Moscow - the Underside!

The primary reason I booked a trip to Russia was to see St. Basil’s Cathedral.

I wanted to stand in red square, and see for myself those colours and shapes of the onion domes — that definitive style and architecture that has become synonymous with Russia. I did this, in fact, I did this at least three times a day while I was in Moscow and regardless of the time of day (morning, afternoon, evening) or weather conditions (sunny, rainy, windy) it was always spectacular and exceeded my expectations.

In fact, overall, Moscow exceeded my expectations. This cosmopolitan megacity with its history, performing arts, churches, cathedrals, and history is truly magnificent. But that’s not what this blog post is about, this blog is about the other side of Moscow — the Underside!

Layered beneath this expansive and vibrant city are 13 underground subway lines that weave between 206 stations making it the fifth longest route length with one of the deepest stations in the world. But it’s not the size or depth of the stations that sets the Moscow underground apart from other cities, it’s the actual design details of these stations.

It’s said that one of the main architects of the subway declared that “...we are going to build palaces for the people”, consequently Moscow’s subway is known as the People’s Palace. The most famous stations are along the circle line, that literally orbits the city of Moscow and is considered one of the most beautiful subway systems in the world with the incorporation of frescoes, marble columns, stained-glass panels, vaulted ceilings, ornate chandeliers, mosaics and statues in the stations.

Make sure you see all sides of Moscow.