New episodes of the documentary series "Fortress Mariupol" have been released.

The film collective Babylon'13 continues its work on the documentary series "Fortress Mariupol," which began in the spring of 2022 during the complete isolation of the city.

"Fortress Mariupol" is a series of films about the warriors who defended Mariupol during a complete siege for 86 days.

The series has already gained recognition in Ukraine and worldwide. The films included in the project have been screened globally and have received awards at international festivals. The series "The Last Day at Azovstal" is a laureate of the highest Ukrainian film award, the "Golden Dzyga," as well as the international award dedicated to human rights, the Black Cat Documentary Human Rights Award. The series "Fortress Mariupol. Simon" won the national competition at the Doc Kyiv Fest film festival. Currently, director Yulia Hontaruk is preparing several more episodes about the fighters of the "Azov" regiment who defended Mariupol and have since returned from captivity.

The first part of the series was released in April-March 2022, when Mariupol was completely surrounded by Russian troops. Since the beginning of the siege, director Yulia Hontaruk has been in conversation with the fighters of the "Azov" regiment, telling the world about the heroes of "Azovstal."

Three more films were released in November 2023. The heroes are the fighters of the "Azov" regiment who died at Azovstal, returned from captivity, and are still imprisoned.

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The new phase of the series, which will be the concluding part, will introduce viewers to the defenders who spent over two years in Russian captivity, returned home, and are now undergoing rehabilitation and reintegrating into life in freedom.

“With the series 'Fortress Mariupol,' we want to remind Ukrainians and the world of events that happened not so long ago, but which are starting to be forgotten. Hundreds of soldiers died defending Mariupol in complete siege, and thousands fell into Russian captivity. For the third year now – over 900 days – more than 2,000 fighters, including over 700 Azov members, remain in captivity under horrific conditions and in complete isolation from the world. We cannot forget their heroism, their struggle. We must fight for the return of every captive home. That is why we are making this film – to honor our heroes and advocate for their release,” says director Yulia Hontaruk about her motivation to continue the series.

The new film introduces us to Tetiana "Kreshchena" Teplyuk, a 70-year-old medic of the "Azov" regiment. In the past – a medic during the Afghanistan war and an operating room nurse in a maternity hospital in Kyiv region – Tetiana helped the wounded on Maidan, from where she went to Mariupol. The full-scale invasion found "Kreshchena" in besieged Mariupol, and along with her comrades, she fell into Russian captivity, where she spent 228 days.

Plans are underway for the release of several more films, including one about "Nikopol" Artem Dubin, who broke into Mariupol at the beginning of the full-scale invasion and worked in the press service of Azov alongside Nava and Orest. During the battles at the "Azovstal" plant, Artem sustained a severe neck injury. In September 2024, after nearly 28 months of captivity, Artem returned home.

Within the framework of the "Fortress Mariupol" series, two more films have been created. The authors are currently not revealing the names of the heroes, but their stories will be just as remarkable.