Moscow Station in St. Petersburg and Leningrad Station in Moscow are remarkably similar, like twins, as they were created from a single design. However, arriving at the platform in St. Petersburg, you immediately feel that everything is different here: the architecture, the atmosphere, and even the air with a light sea aroma. From Moscow Station, which has served as the city's railway gateway for almost two centuries, you can directly reach the center of St. Petersburg, to Vosstaniya Square located on Nevsky Prospect.

The railway connecting the two capitals of Russia in the mid-19th century was the first double-track railway in the Russian Empire and the longest in the world at that time, measuring 645 km. The stations at its ends incorporated the latest engineering achievements and the best traditions of European architecture. The project was developed by architect Konstantin Ton, who was highly valued by Nicholas I.

Construction of the railway between St. Petersburg and Moscow began in 1843 by order of Nicholas I and lasted for 8 years. Initially, it was called the St. Petersburg-Moscow Railway, and after the emperor's death, it was renamed the Nikolayevskaya. Before this, there was only a small branch between the capital and Tsarskoye Selo.

The emperor personally chose the station project from three presented by renowned architects. Among them was Rudolf Zhelyazevich, who proposed a design for an intermediate station in Vyshny Volochok, but his project was not selected. Nicholas I preferred Konstantin Ton, a student of Andrey Voronikhin.

Ton, to whom Nicholas I entrusted the construction of iconic structures such as the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the Grand Kremlin Palace, created the stations in the neo-Renaissance style with towers and large windows. Construction began in 1844, but the St. Petersburg station opened later than the Moscow one.

The station in St. Petersburg was located at the intersection of Nevsky and Ligovsky Prospects, which was then the outskirts of the city. The first floor housed vestibules and halls, while the second floor was occupied by the station master. A novelty was the iron roofs of the platforms, which were just beginning to appear in Europe. The clock tower resembled the town halls of Western Europe, and the building was surrounded by a colonnade.

By 1851, construction was completed. The station had exquisite interiors, but there were not enough amenities for passengers. Gendarmes guarded the imperial apartments, and waiting rooms were divided into male and female.

The first station master, Nikolai Miklukho, was known for his fight against snow drifts: he was the first in Russia to plant fir trees along the tracks. His son, traveler Miklukho-Maclay, absorbed a love for the road from childhood.

On May 5, 1847, the first train departed for Kolpino. At that time, there was a wooden station on the site, and four years later, a new stone building and the entire railway opened. The first train was planned to be the imperial train, but it was decided to test it with military trains. In three days, several trains with guards were transferred to Moscow.

The grand opening of the railway was almost disrupted by an initiative from an official who ordered the rails to be painted white. The train began to stall, but the problem was solved by greasing the rails with soot.

On August 18, 1851, at 4 a.m., the imperial train departed from St. Petersburg to Moscow. The journey took 19 hours, as Nicholas I walked across the bridges, considering them unreliable. Soon, regular communication between the capitals was established, but due to the high cost of tickets, some passengers traveled in freight cars or on open platforms.

The flow of passengers grew, and the station needed reconstruction. By the end of the 19th century, luggage began to be unloaded in a separate building, and passengers waited for trains in new halls. In 1912, a reconstruction of the station was planned, but due to the war, the work was halted.

In the 1920s, the station was renamed October, and in the 1930s, Moscow. During the blockade of Leningrad, the station was used for evacuation. After the liberation of the railway in 1943, trains once again went to Moscow.

In the late 1940s, the station was expanded with the addition of a basement floor. By the 100th anniversary of the railway, a stucco frieze appeared in the vestibule, and the columns were faced with marble. In the 1950s, the station was reconstructed and expanded, adding a wing with an entrance to the metro.

In the 1960s, the railway was electrified, and diesel locomotives were replaced with electric ones. In the 1990s, a bust of Lenin was replaced with Peter the Great, and in 2005, the station was repainted in its historical pink color.

Today, Moscow Station serves numerous electric trains and about 60 trains a day, including the 'Sapsans,' which cover the distance to Moscow in just 4 hours.