Funicular

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Ride of Kiev

History

The funicular was constructed during 1902-1905 and was first opened to the public on 7 May 1905. The construction cost, about 230,000 Russian rubles, was covered by a Belgian owner of the Kiev trams. The funicular was the project of Arthur Abrahamson, who received professional training on railroad engineering in Zürich, Switzerland and Saint Petersburg, Russia. The station vestibules were designed by N. Piatnitskiy, and the railway structure was designed N. Barishnikov.

Due to its close proximity to St. Michael's Cathedral, it was once named the Mikhailivs’kyi Mechanichnyi Pidyom (literally St. Michael's Mechanical Lift). After the cathedral was destroyed by the Soviet authorities in 1935-1936, the name of the funicular was changed.

Various Facts

The funicular uses a gauntlet track system, with two sidings on both sides, so the two cars can pass each other. The two cars of the Kiev funicular have the Cyrillic letters Λ and Ï which stand for left and right. The funicular was renovated three times: in 1928, 1958, and 1984.

Wheel width: 100 cm. Total track length: 238 meters. The total gradient of the slope on which the funicular runs on is 36 %. The cable cars are powered by an electric motor which is located inside the upper station.

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