January 03, 2005

The Moscow Metro is without a doubt the grandest, most beautiful and ornate subway system in the world. It boasts the largest ridership, 265km of track and is built almost entirely underground. It celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2005.
posted by rxreed 19 years ago
  • Very nice. Another related site is Pyongyang Metro, which is modelled after Moscow's system but is more of a propaganda showcase (and there is some doubt whether it operates when the foreigners are away).
  • You didn't have to show me that. I'm already jealous enough of the Montreal and New York subways. Now I'll be pineing for the mosaic ceilings of Moscow every time I walk under the local low-hanging stained concrete.
  • Cool post, rxreed!
  • Waht handsome architecture, a real gem. Thanks, rxreed.
  • Wow. Wonderful architecture. Thanks for the link.
  • brilliant link, rxreed. have a ).
  • As a subway fan, desperately fighting the impulse to join the list of foamers, this is great linky goodness.
  • It is beautiful. My nephew's made a couple of trips to Russia and has shown me photographs of the Moscow subway system. Thanks for the post, I'll be sending him the links.
  • that's not a subway, it's a bloody mall! btw nl.
  • btw2 these mosaics are pretty awesome aren't they? It's funny how all the perspectives are from below up. http://www.beeflowers.com/Metro/Mayakovskaya/index.htm
  • I just realized how much my image of Russia is inflenced by Cold War propaganda. I would never have suspected this existed, thanks.
  • now, what we really need is a list of the most exquisite public train systems int eh world. who tops that list? I would say, by sheer level of danger, mystery and overcrowdedness India would rank the highest.
  • The Moscow subway is supercool, I'd encourage you to go, it's my second favourite underground system after London (but then again I'm biased). Yet amazing as it is, just like the Pyramids or great wall of China every time you look at it try and remember that this thing was built with slave labour.
  • The only disappointing thing about the Moscow Metro is that the newer stations weren't built in the same ornate style. Rather, they look like any subway in any city, just larger. Here is a site with links to just about every subway system on earth, alphabetized by city. And here is an image of Moscow's secret subway system, built by Stalin to connect major government facilities. There's a better map on the official metro site, but I can't seem to connect to it right now.
  • Amazing! I like that they've left up the gleaming hammers and sickles. And those mosaics are truly magnificent. Now if my town could just see its way toward creating a bare-earth tunnel with donkey-carts, to get through the damn hills, that would be enough for me...