When the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line was first built, the tracks from Ploshchad Revolyutsii extended westward to
Aleksandrovsky Sad rather than
Arbatskaya. When the westward extension of the line was completed in 1953, trains were rerouted through the new segment.
Architecture The station opened in 1938, its architect was
Alexey Dushkin. The station features red and yellow
marble arches resting on low pylons faced with black
Armenian marble. The spaces between the arches are partially filled by decorative ventilation grilles and ceiling
tracery.
Sculptures The station contains 76 statues in the
socialist realism style. Originally, 80 sculptures were created for the space—10 pairs, each replicated 4 times throughout the station. Today, nine pairs are in the archways, and a copy of the final pair ("The Pioneers") appears on each of the two platforms, bringing the total number of statues to 76. Each arch is flanked by a pair of
bronze sculptures by
Matvey Manizer depicting the people of the
Soviet Union, including soldiers, farmers, athletes, writers, aviators, industrial workers, and schoolchildren. The series is meant to be considered in order, symbolizing Russia's transformation from the pre-revolutionary past, through the revolution, into the (then) contemporary era. ==Transfers==