Kiev Metro
Encyclopedia
The Kiev Metro is a metro
system that is the mainstay of Kiev
's public transport
. It was the first rapid transit
system in Ukraine
and the third one built in the USSR
(after Moscow
and St. Petersburg
Metros). It now has three lines with a total length of 63.7 kilometres and 49 stations. The system carries 1.38 million passengers daily, accounting for 42.5% of the Kiev's public transport load. In 2010, the total number of trips exceeded 504.2 million. One of the deepest stations in the world, Arsenalna
(at 105.5 metres), is found on the system.
The metro follows a standard Soviet triangle three line, six radii layout that intersects in the centre where the stations are built very deep underground and could potentially double as bomb shelter
s.
Presently, there are 49 stations. The former comprise 20 stations, of which 17 are of pylon type, 3 are of column
type. Of the 23 sub-surface stations, 14 stations are of pillar-trispan type, two are side-platform pillar bi-spans, 6 more are single-vaults, and a further one is an asymmetrical double deck bispan. In addition, 6 stations are located above ground, of which four are surface level, and two are flyover. Most of the stations have large vestibules, some on surface level whilst others are underground interlinked with subways. Recently, access for disabled persons, previously overlooked, has become an important issue, and all new stations have been constructed with necessary provisions.
Three yards provide a total of 664 metro cars which form 131 trains that travel on 63.7 km of track carrying 1.38 million passengers daily between 6:00 and 0:00 when the metro is open.
A single ride costs 2.00 hryvnia
($0.25) regardless of destination and number of transits within the metro. The ride is paid by plastic tokens and contactless cards when entering the metro.
Plastic tokens are used for turnstile
s; the tokens can be bought from cashiers at all stations or from automatic exchange machines that exchange 2 and 10 Hryvnia bills into tokens. The current tokens are of blue color; before 2008 green tokens were used that are no longer valid.
Contactless (RFID-based) cards are also used to enter the metro. The card can be purchased for a small fee (7 hryvnias as of 2010) and loaded for up to 50 trips with the same per-ride price as tokens. Also, the cards can be purchased for unlimited rides for a one or half month.
In late 1990s - early 2000s, monthly metro passes with a magnetic strip were used. This technology had not been perfected as it required several repeat attempts for the ticket to be read.
Originally the Metro ride cost 0.5 Soviet ruble
s (50 kopecks), however in 1961 following Soviet denomination, and for the next 30 years, the ride was fixed at 0.05 rubles (5 kopecks). Since 1991 as the country suffered from hyperinflation the price gradually rose by 1996 to 30,000 karbovanets
. Following the 1996 denomination 30,000 karbovanets became 0.3 hryvnias
(30 kopiyok). Since then the price was raised twice, to 50 kopiyok in 2000 and to 2 hryvnia in 2008 (later reduced to 1.70). The price is set by the Kiev City Administration subject to approval of the national government. In November 2008 when the price was increased to 2 hryvnia, there were public protests and the Antitrust Committee of Ukraine ordered to decrease the price to 1.70 hryvnia as of January 23, 2009. In September 2010 the price was increased to 2 hryvnia
A proposal to set prices according to the distance traveled, or time spent in the metro, is currently being discussed. For this purpose, turnstiles have already been installed near metro exits.
. After the downfall of the Tsarist government Hetman Skoropadsky
was also much interested in building the system, but after the downfall of the Hetmanate
in the autumn of 1918 Ukraine plunged into chaos of Civil War and the project was shelved for good.
Following the Bolshevik's victory in the Russian Civil War
, Kiev
became only a provincial city and no large scale proposals to improve the city were drawn. Two decades later all this changed when in 1934, the capital of the Ukrainian SSR
was moved from Kharkiv
to Kiev. In 1936 the presidium of the Kiev Municipal Soviet analysed the first report by the Moscow Institute for Transport Engineering proposing an underground system for the reconstruction of the new capital. Funds were already allocated to plan the development, but it was discontinued in 1938 when preparation for World War II
became a priority.
Following the terrible destruction suffered by the city in the war, a massive reconstruction was opened for the capital of the third largest city in the USSR. This time the Metro was in the plan and construction began in August 1949. Eleven years later the first 5.2 kilometre segment from the Vokzalna
to Dnipro
.
Those five stations formed the central part of what is today known as the Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska Line
, which runs from the west to the east of the city. The line crossed the Dnieper river in 1965 across a newly constructed Metro Bridge and went east to the large residential areas being built on the left bank of the river, with subsequent extensions in 1968 and 1971. At the same time it extended to Kiev's westernmost residential areas of Sviatoshyn and Bilychi in three stages 1963, 1971 and 2003.
