Yusupov Palace

Excursion to Yusupov Palace with visiting Rasputin’s exposition

Naberezhnaya Reki Moiki 94. Metro: Nevsky Prospekt then buses 22 or 27, or a 20 minute walk down the Moika.  tel: 314 8893. Open 11:00-16:00.

Actual visit approx. 1,5 hours

The Yusupov Palace on the bank of the Moika River is only one of the 57 palaces in Russi a, four of which are in St. Petersburg, which were owned by Felix Yusupov. It was often said that Yusupov was almost as wealthy as the Tsar himself. This palace, designed by Vallen De la Mothe and Andrei Mikhailov, was Yusupov's favourite and exemplifies his wealth and very eccentric style. Once, while in Italy, Yusupov admired a beautiful white marble staircase and wished to purchase it, but unfortunately the owner of the palace refused to sell it. This, however, did not stop the eccentric Yusupov who then bought the entire palace and had the staircase transported to St. Petersburg where it sits in the palace overlooking the Moika. The staircase leads to the private theatre of Zenaida Yusupov which has been carefully preserved in its rococo style and has been the stage for many performances of very famous artists. Among the palaces treasures are works of art by Rembrandt and Rubens, French tapestries and porcelain, and Venetian mirr ors and wood carvings. It was here in 1916 where the noto rious Grigory Rasputin was assassinated. He was lured to Yusupov's palace by several influential figures of the time, given poison cakes, which for some reason had no effect on him, and then shot several times and thrown into the river. The palace is a beautiful example of St. Petersburg's early 18th century architecture.

The most sumptuous non-imperial palace in St. Petersburg was the home of the unabashedly rich and powerful Yusupov family, who from the mid-18th century (when the first version of this palace was built) until the Revolution, moved in the most powerful circles in Russia. In addition to being movers and shakers, the Yusupovs were great collectors of art, and their collection was known well beyond Russia. After the Revolution, most of the collection was moved to the Hermitage, making this place just another palace, though traces of the incredible wealth that once kept this place pulsating with life still remain: the various sitting rooms, the intricate chandeliers and candelabras that adorn every room and corridor, and the beautiful private theater that looks like a cozy version of the Mariinsky.
Recently the palace opened an exhibit attempting to make up for the loss of all the art treasures, an exhibit concerning an event that occurred in the palace in the winter of 1916. The assassination of Rasputin is one of the most well-known stories of Russian history and they try to capitalize on this to the fullest, retelling the story and showing the two rooms where it all happened. In the first room, where the conspirators waited, hang photographs from the early 20th century showing all the principle characters in the drama including several shots of nasty old Raspy himself in various poses: with soldiers of the guard, with a large group of society ladies, with Siberian followers, as a mutilated corpse, and so on. In the cellar where the assassination took place there are wax figures of Yusupov and Rasputin as well as the table filled with poisoned goodies.

Grigory Rasputin is without question one of the most scandalous figures in Russian history. This randy mystic from Siberia arrived in St. Petersburg in 1911 and within a few years had become one of the most influential men in government circles. His ability to remain in such a high position despite widely publicized bouts of drinking and womanizing is no doubt the source of tremendous envy among political figures around the world today.

Rasputin's rise to preeminence was due to his close relationship with Nicholas II's wife, Alexandra. The heir to the throne, Alexis, suffered from hemophaelia, and only Rasputin could do what the top medical professors could not: he could stop the boy's bleeding. Because of this, Alexandra believed he was a holy man sent to protect Alexis and she kept him close by at all times, despite the fact that he rarely bathed.

Rasputin is as famous for his death as he is for his life. At the end of 1916, a group of aristocrats in cahoots with the Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich (a cousin of Nicholas II) decided that Rasputin's influence had grown too great and that he had to be killed in order to save Russia. They lured him to the Yusupovsky Palace on the pretext that Prince Felix Yusupovsky would introduce Rasputin to his beautiful wife.

Rasputin was led to the cellar and fed poisoned cakes and wine, but these did not affect him. Yusupovsky then shot the monk at point blank range and Rasputin collapsed on the floor. When Yusupov went to tell his fellow conspirators the good news, they sent him back to make sure he had done the job. On returning to inspect the body, Rasputin suddenly regained consciousness and started to throttle poor Yusupov, who needless to say was completely scared out of his wits. The Prince fled the cellar, screaming for help; when they returned Rasputin was gone. They found him in the yard crawling towards the gate and proceeded to shoot and bludgeon him. They then bound him and tossed him into the river. When Rasputin's body was found, his bonds were broken and his lungs were filled with water, showing that he didn't actually die until he was submerged in the frozen waters.