RUSSIA: Saint Petersburg's Most Beautiful Metro Stations and Where To Find Them

By bengoeswhere on September 30, 2024

Metro stations or subway stations are now part of daily commuting lives of people. This is especially true for those living in cosmopolitan cities. Examples include London, New York, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Osaka. Their networks can get extensive up to suburbs few kilometer away from city centers. But in Saint Petersburg, the Russian cultural city, their metro stations are not just efficient but also aesthetic. I don't have any idea how beautiful the architecture were emanated in each station until I finally visited them personally. I got enamored of their beauty that I allotted my whole afternoon just visiting these stations. Here, I'll share what I found the most aesthetic Peter stations I visited.

The vestibule of Ploshchad Vosstaniya (Russian: Плóщадь Восстáния, lit. 'Uprising Square') station, just a few walks away from railway terminal. The M above it means you're in a Saint Petersburg Metro.

The Saint Petersburg Metro (Russian: Петербургский метрополитен, romanized: Peterburgskiy metropoliten) is a rapid transit system in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Construction began in early 1941, but was put on hold due to World War II and the subsequent Siege of Leningrad, during which the constructed stations were used as bomb shelters. It was finally opened on 15 November 1955. Formerly known as the Order of Lenin Leningrad Metro named after V. I. Lenin (Ленинградский Ордена Ленина Метрополитен имени В. И. Ленина), the system exhibits many typical Soviet designs and features exquisite decorations and artwork making it one of the most attractive and elegant metros in the world.

The Saint Petersburg Metro network consists of 5 lines with a total length of 124 kilometres (77 mi). It has 72 stations including 7 transfer points. Serving about 2 million passengers daily, it is the 26th busiest metro system in the world.

Due to the city's unique geology, the Saint Petersburg Metro is also one of the deepest metro systems in the world and the deepest by the average depth of all the stations. The system's deepest station, Admiralteyskaya, is 86 metres (282 ft) below ground.

The Podorozhnik card (Russian: Подорожник, Podorozhnik) Podorozhnik is a card with an e-wallet payment plan. The card itself costs 80 rubles (100 rubles as a key fob), you can acquire one at any metro station, as well as official St. Petersburg Metro offices at and, and at the special kiosk at the Pulkovo airport.
As of 2024, one metro ride with Podorozhnik will cost 49 rubles, and the price of taking a tram, bus, or trolleybus is 44 rubles only. If you need to change between several means of transport within a short period, in addition to the simple e-wallet payment plan, there are several time-based tariffs.

1. Sportivnaya

Sportivnaya (Russian: Спорти́вная) (literally - Sportage) is a station on the Frunzensko-Primorskaya Line of the Saint Petersburg Metro. The station was designed by Alexander Konstantinov, Alexander Bystrov and Andrey Larionov. It opened on 15 September 1997 as part of the Pravoberezhnaya Line. Sportivnaya is the only two-level single-vault transfer metro station outside Washington D.C.

The floors are connected by two groups of escalators, one of which is closed as of 2007. The lower floor serves the southbound trains while the upper floor serves the northbound ones. The upper floor is linked to the station's exit to south-eastern side of Petrogradsky island. Since 27 May 2015 the lower floor house an entrance to a transfer corridor equipped with moving walkway which link the station to the exit on the north-eastern side of Vasilyevsky island.

2. Tekhnologicheskiy Institut 1

Tekhnologichesky Institut (Russian: Технологи́ческий институ́т) (English: Technology Institute) is a cross-platform interchange station of the Saint Petersburg Metro. The station consists of two halls, both serving the Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya Line and Moskovsko-Petrogradskaya Line trains. The first hall serves the southbound trains, while the second hall serves the northbound ones. The first hall was opened on November 15, 1955, as part of the first metro line between Avtovo and Ploshchad Vosstaniya. The name comes from the fact that the surface vestibule is located immediately next to Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology.

The architects were A. M. Sokolov and A. K. Andreyev (surface vestibule and underground hall). The basic theme of the station is the achievements of Russian and Soviet science. The basic material for decorating the underground hall is Ural marble. On the columns are 24 bas reliefs with portraits of well-known Soviet scientists. On the platform walls are placed decorative grilles.

3. Vladimirskaya

Vladimirskaya (Russian: Влади́мирская) is a station of the Saint Petersburg Metro opened on 15 November 1955.

