Opening delayed for Moscow metro’s “station of suicides”

The new metro Dostoevskaya station will not start operating as planned, allegedly due to violent plots of the inner décor. All the murals are based on the works by world-famous Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Several murals of the ominous station illustrate the plot of “Crime and Punishment,” a complicated psychological novel where the author reflects if the murder of one person can be justified when committed for the good of many people. Passengers on the Moscow metro will see the main character, Rodion Raskolnikiv, a poor student, who is about to kill a pawnbroker with an axe.

A male character from another novel, “Demons,” is behind the corner holding a pistol to his temple.

The pictures of murals caused a storm of controversy after being published on the internet. Bloggers criticized the pictures as being gloomy and suicidal. The new station has already been dubbed the “station of suicides.”

Psychologists fall with the bloggers

“It is a direct call for suicide. It can’t be ruled out that people will also commit murders and assault others,” said Mikhail Vinogradov, head of the center for urgent psychological aid, reports Rossiya 24 news channel.

Ivan Nikolaev, the artist who created the controversial murals, told the Izvestiya newspaper that he just wanted to put across Dostoevsky’s deep ideas as they are.

“Art is not fun, and artists are not clowns in the circus arena,” said Nikolaev.

Moscow metro officials, though admitting that there has been some negative reaction, cut short of saying it is exactly the reason why the station will not open its doors as planned.

A source in the city council says there have been problems with delivery of the equipment necessary to finish the work, reports the Ria Novosti news agency.

The metro station was to open on May 15 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Moscow metro. The new opening date is not yet known.