Now, as for the building boom in coastal Mariupol, the second largest city of Donetsk Republic, after Donetsk city – it really is huge
Driving around downtown Mariupol, it seems every other building is freshly rebuilt, with entire neighborhoods being completely new, with the new from-scratch buildings far superior to the old building stock. One encounters new parks, new roads, new medical facilities, new universities, and a few high value cultural buildings – like the historic dramatic theater in the center of town.
Mariupol has a pleasant shore and beaches – with a climate similar to coastal Connecticut or New Jersey.
Russians, like the French, take their vacations very seriously, and seem to do absolutely nothing from late July to early September. They likewise enjoy an obscenely long winter break, from lat Dec. to mid-Jan, and again from late April to mid-May. Autumn and early winter however are a flurry of activity and energy, with another burst in late winter and late Spring.