WOW. Almost two weeks in and it’s unbelievable how natural life feels. Of course, there are issues every now and then with language or cultural barriers (once I’ve had more time to mull them over I’ll fill you in), but the mechanics of getting around the city have become muscle memory at this point. Which brings me to one of the greatest parts of this city: The Metro.
What an experience, travelling daily by public transportation that is meant to be user-friendly. Even though I have a 45-minute commute every morning and I regularly use the Metro to get around the city to all kinds of sites, I have never had an issue understanding how to get somewhere or travelling there.
The Metro operates on a simple system: every named station has two tracks (with almost no exceptions). Every 2-3 minutes (and 1-2 minutes during rush hours), a train comes on each side of the track, and you just get on the side going in the direction of your destination. For regular users of the Metro, purchase a Troika Card for 50 rubles (less than $1 USD) and enjoy rides for 36 rubles (~$.50 USD). With each convenient swipe, you are graced with unlimited free transfers between stations, which are EVERYWHERE, and make it possible to get literally anywhere in the city from any starting point. No more taking the Broad Street Line to City Hall just to transfer to get to Fishtown. Plus, the subway is being constantly updated, and as a wholly public transportation system, as compared to SEPTA’s pseudo-private services, the Metro is meant to accommodate the people (which includes free Wi-Fi on every car).
The best part is that there are no real downsides to this system, though there are a few quirks to note. First, the Metro runs impressively deep underground. The station local to me, Aviamotornaya, has an escalator that takes 2:15 to go up or down. Yes, you read that correctly, and no it is not slower than American escalators. Second, on the subject of escalators, there is a strict, mutually understood policy of standing on the right side of escalators, in order to allow those in a hurry to walk (or sprint, as I saw someone do this morning) on the escalators. For those not rushing, the metro stations downtown feature spaces for artists (typically on classical stringed instruments) to play music. Unlike the New York style subway musicians, these are typically solo artists and they must play in specified areas, which always manage to have the perfect acoustics for the massive tunnels of the Metro. You also might happen to catch yourself slowing down to appreciate the grandeur and detail of the stops. Most major stations are dedicated to historical figures or events, and each station has its own unique flair dedicated to these ideas. At Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square), detailed bronze statues of revolutionaries line the platform, and most have detailed ceiling work (gold-leafed, textured, you name it). It’s also home to mostly untouched Soviet remainders: their insignias, cosmonauts, and icons detailing almost every station. This is a pretty stark difference between American subway systems which typically only have advertisements and graffiti (which isn’t necessarily worse, just different.
Until I go to St. Petersburg in a few weeks, these tunnels will be a permanent fixture in my daily commute. Every morning I get the chance to compare them to our local Broad Street Line stations, and while I’ll be happy to see them again, I think I’ll always know which reign supreme.
Two weeks?? It feels like you’ve been gone for years.