5 the most beautiful metro stations in Moscow

If you are planning you trip to Moscow this year to see the Word Cup 2018, do not hesitate to visit Moscow underground with its beautiful stations. Don’t think that all of them are situated in the center, sometimes you need to travel a bit to the suburbs to enjoy the unique architecture. Even though the Moscow metro is opened from 5.30 am till 1.40 am, the best time to take photos is early morning or night. In this article we will describe 5 the most beautiful metro stations in Moscow. The last train leaves the central stations at 1 am.

In fact, there are 244 metro stations in Moscow, including monorails, so it is rather dificult to choose the best ones. Twenty more are coming this year. I would suggest that you visit as many stations as possible and make your own list. 

Today we will speak about 5 metro stations that are worth seeing, but the list is not limited! There are other amazing metro stations in Moscow that you can visit during you World Cup trip.

1. Ploschad Revoljutsii (Площадь Революции) – blue line, centre.

Ploschad Revoljutsii (Revolution Square) metro station was founded in 1938 as a part of an interchange junction for 3 metro stations. Its uniqueness comes from the number of sculptures it has – 76.

The metro station was opened three years before the Great Patriotic War started. In 1941 all the sculptures were moved to Central Asia, but unfortunately most of them were significantly damaged due to the evacuation procedures rendering them featureless. Luckily, each sculpture was cloned four times which made the reconstruction easier. The sculptures were restored in 1944.

This station is one of those very deep underground stations typical for some zones in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, decorated with light and dark granite on the upper wall and with limestone with dark and light blotches on the lower part of the wall. The top of the tunnel platform walls are covered with grey marble.

However, let´s set aside the beautiful decoration of the walls and turn to the most notable part of the station which is undoubtedly the sculptures placed on each side of the aisle between the central and side parts of the platform. There are 76 sculptures (initially 80) but only 20 of them represent a unique style, 18 statues are repeated four times.

There are two halls: east and west. The eastern one leads to Bogoyavlenskoi street and Nikolskaya street, and the western one leads to the Revolution Square which is also connected to Teatralnaya station, the one where the Bolshoi Theatre is situated.

Ploschad Revoljutsii lies in the heart of Moscow: Kremlin, Red Square, St. Basil Cathedral, Historical museum, Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, and many other sights are situated nearby.

There are some interesting and funny facts connected with this metro station and its sculpture of a dog. One interesting tradition exists among students: if you touch the nose of the dog, you will get high points for the exam, and if you touch the paw, you will pass the exam or test. This is the reason why you will find the poor dogs’ noses and paws shiny. There is another lovable tradition: of you touch the leg of a sculpture of a girl with a book, you will be cured of unhappy love.

There is also a poor bronze sailor with a revolver in his hand. Someone constantly steals his gun.

2. Komsomolskaya (Комсомольская) – red line and circle line, centre

“Komsomolskaya” has proved to be the most beautiful metro station in Moscow due to its unique design devoted to the struggle of the Russian people for independence.

The ceiling of the station is decorated with eight mosaic panels made of smalt and precious stones. Six of them depict Aleksander Nevskiy, Dmitry Donskoy, Kuzma Minin, Dmitry Poscharsky, Aleksander Suvorov, Soviet soldiers and generals facing the walls of Reichstag.

Military artifacts – shields, helmets, muskets, broadswords – are installed into triangular figured frames on the base of the arch.

The station is situated at the intersection of three rail stations: Leningradskiy, Kazanskiy and Yaroslavsky, so that from this point you can easily travel to the North of Russia, to the Asian part and to the Far East.

Novokuznetskaya metro station

Komsomolskaya station is always overcrowded with people from every part of Russia arriving or departing from the capital city. If you want to review each drawing and mosaic artwork, come early in the morning or late at night to avoid large gatherings of people and to be sure you won’t be a victim of the pickpockets.

3. Spartak (Спартак) – violet line, suburbs

This is one of the recently opened stations in Moscow. In fact, a lot of metro stations were launched in the past two years, some of them have been under construction for twenty or even thirty years. It is perfectly understandable: the World Cup is fast approaching and Moscow city must not only be “stunning-looking” but also should have a well-functioning transport network during those few weeks of June 2018.

The construction of the station started in the middle of the 70s but was suspended after a few years. The problem for Spartak station was Tushino airport situated nearby and used for military purposes which made it impossible for civilians to walk around as it was a restricted area. Now the former military site is used as a perfect location for music festivals and other loud events.

Apparently, the station would have never been constructed if it was not for the housing estates emerging in the area in 2000. It was initially called Volokolamskaya metro station like the highway above it, but the plans changed when in 2006 one of the biggest Football clubs in Russia, “Spartak”, decided to construct its own stadium close to Tushino airport. Hence, a lot of investors stated intentions to put money into further construction of a metro station that in fact was almost finished.

By the end of 2014 alongside the stadium the new station called «Spartak» welcomed its first passengers. As many other metro stations in Moscow, Spartak is decorated with marble and granite which makes it very bright. Undoubtedly, the main theme of the station is football, in particular Spartak football club. Metro pillars are decorated with red stripes – the corporate colour of the club – and the Spartak logo is displayed on the glass.

Taganskaya metro

This metro station has double secured walls to prevent fans of vandalising after the games. A very smart idea, considering the hot temper of Russian football fans. Don’t be afraid though: police officers are always there and during the football games the Russian metro will definitely have better-than-average security.

4. Mendeleevskaya (Менделеевская) – grey line, circle, centre

If you are planning to visit Russia this year for the World Cup, take a look at the circle metro stations. Some of them look really amazing, like Mendeleevskaya Metro Station named after a brilliant Russian scientist who invented the periodic table.

This metro is situated on the Timiryazevsko-Serpukhovskaya (grey) line and captures attention with its beautiful pillars, which are faced with the white marble. The metroplatform lined with black and grey granite. The platform walls are decorated with figures of chemical substances, atoms, and molecules.

However, the most important, attention-attracting detail is the monument to stray dogs that make us think about the hard fate of homeless animals and their importance in science.

5. Belorusskaya (Белорусская) – green and circle line, centre

Belorusskaya (Belorussian) metro station got its name from the railway station it connects with. The main theme of the metro station is “Life and culture of Belorussia”, the biggest ally of Russia and a party of the Customs Union.

The central entrance is decorated with 12 panels, while the station itself is fitted with light marble on the walls and granite on the floor. The station is illuminated by crystal lamps that resemble ancient vases. There is another sight inside this metro station – a monument to Belorussian guerrillas, which might be a good photo shot.

Belorusskaya station is not only vital for national and international railway transportation. From here you can also catch a train that takes you to Sheremetyevo Airport, AeroExpress.

And this is not it! There are dozens of incredibly beautiful metro stations in Moscow that you cannot miss visiting before you leave.

This metro station is under minor reconstruction

I would like to invite you all to Russia this year to see the World Cup 2018. June is such a wonderful month in Moscow when it is blossoming, sunny and not very hot. The prices for the accommodation might be rather high but we can arrange it. We can also arrange a guided tour of Moscow metro stations and to show you the best places to visit. Contact us!

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