When a river blocks travel some cities build bridges and others just go right under it, no matter how deep that requires builders to go.
Such was the plan when the Kiev Metro needed to bypass the Dnieper River, which rises above the level of the city surrounding it. The Arsenalna Metro Station was constructed at 105.5 metres deep, well beneath the river, making it the deepest station in the world.
The escalator ride to and fro from the stop can last up to five minutes, which is why many locals tend to run down the dizzyingly long steps. The station is so deep in fact that it requires multiple escalators and platforms just to reach it. The station was completed in 1960 and was named after the nearby Kiev Arsenal Factory, founded in the 18th century as a production facility for the Russian army. The architecture features imposing pylons that remind commuters of the crushing tons of earth and water above their heads, but they are just reminders as they exist purely as decoration.
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