Construction of the second line began in the early 1970s and the first three stations were opened in 1976. What became known as the Kurenivsko-Chervonoarmiyska Line
continued expanding. In two stages (in 1980 and 1982) it reached Obolon
, then the largest residential district, in northern Kiev. At the same time construction continued to the southwest with new stations added in 1981 and 1984.
Construction of the third, Syretsko-Pecherska Line
began in 1981 for the first three station segment to open in 1989 in central Kiev. Following a northwest-southeast axis, in 1991 it continued up to the left bank of the Dnieper and by 1992 crossed the river and continued into the rapidly developing Poznyaky and Kharkivskyi
residential districts which it reached in 1994. In mid late 1990s construction began on expansion to the older Syrets district in the northwest direction with stations opening in 1996, 2000 and 2004. In addition some of the intermediate stations were deliberately left unfinished and opened later: Pecherska
(Opened in 1997) and Vyrlytsia
(in 2006).
On December 15, 2010 three new stations (Demiivska
, Holosiivska
, and Vasylkivska
) were opened in the direction of Teremki. Subsequent extension is not announced, but will include two branches with five stations in total.
which are known for their vivid and colourful decorations, Kiev's is no exception. The original stations of the first stage are elaborately decorated, showing the postwar Stalinist architecture
blended with traditional Ukrainian motifs. First projects of stations were offered at the beginning of 50s abounded with rich decorations - mosaics, ornaments, bas-reliefs, sculptures and a lot of marble. Each station had original shape. This stations should be constructed in monumental style like stations, built in 50s in Moscow and Leningrad. For example Arsenalna station instead of small central hall should have wide hall with sculptures of warriors of the civil and great patriotic wars, Vokzalna station should be decorated with ornaments and bas-reliefs on columns and big decorative map of Ukrainian SSR in an end face, Politeckhnichniy Institut station on first project had big mosaic panels devoted a natural sciences. But at the ending has begun period of functionality in soviet architecture and struggle against architectural extravagances, propagated by Khruschev and in definitive projects, stations lost the most part of decorations. Universitet station has been subject to simplification less than others - pylons adorned with busts of scientists and writers. The next stations that opened in 1963 had an ascetic and strict appearance. Open-air stations, that opened in 60s and underground stations of 1971 were built by standard primitive project - so-called "sorokonozhka" (centipede) because of a lot of thin supports at both sides of platform. Functionality became the most important factor in the newer designs, and stations built at that time were almost identical save the design of tile patterns and pillar riveting material. Only in the 1970s did decorative architecture start to make a rapid recovery. The stations built from the 1980s onwards show more innovative design comparing with the stations in other cities in former USSR.
Also, some of the older stations have undergone upgrades to lighting and renovation of some decorative material. After the declaration
of Ukrainian independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union
in 1991, some of the Soviet symbols originally incorporated into decor were adapted to modern times or removed altogether by altering architectural composition of those stations, making them lose some of their original splendour.
and Ukrainian language
s in the Kiev metro can be taken as a good illustration of the linguistic policies of the Soviet Union
and Ukraine
. When the Metro was opened in 1960, although many workers and all technical level documents were using Russian, nevertheless all the signs and announcements used Ukrainian exclusively. The closeness of the languages did allow for every station to have a Russian translation and these were often given in Russian language literature and media. However some Ukrainian names for stations were different from Russian ones, and to signify this, those stations were semi-translated into Russian, effectively blending Ukrainian words into Russian grammar. Examples of this include Zhovtneva and Chervonoarmiyska (later renamed to Beresteiska
and Palats Ukrayina respectively) which when translated into Russian would become Oktyabrskaya and Krasnoarmeiskaya. The names were instead given as Zhovtnevaya and Chervonoarmeiskaya.
During the 1980s, partly due to Shcherbytsky's gradual Russification
campaign, and partly due to Kiev becoming increasingly Russophone
, the metro started to change as well. Although the stations retained their original Ukrainian titles on the vestibules, Russian appeared together with Ukrainian on the walls, and replaced Ukrainian in signs and voice announcements. Stations that were opened during this period still had Ukrainian names appearing along with Russian ones on the walls, but now all the decorations, where slogans were included, became bilingual as well. Also during this time, the unique practice of blending Ukrainian into Russian was dropped, and those selected stations were named in standard Russian translation.
During Perestroika
in the late 1980s, bilingualism was gradually introduced in signs and in voice announcements in the trains. Prior to 1991, this was done with Ukrainian following Russian, but after the republic's proclamation of independence in August 1991 the order was changed to Ukrainian preceding Russian. After the fall of the Soviet Union in late 1991, both signs and voice announcements were changed from bilingualism to just Ukrainian due to the Ukrainianization policy. However, the Russian names are still used in Russian-language literature and some documentation, and some of the decorations still feature bilingual inscriptions.
