Moscow's Underground Metro Art

Moscow's streets are replete with relics from Russia's Soviet and imperial past. But some of the capital's most cherished architectural gems are arguably beneath the streets, in its metro system.? 




The Russian capital's metro system was opened in 1935, at the height of Josef Stalin's reign. At the time, Stalin allegedly ordered architects to design "radiant" buildings and urban structures that would reflect the Soviet Union's "bright future."? 





The metro, with its socialist-realist decor, was no exception.? 





The stations dotting Moscow's historic center feature are adorned with palatial marble and granite structures, vivid mosaics and other relics from the Soviet past. Some more recently built stations, albeit less majestic than the Stalin-era stations, also provide commuters and tourists with aesthetically pleasing interpretations of Russian history and the accomplishments of the country's great men and women.? 





Scenes and quotes from Fyodor Dostoyevsky's masterpieces, including "Crime and Punishment" and "The Brothers Karamazov," decorate the interior of the Dostoyevskaya station, which was opened in 2010.? 





The Moscow metro's 12 lines count 195 stations that cover more than 325 kilometers. The underground carries a daily average of 9 million passengers on weekdays.