September 01, 2020

Moscow's Last Trolleybus Line


Moscow's Last Trolleybus Line
Public transportation in Moscow is getting an upgrade. Image by EPr-666 via Pixabay

Anyone who has been to Moscow has likely experienced the city’s effective public transportation, from its beautiful metro stations to the small but efficient marshrutka routes. However, there is one mode of transportation that has long been popular in Russia, but that will no longer be used widely in Moscow: trolleybuses.

Trolleybuses in Moscow are being replaced with electric buses beginning August 25. All trolleybus routes will be replaced with electric buses except for one: between Komsomolskaya Square and Novoryazanskaya Street.

This route will remain serviced with trolleybuses, in an homage to the mode of transportation’s importance in Russia. This route was not chosen at random: in June 1937, the city's trolleybus fleet was launched at Novoryazanskaya Street. Moreover, there will soon be a Moscow Transportation Museum in this area, where visitors will be able to see historic trolleybuses. As a nod to trolleybuses’ history, retro trolleybuses will run along the remaining route.

According to Leonid Antonov, general director of Moscow’s Mosgortrans, which oversees all bus, trolleybus, and tram lines, the number of electric buses is constantly growing. There are currently 450 electric buses, with a goal of 600 by the end of the year. More than 2,600 are planned by 2024.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955