Saint-Petersburg metro ⏏

Rybatskoye

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• Opened: December 28, 1984
• Station depth: 0m
• Popular names: Ryba (fish)
• Type of station: shore platforms, two tracks with exit to the depot and a cross exit from the depot
• Entrance to the station: entrance/exit from the underpass, exit also directly to the street
• Traffic: total about 815 thousand people per month

The name of the station comes from the historical name of the area. In 1715, Peter the 1st moved about 200 families of fishermen here to supply Saint-Petersburg (tsar's cuisine) with fish. Over time, Rybatskaya Sloboda became a large village, and in 1963 it entered the administrative borders of Leningrad. Since this area is located on the outskirts and has very poor transport connectivity with the city, locals call it "Rybatskoe Peninsula" or simply "Fish".

The Rybatskoye metro station is the final one on the line, the extension of the metro further south is not expected. It was mistakenly considered the southernmost metro station in the city, although it never was. At first, the southernmost station of the city was Kupchino, and now - Shushary. But this is the easternmost metro station in Saint-Petersburg and one of the three stations behind the ring road along with Devyatkino and Shushary.

On the stretch to the station Obukhovo, the tunnels go down with the maximum permissible slopes, to deep laying. But it is interesting that part of this stage was built in an open way.

The station was built according to the same project as two other combined metro and railway transfer stations - Kupchino and Devyatkino. But, like Kupchino, it was built according to an "incomplete" project - without integration on the cross-platform transition of metro and railway trains. From the beginning, as at the station Devyatkino, metro trains had to arrive between railway passenger platforms. Now, to transfer, you need to go through an underground passage.

Unlike the station Kupchino, where two underpasses are open under the railway tracks, there is only one crossing here. The second transition was abandoned almost completely completed and is now being used for inventory storage. This second inactive exit to the city is located on the north side of the station and is mirror-symmetrical to the existing crossing. It has all the marble trim and aluminum handrails have been preserved for a long time. In the future, these handrails were removed to repair the operating part of the station.

At the turn of the 21st century, the railway revised the policy of passenger access to trains, put ticket turnstiles everywhere. Therefore, in 2001, the exit from the underpass directly to the railway trains was blocked. Now, to get to the trains, you need to exit through the passage to the street and enter the railway station building from the outside.

Underground passages under railway tracks were built for the first time in practice by the method of pushing, which made it possible not to stop the movement of trains by railroad during the construction period.

In addition to the underpass, the station also has a direct exit from the arrival platform to the industrial zone to the west of the station. The entrance to the station is only from the underpass.

Until 2000, before the reconstruction of the station, escalators led to the ticket hall from the underpass. Now it's just a wide staircase.

There are large balconies on both ends of the station above the tracks, but the entrance of passengers to them is closed.

The station does not have any anti-atomic protection. And, interestingly, it is asymmetric – the arrival platform is twice as wide as the departure platform. Also, there is no station name on the departure platform, it can only be seen through the tracks on the arrival platform. It is assumed that the residents of the area know where they have come :)

There are also commuter and airline ticket offices on the arrival platform, which were specially built, but are no longer operational. Also, a certain architectural composition was supposed to be in the center of the arrival platform, but it was not built.

As at all terminal stations with side platforms, there is a service platform between the tracks for the passage of drivers along the train. A radio antenna is stretched over it – the same one that winds along the walls of tunnels at underground stations.

The ceiling of the station is chopped-angular, made of reinforced concrete beams. Actually, these are typical beams, but there is a beautiful story that such an angular ceiling forms a reference of the station to the river theme and waves. For me, a much better reference is the texture of the floor tiles, similar to river sand with small pebbles.

There are quite a lot of Soviet parts at the station, like the same ticket offices or loudspeakers. Dark barred windows leave a sad impression.

In general, such a typical utilitarian station. There is nothing interesting here, and there is nothing to do here.