sunday star times travel

Sunday Star-Times - March 24, 2024

Gloriavale faces ‘death by a thousand cuts’

Focus and Sport on the move

Quick crossword

Tiare Tolks

Older & poorer

Shock, sadness and reflection as Princess of Wales opens up about her cancer diagnosis and reflection as Princess of about her cancer diagnosis

Charges follow death of NZ lawyer in Sydney

Judge made headlines as key figure in rugby case

First Division tickets win $500,000 each

Loitering dolphins disrupt SailGP

‘She’ll never get to meet him. He would have been the dre a m d a d’

We must make a noise about the right to silence in child abuse cases

Retirees work into 80s, 90s with ‘insufficient’ super and rising costs

How does a paramedic become New Zealand’s Climate Change Minister?

How Air New Zealand does a David on global Goliaths

Convicted fraudster attacked elderly neighbour with Waratah post

‘Exposure doesn’t pay the rent’: How new platform helps creatives control their mahi

All the fun of field days: Nudies, streakers and ‘porn for farmers’

Honey stall, vicar, winery: No one is safe from Kiwi-as South Island book tour

How digital natives get scammed

Street festival delights crowds

‘Your biggest enemy is yourself ’

KO edict a reprieve from bad headlines

Dozens die in Moscow attack

Merger may net Trump big windfall

Congress races to avoid shutdown – again

Tenants abandon designer cats and dogs as Sydney’s rental crisis bites

US seeks ways to keep troops based with West African ally

Illegal gun sales suspect dies after shootout with feds

Hospital raid adds to suffering

Israel announces largest West Bank seizure since 1993

So many babies are being killed and maimed –we absolutely must stay angry

Cynical Muldoonism back in the form of NZ First

National’s doing the hokey-cokey and getting shaken all about

Media council

Time could be on the side of capital gains tax

Heavy discounting of mortgage rates revealed

Winter is coming: Hospitality sector braces for mass redundancies

A Starbucks restraint of trade clause even demanded that baristas it employed had to ask permission for their partners to work at other places that served coffee.

Restraint of trade clauses – the law and the reality

Testing the bright-line test

A top suburb – and it’s not even the priciest

Starting Rotation Why the Rugby Championship continues to remain in shadow of the Six Nations

How Ed Book fell in love with NZ

‘No regrets’ mindset fuels Tall Black

AT A GLANCE

Back on track: Sprinter Zoe Hobbs touches greatness en route to the Paris Olympics

Sarpreet Singh wants his club form to match his All Whites form

How a glimpse of the 'Flying Mullet' inspired Warriors' vital try

Winless Crusaders suffer more misery

Reborn Perenara sums up Canes’ rise under Laidlaw

Chiefs hammer, then hold on, v Landers

Blues edge Matatū to snuff southerners’ finals hopes

‘Massive shame’: SailGP stars react to cancellation

Verstappen bosses Aussie GP as perfect season rolls on

Sabalenka claims emotional win over Badosa in Miami

Drua dropped goal secures golden point win v Waratahs

Dolphins force Christchurch SailGP racing to be cancelled

The gastropub where rosters are determined by the moon

The new polar race: Saving the sites of Antarctica’s explorers

Tiare Talks: How long after a breakup should I wait before dating?

Teen’s ‘insane, impossible’ cycling feat

A fascinating portrait of a unique film-maker and genuine ‘Radical Dreamer’

Why Jesse Mulligan is ‘really bored’ thinking of the future

What I’m Reading: Sylvan Spring

‘I spent an entire day taking notes and hundreds of photos’

