An abandoned movie theater in Mariupol has been restored and rebuilt into the new Mariupol Social Multicenter, a modern building providing public services for residents.
Inaugurated on October 30, 2019 with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor and Mariupol Mayor Vadim Boychenko, the Multicenter represents the positive transformation underway in the country since its Revolution in 2014.
The Mariupol Social Multicenter is one of four new Public Service Centers established with the support of IDLO to improve service delivery to citizens. Much like its sibling Center in Kharkiv, the new Multicenter will provide pension, social and administrative services in the “one-stop-shop” model.
Combining the traditional services of a Public Service Center, the Multicenter has an added marriage ceremony hall, community space for events and workshops and a café on the roof for social activities. It is projected to reach thousands of Mariupol and Donetsk region residents.
As part of its work in Ukraine, IDLO’s programs support anti-corruption initiatives and strengthen public trust. By providing quick and efficient services, the Public Service Centers seek to overcome a legacy of bureaucratic stagnation and restore citizens’ confidence in public institutions.
At the opening, Mayor Boichenko noted that the Multicenter is a result of consistent work aimed at increasing the integrity and transparency of the city’s administrative bodies.
“By means of such front offices, we are changing the image of the municipal sphere. The most important thing is to establish conditions for each resident to receive necessary services quickly and effectively,” he remarked.
Evoking modernity, openness and inclusiveness, the building presents a stark contrast to a former era characterized by economic and social crises that have worsened in the face of conflict in the eastern part of Ukraine.
Located in an economically disadvantaged part of the city, the Multicenter, surrounded by a freshly renovated park, has already become a landmark.
IDLO’s Country Director in Ukraine, Levan Duchidze, remarked: “The building was a symbol of collapse and chaos, now it is a symbol of revival.”
