History
Construction of a metro system in Kharkiv became evident in 1967, when the Soviet Council of Ministers approved the construction of the system's first line, then referred to as the Sverdlovsko–Zavodska Line (Ukrainian: Свердловсько-Заводська лінія). Subsequently, construction on the line began on July 15, 1968 near where the Pivdennyi Vokzal station is located. On August 23, 1968, a date symbolic of the 25th anniversary of the liberation of Kharkiv from Nazi German occupation, tunnel construction began near the Radianska station.
The first segment of the Kharkiv Metro system was built in relatively difficult hydrogeological situations. Specifically, engineers had to construct the line under two local rivers, the Kharkiv and the Lopan, and under two high traffic rail road stations, Kharkiv-Passenger and Kharkiv-Balashovskyi, respectively. Despite these difficulties, the first segment of the Kholodnohirsko–Zavodska Line was finished relatively quickly, and was ready for its grand opening on August 23, 1975. The Kholodnohirsko–Zavodska line would be extended just three years later to encompass a total of 13 stations and 17.3 kilometres (10.7 mi) of running track.
Heavy rainfall in the summer of 1996 contributed to the flooding of one of the system's first stations, the Tsentralnyi Rynok. During the reconstruction efforts, central vertical columns were added, creating a unique mix of single-vault rounded ceiling supported by numerous columns, which would otherwise be self-supportive. During its reconstruction, which lasted about a year, the station was fully operational and open to the public.
Read more about this topic: Kholodnohirsko-Zavodska Line
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