Moscow Metro: Revolution Square Station, Moscow (must see)

Revolution Square Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) is one of the best-known stations of the Moscow Metro for its extensive collection of bronze sculptures. It opened on March 13, 1938, on what is now the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line and was designed by architect Alexey Dushkin.

Its interior represents the monumental approach of early Soviet metro architecture, in which sculpture, stonework, and architectural design were combined to present an idealized vision of Soviet society. The station contains 76 bronze figures, produced at the Leningrad Artistic Casting Workshop under the direction of sculptor Matvey Manizer. They form 20 different sculptural compositions, most repeated several times throughout the station. Arranged in a sequence intended to represent Soviet society from the 1917 Revolution through the 1930s, they portray revolutionary workers and soldiers, sailors, border guards, industrial workers, farmers, students, athletes, parents, and children. The figures occupy spaces beneath the station’s arches, where their dark bronze surfaces contrast with the pale and darker varieties of marble covering the walls and structural elements. Repeated arches, lamps, and sculptures give the central hall a strongly rhythmic appearance. Several figures have acquired traditions among passengers that were not part of the original artistic program. The best known is the border guard with his dog, whose nose has become highly polished because passengers touch it for good luck.

Students commonly rub the dog’s nose before examinations. Other sculptures have developed similar customs associated with luck, work, travel, or personal wishes. These practices add an informal layer to Manizer’s carefully organized representation of Soviet life and have become part of the station’s everyday culture.