Minsk. The exhibition exposition of the metro.

If you think that in the Minsk subway you can only get from point A to point B, you are mistaken. At "Mogilevskaya" station, right behind the turnstiles, there is a door to the past. Here, on an area of more than 150 square meters, there is an exhibition exposition of the history of the Minsk Metro, which celebrated its first decade in 2025.

Contrary to the stereotype of boring museum halls, this space is interactive, dynamic and incredibly atmospheric. It will be equally interesting for children who dream of "driving" a train, and for adults who have seen the era of five-kopeck tokens.

The birth of the subway: from the idea to the first flight.

The exhibition opens the veil of mystery over how Minsk found its "underground highway". The idea was in the air back in the 1960s, but the project received the green light only after the millionth resident was born in the capital on January 25, 1972, a necessary qualification by Soviet standards for the construction of the metro.

On May 3, 1977, the first works began at Chelyuskintsev Park. It was not easy for the builders: Minsk stands on the "Belarusian ridge" with a high groundwater level, so most of the stations are located shallow - only 10-17 meters from the surface. Museum visitors can see unique photographs of the tunneling process, rare documents from the archives, and even learn about unusual finds by the builders, such as mammoth tusks at "Oktyabrskaya" station.

The main date in the history of the city is June 29, 1984, when the first train set off from the "Institute of Culture" to "Moskovskaya" stations.

The main exhibit: the driver's cabin.

The hallmark of the exhibition, for which almost all the guests come here, is a real full-size driver's cabin. This artifact was presented to Minsk by the Moscow Metro.

There are no strict prohibitions on "not touching with your hands." On the contrary, anyone can sit in a chair, take up the controller and feel like a driver of an underground train. The clicking of toggle switches and the view of the phantom tunnel cause delight in children and nostalgia in adults. A fragment of a contact rail is displayed next to the cabin, along which a voltage of 825 volts is supplied - the guides use this exhibit to visually remind them of the safety rules on the tracks.

The "treasures" in the train halls.

The museum room itself is stylized like subway cars, which creates a full immersion effect. These halls contain amazing evidence of a bygone era.:

· Fare payment: You will see legendary coin machines for exchanging 5 kopecks, a collection of tokens from different years and a line of travel tickets, which is a visual history of the country.

· Equipment: Antique typewriters, special communication telephones and control room control panels - all this looks like the scenery for a movie about the 1980s.

· Symbols and form: A separate stand is occupied by symbolic keys to the stations, which are handed over at their opening. Here you can also see how the uniform of subway employees has changed over the decades.

How to get in and what is important to know.

The exposition operates on a voluntary basis. Admission is absolutely free - this is one of the main reasons to visit it. However, there is a caveat: the museum operates in the "by appointment" mode for organized groups of 5 to 20 people. Single visitors can only get inside as part of a guided tour.

The tour lasts just over an hour (1 hour and 20 minutes) and covers not only the halls, but also a walk around the "Mogilevskaya" station with a story about the design and architecture of the subway. You can make an appointment by calling the phone numbers listed on the official website of the Minsk Metro.