Overview
- A televised gala featured performers from Mariupol and St. Petersburg to mark the reopening.
- Pro-Russian Donetsk chief Denis Pushilin announced the opening after three years of restoration that preserved the facade and added modern equipment.
- St. Petersburg sent architects and workers for the rebuild, and Governor Alexander Beglov attended, calling the effort a “question of honour.”
- Rights groups and Ukrainian officials say the theater was bombed in 2022 as civilians sheltered there, with Amnesty reporting at least 12 deaths, Human Rights Watch estimating thousands killed citywide, and the UN noting 90% of buildings were damaged.
- Competing narratives persist, with Russian state media alleging Ukrainian fighters caused the blast and outlets such as Bild asserting far higher theater casualties, claims that remain disputed.