, but he did not even separate the bodies. They were loaded on trucks only with debris and took them out of the city. “
Severe lack of water is further enhanced by the rigid condition. According to the residents, water supply is inconsistent. “If the water flows for a day or two, it does not come for three days. The water is so yellow that even after it boils, it is scary to drink,” John shares. Some residents also compare the water color to “Coca-Cola”. In exile, Mariupol’s self-declared deputy mayor Serii Orlov suggests that Siverskii Donets-Donbas Canal, which supplied water in the city, was damaged during the fight. “Only one reservoir was left to Mariupol for water supply. For the current population, it will last for about one and a half years,” Seeri explains. The water that is now with the residents does not meet basic drinking water standards.
Basic requirements like food and medicine have also become rare. “Basic drugs are not available. Diabetes patients struggled to get insulin on time, and this crazy is expensive,” John says. Residents of Mariupol are also often working with electrical outage and rising prices which are available.
In addition to strict material conditions, many inhabitants are subjected to psychological trauma to see the dissection of Ukrainian children. Andry Kozhusina, studying in Marialupol under Russian occupation, recalls how children are taught false statements and propaganda. “For example, school textbooks stated that Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, Karsan, Odessa, Crimea, and even the Dnipropetrovsk region are all already part of Russia,” they say. Andree also explains how children are taught in “interaction about important things”, where lessons focus on Russia’s liberation of Russian speaking people in 2022. Teachers who refuse to teach these lessons are allegedly frightened or removed, and many teachers who dare to protest silence the Russian officials.
The impact of this propaganda on the younger generation is devastating. “It is as if they are re -forming our children’s minds,” John says. This psychological toll cannot be eliminated on the youth of Mariupol. The children of Mariupol are not only growing up under Russian occupation, but are systematically taught to believe in a version of history that distorted reality.
Despite these serious circumstances, the resistance still thrives in the heart of Mariupol. Ukrainian, secretly, meets the acts of resistance and sabotage, defying the Russian rule. Members of both James and John resistance groups explain how they document the Russian military movements and collect intelligence for the Ukrainian army. James said, “We try to gather as much information as we can and it can reach the Ukrainian army.” They photograph Russian military activity, track troops and weapons movement, and report any important development for Ukrainian intelligence information. Their work is dangerous and is done under the constant threat of discovery by Russian forces.
Sometimes, resistance groups also engage in vandalizing efforts. On at least two occasions, the railway line in Marriupol was interrupted by activists who set fire to the signaling box. These functions of disregard, although risky, provide hope to the people of Mariaupol. “The messages we leave behind are to tell people that resistance is alive,” says James.
Living in Mariupol under Russian occupation is a continuous struggle. “Every day, you remove your messages because your phone describes the wreath and fear that walks through every conversation, and even the smallest tasks can lead to disastrous consequences. He said,” A person in the neighboring house was arrested away from the road because someone said that he was allegedly informing the Ukrainian army, “he shared.
For Andrey Kozhushina, the danger of living in Mariupol became very great. “Perhaps a neighbor used to nap on me. But once I was on buying bread at a store, I asked a soldier to showcase his picture from the cashier and asked if they know who the person was,” he misses. Fearing for his safety, Andrey ran away, traveling via Russia, Belarus, and eventually entering Ukraine from the north.
For those who live in Mariupol, each day is full of uncertainty. “You live under constant stress. You don’t know when you can be exposed, when your phone can be tested, or when the officer can show at your door,” James says.
As Ukraine and Russia continue the conversation, the potential agreement is whispering from both sides. But for the people of Mariupol, the idea of leaving your land, your home is orphan. “It would be a betrayal to give a distant area for a ‘deal with a’ deal with Russia,” John says. “Dozens of Ukraine risk their lives every day to pass information, it is not that some diplomats in a suit will sign a paper that will ‘hand over us’.”
For the people of Mariupol, the fight is not only about land or boundaries – it is about their identity, their rights exist as Ukrainians, and their desire to be free from harassment. The loss of mariupol is deeply felt, but it is not an end. Those who live in the city, and for those in resistance, the struggle continues. John says, “We do not want peace at any cost. We want liberation.”