The rebirth of Mariupol (in Brazil)

Associação Atlética Batel plays in the third division of the Campeonato Paranaense, and can boast two appearances in the Brazilian Série C in the 1990s. It comes from the heart of Paranà, the city of Guarapuava. Born in the neighborhood of Batel, which until April 23 gave its name to the team. Now it will be called Mariupol, and from the team of the martyred Ukrainian city Batel has adopted the orange colors and the logo. The ‘original’ Mariupol came to a standstill fourteen months ago, since the Russian invasion leveled the city to the ground and forced the team to lay off players and staff.

The president of the Brazilian team Alex Lopez explains how his club represents a community made up mostly of Ukrainian descendants. Even the name of the Waldomiro Gelinski stadium, named after a former president of the club, recalls clear Eastern European roots. “The initiative to revive Mariupol is the least we could do to keep the club alive and give hope to Ukrainians around the world,” says Lopes.

A few steps from Guarapuava is the town of Prudentópoliswhere a federal census found as 75 percent of the 52,000 inhabitants were of Ukrainian ancestry. In this small town, known for being surrounded by a hundred incredible waterfalls, Ukrainian is taught in schools and is the liturgical language in churches. The latter are mostly of the Greek-Catholic rite, and in fact walking through the streets of Prudentópolis seems to be in a characteristic village of the Carpathians rather than on the borders of the Amazon.

The atmosphere is no different in Guarapuava, which perhaps betrays a little the cosmopolitanism of its 200,000 residents. But when it snows, his modest skyscrapers look more like Soviet tower blocks on Molchat Doma covers than a bossa nova album cover. Maybe it’s just an impression, because the Ukrainian tradition observed here is unknown even to Europeans, since it predates the Soviet occupation. The Ukrainian diaspora arrived at the end of the 19th centurywhen Ukrainian peasants straddling the Austro-Hungarian kingdom and the Tsarist empire died of hunger, wars and repression, while South America was one of the wealthiest areas on the planet.

The strong bond between this piece of Brazil and Ukraine was re-established last Saturday, when the president of Batel and the vice president of Mariupol Andriy Sanin have formalized the FC Mariupol Lives initiative. “Batel will play like Mariupol for at least three official matches and three friendlies,” the vice president of the Ukrainian team told Il Foglio. “But we await an authorization from the Brazilian football federation to extend the initiative.”

Still in 2014 Mariupol had become the symbol of the first invasion of Donbas. Kyiv soldiers had reconquered the city from the separatists, making it safe, and Mariupol had resumed playing in the city stadium, a few kilometers from the line of contact between the two armies. He had also tried to bring the Europa League to the city, but UEFA decided, for security reasons, to play the matches against AZ Alkmaar and Bordeaux in Odessa.

Historically, the Ukrainian league has been a showcase for many Brazilians, who grew up mainly in Shakhtar Donetsk, and then exploded into other European leagues. Mariupol was at times a destination for those who could not find space in Donetsk. On the other hand, the distance between the large mining center, occupied for nine years now, and the port on the Azov could be bridged by two hours by car, in times of peace.

Now it is Brazil that is a sounding board for the Ukrainian resistance. While the position of Brazilian President Lula towards Putin’s invasion remains ambiguous, the Mariupol Lives initiative started from ordinary Brazilian citizens, out of respect for one’s roots but above all else, a sense of justice. Even the fans of the more famous Athletico Paranaense paid tribute to Mariupol.

Andriy Sanin says he is sure of the interweaving of destinies between Mariupol and his team. “All wars end sooner or later. Our city will rise from the ashes, and it will become even more beautiful and comfortable than before. I can’t imagine a Ukrainian Mariupol without its team.”