Sokolnicheskaya Line
Encyclopedia
The Sokolnicheskaya Line (Line 1) is the first line of the Moscow Metro
, dating back to 1935 when the system opened. Presently the line has 19 stations with a total of 26.2 kilometres (16.3 mi) of track. It carries a daily load of 1.7 million passengers.
and continuing through the Three railway terminals
and then past the city centre's main traffic junctions: Red gate junction
, Kirovskaya, the Lubyanka
and the Manege Square
s. From there, a separate branch carried off into the Arbat and later Kiyevsky Rail Terminal, before it became in 1938 the distinct Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line
and, later, the Filyovskaya Line
(1958). The remaining part of the Frunzenskaya Branch went along the Kremlin's western wall past the Russian State Library
and into the future site of the Palace of Soviets
on the bank of the Moskva River
and terminated near the infamous Gorky Park
.
Although Moscow Metro prides itself on the best Stalinist Architecture
and the earlier art deco
attempts, the stations of the first stage are very far from those. The stations of the first stage instead have a very classical taste to them, which blends nicely with the atmosphere of the mid-1930s neo-classical
taste. It is also true that the overall construction of these early stations allowed the palaces of 1940s and 1950s to evolve from these. Most of them are now officially listed as architectural heritage.
Further development was seen in the latter half of the 1950s during the construction of the Frunzensky radius. The line extended into the Khamovniki District in 1957 coming up to Luzhniki Stadium
and then in 1959 reached the Moscow State University
on the Sparrow Hills
. This required crossing the Moskva river on a combined auto and Metro bridge including a station on it. However due to the necessity of reconstruction in 1984, the station was closed, and not reopened until 2002. The Frunzensky radius was completed in 1964 upon the last extension into the new bedroom raion
s (districts) along the Vernadsky Avenue of southwestern Moscow.
At the opposite end, there were two extensions: one in 1965 across the Yauza River
(also on an open bridge), and another in 1990 into Bogorodskoye.
Extensions are planned at both ends of the line. In the south, one station, Troparyovo, is planned. Further extensions in the north are hampered by the position of Ulitsa Podbelskogo and Cherkizovskaya, which were built so they could become of a projected second ring line which has been in planning since the 1960s. As a result the Cherkizovskaya's tunnels have provisions for a second perpendicular station, that would allow the line to continue eastwards to the district of Golyanovo and meet the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line
at Shchyolkovskaya. At present, however, both extensions are quite distant, as Moscow Metro has much more important projects to realise prior to that.
Moscow Metro
The Moscow Metro is a rapid transit system serving Moscow and the neighbouring town of Krasnogorsk. Opened in 1935 with one line and 13 stations, it was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union. As of 2011, the Moscow Metro has 182 stations and its route length is . The system is...
, dating back to 1935 when the system opened. Presently the line has 19 stations with a total of 26.2 kilometres (16.3 mi) of track. It carries a daily load of 1.7 million passengers.
History
As the line was the first formal one in the system, its history of development coincides with the history of the Moscow Metro's first stage altogether. In short it was to cut Moscow on a northeast-southwest axis beginning at the Sokolniki ParkSokolniki Park
Sokolniki Park, named for the falcon hunt of the Grand Dukes of Muscovy formerly conducted there, is located in the eponymous Sokolniki District of Moscow. Sokolniki Park is not far from the center of the city, near Sokolnicheskaya Gate. The park gained its name from the Sokolnichya Quarter, the...
and continuing through the Three railway terminals
Komsomolskaya Square (Moscow)
Komsomolskaya Square , known as Kalanchyovskaya before 1932, is one of the busiest squares in Moscow, noted for its impressive blend of revivalist Tsarist and Stalinist architecture...
and then past the city centre's main traffic junctions: Red gate junction
Red Gate
Red Gates in Moscow was a triumphal arch built in an exuberantly baroque design. Gates or arches of this type were common in 18th century Moscow. However, the Red Gates were the only one that survived into 20th century...
