Why is this avenue named after a war so far away? Avenue de Crimée owes its name to the Crimean War. This road in the 19th arrondissement commemorates a conflict fought on the Crimean Peninsula.
Avenue de Crimée is near the Rue de Crimée. It’s the longest road in this district. The Crimean War raged from 1855 to 1856. It pitted a coalition against Russia. Turkey, the United Kingdom, France, and Piedmont joined forces. The Siege of Sevastopol marked this war. So did the Charge of the Light Brigade. The Treaty of Paris in 1856 ended the conflict. The Russian Empire suffered defeat.
Nearby stands the Crimée metro station. It opened on November 5, 1910. This was when the first section of line 7 was commissioned. It ran between Opéra and Porte de la Villette. Initially, all trains served this line. On January 18, 1911, a branch opened. It stretched from Louis Blanc to Pré-Saint-Gervais. This meant only half the trains served the initial route.
The line changed again on December 3, 1967. The Louis Blanc to Pré-Saint-Gervais branch became Line 7bis. After that, all trains once more served the Crimée station.
The RATP launched the “Un métro + beau” program. As part of this, the station was renovated. This modernization was completed on July 25, 2003.
One of the station’s entrances earned historical recognition. On May 27, 1978, the Guimard entrance on Rue Mathis was listed as a historical monument.
April Fool’s Day in 2016 brought a humorous change. Half the nameplates in the station were temporarily replaced. The RATP renamed the station “Châtiment”. This translates to “punishment”. It was a reference to Dostoevsky’s novel, Crime and Punishment.
In 2019, the station bustled with activity. Over 5.4 million passengers used it. This made it the 74th busiest station on the Metro network. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted ridership in 2020. Passenger numbers fell to just under 2.7 million. Yet, it remained the 65th busiest station.
The Crimée station has three entrances. Entrance 1 faces the Avenue de Flandre Centre Commercial. Entrance 2 is near the Caisse Nationale d’Assurance Vieillesse. Entrance 3 stands on Rue Mathis. It features the notable Guimard entrance.
Inside, the station follows a standard layout. Two tracks run between two side platforms. The vault above is elliptical. The décor features a yellow Ouï-dire style. Lighting canopies share the same color. They are supported by curved, scythe-shaped structures. White ceramic tiles cover the walls. Advertising frames are yellow and cylindrical. The station name appears in Parisine font on enamel plates. Silver sit-stand benches and blue hull seats offer seating.
If you are heading to the Canal de l’Ourcq or the Théâtre Paris-Villette, you can get off here.
So next time you’re traveling on the Avenue de Crimée, remember its war-torn namesake. Consider also its metro station and all the history it has witnessed. From wartime remembrance to April Fool’s jokes, this avenue has seen it all.