History of the Prague Subway System

The construction of Prague Subway System begun in 1966, in 1967 begun the process of building of the first subway station “Hlavní nádraží”. In 1971 it was decided to buy Soviet subway trains. On 9 May 1974 the service in the oldest section of subway line “C” was commenced. Line “A” was firstly used on 12 August 1978 and line “B” on 2 November 1985.

In the communism period, subway stations had different names than today. The communistic names were ideological, so that it was necessary to change the names after the Velvet Revolution and fall of communism in Czechoslovakia in 1989.

List of former and todays names of subway stations:

Former: Leninova (Lenin’s station)
Todays: Dejvická

Former: Sokolovská (named after battle of Sokolovo 1943)
Todays: Florenc

Former: Moskevská (Moscow station)
Todays: Anděl

Former: Švermova (named after important communist personality)
Todays: Jinonice

Former: Dukelská (named after battle of the Dukla Pass 1944)
Todays: Nové Butovice

Former: Fučíkova (named after important communist personality)
Todays: Nádraží Holešovice

Former: Gottwaldova (Gottwald’s station)
Todays: Vyšehrad

Former: Mládežnická (station of youth)
Todays: Pankrác

Former: Primátora Vacka (named after important communist personality)
Todays: Roztyly

Former: Budovatelů (“budovatel” – someone who contributes to the development of socialism or communism)
Todays: Chodov

Former: Družby („družba“ – Russian word for friendship)
Todays: Opatov

Former: Kosmonautů (station of astronauts)
Todays: Háje

Former: Slovenského národního povstání (named after Slovak National Uprising)
Todays: Hůrka

Former: Únorového vítězství (named after 1948 Czechoslovak coup d’état)
Todays: Nové Butovice