, Kirovskaya, the Lubyanka
Lubyanka Square
Lubyanka Square in Moscow is about north east of Red Square. The name is first mentioned in 1480, when Ivan III settled many Novgorodians in the area. They built the church of St Sophia, modelled after St Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod, and called the area Lubyanka after the Lubyanitsy district of...
and the Manege Square
Manege Square
Manezhnaya or Manege Square is a large pedestrian open space at the heart of Moscow bound by the Hotel Moskva to the east, the State Historical Museum and the Alexander Garden to the south, the Moscow Manege to the west, and the 18th-century headquarters of the Moscow State University to the...
s. From there, a separate branch carried off into the Arbat and later Kiyevsky Rail Terminal, before it became in 1938 the distinct Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line
Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line
The Arbatsko–Pokrovskaya Line is a line of the Moscow Metro. Chronologically the second to open, now it connects with the district of Mitino and town of Krasnogorsk to the northwest of Moscow with the east of the Russian capital passing through the city centre...
and, later, the Filyovskaya Line
Filyovskaya Line
Filyovskaya Line , or Line 4, is a line of the Moscow Metro. Chronologically the sixth to open, it connects the major eastern districts of Dorogomilovo and Fili along with the Moscow City with the city centre...
(1958). The remaining part of the Frunzenskaya Branch went along the Kremlin's western wall past the Russian State Library
Russian State Library
The Russian State Library is the national library of Russia, located in Moscow. It is the largest in the country and the third largest in the world for its collection of books . It was named the V. I...
and into the future site of the Palace of Soviets
Palace of Soviets
The Palace of the Soviets was a project to construct an administrative center and a congress hall in Moscow, Russia, near the Kremlin, on the site of the demolished Cathedral of Christ the Saviour...
on the bank of the Moskva River
Moskva River
The Moskva River is a river that flows through the Moscow and Smolensk Oblasts in Russia, and is a tributary of the Oka River.-Etymology:...
and terminated near the infamous Gorky Park
Gorky Park (Moscow)
Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure is an amusement park in Moscow, named after Maxim Gorky.-History:...
.
Although Moscow Metro prides itself on the best Stalinist Architecture
Stalinist architecture
Stalinist architecture , also referred to as Stalinist Gothic, or Socialist Classicism, is a term given to architecture of the Soviet Union between 1933, when Boris Iofan's draft for Palace of the Soviets was officially approved, and 1955, when Nikita Khrushchev condemned "excesses" of the past...
and the earlier art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
attempts, the stations of the first stage are very far from those. The stations of the first stage instead have a very classical taste to them, which blends nicely with the atmosphere of the mid-1930s neo-classical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
taste. It is also true that the overall construction of these early stations allowed the palaces of 1940s and 1950s to evolve from these. Most of them are now officially listed as architectural heritage.
Further development was seen in the latter half of the 1950s during the construction of the Frunzensky radius. The line extended into the Khamovniki District in 1957 coming up to Luzhniki Stadium
Luzhniki Stadium
The Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex in Moscow, or briefly Luzhniki Stadium , is the biggest sports stadium in Russia. Its total seating capacity is 78,360 seats, all covered. The stadium is a part of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex, previously called the Central Lenin Stadium...
and then in 1959 reached the Moscow State University
Moscow State University
Lomonosov Moscow State University , previously known as Lomonosov University or MSU , is the largest university in Russia. Founded in 1755, it also claims to be one of the oldest university in Russia and to have the tallest educational building in the world. Its current rector is Viktor Sadovnichiy...
on the Sparrow Hills
Sparrow Hills
Sparrow Hills, Vorobyovy Gory is a hill on the right bank of the Moskva River and one of highest points in Moscow with an altitude up to 220 m ....
. This required crossing the Moskva river on a combined auto and Metro bridge including a station on it. However due to the necessity of reconstruction in 1984, the station was closed, and not reopened until 2002. The Frunzensky radius was completed in 1964 upon the last extension into the new bedroom raion
Raion
A raion is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet countries. The term, which is from French rayon 'honeycomb, department,' describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is commonly translated in English as "district"...
s (districts) along the Vernadsky Avenue of southwestern Moscow.
