On December 25, 2025, the drama theater in occupied Mariupol is reopening after reconstruction. The building was destroyed on March 16, 2022. A gala concert is scheduled for the reopening date, featuring groups from St. Petersburg, officials, builders, and performers from the self-proclaimed DPR. Tickets for performances in January 2026 are already on sale.
At the time of the strike, hundreds of civilians were inside the building, using it as a shelter and seeking information about evacuation. A week later, the Mariupol city council said nearly 300 civilians had been killed; Associated Press estimated the toll could have reached 600, while the exact number has never been established. Ukraine’s armed forces said it was a Russian airstrike, while the Russian Defense Ministry blamed Azov fighters.
“After several months of careful investigation, satellite image analysis, and interviews with dozens of witnesses, we concluded that this strike was a war crime committed by Russian forces,” Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard said.
The OSCE also placed responsibility for the explosion on the Russian army. After the occupation, the theater was renamed the Mariupol Russian Drama Theater. During the repairs, the troupe performed at other venues and toured in Russia.
The reconstruction was overseen by St. Petersburg. According to Paper, at least 25 St. Petersburg organizations were involved in the work and its financing, and up to 13 billion rubles may have been allocated from the city’s reserve fund. The contractor was Modul-Center. Project manager Vasily Novokhatko said about 150 people worked at peak periods, and that the ratio of old to new parts of the building is now 30 to 70.