Yusupov Palace

The Yusupov Palace is a unique architectural ensemble of the 18th–20th centuries, a monument of history and culture of federal significance, celebrated as an “encyclopedia” of St. Petersburg's aristocratic interiors.

The history of the Palace and its surrounding estate dates back to the era of Peter the Great, when the young Northern Capital was taking shape. The palace and estate complex took nearly two centuries to develop. Eminent Russian and foreign architects worked here, including Jean-Baptiste Vallin de la Mothe, Andrey Mikhailov II, Bernard de Simon, Ippolit Monighetti, Vasily Kenel, Aleksandr Stepanov, Andrey Vajtens, and Andrey Beloborodov.

From 1830 to 1919, the Palace and estate belonged to five generations of the distinguished princely Yusupov family. Many remarkable chapters in Russian and St. Petersburg history are associated with the family's residence on the Moika River.

The Palace also entered Russian history as the site of the murder of Grigory Rasputin, a Siberian peasant who became the spiritual adviser and friend of Emperor Nicholas II's family in the early 20th century. The tragedy unfolded on the night of December 17, 1916, in the private apartments of the young Prince Felix Yusupov. Today, these rooms house an exhibition of historical documents and photographs.

At the beginning of the Siege of Leningrad, an evacuation hospital was established in the Palace. Hospital beds and potbelly stoves were installed in the state rooms and drawing rooms, leaving soot on the walls and floors, while medical staff had to work amid constant bombing raids and artillery shelling.

Several bombs that struck the Palace in the autumn of 1941 caused the most serious damage to its interiors. One of them literally passed through the building, destroying the roof, the interior of the Green Drawing Room and the library before exploding in the Palace basement. Other strikes damaged the decorative finishes of the White Pillar Room, the Home Theater and the Moorish Drawing Room, while the resulting fire destroyed the interior of the Preciosa Hall. Aerial bombs exploding in the immediate vicinity of the Palace damaged its walls and foundations.

The revival of the Palace began as early as 1943: architectural surveys were carried out and measures were taken to preserve damaged features. Thanks to the heroic efforts of the Palace staff, lighting and heating were restored, windows were fitted, and the walls were cleaned of smoke residue and soot.

In 1946, a large-scale restoration of the Yusupov Palace began under the direction of Irina Nikolaevna Benois. That year marked the beginning of efforts to restore and preserve this unique historical and cultural monument.

Today, the Yusupov Palace is one of the few surviving aristocratic mansions in St. Petersburg where not only the state apartments, Art Gallery halls and miniature Home Theater have been preserved, but also the luxurious private quarters of the Yusupov family, which still retain the warmth and charm of their former owners. The extraordinarily beautiful interiors, brought back to life through the skill and dedication of St. Petersburg's restorers, warmly welcome visitors from Russia and abroad who appreciate history, art, music and theater.