The Moscow metro has gone through several periods in its development. It is curious to watch its genesis from the carriage window, comparing the architecture of the stations passing by. There are many masterpieces in the Moscow metro, but there are also more modest underground interiors. Such as the Profsoyuznaya metro station. But she also deserves attention. Looking closely at her example, you can see what conflicting trends fought for dominance in the subway industry.
From the history of the Moscow metro
The first passengers stepped onto the platform of the Profsoyuznaya metro station in October 1962. It was the penultimate one in the launch section of the Kaluga radius from the Oktyabrskaya station to the Novye Cheryomushki station. Moscow in the early sixties was built at an unprecedented pace. New neighborhoods grew in all peripheral areas. For the first time in their lives, people got the opportunity to move from communal apartments to their own apartments. The construction of transport infrastructure has not always kept pace with the construction of housing. This was one of the main reasons that forced to reduce the time for laying new metro lines. And the number of stations and metro lines put into operation in the sixties wasvery high. At that time, they preferred not to think about the fact that this was largely achieved due to the quality of the architecture.
Historic Decree
All the passions around construction were reflected in such a significant historical document as the resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR "On the fight against architectural excesses" of 1955. In the country, strategic approaches to construction were radically changing, preference was given to standard projects. This really made it possible to save money, increase volumes and reduce the time for putting objects into operation. But the price paid for this was the disregard for the aesthetic expressiveness of these objects. This is especially noticeable in the Moscow metro. The fallacy of the concept of excess was recognized only after two decades.
Architectural features of the metro station "Profsoyuznaya"
The station does not make a bright impression. There is nothing particularly outstanding either in the architectural design, or even in the name of the Profsoyuznaya metro station. "St. Profsoyuznaya" - indicated on the signs in the underpass and on the signs on the walls of houses, at the exit from the metro. It was in honor of this, not particularly famous street, located in the south of Moscow, that the station was named. The street itself was under construction in the early sixties of the last century and was only acquiring a look familiar to everyone today. In a constructive sense, the Profsoyuznaya metro stationIt is a columned three-bay shallow station. This is a typical project, various variations of which can be found in abundance both in the Moscow metro and in the metros of other cities of the former Soviet Union. There is no ground lobby. Access to the city, to Profsoyuznaya Street, is through an underground passage laid under it.
Trying to overcome the pattern
But for all the modesty of the architectural solution, calling it mediocre would still be an exaggeration. The authors have done everything possible to achieve individuality within the framework of a typical project. This is achieved by decorating the interior of the main hall. Stations of this type, which include, in particular, the Profsoyuznaya metro station, are jokingly referred to by architects and metro builders with the slang term "centipede". Because of the two rows of columns supporting the vault. There are forty of them in each row. With all the limited possibilities of the standard project, no one deprived the authors of the opportunity to express themselves in the field of decorative solutions for the existing architectural volume. It was believed that a real artist can achieve expressiveness by the most modest means. And to a large extent it succeeded. The gray marble on the station's columns blends seamlessly with the ceramics of the track walls and red granite flooring.
In the Profsoyuznaya street area
More than half a century has passed since the operating metro station was put into operation on the street of the same name"Union". Over these decades, Moscow has managed to expand its borders in a southwestern direction very far. At present, the area around Profsoyuznaya has managed to lose the features of the Moscow outskirts. Today it is quite respectable and well-quoted according to the ratings of real estate agencies. This means that many native and new Muscovites are ready to choose this area as their permanent place of residence. And there is nothing surprising in this - many new modern residential complexes, shops, cultural and entertainment institutions have been built on Profsoyuznaya Street. A significant amount of landscaping work has been carried out. And the transport problem of the region was solved in the early sixties. Reliable communication with the center of the capital is provided by the Kaluga radius of the "orange" line of the Moscow metro.
