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 importance. 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 traveling through the stations accompanied by a guide who talks about the symbols contained in the elements decorating the halls.
Before the revolution of 1917, only dreamed of the metro
The history of the creation of the metro in Moscow has a little more than 140 years - the idea of organizing an underground connection between the Kursk railway station and Maryina Roscha appeared in 1875. The first drafts date back to 1902. One of them was developed by architect P. A. Balinsky and civil engineer E. K. Knorre, and the other - railway 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 began in Moscow. History, however, dictates its own conditions - in June, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was killed in Sarajevo. The tragic event was the beginning of the First World War, in which Russia was also drawn. 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 delay the laying of subway lines. The old plans became 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 disproportionate amount of money than the customer 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 suggestion of L. M. Kaganovich, the deputies adopted a historic decision to resume work on the subway by popular vote. As a result, the Metrostroy trust was organized, and in November the next project of the first linespresented to the Government. Almost immediately, they began laying tunnels and building stations. Thus began a new history of the subway.
Moscow added to the list of shock construction sites of the Soviet government. Subsequently, many myths and legends developed around the construction of the subway, many books by Soviet and foreign authors were written, containing both truthful and fictional information, a sufficient number of feature films and documentaries were shot. This is understandable - the hottest time was during the period when the country was ruled by Joseph Stalin.
Scary Subway Stories
The horror stories of the Moscow metro are mostly connected with the laying of tunnels and the start of construction. In the old days, they were told in a whisper, with an eye on strangers. 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 the ghost train. They say that sometimes a train leaves the tunnel, in the windows of which silhouettes of people dressed in gray prison uniforms are visible - these are the ghosts of prisoners who died during the construction of 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 carriages without considering the passengers.
It should be noted that the history of Moscow metro stations is full of such tales. And this is not surprising, because while digging pits and tunnels, metro builders regularlycame across the remains of ancient burials. Of course, no one buried the dead. They were simply reburied somewhere nearby. Superstitious people have such an attitude towards the dead and is now considered a bad sign - disturbed souls wander from station to station and take revenge on their offenders for disturbed peace. Disregard for human remains could not but cause all sorts of rumors in the poorly educated people - a natural reaction to the fear of punishment from otherworldly forces.
Several points of view on the shock construction of the USSR
In the minds of 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 media, tells of the heroism of the Soviet people, who in a short period of time accomplished another labor feat for the benefit of their beloved Motherland and built the best metro in the world in record time. The leading and guiding role of the CPSU and its Central Committee was assigned a special, honorable and very extensive space there.
Khrushchev's and post-Soviet history of the Moscow metro sees the most important thing in the denunciation of the personality cult of a tyrant who reveled in his unlimited power and killed a myriad of people. This version has long been considered the only true one. The media wrote about how people died by the thousands from overwork and were sent to camps for sabotage, sabotage and participation in spy plots against the Soviet regime. How was it really?
From the first plans to the launch of the first stage
In 2012, the 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 it took the scientist five years to work on the book. He scrupulously studied everything that the history of the Moscow metro has preserved. Photo documents, newsreels, archival materials, newspaper and magazine articles, scientific works of colleagues concerning the history of the Moscow metro, were studied by him with purely German pedantry.
The period of his research covers 1897-1935, that is, the time from the birth of the idea to reconstruct the transport structure of Moscow to the launch of the first stage. He wonders why they didn’t start building the metro when the need arose, and the first real projects appeared, and the country was fabulously rich? Why did the Russian people endure so many hardships and lose their he alth at a dangerous construction site, without demanding large remuneration and other compensation?
Obviously, the need for the metro arose back in tsarist times, when, after the transfer of the capital from St. Petersburg to Moscow, a stream of new population poured into it. This flow intensified even more 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 shelter 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 this question interests him fordue to 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 processes similar to those that operated in our country took place in Nazi Germany, and in our country this is especially characteristic in the way the history of the metro developed. Moscow is a cast from the whole country, and the task of the historian, along with studying the events of the past, is to analyze the events that took place in order to prevent the repetition of the mistakes of the past.
Metro 2
Are there any secrets at the Moscow metro today? The history of interesting facts and secrets hides not too long. This applies, for example, to the extensive network of railroads and bunkers, which during the years of Soviet power were dug underground and equipped with the latest technology. But once upon a time, an incident that occurred on November 6, 1941, on the eve of a military parade in honor of the 24th anniversary of the October Revolution, gave rise to a lot of rumors and conjectures among Muscovites.
The Great Patriotic War was on. The Germans, at full power of their army, launched Operation Typhoon, aimed at capturing the capital of the USSR. On the eve of the holiday, battles thundered already several tens of kilometers from Moscow, but the headquarters, headed by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, continued to remain in the city. A rally was held at the Mayakovskaya metro station. Suddenly, the meeting was interrupted, and Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin himself appeared before the crowd. He made a speechwhich gave strength and courage to the inhabitants and defenders of the city. Then the leader left the station as suddenly and mysteriously as he had appeared. At the same time, no one saw how the Supreme Commander left the headquarters, in which he was until that moment, or 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 facilities. With the light hand of the editors of the Ogonyok magazine, they received the name Metro 2.
Despite the fact that with the help of infrared radiation and detailed spectral analysis made from artificial Earth satellites, these objects have long been recorded, and information about them is gradually leaking into the media, for most people they remain a mystery with seven seals.
These facilities are currently well maintained as they continue to be of great strategic importance.
Many old secrets of "Metro 2" are revealed in Vladimir Gonik's novel "Hell". He worked on the book intermittently for three decades, starting in the late 60s. The author himself went down into the mines many times, talked with Metrostroy veterans, as well as with the military who serviced underground facilities.
