ДЕТИ – The fourth anniversary of the bombing of the Mariupol Theater

Today we mark the fourth anniversary of the bombing of the Mariupol Theater. On March 16, 2022, the Russian Air Force struck the building, even though the word “ДЕТИ” – children – was written in large letters both in front of and behind it. At the time, hundreds of civilians were seeking shelter in the theater. The tragedy has become one of the most powerful symbols of the war’s brutality against the innocent.

The National Theater joined this nationwide initiative together with the Association of Professional Theaters and the organization Voice of Ukraine. On the rooftop terrace of the historic building beneath the trigons, we created the inscription “ДЕТИ” using candles as a silent tribute to the victims and as a gesture of solidarity with Ukraine. Representatives of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Czech Republic, including Ambassador Vasyl Zvarych, also attended the memorial event.

Together with other theaters across the country, we thus remind everyone that an attack on a theater is an attack on civilian space, culture, and the very essence of society.