On the heart-shaped installation with the inscription “Mariupol” on Palace Square in St. Petersburg, installed about a week ago, unknown persons put the inscription in black letters: “Murderers, you yourselves bombed it. Judas.”
After that, the installation began to be dismantled. The video, which shows the writing and the workers dismantling the “heart”, was published by the telegram channel “Caution. News”. The authorities have not yet commented on the situation.
The city of Mariupol in the Donetsk region of Ukraine was taken by Russian troops in May 2022 after nearly three months of fierce fighting. During the storming of the city, most of the residential buildings and other objects were destroyed. The exact number of dead is unknown: according to various estimates, it is in the thousands or even tens of thousands. Ukraine and international human rights organizations accuse Russia of several war crimes committed during the Mariupol siege, such as the bombing of a maternity hospital and the attack on the drama theater, where people were hiding. The Russian Defense Ministry calls these allegations “false”. Many Mariupol residents have been forced to leave for Russia, as other routes have been blocked. The Ukrainian authorities consider this a forced deportation. Still in town observed interruptions of light, heating and water supply, people continue to live in dilapidated houses.
Shortly after the occupation of Mariupol, the St. Petersburg authorities announced that St. Petersburg and Mariupol would be “sister cities”. St. Petersburg is believed to oversee humanitarian aid in Mariupol. The installation installed on Palace Square depicted two intertwined hearts: a large one with the inscription “St. Petersburg” and a small one with the inscription “Mariupol”. Approvedthat the “Double Hearts” project was approved by Governor Alexander Beglov, and before a similar installation appeared in the city garden of Mariupol.
