Mariupol Before and After: Our Family’s Story

Mariupol Before and After: Our Family’s Story will be presented from 6-7:30 pm Thursday, June 13, at the Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures by Stephen Connacher, a former resident of the city who now lives in Fort Collins. Connacher lived in Mariupol from 2016-2021, and he witnessed the port city undergo a wondrous transformation and become a vibrant European city. But in early 2022, Russia devastated Mariupol, turning the city into an international symbol of death and destruction. Connacher’s mother endured 73 days of attack, siege, occupation, and filtration before a miraculous escape and journey to Fort Collins. Connacher will tell her personal story of survival through those unimaginable 10 weeks, complete with extensive footage. Svitlana Horyelova, who also fled from the war in Ukraine, will complete the presentation. Horyelova is now a Lead Case Coach for Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, and she will outline the situation facing Ukrainians in the Northern Colorado area. Admission to the program is $5 per person, and reservations are required at globalvillagemuseum.org. Refreshments will be served. The Global Village Museum is located at 200 West Mountain Avenue, and Museum hours are 11 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, visit globalvillagemuseum.org or call 970-221-4600.