Russia's Underground Airport: Fact Or Fiction?

Russia is the largest country in the world, with more than 2000 airports, including over 50 international airports. While there is no evidence of an underground airport in Russia, Moscow, its capital, is rumoured to have an underground metro system called Metro-2. This system, constructed during Joseph Stalin's rule, was designed to provide the Soviet leadership with secure evacuation routes, communication hubs, and command posts in the event of a war. It is said to connect the Kremlin with the Federal Security Service (FSB) headquarters, the Vnukovo-2 government airport, and an underground town at Ramenki.

Russia has over 2000 airports

Sheremetyevo Alexander S. Pushkin International Airport, located about 29 kilometres northwest of Moscow's city centre, is Russia's busiest airport. It is also the 13th busiest airport in Europe. The airport has six terminals, divided into two main areas: the northern area with Terminals A, B, and C, and the southern area with Terminals D, E, and F. It was constructed as a military airbase and later converted into a civilian airport in 1959.

The second-biggest airport in Russia is Domodedovo International Airport, which is also one of the 20 busiest airports in Europe. It is located in the town of Domodedovo and opened in 1962. This airport serves as a hub for Red Wings Airlines, S7 Airlines, and Ural Airlines.

Another notable airport in Russia is Vladivostok International Airport, previously known as Knevichi Airport, located in Artyom, Primorsky Krai. It was built in 1931 and sits 14 meters above sea level. Vladivostok has two passenger terminals and handles a significant number of passengers each year.

In addition to these major airports, Russia also has a clandestine underground metro system known as "Metro-2". It was designed to provide the Soviet leadership with secure evacuation routes, communication hubs, and command posts during wartime. This system is said to connect important locations such as the Kremlin, the Federal Security Service (FSB) headquarters, and the government airport at Vnukovo-2.

Moscow's Vnukovo-2 is an underground airport

Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport, formally known as Vnukovo Andrei Tupolev International Airport, is located in the Vnukovo District, 28 km (17 mi) southwest of the centre of Moscow, Russia. It is one of the four major airports that serve Moscow, along with Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky. Vnukovo is one of Russia's largest air transport hubs, serving over 170,000 flights operated by domestic and international carriers every year. The airport handled 24.01 million passengers in 2019, representing a 12% increase from the previous year.

Vnukovo Airport is connected to Moscow's "Aeroport Vnukovo" metro station on the Solntsevskaya Line (yellow line). The metro station features artistic compositions on its walls, including portraits of Russian aircraft designers Andrey and Alexey Tupolev. The airport can also be reached by municipal Mosgortrans bus lines 611 and 611k, which connect to the Moscow Metro Sokolnicheskaya Line. In addition, private marshrutka line 45 and several taxi services, such as Uber, Gett, and Yandex.Taxi, are available at the airport.

The airport has two intersecting runways, each with a length of 3,500 m (11,482 ft) and a width of 60 m (196 ft), and a joint runway capacity of 60 aircraft movements per hour. It has two passenger terminals (Terminal A and Terminal B), one general aviation terminal, one cargo terminal, and 60 aircraft stands. Terminal A is the only terminal used for both domestic and international flights, while Terminals B and D were out of service as of October 2017. The airport has a maximum capacity of 10,100 passengers per hour and employs 4,000 people.

Interestingly, there is an underground connection between the Kremlin and Vnukovo-2, a government airport, through a clandestine and officially unacknowledged deep underground metro system called Metro-2. This system was designed to provide secure wartime evacuation routes, communication hubs, and command posts for the Soviet leadership, including a dedicated bunker for the national command authority.

Metro-2 is an underground metro system in Moscow

Metro-2 is the informal name for a supposed deep underground metro system in Moscow, Russia. It is said to be a clandestine, covert network, connecting critical government facilities, bunkers, and military installations. The system was designed to provide the Soviet leadership with secure wartime evacuation routes, communication hubs, and command posts, including a dedicated bunker for the national command authority.

The origins of Metro-2 are tied to the Soviet Union's obsession with secrecy and preparedness during the Cold War. Stalin’s paranoia about a potential nuclear attack led to the development of vast underground infrastructures. It is believed that the system was started during the rule of Joseph Stalin and was codenamed D-6 by the KGB. It is said to have four lines, lying 50–200 metres (160–660 ft) deep.

