More than just a means of transportation, the Moscow metro is a masterpiece of art and architecture! All stations have stairs (some escalators), so to visit, its mostly a great work out for a number of muscle groups in the legs. (I have no idea how people with disabilities manage).

Park Kultury – this station leads to Moscow’s main park, Gorky Park, and includes 5 types of marble from veined light grey to black. Marble bas-reliefs depict the labor and leisure activities of the Soviet people.

Ploshad Revolutsii – this station is devoted to the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 and has 76 bronze statues that depict its main participants – peasants, sailors, workers, engineers, students and more. I didn’t forget to rub the dog’s nose for good luck. 

Novokuznetskaya – a station with enormous marble benches with Renaissance style sculpted armrests line the platforms. The ceiling of the hall is decorated with giant brass chandeliers and six mosaics with motifs designed by Alexander Deineka that depict daily life in the USSR.

Kievskaya – built under the personal supervision of Nikita Khrushchev who wanted to pay homage to his Ukrainian homeland. Decorated with marble and granite; bas relief panels telling the story of Ukraine/Russian relations between 1654 and 1917.

Mayakovskaya – an Art Deco masterpiece, it opened in 1938; high slender columns made of aircraft steel give the feeling of a large Hall; mosaics are based on the sketches of Alexander Deineka. Their theme is “24 Hours in the Land of the Soviets”…titles such as 2 airplanes, skiing, grain harvesting,  airship over Spassky tower and more.

A visit at midnight (best black sky in “White Nights” period), to photo the Moscow State Uni building…designed by Lev Rudnev, its the highest of 7 Stalinist skyscrapers in Moscow. Its 240 metres tall.