4. Mezhdunarodnaya

Mezhdunarodnaya (Russian: Международная) (literally - international) is a Saint Petersburg Metro station on the Frunzensko-Primorskaya Line (Line 5) of the Saint Petersburg Metro. It was opened on December 28, 2012 together with Bukharestskaya as an extension of the Frunzensko-Primorskaya Line. It was the southeastern terminus of the line until 3 October 2019, when an extension of the line to the south with three stations, Prospekt Slavy, Dunayskaya, and Shushary, was opened.

Mezhdunarodnaya is built under the corner of Bukharestskaya Street and Bely Kuna Street, in Frunzensky District. The name of the station means International and originates from the fact that many streets in the area (including these two) have been named to commemorate Eastern European politicians or cities.

5. Obvodniy Canal

Obvodny Kanal (Russian: Обводный канал) is a station on the Frunzensko–Primorskaya Line of the Saint Petersburg Metro. The station opened on December 30, 2010, between the already completed Volkovskaya and Zvenigorodskaya stations.

6. Ploshchad Vosstaniya

Ploshchad Vosstaniya (Russian: Плóщадь Восстáния, lit. 'Uprising Square') is a station on the Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya Line of Saint Petersburg Metro. It is one of the system's original stations, opening on November 15, 1955. It is a deep underground pylon station at 58 metres (190 ft) depth.

The main surface vestibule is situated on Vosstaniya Square, which gives its name to the station. Another exit (opened in 1960) opens directly into the Moskovsky Rail Terminal. Ploshchad Vosstaniya is connected to the station Mayakovskaya of the Nevsko-Vasileostrovskaya Line via a transfer corridor and a set of escalators.

7. Narvskaya

Narvskaya (Russian: На́рвская) is a subway station in Saint Petersburg, Russia on the Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya Line between the stations Baltiyskaya and Kirovsky Zavod.
The station was opened on 15 November 1955, as a part of the first stage of Saint Petersburg Metro from Avtovo to Ploschad Vosstania. The station was renamed "Narvskaya" after the Narva Triumphal Gate, located opposite of the entrance to the station. The name indicates that once there was a gate of the road to Narva.

Ventilating lattice with a hammer and sickle

Sidewalls of the pylons of the central underground hall are decorated with high reliefs depicting people of different professions such as Collective farmers.

The underground hall of the pylon station was built under the direction of architects Alexander Vasilev, David Goldgor, Sergey Speransky, and engineer O. V. Ivanova. The subjects of the station reflect "the valour of labour of the Soviet people", and many elements and decorations represent Soviet-era symbols: hammer and sickles, red stars, and images of red flags.

8. Pushkinskaya

Pushkinskaya (Russian: Пу́шкинская) is a station of the Saint Petersburg Metro. It first opened on 30 April 1956, under the original name of "Vitebskiy vokzal", referring to the connecting Vitebsky railway station.

There is a monument in the station dedicated to the poet Alexander Pushkin sculpted by Mikhail Anikushin. This station was the first USSR metro station with memorial located under the ground.

9. Kirovsky Zavod

Kirovsky Zavod (Russian: Ки́ровский заво́д) (literally Kirov's Factory) is a station of the Saint Petersburg Metro on the Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya Line. It is named after the Kirov Plant which traditionally manufactured armaments. The station opened on 15 November 1955.

10. Avtovo

Avtovo (Russian: А́втово) is a station on the Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya Line of the Saint Petersburg Metro. Designed by architect Yevgenii Levinson, it opened as part of the first Leningrad Metro line on November 15, 1955. In 2014, The Guardian included it on the list of 12 most beautiful metro stations in the world. Upon seeing it personally, I was in awe. The palatial design of elements within the metro station transports you in an opulent hall of grandeur.

Avtovo's unique and highly ornate design features columns faced with ornamental glass manufactured at the Lomonosov factory. Although the original plan envisaged using glass on all of the columns in the station, white marble was substituted on some due to time constraints. This marble was supposed to be temporary but has never been replaced. The walls are faced with white marble and adorned on the north side by a row of ornamental ventilation grilles.

At the end of the platform, a mosaic by V.A. Voronetskiy and A.K. Sokolov commemorates the Leningrad Blockade (1941–1944) during the Second World War.