He wrote “Metro 2033” when he was 17 and posted it online, because he wanted his literature “to spread like a virus”. So it was: over five million free downloads. Then the book and its sequels were published in print, in 37 languages. Afterwards, they became a video game series - authored by Dmitry himself - and a multimedia franchise. Dmitry created an entire “Metro universe”, which has a life of its own. He says games are an integral part of his literary work.
“Metro 2033” books and games tell about a post-apocalyptic universe set within the Moscow metro, where the last survivors hide after a global nuclear holocaust. Dmitry is from Moscow and discovered that the underground of the Russian capita is also the world’s biggest nuclear shelter. The parallels with today’s reality in Ukraine and the risks facing the world are astonishing. «When I saw people in Kyiv or Kharkiv using the metro as a shelter, like the characters in my novels, I was horrified», he says.
Dmitry has protested against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Accused of discrediting the Russian Army due to a post he made on Instagram, he faces up to 15 years in prison after a Moscow District Court ordered his arrest in absentia. He left Russia just in time. He now lives in a secret place in Europe. He has a great story to tell. Listen to him.