Novoslobodskaya Metro Station on the Circle Line is best known for its stained glass, with 32 panels glowing in brass frames along the platform hall. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station stained glass was designed by Pavel Korin and made in Riga, and it opened in 1952 as the first use of the technique in the Moscow Metro.
The architects were Alexey Dushkin and Alexander Strelkov, who built the whole station around the panels. It is a working station with trains every few minutes, so a visit is a matter of walking the platform and looking at the glass. This guide explains what to see, where to look and how the fares work.
Quick Facts
| Russian name | Новослободская |
|---|---|
| Built / opened | 1952 |
| Architect(s) | Alexey Dushkin and Alexander Strelkov (stained glass from sketches by Pavel Korin) |
| Address | Novoslobodskaya Street, Moscow, Russia OpenStreetMap · Google Maps |
| District | Tverskoy |
| Interchanges | Novoslobodskaya (Line 5 (Koltsevaya, brown), the decorated station itself, with its vestibule on Novoslobodskaya Street) Mendeleevskaya (Line 9 (Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya, gray), linked by a transfer since 1988) |
| Opening hours | The Moscow Metro normally runs from early morning until around 1:00 at night, and the station is open to passengers during those hours.
Exact first and last train times were not confirmed, so check the Metro's official information (as of October 2026 – check the official site, mosmetro.ru). |
| Best time to visit | Mid-morning and early afternoon on weekdays are calmer, and late evening is quiet. The morning and evening rush hours are the busiest times, when the platform is crowded and it is hard to stop and look at the glass.
The station works in every season, so it is a good stop on a cold or wet day. |
| Last updated | October 6, 2026 |
Why Visit Novoslobodskaya Metro Station?
The station is unlike any other in the Metro. Instead of marble and mosaics alone, it has 32 stained-glass panels lit from within, set in brass frames along the platform hall, so the hall glows like a gallery of colored windows.
The glass was made in Riga from sketches by Pavel Korin, because Russia had no tradition of stained glass. It was the first use of the technique in the Metro, which was previously associated with Catholic churches.
At the end of the hall a smalt mosaic by Korin, Peace Throughout the World, closes the view. The station is a short walk from central Moscow, and it connects with Mendeleevskaya, so it fits easily into a day of sightseeing.
How Novoslobodskaya Metro Station Is Laid Out
The station is a deep station, about 40 meters underground, with a long platform hall and a row of arches along each side.
The stained-glass panels are set in the pylons between the arches, in brass frames lit from behind, and run the length of the hall. At the end of the hall stands the mosaic by Pavel Korin, and conical chandeliers hang from the ceiling. The vestibule on Novoslobodskaya Street is a white building with a panel of Maxim Gorky in the entrance hall.
A transfer leads to Mendeleevskaya on Line 9. A sensible way to see the station is to walk the length of the hall in both directions, since each panel is different, then go up to the street and look at the vestibule.
Highlights of Novoslobodskaya Metro Station
The 32 stained-glass panels
The panels, lit from within, are the main feature of the station. They were designed from sketches by Pavel Korin and made in Riga by Latvian craftsmen, as Russia had no tradition of working with stained glass.
Some show figural scenes, and others have intricate geometric patterns and stars.
Tip: Walk slowly along the hall and look at each panel, since the patterns and colors change from one to the next.
The first stained glass in the Metro
Alexey Dushkin had wished to use stained glass in a metro station since before the Second World War, and traveled to Riga to look at workshops. The technique was linked to Catholic churches and was considered unsuitable in Soviet architecture.
In 1948 he and Strelkov asked Pavel Korin to design the panels, and the station was designed around them.
Tip: Look at the brass frames, which give the glass its look of windows in an underwater palace.
Brass trim and conical chandeliers
The panels are surrounded by flowing brass trim, and conical chandeliers hang in the hall. Together they give the station its warm, glowing look.
The stained glass, brass trim, mosaic and chandeliers were all cleaned and restored in 2003.
Tip: Look at the way the light from the panels and the chandeliers mixes on the floor.
Korin's mosaic at the end of the hall
At the end of the hall, a smalt mosaic by Pavel Korin shows a woman with a child reaching toward the sun, with an inscription about world peace.
It closes the view along the hall.
Tip: Walk to the end of the hall to see it up close, since it looks small from the entrance.
The Gorky panel in the entrance hall
Inside the entrance hall, a panel depicting the writer Maxim Gorky was made by Lev Ryabov in the Florentine mosaic technique in 1966–1968.
