Greek consul leaves Mariupol: “There was no more life”

The Greek consul was one of the last EU diplomats to leave the besieged Ukrainian port of Mariupol. Androulakis draws a bitter balance sheet, comparing Mariupol to Grozny and Aleppo.

Manolis Androulakis looks exhausted as he steps out of the gate at Athens airport. His wife, his seven-month-old son and his father have come to receive him. But before they finally go home, Androulakis appears in front of the press.

The experiences of the past few days have clearly left their mark. “I wouldn’t wish what I saw on anyone,” says Androulakis, the Greek consul in the heavily contested Ukrainian city of Mariupol. According to the Greek Foreign Ministry, he was the last remaining EU diplomat in the port city by the weekend.

Close connection between Greece and Ukraine

The ties between Ukraine and Greece have traditionally been close: a Greek minority has existed there since the 18th century. It is estimated that around 150,000 Greeks living abroad were living in Ukraine at the beginning of the war, most of them in and around Mariupol.

One of them is Olga. The convoy that took her and twelve other women, ten children and two elderly people to Greece almost two weeks ago was on the road for six days.

They are all currently housed in the barracks of a former holiday camp near Athens.

Despite everything, the decision to flee was not easy for her, says Olga. But her two children became ill because of the cold and dampness in the bunker. “We decided that we would take the risk and flee,” she says, swaddling her little son Mihalis.

No gas, no water, no internet

He’s only three months old. His socks read: I love Dad. But dad is far away, and the grandparents are still in Mariupol. Olga is very worried: “They have no electricity, no gas or water. We want to know if they are alive, but unfortunately we don’t find out anything.”

Olena didn’t want to leave Ukraine either: “If I hadn’t had children, I would have stayed in my hometown to defend it. It’s my city. I was born there.”

Olena looks nervous. As she speaks, she constantly pulls at her hands and fingernails. She still can’t quite understand what has happened in the last few days and weeks in Ukraine and especially in Mariupol: “We used to have everything: work, friends, a nice living environment. We planned our future and the future of our children and suddenly we lost everything.”

It is important for her to emphasize that if Ukraine falls under Russian control, she will not return under any circumstances.

Mariupol comparable to Grozny and Aleppo

But even if Russian forces pull out of Ukraine, the consequences of the war will be devastating. The Greek consul Androulakis describes terrible scenes he experienced before leaving Mariupol.

The civilians were hit “blind” and were “helpless”. After Russian attacks, he saw human limbs scattered on the streets. “There was no more life – within 24 hours the entire infrastructure was destroyed. Everything was simply bombed,” says Androulakis.

Mariupol will now be added to the list of cities in the world that were completely destroyed by the war, Androulakis says: “These are Guernica, Coventry, Grozny, Aleppo, Leningrad.”

Celebrated as a hero

Despite the horror, he initially refused to leave the city with the other diplomats, opting instead to help evacuate civilians. Until the very end, he successfully organized the departure of numerous Greek citizens from the city.

And even when he had to leave the country himself, he was able to take ten women and children with him. They left Mariupol in a convoy last Tuesday, and the journey to the Moldovan border alone took four days.

In Greece, Androulakis is hailed as a hero for his bravery and dedication. But he declines: For him, the real heroes are those who continue to refuse to leave their city to defend it.