A Bright Future - New Works from Russia

Canadian architect turned photographer David Burdeny presents a collection of images showcasing the stunning and elaborate Moscow and St. Petersburg Metro system in A Bright Future - New Works from Russia.

The photographer spent two weeks shooting the aesthetically amazing stations and, as far as he's aware, remains the only photographer in the world to have been granted permission to shoot at these locations after they had been emptied of passengers.

It took over a year for the photographer to gain permission to pursue this project, and he was forced to rent the stations by the hour and shoot only after midnight.









This station is my favorite, sometimes I come there just to look at these glass columns and to touch them:



source: http://hyperallergic.com/242843/opulent-propaganda-the-subterranean-paradise-of-the-moscow-metro/

Subway employees, St. Petersburg

Soon there will be photo exhibition full of official subway peeps' shots. A couple of photographers worked for 6 months taking pictures of underground workers.

Just look at them:

Spelling Russian subway stations

Best tools are both useful and fun. This describes Alternative Metro map project which could help anyone who comes to Moscow or St. Pete not knowing Russian words but willing to take subway.

Russians use cyrillic sounds so you may never guess by yourself how to spell things you see on the map. Say, Dobryninskaya. How they say it?

Here comes this invention:

On this website you can also practice and listen how people really spell it.
Even if you only learn the station your hotel is on, it's totally worth it. You say the name of the metro station to any person on the street, and he shows you direction.

Now go ahead and try for yourself. Door bring in sky are. Dobryninskaya.

P.S. St. Petersburg also!

Glass columns: is it a subway station or is it a museum?

Today I'd like to share a beauty with you. Everybody knows that Moscow subway is the greatest in the world thanks to its decorations (marble, inlay, Soviet sculptures etc).

But St. Petersburg has the most amazing subway Avtovo station.

Avtovo's unique and highly ornate design features columns faced with ornamental glass manufactured at the Lomonosov factory.

Come touch them!

Gor'kovskaya spaceship station

If you ever wanted to visit St. Petersburg, second largest Russian city, the cultural capital, 'Northern Venice', painfully cold during 9 months of winter and amazingly comfortable while it doesn't rains or snows... here's one random place to see once you get there.

They say Moscow has the most beautiful subway in the world. Which is probably true. But this Gorkovskaya_(Saint_Petersburg_Metro) station was rebuilt about a year ago and now feels like a spaceship. Not bad, right?

P.S. Subway is easy to use since you have a map of connecting stations and/or can read cyrillic spelling. Otherwise bring a local with you for a first rife and they will explain you main tricks. And do avoid rush hours. Spaceship might be crowded.