At the opposite end, there were two extensions: one in 1965 across the Yauza River
Yauza River
This article is about a river in Moscow, a tributary of the Moskva River. There are three other Yauza rivers in Central Russia: tributaries of the Lama, Gzhat and Sestra....
(also on an open bridge), and another in 1990 into Bogorodskoye.
Timeline
| Segment | Date opened | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Sokolniki Sokolniki (Metro) Sokolniki is a Moscow Metro station in Sokolniki District, Eastern Administrative Okrug, Moscow. It is on the Sokolnicheskaya Line, between Krasnoselskaya and Preobrazhenskaya Ploshchad stations. It is located under Rusakovskaya street at the foot of Sokolnicheskaya Square and was part of the... – Park Kultury Park Kultury-Radialnaya Park Kultury is a Moscow Metro station in the Khamovniki District, Central Administrative Okrug, Moscow. It is on the Sokolnicheskaya Line, between Frunzenskaya and Kropotkinskaya stations... |
15 May 1935 | 8.4 km |
| Park Kultury Park Kultury-Radialnaya Park Kultury is a Moscow Metro station in the Khamovniki District, Central Administrative Okrug, Moscow. It is on the Sokolnicheskaya Line, between Frunzenskaya and Kropotkinskaya stations... – Sportivnaya Sportivnaya Sportivnaya is a Moscow Metro station on the Sokolnicheskaya Line in Moscow, Russia. Named for the nearby Luzhniki sports complex, it opened in 1957. The architects were Nadezhda Bykova, I. Gokhar-Kharmandaryan, Ivan Taranov, and B. Cherepanov. Sportivnaya has white marble pylons with green marble... |
1 May 1957 | 2.5 km |
| Sportivnaya Sportivnaya Sportivnaya is a Moscow Metro station on the Sokolnicheskaya Line in Moscow, Russia. Named for the nearby Luzhniki sports complex, it opened in 1957. The architects were Nadezhda Bykova, I. Gokhar-Kharmandaryan, Ivan Taranov, and B. Cherepanov. Sportivnaya has white marble pylons with green marble... – Universitet Universitet Universitet , named after nearby Moscow State University, is a station on the Moscow Metro's Sokolnicheskaya Line. It opened in 1959 and features rectangular white marble pylons and tiled walls. The architects were V. Litvinov, M. Markovsky, L. Lile, and V. Dobrakovsky... |
1 December 1959 | 4.5 km |
| Universitet Universitet Universitet , named after nearby Moscow State University, is a station on the Moscow Metro's Sokolnicheskaya Line. It opened in 1959 and features rectangular white marble pylons and tiled walls. The architects were V. Litvinov, M. Markovsky, L. Lile, and V. Dobrakovsky... – Yugo-Zapadnaya Yugo-Zapadnaya Yugo-Zapadnaya , is the southwestern terminus of the Sokolnicheskaya Line of the Moscow Metro. Like dozens of other Metro stations dating to the 1960s , the station was built according to the standard pillar-trispan or "centipede" design. The architect was Ya.V. Tatarzhinskaya. Visually... |
30 December 1963 | 4.5 km |
| Sokolniki Sokolniki (Metro) Sokolniki is a Moscow Metro station in Sokolniki District, Eastern Administrative Okrug, Moscow. It is on the Sokolnicheskaya Line, between Krasnoselskaya and Preobrazhenskaya Ploshchad stations. It is located under Rusakovskaya street at the foot of Sokolnicheskaya Square and was part of the... – Preobrazhenskaya Ploschad |
31 December 1965 | 2.5 km |
| Preobrazhenskaya Ploschad – Ulitsa Podbelskogo Ulitsa Podbelskogo Ulitsa Podbelskogo is a Moscow Metro station in the Bogorodskoye District, Eastern Administrative Okrug, Moscow. It is on the Sokolnicheskaya Line, serving as its eastern terminus. Ulitsa Podbelskogo was opened in 1990.- Name :... |
3 August 1990 | 3.8 km |
| Vorobyovy Gory – after reconstruction | 14 December 2002 | N/A |
| Total | 19 Stations | 26.2 km |
Name changes
| Station | Previous name(s) | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Krasniye Vorota Krasniye Vorota Krasnye Vorota is a Moscow Metro station in the Krasnoselsky District, Central Administrative Okrug, Moscow. It is on the Sokolnicheskaya Line, between Chistye Prudy and Komsomolskaya stations.- History :... |
