Kazakhstan's new subway is far more gorgeous than a subway has a right to be

Would you expect to find the world's most beautiful subway in the former Soviet Union? Kazakhstan just opened the doors on its Almaty subway system last month, and the pictures we've seen absolutely blew us away.

Ground was broken on the subway in 1988, but progress stopped a few years later when the USSR collapsed. It wasn't until 2005 that the government of Kazakhstan finally resumed construction.

Since the subway is brand new, it shouldn't be any surprise that it's so clean. What is shocking, though, is how opulent the design is for a country whose citizens make an average of $8,800 a year. It features marble floors, elaborate stained glass designs, expensive-looking chandeliers, and archways that most architects can only dream of ever building.

If you want the full tour, you'll need to book a flight to Kazakhstan. For those of us who can't easily afford that, architecture blog Architizer has a photo gallery.

[Image credit: NedoSMI.ru]

(Source)

Leave a comment