Minsk Metro

History

During the 1950s–1970s the population of the city grew to over a million and designs for a rapid transit system were initially proposed during the late 1960s. Construction began on 3 May 1977, and the system was opened to the public on 30 June 1984, becoming the ninth metro system in the Soviet Union. The original eight station section has since expanded into a three-line 36 station network with a total of 44.89 km of route.

Despite the dissolution of the Soviet Union the construction of the Minsk metro continued uninterrupted throughout the 1990s (as opposed to other ex-Soviet Metros like those of Yerevan and Samara, which were halted due to a complete lack of funding). Some experts attribute it to the slow reform of the Soviet planned economy in Belarus, which turned out to be beneficial for metro expansion. For example, the final phase of the Aŭtazavodskaja Line, originally planned for 2006, was opened in late 2005, and similarly the northern extension of the Maskoŭskaja Line, originally scheduled for 2008, opened on 7 November 2007. In November 2012, three new stations opened on the southern end of the Maskoŭskaja line (Instytut Kultury - Piatroŭščyna) and in June 2014 the line was expanded in the south part with 1 more new station (Piatroŭščyna - Malinaŭka).

Construction of the 1st phase of the new Line 3 (Zyelyenaluzhskaya Line) started in 2014 which consisted of 4 new stations running from Yubileynaya ploshcha to Kavalskaya Slabada station. The 1st phase opened on 6 November 2020. The 2nd phase started construction in 2018 and opened on 30 December 2024 which contains the extension from Kavaĺskaja Slabada to Slutski Hastsinets stations with 1 depot being built in the new south terminal station of the line.

In 2016, the Minsk Metro placed an order with Stadler Rail for 10 units containing six four-car and four five-car trainsets that will replace older rolling stock. These Stadler M110/M111 trains entered service in February 2020.

Timeline

Operational characteristics

The city is located on an almost level surface and on very dry soil. As a result, although all of the Minsk Metro stations are under the surface, there are no deep-level stations that are found in most of the ex-Soviet cities. Out of the current 36 stations 25 are pillar-spans and 11 are of vaulted type. Like most of the Soviet metro systems, all of the stations are vividly decorated. Some (notably, Ploshcha Yakuba Kolasa) exhibit Belarusian national motifs, while others focus on more Soviet socialist themes, although recent years have seen more priority on high-tech decorations.

Signs and announcements in the metro system are in Belarusian and English.

Expansion plans

Main article: List of Minsk Metro stations

The first stage of the line was opened on 7 November 2020 running from Jubiliejnaja Plošča to Kavaĺskaja S labada station. This follows a northern contour parallel to Maskowskaya which has since relieved the extensive congestion in the city area with 2 interchange stations at Vakzaĺnaja (Plošča Lienina station of Line 1) and Jubiliejnaja Plošča station (Frunzienskaja station of Line 2).

As of 2025, the Zyelyenaluzhskaya line consists of seven stations and is planned to be extended north to the residential area of Zyalyony Luh.

The planned fourth (Circle) line is expected to connect south and north parts of the city which are densely populated. This line is planned to have a length of 37 kilometres with 1 new depot serving the line and 17 new stations of which 6 stations are going to be interchange stations. Specifically, Line 4 will interchange at Michalova and Akademija navuk stations of Line 1, Traktarny zavod and Puškinskaja stations of Line 2 and future Plošča Banhalor and Aerodromnaja stations of Line 3.

Two extensions of Line 1 and two of Line 2 (4 in total) with 2 new stations for Line 1 and 2 respectively were mentioned but never went into additional consideration as the construction of Line 3 and the plans for Line 4 keep their priority low. These expansions were specifically mentioned as:

Line 1: Malinaŭka – Ščomyslica and Uručča – Smalienskaja

Line 2: Kamiennaja Horka – Krasny Bor and Mahilioŭskaja – Šabany

Incidents

1999 stampede

Main article: Nyamiha stampede

On 30 May 1999, a sudden thunderstorm caused a large crowd, from a nearby rock concert, to seek shelter at the Niamiha station. The limited size of the underpass leading into the ticket hall and the wet pavement caused a human crush. Fifty-three people died.

2011 bombing

Main article: 2011 Minsk Metro bombing

The Kastryčnickaja station was the site of a terrorist bombing on 11 April 2011. Fifteen people were killed.

Lines and stations

Map

| frame-lat = 53.89 | frame-long = 27.56 | frame-width = 500 | frame-height = 350

Gallery

Maskowskaya line

File:Pkolosa 15.jpg|Ploshcha Yakuba Kolasa File:Minsk_metro_Akademiya_Nauk.JPG|Akademiya Navuk File:Pchelus 07.jpg|Park Chalyuskintsaw File:Maskousk 03.jpg|Maskowskaya File:Ushod 07.jpg|Uskhod File:Bortr 02.jpg|Barysawski trakt File:Minsk-Metro-Uruch'e-05.jpg|Uruchcha

Awtazavodskaya line

File:Kamgor 04.jpg|Kamyennaya Horka File:Kuntsau 02.jpg|Kuntsawshchyna File:Sportyun 05.jpg|Spartywnaya File:Push 02.jpg|Pushkinskaya File:Molodz 07.jpg|Maladzyozhnaya File:Frun 03.jpg|Frunzyenskaya

Zyelyenaluzhskaya line

File:Юбилейная площадь 7.jpg|Yubilyeynaya ploshcha File:Plošča Franciška Bahuševiča (Minsk Metro station).jpg|Ploshcha Frantsishka Bahushevicha File:Vakzalnaja (Minsk Metro station).jpg|Vakzalnaya File:Kavalskaja slabada (Minsk Metro station).jpg|Kavalskaya Slabada

Rolling stock

File:Minsk-Metro-Uruch'e-06.jpg|81-717/714 File:Stadler M110-M111 in Minsk (July 2020).jpg|Stadler M110/M111

References

References

1. "Minsk metro {{!}} Belarus.by".
2. link
3. (2013). link. Международная Ассоциация "Метро" [International Association of Metros]
4. (15 February 2024). "Минский метрополитен в 2023 году перевез 234 миллиона пассажиров".
5. link
6. (11 December 2007). "City News in Brief".
7. (30 December 2024). "Лукашенко принял участие в торжественном открытии нового участка Минского метрополитена". BelTA.
8. (December 2017). "Minsk metro order confirmed.". Railway Gazette International.
9. Stadler. "METRO TRAINS FOR MINSK METRO".
10. (20 February 2020). "First Stadler M110 metro trainset enters service in Minsk".
11. (7 November 2020). "Minsk's Third Metro Line Opens".
12. "Minsk Metro".
13. Hatherley, Owen. (17 January 2017). "Minsk: Owen Hatherley on the World's Most Complete, and Most Surprising Soviet City".
14. (9 April 2019). "4 Stations of 3rd Line of Minsk Metro to Be Opened for Passengers in 2020".
15. "Minsk".