Recently, most older signs that featured Latin transliteration of Ukrainian names along with English titles such as "transfer to" or "exit" have been replaced. Most of these were in a separate, paler font.
in the early 1990s from the Ministry of Rail services (formally known as Kyivsky Metropoliten Ordena Lenina, Imeni V.I.Lenina). The Metro employs several thousand workers in tunnel and track, station and rolling stock management. In addition to being state sponsored for operation, income comes from ticket sales and from advertisements (controlled by a daughter company Metroreklama) that are displayed in most stations. Metro building is organised by a daughter company Kyivmetrobud which allocates segments of construction to individual brigades that are responsible for tunnel and station construction. Kyivmetrobud is directly funded by the profits of the Metro and by the state. Most of the state funding comes from Kiev's municipality and additional subventions are received from the State budget directly.
In 2009 Kiev Metro Kyivsky Metropoliten saw a loss of 210 million Hryvnya, according to them the main reason for the company's unprofitability was that the tariffs for passenger transportation did not cover costs.
(police) personnel on all stations. In the wake of recent terrorist fears, all of the stations are now fitted with CCTV
surveillance cameras.
The rolling stock is often repaired and renovated internally and externally. Newer models are being procured at the same time.
There are restrictions on the size of luggage that passengers are allowed to carry, and those that do are required to pay additional fees. Bicycles and animals are not allowed.
Until recently, amateur photography was frowned upon, and video shooting remains illegal.
Provisions for disabled people, until recently, were non-existent. However, the new stations are now fitted with lifts and plans are underway to upgrade the older stations as well.
If all of this is completed the Metro will rise from the present 45 stations to approximately 100, which will include several ghost stations on the Syretsko-Pecherska Line. In the more distant future it is expected that rapid transit will be developed further including a surface ring railway which will go around Kiev and a rapid rail exchange with Boryspil Airport
.
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
system that is the mainstay of Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
's public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
. It was the first rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
system in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and the third one built in the USSR
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(after Moscow
Moscow Metro
The Moscow Metro is a rapid transit system serving Moscow and the neighbouring town of Krasnogorsk. Opened in 1935 with one line and 13 stations, it was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union. As of 2011, the Moscow Metro has 182 stations and its route length is . The system is...
and St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg Metro
The Saint Petersburg Metro is the underground railway system in Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It has been open since November 15, 1955.Formerly known as the V.I...
Metros). It now has three lines with a total length of 63.7 kilometres and 49 stations. The system carries 1.38 million passengers daily, accounting for 42.5% of the Kiev's public transport load. In 2010, the total number of trips exceeded 504.2 million. One of the deepest stations in the world, Arsenalna
Arsenalna (Kiev Metro)
Arsenalna is a station on Kiev Metro's Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska Line. The station was opened along with the first stage and is currently the deepest station in the world . This attributed to Kiev's geography where the high bank of the Dnieper River rises above the rest of the city...
(at 105.5 metres), is found on the system.
Lines and stations
| # | Name | Opened | Stations | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska Line Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska Line The Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska Line , is the first line of the Kiev Metro, dating back to 1960. It includes some of the system's more historically significant stations, like Arsenalna, which at 105.5 meters is the deepest in the world and the next station Dnipro, which although the tunnel follows a... |
1960 | 18 | 22.64 km (14.1 mi) |
| 2 | Kurenivsko-Chervonoarmiyska Line Kurenivsko-Chervonoarmiyska Line The Kurenivsko-Chervonoarmiyska Line , is the second line of the Kiev Metro, first opened in 1976, it extended northwards along the right bank of the Dnieper river and began deviating from the river towards the southwest. As the current stations were built in the 1970s and 80s, architecturally the... |
1976 | 15 | 17 km (10.6 mi) |
| 3 | Syretsko-Pecherska Line Syretsko-Pecherska Line The Syretsko-Pecherska Line is third line of the Kiev Metro, first opened in 1989. It extends the metro system southeast along the right bank of the Dnieper River before crossing it on a covered bridge and then east from there. The northern section extends further northwestwards. The line is one... |
1989 | 16 | 23.86 km (14.8 mi) |
| 4 | Podilsko-Vyhurivska Line | Under construction | ||
| 5 | Livoberezhna Line Livoberezhna Line Livoberezhna Line is a proposed fifth rapid transit line of the Kiev Metro, planned to be serving the left bank area of Dnieper River of capital Kiev, Ukraine. The line is coloured light sky blue on the maps. It will have transfer stations with intercity railway stations and other metro lines... |
Planned | ||
| Total: | 49 | 63.7 km (39.6 mi) | ||
Bomb shelter
A bomb shelter is any kind of a civil defense structure designed to provide protection against the effects of a bomb.-Types of shelter:Different kinds of bomb shelters are configured to protect against different kinds of attack and strengths of hostile explosives. For example, an Air-raid shelter...
s.
