Yes, they are used as air raid shelters, but they were designed like that in the first place. Some of them lie really deep - especially the ones in the city center.
Kyiv metro is one of the deepest in the world. We have one station that is 105 meters deep. So even with fast escalators, it feels like an eternity to go up and down there.
I was wondering if there’s something different about the escalator manufacturer or design. Like longer landing areas or boarding area with extended hand rails. If you had any familiarity with them.
Op is probably referring to the history of conflict between Ukraine and Russia specifically, for example when Ukraine lost its war of independence against the Red Army. Stalin purged Ukraine quite thoroughly then by starvation.
No, but they did everything else: Engineered famines (the Holodomor, the Ukrainian Holocaust), gulags, and mass executions (Khruschev's first major job, being Stalin's liquidator in Ukraine).
Hong Kong: 0.75 meters/s (1.7 mph)
Kyiv: 0.9 meters/s (2 mph)
Kinda slower than I expected in general. I assume the speed is mostly dictated by boarding/alighting safety.