Krasniye Vorota | 1935–1962 |
| Lermontovskaya | 1962–1986 | |
| Chistye Prudy (Metro) | Kirovskaya | 1935–1990 |
| Myasnitskaya | 1990 | |
| Lubyanka Lubyanka (Metro) Lubyanka is a station on the Sokolnicheskaya Line of the Moscow Metro, located under Lubyanka Square. It opened in 1935 as part of the first stage of the Metro.-History:... |
Dzerzhinskaya | 1935–1990 |
| Okhotny Ryad Okhotny Ryad Okhotny Ryad is a station on the Sokolnicheskaya Line of the Moscow Metro. It is located in the centre of Moscow, near the Kremlin.Okhotny Ryad is located under what was originally the swamplands of the upper Neglinnaya River... |
Okhotny Ryad | 1935–1955 |
| Imeni L.M. Kaganovicha | 1955–1957 | |
| Okhotny Ryad | 1957–1965 | |
| Prospekt Marksa | 1965–1990 | |
| Kropotkinskaya Kropotkinskaya Kropotkinskaya is a station on the Sokolnicheskaya Line of the Moscow Metro. One of the better-known Metro stations, it was designed by Alexey Dushkin and Ya... |
Dvorets Sovetov | 1935–1957 |
| Park Kultury Park Kultury-Radialnaya Park Kultury is a Moscow Metro station in the Khamovniki District, Central Administrative Okrug, Moscow. It is on the Sokolnicheskaya Line, between Frunzenskaya and Kropotkinskaya stations... |
Tsentralnyi Park Kultury i Otdykha Imeni Gorkogo | 1935–1980 |
| Vorobyovy Gory | Leninskie Gory | 1957–2002 |
Transfers
| Transfer to | At | |
|---|---|---|
 |
Zamoskvoretskaya Line Zamoskvoretskaya Line Zamoskvoretskaya Line , formerly Gorkovsko-Zamoskvoretskaya , is a line of the Moscow Metro. Opened in 1938, chronologically it became the third line. There are twenty stations on the Zamoskvoretskaya line, and it spans , roughly crossing Moscow in a north-south direction. A normal trip along the... |
Okhotny Ryad Okhotny Ryad Okhotny Ryad is a station on the Sokolnicheskaya Line of the Moscow Metro. It is located in the centre of Moscow, near the Kremlin.Okhotny Ryad is located under what was originally the swamplands of the upper Neglinnaya River... |
 |
Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line The Arbatsko–Pokrovskaya Line is a line of the Moscow Metro. Chronologically the second to open, now it connects with the district of Mitino and town of Krasnogorsk to the northwest of Moscow with the east of the Russian capital passing through the city centre... |
Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Biblioteka Imeni Lenina is a station on the Sokolnicheskaya Line of the Moscow Metro. The station was opened on May 15, 1935 as a part of the first stage of the Metro. It is situated in the very centre of the city under the Mokhovaya Street, and is named for the nearby Russian State Library... |
 |
Filyovskaya Line Filyovskaya Line Filyovskaya Line , or Line 4, is a line of the Moscow Metro. Chronologically the sixth to open, it connects the major eastern districts of Dorogomilovo and Fili along with the Moscow City with the city centre... |
Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Biblioteka Imeni Lenina is a station on the Sokolnicheskaya Line of the Moscow Metro. The station was opened on May 15, 1935 as a part of the first stage of the Metro. It is situated in the very centre of the city under the Mokhovaya Street, and is named for the nearby Russian State Library... |
 |
Koltsevaya Line Koltsevaya Line The Koltsevaya Line , , is a railway line of the Moscow Metro. The line was built in 1950-1954 encircling the central Moscow, and became crucial to the transfer patterns of passengers.... |
