Architect Leonid Popov (and co-authors M. Zelenin and M. Ilin) based their design on themes inspired by the city of Serpukhov, with the overall design referring to ancient Russian architecture and in particular the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl, which is repeated in the design of the portals and the beige marble composition. Other innovations by Popov include the station walls on the platform halls where (above dark red marble) run white cylindrical marble plinths designed to reflect directly into the eyes of passengers. To keep the bright and light appearance of the station, the vaults of the station were left simply plastered and painted white, with lighting coming from a zigzag arrangement of horizontal fluorescent tubes.