Moscow Metro Opens Virtual Library of Russian Classical Literature

Its design is already hailed as a masterpiece of modern art, now Moscow's metro system is increasing its cultural credentials by opening a virtual library of Russian classical literature.

More than 100 canonical Russian books have been made available for commuters to download for free on train platforms, where scanning a code with a smartphone or tablet allows users to browse the library's virtual shelves.

The selection, which includes novels by Russian giants such as Pushkin, Chekhov and Tolstoy, will be available to the 2,490 million passengers travelling on the metro each year.