All aboard! When you take a ride on the Moscow Metro, you’re not just commuting, you’re also going on a trip through time. One of the busiest public transport systems in the world, the vast network of Russian metro stations double as a world-class museum. From the mosaics and frescoes of Kiyevskaya through the stained glass of Novoslobodskaya, the ornate chandeliers of Komsomolskaya and to the modern homage to Dostoyevsky in Dostoyevskaya -- it’s an experience far beyond a daily commute. Since it was developed throughout 8 decades, Russia’s phases in art, politics, and ideology all shine through as an organic retelling of the nation’s past.
80 years ago today, hundreds camped out on the streets overnight hoping to be on the very first metro train at 7am. It took more than 30 years to come up with a solution to the city’s transport problems, but the final result was a feat of engineering to be able to tunnel through the city’s challenging soils and rivers. The first train travelled along an 11-km route, with one line and 13 stations. Fast forward 80 years, it now travels along 325.4 km, with 12 lines and 196 stations, and almost 10 million passengers a day.