Presently, there are 49 stations. The former comprise 20 stations, of which 17 are of pylon type, 3 are of column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
type. Of the 23 sub-surface stations, 14 stations are of pillar-trispan type, two are side-platform pillar bi-spans, 6 more are single-vaults, and a further one is an asymmetrical double deck bispan. In addition, 6 stations are located above ground, of which four are surface level, and two are flyover. Most of the stations have large vestibules, some on surface level whilst others are underground interlinked with subways. Recently, access for disabled persons, previously overlooked, has become an important issue, and all new stations have been constructed with necessary provisions.
Three yards provide a total of 664 metro cars which form 131 trains that travel on 63.7 km of track carrying 1.38 million passengers daily between 6:00 and 0:00 when the metro is open.
Ticket prices
Ukrainian hryvnia
The hryvnia, sometimes hryvnya or grivna ; sign: ₴, code: , has been the national currency of Ukraine since September 2, 1996. The hryvnia is subdivided into 100 kopiyok. In medieval times, it was a currency of Kievan Rus'....
($0.25) regardless of destination and number of transits within the metro. The ride is paid by plastic tokens and contactless cards when entering the metro.
Plastic tokens are used for turnstile
Turnstile
A turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. It can also be made so as to enforce one-way traffic of people, and in addition, it can restrict passage only to people who insert a coin, a ticket, a pass, or similar...
s; the tokens can be bought from cashiers at all stations or from automatic exchange machines that exchange 2 and 10 Hryvnia bills into tokens. The current tokens are of blue color; before 2008 green tokens were used that are no longer valid.
Contactless (RFID-based) cards are also used to enter the metro. The card can be purchased for a small fee (7 hryvnias as of 2010) and loaded for up to 50 trips with the same per-ride price as tokens. Also, the cards can be purchased for unlimited rides for a one or half month.
In late 1990s - early 2000s, monthly metro passes with a magnetic strip were used. This technology had not been perfected as it required several repeat attempts for the ticket to be read.
Originally the Metro ride cost 0.5 Soviet ruble
Soviet ruble
The Soviet ruble or rouble was the currency of the Soviet Union. One ruble is divided into 100 kopeks, ....
s (50 kopecks), however in 1961 following Soviet denomination, and for the next 30 years, the ride was fixed at 0.05 rubles (5 kopecks). Since 1991 as the country suffered from hyperinflation the price gradually rose by 1996 to 30,000 karbovanets
Ukrainian karbovanets
The karbovanets has been a distinct unit of currency in Ukraine during three separate periods. The name is also used in the Ukrainian language for the Imperial ruble and the Soviet ruble, but not for the modern Russian ruble....
. Following the 1996 denomination 30,000 karbovanets became 0.3 hryvnias
Ukrainian hryvnia
The hryvnia, sometimes hryvnya or grivna ; sign: ₴, code: , has been the national currency of Ukraine since September 2, 1996. The hryvnia is subdivided into 100 kopiyok. In medieval times, it was a currency of Kievan Rus'....
(30 kopiyok). Since then the price was raised twice, to 50 kopiyok in 2000 and to 2 hryvnia in 2008 (later reduced to 1.70). The price is set by the Kiev City Administration subject to approval of the national government. In November 2008 when the price was increased to 2 hryvnia, there were public protests and the Antitrust Committee of Ukraine ordered to decrease the price to 1.70 hryvnia as of January 23, 2009. In September 2010 the price was increased to 2 hryvnia
A proposal to set prices according to the distance traveled, or time spent in the metro, is currently being discussed. For this purpose, turnstiles have already been installed near metro exits.
History
The story for a rapid transit system in Kiev originates back to 1916 when businessmen of the Russo-American trading corporation attempted to collect funds to sponsor construction of a metro in Kiev, which previously has been a pioneering city for Imperial Russian rapid transit, like opening of the first Russian tram systemKiev tram
The Kiev Tramway is a tram network which serves the Ukrainian capital Kiev. The system was the first electric tramway in the former Russian Empire and the third one in Europe after the Berlin Straßenbahn and the Budapest tramway. The system currently consists of 139.9 km of track, including...
. After the downfall of the Tsarist government Hetman Skoropadsky
Pavlo Skoropadsky
Pavlo Petrovych Skoropadskyi 3 May 1873, Wiesbaden, Germany – 26 April 1945, Metten monastery clinic, Bavaria, Germany) was a Ukrainian politician, earlier an aristocrat and decorated Imperial Russian Army general...
was also much interested in building the system, but after the downfall of the Hetmanate
Hetmanate
The Ukrainian State or The Hetmanate was a short-lived polity in Ukraine, installed by Ukrainian Cossacks and military organizations under the support of the Central Powers, after disbanding the Central Rada of the Ukrainian National Republic on 28 April 1918.-History:On April 29, 1918 the head...
in the autumn of 1918 Ukraine plunged into chaos of Civil War and the project was shelved for good.
