Metro rails are quite common in countries across the globe. London has the world's oldest underground rail system; the New York City subway system has the most stations; the Shanghai Metro system is the world's longest; and the title of world's busiest is a closely-fought battle between Shanghai, Beijing and Tokyo. But when it comes to the city with the world's most beautiful Metro system, Moscow is a clear winner in that category.
The Moscow Metro is the world's most beautiful underground rail system. The metro has elaborate, spacious stations which are adorned with mosaics, marble statues and stained glass that tell the story of the communist state. The Moscow metro stations are not less than any museum rich in architecture and history.
The Moscow Metro, built under Stalin in 1935, is an extravagant underworld featuring Art Deco styling, baroque plasterwork, marble columns, glittering chandeliers and USSR propaganda images. At that time, the Metro had only11 stations and attracted 285,000 curious riders on the first day. However, at present there are 206 stations that witness up to nine million passengers each day.
The Metro was originally named after Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, and the Bolshevik leader's image was and still is found in stations throughout the Metro: in statues, mosaics and a giant bust of Lenin on the wall in Ploshchad Ilyich (Ilyich Square) metro station. In this gallery, IBTimes Singapore has compiled a series of images of the Moscow Metro.
