The sheer delight being experienced by the people present in the photo to right is palpable. I was drawn to it immediately when I saw it on the Seventeen Moments site. It seems that the Moscow Metro system just has a way with making people excited, and understandably so. After a mere two weeks using it, I fell in love. I am now admittedly a metro snob, and when on any other metro system I long for Moscow’s alluring stations, frequent trains, and competent operators.
Since its opening in 1935, the Moscow Metro system has served an important role in numerous different aspects of Russian life. In a cultural sense, the Metro not only served as a representation of the technological improvements taking place in Russia, but also as a source of pride for all those who believed themselves to be connected to it. In Russia: A History, Gregory L. Freeze discusses the importance of both the capital and its newly created modern transportation system in the Soviet thirties. He writes, “Moscow came to represent ‘the visible face of the Soviet Union…a model for the state, where power radiated out from the centre to the periphery’…The Moscow Metro, a massive engineering project that ‘mocked utility with its stations clad in semi-precious stone’, became an object of not only Muscovite but national pride” (Freeze 361). The pride stemming from the creation of the Metro system can be seen in the other photograph to the right. The slogan, “Есть Метро!”, meaning simply than “We have a metro!”, is evidence enough that the very existence of the metro system was seen as a major accomplishment in the eyes of the people. The esteem to which the metro was held by Muscovites can also be seen in how ardently they worked to establish it. E.J. Gitman, “chief of construction art” for the Arbat Square station, writes of the process behind the creation of that particular metro station. He muses, “I was surprised by the persistence and tenacity of the workers…Moscow proletariat would take on the most difficult, the most honorable part of the job”. The willingness of Russian works to labor so heavily to construct the system, and the pride they took in being a part of its formation, illustrates the cultural implications of the Moscow Metro.
In addition to influencing Russian culture in the Soviet thirties, the Moscow Metro system had significant implications in other areas of Soviet life. On the site Seventeen Moments in Soviet History, James von Geldern discusses these implications in a subject essay on the Moscow Metro. He writes about “the first line of the subway opening in 1935” and says that the system “has continued to operate since as the finest system in the world…it demonstrated how effectively the socialist state could mobilize itself for great projects”. He goes on to say that, “In time of war it saved them from German bombs; in finer times, it served young people as a place to meet and fall in love. Although none of these things were mentioned in the original plans, they did great credit to the party that built the subway”. Von Geldern’s essay shows that the Moscow Metro impacted Russia by serving as a measure of Soviet competence to the rest of the world, by providing protection during times of war, and by making the political party in power more favorable in the eyes of the public.
I think this was a great post. It is really interesting to get a feel for how much pride the Russian people had for the metro back in the 30’s and still have today. In an era where Russia was constantly striving to out do the capitalist West by any means necessary, it makes a lot of sense that they would be extremely proud of such an efficient and beautiful metro. This was a great undertaking and it sounds like all it took was a little shock worker spirit and a strong desire to bring Russia back onto an even playing field that brought about this wonderful example of Russian modernization. Its really great to see something this positive coming out of an era in Russia that was plagued with so many atrocities under Stalin.
I’m loving these posts about the metro! It really is a monument to the Soviet vision for using technology to master the urban environment. Although lots of my friends won’t ride it anymore (because sitting in traffic in a car is more prestigious), I will always admire and respect the speed and efficiency of a system that moves so many people (and stray dogs ;-))so quickly. Props for using the Russian source on Seventeen Moments!
My friend Ben and I made it our mission to meet one of the metro dogs while we were in Moscow, but alas we were unsuccessful. Just one of the many things that makes the Moscow metro great!
Bummer! Did you go to the circle line? Most of them are there – partly I think because those stations are old, and lots of them are near train stations and markets where the scavenging is good for stray dogs. I also think the dogs do better navigating a circle. In the winter they ride the rails to stay warm…
I did actually! Our dorm was a very short walk to Новослободская, so we used that mostly. We were also close to Менделеевская, but we used the ring quite a bit to go out to the different lines.