Moscow Metro – Ulitsa 1905 Goda – Line 7

Posted on 04/11/2024 by Michael

Ulitsa 1905 Goda – 01

Moscow Metro – a Socialist Realist Art Gallery

Moscow Metro – Ulitsa 1905 Goda – Line 7

Ulitsa 1905 Goda (Russian: Улица 1905 года) is a Moscow Metro station in the Presnensky District and is on the Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya Line, between Begovaya and Barrikadnaya stations. The station was opened on 30 December 1972, as part of the Krasnopresnenskiy radius.

Ulitsa 1905 Goda – 02

It is named after the nearby street, which in turn is named to commemorate the Revolution of 1905.

Ulitsa 1905 Goda – 03

The station is considered to be the first in Moscow of the modified column tri-span ‘Sorokonozhka’ design which signified that the era where functionality dominated metro architecture had ceased. The number of pillars was lowered from 40 to 26, and the interpillar distance increased from 4 to 6.5 metres. The architect, Robert Pogrebnoi, applied a decoration of pink marble to the pillars of varying shades. The walls were also decorated with marble instead of ceramic tiles for the first time. The grey marble shade is punctuated with metallic artworks showing the numbers 1905 and torches (works of Yury Korolev). Grey granite covers the floor.

Ulitsa 1905 Goda – 04

The western vestibule is underground with an exit to Year 1905 street, whilst the eastern vestibule is a surface rotunda building (very unusual for a shallow station) and is situated in the middle of Krasnopresnenskaya Zastava square. It is decorated inside with mosaics of the events of 1905.

Ulitsa 1905 Goda – 05

Text above from Wikipedia.

Ulitsa 1905 Goda – 06

Just in front of the main entrance to the metro station at Krasnopresnenskaya Zastava square is a large statue commemorating the struggle of the workers against Tsarism during the 1905-07 Revolution – Monument to the Heroes of the Revolution of 1905-1907.

Ulitsa 1905 Goda – 07

Location;

Year 1905 street/Krasnopresnenskaya Zastava square

GPS;

55.7650°N

37.5613°E

Depth;

11 metres (36 ft)

Opened;

30 December 1972

More on the USSR

Moscow Metro – a Socialist Realist Art Gallery

Moscow Metro – Kuznetsky Most – Line 7

Posted on 04/11/2024 by Michael

Kuznetsky Most – 01

More on the USSR

Moscow Metro – a Socialist Realist Art Gallery

Moscow Metro – Kuznetsky Most – Line 7

Kuznetsky Most (Russian: Кузне́цкий мост) is a Moscow Metro station in the Meshchansky District and is on the Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya Line. Designed by Nina Aleshin and N. Samoylova the station was the first column type to be built since the 1950s. It was opened in 1975 as part of the linking segment between the Zhdanovskaya and Krasnopresnenskaya Line. Decoratively the station is a column tri-vault. The columns are faced with ‘gazgan’ marble archways (reminding one of a viaduct). The floor is covered with polarised black granite. The snow-white marble of the walls is decorated with decorative artworks created by M. Alekseyev. The vestibule of the station is located in the courtyard of Rozhdestvenka Street, 6.

Above text from Wikipedia

Kuznetsky Most – 02

Kuznetsky Most – 03

Kuznetsky Most – 04

Kuznetsky Most – 05

Kuznetsky Most – 06

Kuznetsky Most – 07

Location;

Rozhdestvenka Street

GPS;

55.7606°N

37.6259°E

Depth;

39.5 metres (130 ft)

Opened;

17 December 1975

More on the USSR

Moscow Metro – a Socialist Realist Art Gallery

Kazansky Mainline Railway Station – Moscow

Posted on 31/10/2024 by Michael

Kazansky ‘Pod Room’

More on the USSR

Kazansky Mainline Railway Station – Moscow

One of the most important aspects of the Kazansky mainland railway station in Moscow (from a Socialist Realist art perspective) is one of the rooms off the main concourse. This used to be the restaurant when the station was first opened in the mid 1920s but now seems to be used more as a high end, high comfort waiting room. There are even ‘pods’ in the room for people to sleep in if they have an early or ‘middle of the night’ departure. The designation of the room now is as The Pod Room.

The architectural design of the room itself seems to follow more of the pre- revolutionary layout and influences but what makes it distinctive now are the images that have been placed into the ‘baroque style’ panels.

For unknown reasons the construction of this station took place over many years so it’s difficult to pin down exactly when the murals were painted – although the panel at one end of the room depicting the reconstruction of Moscow would indicate that at least some of the panels are post-1944/5.

I have no idea of the artist (or artists) but what’s most interesting about this decoration, which is slightly different from the other mainline railway stations in Moscow, is that the images here are telling the story about all parts of the Soviet Union, that is, areas other than those parts of the Soviet Union which were actually served by the station itself.

Kazanskaya station mainly serves the east but, for example, there are images of the Ukraine, which is west of Moscow. So here many parts of the Soviet Union get referenced. There’s also a reference, which is again slightly unusual, to the ‘Workers of the World’.

This is art that has a political message, but it’s also a little bit of fun. Some of the images are humorous, joking. This is as well as putting over a political message about the achievements of the Soviet Union in the construction of Socialism.

Some things to look out for in the panels on the ceiling;