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The Russian metro stations are truly an art work. Many of them date back to the 1930s, which means, early Soviet Union and the boom of the gigantic constructions that should serve as propaganda for the communist government. Renowned artists and architects were summoned to accomplish this bold project, which resulted in extremely sophisticated constructions. The Russian metro stations are enormous, decorated with white marble, crystal chandeliers and either carved or painted details on the walls which should really be in a museum.
If you are passing by one the countries main cities (St. Petersburg and Moscow), put aside a few hours at least to know the main and most beautiful Russian metro stations. You will not regret.
*You may also like to read: 10 real curiosities about Russia you didn’t know.
A bit of background about the Russian metro stations
The metro in Moscow was opened in 1935, with 11km in extension and 13 stations. Currently, it has almost 350km and more than 200 stations, being the 5th largest in the world.
In St. Petersburg, the metro was opened in 1955 with 7 stations. Today, it has 133km and almost 70 stations and it is one of the deepest underground in the world (serious, some of the stations you feel like you descend eternally on the escalator). The Admiralteyskaya for instance is 86 meters deep.
The Russian metro stations you need to know
Up until recently, it was not allowed to take photos inside the stations for security measures, therefore most of the pictures on this post are not from us.
1 – Avtovo Station, St Petersburg – opened in 1935
2 – Arbatskaya Station, Moscow – opened in 1953
3 – Belorusskaya Station, Moscow – opened in 1938
4 – Elektrozavodskaya Station, Moscow – opened in 1944
5 – Kiyevskaya Station, Moscow – opened in 1954
6 – Komsomlskaya Station, Moscow – opened in 1952
7 – Mayakovskaya Station, Moscow – opened in 1938
8 – Pushkinskaya Station, St Petersburg – opened in 1956
9 – Kirovsky Zavod Station, St Petersburg – opened in 1955
10 – Taganskaya (Koltsevaya line) Station, Moscow – opened in 1950
11 – Novoslobodskaya Station, Moscow – opened in 1952
12 – Mezhdunarodnaya Station, St. Petersburg – opened in 2006
13 – Zvenigorodskaya Station, St. Petersburg – opened in 2008
Tip: Be prepared as Russian metro stations can really be a maze (and amaze too!). To help you out, have a look at the tube map in here from Moscow and St. Petersburg.
* Article originally published in June 2017, and updated in April 2018 *
