New Petersburg subway's grand opening ends in swift failure
In Petersburg, the first subway station in five years has opened. The inauguration, intended as a symbol of progress, ended with a malfunction after just six minutes.
On Friday, December 27, in Petersburg, the new subway station, Gorny Institute, was officially opened. It was meant to symbolize the advancement of Russian infrastructure.
Five years after the last investment, this station became part of the fourth, "orange" metro line. However, instead of a triumph, the opening ended in a technical failure.
Just six minutes after the station was launched, the escalators broke down. Initially, the escalators going down stopped, and two minutes later, those going up also ceased to function.
Passengers had to use the stairs, while apologies echoed from the speakers: "The escalators are new, anything can happen." Additionally, passengers reported issues with the elevators, which were also not functioning properly.
The construction of the Gorny Institute station began with great ambitions but faced multiple delays. Initially, it was scheduled to be completed in 2015, then in 2018, and later in 2022. This process was disrupted by various difficulties, including the collapse of scaffolding in 2020, which resulted in the death of one worker and serious injuries to another. This station is the first new investment in the Petersburg metro since 2019, when three other stations were opened: Prospekt Slavy, Dunayskaya, and Shushary.
The station's opening was meant to symbolize the success of the Petersburg authorities and the development of transportation infrastructure in Russia. However, it ended in failure, sparking jokes among internet users. Under the video from the station posted by NEXTa on the X platform, there were mocking comments such as: "Russian technology at its finest" or "Symbol of Putin's power…".
