The opening of a Moscow metro station dedicated to 19th-century writer Fyodor Dostoevsky, notorious for the gloomy atmosphere of his novels, has been postponed indefinitely amid a flap over its violent murals.
One marble mural in the Dostoyevskaya station, which was to open Saturday on the north end of the Light Green Line, depicts a young man killing two women with an ax, while another shows a man holding a gun to his temple.
Pictures of the murals, which illustrate the plots of Dostoevsky's novels and are made from black and gray marble, have ignited a storm of controversy after first being posted on a LiveJournal blog on April 29.
"There have been observations that the murals are too gloomy and aggressive," a Moscow metro official said Thursday, explaining the decision to delay the station's opening, RIA-Novosti reported.
A leading Moscow psychologist, Mikhail Vinogradov, warned that the murals could make the station a popular place to commit suicide, Rosbalt reported.
Bloggers, commenting on the LiveJournal pictures, have called them "grim" and "suicidal."
The ax-wielding scene is a nod to Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment,” which tells about student Rodion Raskolnikov who is in dire need of money and kills a pawnbroker and her sister with an ax.
In the novel, Dostoevsky debates whether a murder can be justified if it is committed for the good of many people.
Saturday's opening of the Dostoyevskaya station had been planned to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Moscow metro. The opening was previously postponed last year.
Another station, Marina Roshcha, next to Dostoyevskaya, was also supposed to open Saturday but was also indefinitely postponed for unclear reasons, RIA-Novosti reported.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.