Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Moscow Government – Moscow Government –
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Dense development, abundant utilities and groundwater, mining operations, and an active line just meters from the working face. The Dostoyevskaya station of the Moscow metro is being built in challenging conditions, sometimes requiring manual labor. It will be the first new station on the Circle Line since 1954. mos.ru correspondents descended into the shaft and observed the progress of construction along this historic route.
One of the most complex projects of the Moscow metro
Construction of the metro's Circle Line began in 1944, at the height of World War II. In 1950, the first section opened from Kurskaya to Park Kultury, with stations including Kaluzhskaya (now Oktyabrskaya), Serpukhovskaya (now Dobryninskaya), Paveletskaya, and Taganskaya. Four years later, the circle was completed.
Dostoyevskaya will be the first new station in over 70 years. It will be located between Novoslobodskaya and Prospekt Mira, beneath the southern part of Suvorovskaya Square, at the intersection of Durova and Samotechnaya Streets. Nearby, on Seleznevskaya Street, in Building 29, Building 2, is the office of SMU-6 Metrostroy. This subsidiary of Mosmetrostroy has built numerous metro stations over its 85 years of operation and is now responsible for the construction of Dostoyevskaya. The administration office is located in a two-story building. We are greeted by Chief Engineer Dmitry Zaytsev.
"The idea to build a 13th station on the Circle Line first emerged in the late 1950s. Projects changed repeatedly, as did the names. Initially, the station was called "Kommuny Square," then "Suvorova Square," and then "Suvorovskaya." In the 1990s, ground was broken for a construction site in a tunnel, but the plan was never realized. In 2010, the Dostoyevskaya station opened on the Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya Line, and the idea of creating a neighboring station on the Circle Line also failed. The difficulty was that both lines were in operation, and the work would have disrupted passenger flow. With the further development of the Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya Line, which remains the only metro line without a transfer to the historic Circle Line from the northern end, the city decided to revisit this complex project. The future station was named "Dostoyevskaya," after its radial neighbor," says Dmitry Zaitsev.
To integrate it without stopping trains on the Circle Line, metro builders are constructing two bypass tunnels with a total length of over 1,700 meters.
"Once the tunnels are ready, we'll switch trains to them one by one. This will allow us to begin construction of the station complex: the central hall, two side tunnels, transfer hubs, ramps for escalators, and vestibules. Once all the work is completed, we'll return trains to their normal routes, and the bypass tunnels will remain under the metro's management," explains the chief engineer.
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Heirs of the first metro builders
The Dostoyevskaya mine is being built on an existing metro line, and in the city center, meaning it will be surrounded by dense development and utility lines. Therefore, a closed-loop method was chosen. Shafts were constructed near the Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army, through which equipment, materials, and construction workers are delivered, and the excavated rock is removed.
In cramped conditions, metro builders can't dig bypass tunnels using modern tunnel boring machines. They have to resort to conservative, yet time-tested, technologies. To learn about them, we head to the construction site. We change into special suits, put on hard hats and waterproof boots, and enter the extension where the shaft entrance is located. A cage serves as an elevator for materials and workers.
Below, the left bypass tunnel appears before us. It's constructed of tubing (cast iron blocks) that protect the space from rock pressure and groundwater. A ventilation pipe runs beneath the vault, and narrow rail tracks for mine cars and rock loading machines run along the floor.
"At first, we tunneled through the earth using drill-and-blast methods. But as we approached the metro's technical zone, that is, the Circle Line, we switched to low-mechanization equipment—demolition robots. In the most sensitive areas, we have to use jackhammers, like the first metro builders," notes Dmitry Zaitsev.
The tunnel is very wet, due to groundwater intrusion. However, according to experts, the Dostoyevskaya section is considered dry. During the construction of some stations, tunnelers are forced to work in rubber suits in waist-deep water. Once the tunnel is completed, it will be protected from groundwater by a waterproofing casing.
We move on, watching as the builders use jackhammers to cut through the ventilation chamber and install the tubing into rings, climbing onto wooden shelves just below the arch.
We reach the face. Here, miner Alexander Yampolsky watches as a robotic demolition machine digs into the rock with a hydraulic hammer, crushing it. On the other side, light can be seen from the adit, driven toward the bypass tunnel. Soon, they will be merged and a switching chamber will be built. It is through this chamber that trains will be transferred from the Circle Line to bypass the Dostoyevskaya line, which is currently under construction.
When the demolition robot pauses for a moment, we hear the rumble of train wheels. It turns out the active tunnel is less than a meter away. So, precision work is needed, and soon the robot will be replaced by humans with jackhammers.
"A tunneler needs to be extremely attentive. It's also important to 'listen' to the ground. If it's soft and loose, caution must be exercised to prevent a collapse. Sometimes it's necessary to further secure the tunnel by installing supporting piers. If the ground is firm, you can safely proceed. This instinct comes with experience. Drivers also sense when they're driving from dry asphalt onto a slippery road," shares Alexander Yampolsky.
Through the city center without unnecessary transfers
We return through the tunnel to the mine shaft. Dmitry Zaitsev notes that it will now take over three hours to inspect the entire constructed section. Just a year ago, it could be walked around in 40 minutes. The bypass tunnels are almost complete, but many challenges still lie ahead. Crews continue to construct the mine shafts (due to the project's complexity, there will be six instead of the traditional one or two). They are also preparing to excavate inclined passages—quicksand is encountered closer to the surface. Rerouting traffic to the bypass routes will require switching all utility lines.
The Dostoyevskaya station is scheduled for completion in 2030. It will have two entrance halls: an underground one under Durova Street, where it intersects with Delegatskaya Street, and an above-ground one next to the Olympic Sports Complex, at the intersection of Durova Street and Olympic Prospekt. The latter will be accessible via a pedestrian crossing equipped with travelators and an escalator. An elevator will be installed for the convenience of people with limited mobility. The new Circle Line station will improve accessibility to three districts of the capital: Meshchansky, Tverskoy, and Maryina Roshcha.
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