Russia Destroyed Mariupol in 2022. Now It Tries to Convince People That the City Is Better Than Ever

“How much do utilities cost? I paid 234 rubles for electricity,” says a woman in a TikTok video about life in Mariupol. For context, that’s about $2 for an entire month of electricity. Meanwhile, the reported salaries in the city range from 40,000 to 80,000 rubles (approximately $400–$800 per month). It is unlikely that there is such a disparity between utility costs and wages anywhere else in the world.

Other bloggers who actively cover life in Mariupol and other occupied Ukrainian cities paint a similarly "ideal" picture, showcasing the construction of new schools, residential complexes, hospitals, street restorations, and playgrounds.

If you browse TikTok or Instagram and select Mariupol as the location, this type of content appears frequently. Bloggers visit newly built sites, highlighting their scale, beauty, and speed of construction. “A new supermarket has opened in the city” or “Look at the beautiful Nevsky residential complex” are common themes among these content creators, who aim to present Mariupol to the world. Some even add, “The city never lived this well under Ukraine.”

Occasionally, videos feature happy residents receiving keys to newly built apartments, saying, “Now we just need to do some renovations.” Russia has introduced a special mortgage program with a 2% annual interest rate, personally announced by Vladimir Putin. Others talk about moving into homes that previously belonged to Ukrainians but are now vacant: “They don’t live here anymore, so we got the apartment.” The city is being repopulated with people receiving free housing.

One particular site receiving a lot of attention is the Mariupol Drama Theater—the very same theater that was bombed by Russia on March 16, 2022, killing hundreds of women and children who were hiding from Russia’s onslaught within its walls. The building is being actively reconstructed, with officials emphasizing that it will soon host performances again. In videos, creators claim, “No bomb was dropped on the theater; it was a staged explosion by Ukrainian saboteurs. Locals saw wires and explosive boxes, and then—boom.” The building is now nearly restored.

The illusion of a revived city

Another major theme in these videos is the presence of people. Bloggers insist that Mariupol is still a large, bustling city where life carries on as usual—people go to restaurants, work, and take their children to school. Shops sell Apple Watches, and used car lots even feature Western-brand vehicles. “Here’s what ‘abandoned’ Mariupol looks like,” one sarcastic blogger says, filming a group of children.

Despite the push to depict Mariupol’s revival, reality tells a different story. The reconstruction efforts are primarily financed by St. Petersburg, which has taken official responsibility for rebuilding the city. Yet, the number of completed or restored buildings remains minimal. Most videos focus on the waterfront, a few new residential complexes, and some schools.

For context: during the 80-day siege of Mariupol, up to 95% of the city’s buildings were damaged or destroyed. Creating the illusion that the city is fully rebuilt is impossible.

But that may not be the goal. The ruins serve as a visual contrast for Russian propaganda. One blogger puts it plainly: “Mariupol amazes me. On one side, a beautiful Nevsky residential complex and a school. Right next to it—a destroyed supermarket. Hopefully, the whole city will be new soon.” Of course, he omits who destroyed the supermarket in the first place.

Every video aims to show that life in Mariupol has supposedly improved since the Russian occupation. However, there is no mention of who actually destroyed the city. If the destruction is acknowledged, the blame is placed on Ukrainian defenders who fought in Mariupol until May 2022. The goal of these bloggers is clear: to show that life in Mariupol exists.

A city struggling to survive

There are indeed people in Mariupol—some were unable to leave, while others have arrived recently. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion, Mariupol had a population of over 500,000. Today, the occupation authorities claim the city has between 280,000 and 300,000 residents. However, Petro Andrushchenko, an advisor to the Mariupol mayor (who remains on Ukrainian-controlled territory), estimates the actual number to be closer to 80,000.

This is why showcasing people is so critical for Russian propaganda—it must create the illusion that people are willingly returning to a flourishing city under Russian rule.

In reality, life remains difficult even for those still in Mariupol. Alongside videos of new buildings, there are countless pleas for help addressed to Putin. In one such video, a group of people say that 18,000 residents still have nowhere to live. These appeals are common, as they are one of the few ways locals can highlight the real situation in the city—something that the pro-Russian bloggers refuse to acknowledge.

People frequently complain about high prices in stores, and some of the most popular videos feature the opening of bulk goods warehouses—essentially large storage units where food is sold at the lowest possible prices. The rosy image of cheap living starkly contrasts with the grim reality.

A blogger might admire the newly renovated train station, but in reality, trains only run to a few other devastated cities.

Before the war, Mariupol was home to international businesses, car dealerships, shopping malls, and major grocery chains. Now, the city feels like it has regressed decades. The opening of a single bus stop or store is framed as a major victory and a “step toward a bright future.”

Bloggers promote vending machines selling coffee and kiosks selling bread while boasting about “authentic Dior” watches and Audemars Piguet watches for just 15,000 rubles ($150). Meanwhile, they fail to mention the destruction of Mariupol’s industrial backbone—factories and ports that were crucial for the city’s economy.

The best representation of life in Russian-occupied Mariupol is the image below.

In 2022, Russian forces captured Mariupol, turning it into one of the largest graveyards and ruins in the world. Now, they seek to bury that history. Potemkin villages  are a long-standing Kremlin tradition.

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