Moscow Metro’s Smolenskaya station re-opened after restoration

On July 9, Moscow Metro’s Smolenskaya station (Line 3) was reopened after repair works that have been launched in February 2020. The works combined restoration and modernization: the escalators installed in 1953 were replaced with new ones, and the historical appearance of the entrance hall was restored.

For example, ticket offices have been returned to their historical location in the centre of the entrance hall. Among other restored historical details are lighting, mosaics, stucco decoration and marble, floors with a historical pattern, decoration of the stained glass windows.

The old escalators have worked at this station for 67 years. The new ones, which will be in operation about 50 years, have a number of advantages: they are more reliable and energy efficient by 30%, have a smoother ride. This station is a real monument of architecture, so on behalf of the Mayor, we and the Moscow City Heritage carried out the restoration very carefully. By 2024, we plan to replace escalator complexes at six more stations, — Deputy Mayor for Transport Maksim Liksutov.

Earlier in February, Russian Ministry of Culture gave Moscow Metro a license to independently restore stations that are considered as cultural heritage, which is about 50 stations.