Support The Moscow Times!

Muscovites Don't Want to Rename Voikovskaya Metro Station, Says Mayor

The Voikovskaya metro station Mikhail (Vokabre) Shcherbakov / Wikicommons

Muscovites are against renaming Voikovskaya metro station — named after the controversial Bolshevik revolutionary who played a key role in the decision to execute Russia's last imperial family — because they are used to it, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in an interview with Moskva FM radio station Wednesday.

"My attitude [toward renaming it] is irrelevant. It's important that the residents agree to it, but so far they've been telling me: 'Don't touch our [metro] station, we're used to it,'" he said.

Sobyanin added that public hearings about the possible renaming had been carried out and showed that Muscovites were not keen on the idea.

Earlier this year a municipal deputy from the northwest Voikovsky district, Alexander Zakondyrin, submitted a proposal to City Hall to rename the area and organize an online referendum, during which Muscovites would choose a new name for the metro station, the district and several streets carrying Pyotr Voikov's name.

His initiative was supported by the Russian Orthodox Church, surviving members of the Romanov royal dynasty and the Moscow Helsinki Group human rights organization.

Sobyanin said at the time that city authorities would consider renaming the metro station, but only if Muscovites stood behind the idea.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more