July 02, 2026

Park of Absurdity


Park of Absurdity
Any excuse to pull out these uniforms. The Russian Life files

The state news agency TASS reported, citing remarks by St. Petersburg city governor Alexander Beglov, that Nazi symbols will soon decorate the "Victory Park" metro station, and will interface with passengers in a unique way.

According to the St. Petersburg publication Fontanka, the station has been closed for renovation since July 2025, and its future appearance has remained a mystery since then. Now, however, on the eve of the 85th anniversary of the start of Operation Barbarossa, the governor has revealed the plans.  

An above-ground pavilion will feature a memorial panel with general information about the Battle and Siege of Leningrad. The halls will be decorated with mosaics and stained-glass windows depicting the Victory Parade, Leningrad troops, and other similar scenes.

The most interesting feature is the floor design. As Beglov announced, it will be made of “metal slabs containing remelted armor from Nazi military vehicles” found at battle sites. “We plan to engrave the insignia of military units that fought as part of the Wehrmacht onto some of the plates. They will be integrated into the floor pattern both before and after the turnstiles, so that both incoming and outgoing passengers will step on them,” the governor said.

Fontanka pointed out that it is not yet entirely clear exactly which symbols Beglov is referring to. But, more importantly, it is unclear how this is even possible, given that Nazi symbols are banned in Russia, whether presented positively or negatively.

Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation provides for administrative penalties for the public display of such symbols. In 2023, there was a high-profile case in which a student was detained in the metro for reading the memoir of an SS officer, the cover of which featured such symbols.

The law, however, contains an important caveat. The article does not apply to situations “in which a negative attitude toward the ideology of Nazism and extremism is fostered and there are no signs of propaganda or justification of Nazi and extremist ideology.” Thus, the governor assumes that residents of St. Petersburg and its visitors will express their negative attitude to these symbols by stepping on them. But if such a project is actually implemented, it echoes a nationalistic fervor reminiscent of history's worst character.

 

You Might Also Like

Full Scale Invasion of Ukraine

Full Scale Invasion of Ukraine

Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine following President Putin's announcement of a "special military operation" to "demilitarize and denazify" Ukraine.
The Parade Must Go On
  • May 11, 2026

The Parade Must Go On

Amid regional parade cancelations, St. Petersburg offered a subdued Victory Day march.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955