Date
Author
Наталья ШКУРЕНОК; Санкт-Петербург
Source
Preserved copy
Translated material
Derogatory name
The administration of St. Petersburg was recommended to remove the Bolsheviks from the metro map
If in Moscow officials are just planning to discuss the possibility of renaming the VDNH metro station to Kosmicheskaya this coming fall, then in St. Petersburg the dispute about clearing the metro map of “red” names is in full swing. The city toponymic commission has already approved a project according to which two metro stations will have to change their signs. As members of the commission reported yesterday, it was decided to call the Dybenko station “Vesely Poselok”, and “Bolshevikov Avenue” - “Okkervil”.This decision has already caused a stormy protest from the communists, although supporters of the eradication of communist names were dissatisfied with the result. They believe that it is necessary to develop success not only in the underground, but also on the surface and, for example, return the old name of Sverdlovskaya embankment - Polyustrovskaya. However, the toponymic commission decided not to rush yet. “These are politicized proposals,” commission member Alexey Erofeev explained his refusal to discuss the embankment. “And we try to move away from politically charged decisions and adhere to the principle of historical correspondence.” According to him, even during the period of perestroika in the northern capital, there were proposals to change the “red” names of stations and streets to “white”. “But we are not going to fight our history, and first of all we are guided by the principles of historical and geographical correspondence,” Mr. Erofeev emphasized.
By the way, in Moscow, exactly the same words are used to justify the refusal to rename the Voikovskaya metro station. At the beginning of the week, the chairman of the city interdepartmental commission on the names of territorial units, streets and metro stations, deputy mayor in the Moscow government, Anatoly Petrov, said that this issue had been discussed several times, but “the commission did not find an opportunity to support the proposals.”
At the same time, in St. Petersburg, members of the toponymic commission believe that historical and geographical correspondences have been observed precisely with metro stations. “Vesely Poselok” is the name of an entire area on the right bank of the Neva, which appeared in the era of Catherine II, when the first drinking and gaming establishments were formed in this remote area. And “Okkervil” is the name of a small river flowing through this territory and flowing into the Neva. The distance to Bolshevikov Avenue from the metro station of the same name is considerable, and the Okkervil River is nearby. The metro line came here relatively recently, less than 20 years ago. Even then, members of the toponymic commission made proposals to give the stations historically based names, but the Leningrad City Council retained the “Bolshevik” names of the stations.
In addition to historical and geographical aspects, the toponymic commission also took into account the economic factor. In the near future, new directions will appear in the St. Petersburg metro, and therefore it will be necessary to reprint line diagrams, advertising booklets, and rewrite the announcer texts that are heard in the cars. Therefore, the toponymic commission suggested using the opportune moment for renaming - in this case it would be cheaper.
True, the decisions of the toponymic commission are advisory in nature. The final word remains with the executive branch. And although recently Valentina Matvienko quite often talks in public about the historical values of St. Petersburg, its traditions and the significance of the city in the history of Russia, in reality she is in no hurry to back up her words with deeds. For example, since last year she has had on her signature a proposal to return the name Senate Square to Decembrists Square. Ms. Matvienko very much approved of this proposal, but still has not found the time to sign it.