What to watch this week

An unmissable biopic of one of music's greatest survivors

HOW WE TRAVEL

CARBON FOOTPRINT

We’re Coveting

Cool New Europe

In the Spotlight

Back to Nature

Whet Your Whistle

Sketched in Stone

Product Review

Beyond Expectations

Travel Bites

Travel Offers

The basics of wildlife photography

Save& Splurge

ASK AN EXPERT: The best times to visit Europe’s southwest

Adventure World, Essence of the Nordics

Icebreaker, RealFleece High Pile Long Sleeve Zip

Maraca, Escape to Sardinia Scented Candle

Raaie, Minis AM/PM Set

PRODUCT Review

Beyond EXPECTATIONS

PHOTOGRAPHS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT

MILE HIGH grub

COOL NEW Europe

MARCH 29-31, 2024 Warbirds Over Wānaka

MARCH 28APRIL 1, 2024

MARCH 31, 2024 Mapua Easter Fair

MARCH 29APRIL 1, 2024

Offers of the week

BACK TO NATURE

JESS KARAMJEET

WHET whistle

SEEK & EAT

PINS AND NEEDLES TEABAGS IN THE SINK

WE WERE DANGEROUS FLANNELETTE SHEETS

LONG WEEKEND WEATHER TALK

VAUGHAN MABEE

QUICK SHOTS

IT’S THE CLIMB

BREE PETERS’ MUST-HAVES

CELEBRATION KAI

STUFFED MEATLOAF

Turn the idea of an Easter egg hunt into a fantastic cake for family young and old, writes

Thirsty skin? Give it Neutrogena Hydro Boost

TOITŪ TE KUPU

When life gives you lemons…

Previous issue date:

Sunday star-times - march 17, 2024.

• Articles   >

The Moscow Metro Museum of Art: 10 Must-See Stations

There are few times one can claim having been on the subway all afternoon and loving it, but the Moscow Metro provides just that opportunity.  While many cities boast famous public transport systems—New York’s subway, London’s underground, San Salvador’s chicken buses—few warrant hours of exploration.  Moscow is different: Take one ride on the Metro, and you’ll find out that this network of railways can be so much more than point A to B drudgery.

The Metro began operating in 1935 with just thirteen stations, covering less than seven miles, but it has since grown into the world’s third busiest transit system ( Tokyo is first ), spanning about 200 miles and offering over 180 stops along the way.  The construction of the Metro began under Joseph Stalin’s command, and being one of the USSR’s most ambitious building projects, the iron-fisted leader instructed designers to create a place full of svet (radiance) and svetloe budushchee (a radiant future), a palace for the people and a tribute to the Mother nation.

Consequently, the Metro is among the most memorable attractions in Moscow.  The stations provide a unique collection of public art, comparable to anything the city’s galleries have to offer and providing a sense of the Soviet era, which is absent from the State National History Museum.  Even better, touring the Metro delivers palpable, experiential moments, which many of us don’t get standing in front of painting or a case of coins.

Though tours are available , discovering the Moscow Metro on your own provides a much more comprehensive, truer experience, something much less sterile than following a guide.  What better place is there to see the “real” Moscow than on mass transit: A few hours will expose you to characters and caricatures you’ll be hard-pressed to find dining near the Bolshoi Theater.  You become part of the attraction, hear it in the screech of the train, feel it as hurried commuters brush by: The Metro sucks you beneath the city and churns you into the mix.

With the recommendations of our born-and-bred Muscovite students, my wife Emma and I have just taken a self-guided tour of what some locals consider the top ten stations of the Moscow Metro. What most satisfied me about our Metro tour was the sense of adventure .  I loved following our route on the maps of the wagon walls as we circled the city, plotting out the course to the subsequent stops; having the weird sensation of being underground for nearly four hours; and discovering the next cavern of treasures, playing Indiana Jones for the afternoon, piecing together fragments of Russia’s mysterious history.  It’s the ultimate interactive museum.

Top Ten Stations (In order of appearance)

Kievskaya station.

Kievskaya Station went public in March of 1937, the rails between it and Park Kultury Station being the first to cross the Moscow River.  Kievskaya is full of mosaics depicting aristocratic scenes of Russian life, with great cameo appearances by Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin.  Each work has a Cyrillic title/explanation etched in the marble beneath it; however, if your Russian is rusty, you can just appreciate seeing familiar revolutionary dates like 1905 ( the Russian Revolution ) and 1917 ( the October Revolution ).

Mayakovskaya Station

Mayakovskaya Station ranks in my top three most notable Metro stations. Mayakovskaya just feels right, done Art Deco but no sense of gaudiness or pretention.  The arches are adorned with rounded chrome piping and create feeling of being in a jukebox, but the roof’s expansive mosaics of the sky are the real showstopper.  Subjects cleverly range from looking up at a high jumper, workers atop a building, spires of Orthodox cathedrals, to nimble aircraft humming by, a fleet of prop planes spelling out CCCP in the bluest of skies.

