Gennadiy Mokhnenko, pastor from Mariupol and director of the charity fund “Pilgrim” handed over to the head of the Catholic Church, Francis, the painting showing the Mariupol Drama Theater, graves and inscriptions “Children”. It was painted by Aleksandra Alifirenko, who is a part of the Chaplain battalion “Mariupol”.

The painting reminds about the terrible crime of Russians, who dropped bombs on the building of drama theater in Mariupol, where thousands of civilians, including children, were sheltering.

“Thousands of children could portray something similar with their personal troubles, horrors, tragedies as a result of the invasion by the demons of “Russian world” into Ukraine. Thank you everyone for supporting Ukraine” – Mokhnenko wrote on Instagram.

Context:* Mariupol was surrounded by Russian forces during the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24th. Since the beginning of March, it has been under blockade, since the middle of May, the city has been in complete occupation.

*On March 16, after another bombing in Mariupol, a drama theater was destroyed, which was being used as bomb shelter for civilians. After the bombing, the central part of the theater collapsed, and the entrance to the bomb shelter was blocked by rubble. Satellite images of the American company Maxar Technologies showed that near the theater, on which the invaders dropped a bomb, there were large inscriptions “Children”.

*An Associated Press investigation published on May 4th says that the bombing of the theater killed about 600 people inside and outside of the building.

*The international human rights organization Amnesty International investigated the Russian attack on the drama theater in Mariupol and has concluded that it was a war crime.