Wandering Camera

Album 266
(Translated b
y Marianna Serebrennikova)

This is a time now to tell about renewed Vitebsky railway station. The story will consist of two parts: firstly we look at station exteriors (including platforms), and then we look at interiors: halls and their design details.

 

Vitebsky railway station from side of Zagorodny Prospect. “Pushkinskaya” metro station can be seen on the left. There are station suburban cashes and platforms overlap on the right.
Not a long time ago the railway station was reconstructed and repaired (on the occasion of St. Petersburg three-hundredth anniversary). As far as possible, they tried to rehabilitate its exteriors and interiors in a manner of their being at the beginning of the XX century.

In Album 19 you can see how the railway station looked before restoration.

Opposite side railway station view.

Before station construction, the territory was a parade-ground of Semenovsky regiment Life Guards.

Besides, until 1960s Vvedensky channel was here (filled up).
Probably, that was done to continue Vitebsky Prospect to Zagorodnoye.
Officially, there was a little stream and, as an effect, water putrefaction.
You can see suburban cashes (they are modern, but in a common style, more or less) and platforms on the picture. Pay attention – trains depart from the second floor.

Vitebsky railway station was the first one in Russia. The railway road was called Tsarskoselskaya, as trains departed to Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin) and to Pavlovsk from there.

At first, the station was wooden. In 1987 the first train, driven by the manager of railway building – Viennese professor Gerstner, departed from there.

In 1849-1852s they built a new edifice according to architect K. Tone project.

In 1900-1904s they demolished it, and a modern one was built according to architects S. Brzhozovsky and S. Minasha project (in modernist style).

“The Tsar Hall” (near the platforms not far from the station). The emperor family members departed from here; a common station was destined for those, who had lower ranks.

As for nowadays role of the Hall, two versions exist.

The first one this is a regime object, relating to Ministry of Railway.

The second one is that there is a chargeable waiting room, and it is possible, for pecuniary reward, to wait for a train while sitting near operating fireplace.

Interiors are kept safe and they are rehabilitated.

Now let’s stair up to the second floor to platforms. For that I had to buy a ticket to the nearest station (alike, by the way, passengers traveling without a ticket, who usually do to go through turnstiles).

Simultaneously, I will explain how this method is realized in St Petersburg. There are turnstiles at every railway station (and at some stations within the precincts of the city). There is a bar-code on a ticket, and it is displayed to a turnstile reader element.
Number of ticket inspectors, truly saying, is not decreased. And because of the above mentioned reason. Though, in case of comparatively long trip, the inspectors’ existing affects few things. A ticket price to Kuznechny (terminal station from the Finland railway station) is approximately 60 rubles. At the same time ticket inspectors take 10 rubles instead of penalty (if not to demonstrate money especially).
It can be observed almost everybody is taking out 10 rubles’ notes willingly, when an inspector appears.
Those, who travel regularly, have a polished method of what to say and how to behave not to pay more than 10 rubles.

There is a steam locomotive ("Provorniy") with wagons inside of glass case near the platforms.
It was made and placed in 1987.
From Vitebsky railway station trains departure to Belarus (the train “Minsk – St. Petersburg” is now at the right), to the Ukraine (because of the fact, they wanted to rename the railway station as Kievsky in 1960s).

Those who want to reach Moldova, the Baltic Sea countries, Berlin, Budapest, Prague, Warsaw, as well as cities of Russia: Pskov, Novgorod, Kaliningrad, Velikiye Luki, Smolensk, Rzhev etc., depart from this railway station also.

From Petersburg suburbs – to Pushkin, Pavlovsk, Oredezh, Poselok, Novolisino etc.

Metal constructions are widely used at the railway station not only as engineering ones, but for beauty also. That did not find a wide spread occurrence in our country, unlike other countries.

Well, there are five platforms at the railway station.

Vitebsky railway station was used in 110 films shooting, including: “Anna Karenina”, “Station for two”, “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” (obviously, where Holmes and Watson leaved for “continent” from Pr. Moriarty).
A legend overhead:

“Baggage hoist machine”

It still performs the same functions.

In the distance the turnstiles can be seen.
 
In the next Album we will see how Vitebsky railway station interiors look like now.

Also I call your attention to regular collection of hatch covers of St. Petersburg and its suburbs, Part III.

 

 

Share this page via:
Îïóáëèêîâàòü ññûëêó íà ýòó ñòðàíèöó â Facebook Îïóáëèêîâàòü ññûëêó íà ýòó ñòðàíèöó ÂÊîíòàêòå Çàïèñàòü â LiveJournal