Novoslobodskaya Station

Novoslobodskaya is the Metro’s unique stained glass station.  Each column has its own distinctive panels of colorful glass, most of them with a floral theme, some of them capturing the odd sailor, musician, artist, gardener, or stenographer in action.  The glass is framed in Art Deco metalwork, and there is the lovely aspect of discovering panels in the less frequented haunches of the hall (on the trackside, between the incoming staircases).  Novosblod is, I’ve been told, the favorite amongst out-of-town visitors.

Komsomolskaya Station

Komsomolskaya Station is one of palatial grandeur.  It seems both magnificent and obligatory, like the presidential palace of a colonial city.  The yellow ceiling has leafy, white concrete garland and a series of golden military mosaics accenting the tile mosaics of glorified Russian life.  Switching lines here, the hallway has an Alice-in-Wonderland feel, impossibly long with decorative tile walls, culminating in a very old station left in a remarkable state of disrepair, offering a really tangible glimpse behind the palace walls.

Dostoevskaya Station

Dostoevskaya is a tribute to the late, great hero of Russian literature .  The station at first glance seems bare and unimpressive, a stark marble platform without a whiff of reassembled chips of tile.  However, two columns have eerie stone inlay collages of scenes from Dostoevsky’s work, including The Idiot , The Brothers Karamazov , and Crime and Punishment.   Then, standing at the center of the platform, the marble creates a kaleidoscope of reflections.  At the entrance, there is a large, inlay portrait of the author.

Chkalovskaya Station

Chkalovskaya does space Art Deco style (yet again).  Chrome borders all.  Passageways with curvy overhangs create the illusion of walking through the belly of a chic, new-age spacecraft.  There are two (kos)mosaics, one at each end, with planetary subjects.  Transferring here brings you above ground, where some rather elaborate metalwork is on display.  By name similarity only, I’d expected Komsolskaya Station to deliver some kosmonaut décor; instead, it was Chkalovskaya that took us up to the space station.

Elektrozavodskaya Station

Elektrozavodskaya is full of marble reliefs of workers, men and women, laboring through the different stages of industry.  The superhuman figures are round with muscles, Hollywood fit, and seemingly undeterred by each Herculean task they respectively perform.  The station is chocked with brass, from hammer and sickle light fixtures to beautiful, angular framework up the innards of the columns.  The station’s art pieces are less clever or extravagant than others, but identifying the different stages of industry is entertaining.

Baumanskaya Statio

Baumanskaya Station is the only stop that wasn’t suggested by the students.  Pulling in, the network of statues was just too enticing: Out of half-circle depressions in the platform’s columns, the USSR’s proud and powerful labor force again flaunts its success.  Pilots, blacksmiths, politicians, and artists have all congregated, posing amongst more Art Deco framing.  At the far end, a massive Soviet flag dons the face of Lenin and banners for ’05, ’17, and ‘45.  Standing in front of the flag, you can play with the echoing roof.

Ploshchad Revolutsii Station

Novokuznetskaya Station

Novokuznetskaya Station finishes off this tour, more or less, where it started: beautiful mosaics.  This station recalls the skyward-facing pieces from Mayakovskaya (Station #2), only with a little larger pictures in a more cramped, very trafficked area.  Due to a line of street lamps in the center of the platform, it has the atmosphere of a bustling market.  The more inventive sky scenes include a man on a ladder, women picking fruit, and a tank-dozer being craned in.  The station’s also has a handsome black-and-white stone mural.

Here is a map and a brief description of our route:

Start at (1)Kievskaya on the “ring line” (look for the squares at the bottom of the platform signs to help you navigate—the ring line is #5, brown line) and go north to Belorusskaya, make a quick switch to the Dark Green/#2 line, and go south one stop to (2)Mayakovskaya.  Backtrack to the ring line—Brown/#5—and continue north, getting off at (3)Novosblodskaya and (4)Komsolskaya.  At Komsolskaya Station, transfer to the Red/#1 line, go south for two stops to Chistye Prudy, and get on the Light Green/#10 line going north.  Take a look at (5)Dostoevskaya Station on the northern segment of Light Green/#10 line then change directions and head south to (6)Chkalovskaya, which offers a transfer to the Dark Blue/#3 line, going west, away from the city center.  Have a look (7)Elektroskaya Station before backtracking into the center of Moscow, stopping off at (8)Baumskaya, getting off the Dark Blue/#3 line at (9)Ploschad Revolyutsii.  Change to the Dark Green/#2 line and go south one stop to see (10)Novokuznetskaya Station.

