The biggest stupidity a tourist can do when visiting Stockholm is not to visit it unique metro. I know this from myself! During my first visit to the city, Katya and I walked everywhere, and then we took a car. As a result, we didn’t even look into the metro. Only two weeks later, I accidentally saw somewhere in LiveJournal photographs of the grandiose stations of this underground system, which is called the longest art gallery in the world!
Don't repeat my mistake! Be prepared to ride the Stockholm metro and just gawk.
1
The metro system in Stockholm opened in the 1950s. It consists of lines of three colors intersecting in the center of the city. True, each color branches into several separate routes in the suburbs, so if you need to go outside the center, then pay attention to the final directions. All routes (there are seven of them) are also thought out - in this regard, the metro is similar to our New York one, where each color also represents several routes.
The system operates from five in the morning until one in the morning. You have to be careful with this in the summer, as the days here are very long. It seems that it just got dark, and the metro has already stopped running.
2 From the outside, the stations don't look very noticeable. The symbol of the system is the letter "T" in a circle (in Swedish the metro is called Tunnelbana, or " Railway in the tunnel.")
3 Today there are 100 stations in the system. Most of them look absolutely normal at the entrance, there is nothing special about them - the turnstiles are the same as everywhere else. About half of the stations are underground (mostly in the center), and the other half are above ground.
4 Going down the escalator you can notice the transition from an ordinary station to an unusual one. Do you see the tunnel ahead turning red and the ceiling becoming uneven?
5 This is the beginning of the cave. They decided to hollow out a number of Stockholm stations in stone, but not clad them in any way, leaving rough stone walls and vaults and only painting them.
6 These stops are the most beautiful and unique. Personally, I have never seen anything like this anywhere else.
7 Each station has its own predominant color and its own coloring system.
8 There are some very colorful ones!
9 The easiest way to see such a “cave” is at the central stop, T-Centralen. The main thing is to go down to the lower level, where the blue line trains go.
10 Photographers love to photograph station escalators - their smooth metal harmonizes interestingly with the surrounding rough stone.
11 Beauty!
12 Central station again.
13 An entire ancient city was built on Kungsträdgården.
14 The new blue carriages look great at this station. And it’s good for others too.
15 But they didn’t stop there with painted stone. Many platforms have various art objects.
16 Antique statues...
18 Ruins of non-existent cities...
19 Various miniatures.
20 There's even a miniature White House!
21 But someone left bronze shoes on the roof of the cave.
22 At T-Centralen, cave paintings depict workers building the subway.
23 Train on the Kungsträdgården platform.
24 There are simpler stations, although almost everywhere in the center they are trying to somehow decorate the platforms. This is why the Swedes talk about their metro as the world's longest gallery.
25 Multi-colored mosaics.
26 On upper level T-Centralen is simpler. That is why I never saw this cave station on my first visit! (Don't be like Leva!)
27 You will most likely arrive here from the airport anyway (the local Aeroexpress arrives at the central station). To admire the beauty, just go down to the lower level.
28 But in the Old City the metro goes along the street, so there is no special beauty at this stop (this is another reason why I didn’t see anything in the first place!)
29 There are very simple platforms. Covered with advertisements.
30 But even at such stations they hang some kind of art.
31 And they present strange exhibits.
32 An oddly shaped bench.
33 Ticket selling machines. It's cheaper than buying them at the box office.
34 And at the supermarket you can buy an unlimited ticket for three days. The metro in Stockholm is not cheap; a ticket costs about $30. But if you're going to be riding around town a lot, it might make sense. In the end, I never came across its cost (we walked a lot).
35 The inside of the cars looks like this:
36 The locals can be extremely nice.
37 Conductor!
Have you been to the Stockholm metro? How do you like it? From a purely external perspective, I liked it more than the Moscow one. (And there’s nothing to say about New York - it’s ugly here,
15. Which station is dedicated to the subway builders? "Komsomolskaya" Sokolnicheskaya line.
The station is named after the square onto which its vestibule opens. Until 1932, the square was called Kalanchevskaya, but then it was renamed in honor of the Komsomol members - the builders of the metro (since 2003 it has been called Three Stations Square). In addition to the name, two majolica panels decorating the wall that completes the station’s balcony gallery are dedicated to the work of the Komsomol metro builders (the galleries were needed to differentiate the incoming and outgoing flows of passengers in a large transport hub of the city). The sketches of the panels were made by E. Lansere, an academician of painting since pre-revolutionary times, who was one of the leaders of the “World of Art” group. Panel "In the workshop of the machine and tractor station."
