Twelve Underrated Stations of Moscow Metro
For most first-time visitors, the highlight of any underground tour of Moscow would undoubtedly focus on the over-the-top Stalinist stations on the No. 5 - Koltsevaya Line (aka the Circle Line). In particular, Komsomolskaya, Kiyevskaya, Ploshchad Revolyutsii, and Novoslobodskaya Station are among some of the most celebrated stations from the height of the Stalinist period.
Mayakovskaya Station is the most architecturally significant station in the whole system.
There is no doubt that those stations are breathtaking, but I do think some of the lesser-known stations are perhaps even more fascinating and architecturally intriguing. To follow up on my previous post, I would like to share the twelve of my favorite stations within the Moscow Metro system. Many were constructed in post-Soviet Russia and were little known even among native Moscovites, including most of my Russian friends. The absence of a standard design template distinguishes Moscow Metro from other systems worldwide. The design of each new station was approached with a sense of rigor and relentless innovation. No detail is ever too small. From the light fixtures and ventilation grilles to the typefaces that adorn the station names, they are all unique to each and every station.
The masters behind many of these magnificent stations are from people of the Metrogiprotrans (Метрогипротранс), a state-run design institute that has been responsible for the design and construction of most underground subway stations in the USSR and many former Warsaw Pack countries. With more than forty more stations, either planned or under construction, we could look forward to more of their masterpieces for years to come.
Borisovo (Борисово) Station
Year of Completion: 2011
Line: #10 - Lyublinsko–Dmitrovskaya line
Borisovo Station.
One of my favorite stations in the world, the futuristic Borisovo Station opened the year before when I lived in Moscow. Conceived along with the Shipilovskaya and Zyablikovo Metro Station down the line, it is perhaps the most futuristic-looking in the system. The contrast between the delicately curved glass fixtures and the permanence of the copper panels gave me a great sense of unease. The aesthetics and materiality of the station interior are very reminiscent of the palette of Lenin's Mausoleum on the Red Square. Just like the infamous resting place of Vladamir Lenin, it is both unworldly and solemn.
Dostoyevskaya (Достоевская) Station
Year of Completion: 2010
Line: #10 - Lyublinsko–Dmitrovskaya line
Honoring a literary giant is always noble but could lead to unforeseen consequences sometimes. In this particular case, it could be deadly! Named and designed around the Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, the station is adorned with half a dozen inlaid marble mosaics depicting different schemes from Dostoyevsky's masterwork. One of the most controversial murals is a depiction of murder by ax by the novel's protagonist. Another shows a suicide-obsessed character in Dostoevsky's novel The Demons holding a pistol to his temple.
Dostoyevskaya Station.
At the end of the platform, a giant mural of a grim-looking Dostoyevsky looks on with a stare as cold as Siberian winter. All of these have alarmed sociologists and psychologists both in Russia and abroad; the station has been mentioned as the most "suicide-inducing" subway station in the world. It was even widely reported in media outlets in the West, such as NPR and the Telegraph. The psychological implication aside, the station's artistic quality and craftsmanship of the station are undeniably awe-inspiring. Dostoyevskaya Station is a must-visit for any foreign visitor.
Sokol (Со́кол) Station
Year of Completion: 1938
Line: #2 - Zamoskvoretskaya line
Sokol Station.
One of the most architecturally significant stations, Sokol Station, is straightforward in its design but is spatially magnificent. Built during the zenith of Stalinism, the walls were originally intended to be inscribed with the rights of all Soviet citizens: "The right to work", "The right to education", "The right to rest", and "The right to secure old age". Without these originally intended slogans, the station exudes the grandeur of Stalinist classicism without using propaganda imagery. For architects and designers alike, Sokol Station should be high on your list for a visit.
Park Pobedy (Парк Победы) Station
Year of Completion: 2003
Line: 3 - Arbatsko–Pokrovskaya line
Park Pobedy Station.
Park Pobedy Station.
For anyone interested in WWII or the history of the USSR, you are likely to pay a visit to the Museum of Patriotic War and the Poklonnaya Hill. In keeping with the Russian Nationalist theme, the station provided access to the museum, adorned with two patriotic mosaic murals by the flamboyant Georgian-Russian artist Zurab Tseretel. His less-than-accurate depiction of the "Great Patriotic War" and the "Patriotic War of 1812" has drawn widespread criticism by scholars, but it is nevertheless an artistic masterpiece. Another point of interest for Park Pobedy Station is that this is also the third deepest subway station in the world, a distinction that may not speak to its convenience. With the longest escalator in the world, it took me almost 11 minutes to exit the station after I exited the train car. Just imagine doing that every day.
