Published on: 2026-10-04
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Specialists from the restoration center of the Moscow Metro continue to work on the historical elements of the entrance group of the northern lobby of the “Aeroport” station at exit No. 1. The massive wooden doors, arches, and other elements preserved since the 1950s are being restored in the center’s carpentry workshop. Once all stages are completed, the doors and window elements will be returned to their historical locations. The Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport and Industry spoke about the progress of the work. Maxim Liksutov.
“The Zamoskvoretskaya line is one of the most in-demand lines in the city metro: the weekday passenger flow exceeds 800 thousand trips. At the same time, each of its stations has a unique history and its own architectural features. At the ‘Aeroport’ station, specialists are restoring wooden doors and other elements of the entrance group that have been preserved since the mid-20th century. All work is carried out with special attention to authentic materials. This is important for passenger comfort: more than 30 thousand trips are made daily at the station. We continue to preserve the architectural heritage of the city metro, combining modern operational requirements with a careful approach to history,” noted Maksim Liksutov.
The doors of the ground-level vestibules are made of oak and play an important role in the architectural design of the Aeroport metro station. The main restoration work on them is carried out in the carpentry workshop of the Moscow Metro restoration center. Here, all operations can be performed step by step, materials and shades can be selected to exactly match the historical appearance.
Work on the historical structures of the “Airport” metro station began in the summer. Specialists carefully removed the first large double-leaf oak doors for restoration in the workshop. They were temporarily replaced by others, dismantled before the start of the summer season. Window openings, wooden arches, and glass were also removed.
Specialists carefully examined the wooden structures. After many years of use, they developed characteristic damage and contamination, and the protective coating was lost. All detected defects were corrected with maximum preservation of the historical material: the wooden elements were reinforced, surfaces were restored, and the protective coating was recreated. The main task was not to replace the historical structures but to preserve their authentic material and characteristic features.
How historical doors are restored
The first stage involved cleaning the surfaces. Specialists removed dirt and old paint layers, then restored the wooden base.
Then the craftsmen removed traces of old fastenings: screws and bolts. After that, other work was carried out to restore the surface of the wooden elements.
Tinting holds a special place in the final stage. Specialists select the shade for each element individually, relying on the surviving historical material and using water-based paints.
The work is completed by applying the final varnish layer: it protects the wood and helps preserve the recognizable appearance of the historical structure.
Similar work is carried out on the transom — the window frame above the entrance group. The surface is also cleaned, preserving the historical material.
Upon completion of the work, all elements of the entrance group, including doors, transoms, and arches, will be returned to their places. The structures will continue to serve their function, and the vestibule will retain the architectural appearance that has developed over decades.
Carpentry workshop of the Moscow Metro restoration center
The carpentry workshop of the Moscow Metro Restoration Center has been operating at the Likhobory electric depot since 2021. Its workshops occupy more than 170 square meters. The staff includes 11 specialists in the restoration of wooden architectural monuments.
The workshop has completed dozens of projects aimed at preserving the historical wooden elements of the Moscow metro. These include entrance groups, ticket offices, doors of service rooms, and technical hatches at the stations “Novoslobodskaya” and “Smolenskaya” on the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line, ticket offices at “Komsomolskaya”, and hatches at “Rizhskaya”. Today, specialists are finishing work on the historical elements of the entrance group of the “Aeroport” station. The restorers Anatoly Shirmanov, Roman Sevrinov, Maxim Pavlov, and Roman Ukhanev are working on the wooden structures.
History of the “Aeroport” station
The “Aeroport” station opened on September 11, 1938, during the second phase of the Moscow Metro. The architects Boris Vilensky and Vladimir Ershov worked on it, and together with them, Samuil Kravets worked on the above-ground vestibules. “Aeroport” became the second single-vault station in the history of the Moscow Metro after “Lenin Library” and the first such station built using the open construction method.
The aviation history of the area determined the architectural appearance of the station. The platform hall with a single vault repeats the shape of a hangar — a shelter for aircraft. The track walls are decorated with marble fan-shaped parachutes and relief lines reminiscent of the beams of searchlights or suspension straps. The station’s name comes from the Central Aerodrome named after M.V. Frunze on Khodynka Field — the first Moscow airport to receive such status in 1931.
The historical significance of the station is related not only to its architecture but also to the preserved original elements. The above-ground vestibules occupied the basement floors of residential buildings on Leningrad Avenue, built simultaneously with the station. Their decoration includes wooden structures, stucco elements, and intricate grilles.
The restoration of wooden doors, window openings, arches, and other elements of the entrance group is carried out while preserving the original structures. This allows their historical architectural appearance to be carefully restored. After the completion of the work, the elements will once again take their places in the northern vestibule.
To find out how the capital has changed over the past years, what initiatives aimed at making city life even more comfortable are currently being implemented, and what awaits Moscow and its residents in the near future, you can check out the large special project on the portal mos.ru, devoted to the development of key sectors of Moscow. These include transport, industry, healthcare, education, sports, and construction.
Project “Transport” will be of interest to everyone who wants to learn about the main stages of development in this field, about the support for electric transport, and the development of the route network.
In recent years, Moscow’s public transport has become more comfortable and environmentally friendly, travel time around the city has significantly decreased, and infrastructure for private electric vehicles has appeared.
Quickly get the main news on the official channels of the city of Moscow in messengers “Max” and “Telegram”.
Please note; This information is raw content received directly from the information source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.