In November, 2014 St. Petersburg subway station “Avtovo” was included into the list of the 12 most beautiful subway stations in the world according to the British newspaper “Guardian” (it is the seventh in the list). In the list one can also find the subway stations of Naples, Lisboan, Munich, Warsaw, New-York (two stations), Toronto, London, Stockholm, Paris and Kiev.

1.5 year before the “Guardian” published its list of the 12 most beautiful subway stations in the world another British newspaper – “the Daily Telegraph” - had published a list of 22 subway stations among 15 European countries (Italy, Great Britain, Germany, Russia and etc.). According to the “Daily Telegraph” Avtovo subway station was among the 10 most beautiful subway stations in Europe (№ 10).

On December 15, 2011 Council on cultural heritage preservation affiliated to the Government of Saint Petersburg subway station “Avtovo” was included into the single state register of cultural heritage objects of regional value and since then it is protected by the state as a monument of history and culture.

Subway station Avtovo of Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya line (line № 1, red line) opened on November 15, 1955 as a part of the first stage of Leningrad metro (“Avtovo” – “Ploscshad Vosstaniya”). Architects are alumni and professors of Leningrad civil engineering institute (now Saint Petersburg state university of architecture and civil engineering) E.A. Levinson (1894–1968) and A.A. Grushke (1912–1989). Construction engineer is S.M. Epstein.

Two trains made a trial trip starting from the subway station “Avtovo” on October 8, 1955 and it is the first station where the first train of Leningrad metro arrived from the subway station “Ploscshad Vosstaniya” on November 15 of the same year.

This is a station of shallow footing (12 m) of column support, three span construction. That is why this is a first subway station without escalators. A wide spiral stairway leads to the platform hall, one of the walls of which (the other one has railings) is finished with red marble.

They started construction before the war and continued after the Victory. In 1946-1950 there were held three tours of the competition. Design of subway station “Avtovo” proposed by E.A. Levinson and A.A. Grushke was very popular.

Over-ground pavilion of the station is located on the Stachek prospect between houses № 90 and 94. It is decorated with a double six-column channeled Dorian portico (12 columns in total). The pavilion is finished with a massive dome on a large light dome drum. On the outside façade of the pavilion to the left and to the right of the doors there are small bas-reliefs “Petrograd’s defense in 1941-1943”.

The underground platform hall of the subway station “Avtovo” looks like a rich in decoration underground palace. It is lighted by 29 bronze chandeliers. But is main decoration consists of two rows of grand columns. There are 48 columns in total, 16 of which are made of sparkling glass and 32 of them are made of white marble. According to the initial project all columns were planned to be made of glass, but the contractor didn’t manage to produce all glass components in time and the underground hall was finished with 16 “crystal” columns. The others were temporarily finished with white marble to fit the colour of the walls. After the order of the Central committee on fight with architectural extravagance the station was left in its “temporary” form.

Decoration topic is the defense of Leningrad, firmness and courage of the invincible of the city (Avtovo district was the first line of Leningrad defense during the blockade). Decoration represented in the form of chandeliers, wall bras, trellis-works on the walls decorated with bay leaf garlands, golden swords and others signs of military courage of Petersburg.

 Side wall of the underground hall is decorated by a mosaic board “Victory” with the illustration of a woman-mother having a child in her hands, which is a symbol of peace, won in the difficult war against fascism. On the wall of the Lower booking hall there is a little alabaster bas-relief “Defenders of Leningrad” while the pain dome in the Upper over-ground hall covers the inscription “Century-long Glory to brave defenders of Leningrad, who saved the hero-city”.

In 2012 there was finished the 9-years long restoration of the subway station “Avtovo” after which it acquired its initial look of 1955.
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