Metro-2 is rumoured to connect the Kremlin with the Federal Security Service (FSB) headquarters, the government airport at Vnukovo-2, and an underground town at Ramenki, as well as other locations of national importance. The Vnukovo line, which connects to Vnukovo International Airport, was originally an airport used for military operations during World War II and became a civilian facility after the war.

The existence of Metro-2 has never been confirmed by the Russian government, and it remains one of Moscow's enduring mysteries. However, there is some evidence to suggest it may exist. Former Soviet officials and workers have spoken about the construction of secret tunnels and underground facilities, and urban explorers have reported discovering tunnels and shafts that do not appear on official maps. Additionally, declassified documents hint at the construction of underground facilities, including a project known as "D-6," which some believe to be Metro-2.

Sheremetyevo Alexander S. Pushkin International Airport is Russia's busiest airport

Russia has over 2000 airports, with more than 50 of them being international airports. One of these is the Sheremetyevo Alexander S. Pushkin International Airport, which is Russia's busiest airport and the 5th busiest airport in Europe. It is one of four international airports serving Moscow, Russia's capital, and is located 29 kilometres (18 miles) northwest of the city, in Khimki, Moscow Oblast. The airport is capable of handling aircraft of any size, including the An-225.

Sheremetyevo Alexander S. Pushkin International Airport has six terminals: Terminals A, B, C, D, E, and F. Four of these are international terminals, one is a domestic terminal, and one is a private aviation terminal. The airport serves as the main hub for several airlines, including Aeroflot, Rossiya Airlines, Nordwind Airlines, and Ural Airlines. It was originally constructed as a military airbase and was later converted into a civilian airport in 1959. In 2019, it was named after the renowned Russian poet, Alexander Pushkin.

Sheremetyevo is not an underground airport, but Russia does have an underground metro system in Moscow called "Metro-2". This system was designed to provide the Soviet leadership with secure evacuation routes, communication hubs, and command posts during wartime. It is said to connect important locations such as the Kremlin, the Federal Security Service (FSB) headquarters, and the government airport at Vnukovo-2.

The Vnukovo International Airport, also in Moscow, is another notable airport in Russia. It is the second-busiest airport in the country and is among the twenty busiest airports in Europe.

Domodedovo International Airport is one of the four major Moscow airports

Russia has over 2,000 airports, with more than 50 of them being international airports. One of these is the Domodedovo International Airport, which is one of four major airports in Moscow. It is located in Domodedovo, Moscow Oblast, 42 kilometres (26 miles) south-southeast of Moscow's city centre. It is the third-largest airport in Russia and the CIS, after Sheremetyevo and Pulkovo. In 2022, the airport served 21.2 million passengers, making it the 4th busiest airport in Russia and the Post-Soviet states, as well as the 40th busiest airport in Europe.

Domodedovo International Airport has a long and interesting history. In the 1990s, the airport was privatised and came under the control of the private tourist company East Line, founded by Ural entrepreneurs Anton Bakov and Dmitry Kamenshchik. In 1992, their efforts led to the airport obtaining international status, and reconstruction of the airport terminal complex began in 1999 as part of the Comprehensive Airport Development Program. The airport's facilities and location have made it an important link between Russia and some major cities in the East, with several international airlines choosing to operate from Domodedovo.

The airport has a range of facilities for passengers, including several restaurants, bars, and coffee shops, as well as a shopping area on the second floor of the terminal complex. There are also meeting rooms available for hire in the business centre, which is located in the VIP hall on the first floor of the general zone. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the airport, and there are more than 40 phones located throughout the terminals. The airport also provides facilities for disabled passengers, such as lifts, adapted toilets, and a fleet of accessible minibuses.

Getting to and from the airport is easy, with several transport options available. There is a train service that connects the airport to Paveletsky Station in Moscow, and the journey takes around 40-50 minutes. Passengers can also take a taxi, with the journey time into central Moscow taking about 60 minutes. Additionally, there are local buses and marshrutkas that connect the airport to nearby towns and the railway station in the Paveletsky suburban railway line.

While Russia does not have an underground airport, there is a clandestine and unofficial deep underground metro system in Moscow known as Metro-2. It was designed to provide the Soviet leadership with secure evacuation routes, communication hubs, and command posts during wartime. This system is said to connect to the government airport at Vnukovo-2, which was originally used for military operations during World War II and later became a civilian facility.

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