Check out our new Moscow Indie Travel Guide , book a flight to Moscow and read 10 Bars with Views Worth Blowing the Budget For

Jonathon Engels, formerly a patron saint of misadventure, has been stumbling his way across cultural borders since 2005 and is currently volunteering in the mountains outside of Antigua, Guatemala.  For more of his work, visit his website and blog .

Photo credits:   SergeyRod , all others courtesy of the author and may not be used without permission

13 episodes

From beautiful stories in the world's great cities to lonely battlefields, from vintage aircraft and cruise ships out on the ocean wave, the Sunday Times Travel Podcast, hosted by Paul Ash, is a fresh - and audible - take on the world of travel. A Tiso Blackstar Group Production.

Sunday Times Travel TimesLIVE Podcasts

• Society & Culture
• 4.0 • 1 Rating
• SEP 13, 2019

Sunday Times Travel Podcast | From jail to the wilderness

Rusty Labuschagne was jailed for 10 years in horrific conditions in a Zimbabwean prison for a crime that did not happen. In this espisode, he speaks to Paul Ash about prison life, humility, forgiveness and the healing power of the bush.

• JUN 22, 2019

Sunday Times Travel Podcast | Walking with Dinosaurs

The Dinosaur Park in Mpumalanga province in South Africa should be much more famous than it is. The life-size animals, which include a brontosaurs, were created by one of the country's top wildlife artists and live out their days in a gorgeous piece of sub-tropical forest at the edge of the equally wonderful Sudwala Caves. The caverns are packed with fossils and bats and were once the refuge of a great Swazi king and his people. This is the story of how the park came to be.

• MAY 18, 2019

Sunday Times Travel Podcast | Time Travel - Who's dumb enough to make a travel podcast on cassette tape?

Sunday Times Travel editor Paul Ash has always travelled with a tape recorder. Long after cleverer people dumped clunky tapes for the brittle efficiency of solid-state flash-memory recorders, pundits have been shouting "Tape is dead!" from the rooftops. Yet, to paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of tape's death have been greatly exaggerated. The National Audio Company of Springfield, Missouri, USA, makes about 10 million cassette tapes a year for tapeheads and artists as different as Pearl Jam and Arianna Grande. Those musicians have helped ensure that there's life the old dog yet. In this episode, veteran tapehead Ash speaks to Sunday Times colleagues about the considerable punishments and slow-burning joys of cassettes and making mix tapes for the objects of your heart's desire. The interviews were recorded on a Marantz PMD-420 two-head cassette deck, using a Rode M3 "direct fire" condenser microphone. Field audio was recorded on a Sony WM-D6C Professional Walkman and an Akai micro-cassette dictataphone.

• APR 27, 2019

Sunday Times Travel Podcast | Steam Fever - The Seven Habits of highly successful railway barons

Every dreamer loves a train. Maybe it's the sheer moxie they represent as they curl around mountains and cut across plains; maybe it's the human progress they signify. For the curious, their slow pace and on-board freedom of movement encourage strangers to mingle and connections to spark. For the nostalgic, they hark back to travel's Golden Age, when the likes of the legendary Orient-Express carried society's ritziest across continents under clouds of luxury, exoticism and entitlement. Certainly, in an age of instantaneous everything, of night flights and sleeping pills and waking up on runways, there can be no better way for a romance-seeking traveller to relive a time when the journey was the thing than to go by rail. And if by rail, then what better travelling companions than fine dining, exemplary service and a multitude of comforts dressed up in a coat of bygone charm? In this episode, Sunday Times Travel editor Paul Ash speaks to Rohan Vos father of the renowned luxury Rovos Rail.

