Images of Vladimir Lenin in the Moscow Metro (PHOTOS)
Several Moscow Metro subway stations still bear Vladimir Lenin's name today. And many other stations are decorated with mosaic panels or busts with his image.
1. ‘Biblioneka imeni Lenina’ station
‘Biblioteka imeni Lenina’ (literally ‘The Lenin Library’) station is one of the stations named after Lenin, or rather the library was named after Lenin, while the subway station lies directly under it. One of its walls is inlaid with a huge mosaic head of Lenin.
There is also another image of Lenin at this station that can be seen while changing to the ‘Borovitskaya’ station (gray line).
2. ‘Kievskaya’ station
This station has three portraits of Lenin. One mosaic image can be seen at the end of the station hall.
The other two images can be found on a series of mosaic panels. One of them pictures Lenin's proclamation of Soviet power in Smolny in October 1917. By the way, Stalin was originally right behind Lenin on the mosaic, but, during the debunking of the cult of personality in the 1960s, Stalin’s image disappeared. Read more about how Stalin disappeared from the subway decor here.
Lenin’s portrait is also pictured on the red banner in another mosaic panel.
3. ‘Komsomolskaya’ station
The mosaics at ‘Komsomolskaya’ station depict the main plots from the history of Russia, according to sketches by artist Pavel Korin. Lenin addressing the Red Army is among them.
And, on another panel, Red Army soldiers are carrying the red flag with a portrait of Lenin.
‘Komsomolskaya’ station also has a pedestal with a bust of Lenin.
4. ‘Ploshchad Ilyicha’ station
‘Ploshchad Ilyicha’ (literally ‘Ilyich Square’) is another station whose name is dedicated to Lenin, because Ilyich is his patronymic and one of his nicknames. There is a three-dimensional bas-relief with Lenin's head at the end of the station hall.
5. ‘Ploshchad Revolutsii’ station
‘Ploshchad Revolutsii’ (literally ‘Revolution Square’) station is decorated with multiple bronze sculptures of Soviet people: revolutionaries, Red Army soldiers, sailors, peasants… and another bust of Lenin.
6. ‘Baumanskaya’ station
A red flag with Lenin's portrait can be seen at ‘Baumanskaya’ station. Stalin's image also used to be portrayed next to him, but was removed in the 1960s.
7. ‘Dobryninskaya’ station
Three large-scale vertical panels decorate the exit of the station next to the escalators. The central one depicts Lenin’s head.
8. ‘Novokuznetskaya’ station
This station has a large mosaic panel depicting Lenin’s head.
9. ‘Belorusskaya’ station
The dark gray granite pedestal with a bust of Lenin used to stand inside the station, but, in 2021, it was moved to the above-ground lobby. Its place was taken by a large-scale sculptural composition titled ‘Soviet Belarus’.
10. ‘Tsaritsyno’ station
A recognizable Lenin's profile in a cap can be seen on the panel above the station entrance.
