Minsk metro is the pearl of the Belarusian capital

The Minsk subway will celebrate its anniversary next year. For almost 40 years, residents of the capital of Belarus and guests of the city have been using its services. According to preliminary estimates, for the entire period of operation, the only metro in the republic transported almost nine billion people.


The number of people who have used its services is only slightly less than those who regularly travel by Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kyiv underground routes. Among the sixteen post-Soviet subways, this is an honorable fourth indicator. Approximately 800 people choose it to travel around the city every day. During the year this figure reaches three hundred million - this is about half of the city's passenger traffic.


For the first time, the need to build a high-speed line underground was discussed in the 60s, when the country was gradually recovering from the war. Many industrial regions developed rapidly. Belarus has also achieved good results. The population of Minsk was approaching a million, the city was rapidly getting upset. There was an acute transport issue that required a speedy solution.

Subway in Minsk - to be!

The problem was approached professionally and businesslike. The urban transport network could not organize reliable and inexpensive movement for so many people. The metro was better than other types of transport communications to cope with such things. Therefore, it was decided to build an underground high-speed line in Minsk. Moreover, by this time the number of the population had overcome the million mark.

The development of project documentation began in mid-1976. In the next, they started building the first stations and underground routes.



City and all-Union leaders opened the movement. Minsk residents were also invited. Free travel for absolutely everyone was only on the opening day. Already on June 30, the fare had to be paid. This 19 km long line connected eight underground stations. Subsequently, their number increased to fifteen. The uninterrupted operation of electric trains was ensured by the Moscow depot.


Construction work continued on the section of the second subway line between the Frunzenskaya and Tractor Plant stations until 1990. The Avtozavodskaya line turned out to be a kilometer shorter. And there were fewer stopping platforms - only 14. The energy and maintenance of the branch was taken over by the Mogilev depot. It was put into operation on the last day of 1990. People appreciated the convenience and comfort of the new mode of transport and are happy to use the underground highway to travel around the city.

New metro lines

Mounting of new branches proceeds and on day. The third line of the Minsk metro Zelenoluzhskaya began serving the first passengers in the fall of 2020 on the section between Vokzalnaya and Kovalskaya svoboda. It is planned to be significantly extended; today 17 km of track have been built. So far, only four stations are ready to receive passengers.

Subsequently, along this line it will be possible to comfortably get from the central part to the northern and southern districts of Minsk. The possibility of extending it in the direction of the southwest and northeast by seven stations by the first half of next year is being considered. There is also talk of building a fourth line 25 km long. At least 17 more platforms will be able to receive their passengers.


So far, the Minsk subway stretches for 42 km in both directions. She hospitably receives people at thirty-three stations and stopping platforms. They are not deep from the surface of the earth, you can go down the stairs to them. For the convenience and safety of sick people and the disabled, there are lifts that can always be used.

To date, the Minsk Metro is a modern transport organism capable of providing its customers with a fast, comfortable and inexpensive trip. The ticket price here is very affordable, one of the lowest in the region. You can pay your fare in several ways:

✅ tokens for one trip
✅ smart card for multiple trips by different modes of transport
✅ Visa and MasterCard bank cards

It is advantageous to purchase a travel card for 10/15 days or a whole month and ride this period on all routes underground and on the surface. There are tickets for a limited number of trips: from 10 to 50 within two months from the date of purchase. It will be valid for 80 days if you pay in advance for sixty trips. Payment is made contactless by a special reader - a validator. He withdraws the necessary amount from the account every time you go on a journey. Many passengers use mobile devices with the latest technology.

Technical arrangement of the subway

Passengers of the Belarusian subway travel in modern comfortable trains 81-717/714 of various modifications and domestically assembled Stadler M110/M111. Nearly four hundred wagons are at their service, which rush underground at an average speed of up to 50 km/h. On some stages, it reaches 80 km / h. The trains are made up of four and five cars, they have a lot of free space.


For the convenience of passengers, many stations have escalators and elevators. If necessary, you can get the necessary information on numerous diagrams and signs in two languages: Belarusian and .. still Belarusian. Yes, you were not mistaken, there is just a special Belarusian “Latin”, an echo of the times of Polish influence. And although the letters here are more similar to Czech and incomprehensible to most foreigners, local officials do not care. The main thing is that here everything is our own, and not someone else's.

The metro is open from half past six in the morning until 0.40 at night. The short interval between trains during rush hours and during normal times eliminates the need to waste time. Management attaches great importance to traffic safety. More than twenty large bag screening zones are equipped with modern means of detecting suspicious objects. Since 2013, the staff of the metro workers has inspectors of the security unit who monitor the order in crowded places:

✅ stopping platforms
✅ lobbies
✅ escalators
✅ transitions

If necessary, you can always call a police squad or ask the driver. Landing platforms are equipped with effective DAS systems, which prevent injury to passengers on the rails. The level of hazardous chemicals and compounds in the air is regularly monitored by a special laboratory that does research every day.

In total, there are thirty-three underground stations in Minsk now. Each has a unique design. There are no similar ones, all are artistically refined, modern and beautiful. Mobile communication of leading providers is available almost everywhere. In addition to transporting passengers, the staff of the Belarusian metro offers advertising space, premises for rent and other activities. Lots of outlets offering their services.


The modern subway is a complex mechanism. Now many segments of the distance are completely under the control of complex automatic systems. A good organization of repair work allows you to keep the rolling stock in good condition. And the concern for the comfort and safety of passengers is appreciated by the entire five thousand staff of the state enterprise: the Minsk metro is recognized as the most popular and demanded mode of transport in Belarus.