Day 2 St. Petersburg.
By Gary Marsh
@garymarsh6 (23404)
United Kingdom
June 28, 2018 2:18am CST
On our second day in this incredible city we had an early start and we were picked up at 07:00 our first destination was to have a short tour on the underground system. The St Petersburg metro is quite unlike that of London New York or Paris. The underground system is very ornate with some stations decked out in Marble and chandeliers.
History.
An alternative means of getting around the increasingly congested city was first muted in 1820 but the idea was dismissed by the Tsar Nicholas I who paid the engineer 200 roubles to go away and never make such a suggestion again. Since that time several more engineers came up with similar ideas but they never materialised.
The metro finally came into fruition in 1955 and is the deepest underground system in the world at up to 86 meters below the city. It is a very efficient system with a train coming along very frequently and you have to be ready to get on and off within a very short time. If you miss getting on or off there is no need to worry because it will only be few minutes before another one comes along.
The Station we entered had a sports theme called Sportivnaya. The walls of this station were covered in Sporting mosaics. There was no graffiti anywhere in sight. Standing at the top of the escalator looking down deep into the tunnel was quite spooky. It seemed to go on for ever. Down and down and down.
We waited a minute for our train and jumped on. We only went to the next station Admiralteiskaya and got off quickly. Despite it being during the rush hour the line we took was not that busy. The station was right near Palace square where we got on a boat to have a quick tour of the canals. I believe the metro in Moscow is even more ornate.
The photo is of the deep escalators going down to the trains.
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13 responses
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@LadyDuck (467179)
• Switzerland
28 Jun 18
@garymarsh6 It is scary, it reminds a bit the escalators of the Metro of Atlanta (Georgia USA).
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@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
28 Jun 18
I don't like it either Anna it is not natural!
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@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
28 Jun 18
@LadyDuck My sister in law was too frightened to get on one in London I kept shouting at her to get on. Eventually I reached the bottom and had to go up to collect her but some kind person helped her to get on so she passed me halfway up telling her not to move and wait at the bottom. I had to go to the top and come back down again! Crazy!
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@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
13 Jul 18
Well if you come to London or Paris you will I am sure of that!
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@just4him (317038)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
14 Jul 18
@garymarsh6 New York has them too. Though, I would like to visit both London and Paris.
@Marilynda1225 (81807)
• United States
28 Jun 18
The only metro (subway) I ever rode was in New York City and it wasn't an experience I enjoyed. I don't think I would like riding on that escalator in your photo
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@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
29 Jun 18
It was very long and seemed to go on for ever!
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@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
29 Jun 18
Haha hopefully not on the circle line! You would be dizzy beyond belief!
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
29 Jun 18
They were much worse than London! Lordy so long.
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@JudyEv (334404)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Jul 18
@garymarsh6 I think I would have found them a bit intimidating.
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@mlgen1037 (29886)
• Manila, Philippines
28 Jun 18
Hi Gary. I didnt know there is a train station in St. Petersburg. Looks like Russia has a lot to offer than we expected. ![](/Content/images/emotes/thumbup.gif)
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@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
28 Jun 18
Even when money was short they still built elaborate metro stations. They are like a show case and nothing like our drab stations in the rest of Europe! Is there one in Manila?
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@mlgen1037 (29886)
• Manila, Philippines
28 Jun 18
@garymarsh6 We have metro stations but it sucks. Our metro stations are way behind yours in Europe. ![](/Content/images/emotes/sad.gif)
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@changjiangzhibin89 (16686)
• China
28 Jun 18
Sounds like It is virtually a underground palace.I have seen some photos of it before.
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@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
28 Jun 18
Much nicer than the London Underground!
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@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
28 Jun 18
It was a long way down Marlina Thankfully we did not have to walk it!
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
28 Jun 18
It sure is and I did not quite like it when you first get on you can not see where it ends!
@MALUSE (69378)
• Germany
28 Jun 18
Yes, the metro in Moscow is more impressive. It was used as a shelter during the war.
I recall with horror the long escalators when we used them late in the evening/at night and there were hardly any other people on them. Imagine going down and down all alone!
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@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
28 Jun 18
I am not too keen on the underground to be honest and especially London underground sometimes I look at the queues and think blow it I'll walk instead!
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
28 Jun 18
So it goes deeper than the Underground? I have done some steep escalators there.
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@MashaVickina (2184)
• Russian Federation
28 Jun 18
Oh, I also used it
Yu can think about everything in the world before you get down, so long...
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