Dnipro

Dnipro is a station on the Kyiv Metro's Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska Line. Named after the Dnieper River, the station consists of a semi-estacade over the embankment highway, and then continues across the river as part of Kyiv Metro Bridge. The station was opened along with the first stage of the Metro in 1960 and for the first five years, before the bridge was completed, was the eastern terminus of the line. Itself, the station is probably one of the most distinctive designs in not only Kyiv but all of the former USSR. The design is attributed to Kyiv's unique geography and how engineers and city planners applied the Metro development project to it. The goal was to link Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi railway station via the city centre to the residential districts on the left bank of the river. Since the planned junction between the Brovary avenue and the right bank was to happen at that point, it was decided to turn the metro line first southeast via the Arsenal factory and then make a right angle turn northeast and make the Brovarsky radius go on the surface similar in design to Moscow's Filyovskaya Line. The station was to serve this junction point. In engineering terms, the design incorporates two distinct portions: a large structure on the western side with an estacade track and platforms coming out. Both the engineers (H.Fuks, L.Nobsborsky and V.Ihnatyuk) and the architects (H.Hranatkin, A.Ihnashchenko, P.Krasytsky and S.Krushynsky) put quite an effort into its construction. The western side structure consists of an embankment level vestibule with ticket halls and staircases leading onto the platforms. Although the station has side platforms, it is possible to change direction without leaving the premises of the station. The estacade level consists of two platforms separated by double track. Originally, when the Brovarsky radius was not completed, the far end of the platform was a large balcony overlooking the river and one of the tracks was covered up by the platform. On the side of the embankment, there are two additional glazed staircase pavilions that are currently closed. On top of them are two statues of Young Pioneers by the sculptors F.Katsyubynsky, E.Kuntsevych, I.Horovy, B.Karlovsky. The statues were erected in 1965 as part of the construction of the Metro Bridge. The northern statue is of a girl releasing pigeons whilst the southern one is of a boy releasing a model of the Sputnik satellite.