The Metros

Stalin called them The Palaces of the People. In Moscow they dug them thirty metres deep and and employed them as bunkers during The Great Patriotic War. In St. Petersburg they burrow 75 metres beneath the boggy marsh so they could be utilised as nuclear bomb shelters. In both cities major transport hubs commemorate surrealist poet Vladimir Mayakovsky. They are the Russian metros.

Undoubtedly two of the finest public transport systems in the world, using the Metro has definitely been a highlight of our trip. Not only are they relatively simple to navigate, extremely cheap but they are also decorated in a variety of bizarre ways.

Some of our favourites in St. Petes included the aforemention Mayakovsky which featured a beautiful red tile mosaic interspersed with a white mosaic portrait of the poet. At Dostoyevsky Station there are 18th century lamps similar to those that would have lit Dosty's seedy streets. At Pushkin there was the standard contemplative statue of the great Russian bard while Alexander Nevsky not only featured a statue of Peter's great defender but also a glorious mosaic depicting the big guy in battle.

In Moscow the Metro's are just as impressive. There is another Mayakovskya featuring beautiful frescoes and a bust of the ole surrealist. At Belarusskiya there are various statues and frescoes highlighting the revolutionary struggles of that proud Soviet, while at Ploschaad Revolutionary there are some awesome iron sculptures depicting revolutionary peasents, partisans and proletariats.