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.

 

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