Metro-2 is a secret line of the Moscow metro, reportedly built to evacuate and shelter top Soviet leaders and their families in the event of war. Classified underground facilities began construction even before the main metro opened in 1935. The bulk of the system was built in the 1950s–1960s and completed in the 1980s. According to available accounts, Metro-2's lines extend beyond Moscow, to keep the command staff safely away from potential strikes.
According to an American report, this network of deep metro lines connects command posts and bunkers across Moscow, including facilities under the Kremlin and near Moscow University, which can hold up to 10,000 people at depths of up to 300 meters. The underground stations connect to a VIP terminal at Vnukovo Airport for rapid evacuation.
Metro-2 is a network of tunnels and bunkers, where every member of the CPSU Central Committee reportedly had a personal, comfortably furnished apartment. The tunnels sit at depths of 50 to 250 meters, with single-track rails also suited to vehicle traffic. The system is believed to include four main lines, the longest of which runs over 60 km.
Separate branches lead to technical facilities, depots, and bunkers, and the stations have no official names or finishing — just narrow platforms, similar to the technical platforms of the regular metro.