Following the Bolshevik's victory in the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
, Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
became only a provincial city and no large scale proposals to improve the city were drawn. Two decades later all this changed when in 1934, the capital of the Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
was moved from Kharkiv
Kharkiv
Kharkiv or Kharkov is the second-largest city in Ukraine.The city was founded in 1654 and was a major centre of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire. Kharkiv became the first city in Ukraine where the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed in December 1917 and Soviet government was...
to Kiev. In 1936 the presidium of the Kiev Municipal Soviet analysed the first report by the Moscow Institute for Transport Engineering proposing an underground system for the reconstruction of the new capital. Funds were already allocated to plan the development, but it was discontinued in 1938 when preparation for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
became a priority.
Vokzalna (Kiev Metro)
Vokzalna is a station on Kiev Metro's Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska Line. The station was opened along with the Metro on the 6 November 1960, and is named after Kiev's Central rail station and is the metro stop for those using the train....
to Dnipro
Dnipro (Kiev Metro)
Dnipro is a station on the Kiev Metro's Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska Line). Named after the Dnieper River, the station consists of a semi-estacade over the embankment highway, and then continues across the river as part of the Metro Bridge...
.
Those five stations formed the central part of what is today known as the Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska Line
Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska Line
The Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska Line , is the first line of the Kiev Metro, dating back to 1960. It includes some of the system's more historically significant stations, like Arsenalna, which at 105.5 meters is the deepest in the world and the next station Dnipro, which although the tunnel follows a...
, which runs from the west to the east of the city. The line crossed the Dnieper river in 1965 across a newly constructed Metro Bridge and went east to the large residential areas being built on the left bank of the river, with subsequent extensions in 1968 and 1971. At the same time it extended to Kiev's westernmost residential areas of Sviatoshyn and Bilychi in three stages 1963, 1971 and 2003.
Construction of the second line began in the early 1970s and the first three stations were opened in 1976. What became known as the Kurenivsko-Chervonoarmiyska Line
Kurenivsko-Chervonoarmiyska Line
The Kurenivsko-Chervonoarmiyska Line , is the second line of the Kiev Metro, first opened in 1976, it extended northwards along the right bank of the Dnieper river and began deviating from the river towards the southwest. As the current stations were built in the 1970s and 80s, architecturally the...
continued expanding. In two stages (in 1980 and 1982) it reached Obolon
Obolonskyi Raion
Obolon Raion , is a municipal raion of the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Obolon Raion encompasses territories far beyond of its historical neighborhood with the same name. Its current population is 290,000 inhabitants. It was formed on March 3, 1975 and initially called as Minsk Raion...
, then the largest residential district, in northern Kiev. At the same time construction continued to the southwest with new stations added in 1981 and 1984.
Construction of the third, Syretsko-Pecherska Line
Syretsko-Pecherska Line
The Syretsko-Pecherska Line is third line of the Kiev Metro, first opened in 1989. It extends the metro system southeast along the right bank of the Dnieper River before crossing it on a covered bridge and then east from there. The northern section extends further northwestwards. The line is one...
began in 1981 for the first three station segment to open in 1989 in central Kiev. Following a northwest-southeast axis, in 1991 it continued up to the left bank of the Dnieper and by 1992 crossed the river and continued into the rapidly developing Poznyaky and Kharkivskyi
Kharkivskyi neighborhood, Kiev
Kharkivskyi neighborhood, often referred to as Kharkivskyi masyv is located in the Darnytsia region of Kiev, Ukraine. The area was first developed between the mid 1980s and early 1990s as an expansion of the Darnytsia neighborhood of the city...
residential districts which it reached in 1994. In mid late 1990s construction began on expansion to the older Syrets district in the northwest direction with stations opening in 1996, 2000 and 2004. In addition some of the intermediate stations were deliberately left unfinished and opened later: Pecherska
Pecherska (Kiev Metro)
Pecherska — is a station on Kiev Metro's Syretsko-Pecherska Line. Originally planned to open along with the main section of the line which in late 1991, problems with the escalator tunnel meant that work was delayed, and the station finally opened only six years later on December 27, 1997.Designed...
(Opened in 1997) and Vyrlytsia
Vyrlytsia (Kiev Metro)
Vyrlytsia is a station on the Kiev Metro's Syretsko-Pecherska Line. It was opened on March 4, 2006 on the already functioning stretch, Kharkivska-Boryspilska....
(in 2006).