Aeroport (Аэропо́рт) Station
Year of Completion: 1938
Line: #2 - Zamoskvoretskaya line
Aeroport Station.
If I were to nominate a station that is the spookiest within the Moscow Metro, it would be Aeroport Station. Named after the nearby now-defunct Khodynka Aerodrome, the station is the best example of the Soviet Art Deco architecture within the metro system. The first of the single vaulted station within the system, the design invokes the aviation theme at the time, referencing the silhouette of a parachute. The result is an airy platform reminiscent of the underside of an air-inflated structure. To create lightness out of rigid concrete was a remarkable architectural achievement; perhaps the contradiction makes this space so unsettling.
Kiyevskaya (Киевская) Station
Year of Completion: 1937
Line: #4 - Filyovskaya line
Kiyevskaya Station.
Designed by one of the premier Stalinist architects, Dmitry Chechulin, the Kiyevskaya Station on the Filyovskaya line is a unique synthesis of Soviet Art Decos and Stalinist formalism. A simple spatial design with double rows of columns, the station is punctuated with a field of faux skylights. The result is a disorienting dream-like landscape that seems to come straight from the Metrix. Hidden within the ceramic capitals of these columns are ears of wheat, a reference to the agricultural importance of the Ukrainian SSR to the rest of the Soviet Union.
Chkalovskaya (Чка́ловская) Station
Year of Completion: 1995
Line: #10 - Lyublinsko–Dmitrovskaya line
Chkalovskaya Station.
Dedicated to the life of the famous Soviet aviator and fighter pilot, Valery Chkalov, the Chkalovskaya Station is could have been a perfect setting for a ceremonial set stage for any Star War movies. The circular rings of light seem to transport us to an alien world that is also strangely familiar.
Volokolamskaya (Волоколамская) Station
Year of Completion: 2009
Line: #3 - Arbatsko–Pokrovskaya line
Volokolamskaya Station.
Another project of the Metrogiprotras, the recently opened Volokolamskaya, is one of the most memorable and beloved post-Soviet stations. Contrary to most other stations, the design at Volokolamskaya is quite heavy-handed and reminded me of the nave of a Romanesque church. A stunning example of architectural lighting, the ever-slight difference in color temperature between the central aisle and the platform aisles evokes the differentiation of indoor and outdoor spaces. To create that outdoor feeling in an underground metro station is quite an architectural feat. It should not be surprising that Volokolamskaya Station was awarded and honored by the Union of Moscow Architects in 2011.
Annino (Аннино) Station
Year of Completion: 2001
Line: #9 - Serpukhovsko–Timiryazevskaya line
Annino Station.
Annino Station is the second station to open in the 21st Century, which is not among the most impressive stations in the Moscow Metro. However, it did make a great impression on me. What I like about this station is the inventive way the shallow light domes alter the entire visual and spatial perception of this otherwise drab vaulted space. The visual foreshortening of the light fixtures and light-reflecting niches was amazingly executed. It also pays homage to the historical lineage of Byzantine architecture.
Aviamotornaya (Авиамото́рная) Station
Year of Completion: 1979
Line: #8 - Kalininsko–Solntsevskaya line
Aviamotornaya Station.
Dedicated to the achievement of Soviet aviation engineering, the Aviamotornaya Station is laden with references and imagery of the flights and power of jet engines. What immediately catches my eye are the decorative dropped ceiling panels running along the central aisle. Constructed of anodized gold quadrangular pyramids, the overall effects are celestial and palatial. Look closely and recognize various relief imagery of stars, suns, milky ways, and constellations. At the far end of the platform is a metal sculpture of Icarus, the mythical figure of flights from Ancient Greece, propelled by roaring jet engines.
Slavyansky Bulvar (Славянский бульвар) Station
Year of Completion: 2008
Line: 3 - Arbatsko–Pokrovskaya line
Slavyansky Bulvar Station.
If the Paris Metro and Washington Metro ever made a child, Slavyansky Bulvar Station would be it. Slavyansky Bulvar is perhaps the most "European-looking" station within the Moscow Metro system. It is a place of cultural synthesis and contradiction, like the city of Moscow itself. The station is decorated with metal elements in the Art Nouveau style, closely resembling Hector Guimard's entrances for the Paris Metro. The over-the-top floral organic light fixtures make you wonder whether you have entered into the realm of Willy Wonka.