Panel “Mining Mine”.
16.Which station has the most varied decorative finishes? "Novokuznetskaya".
The station was built during the Great Patriotic War, as soon as the capital ceased to be in danger.
It became a monument to Russian weapons. The station's pylons are decorated with powerful marble portals. Between them are massive marble benches with high backs and cantilevered armrests. In the central hall, on the axis of the portals there are bronze floor lamps with lamps. They illuminate six smalt mosaic panels on the vault central hall. Mosaics based on sketches by A. Deineka were collected by the artist V. Frolov, who was in besieged Leningrad. He died in 1942, and the mosaics were taken away Lake Ladoga. They were originally intended for the Paveletskaya station, but then the design of the station was changed, and mosaics decorated the vault of Novokuznetskaya, replacing the sky, as at Mayakovskaya. The compositions of the mosaics are dedicated to peaceful life - “Skiers”, “Aviators”, “Builders”, “Engineers”, “Steelworkers”, “Gardeners”.
In the lower part of the vault above the pylons there is a gypsum sculptural frieze depicting representatives of various branches of the Red Army: pilots, signalmen, tank crews, infantrymen, cavalrymen, etc. Between them are inserted images of the orders of the Patriotic War. On the inner walls of the travel halls there are bronze medallions with flags and portraits of the great Russian commanders: Alexander Nevsky, Dmitry Donskoy, Minin, Pozharsky, Suvorov and Kutuzov.
On the end wall of the central hall there is a marble panel reflecting the stages of development of the USSR. Six types of marble were used in the design of the station. High Quality. As a result, the station turned out to be quite overloaded with parts.
17. I continue the topic of stations built during the Great Patriotic War.
Many stations that were built during the Second World War acquired a military overtones in their design, although the original projects were dedicated to peaceful life. First of all, the “unity of the front and rear” was reflected.
For example, “Baumanskaya” is decorated with eight sculptures made of plaster, painted bronze, located in the niches of the central hall (“Metrostroevka”, “Red Army Soldier with a Banner”, “Red Army Soldier in a Camouflage Robe”, “Pilot”, “Partisan Woman”, “Commander”, "Worker", "Constructor").
17. The appearance of the Elektrozavodskaya station was originally associated with the nearby Moscow Electric Plant.
From this project, only six medallions with portraits of scientists - the founders of electrical engineering, decorating the hall of the ground lobby remained. Work on the construction of the station was resumed only in 1943, and the main theme of the design changed - again it became “the front and rear in the Great Patriotic War.” The walls of the central and travel halls are decorated with high reliefs, such as “Aircraft Builders”, “Tank Builders”, “Foundry Workers”, “Automobile Builders”, “Oil Workers”, “Women of the Electric Plant”, “Road Layers”, etc. (sculptor G. Motovilov).
The creators of Elektrozavodskaya were guided by the temples of classical antiquity, using simple and clear architectural forms, an order system (which also included high reliefs), and a clear rhythm of figures on the reliefs. On the ceiling there are 282 round lamps with the same incandescent light bulbs that the workers make in relief.
18. The theme of the decoration of the Semenovskaya station is the defense of the Motherland.
On the end wall there is a high relief “Order of Victory” against the background of weapons and a banner with the inscription “Glory to our Red Army!” The vaults of the hall are decorated with images of various types of weapons - tanks, artillery pieces, aircraft, warships. On the walls of the travel halls there are medallions with profile images of Russian soldiers (Cossack, tankman, Red Army soldier, Red Navy man, pilot and scout) and cartouche shields with symbols of various branches of the military.
18. The Avtozavodskaya station was originally called Zavod im. Stalin" and was intended to serve the workers of this plant.
