shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileUkraine

on the Sea of Azov, in southeastern Ukraine

Mariupol

— — the harbour the city keeps coming back to.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.

— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand

— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines

— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall

— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround

— a note from the studio

“A port city on the Sea of Azov, southeast of Donetsk. Founded by Greek settlers from Crimea in the late eighteenth century, it grew around the harbour and the steelworks. The drama theatre stood at the centre of public life. The city has been rebuilt before, and people who left still call it home from wherever they have ended up.

from the studio

— bring it home

Mariupol, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?

One tile — square or rectangle.

How big?

the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand

6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb

Surface finish

A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.

How it sits

A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.

$58

Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.

— size

6 × 6 in

15 cm

— weighs

1.6 lb

solid in the hand

— surface

ceramic, hand-finished

art rests beneath a thin glossy finish

— from

Knoxville, TN

our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies

— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Mariupol

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.

— the place

Mariupol sits on the northern shore of the Sea of Azov, where the Kalmius River meets the harbour, in southeastern Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast. The city was founded in 1778 when Empress Catherine II resettled Greek Orthodox families from Crimea to the steppe coast. Its name honours the Virgin Mary. Pre-war population reached about 430,000. The Azovstal and Illich Steel works defined the southern skyline and the city's economy through the twentieth century. The 2022 siege caused widespread destruction across the centre.

— informed by Wikipedia

— the water

The Sea of Azov is the shallowest sea in the world, averaging about 7 metres deep, fed by the Don and the Kuban and connected to the Black Sea through the narrow Kerch Strait. Mariupol's port handled grain, coal, and steel for more than a century. In summer the water is warm enough to swim by late May, and the long sandbar beaches east of the harbour drew families from across the region. Fishermen still work the inshore waters where conditions allow.

— informed by Encyclopaedia Britannica

— the year

The city has counted its years in waves of arrival and departure. Greek and Italian merchants built the early port. Steel and coke drew workers from across the Russian Empire and then the Soviet Union. The Second World War occupation lasted from October 1941 to September 1943. In 2022 the Russian siege displaced most of the population and left landmark buildings, including the Mariupol Drama Theatre, in ruins. Many residents who left now hold the city in memory and from a distance.

— informed by Wikipedia

— where

Ukraine · Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast

— elevation

10 m · 33 ft

— position

47.0971° N · 37.5434° E

— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.

85 km W

Berdyansk

coastal city

110 km NE

Donetsk

regional capital

1 km S

Sea of Azov

inland sea

Mariupol

Berdyansk

Donetsk

Sea of Azov

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Mariupol — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

On the northern coast of the Sea of Azov in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast, about 110 kilometres southwest of the regional capital Donetsk. The Kalmius River runs through the city to the harbour.

Mariupol was founded in 1778 by order of Catherine II, who resettled Greek Orthodox families from Crimea to the Azov coast. The name honours the Virgin Mary, central to the settlers' faith.

Azovstal Iron and Steel Works was one of Europe's largest metallurgical plants, opened in 1933 on the south side of the city. It became internationally known during the 2022 siege as the last defensive position.

The Donetsk Regional Academic Drama Theatre, built in 1960, was destroyed by an airstrike on 16 March 2022 while sheltering civilians. The word for children had been written in Russian on the pavement outside.

No. Mariupol sits on the Sea of Azov, which connects to the Black Sea through the Kerch Strait. The Azov is the shallower of the two and freezes partially in winter.

Both Ukrainian and Russian were widely spoken before 2022, with Russian historically more common in everyday use. The city also held smaller Greek and Tatar communities tied to its founding and trade history.

— about the piece in your home

Many of our customers send these tiles to family members who left the city. The image holds the harbour and the skyline in a steady form. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note carries well.

The deep blues and warm metals fit Coastal-modern interiors and rooms with industrial accents. It also lives well in a study or library where darker walls let the stained-glass colour hold the eye.

A single Large sits comfortably above most consoles. Above a full-length sofa, a four-tile Mural reads at the right scale, and a nine-tile Mural anchors a feature wall.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for vertical installations in wet or steamy rooms. The colour lives in the ceramic surface and is unaffected by moisture or cleaning.

A microfibre cloth and water are enough for everyday care. For backsplashes, a mild non-abrasive cleaner is fine. Avoid scouring pads, which can dull the thin glossy finish over time.

Yes. The image is the studio's own painting of Mariupol in our stained-glass and alcohol-ink language. We do not license, resell, or share files. Each tile is hand-finished in Knoxville, Tennessee.

— if this one stayed with you

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