Business and National Identity

The defense of Mariupol stands as one of the greatest acts of heroism in the history of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The city’s defenders held their positions for 86 days, 82 of them in complete encirclement. Between May 16 and 20, 2022, Ukrainian soldiers who continued to defend the Azovstal steel plant until the last moment laid down their arms and were taken prisoner under the order of the highest military command. Some of them remain in captivity to this day.

It was vital to document not only the facts and figures but also the names, stories, and testimonies of the heroes themselves – to preserve a living memory rather than just numbers in statistics. The goal of the “M86 – The Chronicle of Mariupol’s Defense” project was to create a verified day-by-day record of the city’s defense – a resource that can serve both educational and advocacy purposes, including the campaign to free prisoners of war.

The chronicle was authored by a Mariupol journalist known under the pseudonym Sector Mariupol, whose identity remains undisclosed for security reasons. He collected a vast body of data about the events of the battle, which later underwent thorough verification. Co-authors included the teams of Infosprotyv, the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, and the servicemembers of the Mariupol garrison themselves.

The Chronicle includes:

• A daily account of the fighting in Mariupol from February 24 to May 20, 2022, with commentary from direct participants.
• An archive of photos and videos taken during the defense of the city and its outer lines.
• A strategic assessment of how the Battle of Mariupol influenced the course of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

• A record of the humanitarian catastrophe that unfolded in the city.
• A media review featuring Ukrainian and international coverage of Mariupol.
• A list of Ukrainian soldiers and law enforcement officers known to have fallen in the defense of the city.

All information in the Chronicle has been verified by every military unit that took part in the defense of Mariupol. Over one hundred contributors – servicemembers, law enforcement officers, city officials, utility workers, doctors, rescuers, and civilians – provided their testimonies. Their accounts reveal how the daily heroism of Mariupol’s defenders and residents disrupted Russia’s plans to seize southern Ukraine, showing how the city sacrificed itself for Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kryvyi Rih, Zaporizhzhia, and hundreds of other towns and villages.

The project was publicly presented in Kyiv on February 21–22, 2024, with the participation of government officials and museum representatives. It received the support of national institutions and became a public resource dedicated to preserving the memory of the city’s heroic defense.

“Preserving the memory and honoring the heroic feat of Mariupol’s defenders is one of the key missions of Heart of Azovstal. We plan to continue developing this project, expanding it with new stories of those who gave their lives for Mariupol. Honoring their memory is the least we can do to thank them. Every day, Ukrainians are writing a new chapter of our nation’s history. The defense of Mariupol is one of its brightest and most heroic pages – but we cannot turn it yet, because hundreds of the city’s defenders remain in captivity, and the struggle for their return continues,” said Kseniia Sukhova, Director of the Heart of Azovstal NGO. 

As part of the project, a poster collection and a mobile exhibition were created to spread awareness about Mariupol both in Ukraine and abroad. A total of 270 posters were submitted by artists from Ukraine, the USA, Japan, China, Iran, Turkey, Mexico, Bulgaria, Poland, Spain, and Norway. From these, a professional jury selected 86 of the best works, which were included in the catalogue of the 12th International Triennial “The 4th Block” and added to the collection of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine. The works were also exhibited at the Museum of the History of Kyiv.

To mark the second anniversary of the end of Mariupol’s defense, a mobile exhibition based on the Chronicle was presented at Sofiiska Square in Kyiv. The month-long exhibition recreated the key stages of the city’s defense, reminding visitors about the servicemembers who remain in captivity.

To evoke the spirit of Mariupol, the exhibition design incorporated characteristic elements of the industrial city: posters were mounted on vertical metal pipes, symbolizing its steel heritage. The visual narrative reflected the evolution of the defense – from bright metallic surfaces (the beginning of resistance) to dark matte textures (the destruction and siege of the city). The installation itself was shaped like a compass arrow pointing toward Mariupol.

Finally, the online platform allows ongoing collection of testimonies, making the archive a living, interactive memorial – a step toward ensuring that the names and stories of the heroes of Mariupol are never forgotten.