The construction of the metro in Moscow was planned at the end of the 19th century. In 1875, the idea was voiced of laying a line going from the Kursk station through Pushkinskaya and Lubyanskaya squares up to Maryina grove. However, in those years, construction was never started. According to the official version, it was abandoned due to economic inexpediency.
When a revolution took place in the country and a civil war broke out, this idea was simply not remembered. In 1923, the new power of the young state, the USSR, returned to this issue.
Today, the Moscow Metro is one of the most beautiful and reliable in the world. However, few people know how difficult the builders had to go from creating an underground highway to launching the first trains.
Historical decision
On the summer August days of 1923, a meeting of the Moscow City Council Presidium was held, at which a decision was made to resume negotiations with foreign companies over the construction of the Moscow Metro. The decision was announced by the Chairman of the Presidium L. B. Kamenev. Thus, the idea, interrupted by revolution and war, received its further development.
A month after this historic meeting, by decision of the Moscow City Council, a special department began to work under the department of city railways of the capital, which was called the Metropolitan. At that time, his only employee was an engineer K. S. Myshenkov. His duties included collecting information about existing pre-war projects.
Preliminary work
In 1924, a delegation of the Moscow City Council visited Europe. Its main goal was to attract foreign partners to design the first metro in the USSR. However, the negotiations ended in failure. Foreign officials were unable to obtain bank lending.
Only in 1928 did the Moscow City Council engage in negotiations on the creation of a joint-stock company, which was to build the capital's subway. The implementation of the idea of building the metro was prevented by numerous disputes about the economic feasibility of the project. However, they did not last long. In 1930, L. M. Kaganovich, close associate of Stalin, was appointed to the post of first secretary of the Moscow Party Committee. It was he who got things off the ground. No wonder the Moscow metro opened in 1935 was named after him.
The solution to the transport issue
If at the beginning of the existence of the young Soviet state, the authorities relied more on taxis and trams, then as the capital grew, it became more difficult for residents to move around the city. As a result, 01/06/1931 in Moscow there was a transport collapse. The traffic around the city was blocked by a giant traffic jam. This prompted the party leadership of the capital to urgent construction of the subway.
Already in August 1931, a new organization was created - Metrostroy. She was given the right to priority receipt of material resources and equipment. The chief of Metrostroy was appointed engineer of communications P. P. Rotert. Then the staff of the new organization was formed, which included technicians and practical engineers. These were foreign experts from Germany, Austria, America and France. Supervised the new construction directly L. M. Kaganovich.
Design Considerations
For the first experimental section of the new transport connection, a section was chosen starting from Rusakova Street, 13. How was the metro built in this zone? The laying was carried out in the Parisian way, that is, with the tunnel at a shallow depth. At the same time, the arches of the subway were strengthened with rubble stone. At the beginning of construction, engineers did not begin to use the Berlin method, according to which it was necessary first of all to dig a pit. In the center of the city, where there was dense development and heavy traffic was carried out, it was unacceptable.
If this issue was resolved easily, then the debate over the problem of what the metro should be like has not subsided for a long time. How to build a new transport connection: with island platforms or with side? At the first layout, adopted in London and Paris, it was necessary to more carefully consider the architectural design. But such platforms were the most convenient for passenger traffic. The lateral arrangement adopted in Berlin was cheaper and easier to erect.
How did you build the subway in the end? Soviet engineers put forward the idea of creating three-vaulted stations with two extended tunnels. For each direction, side platforms were provided here.
The technical design of the first lines of the subway included more than a thousand detailed explanatory notes and drawings. After a detailed review, it was approved by the Moscow Party Committee on 08/13/1933
Extreme conditions
When deciding on the construction of the Moscow subway, the authorities did not expect that the builders would have to overcome numerous difficulties. The fact is that the conditions for the construction of tunnels were extremely unfavorable. How was the metro built in Moscow? Tunneling was planned along the line of crossing the channel of Olkhovka, Neglinka, Rybinka and a large number of other small rivers. Metrostroevtsy had to disturb their peace, as a result of which quicksans poured into the tunnels, which were a mixture of sand, clay and water. They destroyed underground workings and washed away the foundations of nearby houses.
The segment of the first stage, passing from Sokolniki to Komsomolskaya, as well as from the Library named after Lenin "to the" Park of Culture ", metro builders erected in an open way. At the same time, before starting work, they had to shift the communications available on these sites, transfer tram tracks and install nearby buildings on special supports. The difficulty was that the Moscow City Council banned the disconnection of buildings located in the construction zone from electricity, gas and water. There was no permission to stop traffic on city streets.
How was the metro built in such conditions? In order to qualitatively and on time to complete the entire scope of the planned work, had to go to various tricks. So, to combat quicksand bridge builders used the technology of freezing soil. For this, it was necessary to drill separate wells through which a cold solution of calcium chloride salt was injected. As a result, ice cylinders formed, which gradually grew and, when connected together, formed a waterproof wall. Somewhat later, this technology was used for the construction of Stalin's skyscrapers.
HR problems
The extreme conditions in which construction had to be carried out required the selection of highly qualified staff. However, the main staff of technicians and engineers was represented by the railway men and miners. These were people who had never before participated in the construction of the metro. In addition, 80% of workers went down into the mine for the first time in their lives.
