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.