The Moscow Metro is one of the most convenient, reliable and beautiful in the world. Its 44 stations have the status of masterpieces of architecture and are objects of cultural heritage of regional significance. The history of the Moscow Metro (photos of some stations are presented below) is inextricably linked with the history of our country. This is especially evident when you travel around the stations accompanied by a guide telling about the symbols contained in the elements decorating the halls.
Before the revolution of 1917, only dreamed about the subway
The history of the creation of the metro in Moscow dates back a little more than 140 years - the idea of ââorganizing an underground connection between the Kursk Station and the Marina Grove arose in 1875. The first projects are dated 1902. One of them was developed by architect P.A. Balinsky and civil engineer E.K. Knorre, and the other was developed by communication engineers N.P. Dmitriev, A.I. Antonovich and N.I. Golinevich. The Moscow City Duma rejected both, but they served as the basis for the third draft, adopted in 1913, as well as for subsequent ones.
In the spring of 1914, the construction of the metro in Moscow began. History, however, dictates its own conditions - in June, Archduke of Austria Franz Ferdinand was killed in Sarajevo. The tragic event marked the beginning of the First World War, into which Russia was drawn into. All peace plans collapsed. Subway construction work stopped as soon as it began.
The beginning of the Soviet history of the Moscow metro
The history of the creation of the metro in Moscow was continued only after the October Revolution.
By 1923, the capital felt such an acute shortage of transport interchanges that it seemed impossible to pull with the laying of subway lines. The old plans were obsolete, and it was decided to turn to design engineers from the famous German concern Siemens AG.
In 1925, the project was ready. It included 80 km of underground tunnels and 86 stations, however, its implementation required a disproportionately greater amount of money than the customer had expected, so this project was rejected.
In June 1931, at the Plenum of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, at the request of L. M. Kaganovich, the deputies made a historic decision to resume work on the subway by universal suffrage. As a result, the Metrostroy Trust was organized, and in November the next draft of the first lines was submitted to the Government. Almost immediately, they began to lay tunnels and build stations. Thus began a new history of the subway.
Moscow added to the list of shock construction projects of the Soviet government. Subsequently, many myths and legends developed around the construction of the subway, many books of Soviet and foreign authors were written containing both true and fictional information, and a sufficient number of feature films and documentaries were shot. This is understandable - the hottest time was during the period when Joseph Stalin ruled the country.
Scary Metro Stories
The terrible stories of the Moscow metro are mostly related to the laying of tunnels and the start of construction. In the old days they were told in a whisper, with an eye on outsiders. Despite the powerful work of Stalin's propaganda machine and a tough fight against all manifestations of popular discontent, chilling rumors spread throughout Moscow.
One of the horror stories of the Moscow metro is still the legend of a ghost train. They say that sometimes a train leaves the tunnel, in the windows of which you can see the silhouettes of people dressed in a gray prisoner robe - these are the ghosts of prisoners who died during the tunnel. Usually the train passes without stopping, but sometimes it slows down and the doors open. Woe to the one who enters one of the cars without examining the passengers.
It should be noted that the history of Moscow metro stations is full of such tales. And this is not surprising, because during the digging of pits and tunnels metrostroyers regularly ran into the remains of ancient burials. Of course, nobody buried the dead. They were simply reburied somewhere nearby. Superstitious people have this attitude towards the dead and is now considered a bad sign - worried souls roam from station to station and avenge their offenders for disturbed peace. Neglect of human remains could not but evoke all kinds of rumors in a poorly educated people - a natural reaction to fear of a punishment of otherworldly forces.
Several points of view on the shock construction of the USSR
In the minds of the Russians there were several points of view on how the construction of the metro in Moscow took place.
The official story, presented in the Stalinist mass media, tells of the heroism of the Soviet people who, in a short period of time, completed another labor feat for the good of their beloved homeland and built the best metro in the world in record time. The leading and guiding role of the CPSU and its Central Committee was given a special, honorable and very vast space there.
The Khrushchev and post-Soviet history of the Moscow metro sees the most important thing in denouncing the personality cult of a tyrant who reveled in his unlimited power and ruined countless people. This version has long been considered the only true one. The media wrote about how thousands of people died from overwork and were sent to camps for sabotage, sabotage and participation in espionage conspiracies against the Soviet government. But how was it really?
From the first plans to the launch of the first stage
In 2012, a book by the German historian Dietmar Neutatz, The Moscow Metro - From the First Plans to the Great Construction of Stalinism (1897-1935), was published in Russian. He wrote his work in the late 90s, and the scientist took five years to work on the book. He meticulously studied everything that the history of the Moscow metro has preserved. He studied the photo documents, newsreels, archival materials, newspaper and magazine articles, scientific papers by colleagues regarding the history of the Moscow metro with pure German pedantry.
