Celebration on the bones: how ru-propaganda constructs the myth of the “liberation” of mariupol
Today, russians celebrate the so-called “liberation of Mariupol.” On May 20, 2022, the russian ministry of defense announced full control over the city after a months-long siege and the assault on “Azovstal.”
▫️кussian propaganda is actively promoting the narrative of a “thriving” Mariupol under occupation, talking about reconstruction, new apartments, roads, and even “tourist interest.” But the reality is different. A large part of the city still lies in ruins. Reconstruction is being carried out selectively, and apartments in new buildings are being given to newcomers from russia on mortgage, while local residents cannot to receive promised compensation for their destroyed homes for years.
The occupiers are imposing the image of a “heroic liberation” of Mariupol and are trying to turn the destroyed city into a symbol of the so-called “russian spring.” Behind the loud statements about the “return of Mariupol to its home,” russian propaganda is trying to hide the unpleasant truth for themselves: the war russians brought to this city consists of war crimes, mass killings, and widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure.
