Moscow Metro – Oktyabrskaya – Line 5

Oktyabrskaya (Октя́брьская) is a station on the Koltsevaya line of the Moscow Metro. Opened on 1 January 1950, Oktyabrskaya was part of the first segment of the fourth stage.

Oktyabrskaya – Line 5 – 01

Designed by Leonid Polyakov, who took the mid-19th century Neoclassical triumphal Empire style as the basis, incorporated the themes of the 1812 Victory over Napoleon to match the 1945 Soviet victory in the Second World War, applying it to the standard pylon tri-vault design.

Oktyabrskaya – Line 5 – 03

Both the central and platform vaults are divided by arches which have large medallions which contain bas-reliefs of Soviet Army soldiers surrounded by ornaments. The pylons contain bas-relief centred ventilation grilles which are flanked by two anodized aluminium torches that give the overall golden glow to the bright grey marble that faces them. The station walls are ceramic tiles and are decorated with relief images of gilded wreaths and stars. The end of a central hall contains a miniature triumphal arch with a metallic gate behind which there’s a small room with a blue ceiling, symbolising the time of a peaceful life. The floor of the station is laid with grey and red granite and the perimeter of the central hall is also bordered by a pattern of bright and dark marble.

Oktyabrskaya – Line 5 – 04

The station has a large vestibule on the Octyabrskaya square (until 1922 – Kaluzhskaya square, named after the city of Kaluga) on the Garden Ring and hence the station’s original name Kaluzhskaya (Калужская), renamed on 6 June 1961 to its present name (though the square’s historic name was restored in 1992). The vestibule, on the exterior, contains large bas-reliefs of trumpeters that are lit by lamps concealed as columns underneath. Inside, the ticket and escalator halls are decorated with casts and bas-reliefs containing battle banners, weapons and figures of the Soviet Army and women symbolizing glory (work by G.Motovilov). In 1989 the stand-alone structure was built in the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys.

Oktyabrskaya – Line 5 – 02

In 1962, a set of staircases were added to the central hall for a transfer to the newly opened Oktyabrskaya of the Kaluzhsko–Rizhskaya line.

Text above from Wikipedia.

Oktyabrskaya entrance

More pictures of the entrance and the ticket hall have recently been added to the slide show below.

Architect of the underground part;

L. Polyakov

Transit to Station Oktyabrskaya of the Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya Line

The basis of the station is massive pylons with cornices, which support quite flat vaults. The pylons are faced with Ural ivory-coloured marble with dark inclusions. The walls are faced with light yellowish tiles and raised ceramic gilded stars and laurels. The floor is covered of red granite with light grey edging and laurels made of black gabbro on this background. Moulded belts stretch throughout the vaults with wreaths at the ends in which are side-views of warriors and plates as if for their names, but they are empty. Torch lamps illuminate the station with calm light; its atmosphere calls to be unhurried and do not disturb eternal peace of unknown heroes. The perspective of the hall opening from the escalators ends with a sky-blue arch with a lattice gate. The arch may be perceived either a sanctuary part of a church crypt or the midday sky or, maybe, Heaven.

Ground pavilion

The ground pavilion is a classic triumphant arch built in a constructivist building. Two sculptures of military buglers (sculptor G. Motovilov) are placed above the entrance. The architecture of the cash hall copies the Janus Arch (Rome) with four arched portals. The escalator is covered with a hip-roof; modelled girls with funeral wreaths in their hands are placed on the vault.

Arbatskaya

Moscow Metro – Arbatskaya – Line 3

Arbatskaya (Арба́тская) is a station on the Arbatsko–Pokrovskaya line of the Moscow Metro. Along with Smolenskaya and Kievskaya, it was built in 1953 to replace an older, parallel section of track which has since become part of the Filyovskaya line. The old station had been damaged in a German bomb attack in 1941, so its replacement was much deeper and included larger stations that could double as shelters (especially in the event of nuclear attack). Although it was initially supposed to be closed permanently, the old section reopened five years later, creating the somewhat confusing situation of having two pairs of completely separate stations with the same names (Arbatskaya and Smolenskaya).

