A Trip on the 1980 Moscow Metro -- Part I

Kropotkinkinskaya Station

Today we are taking a trip on the spectacular Moscow Metro. Or, rather, the Moscow Metro in 1980.

The Moscow Metro, of course, is internationally known for its opulence and spectacular stations. Built in several stages beginning in the 1930s it was meant to both be a showcase of Soviet engineering and technology as well as a very pleasant ride and set of surroundings for Moscow commuters and working people.

In a remarkable statement of resilience and resistance, sections and stations of the subway were both expanded and completed during the Second World War!

It is the fifth largest subway system in the world.

 In 1980 a photographic tour of the metro system was published in the USSR that I came across at a recent Communist Party booksale.

While the text is almost entirely in Russian, the station names are given in English as well. The photos are really quite beautiful and are of interest both for those who like vintage photography and for those interested in transportation.

This is the first part of what will be a three part exploration of some of the best of this book and its photos.

(Click on images to enlarge)

Metro Bridge Over a Moscow River

Sokolniki Station

Krasnosselskaya Station

Komsomolskaya Station

Lermontovskaya Station

Kirovskaya Station

Marx Prospect Station

Lenin Library Station

Kropotkinskaya Station

Park of Culture Station

Fruzenskaya Station

Lenin Hills Station

Kalininskaya Station

Arbatskaya Station

Smolenskaya Station

Kievskaya Station

See also: 26 Incredibly Evocative Photos of 1956 Soviet Moscow

See also: Vintage Postcard Folder of 1970s Riga, Latvia