Russian Holidays - Moscow Metro Day

Urban public transport of the rail type, the routes of which are laid underground, is available in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Novosibirsk, Kazan and Yekaterinburg. The first metro line was solemnly opened in the capital of the USSR, and this happened on May 15, 1935. The resolution “On the construction of the Moscow metro” was adopted at the plenum of the Central Committee of the party on June 15, 1931. And within a few years, a line appeared that connected Sokolniki and the Park of Culture. Today, the subway is the most popular mode of transport among capital residents and guests of the city. May 15 is Moscow Metro Day. The first line stretched for 11.5 km. The journey duration was 21.5 minutes, while by tram the same trip took more than 2 hours. In the first year of operation, four-car trains ran. The interval between trains was 5 minutes. Since January 1936, trains with 6 cars began to run. Initially there were 13 stations on the first line. Each of them was distinguished by a unique artistic design, which included elements of different styles: Gothic, Empire, Art Deco and Russian national motifs. Today, decades after their opening, the stations still amaze with their decor, which is why they are considered masterpieces of architecture. The pompous style and, in particular, the Stalinist Empire style, was a tribute to the leaders of the Soviet Union and their desire to convey to foreigners and citizens of the country the idea of ​​​​the country's power. Today, porcelain stoneware, metal ceramics, aluminum and other modern materials are used in the design of the subway. The design of the new stations is minimalist. Thus, the laconic interior of “Rumyantsevo”, opened in 2016, was designed based on the work of the abstract artist Piet Mondrian from Holland. The Moscow Metropolitan is the only network in the world that does not have stations with the same design. That is why a visit to the subway is included in all historical and architectural excursions around the capital. Tourists admire the mosaic panels made of semi-precious stones and ceramics, bronze sculptures, stained glass windows and other interior details. In the 1960s We started to focus on the planned construction of stations according to standard designs. But despite this, architects, sculptors and artists followed tradition and still came up with a special design style. Today, the dynamically developing Moscow metro, an example of precision and reliability, has 341 stations. During the day, subway trains carry more than 9 million passengers. In terms of schedule accuracy with an indicator of 99.9%, the capital's metro ranks first in the world. The network continues to be built and expanded, including in the service area areas tens of kilometers away from the city center. Moscow Metro Day is celebrated annually on May 15 not only by train drivers, but also by cashiers, repairmen and other personnel serving the transport system. More than 60 thousand employees take a responsible approach to fulfilling their professional duties. That is why the Moscow metro is considered not only the most beautiful in the world, but also the most comfortable and reliable.