The Moscow Metro opens Novoslobodskaya station main entrance after renovation

On March 4, the Moscow Metro reopened the main entrance of the Novoslobodskaya station after renovation.

The station, one of the cultural heritage objects protected by the state, celebrated its 70th anniversary on 30 January. 

«Novoslobodskaya station is one of the most beautiful stations in the Moscow Metro. On behalf of Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, we carefully and meticulously restored the lobby, reproduced more than 8,000 interior details, made the station look as the architects initially intended», - said Maksim Liksutov, the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport.

The major repairs were done not only to restore the station's former architectural look, but also to install new equipment and make it meet all the requirementsof Moscow residents.

The renewals included:

• replacing 3 older escalators with 4 newer ones;

• refurbishment of the station lobby;

• renovation of electrical and waterproofing systems;

• opening of an additional ticket office;

• installation of 10 new turnstiles at the entrance and 5 more at the exit. 

«After the renovation, the station will be capable of serving 30% more passengers. This is the 5th Moscow Metro station since 2010 where capacity has been increased thanks to an additional escalator. The complete replacement of the engineering communications will allow for at least 30 years without any major work at Novoslobodskaya», - said Maksim Liksutov, the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport.

Novoslobodskaya is one of the 12 stations the Moscow Metro Circle Line. From the outside, the lobby of the station looks like an ancient temple. The outer columns are square, while the rest are round. Novoslobodskaya is unique for its interior decoration. The most striking element inside the station is the 32 spectacularly illuminated stained glass windows. They are placed inside the pylons and fringed in steel and gilded brass. There are two on each pylon, facing the hall and the platform. The walls of the station are lined with marble from the Ural region. The floor is lined with grey and black granite slabs, placed in a staggered pattern.