Novokuznetskaya (russian: Новокузнецкая) is a

Moscow Metro The Moscow Metro) is a metro system serving the Russian capital of Moscow as well as the neighbouring cities of Krasnogorsk, Reutov, Lyubertsy and Kotelniki in Moscow Oblast. Opened in 1935 with one line and 13 stations, it was the first ...

station on the

Zamoskvoretskaya Line The Zamoskvoretskaya line (russian: link=no, Замоскворе́цкая ли́ния, ), formerly Gorkovsko–Zamoskvoretskaya () (Line 2), is a line of the Moscow Metro. Opened in 1938, chronologically it became the third line. There are 24 ...

. The station was opened on 20 November 1943.

History

Construction of the station began shortly after the launch of the second stage in 1938. Despite

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

the station was opened on time. Later in 1978 the platform was lengthened. This part is in a more modern style than the rest of the station.

Design

The station honors the Soviet fighting men with its heavy ornamentation. The architects, I. Taranov and N. Bykova, won a

USSR State Prize The USSR State Prize (russian: links=no, Государственная премия СССР, Gosudarstvennaya premiya SSSR) was the Soviet Union's state honor. It was established on 9 September 1966. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, t ...

for their design. The decorations include seven octagonal ceiling mosaics by Vladimir Frolov on the theme of wartime industry and

bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

s running along the base of the ceiling (by artists N.V. Tomsky, A.E. Zelensky, S.M. Rabinovich, and N.M. Shtamm) depicting the soldiers of the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...

in combat. The pink and white

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...

pylons are also decorated with cast-bronze portraits of Russian war heroes like

Mikhail Kutuzov Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov ( rus, Князь Михаи́л Илларио́нович Голени́щев-Куту́зов, Knyaz' Mikhaíl Illariónovich Goleníshchev-Kutúzov; german: Mikhail Illarion Golenishchev-Kut ...

and Alexander Nevsky. Floor lamps, long since replaced with more up-to-date lighting in other Metro stations, still give Novokuznetskaya an atmosphere of brooding shadow. There is an

urban legend An urban legend (sometimes contemporary legend, modern legend, urban myth, or urban tale) is a genre of folklore comprising stories or fallacious claims circulated as true, especially as having happened to a "friend of a friend" or a family m ...

that the station's ornate benches were made of

Carrara marble Carrara marble, Luna marble to the Romans, is a type of white or blue-grey marble popular for use in sculpture and building decor. It has been quarried since Roman times in the mountains just outside the city of Carrara in the province of Massa ...

taken from the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour just before it was demolished (in 1931), but it is not true, and the marble was from

Ural Ural may refer to: *Ural (region), in Russia and Kazakhstan *Ural Mountains, in Russia and Kazakhstan *Ural (river), in Russia and Kazakhstan * Ual (tool), a mortar tool used by the Bodo people of India *Ural Federal District, in Russia *Ural econ ...

, not

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

.Kusy I.A. et al. (2005), ''1935-2005. Moscow Metro'', Vokrug Sveta Publishing House, Yaroslavl, , p. 74.

Exits

Novokuznetskaya's round entrance vestibule is located off Pyatnitskaya Street, north of the intersection with Klimentovsky lane.

Transfers

From this station it is possible to transfer to Tretyakovskaya, a cross-platform station serving both the Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya Line and the Kalininskaya Line.

External links

metro.rumymetro.ruKartaMetro.info
— Station location and exits on Moscow map (English/Russian)

References

{{Moscow Metro Moscow Metro stations Railway stations in Russia opened in 1943 Zamoskvoretskaya Line Railway stations located underground in Russia Cultural heritage monuments of regional significance in Moscow