Wehrmacht Chevrons to Be Embedded in Floor of St. Petersburg Metro Station

Controversial Design for St. Petersburg’s New Metro Station

According to Главком: St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov has announced plans to incorporate images of Wehrmacht chevrons into the flooring of the Park Pobedy (Victory Park) metro station, currently under reconstruction. The floor will be made from corrugated metal plates produced by melting down armor from German military vehicles recovered from battlefields near Leningrad.

According to Beglov,

“some plates will feature depictions of chevrons belonging to military units that fought as part of the Wehrmacht. These will be integrated into the floor pattern both before and after the turnstiles-so that they will be stepped on by both incoming and outgoing passengers.”

Memorial Features at the Station

Additionally, a memorial panel displaying information about the Great Patriotic War, the Battle of Leningrad, and the siege will be installed in the station’s ground-level pavilion. The upper hall will be adorned with a mosaic depicting the Leningrad Victory Parade, along with the phrase 'No one is forgotten, nothing is forgotten.' In the lower vestibule, medallions featuring bas-reliefs of military commanders will be placed, alongside a panel showing an archival photograph of troops from the Leningrad Front marching through the Victory Arch.

This is not the first time St. Petersburg has pursued projects tied to the history of the Great Patriotic War. Examples include:

• The Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces in Patriot Park, which opened in 2020.
• A floor made from weapons and metal from captured Wehrmacht tanks.
• A museum complex at the cathedral that houses Adolf Hitler’s tunic and peaked cap.

The cathedral’s walls were originally planned to feature mosaics depicting Putin, Shoigu, and Stalin, but Putin himself rejected the idea of his own mosaic, calling it premature. The image of Stalin was removed after public pressure and sent to a museum on the same grounds.

This project has sparked public debate, as the use of Wehrmacht symbols and materials linked to German military hardware could be seen as provocative. At the same time, the memorial elements honoring the victims of the Great Patriotic War may serve as a reminder of the tragedy the people endured during the conflict. Such initiatives underscore the importance of preserving historical memory, while also raising questions about the appropriate way to commemorate historical events and their heroes.