Museum instead of truth: Russians plan to turn Azovstal into propaganda
Photo: ruins of Azovstal (Getty Images)
Russians plan to create a museum cluster on the site of Azovstal in Mariupol, attempting to rewrite history and erase the memory of the heroic resistance of Ukrainian defenders, the Mariupol City Council reports.
According to the so-called mayor of the city, Anton Koltsov, Azovstal will not be restored to its pre-war condition.
The plant's territory is planned to be divided into three zones: historical-memorial, industrial, and recreational. The historical section will host a museum on the plant’s history, while some industrial structures may be preserved as open-air exhibits.
The occupiers intend to transform the main area of Azovstal into a so-called post-industrial park with eco-friendly and high-tech production, as well as recreational and commercial zones.
At the same time, the Ukrainian side emphasizes that these plans are an attempt to erase the memory of the heroic resistance of Ukrainian soldiers, for whom Azovstal became a symbol of resilience during the early months of the full-scale war. During the occupation of Mariupol, Russia has systematically rewritten the city’s history, demolished Ukrainian monuments, and turned sites of war crimes into staged reconstruction projects.
At Azovstal, Ukrainian defenders held off superior enemy forces for an extended period, making the site a symbol of resistance and the fight for Mariupol.
Separately, ahead of Ukraine’s Defender Day, the Main Intelligence Directorate presented the next installment of the Outstanding Intelligence Officers project, honoring Oleh Zaitsev, a soldier of the elite Main Directorate of Intelligence special unit Shaman.
