On 24 February, the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk became the focal point for a vital discussion on the future of international security and the necessity of justice. The city, where the Second World War began, hosted the launch of the multimedia exhibition Mariupol. The Path of Memory and Dreams and the presentation of the Mariupol Justice project. This initiative serves as a comprehensive platform for documenting war crimes, aiming to secure international recognition of the tragedy and ensure compensation for victims by holding russia accountable.
The exhibition features documentary materials and artistic installations that reconstruct the 86 days of the defence of Mariupol. It acts as a stark reminder of the brutality of the war, with over 90% of the city infrastructure damaged and at least 12,500 residents confirmed deceased or missing—figures that are unfortunately far from final.
The event gathered international partners, legal experts, and representatives of the Mariupol City Council to discuss the erosion of the global security architecture. A key focus was the role of the business community and civil society in the pursuit of justice. SCM and the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, serving as partners to the project, reiterated their commitment to this cause.
SCM’s Natalya Yemchenko, Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, addressed the forum, outlining the strategic nature of this work for the conglomerate.
"For all of Rinat Akhmetov's business, restoring justice and punishment for russian crimes is one of the strategic tasks. That is why we are co-founders and partners of the Mariupol Justice initiative," she explained.
Natalya emphasised that the focus of these efforts remains firmly on the human cost rather than financial assets.
"Mariupol is a distinct case. This is not about business losses – it is primarily about people. Since 2014, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation has been recording oral testimonies – stories of people who survived the war. Today this archive contains over 140,000 stories. They are one of the key sources of truth: the more such testimonies we record, the fuller and more accurate the picture of reality will be."
The archive is intended to serve as a pillar for future legal proceedings.
"For us, it is an honour and a responsibility to be a partner of Mariupol Justice, to provide these stories for future tribunals and to undertake the obligation to continue preserving them and revealing the truth to the world," Natalya added.
The event also heard from civic leaders. Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, Mayor of Gdańsk, commented "The exhibition is very moving; words fail me. It affects you not only through images and sounds but through real testimonies". Vadym Boychenko, head of the Mariupol City Military Administration noted "This is not only a Ukrainian tragedy. This is a signal to all of Europe: if evil is not stopped, it will not stop by itself."
The forum also included the signing of the Mariupol Declaration of Justice, a document of solidarity recognising the deliberate destruction of the city as a tragedy of global scale. Vadym Boychenko, head of the Mariupol City Military Administration, noted that this is a signal to all of Europe: "If evil is not stopped, it will not stop by itself."
The discussions in Gdańsk underscored that the tragedy of Mariupol is a litmus test for international law. The participants concluded that a stable security architecture in Europe is impossible without the full accountability of the aggressor, and projects like Mariupol Justice are essential infrastructure for that process.