Vladimir Gonik worked for a long time as a doctor in a polyclinic 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 strictlywere punished, so Vladimir Semyonovich conducted his research in the strictest confidence. In 1992, the Sovershenno Sekretno newspaper published the first excerpt from his novel, and then the Yunost magazine printed the entire novel, somewhat shortening some of its chapters.
The book is addressed to everyone who is interested in the history of the subway. Gonik's Moscow does not look like Gilyarovsky's Moscow, but his journeys through the labyrinths of the subway look as ominous as the secrets of the Neglinka channel imprisoned in a stone pipe described by Gilyarovsky.
Tours
A tour desk operates at the Moscow Metro. It is located at the Vystavochnaya station, and the People's Museum of the History of the Moscow Metro is organized at the Sportivnaya station. A large number of routes introduces guests of the capital and Muscovites not only to the most beautiful stations, but also to the inner, underground life of the enterprise.
In the stories of the guides - the whole history of the Moscow metro. For children, depending on age, separate programs have been developed. They include a visit to the electric depot. The children are given the opportunity to sit in the driver's cab and see which mechanisms control the movement of the train. They are also introduced to the work of other metro specialists.
For high school students, excursions are an opportunity to decide on their future profession and find out how to learn what 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 work of most subway systems - subway cabs, turnstiles,traffic lights, an escalator, etc. The large mock-up of all metro lines with trains moving under Moscow streets is made with great precision and looks very impressive.
The most beautiful stations
The beauty of the Moscow metro stations is the merit of outstanding Soviet architects and artists. These are, of course, architects Alexei Shchusev, Nikolai Kolli, Ivan Fomin, Alexei 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 design to their talents and diligence: Komsomolskaya, Mayakovskaya, Novoslobodskaya, Taganskaya, Teatralnaya, Novokuznetskaya, Revolution Square and others. The history of the names of Moscow metro stations is directly related to the main events of our country and to the names of streets and squares where the entrances are located.
The design style of lobbies and station halls meets the highest canons of art. Here and the Stalinist Empire, and Art Deco, and Art Nouveau, and Baroque, and Classicism. Everything is done on a grand scale, richly and very expensive.
As for the materials used for decoration, these are various types of marble, granite, semi-precious Ural gems, steel, bronze, brass and sm alt glass.
Each station is worthy of a separate tour, because the interiors feature scenes from the history of our country.
In addition to exquisite decor, all facilities are equipped with perfect systems of ventilation, drainage and power supply.
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 Fair "Tomorrow's World". A reduced copy of the station was exhibited in the pavilion dedicated to the USSR. The station is located under Triumphalnaya Square at a depth of 33 meters. Its five-meter vaults are supported by steel columns mounted on a one-and-a-half-meter beam laid on a reinforced concrete slab. The columns support the three-section nave with a complex structure of metal struts.
The ceiling is illuminated by exquisite sconces - 16 lamps are fixed around the perimeter of each dome, which in the future look like luxurious chandeliers.
For the design of the station, ribbons of polished corrugated stainless steel and mosaic panels of sm alt with plots on the theme of "Day of the Land of the Soviets" by artist A. Deineka were used. Between the panel and the steel plates are panels made of a semi-precious Ural gem, rhodonite.
The floor of the station is also exquisite. Along the edges of the platform, it is lined with gray granite, which emphasizes the ornament of different types of marble - red salieti, yellow gazgan, olive sadakhlo, 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 descended 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 thatthat at any time of the year and with any fullness, the air in it remains fresh.
Novoslobodskaya
Immediately after the opening of the station, which happened in 1952, admiring Muscovites called Novoslobodskaya "Underground Tale" and "Stone Flower". This is not surprising, since its interiors were made by hereditary icon painter, artist Pavel Korin. His work is distinguished by depth, spirituality and melodious tenderness - this is how Patriarch Alexy spoke about his style.
Artfully illuminated, 32 stained glass windows depict fantastic plants. The pylons on which they are placed are edged with gilded brass and steel. Stars and people of different professions are made in the same technique on small round medallions.
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. It is obvious that this plot is inspired by the icon-painting images of the Virgin. Doves spread their wings over the woman's head. Previously, in their place was a portrait of Stalin, but during the Khrushchev era, as part of a campaign to debunk the cult of personality, the face of the leader was removed, and birds appeared in its place.
Revolution Square
The Ploshchad Revolyutsii metro station, like the two described above, is the work of architect Alexei Nikolaevich 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 the fulfillment of desires. Most Popularin superstitious people, places are clearly visible on each figure - they shine especially brightly. Ordinary people posed for each character, but in the future, 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 Olympy Rudakov served. Subsequently, he happened to attend the coronation ceremony of Elizabeth 2 and dance the w altz tour with her.
Another cadet, Alexei Nikitenko, was chosen for the revolutionary sailor figure. A few years later, for participation in the war with Japan, he was awarded the gold star of the Hero of the Soviet Union.
In 1941, the sculptures were evacuated to Central Asia. Upon returning from there, they were partially destroyed. Nevertheless, soon the restorers returned them to their original appearance.
In conclusion, I would like to answer the question asked at the beginning of the article: “What is the true story of the metro?”
Moscow is indeed a reduced copy of the whole of Russia and reflects the life of each region. The history of the great construction clearly shows that we, Russian people, know how to work without sparing ourselves, and sincerely love our Motherland, and we endure the troubles and hardships that sometimes fall to our lot with courage and steadfastness, without losing faith, hope and presence of mind.
