Mariupol | The first families receive the keys to their newly built flats – FREE!

Donbass Insider – 13/09/2022

Following the battle of Marioupol, many houses and flats were totally destroyed, leaving many families homeless. As soon as the fighting was over and the city was cleaned up, the construction of new housing was launched as a matter of urgency in order to rehouse as many of Marioupol’s inhabitants as possible before the onset of winter.

On 9 September 2022, we were in Mariupol to witness the handover of the first flats to their new owners. Several families, whose homes were completely destroyed, were chosen to receive these first flats.

Among them, the Smola family: Sergei, Evgenia, and their three daughters Serafina, Sofia and Ksenia. Their emotion is more than palpable and they all say they cannot believe that all this is real.

See the video report with French subtitles:

It must be said that this new housing estate was built in record time: 80 days all inclusive (including interior finishing). The employees of the Russian military construction company in charge of the construction of this new micro-district worked around the clock during these 80 days to finish in time.

And the result is far from sloppy. The style is pure but the buildings are as beautiful on the outside as on the inside. Nothing to do with the famous “panelka” type buildings built by the USSR. And between the buildings is a huge courtyard with a park with a slide and games for children, and sports facilities worthy of a fitness club.

These first three buildings contain more than 270 flats, and they will be joined in a few weeks by others, bringing the total to 1,011 flats, donated free of charge to the inhabitants of Mariupol who are without housing. More buildings will be built later, bringing the total to 22 buildings in this micro-district alone. The new settlement will also have several schools, sports fields, a fire station, and a polyclinic.

Priority will be given to families whose homes are completely beyond repair, and 30% of the housing is reserved equally (10% per category) for medical workers, education workers, and families of soldiers and policemen.

All the people interviewed on the spot hope that the whole of Mariupol will be rebuilt on this model. And looking at the result, one can only imagine what a beautiful city it would become after such a reconstruction. Even more beautiful than before February 2022.

Christelle Néant
Translation: Vz. yan for Donbass insider