The period of his research covers 1897-1935, that is, the time from the inception of the idea to reconstruct the transport structure of Moscow until the start of the first stage. He wonders why the metro was not started when it was needed, and the first real projects appeared, and the country was fabulously rich? For what reason did the Russian people suffer so many hardships and lose their health at a dangerous construction site, without requiring a large reward and other compensations?
Obviously, the need for the metro arose in imperial times, when after the transfer of the capital from St. Petersburg to Moscow, a flood of new populations poured there. This flow was even more intensified after the start of collectivization, when people, having lost the opportunity to live and work normally on their land, fleeing hunger and devastation, were forced to seek refuge in cities, including Moscow.
Mr. Neutatz raises very important issues concerning our country, taking the history of the Moscow Metro as a model. In the preface to his book, he writes that he is interested in this issue because of the similarity of the mentality of the Russian and German peoples - both of them, by their nature, workers, and both tend to fall under the power of totalitarian rulers. He emphasizes that in Nazi Germany there were processes similar to those that operated in our country, and this is especially characteristic for us in how the history of the subway evolved. Moscow is a cast from an entire country, and the historianâs task, along with studying the events of the past, is to analyze the events that have occurred in order to prevent the recurrence of mistakes of the past.
Metro 2
Are there secrets at the Moscow metro today? The history of interesting facts and secrets does not hide for too long. This applies, for example, to the extensive network of railways and bunkers that were dug underground during the years of Soviet power and equipped with the latest technology. But once the incident that occurred on November 6, 1941, on the eve of the military parade in honor of the 24th anniversary of the October Revolution, generated a lot of rumors and speculation among Muscovites.
The Great Patriotic War was on. The Germans, in all the might of their army, launched Operation Typhoon, aimed at capturing the capital of the USSR. On the eve of the holiday, the battles rattled already several tens of kilometers from Moscow, but the headquarters headed by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief continued to remain in the city. A meeting was held at the Mayakovskaya metro station. Suddenly, the meeting was interrupted, and Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin appeared before the crowd in person. He delivered a speech that gave strength and courage to the inhabitants and defenders of the city. Then the leader left the station as unexpectedly and mysteriously as he appeared. At the same time, no one saw how the Supreme Commander-in-Chief left the headquarters in which he was until that moment, nor how he returned to it.
The fact is that in addition to those stations and metro lines that are mapped and known to everyone, the Moscow Metro has an extensive underground infrastructure, which for the most part consists of secret objects. With a light hand, the editors of the magazine "Spark" they received the name "Metro 2".
Despite the fact that with the help of infrared radiation and a detailed spectral analysis made from artificial satellites of the Earth, these objects have long been fixed, and information about them is gradually leaking into the media, for most people they remain a secret behind seven seals.
Currently, the state of these facilities is maintained in good order, as they are still of great strategic importance.
Many of the long-standing secrets of Metro 2 are revealed in Vladimir Gonikâs novel âUnderworldâ. He worked on the book intermittently for three decades, beginning in the late 60s. The author himself repeatedly went down to the mines, talked with veterans of Metrostroy, as well as with the military, who served underground facilities.
Vladimir Gonik for a long time worked as a doctor in a clinic of the Ministry of Defense. We can say that he devoted his whole life to the dungeons of Moscow. During the years of Soviet power, such hobbies were banned and severely punished, so Vladimir Semyonovich conducted his research in the strictest confidence. In 1992, the Top Secret newspaper published the first excerpt from his novel, and then the Youth magazine published the entire novel, slightly reducing some of its chapters.
The book is written for anyone interested in the history of the subway. Moscow Gonika is not like Moscow Gilyarovsky, but his journeys through the labyrinths of the subway look as ominous as the secrets described by Gilyarovsky of the Neglinka channel imbedded in a stone pipe.
Excursions
There is a tour desk at the Moscow Metro. It is located at the Vystavochnaya station, and at the Sportivnaya station, the Peopleâs Museum of the History of the Moscow Metro is organized. A large number of routes familiarize the guests of the capital and Muscovites not only with the most beautiful stations, but also with the internal, underground life of the enterprise.
In the stories of the guides - the whole history of the Moscow metro. Separate programs have been developed for children, depending on age. They include a visit to the electric depot. Children are given the opportunity to sit in the driver's cab and see what mechanisms control the movement of the train. They are also introduced to the work of other metro experts.
For high school students, excursions are an opportunity to decide on a future profession and learn how to learn a business they like.
Guests of the capital usually enjoy listening to scary stories about the Moscow metro.
A visit to the metro museum allows you to see in miniature the operation of most metro systems - the cabs of the metro train, turnstiles, traffic lights, escalator, etc. The large layout of all metro lines with trains moving under Moscow streets is made with great accuracy and looks very impressive.
