И. А. Курбасова Е. И. Силантьева

TEXT С. TRANSPORT DIFFICULTIES

IN MOSCOW IN THE 1920's AND 1930's
(1) In the 1920's the transport situation in Moscow was difficult. Indeed, very few buses were in operation in Moscow. Not many people had their own cars. There were no city railways. However, every year 150,000 suburban passengers used railway stations, and they needed an effi­cient system of city transport.

(2) In 1930, the trams handled 90 per cent of the passen­ger traffic in the capital, and they were overcrowded (пере полненный). Besides, the system was often fully paralysed in winter because of heavy snowfalls.

(3) In order to perfect the pity transport a. .project of building Metro in Moscow was jjfcjiosed.'According to this project the construction of the underground railways was to be initiated in^: 1932.

(4) Initially, the constructionof Jh metro system went on slowly. The metro builders encountered many difficul­ties because they had no experience in building underground railways. But during the second year 4l?e, work progressed more rapidly thanks to mechanical equipment which was used on a large sc^ie/'Most "of this equipment was devel­oped and produced in the USSR. Besides, the workers them­selves became more experienced.

(5) Nowadays the advantages of the Moscow Metro are well known to everybody. Our Underground is the most beautiful and efficient transportation system compared with other subways abroad.