05/16/2026
What began as confusion and disbelief inside Mariupol slowly turned into horror. In this interview, James Verini — author of The Theater: Courage and Survival in the Defining Atrocity of the Ukraine War — explains how civilians trapped inside the Mariupol Drama Theater came to understand that Russia was not simply targeting soldiers or infrastructure. Thousands of civilians sought shelter under giant signs reading “CHILDREN.” Then the theater was bombed anyway.
We discuss the identity crisis inside eastern Ukraine before the invasion, the collapse of Mariupol during the siege, the extraordinary civilians who built a refugee shelter inside the theater, and the moment survivors realized what this war truly meant. This is not only a story about destruction. It is also a story about resilience, sacrifice, propaganda, survival, and the people who chose humanity in the middle of catastrophe.
Get the book here: https://amzn.to/43grozG
- Chapters:
- 00:00 Introduction & Why This Story Matters
- 00:48 What Mariupol Was Like Before the War
- 01:56 The Identity Crisis Inside Eastern Ukraine
- 04:18 Separatists, “Zombies,” & Russian Propaganda
- 05:10 Why Ukrainians Didn’t Believe Putin Would Invade
- 06:47 The Failure to Prepare Mariupol
- 09:42 How Civilians Ended Up Inside the Theater
- 11:10 Life Inside the Basements During the Siege
- 11:51 The Humanitarian Corridor That Never Came
- 13:35 The Civilians Who Built a Refuge Shelter
- 14:38 Doctors, Volunteers, & Survival Inside the Theater
- 15:48 Why “CHILDREN” Was Painted Outside
- 16:56 Why Survivors Knew the Theater Might Be Targeted
- 18:00 The Defining Atrocity of the War
- 18:43 “Russia Came Here to Kill Us”
- 20:00 Survivors vs Kremlin Propaganda
- 22:28 Why So Little Footage Exists
- 24:18 What Impressed James Verini Most About Ukrainians
- 26:01 Final Thoughts & Part II Preview
Facts over noise. Context over headlines. Truth over talking points.
https://www.youtube.com/@Professor-Gerdes
Mariupol and Bucha occurred early on in the full scale invasion. Indescribable, genocidal atrocities fueled by poisonous hatred and a sense of “we can do whatever the fuck we like and no one will dare to stop us.”
Well the evil motherfuckers were proved right weren’t they?
After this naziism, that fucking bastard Lavrov is STILL talking about “fuhrer” Zelensky’s “nazi regime.”
PutinaZi fiends deserve to be burned alive, like so many of their victims.
I would gladly set them ablaze.