Heroic 86 Days: Vinnytsia Becomes the Fourth City to Host the Exhibition on the Defense of Mariupol.

Vinnytsia Hosts the Exhibition "Mariupol: 86 Days of Defense"

Vinnytsia became the fourth city, after Kyiv, Odesa, and Mykolaiv, to open the exhibition "Mariupol: 86 Days of Defense," which reflects the events of Mariupol's heroic struggle at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion. The exhibition was presented on European Square and will last until the end of the week.

The exhibition has already been visited by Mariupol defenders, relatives of captured defenders, and families of fallen heroes, for whom these events have special significance. The exhibition evoked deep emotions, as each of them personally experienced the losses and pain that remained in their hearts after the tragic events of the struggle for the city.

“It is very important to constantly remind because many people, peaceful people, and children died there. Our men died there, defenders of Mariupol. My husband is currently in captivity. Therefore, we constantly remind the whole world, society, that we must continue to fight for every life,” says Svitlana, the wife of a Mariupol defender.

The exhibition "Mariupol: 86 Days of Defense" is organized by Rinat Akhmetov's project "Heart of Azovstal," which provides comprehensive support to the defenders of Mariupol and their families. The exhibition is part of a large-scale project "M86 - Chronicle of the Defense of Mariupol," which aims to honor the city's heroic resistance through the testimonies of those who directly participated in these events. Chronologically arranged truthful stories recreate the events through personal experiences and courageous actions of the defenders. The project's goal is not only to preserve memory but also to convey to the world the incredible resilience and courage of Mariupol's defenders.

“The founder of the "Heart of Azovstal" project, Rinat Akhmetov, tasked us with preserving memory and honoring the heroic feat of Mariupol's defenders. Therefore, it was decided to create the Chronicle of Defense - truthful testimonies about the city's defense from the immediate participants in those events. Subsequently, an exhibition was created based on the Chronicle. We believe that it will become a powerful tool in advocacy activities. We must do everything possible to bring our boys and girls home as soon as possible,” says Ksenia Sukhova, director of the NGO "Heart of Azovstal."

The public organization "Heart of Azovstal" plans to present the exhibition abroad to remind the world of Mariupol's heroic defense and engage the international community in supporting the return of the "steel defenders" home.