A historic marble plaque on the wall of Sokolniki underground station marks the opening of the Moscow metro 90 years ago.
Considered the most beautiful underground railway system in the world, the metro, which opened on May 15, 1935, was designed by Lazar Kaganovich, a confidant of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.
But the plaque bears no sign of that name, as our tour guide and trained engineer Daniil Shopkhoev notes. Instead, metal letters later added spell out the name V.I. Lenin, the first Soviet leader.
As Moscow, Europeโs biggest city with an official population of over 13 million, marks the metroโs anniversary, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin plans to expand it further.
The metro currently comprises around 472 kilometres (293 miles) of underground tracks and 302 stations, with 120 stops added since 2010.
A picture on the floor of Sokolniki station shows workers digging a tunnel with drills. โThe story begins here,โ the caption says.