Metro stations as a shelter

"They come to the metro, not to be transported, but to save their lives." With these words, Viktor Braginsky, CEO of KYIV Metropoliten, summed up the hardship faced by the people of Ukraine, especially in the cities that were particularly affected by war. "Safety is an important function of public transport. More than 20,000 people worked day and night in our metro stations. We have 46 metro stations. They can shelter 100,000 people, but also transport 1.5 million people every day."

Be it seniors, small children and even pets: To meet the various needs of the people sheltering was challenging for the metro employees and volunteers. Film presentations, animation and art performances were organized to calm down especially children.

When the Kiev Metro was opened in the 1960s, World War II was only a few years away. Under this impression, the contructors decided to build the network deep enough to provide security even in times of war, making the Kiev Metro one of the deepest subway railroads in the world. The Arsenalna stop is 105 meters underground.