A presentation of the informational platform for the cultural and artistic project “Place of Resistance: Infrastructure Projects of Azovstal” was held in Kyiv. Among the initiative’s partners is Metinvest Group.
The cultural and artistic project is being implemented by the Central State Scientific and Technical Archive of Ukraine (CSSTA) under the auspices of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation. Its aim is to create a multimedia exhibition dedicated to unique documents and materials from the collections of the CSSTA and partner organisations, which reflect the history of certain infrastructure facilities of Azovstal.
With the onset of the full-scale war, the plant ceased to be merely an industrial symbol. It has become a place where the national idea is born and Ukraine’s cultural heritage is shaped. It was at Azovstal that, for 86 days, the defenders of Mariupol held a heroic defence despite complete encirclement and the enemy’s superiority. Their courage became a symbol of the resilience of the entire Ukrainian people, and Azovstal, in the eyes of the international community, transformed from a plant into a true “fortress”.
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The exhibition serves not only an informational and reference purpose, but also an educational one. It presents to a wide audience previously little-known engineering solutions, project documentation, and examples of innovations implemented at the plant by Ukrainian specialists. As of today, the “Place of Resistance” project remains fully open to participation
A number of institutions and organisations have joined the implementation of the “Place of Resistance” project, including: NGO “Museum Open for Renovation”, the V.I. Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine, the V.G. Korolenko Kharkiv State Scientific Library, the Central State Audiovisual and Electronic Archive, Kharkiv Aviation Institute, Kharkiv Humanitarian and Pedagogical Academy, as well as Metinvest Group.
During the presentation of the informational platform, Oleg DAVYDENKO, Director of the Corporate Communications Department at Metinvest, noted that prior to 2022, Azovstal was known globally as a producer of Ukrainian steel, and the company promoted the brand of a technologically advanced metallurgical enterprise – this was part of shaping Ukraine’s image. Following the onset of the full-scale invasion, Azovstal became better known as a symbol of Ukraine’s resistance against enemy aggression. Resilience is one of the defining traits of Ukrainian identity, and therefore requires a physical embodiment:
"Today, there is a demand for shaping Ukrainian identity: identifying what the symbols are, what the myths are, and what physical elements underpin our independence. Memory must have a physical form. It must be something one can touch, something to be seen – a path that continues to spread. We must work towards creating physical monuments – objective landmarks that can serve as a foundation for any action and as a point of reference for understanding what Ukraine is today.
According to Oleg Davydenko, Metinvest is ready to support the project and do everything possible to preserve the memory of Azovstal as an important industrial enterprise and a participant in the heroic defence of Mariupol during the Russian-Ukrainian war.
You can explore the cultural and artistic project “Place of Resistance: Infrastructure Projects of Azovstal” on its website: https://miscesprotivu.archives.gov.ua
