The opening of a new subway station in Moscow has been delayed because of its art: black-and-white tile mosaics of scenes from Dostoevsky novels that, officials fear, might inspire people to kill themselves. (At least Moscow has public art that can inspire something.)
From the Independent:
On one wall, Rodion Raskolnikov from Crime and Punishment brandishes an axe over the elderly pawnbroker Alyona Ivanovna and her sister, his murder victims in the novel. Near by, a character from Demons holds a pistol to his temple.
The pictures quickly caused a sensation. Bloggers and websites called the images that appeared on the internet in April “depressing” amid speculation that the images could attract suicides.
The opening of the station, which was meant to be today, has been put back indefinitely. The metro has refused to comment but the daily Izvestia claims that it was the transport system’s chief who raised the question of changing the decorations when he visited the site last week.
They should have picked some of the cheerier scenes from Dostoevsky’s novels.
Oh wait, right, there aren’t any.
At least they didn’t pick Tolstoy!
They can’t just cover it up, I mean it IS Russia, after all
You mean as opposed to ads touting lifestyles and products consumer-riders are supposed to forever grasp at even unto death? Bring on that rascally Raskolnikov!
Scenes from Eugene Onegin by Pushkin would have been better. They’re almost cheerful.
Once someone commits suicide, it’ll be a Russian Comedy!
*That’s based on the old joke that a Russian Comedy is a story in which only one person dies, as opposed to a Russian Tragedy in which everyone dies.