The most beautiful stations
The beauty of the Moscow metro stations is a merit of outstanding Soviet architects and artists. This, of course, architects Alexei Schusev, Nikolai Collie, Ivan Fomin, Alexey Dushkin, spouses Ivan Taranov and Nadezhda Bykova, artists Pavel Korin, Vladimir Frolov and Alexander Deineka, sculptor Matvey Manizer and others. The following stations owe their talents and hard work to their design: Komsomolskaya, Mayakovskaya, Novoslobodskaya, Taganskaya, Teatralnaya, Novokuznetskaya, Ploshchad Revolyutsii and others. The history of the names of the Moscow metro stations is directly related to the main events of our country and to the names of streets and squares on which the entrances are located.
The stylistics of the lobby and station halls meet the highest canons of art. Here is the Stalinist Empire, and Art Deco, and Art Nouveau, and Baroque, and Classicism. Everything is done on a grand scale, richly and very expensively.
As for the materials used for decoration, these are various types of marble, granite, semiprecious Ural gems, steel, bronze, brass and smalt glass.
Each station deserves a separate excursion, because the interiors used plots from the history of our country.
In addition to exquisite decor, all facilities are equipped with perfect ventilation, drainage and electricity systems.
Mayakovskaya Station
This station is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. In 1939, she won the Grand Prix at the New York World's Exhibition of Tomorrowâs World. A small copy of the station was exhibited in the pavilion dedicated to the USSR. The station is located under the Triumphal Square at a depth of 33 meters. Its five-meter arches are supported by steel columns mounted on a one and a half meter beam, laid on a reinforced concrete slab. The columns hold the three-section nave with the help of a complex structure made of metal braces.
The ceiling is illuminated by exquisite sconces - along the perimeter of each dome 16 fixtures are fixed, which in the future look like luxurious chandeliers.
For the stationâs design, tapes made of polished corrugated stainless steel and mosaic tiles made of smalt with scenes on the theme âDay of the Country of the Sovietsâ by artist A. Deineka were used. Between the panel and the steel plates are panels of the semiprecious Ural gem, rhodonite.
The floor of the station is also distinguished by sophistication. Along the edges of the platform, it is lined with gray granite, which emphasizes the ornament of different types of marble - red saliet, yellow gazgan, olive saddle, as well as ufaley, brought from different regions of the Soviet Union.
During the Great Patriotic War, a bomb shelter was organized under the arches of the station, and Muscovites went down there during shelling. The station could simultaneously accommodate up to 50,000 people. The air defense command headquarters was also located here.
The ventilation system of the station is designed so that at any time of the year and at any fullness, the air in it remains fresh.
"Novoslobodskaya"
Immediately after the opening of the station, and this happened in 1952, the admiring Muscovites called Novoslobodskaya the Underground Tale and the Stone Flower. This is not surprising, since its interiors were executed by a hereditary icon painter, artist Pavel Korin. His work is distinguished by depth, spirituality and melodious tenderness - that is how Patriarch Alexy spoke of his style.
Artfully illuminated 32 stained-glass windows of stained glass depict fantastic plants. The pylons on which they are placed are bordered with gilded brass and steel. On small round medallions in the same technique stars and people of different professions are made.
On the wall of the main hall, at the end there is a large panel "World Peace." On it is a mother holding a baby in her arms. Obviously, this plot is inspired by icon-painting images of the Virgin. Above the womanâs head, doves spread their wings. Previously, in their place was a portrait of Stalin, but during the time of Khrushchev, as a part of the campaign to debunk the cult of personality, the leaderâs face was removed, and birds appeared in his place.
"Revolution square"
The metro station "Ploshchad Revolyutsii", like the two described above, is the work of architect Alexei Nikolayevich Dushkin.
80 bronze sculptures decorating the station halls were cast in the workshop of Matvey Genrikhovich Manizer. Each sculptural composition corresponds to a milestone in the history of the USSR. Touching them is considered a good omen and promises fulfillment of desires. The most popular places among superstitious people are clearly visible on every figure - they shine especially brightly. Ordinary people posed for each character, but later on, unique events were noted in the fate of each of them.
So, for the figure of a sailor-signalman in kind, a cadet of the naval school, Olympia Rudakov, served. Subsequently, he happened to attend the coronation ceremony of Elizabeth 2 and dance a waltz tour with her.
For the figure of a sailor-revolutionary, another cadet was chosen - Alexei Nikitenko. A few years later, for participating in the war with Japan, he was awarded the golden star of the Hero of the Soviet Union.
In 1941, sculptures were evacuated to Central Asia. Upon returning from there, they were partially destroyed. Nevertheless, soon the restorers returned to their original appearance.
In conclusion, I would like to answer the question asked at the beginning of the article: âWhat is the true history of the metro?â
Moscow really is a small copy of the whole of Russia and reflects the life of each region. The history of the great construction project clearly shows that we, Russian people, are able to work without sparing ourselves, and sincerely love our Motherland, and we endure the troubles and hardships that sometimes fall on our lot with courage and perseverance, without losing faith, hope and presence of mind.