• NOV 12, 2018

Sunday Times Travel Podcast | Song of the Painted Wolves: Three years in the wilderness with a pack of African wild dogs

The makers of "Dynasties", BBC Earth's five-part series on the epic lives of five animal families, spent years filming with the African wild dogs, or "painted wolves" as they are now widely known, in the Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe. "Painted Wolves", one episode in the series narrated by David Attenborough, follows the story of a family of African wild dogs as they battle a rival pack for territory and food on a wide floodplain along the Zambezi River. The episode is an epic production in every way. During long periods on location, the crew heard and saw animal behaviour that had never been witnessed before. But to capture that they had to endure punishing heat and humidity, lashing thunderstorms in the rainy season and days that stretched into weeks when they had not one sighting of the dogs. They also had to be on their feet, with cameras and microphones, in a place crawling with opportunistic predators such as hyenas, crocodiles and lions. The park is one of Africa's secret gems, a fertile habitat of dense thickets of acacia, mahogany, fig and ebony trees in whose glades gather elephants, eland, zebra, buffalo, kudu, and lots of impala. The antelope in turn support the predators: lions, hyenas, leopards and, of course, the painted wolves. This family drama ends on a truly beautiful note as the dogs do something that has never before been heard. Listen on.

• OCT 21, 2018

Sunday Times Travel Podcast | Why staying at a private camp in Kruger National Park is worth the money

Jock Safari Lodge is one of eight privately-run camps in the world-famous Kruger National Park in South Africa. Staying in a private camp may be expensive but it offers unbeatable luxury and private game drives with some of the best rangers and trackers in the world. Paul Ash discovers why Jock Camp is so special.

• © TimesLIVE Podcasts

Customer Reviews

Top podcasts in society & culture.

Is it safe to travel to Haiti right now? What travelers should know

The State Department is urging Americans not to travel to Haiti amid fresh gang violence in the country, which declared a state of emergency last week.

While neither the warnings nor violence are entirely new – Haiti has been a Level 4: Do Not Travel destination in State Department travel advisories since before the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse – a spate of recent high-profile attacks, including an attempt by armed gangs to seize control of the country’s main international airport, has sparked renewed urgency. 

“The current security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous,” the U.S. Embassy in Haiti said in a security alert issued Sunday. “We are aware that there are few or no commercial options to depart Haiti safely at this time. As they become available, we urge U.S. citizens to take advantage of them. The U.S. Embassy’s ability to assist U.S. citizens is severely limited.” 

The U.S. military stepped in to airlift American personnel “into and out of the Embassy” to augment security, U.S. Southern Command said Sunday in a statement to USA TODAY. The embassy is also coordinating assisted departure flights "through non-commercial means" for U.S. citizens, according to its website .

Americans in Haiti can fill out crisis intake forms and enroll in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program program for updates. 

Learn more: Best travel insurance

Here’s what airlines and cruise lines are doing about trips to Haiti:

Haiti violence: Military airlifts American personnel out of embassy as Haiti spirals into violence

Are there direct flights to Haiti?

Three U.S. airlines typically operate direct flights to Haiti: American, JetBlue and Spirit. However, all three have temporarily suspended service and issued travel waivers for the Caribbean destination.

◾ American Airlines customers with flights scheduled to, through, or from Port-au-Prince (PAP) through March 25 may modify flights without paying change fees. Changes must be made by March 25 with the same origin and destination cities as the original booking.

◾ JetBlue Airways is waiving change and cancellation fees for travelers with flights scheduled to and from Port-au-Prince through April 15. Changes can be made through April 30.

◾ Spirit Airlines is waiving change fees and fare differences on travel to, from, or through Cap Haitien (CAP) and Port-au-Prince through April 15. Travelers should rebook by April 30. After that, the airline said change fees would still be waived, but fare differences may apply.

Is Royal Caribbean still going to Haiti?

Royal Caribbean and its sister line Celebrity Cruises normally sail to Labadee, Haiti , a private destination roughly six hours away from Port-au-Prince by car. However Royal Caribbean is skipping several previously scheduled stops, in coming days.

The following sailings will not go to Labadee.