On December 15, 2010 three new stations (Demiivska
Demiivska (Kiev Metro)
Demiivska is the first station on Kiev Metro's Kurenivsko-Chervonoarmiyska Line's Holosiiv-Teremky extension opened on December 15, 2010. It is situated on the "40-richcha Zhovtnya " avenue...
, Holosiivska
Holosiivska (Kiev Metro)
Holosiivska is the second station on the Kiev Metro's Kurenivsko-Chervonoarmiyska Line's Holosiiv-Teremky extension. It opened on December 15, 2010. The station is situated in the Holosiiv Raion near the Holosiivska Square....
, and Vasylkivska
Vasylkivska (Kiev Metro)
Vasylkivska is station on Kiev Metro's Kurenivsko-Chervonoarmiyska Line. It is named after the street which leads to Vasylkiv, south-west to capital Kiev. The station was opened on 15 December 2010.-History:...
) were opened in the direction of Teremki. Subsequent extension is not announced, but will include two branches with five stations in total.
Architecture
Like all Metro systems in the former Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
which are known for their vivid and colourful decorations, Kiev's is no exception. The original stations of the first stage are elaborately decorated, showing the postwar Stalinist architecture
Stalinist architecture
Stalinist architecture , also referred to as Stalinist Gothic, or Socialist Classicism, is a term given to architecture of the Soviet Union between 1933, when Boris Iofan's draft for Palace of the Soviets was officially approved, and 1955, when Nikita Khrushchev condemned "excesses" of the past...
blended with traditional Ukrainian motifs. First projects of stations were offered at the beginning of 50s abounded with rich decorations - mosaics, ornaments, bas-reliefs, sculptures and a lot of marble. Each station had original shape. This stations should be constructed in monumental style like stations, built in 50s in Moscow and Leningrad. For example Arsenalna station instead of small central hall should have wide hall with sculptures of warriors of the civil and great patriotic wars, Vokzalna station should be decorated with ornaments and bas-reliefs on columns and big decorative map of Ukrainian SSR in an end face, Politeckhnichniy Institut station on first project had big mosaic panels devoted a natural sciences. But at the ending has begun period of functionality in soviet architecture and struggle against architectural extravagances, propagated by Khruschev and in definitive projects, stations lost the most part of decorations. Universitet station has been subject to simplification less than others - pylons adorned with busts of scientists and writers. The next stations that opened in 1963 had an ascetic and strict appearance. Open-air stations, that opened in 60s and underground stations of 1971 were built by standard primitive project - so-called "sorokonozhka" (centipede) because of a lot of thin supports at both sides of platform. Functionality became the most important factor in the newer designs, and stations built at that time were almost identical save the design of tile patterns and pillar riveting material. Only in the 1970s did decorative architecture start to make a rapid recovery. The stations built from the 1980s onwards show more innovative design comparing with the stations in other cities in former USSR.
Also, some of the older stations have undergone upgrades to lighting and renovation of some decorative material. After the declaration
Ukrainian independence referendum, 1991
A referendum on the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine took place in Ukraine on December 1, 1991. The only question of the referendum was: "Do you support the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine?" – with the text of the Declaration as a preamble to the question...
of Ukrainian independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
in 1991, some of the Soviet symbols originally incorporated into decor were adapted to modern times or removed altogether by altering architectural composition of those stations, making them lose some of their original splendour.
Language issues
The use of RussianRussian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and Ukrainian language
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
s in the Kiev metro can be taken as a good illustration of the linguistic policies of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. When the Metro was opened in 1960, although many workers and all technical level documents were using Russian, nevertheless all the signs and announcements used Ukrainian exclusively. The closeness of the languages did allow for every station to have a Russian translation and these were often given in Russian language literature and media. However some Ukrainian names for stations were different from Russian ones, and to signify this, those stations were semi-translated into Russian, effectively blending Ukrainian words into Russian grammar. Examples of this include Zhovtneva and Chervonoarmiyska (later renamed to Beresteiska
Beresteiska (Kiev Metro)
Beresteiska is a station on Kiev Metro's Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska Line. The station was opened in 1971 as part of the second stage of the Sviatoshynsky radius....
and Palats Ukrayina respectively) which when translated into Russian would become Oktyabrskaya and Krasnoarmeiskaya. The names were instead given as Zhovtnevaya and Chervonoarmeiskaya.
During the 1980s, partly due to Shcherbytsky's gradual Russification
Russification
Russification is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attributes by non-Russian communities...
campaign, and partly due to Kiev becoming increasingly Russophone
Russophone
A Russophone is literally a speaker of the Russian language either natively or by preference. At the same time the term is used in a more specialized meaning to describe the category of people whose cultural background is associated with Russian language regardless of ethnic and territorial...
