Moscow Metro (Moskovskiy Metropoliten)
With its underground network of trains and tunnels stretching for more than 190 miles (305 kilometers) across 200-plus stations, Moscow’s metro system covers a lot of territory. It’s more than just a transport hub though. Many metro stations are architectural landmarks, built in Soviet times and dubbed "the palaces of the people."
The Basics
Taking a ride on the metro is a convenient way to get around Moscow, and you can easily hop among stations to admire their lavish designs. Guided tours take the hassle out of navigating the public transport system and provide greater insight into each station’s art and architecture, which often symbolize Russian culture or pay tribute to important historical figures and events.
Some of the most impressive stations include Novoslobodskaya, with its 32 colored glass panels and mosaics; Prospekt Mira, decorated in marble, granite, and chandeliers; and Ploshchad Revolyutsii, an homage to Soviet heroes represented by 76 bronze sculptures. There’s also Kievskaya, which celebrates the Ukrainian people with murals framed by gold-leaf borders; Mayakovskaya station, which has massive overhead lights and gigantic mosaics; and Komsomolskaya station, with its marble columns and gold mosaics.
Things to Know Before You Go
If you want to experience Moscow like a local, a ride on the metro is a must.
The Moscow Metro has more than 200 stations and 15 numbered and color-coded lines.
Most metro signs and on-board announcements are in Russian, but ticket machines are in English and Russian.
Various metro tickets are available including single and return tickets, and 20-, 40-, and 60-ride travel passes. A Troika Card offers the best value on combined metro, bus, and tram rides.
Children under seven ride free.
The metro is not easily accessible for wheelchairs and strollers. Most stations are accessed by stairs, and many trains have a step or gap between the train and the platform.
How to Get There
Metro Stations are located all around the city, so you won’t need to look far. Entrances are marked by a large red "M," and there are often multiple entrances to each station.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
Most Moscow metro stations open from 5:30am to 1am, and trains run frequently and regularly. It’s generally safe to travel on the subway even at night, and a late-evening journey might be your only chance to snap a crowd-free photo.
Soviet Sites in Moscow
The metro system isn't the only remnant of Moscow’s Soviet era. Start with a stroll around the Red Square, home of many Soviet military parades and demonstrations, as well as Lenin’s Mausoleum. Learn more about the era at the Museum of Contemporary History, Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics, and the Gulag history museum. Pay a visit to the massive All-Russian Exhibition Center (VDNKH), opened in 1935, and head to Lubyanka Square to see the former KGB headquarters.
- Novodevichy Convent (Novodevichiy Monastyr)
- Mosfilm Film Studio
- Leo Tolstoy State Museum (Muzey L.N. Tolstogo)
- Garage Museum of Contemporary Art
- Gorky Park (Park Gorkogo)
- A.S. Pushkin Memorial Apartment (Memorial'naya Kvartira A.S. Pushkina)
- Victory Museum
- State Darwin Museum
- Red October Chocolate Factory (Krasny Oktyabr)
- Red Square (Krasnaya Ploshchad)
- Pushkin Museum (Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts)
- Cathedral of Christ the Savior (Khram Khrista Spasitelya)
- Tretyakov Gallery (Tretyakovskaya Galereya)
- Russian State Library (Rossiyskaya Gosudarstvennaya Biblioteka)
- Kremlin Armoury (Armoury Chamber)