In 1935, the first branch of the Moscow metro Sokolniki opened - Park Kultury. The film “Volunteers”, beloved by Soviet people, is dedicated to its construction. The profession of a metro builder at that time was one of the most respected, and prestigious too.
The most beautiful few
At that time, the capital urgently needed to build a subway, and the issue of the attractive appearance of the stations was not on the agenda. The most beautiful metro station (Moscow) was built later, when the winning country showed the whole world not only an advantage in military force, but also in a way of life, although several pre-war objects are among the ten most beautiful.
In general, the entire
Moscow metro, 44 of which out of 190 existing stations are recognized as cultural heritage sites, can be considered the most impressive in the world. Lists of leading objects do not always match. So, one list “The Most Beautiful Metro Station (Moscow)” is headed by “Kievskaya”, the other is “Komsomolskaya”, and somewhere “Arbatskaya” is the first. Most often in all ratings there are stops "Komsomolskaya", "Kievskaya", "Revolution Square", "Mayakovskaya" and "Novoslobodskaya". Although it can be easily assumed that if 44 stations are objects of cultural heritage, then they can also claim the title of the most beautiful. I would like to stipulate the indication in capital brackets - there are many stations of the same name in other cities of Russia and even neighboring countries.
Perfection in form and content
"Underground palaces", which delight and delight absolutely everyone and will serve people for many years, were built mainly until the mid-50s, that is, until the death of Stalin. Most often, after all, the Mayakovskaya station is called the most beautiful, and its design at the World Exhibition in New York in 1939 was awarded the Grand Prix.
Both Kropotkinskaya (Grand Prix at the 1951 exhibition in Brussels) and Red Gates (Grand Prix in Paris in 1938) received international prizes, and this was in those years when hatred towards the country of the Soviets went wild. This means that these projects really were the perfection of forms, and they deservedly entered the world architecture textbooks.
Lost beauty
“Stalin metro” - this is the name of the most beautiful stations of the ring line with bas-reliefs, statues, a huge number of mosaics and palace chandeliers, this is also the name of the book published in 2011 on the metro. The book is needed because a lot of the original splendor of these objects was lost as a result of reconstruction, improvement and struggle with the cult of Stalin’s personality, which destroyed everything that was created with no less love and servility.
"Proletarian palaces"
Since most often the first line in the lists “The Most Beautiful Metro Station” (Moscow) is occupied by “Komsomolskaya” - the ring - then it is worth telling about it first of all. It really resembles a palace, and as soon as they didn’t call it because of it: “the apotheosis of the Stalinist empire”, and “the last Shchusev’s temple”.
From the last sentence it is clear that the head of the group of architects developing the project was A.V. Shchusev - the author of the building of the Kazan station, the Lenin Mausoleum and many other famous buildings. Opened in 1952, it is located between the Kurskaya and Prospekt Mira stations. And in 1935, the Komsomolskaya metro station was opened on the
Sokolnicheskaya line. She is famous for the fact that the first train arrived here, and for the fact that there are two unique majolica panels made according to the sketches of E. Lansere. In 1952, it was connected by a transplant with the Komsomolskaya -Koltseva. The latter is adorned with 8 magnificent panels connected by one theme - the great victories of the Russian spirit and weapons. They are created from precious stones and smalt according to the sketches of P. D. Korin.
Recognized by the world community
So, we continue to recall the most beautiful metro stations in Moscow. The list may be continued by Mayakovskaya, opened on September 11, 1938. It is located between the Belorusskaya (north) and Tverskaya (south) stops on the Zamoskvoretskaya line. Located under the center of the capital, in the Tver region. The author of the project of the station, named after V.V. Mayakovsky, is a corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Architecture, three times Stalin Prize winner Alexei Nikolaevich Dushkin. He is the author of projects of such metro objects as “Revolution Square”, “Novoslobodskaya” (post-war project), “Avtozavodskaya” and “Kropotkinskaya”.
Pioneer Station
The author of the mosaic sketches of the Mayakovskaya station was the no less famous Soviet artist Alexander Deineka. Mayakovskaya is the world's first deep-laid station (34 meters) of column type. She is three-pivot.
What does it mean? And the fact that the most beautiful metro station (Moscow boasts many impressive and pleasing architectural objects of this type, but this one is really special) consists of three halls - the central and two side ones. Every two adjacent rooms with open rings of the lining of their arches are based on columns common to them. Hence the name of the structure is a three-vaulted column. The longitudinal arcade gives the object grandeur.
