The construction of the metro in Moscow was planned at the end of the 19th century. In 1875, the idea was voiced of laying a line running from the Kursk railway station through Pushkinskaya and Lubyanskaya squares up to Maryina Roshcha. However, in those years, construction was never started. According to the official version, it was abandoned due to economic inexpediency.
When a revolution took place in the country and a civil war broke out, this idea was simply not remembered. The new government of the young state, the USSR, returned to this issue in 1923.
Today, the Moscow Metro is one of the most beautiful and reliable in the world. At the same time, few people know how difficult the builders had to go from creating an underground highway to launching the first trains.
Historic Decision Making
In the summer days of August 1923, a meeting of the Presidium of the Moscow Council was held, at which it was decided to resume negotiations with foreign companies regardingconstruction of the Moscow metro. The decision was announced by the chairman of the presidium, L. B. Kamenev. Thus, the idea, interrupted by the revolution and the war, was further developed.
Already a month after this historic meeting, by decision of the Moscow City Council, a special department called the "Metropolitan" began work at the department of urban railways of the capital. At that time, his only employee was the engineer K. S. Myshenkov. His duties included collecting information about existing pre-war projects.
Preliminary work
In 1924, a delegation of the Moscow Council visited Europe. Its main goal was to attract foreign partners to the design of the first subway in the USSR. However, the negotiations ended in failure. Foreign officials were unable to secure bank loans.
Only in 1928 did the Moscow Council begin negotiations on the creation of a joint-stock company, which was supposed to build the metropolitan subway. The implementation of the idea of building a subway was hampered by numerous disputes about the economic feasibility of the project. However, they did not last long. In 1930, a close associate of Stalin, L. M. Kaganovich, was appointed to the post of first secretary of the Moscow Party Committee. It was he who moved the matter from a dead point. No wonder the Moscow metro opened in 1935 was named after him.
Resolving the transport issue
If at the beginning of the existence of the young Soviet state, the authorities relied more on taxis and trams, then as the capital grew, it became increasingly difficult for residents to move around the city. ATAs a result, on January 6, 1931, a transport collapse occurred in Moscow. Traffic throughout the city was blocked by a giant traffic jam. This prompted the party leadership of the capital to the urgent construction of the subway.
Already in August 1931, a new organization was created - Metrostroy. She was given the right to priority receipt of material resources and equipment. Railway engineer P. P. Rotert was appointed head of the Metrostroy. At the same time, the staff of the new organization was formed, which included technicians and practical engineers. These were foreign experts from Germany, Austria, America and France. Supervised the new construction directly L. M. Kaganovich.
Design Issues
For the first experimental section of the new transport communication, a segment was chosen starting from Rusakova Street, 13. How was the metro built in this zone? The laying was carried out in the Parisian way, that is, with the tunnel at a shallow depth. At the same time, the vaults of the subway were reinforced with rubble stone. At the beginning of construction, the engineers did not use the Berlin method, according to which it was necessary first of all to dig a foundation pit. It was unacceptable in the center of the city, where there were dense buildings and heavy traffic.
If this issue was resolved easily, then the debate around the problem of what the metro should be like did not subside for a long time. What kind of new transport communication should be built: with island platforms or with side ones? With the first layout adopted in London and Paris, it was necessary to more carefullythink about architecture. But such platforms were the most convenient for passenger traffic. The lateral arrangement adopted in Berlin was cheaper and easier to build.
How was the subway built in the end? Soviet engineers put forward the idea of creating three-vaulted stations with two extended tunnels. Side platforms were provided here for each direction.
The technical design of the first metro lines included more than a thousand detailed explanatory notes and drawings. After detailed consideration, it was approved by the Moscow Committee of the Party on August 13, 1933
Extreme Conditions
When deciding to build the Moscow subway, the authorities did not expect that the builders would have to overcome numerous difficulties. The fact is that the conditions for the construction of tunnels were extremely unfavorable. How was the metro built in Moscow? The laying of tunnels was planned along the line of crossing the channel of Olkhovka, Neglinka, Rybinka and a large number of other small rivers. Metro builders had to disturb their peace, as a result of which quicksand, which was a mixture of sand, clay and water, poured into the tunnels. They destroyed underground workings and undermined the foundations of nearby houses.
Segment of the first stage, passing from "Sokolniki" to "Komsomolskaya", as well as from the "Library im. Lenin" to the "Park of Culture", metro builders erected in an open way. At the same time, before the start of work, they had to shift the communications available on these sections, transfer the tram tracks and install them on specialpillars standing near the building. The difficulty lay in the fact that the Moscow City Council forbade disconnecting buildings located in the construction zone from electricity, gas and water supply. Nor was there permission to stop traffic on city streets.
How was the subway built in such conditions? In order to complete the entire scope of the planned work with high quality and on time, we had to resort to various tricks. So, to combat quicksand, bridge builders used the technology of freezing the soil. To do this, it was necessary to drill separate wells, through which a cold solution of calcium chloride s alt was launched. As a result, ice cylinders were formed, which gradually grew and, connecting with each other, formed a waterproof wall. Somewhat later, this technology was used for the construction of Stalin's skyscrapers.
Personnel problems
The extreme conditions in which construction had to be carried out required the selection of highly qualified staff. However, the main staff of technicians and engineers was represented by railway workers and miners. These were people who had never before participated in the construction of the subway. In addition, 80% of the workers descended into the mine for the first time.
