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

Monument to 1905-1907 Revolution

Monument to the Heroes of the Revolution of 1905-1907, Moscow

This monument commemorates the first attempt that the Russian workers had in making a revolution in Russia in the 20th century. Although it failed the lessons learnt from that attempt (together with the lessons learnt from the Paris Commune of 1871) meant that the successful Revolution of October (old style) 1917, under the leadership of the Bolsheviks, led by VI Lenin, was possible.

The monument

The story of the monument is basically in three parts.

Monument to 1905-1907 Revolution – 01

On the left there are two figures. A woman is standing and leaning against her legs is a dead or seriously injured male. The woman has both her arms fully extended above her head in the shape of a V (for victory?) and her fists are clenched. Even though the reaction is killing the people she remains defiant and angry, prepared to fight on, even if it means her death. Her face has the look of sadness for the injury/death of her Comrade but also one of determination. The reaction might win now but the future is of the workers.

Monument to 1905-1907 Revolution – 02

On the right there are two workers, a man and a woman, who are taking on one of the Tsarist cavalrymen. They are on the attack even against something as large and powerful as a military horse and its rider. The woman has taken hold of the horses bridle, causing it to rear up on its hind legs. This makes the seating of the soldier unsteady as he falls back and gets lower to the ground. This gives the opportunity for the man to drag the soldier from his saddle and take away his advantage. Once on the ground he will be vulnerable to attack from the rest of the (unseen) crowd. The look of panic on the face of the cavalryman is clear. He is losing this particular battle and it could mean he will also lose his life.

Monument to 1905-1907 Revolution – 02

In the centre is a symbolic grouping of Revolution. Here there are three men, one younger than the other two. The fact that there are three men and no image of a woman is a little bit unusual. I haven’t seen as many Soviet monuments of this sort as I have seen in Albania, but there, in such a circumstance, there is always a female representative to illustrate that this battle for revolution and a change in the life of the working class and peasantry is a fight of both men and women.

Two of the men are standing and one is kneeling. The oldest man in the middle is holding the pole of a huge (red) flag that flutters in the wind behind the group. The red flag is the workers’ flag and as long as that is flying the workers will never be defeated. On his left is a young man, standing with his rifle in his right hand, held high out in front of him – a sign of victory (but here not of 1905-1907 but of the victory to come in 1917). He is in the dress of a Russian peasant at the time – all such monuments stressing the unity of the workers and peasants against Tsarism. The kneeling revolutionary is on the viewers left of the group. He is dressed as an industrial worker and is holding his rifle in his right hand, with its butt resting on the ground. They are all looking ahead, into the future.