Like other stations on the Zamoskvoretskaya line, it was completed during the war. The design of Avtozavodskaya repeats the design of Kropotkinskaya - two rows of thin columns supporting a beamless floor. The track walls are decorated with a mosaic frieze on the theme of the labor of Soviet people. These mosaics were made in Leningrad during the blockade in the same workshop of V. Frolov, where the mosaics for Novokuznetskaya were made.
Already during construction, they decided to add bas-reliefs with scenes of the defense of Moscow and the exploits of home front workers to the design of the track walls.
The escalator hall of the ground lobby is decorated with a marble panel “Russian Heroes”. The ceiling painting glorifies the heroes of the Great Patriotic War.
I’ve already written about the design of “Partizanskaya”.
In one of the next posts I will write about post-war stations dedicated to the Victory in the Second World War, the triumph and memory of Soviet soldiers.
To be continued.
1. Paveletskaya (Zamoskvoretskaya line)
Probably all Muscovites are familiar with the metro station "Paveletskaya". Many people used it, for example, when traveling to Domodedovo airport on the Aeroexpress or going to the House of Music. And some even drew attention to the strange narrowing of the station closer to the exit, where a very spacious station turns into a narrow corridor between thick walls:
I can't even believe that these two photos were taken on the same platform. The solution to this design is simple. Ta "Paveletskaya", which we know is not at all the one that was built in the forties:
On the old "Paveletskaya" there was no central hall at all. Two long and narrow halls, similar to a pipe, were connected only at the exit from the station. Three side arches on each side of the narrow corridor have survived to this day. Once upon a time, the only way to get to trains was through them.
Both halls "Paveletskaya" were decorated with military-themed bas-reliefs and elegant benches. They have not survived to this day. In the fifties, the station was completely rebuilt. A large central hall with columns was built, which united the entire station along with the former side halls in a single volume. “As a keepsake” from the previous station, we only had a small area with wide pylons and a narrow corridor near one of the exits.
2. Lubyanka
A similar incident happened with the station "Lubyanka"(then it was called "Dzerzhinskaya"). When the station opened in 1935, it appeared to passengers in a completely different appearance than we know it now:
Its design also consisted of two separate pipe halls with platforms. The exit from these halls was at the end of the platform, in the small halls directly next to the escalator:
In this form, the station managed to “star” in a movie. In film "Friends and Years" 1965, the camera travels along the entire length of the station: link to YouTube.
In the early seventies, the central hall was finally completed at the station. This completely changed the appearance of the station:
From the original project, only the cladding of several pylons at the end of the station has survived to this day, which now differ sharply in appearance from the rest:
3. Chistye Prudy
The same story happened with the station "Chistye Prudy"(Then - "Kirovskaya").
Having gone down the escalator, the passenger had to immediately turn left or right, since there was simply no central hall:
He appeared at the station in the seventies. A passage was made into it in every second niche of the side halls. True, unlike "Lubyanki" And "Paveletskaya", the design of the station has remained virtually unchanged:
So to the "disappeared" stations "Chistye Prudy" can only be included with a reservation.
Current station "Sparrow Hills" valid since 2002:
Before this, for almost 20 years the train passed over the bridge over the Moscow River without stopping. And even earlier there was a completely different station here. It was called "Lenin's mountains" and looked like this:
This station now remains only in memories, photographs and films. In 1983, due to the dilapidation of the bridge, it was closed.
Interestingly, the escalator gallery that operated next to the station "Lenin's mountains", with the opening "Sparrow Hills" for some reason it was not restored:
5. Pervomaskaya
Station "Pervomaskaya", which opened in 1954, was located one and a half kilometers from the current "Pervomaiskaya". At the time of construction it was final. And immediately behind the station there were houses that did not allow the line to be extended further. When they decided to lead the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line further east, the station was turned into a depot, and trains were run nearby, along an overpass over the former tracks. Trains still run along this overpass, and passengers can see the depot building from the train window:
That one "Pervomaiskaya" there was one vestibule for passengers to exit:
This lobby has been preserved and can be seen by anyone walking through the courtyards on Pervomaiskaya Street:
And inside the depot, some elements of the station’s design have been preserved:
(photo by Alexander Popov)
In the future, perhaps in the place of the former "Pervomaiskaya" a museum will be built.