Due to the lack of construction personnel, there were many collective farmers and employees in the ranks of the metro builders. They also hired ordinary workers from factories and factories. All these people came to Moscow from different parts of the country, mastering new professions for them already on the spot. Former shoemakers, tailors andconfectioners took seminars, listened to lectures organized for them and became reinforcing and concrete workers.
Grand opening
The first test train passed along the rails of the Moscow metro on 1935-05-02. And already on May 15, the grand opening of the metropolitan subway took place. In those years, it was a route of 11.2 km, on which there were thirteen stations. The underground rolling stock consisted of twelve two-section trains. It was 48 Type A cars.
The first stage is the route from Sokolniki to Park Kultury station, which has a branch line to Smolenskaya. Before the start of the war with Nazi Germany, they managed to open two more lines - Arbatskaya and Zamoskvoretskaya.
Metropolitan subway today
How many subways are being built? Work continues throughout its existence. Moreover, modern stations retain the idea of a museum perception of the interior. That is why the Moscow subway is considered the most beautiful in the world.
Why is the subway still being built? This is explained by the fact that the capital is experiencing great transport problems in its land part. This in many ways elevates the role of the subway, which is a win-win option even during the busiest peak hours.
Construction works
Which companies are building the metro today? The construction of underground stations is carried out by employees of the Moscow Metrostroy, which is the successor to the organization created for these purposes in 1931. The company's structure includes twenty construction and installation departments, fifteen of which havegeneral construction profile.
Who is building the metro in Moscow today? Unlike the thirties of the last century, the staff of the organization consists of qualified specialists. These are 8.5 thousand people involved in the construction of tunnels, the installation of substations and cable lines, the laying of tracks and finishing work.
Measures for the development of the metropolitan subway
The Government of Moscow adopted a special program for the development of the Moscow Metro. It covers the period from 2012 to 2020. Moreover, it is planned to allocate 1.24 trillion rubles from the city budget for these large-scale projects. Private investors will also take part in these events. They allocate 42 million rubles.
Where is the metro being built in Moscow today? According to plans for 2016, work is underway to build the Kalininsko-Solntsevskaya line. This is the southwestern part of the metro, which is the most promising in the development of the metropolitan subway system.
Which metro stations are being built on this line? These are Minskaya and Lomonosovsky Prospekt, Ramenok and Michurinsky Prospekt, as well as Solntsevo, Govorovo and Ochakovo. These stations will be used by citizens living in the Ramensky district. Where is the subway going to be built next? The Kalininsko-Solntsevskaya line will stretch to Novomoskovskaya Rasskazovka, Peredelkino and Solntsev.
Among the works planned for 2016 is the commissioning of five stations at once, located within the 3rd interchange circuit. This will allow linking individual districts of the capital into a single network. What metro stations are being built as part of this work? These are Khodynskoye Pole and Nizhnyaya Maslovka, Petrovsky Park, Shepelikha and Khoroshevskaya. Putting these stations into operation will make it possible to relieve the central part of the metropolitan subway by about a quarter.
Where is the subway being built yet? According to the plans of the metro builders, it is planned to extend the Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya line. It will become five kilometers longer, which will allow the opening of three new stations on it - Verkhniye Likhobory, Okruzhnaya and Seligerskaya. Each of them has two exits. And Okruzhnaya station will also be equipped with transitions to other stations.
Undoubtedly, where the subway is being built, the situation with transport links is noticeably improving. Residents of such metropolitan areas as Khovrino and Levoberezhny will soon be able to get to their destination faster. The situation will be significantly improved by the commissioning of the Khovrino station.
In addition to new construction, major renovations are underway. Thus, the installation of a new escalator at the Frunzenskaya station is planned for 2016. This is due to the low bandwidth of the existing equipment.
Vykhino metro station
This station is one of the oldest in the capital. Being an important component of the Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya line, it has been accepting passengers since 1966. Unlike most stations, Vykhino is above ground. This is one of the first metro stations of this type in the capital.
Vykhino station (formerly Zhdanovskaya) is a very congested place. During peak hours, many passengers simply cannot enterinto a wagon approaching the platform. That is why the leadership of the metro decided to launch increased trains on this branch. However, this also failed to fix the problem. Today the station is an intermediate link. It connects individual districts of Moscow with its center. It is through Vykhino that people from new residential complexes, the construction of which is being carried out at an accelerated pace in the outskirts, get to their destination. The station receives about five hundred thousand people per day. The fullness of this route is simply a record! This state of affairs affects the life of the entire surrounding area. Despite the fact that bus and trolleybus routes are open here, people are used to using underground transport, which is very problematic.
That is why the government of Moscow pays special attention to such a popular direction among the people. The city authorities decided to improve the area around the station. Today, many residents of the district and guests of the capital are asking the following question: what is being built at Vykhino near the metro? It will be a special interchange hub, which is a fairly large structure. Under one roof, it will unite approaches to all available communication routes. In addition, the complex, which will occupy an area of more than twenty hectares, will include not only landing platforms, but also various retail outlets, as well as markets. The leadership of the capital believes that such a center will not only facilitate the transport situation in the area, but will also createfavorable living conditions for the population.
