A Different Pace Beneath the City

The ubiquitous "M" signs found throughout the city, like this one on Tverskaya Ulitsa, indicate the presence of a metro station.

A man standing by an intricate sword detail on the walls of the Kurskaya metro station. The architecture and design of each station varies slightly, from ornate paintings on the ceiling to massive, Soviet-era statues.

A man reading on a metro car. Many passengers opt to block out the noise of the trains with headphones and mp3 players, but others are able to bury themselves in books during their commutes.

Another common occurence on the metro trains is a sleeping passenger like the one pictured above. Sometimes it's just a result of the fast-paced city life.

Some sleeping passengers like to get a bit more comfortable and use the most amount of space in the trains that they can.? ? 

Even dogs get in on the metro nap action, opting to ride the trains comfortably when the weather outside is too cold for them.

Our own Igor Tabakov one day happened upon world-famous Russian saxophonist Andrei Kozlov in the metro and snapped this shot of him reading.

A young boy resting on the handrail of an escalator leading out of a metro station. The escalators can take a while to ride depending on their depth; the longest one in the city is at the Park Pobedy station (126 meters).

A homeless man sleeping in the Chekovskaya metro station. Some stations have ledges, nooks and crannies that provide shelter from the winter's harsh elements for those without any place to go.

A man holding a weedwhacker, presumably to take his dacha (country house) since most apartment complexes have yard workers, or dvorniki, who maintain the small plots of vegetation found there.

A group of pigeons congregating on statues at the Park Kultury station.

A man sitting under a painting on which a famous Russian fairy tale, "The Fox and the Wolf," is written. From time to time on the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line there are such paintings in the trains; this photo was taken in June of this year.

A boy named Andrei heading to his dacha, where he will hopefully put those sunglasses to use in the sun and fresh air of the countryside.

A couple embracing in one of the metro trains. In 2003, the city government considered passing a law that would impose fines of 300 rubles to 500 rubles ($10 to $17) for public displays of affection.

Another couple sharing an intimate moment in a train.

Another couple frozen against the backdrop of a speeding train.

A blurry passenger walking through Belorusskaya metro station.

A group of soldiers riding the escalator at Savyolovskaya metro station.