An Inside Look: The Magnificent Moscow Metro

Tonight, let's take a look...An Inside Look...at the Moscow Metro.  Specifically, we will be focusing on the interior architecture and how Stalin used his influence to construct one of the most magnificent architectural projects during the Soviet Union.

    Before I came across the article on Visual News over the Moscow Metro, I had no idea it looked like this.  Just like the article mentioned, it makes you feel like you're in an underground palace, which is pretty insane.  After doing some research, it became apparent that Stalin was very concerned about the image of the USSR, and the Moscow Metro architectural project definitely confirms it.  It can go without saying that the intricacies of the design serve as a piece of propaganda, constantly reminding the subway riders during Stalin's leadership that he was doing great things for the country.

    Each hallway, room, and station was designed to make the travelers feel like they were riding in luxury, all thanks to Stalin.  Its architectural design is known as Stalinist architecture, which I've noticed incorporates elements of Neoclassicism, a revival in the architecture constructed by the Greeks and Romans in antiquity.  This architecture style requires labor-intensive masonry, which was actually a contributing factor to the downfall of Stalinist architecture.

    The main architects involved in Stalinist architecture and the Moscow Metro actually studied in Neoclassicism school before the Revolutions of 1917 and ended up working for Stalin.  I guess you could say they helped him find his own architectural niche.



    During the Great Depression that affected Western countries in the 1930s, Stalin wanted to prove that a "socialist metro could surpass capitalist designs" by building this impressive metro system.  Everything is highly decorated and ornate, reminding me of the Palace of Versailles in France...just not as intense.  It's very neat!  

    Many extravagant parts of the metro were taken down after Stalin's death in 1953 because of unpopularity and the changes that the USSR would start to undergo under Khrushchev.  But many years later after the Soviet Union fell, most of the things that were removed were replaced, and the metro returned to its former glory.

    If you want to see more pictures of the Moscow Metro, make sure to visit the Visual News article.

"Metro wagon 81-720" by Иван Гриценко - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

References:

>> Visual News Article

>> Wikipedia - The Moscow Metro

*Side note / series update*

After some series reorganizing, I decided that Dazzling Designs will now return to strictly prototypes and future designs, while this new series, An Inside Look, will take over Dazzling's old style.