• Adventure of the Seas: 3/15 sailing 
• Mariner of the Seas: 3/16 sailing
• Explorer of the Seas: 3/17 sailing 
• Oasis of the Seas: 3/17, 3/24, 3/31, 4/7 and 4/14 sailings
• Symphony of the Seas: 3/17, 3/23, 3/31, 4/6, 4/14, 4/20 and 4/28 sailings
• Grandeur of the Seas: 3/18 sailing 
• Independence of the Seas: 4/4, 4/8, 4/18 and 4/22 sailings

"The safety and security of our guests, crew, and communities we visit are our top priority," a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said in a statement to USA TODAY. "Our Global Security and Intel Team is closely monitoring the evolving situation in Haiti, and in an abundance of caution, we are temporarily making adjustments to sailings visiting Labadee. We will continue to monitor and reassess calls as needed, and will communicate updates with guests directly."

As recently as March 11, the cruise line had not canceled any sailings to Labadee, but was keeping a close on the situation while noting that it had private security in the area, which was closed to the public.

It doesn’t look like any Celebrity cruises are scheduled there until fall.

Contributing: Nathan Diller, USA TODAY

Eve Chen is a travel reporter  for USA TODAY based in Atlanta. You can reach her at [email protected].

Game time set for Purdue vs. Gonzaga in 2024 NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen

Purdue advanced to the Sweet Sixteen Sunday with a 106-67 victory over eight seed Utah State.

Next up for the top seeded Boilers (31-4) is five seed Gonzaga (27-7) in the Midwest Region Sweet Sixteen in Detroit.

More: Purdue basketball a March Madness title contender? After Sunday, it's hard to argue

Related: Purdue basketball blitzes Utah State to advance to NCAA March Madness Sweet 16

When does Purdue play Gonzaga in NCAA Tournament Sweet 16?

Date: Friday, March 29

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA tournament brackets, scores, schedules, teams and more.

Where: Detroit

Time: 7:39 p.m.

TV : TBS or TruTV

Moscow Metro – Part 2

Have you been to Moscow ? In all seriousness, they have the prettiest metro stations I have ever seen and I still can’t believe how immaculate and lovely every station was. There are several different stations pictured below and this is the second of several posts where I will show you the beauty of the Moscow Metro. Did you see part 1 ?  There really isn’t much to say because I think the pictures speak for themselves. I have so many more pictures to share with you!

Have you ever been to Moscow? Is it someplace you have thought about visiting?

She speaks fluent English, French and Spanish, and works for a major airline. And guess what? She’s also a licensed elementary teacher and has an MBA.

Similar Posts

Bus From San Diego International to Amtrak

  Recently I had to get from San Diego International Airport to the Amtrak Train Station. I had no…

Taxi Rides In Havana

  When you are in Havana, you have several different types of taxis to choose from. Most tourists only get…

Southern Hollywood Film Tour – Atlanta, Georgia

I received a media rate for this tour through a travel campaign with New Creative Media.   All opinions expressed are…

Arts And Metiers Metro Station In Paris

Do you like funky metro stops? Then you have to make your way to Arts and Metiers metro on…

Hollywood Walk Of Fame – Muhammad Ali

Have you heard of the Hollywood Walk Of Fame? Did you know there is one star on Hollywood Blvd….

5 Options To Not Wearing Sneakers While On Vacation

After reading my daily tip on how not to stand out like a tourist in a foreign country, one…

This is the train STATION?? Oh my god… So gorgeous. Moscow has never even crossed my mind as a possible travel destination but this is gorgeous…Hmmm… LOL

I know, right? We spent several hours in the metro, just marveling at the beauty of each one. Thanks for stopping by!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Claudia Looi

Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed.

Accessibility Links

4 beauty products I will never run out of

What are the products i use to the very last drop these are the star buys i turn to time and again.

Challenge yourself with today’s puzzles.

“Empties!” is a big movement on social media. TikTokkers and Instagrammers alike tip bottles upside down, wind up blunt lipstick bullets and — in extreme cases — hold beauty “funerals” for beloved products that have been used until the very last drop. No, really: Urban Decay superfans hold vigils for their precious used-up Naked eyeshadow palettes.

Fidelity is not my strong point when it comes to beauty products. I’m not the best at finishing anything because it’s my job to review the latest. This wandering eye of mine means that when I do pledge allegiance to a specific product, it’s because it’s next-level brilliant. I’m talking standing-ovation, award-winning, Michelin-star excellent.

• This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue

It’s worth noting that

Related articles