Theatre Station

Theatre Station (Russian: Театральная) is a location in Metro: Last Light. It's situated near the Bolshoi Theatre and is known as Teatralnaya Station. In Metro: Last Light, this station seems to be owned by the Red Line.

Overview
Theatre Station, also known as Bolshoi, is the cultural center of the whole Metro. Artyom and Pavel head towards the station after they escape from the Reich to make contact with Polis. The two access the station by crossing Theatre Square on the surface. During the war, a returning airplane lost control and crashed into the station ticket hall, providing travelers and mutants access to the station. The station seems to be controlled by the Red Line, as several communist soldiers are seen guarding the station and several conversations suggest that the Red Line is in charge. It also appears, however, that the station has a higher degree of autonomy, as the presence of a free market, and the sheer number of welcome refugees from Reich would suggest. Two locals in an office near the entrance of the station can be heard discussing the situation, and it seems that the station is technically independent, but is effectively owned by the Red Line.

The main surface entrance to the station is locked by automated hermetic doors (which are usual for any other Moscow Metro stations). The station is well protected by Communist soldiers and two heavily-armoured handheld-flamethrower wielding guards patrolling the entrance.

In the novels, the station is neutral, but finds itself in a politically volatile position due to being situated between the Reich and the Red Line. As a result, the theatre performers are often quite frustrated with the limited number of plays they can preform to avoid offending either of the two superpowers. The station is attacked and occupied by the Reich in 2035 after Artyom and several other Reich agents detonate mines that are supposed to cut the Red Line off from the station. Due to Artyom not placing his mine in the correct location, however, the station is counterattacked by the Reds from Okhotny Ryad, and eventually taken.