95 Years Ago: The Opening of Briansk Railway Station in Moscow (Now Known as Kievskiy)2 photos

95 years ago, the Briansk Railway Station was opened in Moscow—now known as Kievskiy Railway Station. Moscow is Russia’s largest railway hub and one of the largest in the world. Kievskiy Station is one of the nine major railway stations in Moscow. It is not only an architectural landmark but also a testament to

engineering excellence. The decision to build this station was made in 1912, on the centenary of the Battle of Borodino. Given its location near the route from Moscow to Borodino and to help ease traffic congestion, the city authorities, with investor funding, first built the Borodin Bridge. Then, tracks for the Moskovsko-Kievo-Voronezh Railway were laid in a southern direction, starting from Bolshaya Dorogomilovskaya Street. Concurrently, work began on constructing a wooden station building called Brianskaya. In 1913, construction of the new station building designed by architect Ivan Rerberg commenced. However, World War I interrupted these efforts.

Construction was not completed until 1917, resulting in the largest railway station in Europe at that time—covering an area of 3,600 square meters and with a capacity of 10,000 passengers. Train services began on February 18, 1918. In 1934, the station was renamed Kievskiy. Over the years, it has undergone several renovations. Today, it continues to serve passengers from southern Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, and Yugoslavia, accommodating up to 20,000 long-distance passengers and around 40,000 commuter passengers daily.