MINSK, 6 November (BelTA) – Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko took part in a solemn ceremony to inaugurate the Minsk metro third line that will span from the Kovalskaya Sloboda station to the Yubileinaya Ploshchad station on 6 November, BelTA has learned.
The head of state arrived at the Kovalskaya Sloboda station where he was welcomed by Minsk Metro Director Vladimir Sotnikov, Minskmetrostroy Director General Leonid Stukhalsky and other executives, as well as workers from the above-mentioned organizations.
In order to take part in the ceremony, Aleksandr Lukashenko reached the station via the fare gate using an electronic card given to him by the staff of the Minsk metro.
“Today is an ordinary weekday in our country, but thanks to you we have a festive mood. We are putting into operation the first stage of the third metro line, which will dramatically change the life of the city - it will make it more dynamic and comfortable,” the president said addressing the attendees.
We were looking forward to the opening of the third line, Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “The Minsk metro has gone a long way since it opened 37 years ago. Thanks to being cheap, fast, and, most importantly, environmentally friendly, metro has become the busiest and most popular means of transport, we can say, a people's means of transport,” the head of state said.
The Minsk metro handles more than 700,000 passengers a day, which is a third of the overall public transport ridership of Minsk. “The new line will help increase the passenger traffic of the metro as it will connect the southern and northern neighborhoods with the center of the capital,” Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out.He stressed that the construction of the four stations of the new line was finished despite this year's challenges. “Nothing has stopped us in the course of this difficult year: neither the pandemic, nor the calls for strikes. You were busy working, just like the majority of Belarusians, thanks to whom the country lives and continues developing and becoming more welcoming and beautiful. This will always be the case (even if someone is against it), if we want to remain sovereign and independent,” the president said as he addressed the employees of Minsk Metro and Minskmetrostroy.
“Today's inauguration of the first section of the new line shows our social and political stability. Countries like Belarus do not create such facilities in these times,” the president stressed.
The overwhelming majority of people in Belarus are hardworking and decent, including those who took part in the construction of the new stations, Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out. “Even those who were undecided yesterday, have already seen the true nature of a maidan, drawn logical conclusions, and started asking me to restore order. Reasonable people want security, stability, a steady and evolutionary development, and calm changes that they can take. Do not forget: changes are a difficult process. The question is whether they will be dramatic or evolutionary and steady,” the Belarusian president said.
More than 3,000 people were involved in the construction of the first section. The president thanked everyone who designed and built this facility for efficiency, high quality of work, compliance with modern standards, the beautiful design of the stations and the deep meaning behind it. “In the past, some ten years ago, I asked developers of the metro not to create underground museums, because this is too expensive. Every kilometer of tunnels already costs us $80 million, taking into account the finishing. It is unnecessary to create museums, but stations should be convenient, aesthetically pleasing and beautiful,” the head of state said.
“I would like to thank everyone who built this. You are true creators because you work for the good of people,” he remarked.
The head of state also commended the safety of the third line that is equipped with protective screens from transparent glass. “Everything was done with passengers' safety in mind,” the president said.
After the opening ceremony, the president decided to inspect all the new stations. Aleksandr Lukashenko in the company of other participants of the event took a ride on a new train and praised the design of all the new stations of the third line: Kovalskaya Sloboda, Vokzalnaya, Ploshchad Frantishka Bogushevicha, and Yubileinaya Ploshchad. The head of state hailed the design of the stations for its convenience, neatness, beauty, and cost effectiveness. “This is a true Belarusian style,” he noted.
A special focus was made on the use of Belarusian construction materials, including escalators. “Escalators were made in Belarus, just like everything else, including trains [trains were produced at Stadler Minsk near the capital],” the head of state pointed out.
Aleksandr Lukashenko was also pleased with the new metro train. “A good machine, it runs smoothly, which is nice,” he remarked.
The president was briefed on the plans to upgrade the rolling stock of the Minsk metro. New trains are more comfortable, cheaper to operate, and have a longer lifespan.
At the end of the event, Aleksandr Lukashenko received a book about the Minsk metro as a gift.