, the metro started to change as well. Although the stations retained their original Ukrainian titles on the vestibules, Russian appeared together with Ukrainian on the walls, and replaced Ukrainian in signs and voice announcements. Stations that were opened during this period still had Ukrainian names appearing along with Russian ones on the walls, but now all the decorations, where slogans were included, became bilingual as well. Also during this time, the unique practice of blending Ukrainian into Russian was dropped, and those selected stations were named in standard Russian translation.
During Perestroika
Perestroika
Perestroika was a political movement within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during 1980s, widely associated with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev...
in the late 1980s, bilingualism was gradually introduced in signs and in voice announcements in the trains. Prior to 1991, this was done with Ukrainian following Russian, but after the republic's proclamation of independence in August 1991 the order was changed to Ukrainian preceding Russian. After the fall of the Soviet Union in late 1991, both signs and voice announcements were changed from bilingualism to just Ukrainian due to the Ukrainianization policy. However, the Russian names are still used in Russian-language literature and some documentation, and some of the decorations still feature bilingual inscriptions.
Recently, most older signs that featured Latin transliteration of Ukrainian names along with English titles such as "transfer to" or "exit" have been replaced. Most of these were in a separate, paler font.
Management
The Kiev Metro is managed by the state-owned city municipal company Kyivsky Metropoliten which was privatisedPrivatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
in the early 1990s from the Ministry of Rail services (formally known as Kyivsky Metropoliten Ordena Lenina, Imeni V.I.Lenina). The Metro employs several thousand workers in tunnel and track, station and rolling stock management. In addition to being state sponsored for operation, income comes from ticket sales and from advertisements (controlled by a daughter company Metroreklama) that are displayed in most stations. Metro building is organised by a daughter company Kyivmetrobud which allocates segments of construction to individual brigades that are responsible for tunnel and station construction. Kyivmetrobud is directly funded by the profits of the Metro and by the state. Most of the state funding comes from Kiev's municipality and additional subventions are received from the State budget directly.
In 2009 Kiev Metro Kyivsky Metropoliten saw a loss of 210 million Hryvnya, according to them the main reason for the company's unprofitability was that the tariffs for passenger transportation did not cover costs.
Quality
On the whole the condition of the metro is satisfactory for most people. For example vandalism and graffiti are not common in Kiev. Public order is now being maintained with MilitsiyaMilitsiya
Militsiya or militia is used as an official name of the civilian police in several former communist states, despite its original military connotation...
(police) personnel on all stations. In the wake of recent terrorist fears, all of the stations are now fitted with CCTV
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
surveillance cameras.
The rolling stock is often repaired and renovated internally and externally. Newer models are being procured at the same time.
There are restrictions on the size of luggage that passengers are allowed to carry, and those that do are required to pay additional fees. Bicycles and animals are not allowed.
Until recently, amateur photography was frowned upon, and video shooting remains illegal.
Provisions for disabled people, until recently, were non-existent. However, the new stations are now fitted with lifts and plans are underway to upgrade the older stations as well.
Construction and future plans
- Extension of Kurenivsko-Chervonoarmiyska LineKurenivsko-Chervonoarmiyska LineThe Kurenivsko-Chervonoarmiyska Line , is the second line of the Kiev Metro, first opened in 1976, it extended northwards along the right bank of the Dnieper river and began deviating from the river towards the southwest. As the current stations were built in the 1970s and 80s, architecturally the...
to Teremky will extend the line to Kiev's south-western districts of HolosiivHolosiivskyi RaionHolosiivskyi Raion is an administrative raion of the city of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.Holosiivskyi Raion was created as part of a change in the administrative divisions of the capital of Ukraine, which was conducted in September 2001, as per the decision of the Kiev City Council on January 1,...
and Teremky. Plans : Vystavkovy Tsentr - in 2011; Ipodrom and Teremky - in 2012. - Podilsko-Vyhurivska Line. Possibly one of the most ambitious projects, but nonetheless a very important one, the fourth line of the Kiev Metro will connect the northern TroieschynaTroieschynaTroieschyna is a historical neighbourhood, part of the Desnianskyi Raion, on the left bank of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It became part of Kiev municipality in 1988, prior to that it was a village.-External links:...
districts of the left bank with the future business centre of Rybalskiy IslandRybalskyi PeninsulaRybalskyi Island is a peninsula on the Dnieper River , located in the Right-Bank Podilskyi Raion of the city of Kiev. Although named as an island it is in fact a peninsula and a former spit. It is now a predominantly industrial area.- History :...
on the Dnieper RiverDnieper RiverThe Dnieper River is one of the major rivers of Europe that flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea.The total length is and has a drainage basin of .The river is noted for its dams and hydroelectric stations...
