A promotional-exhibition project titled “Mariupol: Lost Greatness” was presented by the Kozytskyi Charity Foundation in collaboration with the Lviv Regional Military Administration and the Lazio Regional Council. The event took place on September 10, 2024, on the main street of the city of Cassino, Lazio region, Italy.

The opening ceremony was held in a ribbon-cutting format, led by Maksym Kozytskyi, Head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration, the Mayor of the city, Enzo Salera, the Ombudsman of Italy, Marino Ferdelli, and the representative of the Human Rights Commissioner in the Lviv region, Taras Podvirnyy.

More than 300 local residents attended the exhibition.

The history of the Italian city of Cassino and the Ukrainian city of Mariupol is common. 
During World War II, Cassino was completely destroyed by the German army. Similarly, Mariupol was devastated in the modern war by latest “Nazis”. Moreover, the cities are connected through the extensive destruction and loss of artistic and cultural heritage, particularly monumental paintings.

The exhibition “Mariupol: Lost Greatness” showcases samples of the 'executed' cultural heritage, which represents a crime by Russians against the Ukrainian people. The exhibition features eight stands displaying sixteen samples of mosaics and reliefs created in the 20th century by artists from different regions of Ukraine.

All the photographs used in the project were taken by Ivan Stanislaviv, a photographer from Mariupol, who, despite risking his life, had a mission to capture examples of monumental art from his hometown, foreseeing their potential destruction. Today, 90% of the monumental paintings presented at the exhibition have been destroyed or damaged, and the pre-occupation photos are the only evidence of their existence.