Novoslobodskaya

Opened in the early 1950s, this Moscow Metro station is celebrated for the thirty-two backlit stained-glass panels set into its pylons, produced by Latvian craftsmen from designs that mix floral motifs with figures of scientists, artists and workers. The glowing colours give the underground hall the atmosphere of a chapel, an unusual effect for a Soviet transit space. At the far end a large mosaic depicting peace crowns the central axis. The station is often cited as one of the most beautiful on the entire network.