, from there it will continue into the PodilPodilThe Podil or Podilskyi Raion is a historic neighbourhood and an administrative raion in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods of Kiev, the birthplace of the city's trade, commerce and industry...
region. This is the stage that is presently under construction as the river crossing is essential and will be, like in two previous cases, both automobile and Metro. However the line will continue eastwards along the northern slope of the Starokyivska HoraAndriyivskyy DescentAndriyivskyy Descent is a historic descent connecting Kiev's Upper Town neighborhood and the historically commercial Podil neighborhood. The street, often advertised by tour guides and operators as the "Montmartre of Kiev", is a major tourist attraction of the city.The descent, totalling in...
and into the northwestern part of central Kiev, where it will turn south and reach the Kiev Passenger Railway StationKiev Passenger Railway StationKiev Passenger Railway Station is a complex of Kiev's Central Station and adjoining "Southern Station," plus the adjacent Suburban Station, together serving more than 170,000 passengers per day . "Southern Station" is a misnomer in virtually universal usage in Kiev, referring to an entrance on the...
. In doing so it will offer transfers to all three other Metro lines and thus relieve the over-congested transfer points in the centre. The Podilskiy radius is the last planned stage which will bring the line to Kiev's Zhuliany airport and the residential districts on the way there. It is thought that this project the first part of it to open circa 2015 will be finished within 10 years by 2025. - Extension of Syretsko-Pecherska LineSyretsko-Pecherska LineThe Syretsko-Pecherska Line is third line of the Kiev Metro, first opened in 1989. It extends the metro system southeast along the right bank of the Dnieper River before crossing it on a covered bridge and then east from there. The northern section extends further northwestwards. The line is one...
to Darnytsia will begin from the existing station of BoryspilskaBoryspilska (Kiev Metro)Boryspilska is a station on Kiev Metro's Syretsko-Pecherska Line.Designed by architects V.Gnevyshev, T.Tselikovskaya and A.Yukhnovsky, the station is a shallow level single-vault . Although originally planned to open in the late 1990s, financial offsets put off the date to August 23, 2005, when it...
and turn by nearly 90 degrees northwestwards toward the Darnytsia Railway StationDarnytsia Railway StationUkrzaliznytsia's Darnytsia Railway Station is the largest railroad station of the Ukrainian capital Kiev, located in the Left-bank Darnytsia area....
connecting the residential area in between, construction is to finish by 2020, but is suspended due to suspension of construction of Darnitskiy Vokzal. - Extension of Syretsko-Pecherska LineSyretsko-Pecherska LineThe Syretsko-Pecherska Line is third line of the Kiev Metro, first opened in 1989. It extends the metro system southeast along the right bank of the Dnieper River before crossing it on a covered bridge and then east from there. The northern section extends further northwestwards. The line is one...
to Vynohradar is a three station extension to the VynohradarVynohradarVynohradar is a historical neighbourhood in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Vynohradar is now located in the administrative Shevchenkivskyi Raion and Podilskyi Raion . Main roads in the area include the Prospekts Pravdy, Svobody and Gongadze....
district in north western Kiev. It is approved and should be completed by 2015-20. - Livoberezhna LineLivoberezhna LineLivoberezhna Line is a proposed fifth rapid transit line of the Kiev Metro, planned to be serving the left bank area of Dnieper River of capital Kiev, Ukraine. The line is coloured light sky blue on the maps. It will have transfer stations with intercity railway stations and other metro lines...
. The northern end of the fifth line of the system presently exists already as part of the Kiev tramKiev tramThe Kiev Tramway is a tram network which serves the Ukrainian capital Kiev. The system was the first electric tramway in the former Russian Empire and the third one in Europe after the Berlin Straßenbahn and the Budapest tramway. The system currently consists of 139.9 km of track, including...
, however it will require conversion and will be temporarly operated by the Podilsko-Vyhurivska Line as a branch. Eventually a southwards extension will commence that will follow along the left bank of the Dnieper to Southern Osokorky district, this will be the last project in the Metro that is envisioned in the present expansion plan and is not expected to be completed until the end of 2030s. It is planned that the first stage of this line will be launched in 2019.
If all of this is completed the Metro will rise from the present 45 stations to approximately 100, which will include several ghost stations on the Syretsko-Pecherska Line. In the more distant future it is expected that rapid transit will be developed further including a surface ring railway which will go around Kiev and a rapid rail exchange with Boryspil Airport
Boryspil Airport
Boryspil International Airport is an international airport located west of Boryspil, east of Kiev. It is Ukraine's largest airport, serving the major part of international flights of the country, and is one of three airports that serve Kiev, along with the smaller Zhulyany Airport and Gostomel...
.
External links
- FastMetro Scheme and schedule of Kyiv metro stations