10 of Russia’s most BEAUTIFUL railway stations (PHOTOS)

1. Vitebsky Railway Station (St. Petersburg)

This is the very first railway station in Russia and it is still in operation! Having changed its name several times throughout its history, the very first station building was constructed in 1837, while the current Art Nouveau architectural masterpiece was built in 1904 by architect Stanislav Brzhozovsky, who also built the luxurious Rizhsky Railway Station in Moscow.

Vitebsky Railway Station is crowned with a large metal dome and its decor abounds with intricate metalwork, stained glass windows and stucco panels. In the early 2000s, restoration work was carried out and the historic interiors of the waiting rooms were also restored.

2. Novy Peterhof (St. Petersburg)

This is another of Russia's oldest stations, built in the mid-1850s. Architect Nikolai Benoit designed it in the then-fashionable Neo-Gothic style (He also built Gothic stables, a post office and other buildings on the grounds of the imperial Peterhof residence).

The historic building has not been used since 2010, as a new pavilion has been constructed, but passengers arriving at the station can still enjoy the view of the Gothic facade.

3. Yaroslavsky Railway Station (Moscow)

The capital has a large number of stations and many can boast incredible beauty. But, Yaroslavsky Station stands out among them for its unusual design, a combination of Russian style and Art Nouveau.

The current building was constructed in the 1880s by the then fashionable architect Fyodor Shekhtel. By the way, this is where trains depart on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

4. Vladivostok Railway Station

This station in the Far East of the country is a replica of Moscow's Yaroslavsky Station. Thus, it forms a complete architectural composition, crowning the Trans-Siberian Railway from both ends. This station was built in the early 1890s, immediately after the initiation of the railway line.

The project's author was architect Platon Bazilevsky. Interestingly, trains pass directly under the gallery where the waiting room is located. The station also adjoins a seaport.

5. Kazan Railway Station

The station in Kazan was built in 1896 in the neo-Russian style from red brick, very common for many buildings in the city.

It’s not clear who the author of the project was, but many attribute it to Heinrich Rusch, who built several eclectic buildings in Kazan.

In the 1990s, the building was severely damaged by fire, so the station's current appearance is the result of extensive reconstruction.

6. Ivanovo Railway Station

This industrial city on the map of Russia's ‘Golden Ring’ abounds in monuments of the Soviet avant-garde and experimental construction. In the 1930s, one of the country's first and few Constructivist-style stations was built in Ivanovo. The project's author was Vladimir Kaverinsky.

The building was remodeled many times during the Soviet era, but, by 2020, its historical appearance had been reconstructed. The result features plenty of light, Soviet-era stucco and mosaics and very stylish decor in the waiting rooms.

7. Slyudyanka Railway Station (Irkutsk Region)

It’s unlikely that this small town would have received such a magnificent station if it were not on the route of the Trans-Siberian Railway… and located directly on the shore of Lake Baikal. The station was built in the early 20th century entirely from white and pink marble quarried locally, near Slyudyanka.

The design is attributed to an unnamed Italian, while the construction management is credited to a certain Gessel Shmerling.

8. Volgograd Railway Station

This modern station was built in Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in the early 1950s in the Stalinist Empire style (reminiscent of Moscow's Stalinist skyscrapers with spires, isn't it?). This was particularly fitting for a city where a crucial turning point in the Great Patriotic War (World War II) took place. The facades are adorned with bas-reliefs dedicated to the defense of Stalingrad. The entrance portico, meanwhile, is crowned with ‘The Apotheosis of Labor’, which features the image of the Motherland, the future symbol of the city.

The calling card of the station square is the ‘Children's Circle Dance’ fountain, a replica of the fountain seen in photographs of ruined Stalingrad.

9. Sochi Railway Station

Sochi Station resembles an Italian palace with its tower, colonnade and sand-colored limestone cladding. The complex also has several open atriums (as the weather permits it).

This is another station in the Stalinist Empire style, built in the 1950s according to the design of Alexey Dushkin, author of one of the Stalinist seven sister skyscrapers (on Krasnye Vorota Square) and the station in Simferopol, which is actually the "twin" of the Sochi station.

10. Borovichi Railway Station (Novgorod Region)

This might be the most cinematic railway station in Russia. All because the wooden building, constructed in 1876, has been preserved in almost original condition. It’s a rare case to have a wooden station in a sizable city and an utterly unique feature is the wooden platform! Those waiting for a train on the platform feel as if a steam engine carrying Anna Karenina might pull up at any moment. 

Borovichi is a station on a branch line, built on the initiative of a local merchant. This branch line into the remote wilderness from Veliky Novgorod, nevertheless, allowed the area to become industrially developed. And, today, a direct train to Moscow runs from there.