Excursions around Moscow Metro with a tour guide in English: Arbatskaya station, Ploshchad Revolyutsii station

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Arbatskaya

The station was opened on April 5, 1953. It was named after the Street Arbat where this station is situated.

Arbatskaya is one of the longest stations of Moscow metropolitan: length of central hall together with underpasses to the escalators is 250 meters. Architects have managed to find solution thanks to which it didn’t turn into the huge elongated corridor: the vaulting is decorated by wide parabolic arches forming the passageways to the platforms. Pylons and vault of central hall are decorated by flower bouquets. Pompous sculptural decorations are performed in the style of Naryshkin’s baroque. All this makes platforms and pavilions of the station high and spacious.

The floor is paved with carpet picture of grey, black and red granite. The station is illuminated by big chandeliers with numerous plafonds and lamps on the brackets.

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Ploshchad revolyutsii

This name is given to the station due to the square of “Revolution” which has been called “Voskresenskaya” up to 1918. “Ploshchad revolutsii” began its work on 13th of May 1989.

Black marble from Armenia, grey, white and golden marble from other regions of the country were used in the decoration of the station. The floor is paved with granite of black and light colors.

On the pedestals in the corners of pylons there are 76 bronze figures representing soviet people. Initially there were 20 arches on the station with four sculptures in each. The sculptures represented history of Soviet Country – from the revolutionary peasants, workers and sailors up

to the happy days of the new epoch. Initially, there were 80 sculpture but in 1947 due to the construction of sealed doors (special gates capable to block ingress of water or air) in front of eastern entrance, therefore, four sculptures were removed. In total there are 20 different images on the station (18 of them are repeated four times and two – twice).

All figures (except figures of pioneers) are depicted on one knee, bent down or sitting to place them all into the limited vaulted volume of arches passages. In this connection they said that statues represented the image of Soviet nation – “they all sit or stand on their knees”.

General Secretary I.V. Stalin arrived to the inauguration of the station, approved it, walked quickly around the sculptures and told “how vivid, how vivid” with Georgian accent…

Initially, in the end there was bas-relief with image of Stalin with Constitution of USSSR in the hand. It was removed in 1947 when they built entrance from the station.

In 1941 sculptures from the station “Ploshchad Revolutsii” were evacuated to Central Asia and returned in 1944.

During the time of existence of this sculptural gallery some traditions have appeared. For example, students consider a very good sign to touch the nose of the dog of border guard before the exam, therefore, muzzles of all four dogs are look polished.

Touch of the girl-student’s foot cures from the unhappy love.

Pencil of young inventor and gun of revolutionary sailor are always stolen. Also, rubbing of sailor’s gun will help to get rid of rivals. Touching of the flag in the hands of the signalman in the early morning will guarantee successful day.

If to rub a rooster, it will bring money.

If to rub foot of the child it will help to become parents.

Bronze arrows with the inscriptions “Exit to the city” fixed on the walls of the platforms are the oldest indicators of Moscow subway.