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Ukraine war
May 20, 2023 | 2:13 p.m
The Russian Foreign Ministry celebrated the anniversary of the capture of Mariupol with a propaganda showing a newly constructed apartment building. Twitter/@mfa_russia
Russia celebrated a year after the brutal seizure of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol with a social media post in which it praised Moscow’s new infrastructure developments in a “busy, rapidly developing city” — even as residents weep that their once-vibrant metropolis is in a sombre memory sunk in the domination of the Soviet Union.
On the anniversary of the Russian capture of Mariupol – the culmination of a month-long battle that reduced the city to rubble and claimed the lives of at least 21,000 civilians – the Russian Foreign Ministry announced posted on Twitter an emoji-filled message denigrating Ukraine’s fighters and praising Moscow’s work in revitalizing the Sea of Azov port city.
“Today Mark [1] “Year since the city of #Mariupol was liberated from the neo-Nazis of the Kiev regime, who used its citizens as human shields,” read the message, accompanied by photos of newly constructed buildings painted with murals of a patriotic Russian woman and children playing together .
“Today it is a busy, rapidly developing city with newly built districts, hospitals, schools and kindergartens.”
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it had “liberated” Mariupol residents from “neo-Nazis.” Twitter/@mfa_russia Critics have dubbed the newly constructed housing complexes “Potemkin Villages.” Twitter/@mfa_russia
Critics were quick to criticize the Russian government’s propaganda, calling the new buildings “good old buildings”. Potemkin Villages.”
“Looks like hell,” said one person joked.
Others fretted that Russian officials avoided mentioning the need for a new building because Moscow had destroyed the city during its invasion.
“You forgot to mention that you reduced the city to rubble and killed God knows how many civilians,” said one Twitter user calledand shares a picture of dozens of charred and blackened apartment complexes dotting the landscape.
Residents of Mariupol said that life there today reminded them of the Soviet Union. AFP via Getty Images
The Ukrainians still living in Mariupol, hoping for a swift military offensive to retake the city, paint a bleak picture of life under Russian occupation.
They complain about exorbitant prices in sparse shops and the regular presence of Russian soldiers on the streets. Others can hardly get by in multi-storey buildings without heating and light, which are due to be demolished.
“The city is not the one I knew. The people are not the same. Everything has changed,” one resident told The Guardian. “I have the constant feeling of wanting to go home.”
Many critics of the Russian ministry’s contribution were annoyed to note that the country had bombed many of the city’s buildings. AFP via Getty Images
Others noted that their children are being “brainwashed” at school, where the Ukrainian language is banned and portraits of Russian President Vladimir Putin hang.
“Children are told that Russia’s president is the best and that Ukraine is full of bad people and fascists,” said another resident.
“It’s like in the USSR. There are alien slogans. Only mathematics and physics remain unchanged.”
Even those who are optimistic that Ukrainian forces will liberate the city in the forthcoming counter-offensive are aware that Mariupol will require significant rehabilitation afterward.
“The Russians destroyed everything. So many people died,” said a woman who fled the city. “It will be like Chernobyl, a place of ghosts.”
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