page_title: Mariupol
section_title: Cultural institutions
hierarchical_section_title: Mariupol / Culture / Cultural institutions
caption_attribution_description: Українська: Східний фасад Драматичного театру у Маріуполі
context_page_description: Mariupol is a city of regional significance in south eastern Ukraine, situated on the north coast of the Sea of Azov at the mouth of the Kalmius river, in the Pryazovia region. It is the tenth-largest city in Ukraine, and the second largest in the Donetsk Oblast with a population of 449,498. The city is largely and traditionally Russophone, while ethnically the population is divided about evenly between Ukrainians and Russians. There is also a significant ethnic Greek minority in the city. Mariupol was founded on the site of a former Cossack encampment named Kalmius and granted city rights in 1778. It has been a centre for the grain trade, metallurgy, and heavy engineering, including the Illich Steel & Iron Works and Azovstal. Mariupol has played a key role in the industrialization of Ukraine.
  Due to the Soviet authorities frequently renaming cities after Communist leaders, the city was known as Zhdanov, after the Soviet functionary Andrei Zhdanov, between 1948 and 1989. Today, Mariupol remains a centre for industry, as well as higher education and business.
context_section_description: Theatres:
  Donetsk Regional Drama Theatre. In 2003 the oldest theater in the region celebrated its 125th anniversary. For its contribution to the spiritual education of theater, in 2000 it was awarded the laureate in the competition «Gold Scythian»
  Cinemas:
  Pobeda ("Victory")
  Savona
  Multiplex
  Palaces of Culture (Recreation centres) (together with so-called clubs – 16 units):
  Metallurgov ("Metallurgists") of Ilyich Steel & Iron Works
  Azovstal of Azovstal Steel & Iron Works
  Iskra ("Spark") of Azovmash Machine-builder Concern
  MarKokhim (Mariupol Coke Chemistry)
  Moryakov ("Sailors")
  Stroitel ("Builders")
  Palace of children's and youth art ("Palace of Children art")
  Municipal Palace of Culture
  Showrooms and museums:
  Mariupol Museum of Regional
  Kuindzhi Art Exhibition
  Museum of Ethnography (formerly, the museum of Andrey Zhdanov)
  Museum halls of the industrial enterprises and their divisions, establishments and the organisations of city, and others.
  Libraries (only 35 units):
  Korolenko Central Library;
  Gorky Central Children's Library;
  Serafimovich Library (The oldest library of the city);
  And also: Gaydar Library, Honchar Library, Hrushevsky Library, Krupskaya Library, Kuprin Library, Lesya Ukrainka Library, Marshak Library, Morozov Library, Novikov-Priboy Library, Pushkin Library, Svetlov Library, Turgenev Library, Franko Library, Chekhov Library, Chukovsky Library, the libraries of industrial enterprises, establishments, and the organisations of the city.
  In the surrounding environs of city, on the shore of Sea of Azov, archaeology monuments were excavated from neolithic burial grounds dating from the end of the third millennium BC. During excavations over 120 skeletons were discovered. Found near them were stone and bone instruments, beads, shell-works from shellfishes, and animal teeth.
caption: Donetsk Regional Drama Theatre
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