It is easy to miss on the way to the escalators.
Tip: Look for it as you enter from the street, before you go down.
The white vestibule on Novoslobodskaya Street
The station has one above-ground vestibule on Novoslobodskaya Street, a large white structure. Dushkin proposed a round lobby, while Strelkov preferred a rectangular or square one.
The station is a designated cultural heritage site.
Tip: Look at the vestibule from the street before you enter, for a view of the building.
Atmosphere
The hall is dim and warm, and the stained-glass panels glow in deep reds, blues and golds between the pylons, like windows in a cathedral under the ground. Brass frames shine, and the chandeliers add a soft light.
Passengers walk past quickly, while visitors stop to look at the glass and take photographs. The sound is trains arriving, footsteps and announcements, and the glass seems quiet against the noise.
It is busiest at rush hours, when the platform is crowded, and calmer in the middle of the day and late in the evening, when the panels are easy to see.
History of Novoslobodskaya Metro Station
The Circle Line was not part of the original plans of the Moscow Metro, which planned additional diametrical lines through the center instead. The line was built in the early 1950s, and Novoslobodskaya opened on 30 January 1952 in its second stage.
The architect Alexey Dushkin had long wished to use stained glass in a metro station, and his first drawings date from before the war. His wife recalled that he had traveled to Riga to look at Latvian workshops. In 1948, with the young architect Alexander Strelkov, he approached the artist Pavel Korin, who agreed to create the panels, and the rest of the station was designed around them.
The station was a work of collaboration. Dushkin supervised the project, and Strelkov worked on it for the first two months. They disagreed about the form of the vestibule, with Dushkin proposing a round lobby and Strelkov a rectangular or square one. The structural engineers were Boris Prikot and Alexei Semyonov.
The stained glass was made in Riga by Latvian craftsmen from Korin’s sketches, since Russia had no tradition of the craft. It was the first use of stained glass in the Moscow Metro, a technique linked to Catholic churches. Thirty-two panels were installed in brass frames, lit from within.
The station was built as a deep station about 40 meters underground. A mosaic by Pavel Korin at the end of the hall, Peace Throughout the World, closes the view, and in 1966–1968 a panel of Maxim Gorky was added to the entrance hall.
In 1988 a transfer to Mendeleevskaya on the Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya Line was opened, making Novoslobodskaya the last station of the Circle Line to receive one.
The stained glass, mosaic, brass trim and chandeliers were carefully cleaned and restored in 2003, and the station has a protected status as a cultural heritage site. Today it remains a working station and one of the best-known in the Metro.
Tickets and Booking for Novoslobodskaya Metro Station
There is no ticket for the station itself; entering needs a Metro fare. Reports on 2026 fares differ: a budget-level fare (₽) for a single ride with a Troika card, a slightly higher budget-level fare (₽) by contactless bank card and a higher budget-level fare (₽) for a 90-minute ticket, while some sources still give lower prices. Check the current fare on the official Moscow Metro site, mosmetro.ru.
- Troika card: a reusable card sold at ticket windows and top-up machines in station halls and through the official Metro app; the deposit is reported as a small amount (₽), so check the price.
- Foreign cards: reports conflict on whether foreign Visa or Mastercard cards and phone payments work at the turnstiles, so carry rubles in cash and buy a ticket or card at a ticket window.
- Rush hours: the station is busiest in the morning and evening on weekdays.
Rates for Russian citizens and concessions differ. All fares and payment methods are listed on the official site, mosmetro.ru.
Plan and Book
How to Get to Novoslobodskaya Metro Station
Novoslobodskaya station is on the Circle Line, in the north of the center of Moscow, with its vestibule on Novoslobodskaya Street.
- Metro: Novoslobodskaya (Line 5, Koltsevaya, brown). It is linked by a transfer to Mendeleevskaya (Line 9, Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya, gray).
- On foot: the exit opens onto Novoslobodskaya Street, in the Tverskoy District, a short distance from the Garden Ring.
A taxi can drop you at the vestibule on Novoslobodskaya Street. Follow the signs for the Circle Line to reach the decorated hall.
Accessibility
Accessibility details were not confirmed. The station is deep and is reached by long escalators, and lift availability and step-free access were not verified. Contact the Metro or check mosmetro.ru before traveling if you need step-free access or assistance.
Food Nearby
Novoslobodskaya Street and the streets around the station have cafes, restaurants and shops. Specific venues were not verified, so check opening hours before you go.
