Overview
- A gala ceremony marked the reopening on Sunday with performers from Mariupol and St. Petersburg, and state TV showcased rebuilt interiors including a 2.5‑ton crystal chandelier.
- Moscow-installed Donetsk leader Denis Pushilin attended alongside St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov, who called the reconstruction a matter of honor.
- Authorities from St. Petersburg supplied architects and workers for the project, with local outlet Bumaga reporting up to 13 billion rubles in estimated spending.
- An Associated Press investigation found about 600 people were killed in the March 16, 2022 theater strike, contradicting Russian claims that Ukrainians later demolished the site.
- Mariupol’s exiled city council condemned the reopening as “singing and dancing on bones” and said planned New Year performances at the venue were canceled and moved to the philharmonic.