Moscow Metro Celebrates 88th Anniversary

The Moscow Metro celebrates its 88th anniversary on 15 May. In 1935 the first metro line was opened – Sokolnicheskaya (Line 1), which at the time of launch had 13 stations and was 11.2 km long. Today metro consists of 14 lines with a length of 449.1 km.

The Moscow Metro will celebrate its 88th birthday with a festive program. For example, on May 13 and 14, there will be a parade of trains – for the first time on the BCL passengers will see and ride seven trains of different models.

Older trains will be presented at the exhibition of underground retro cars, which will be held at Partizanskaya metro station from May 13 to 16. These are five historical cars which used to carry Moscow’s citizens and guests from the 1940s up to 2008.

In addition, to mark the birthday of the city’s metro, the Moscow Transport Museum is launching guided tours. The first two tours along the Big Circle Line (BCL) will be free of charge on May 21. During them passengers can learn how the Big Circle Line stations were built and how they operate, and how the opening of the line affected the life of the city.

The festive day will also feature contests, audio greetings from artists, and gifts for passengers.
“For 88 years, the Metro has become an indispensable transport for Moscow. On weekdays, passengers make around 8 million trips – a huge figure comparable to the population of a small country. At the same time, by order of Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, the metro continues to develop at a rapid pace: new lines are built, modern rolling stock is purchased, the level of passenger services is increased – everything to make travel more comfortable and safer. We have prepared a lot of interesting things for the birthday of the metro – I invite everyone to join our celebration,” said Maksim Liksutov, the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport.

The Moscow Metro is one of the largest metro systems in the world and one of the world leaders in the number of contactless payment methods. The ticketing system of Moscow has been recognized internationally several times. For two years in a row, it has received the prestigious Transport Ticketing Award (2020, 2021).