Construction on the Moscow Metro was initially postponed by World War I,
the October Revolution and the Russian Civil War, but it opened
successfully in 1935 with a single train line and 13 station stops.
The St. Petersburg Metro officially opened on Nov. 15, 1955, with seven stations initially.
Building of the underground train network was a massive undertaking,
both of engineering and design. Soviet workers provided the labor
and architects incorporated the design concept of "svet" (light)
and "sveltloe budushchee" (a bright future). The stations boast high
vaulted ceilings, intricate light fixtures, polished marble and stained
glass.
To this day, they are testament to the Soviet Union's extravagant architectural ambition.
David Burdeny's photographic
series of Russian metro stations, theaters, museums and palaces capture
these impressive spaces devoid of life, yet replete with light.