What to Bring
Bring a camera and some rubles in cash for a ticket or a Troika card. A steady hand helps for photographing glass in low light.
Best Views and Photo Spots of Novoslobodskaya Metro Station
Middle of the platform hall
The row of lit stained-glass panels in brass frames receding along the hall, with the chandeliers above.
Best time: Mid-morning or late evening, when the platform is quiet
Single panel close-up
A single stained-glass panel with its colors and brass frame in sharp detail, lit from within.
Best time: Between trains, when the platform is clear
Korin's end-of-hall mosaic
The smalt mosaic of the woman and child reaching toward the sun, at the end of the hall.
Best time: Quiet moments in the middle of the day
Entrance hall and Gorky panel
The Florentine mosaic panel of Maxim Gorky in the entrance hall of the vestibule.
Best time: Weekday afternoons
Photography Rules
Photography rules in the station were not confirmed. Taking photographs on the platform is common, but tripods and flash can be restricted, and the glass is lit from behind, so a flash is not needed. Stand clear of the platform edge. Drone rules in Moscow are strict and change.
Family Suitability
The station is a short stop that suits families, and the colored glass is easy for children to enjoy. It is a busy working station, so keep children close and away from the platform edge. Strollers need the escalator or a lift, and lift access was not confirmed.
Moscow Vibes Tips
- Look at the glass from several angles; the panels change color as you move along the hall.
- Walk the whole hall to the end to see Korin's mosaic, which most passengers miss.
- Look at the brass frames as well as the glass, since the flowing brass trim is part of the effect.
- Use the transfer to Mendeleevskaya only if you need it; the decorated hall is on the Circle Line.
- Look for the Gorky panel in the entrance hall as you come in from Novoslobodskaya Street.
- Visit in the late evening or mid-morning to avoid the rush hours.
Explore Nearby Novoslobodskaya Metro Station
Sights near Novoslobodskaya Metro Station
Central Armed Forces Museum Moscowabout 1.2 km away (~20 min walk) · typical visit: 2–3 hours
Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center Moscowabout 1.5 km away (~25 min walk) · typical visit: 2–3 hours
Moscow Metro · typical visit: 1.5–3 hours for a tour of showcase stations
State Museum of Decorative Arts Moscowabout 750 m away (~12 min walk) · typical visit: About 1.5 to 2 hours
Hermitage Garden Moscowabout 1.1 km away (~18 min walk) · typical visit: About 1 to 2 hours
Metro stations near Novoslobodskaya Metro Station
Mendeleyevskaya Metro Stationabout 300 m away (~5 min walk)
Dostoevskaya Metro Stationabout 800 m away (~13 min walk)
Mayakovskaya Metro Stationabout 1.1 km away (~19 min walk)
Train stations and river piers near Novoslobodskaya Metro Station
Belorussky Railway Terminalabout 1.2 km away (~20 min walk)
Savyolovsky Railway Terminalabout 1.8 km away (~30 min walk)
Hotels near Novoslobodskaya Metro Station
Safmar Tverskaya Moscowabout 1000 m away (~16 min walk)
Safmar Palace Moscowabout 1.0 km away (~17 min walk)
Golden Apple Boutique Hotelabout 1.2 km away (~20 min walk)
Events and traditions near Novoslobodskaya Metro Station
Pushkin Day and Russian Language Day in Moscowabout 1.6 km away (~26 min walk)
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FAQ: Novoslobodskaya Metro Station
Who designed Novoslobodskaya station?
The architects Alexey Dushkin and Alexander Strelkov designed it, and it opened on 30 January 1952.
Who designed the stained glass?
Pavel Korin made the sketches for the 32 panels, which were made by Latvian craftsmen in Riga.
Why is it special?
It was the first use of stained glass in the Moscow Metro, with panels lit from within and framed in brass.
Which line is it on?
Line 5, the Circle Line, in brown, with a transfer to Mendeleevskaya on Line 9.
Do I need a ticket to see it?
Yes, a Metro fare is needed to enter. See the fares and payment section.
What is at the end of the hall?
A smalt mosaic by Pavel Korin, Peace Throughout the World, showing a woman and child reaching toward the sun.
Was the station restored?
Yes, the glass, mosaic, brass trim and chandeliers were cleaned and restored in 2003.
How long do I need?
About 10 to 15 minutes to walk the hall and look at the panels.
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Last updated: October 6, 2026. Found an error or something out of date? Report it and we will check and fix it.
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