Due to the lack of construction personnel in the ranks of metro builders there were many collective farmers and employees. They took in staff and ordinary workers from factories. All these people came to Moscow from different parts of the country, mastering new professions for them already in place. Former shoe-makers, tailors and confectioners held seminars, listened to the lectures organized for them and became fitters and concrete workers.
Grand opening
The first test train passed along the rails of the Moscow Metro on 02/05/1935. And on May 15, the grand opening of the Moscow subway took place. In those years, it was a 11.2 km highway with thirteen stations. The subway rolling stock consisted of twelve two-section trains. It was 48 Type A wagons.
The first stage is the path from Sokolniki to the Park Kultury station, which has a branch to Smolenskaya. Before the war with fascist Germany, two more lines were opened - Arbat and Zamoskvoretskaya.
Moscow metro today
How many subways are being built? Work continues throughout its existence. Moreover, modern stations retain the idea of a museum perception of the interior. That is why the Moscow subway is considered the most beautiful in the world.
Why is the subway still being built? This is explained by the fact that the capital is experiencing major transport problems in its ground part. This largely raises the role of the subway, which is a win-win option even in the busiest peak hours.
Construction work
What companies are building the metro today? The construction of underground stations is carried out by employees of the Moscow Metro, which is the successor to the organization created for this purpose in 1931. The structure of the company includes twenty construction and assembly departments, fifteen of which have a general construction profile.
Who is building the metro in Moscow today? Unlike the thirties of the last century, the staff of the organization consists of qualified specialists. This is 8.5 thousand people involved in the construction of tunnels, installation of substations and cable lines, laying tracks and carrying out finishing work.
Events for the development of the metro
The Moscow Government has adopted a special program for the development of the Moscow Metro. It covers the period from 2012 to 2020. Moreover, 1.24 trillion rubles from the city budget are planned for these large-scale projects. Private investors will also take part in these events. They emit 42 million rubles.
Where is the metro being built in Moscow today? According to plans for 2016, work is underway on the construction of the Kalinin-Solntsevo line. This is the southwestern part of the metro, which is the most promising in the development of the metropolitan subway system.
What metro stations are being built on this line? These are Minskaya and Lomonosovsky Prospekt, Ramenok and Michurinsky Prospekt, as well as Solntsevo, Govorovo and Ochakovo. These stations will be used by citizens living in the Ramensky district. Where are you planning to build the metro further? The Kalinin-Solntsevskaya line will stretch to the Novomoskovsk Story, Peredelkina and Solntseva.
Among the works planned for 2016, there are also the commissioning of five stations at once, located within the 3rd transfer circuit. This will make it possible to connect separate areas of the capital into a single network. What metro stations are being built as part of this work? These are “Khodynskoe Field” and “Nizhny Maslovka”, “Petrovsky Park”, “Shepelikha” and “Khoroshevskaya”. Putting these stations into operation will allow about a quarter to relieve the central part of the metropolitan subway.
Where is the metro being built yet? According to the plans of metro builders, the extension of the Lublin-Dmitrov line is supposed. It will become five kilometers longer, which will open three new stations on it - Upper Likhobory, Okruzhnaya and Seligerskaya. Each of them has two outputs. And the "District" is equipped with transitions to other stations.
Undoubtedly, where the metro is being built, the situation with transport communication is noticeably improving. Residents of metropolitan areas such as Khovrino and Livoberezhny will soon be able to reach their destination soon. The situation will significantly improve the commissioning of the Khovrino station.
In addition to new construction, major repairs are underway. So, for 2016, it is planned to install a new escalator at the Frunzenskaya station. This is due to the low bandwidth of existing equipment.
Metro "Vykhino"
This station is one of the oldest in the capital. Being an important component of the Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya line, it has been accepting passengers since 1966. Unlike most stations, Vykhino is aerial. This is one of the first points of the capital's subway of this type.
Station "Vykhino" (formerly "Zhdanovskaya") is a very congested place. At peak times, many passengers simply cannot enter the carriage that approached the platform. That is why the metro management decided to launch increased trains on this branch. However, this could not fix the problem. Today, the station is an intermediate link. It connects separate areas of Moscow with its center. It is through Vykhino that people from new residential complexes, whose construction on the outskirts is carried out at an accelerated pace, get to their destination. For a day, the station receives about five hundred thousand people. The fullness of this route is just a record! This state of affairs leaves an imprint on the life of the entire surrounding region. Despite the fact that bus and trolleybus routes are open here, people are used to using underground transport, which is very problematic.
That is why the Moscow government pays special attention to such a popular destination. The city authorities decided to improve the area around the station. Today, many residents of the district and guests of the capital are asking the following question: what are they building on Vykhino near the metro? This will be a special interchange node, which is a fairly large structure. Under one roof, he will combine approaches to all available means of communication. In addition, the complex, which will occupy the territory of more than twenty hectares, will include not only landing platforms, but also various retail outlets, as well as markets. The leadership of the capital believes that such a center will not only facilitate the transport situation in the area, but will also create favorable living conditions for the population.