Komsomolskaya Komsomolskaya-Radialnaya Komsomolskaya is a Moscow Metro station in the Krasnoselsky District, Central Administrative Okrug, Moscow. It is on the Sokolnicheskaya Line, between Krasnye Vorota and Krasnoselskaya stations. It is located under Komsomolskaya Square, between the Leningradsky, Yaroslavsky, and Kazansky railway... , Park Kultury Park Kultury-Radialnaya Park Kultury is a Moscow Metro station in the Khamovniki District, Central Administrative Okrug, Moscow. It is on the Sokolnicheskaya Line, between Frunzenskaya and Kropotkinskaya stations... |
 |
Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya Line Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya Line The Kaluzhsko–Rizhskaya Line is a line of the Moscow Metro, that originally existed as two separate radial lines, Rizhskaya and Kaluzhskaya opened in 1958 and 1962, respectively. Only in 1971 were they united into a single line as the central section connecting the stations Oktyabrskaya to Prospekt... |
Chistye Prudy |
 |
Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya Line Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya Line The Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya is the busiest line of the Moscow Metro... |
Lubyanka Lubyanka (Metro) Lubyanka is a station on the Sokolnicheskaya Line of the Moscow Metro, located under Lubyanka Square. It opened in 1935 as part of the first stage of the Metro.-History:... |
 |
Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya Line Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya Line Serpukhovsko–Timiryazevskaya Line , sometimes colloquially referred to as Grey Line , is a line of the Moscow Metro. Originally opened in 1983, it was extended throughout the 1980s and early 90s and again in the early 2000s... |
Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Biblioteka Imeni Lenina is a station on the Sokolnicheskaya Line of the Moscow Metro. The station was opened on May 15, 1935 as a part of the first stage of the Metro. It is situated in the very centre of the city under the Mokhovaya Street, and is named for the nearby Russian State Library... |
 |
Lyublinskaya Line Lyublinskaya Line Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya Line is the line of the Moscow Metro. First opened in 1995 as a semi-chordial radius it is at present in process of being extended through the centre and northwards... |
Chistye Prudy |
Rolling stock
Two depots are assigned to the line, the Severnoye (No.1) and the Cherkizovo (No.13). Starting in 1997 both depots have been upgrading to the new 81-717.5M/714.5M trains (all factory fresh). Cherkizovo currently operates 22 seven-carriage trains of the type. Severonoe's upgrade was slower and presently 33 of its 36 seven-carriage trains are the new models, the rest being the old EF, EF1 and the Em-508 and Em-509.Recent developments and future plans
Presently the line has the oldest structures in operation, and thus several renovations have been carried out systematically. Recent changes include a second entrance to Kropotkinskaya in 1998. Major lighting enhancements to Okhotny Ryad and Kropotkinskaya.Extensions are planned at both ends of the line. In the south, one station, Troparyovo, is planned. Further extensions in the north are hampered by the position of Ulitsa Podbelskogo and Cherkizovskaya, which were built so they could become of a projected second ring line which has been in planning since the 1960s. As a result the Cherkizovskaya's tunnels have provisions for a second perpendicular station, that would allow the line to continue eastwards to the district of Golyanovo and meet the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line
Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line
The Arbatsko–Pokrovskaya Line is a line of the Moscow Metro. Chronologically the second to open, now it connects with the district of Mitino and town of Krasnogorsk to the northwest of Moscow with the east of the Russian capital passing through the city centre...
at Shchyolkovskaya. At present, however, both extensions are quite distant, as Moscow Metro has much more important projects to realise prior to that.