Moscow Metro comes to Berlin

“Metronaut Expo” – an exhibition offering a fascinating insight into the historic Moscow Metro - is set to open in the German capital on Monday. ­The display features photographs by versatile German artist Bernhard Ludewig whose images possess the magical “Alice-in-the-Wonderland” quality of a magnifying glass. The pictures feature some of Moscow’s most beautiful and oldest stations, such as Mayakovskaya, Komsomolskaya, Kievskaya and Taganskaya. There is much more to Ludewig’s underground images than meets the eye – each photo has a story to tell. One of the most remarkable images is of one of Moscow’s best-loved stations, Mayakovskaya. Rich in lavish décor and history, it could be easily mistaken for an art museum, rather than your average means of public transport. The landmark station is eye-catching from tip to toe, with the floor decorated with white marble, grey and pink granite; grandiose oval candelabra as well as impressive mosaics made using cobalt glass and designed by one of the greatest and most famous realist artists in the USSR, Aleksandr Deineka. Mayakovskaya was opened in 1938, not long before WW2 broke out, and was turned into an air-raid shelter during the war. The central hall of the station, once one of the deepest and largest, was also used as a venue for meetings to discuss military strategy, one of which was attended by Joseph Stalin. Bernhard Ludewig’s photographs capture the modern aura of this and other stations, with their vibrant  energy and rush hour palpitations laid bare in a whirlpool of human emotions.