On the Petrograd side of St. Petersburg in 1997, the Chkalovskaya metro station was opened. The station was named in honor of Chkalovsky Prospekt, passing nearby. The avenue, in turn, in 1952 became Chkalovsky, since the pilot of the Soviet Union, Valery Chkalov, lived for a long time on a nearby street. It is not surprising that aviation has become a leading theme in the design of the external station building and the underground hall.
Petersburg metro - station "Chkalovskaya"
Chkalovskaya was put into operation in September 1997, becoming another station on the Frunze-Primorsky line (M5, purple line). The neighboring stations are Sportivnaya and Krestovsky Ostrov. From 1997 to 1999 metro station "Chkalovskaya" was the terminal. To turn the metro train between the tunnels, a ramp was equipped.
Exterior station design
Approaching the Chkalovskaya metro station, one should not be surprised that one has to climb stairs - this is traditional flood protection in St. Petersburg.
It is easy to identify the station by the bust of Valery Chkalov, installed in front of the entrance. The bust on the granite pedestal was made by bronze sculptors V. Sveshnikov and A. Charkin. The memorial sign was erected in honor of the 60th anniversary of Valery Chkalov's non-stop flight from Moscow to Vancouver via the North Pole.
The lobby pavilion is complex in shape with a large glazing area; in the evening it is beautifully lit. Lamps on the walls look like metal propellers in the Chkalovsky ANT-6 aircraft. On the wall is a unique medallion depicting Icarus, looking up. The composition is skillfully made of stained glass mosaic and aluminum.
From the ground lobby there is access to Ropshinskaya street, but it is not used.
The escalator travels down from the station hall for more than 2 minutes, because the Chkalovskaya metro station is a deep-seated station located at a depth of 60 m. This depth is typical for St. Petersburg, where most stations are located at a level of 50-70 m underground.
The aviation theme is already evident on the escalator: the authors of the project placed lighting lamps not on the escalator tape, but on the ceiling arch. The shape of the lamps resemble the details of aircraft from the Second World War.
Interior decoration
Petersburg architects A. Konstantinov and V. Volonsevich developed the design of the Chkalovskaya metro station, making it recognizable and unusual in St. Petersburg, although it was executed according to a typical project for the city.
This is a single vault station, the platform is located on the island principle - in the middle. The platform is decorated in the style of the runway: on it are the arrows and signs necessary at the airport, partially drawn, partially made of aluminum and built into the floor covering.
The vaulted walls give the impression that the passenger is inside the aircraft engine. Lamps stylized as aircraft elements at the Chkalovskaya metro station in St. Petersburg also remind of aviation.
The decoration of the hall is a stained-glass window at the south end of the station. It depicts how a person smoothly turns into an aircraft, embodying the dream of many generations to conquer the sky.
Station Design Changes
In 2009, the station underwent reconstruction and re-equipment, the purpose of which was to unify the information space of the St. Petersburg metro. The original arrows were removed from the walls, floor steel was not visible behind the information stands. Many citizens believe that Chkalovskaya has lost its charm and unusualness.
Interesting Facts
Chkalovskaya metro station in St. Petersburg is a real "movie star".
The group "Demo" in 2000 shot several episodes of the clip for the song "I take a breath" on the station platform.
In the film “Peter FM” (2006), the main characters are found near the monument to the famous pilot. The recognizable design of the station immediately attracts attention.
How to get to the metro station "Chkalovskaya" (St. Petersburg)
Passengers leave the metro on Bolshaya Zelenskaya and Chkalovsky Prospekt.
You can get to the station by buses No. 1, 14, 25, 185, 191 and 5M. Also near the metro station make a bus stop number 120 and 131.
How to get to the Chkalovskaya metro station using the St. Petersburg metro? It all depends on the starting point. A change to the purple line can be made on Sadovaya (from the M2 and M4 lines) and Zvenigorodskaya (from the M1 line). The station is open from 05:35 to 0:24.