6. Kaluzhskaya
Toy "Kaluzhskaya", which operated in the Moscow metro from 1964 to 1974, is no longer there either. This station was also turned into a depot. It was located on the surface, not far from the current "Kaluzhskaya":
The station was the final station and was used by many passengers who changed buses here and traveled further. In 1974 the line was extended, and "Kaluzhskaya" moved to a new location, where it remains to this day.
Unlike "Pervomaiskaya", the passenger platform has been preserved here:
(this and next photo - Alexandra Popova)
Looking at the depot from above, you can guess where exactly the former station was located:
Here they are, six “lost” stations. Perhaps someday their ranks will be replenished by currently existing stations. Let's see.
“Vorobyovy Gory” (until May 12, 1999 “Leninsky Gory”) is a station on the Sokolnicheskaya Line of the Moscow Metro. In my opinion, one of the most interesting stations of the Moscow metro.
The Leninskie Gory metro station was opened on January 12, 1959 as part of the Sokolnicheskaya line “Sportivnaya” - “University”. To reduce the cost of construction, a unique project for laying a metro line along a metro bridge was used, instead of the previously proposed plan for a tunnel under the Moscow River. The station was located on the lower tier of the Luzhnetsky metro bridge (built in 1958), while vehicular traffic carried on its upper tier.
Due to the rush to put the bridge into operation for the International Youth Festival, construction standards were not fully complied with. The desire to minimize costs led to the replacement of metal supports with reinforced concrete ones, led to a number of errors when laying reinforcement in the frame of the structure, and also forced builders to use salt in order to speed up concreting. The fact is that salt lowers the freezing point of water, which was important since the work was carried out in winter time. However, this contributed to intense corrosion of the reinforcement elements.
In the spring, when the snow melted, the station was constantly flooded due to poor waterproofing. On July 8, 1959, a heavy downpour occurred in Moscow, almost paralyzing the work of the entire line: water mixed with mud penetrated directly into the trains. Then the ceiling began to collapse. It got to the point that in June 1960, duralumin sheets of the cornice fell from a height of 4 meters. No one was hurt then. Subsequently, longitudinal cracks began to appear in the concrete floors, which led to the final closure of the bridge for reconstruction.
The station reopened on December 14, 2002. In fact, it was completely rebuilt. The width of the station was increased by 3 meters, while it was decided to leave the platform part of the station on the old supports.
Southern vestibule of the station.
The station has two vestibules. From the northern lobby (equipped with an escalator) you can exit to Luzhnetskaya embankment and the Olympic sports complex"Luzhniki". From the southern lobby you can exit to Vorobyovskaya Embankment (through the lower hall) and to the Vorobyovy Gory nature reserve (through the upper hall)
Southern vestibule of the station.
Escalators in the station's southern lobby.
The station is decorated in a modern style. The bridge supports passing through the hall, as well as the walls of the approach corridors, are lined with white and green marble. The floor is laid with gray granite.
This station is one of two exhibition areas of the metro (along with the Metro gallery at the Vystavochnaya station).
The track walls are made transparent, the glass is inserted into an aluminum frame. They offer views of the Moscow River, Sparrow Hills, the Luzhniki Grand Sports Arena and the building of the Academy of Sciences.
The station is a "dangerous" station as there is no chute on the tracks.
Not far from the station in the Vorobyovy Gory nature reserve there is a plant that previously operated in 1959-1983. an escalator gallery that served as a delivery service for passengers from the metro and park to Kosygina Street and back. The gallery was built according to a standard design at the same time as the station. It was equipped with a three-belt escalator and had two vestibules - the upper one (on Kosygina Street) and the lower one (in the park)
Still from the film "Sunflowers" Cameraman Giuseppe Rotunno Photo from oldmos.ru
After the reconstruction of the station, due to problems with technical calculations and lack of funding, the gallery was not restored. Now you can only get to the station and Kosygina Street on foot through the forest park, up the bypass paths, or use the toll cable car, which is located far from the station This is how she looks now, but that’s a separate post