A unique element of decoration
It is decorated with 35 beautiful mosaics located in the domes that are in the ceiling of the central hall, between the arches. True, in order to consider them, one must carefully raise one's head. This refers to the shortcomings of the station called Mayakovskaya. We can add that the design name of the stop was originally different - “Triumphal Square”, and it was supposed to be designed in the manner of the Italian Renaissance. But “Triumfalnaya Square”, under which the construction of this object was planned, was renamed “Mayakovsky Square”, the station received the same name.
Mentioned more often than others
What object is more often than others on the first line of the list “The Most Beautiful Metro Station in Moscow”? "Kiev"! It was opened on March 14, 1954. Initially, she was conceived as the most beautiful. N. S. Khrushchev, already in power, thus wanted to perpetuate his native republic. A competition was announced, and out of 73 projects, the work of Ukrainian authors was chosen.
The commissioning of the facility was dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the reunification of Ukraine with Russia. The station closed the ring line. It is also of deep laying, but pylon (the supporting structure is pylons). 18 smalt panels adorn this masterpiece of architectural art.
Beautiful and original
Continue the list of "The most beautiful metro stations in Moscow," and sometimes even rightfully head it, "Revolution Square" - a stop located on the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line, opened in March 1938, in 1938. Neighboring with it are Kursk and Arbat. It differs from other contenders for the first lines in the ratings, at least in that it is famous not for mosaic panels, but for sculptures. 76 bronze figures are located in 18 arches above the aisles to the landing platforms. Arches are based on pylons (pillars) of the station hall. All the sculptures personify the inhabitants of the USSR at various time periods of its formation (from the October events of 1917 to the moment they were established in 1937) and were made in the Leningrad workshop by a group of sculptors led by Matvey Manizer. If this is not the most beautiful metro station in Moscow, then it is certainly the most original and memorable.
Surrounded by beliefs
She is loved by Muscovites. There are many beliefs associated with bronze figures. If you rub them in a certain place, then “roll over” the happiness - therefore, many sculptures have lighter, rubbed by the touch of more than one generation of residents of the capital of the place. For example, students rub their nose to a guard dog, and began to rub it almost from the moment it was established. There are four dogs in total, and each lobe is polished to a shine. There are images of roosters - they rub to an increase in salary.
In a word, the station for Muscovites is native, and they love it very much. And the bronze figures during the war were sent to evacuate to Kazakhstan. The design of the "Revolution Square" is a three-vaulted pylon, deep inception. It has a transition to the Teatralnaya station, and they have a common lobby.
The last work of a recognized master
The last work of A. N. Dushkin, the Novoslobodskaya station, opened in 1952, is almost always in the top five list under the title “The Most Beautiful Moscow Metro Stations”. The photo below fully confirms her right to be on this list. In addition, her only lobby, located on the street of the same name, looks like an ancient temple, the portico in front of the facade of which has 6 cannulated (with vertical grooves) columns. No less majestic and beautiful are the advance and escalator halls. The design of this station is a deep-laid pylon. Her "trick", or the most striking element of design, are skillfully illuminated 32 stained glass windows. They were made by Latvian artists from glass cast for stained-glass windows of churches. Original and pendant chandeliers. It should be added that about each of the Moscow metro stations, especially about those that are objects of cultural heritage, there is a wide access to detailed information with engineering calculations.
Another "Russian beauty"
There are a lot of wonderful stations in the capital, which are both vivid sights of Moscow and, at the same time, objects of a tourist pilgrimage. So, according to many, the most beautiful metro station in Moscow is Arbatskaya, which was opened in 1953. It is part of the largest interchange hub in the capital. It was built according to a special project: the cross-section of the pylon, deep laying station has an elliptical shape, the interior decoration style belongs to the Moscow Baroque. "Arbat" is very long, the second after the "Sparrow Hills", and does not have a closed perspective. Thanks to the selection of flowers, she looks very festive.
The brightest monuments of the Stalin era
Belorusskaya and Novokuznetskaya, Taganskaya and Teatralnaya, Kropotkinskaya and Prospekt Mira, Smolenskaya and some others can also claim the title “Most Beautiful Metro Station in Moscow”. As noted above, any of the 44 recognized cultural heritage sites may be among the top five or seven of the best stops in the Moscow Metro. But what about the objects built after the death of Stalin? The era of "proletarian palaces" ceased with the death of the leader ...
New objects
The most beautiful station of the Moscow metro, built in the 21st century, is Slavyansky Boulevard. It was opened in 2008. Of course, the second metro in the world in terms of congestion (second only to Tokyo), maybe not up to the beauties. But after all, stations of extraordinary beauty are being built right now in the world, for example, in Dubai.
I would like to believe that the Moscow Metro, which recently celebrated its 80th anniversary and is now experiencing a construction boom, will "grow" modern, comfortable, meeting all the requirements of today, but at the same time beautiful stations.