Arbatskaya was designed by Leonid Polyakov, Valentin Pelevin and Yury Zenkevich. Since it was meant to serve as a bomb shelter as well as a Metro station, Arbatskaya is both large (the 250-m platform is the second-longest in Moscow) and deep (41 m underground). The main tunnel is elliptical in cross-section, an unusual departure from the standard circular design. The station features low, square pylons faced with red marble and a high vaulted ceiling elaborately decorated with ornamental brackets, floral reliefs, and chandeliers.

Text from Wikipedia.

Arbatskaya – Line 3 – 01

Arbatskaya – Line 3 – 02

Arbatskaya – Line 3 – 03

Arbatskaya – Line 3 – 04

Arbatskaya – Line 3 – 05

Arbatskaya – Line 3 – 06

Arbatskaya, Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line

Date of opening;

5th March 1953

Construction of the station;

deep, pier, three-span

Architects of the underground part;

L. Polyakov, V. Pelevin, Yu. Zenkevich, A. Rogachev and M. Engelke

Transition to stations Borovitskaya, Biblioteka imeni Lenina and Alexandrovsky Sad

Arbatskaya is one of the largest stations of the Moscow Metro. It is 220 m long with passageways to escalators. Only station Vorobievy Gory is longer.

It has a specific architecture with pylons gradually widening upwards forming common parabolic vaults in the central hall and both track tunnels. This masks the closure of the volume typical of pylon stations. Moreover, the huge size of the central hall creates the feeling of simplicity and running perspective.

Arbatskaya has many constructive features similar to Ploshchad Revolutsii. It is also decorated with plastered surfaces (Attention! Do not lean against the walls when waiting for a train.) and low pedestals are faced with red marble. However when a train arrives to Arbatskaya from Ploshchad Revolutsii, a passenger seems to appear at the Age of Baroque from the Middle Ages. The bright white vaults, pylons, tunnel walls and ceilings of passageways and both entrance halls are adorned with alabaster mouldings as garlands, bouquets, clusters, aiguillettes, and tassels. The tunnel walls are covered with ceramic tiles, light lemon-coloured above and black at the bottom. The walls of the passageways and entrance halls are decorated with greyish-white marble above and red marble at the bottom. The station is illuminated with intricate baroque-like lamps in gilded bronze settings – two line of pendant chandeliers and sconces. A bench for three persons is near each pylon.

The exit to the city and transit to stations Aleksandrovsky Sad and Biblioteka imeni Lenina begin with an escalator at the eastern end of the station, which leads to the intermediate hall. A huge 26-branch circle chandelier is attached by chains to the ceiling. The other exit to the western ground hall leads to the western end of Arbatskaya. The long escalator runs to the rectangular hall. There is a huge vertical panel – white on the white wall rounded with baguette-like moulding opposite the escalators. There was a main full length portrait of Generalissimo Stalin with all his regalia. Nowadays it is covered with whitewashed decorative plates. The portrait was the only element of the station’s decorations which somehow reminded [sic] about the War. Such ‘warlike character’ distinguishes Arbatskaya from most other stations of the late 1940’s – early 1950’s.

Text from Moscow Metro 1935-2005, p62.

Arbatskaya – Line 3 – 07

Arbatskaya – Line 3 – 08

Arbatskaya – Line 3 – 09

There are two cafeterias in the Moscow metro: one at metro Arbatskaya and another at metro Voikovskaya. [I didn’t know this at the time of my visit – so no food reviews.]

The canteen at Arbatskaya has been open for 30 years with the other one in operation since 2000. Initially these cafeterias were founded with metro employees in mind, but now they are open to the public who can enjoy a quick meal on their way to work. They are quite cheap and passengers are often surprised by the good quality of the food.

The house specialities are belyashs (fried pastry stuffed with meat) and hot dogs, but the menu also includes more sophisticated fare, such as chicken with pineapple.

Text from Russia Beyond.