Underneath the streets of Moscow, there’s a whole other world of amazing architecture for visitors to discover: the Moscow metro stations. David Burdeny, an architect-turned-photographer from Canada, believes that he was the first photographer ever to be allowed to shoot the public transport stations after-hours when they were closed to passengers.

The Moscow Metro, which opened in 1935, was designed to be one big Soviet propaganda project. The opulent design elements were intended to forecast a bright future for the empire, as the guiding design principles were “svet” (light) and “sveltloe budushchee” (bright future). Many of the underground stations feature busts of Soviet leaders like Lenin or wall murals with standard Soviet propaganda elements like the Homo Sovieticus. All done up in the classical Russian architecture style, the stations sure do look stunning.

Burdeny’s photo series, “Russia: A Bright Future,” will be on display at the Jennifer Kostuik gallery in Vancouver until Nov. 8th, so if you’re in the area, be sure to swing by! If you won’t be visiting Vancouver, check out this post about amazing metro stations – Russian metro isn’t the only one that’s stunning!

More info: davidburdeny.com (h/t: modernmetropolis)

Taganskaya Metro Station, Moscow

Elektrozavodskaya Metro Station, Moscow

Komsomolskaya Metro Station, Moscow

Mayakovskaya Metro Station, Moscow

Novolobodskaya Metro Station, Moscow

Arbatskaya Metro Station, Moscow

Avoto Metro Station, St. Petersburg

Kiyevsskaya Station, Moscow

Sokol Metro Station, Moscow

Kiyevsskaya Metro Station (east), Moscow

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