A Brief History Of The Moscow Metro

There are many things for which Moscow is famous, and the metro is certainly one of the most prominent of them. The metro is the city’s beating heart. During peak hours, crowds of people pour out into the streets to the rhythm of the trains entering and leaving the stations. The metro is Moscow’s primary means of public transport; it’s also a monument to its turbulent history and vibrant present, and a crucial element and major constituent of its identity. You can’t understand Moscow without understanding its metro – this is why we’re introducing its brief history to you here.

Moscow’s metro is the most crowded in the world.

Moscow metro serves the largest number of passengers a day out of all the metro systems in the world: on weekdays this number goes up to nine million. It consists of 14 lines and 212 stations and has more than 360 km of tracks. Plus, 44 of these stations are cultural monuments. Why is that the case? And how did it all start?

It all started with Stalin.

Elektrozavodskaya Moscow Metro Station, Russia.

What happened to the metro during the wars?

The Second World War had an influence on everything that happened in the country. The construction of the metro was no exception. Pro-socialist interior motifs were replaced with war-themed décor, the construction of new stations was delayed, and some of the old stations went out of service. Many of the stations served as air-raid shelters during the siege of Moscow in 1941.
After the war, construction picked up again. The most iconic of the lines, the ring line, was opened. It traces the Garden Circle (one of the main avenues of the city). The ring makes changing lines wonderfully easy. It is marked brown in all the official metro plans. Rumour has it that it was never a part of the initial design, but that Stalin put a coffee mug on the provisional plans that left a mark in the shape and location of the current ring line, and that it was then constructed because nobody then dared to oppose the Leader’s note. The Cold War brought with it a reduction in both the metro’s budget and extravagance. The Cold War stations, located a little bit further from the centre, can be recognised immediately: they all look almost the same, with a row of columns running on both sides of the platform. The only difference between them is the colour of the marble or ceramic tiles on the walls.

Interior design of the Komsomolskaya ring line metro station in Moscow, Russia.

What is happening with the metro now?

Nowadays, the Moscow metro is constantly expanding, with new stations added to the lines every year. 2016 was especially important in the life of the metro: it is when the second (on-land) circle line was open. The Moscow metro is also an important element of culture: one of the most popular contemporary Russian writers, Dmitri Glukhovsky, set his post-apocalyptic novels entirely in the metro. The metro is, figuratively and literally, the heart of Moscow. If you want to truly get to know the city, start from the metro.

New train of the Moscow Central Railway Circle of the MCC

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.