For the first time in modern Russian history, women subway train drivers went to work in the Moscow metro

 3 January 2021

First women drivers began working at the Moscow metro. The training lasted almost a year. Out of the 25 female students who originally enlisted in the training, only 12 received the license, said Maxim Liksutov, the Deputy Mayor of the Russian capital for transportation. (https://t.me/s/DtRoad)

Women worked as electric train drivers at the Moscow Metro since 1936, but in the early 1980s, a ban on hiring new female employees in this profession was introduced.

Mr. Liskutov recalled that "a year ago, a directive of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection that now allows the Metro hiring women drivers came into force."

"As soon as the permit was obtained, we opened training courses for the first female drivers of the Moscow Metro. Now, after successfully passing the certification, they will serve their first passengers,” he added. 

He also pointed out that "for the first female drivers, special uniforms are being designed. That includes summer and winter uniforms and accessories." The uniforms are designed with "taking into account the wishes of both the current employees of the Metro, the experience of the male train drivers, and the opinions of the driver-candidates. "Women themselves will choose what is more comfortable for them wear to drive a train - a skirt or trousers".

“By the way, the Moscow Metro already ranks the second in the world in terms of the number of working women. The company has over 62,000 employees, of which 36 percent - that is over 22,000 - are women. For comparison, in the London underground, women occupy only 23.5 percent  of positions, in Berlin - 19 percent, in Brussels - 11 percent, in New York - 18 percent, in Washington, DC - 24.1 percent. Next year, at least 50 new employees will join the ranks of our female drivers. We are very proud that the employment with the Moscow public transportation system is equally accessible to people regardless of gender,” concluded the Moscow Deputy Mayor.

Text: Natalia Anufrieva

Source: www.vz.ru

A YouTube video showing some of the Moscow Metro stations: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH5wLmig86U