Princes Yusupov. History of the Yusupov family

The biography of this noble family is rooted in the history of the Arab Caliphate: its origins were traced back to the legendary Abu Bakr, father-in-law and closest associate of the Prophet Muhammad. During the era of the fall of the caliph's power, the ancestors of the future Yusupovs ruled Damascus, Antioch, Iraq, Persia and Egypt in different years. In the history of the family there are legends about the close friendship of their ancestors with the great conqueror Tamerlane: the temnik of the Golden Horde, Edigei, having organized a coup d'etat in 1400, managed to raise international authority and increase the political influence of the disintegrating Tatar-Mongol state. The founder of the Yusupov family is considered to be Bey of the Nogai Horde Yusuf-Murza (great-grandson of Edigei), a consistent opponent of the expansion of the Muscovite kingdom in the mid-16th century. His daughter, Syuyumbike, played an important role in the tragic history of the capture of Kazan by the troops of Ivan the Terrible, becoming, after the death of her husband, the ruler of the Khanate, the only woman to ever hold such an important post. By the way, her real name was Syuyuk, and Syuyumbike, which means “beloved lady,” was nicknamed by local residents for her special kindness and responsiveness to her subjects.

The Yusupov family traces its origins to the Khan of the Nogai Horde

Legends associated with the biography of this woman say: once Ivan the Terrible, having learned about the extraordinary beauty of Queen Syuyumbike, sent his matchmakers to Kazan, however, she refused to obey the demands of the Russian Tsar. Then the angry Ivan decided to take the city by force - if Syuyumbike did not agree to marry him, he threatened to destroy Kazan. After the city was captured by Russian troops, its ruler, in order not to surrender to the invaders, threw herself from the tower, which today bears her name. According to other sources, the Kazan ruler was captured and forcibly taken along with her son to the Moscow kingdom - it was from this moment that the official pedigree of the Yusupov family began.

Modern depiction of Queen Syuyumbike

The next important stage in the formation of this noble family was the transition to Orthodoxy, the circumstances of which played a tragic role in the history of the dynasty. The great-grandson of Yusuf Bey Abdul-Murza (great-grandfather of Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov) received Patriarch Joachim on his estate in Romanov (now the city of Tutaev, Yaroslavl region) and, not knowing the restrictions of Orthodox fasts, fed him a goose, which he mistook for fish. However, the owner’s mistake was revealed, and the angry church hierarch, returning to Moscow, complained to Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich, and the monarch deprived Abdul-Murza of all his awards. In an effort to regain his previous position, he decided to be baptized, taking the name Dmitry and surname in memory of Yusuf’s ancestor - Dmitry Seyushevich Yusupov. So he earned royal forgiveness, receiving the title of prince and returning his entire fortune. However, Abdul Mirza's decision cost his entire family dearly: one night a prophecy was sent to him that from now on, for betraying his true faith, in each generation there would not be more than one male heir, and if there were more, then no one would live longer than 26 years . This terrible curse haunted the Yusupov family until the very end.

Dmitry Seyushevich Yusupov

The Yusupovs have always been at the center of the most dramatic events in the history of the Russian Empire. The ill-fated Murza Abdul-Dmitry took part in the Streltsy uprising, when, together with his Tatar warriors, he stood up to protect the duumvirate of the young heirs of Alexei Mikhailovich. His son, Grigory Dmitrievich Yusupov, became famous in Peter’s campaigns, having gone through all the military hardships of Azov, Narva and Lesnaya together with the future emperor. After Peter's death, Catherine I noted his services by awarding him the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, and Tsar Peter II granted Grigory Dmitrievich an old Moscow mansion in Bolshoi Kharitonyevsky Lane, elevated him to lieutenant colonel of the Preobrazhensky Regiment and granted him the position of senator, with estates in the Yaroslavl, Voronezh, Nizhny Novgorod and Ryazan provinces.

According to legend, the curse of the Yusupovs was associated with baptism into Orthodoxy

His son, Boris Grigorievich, rose to the position of actual privy councilor under Anna Ivanovna, becoming the director of Russia's first privileged educational institution for noble children - the Land Noble Corps. By the way, Boris Grigorievich was known as a great theatergoer: Alexander Petrovich Sumarokov, the founder of Russian drama and the patron of the first Russian public stage, began his career in the educational theater organized under his leadership.

Boris Grigorievich Yusupov

The son of Boris Grigorievich - Nikolai Borisovich - was a famous nobleman of Catherine, at one time even having the status of the empress’s favorite (for a long time in his office there hung a painting depicting him and Catherine in the image of naked Apollo and Venus). This representative of the Yusupov family actively corresponded with the enlighteners Voltaire and Diderot, and the playwright Beaumarchais even dedicated an enthusiastic poem to him. Thanks to his noble origin and brilliant position at court, Nikolai Borisovich was able to personally meet all the main leaders of European history at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries: Joseph II, Frederick the Great, Louis XVI and Napoleon. The prince was a passionate admirer of art and managed to assemble an art collection in his luxurious palace, which can be compared with the masterpieces of the Louvre or the Hermitage. When this venerable nobleman received all possible posts and awards in the Russian Empire, a special type of award was established especially for him - a precious pearl epaulette. Nikolai Borisovich also became famous for his extraordinary hunt for women: in the recently built Arkhangelskoye estate near Moscow (which contemporaries called the “Russian Versailles”) hung 300 portraits of women who could boast of acquaintance with a prominent nobleman. Prince Peter Andreevich Vyazemsky, having visited Arkhangelskoye, left the following description of the owner of the luxurious estate: “On the street there was an eternal holiday, in the house there was an eternal triumph of celebrations... Everything about him was radiant, deafening, intoxicating.”

Nikolay Borisovich Yusupov

The memory of the family curse did not fade: the bride of Nikolai Borisovich’s son, Zinaida Ivanovna Yusupova, flatly refused to “give birth to dead men,” giving her husband complete carte blanche - “let him give birth to the courtyard girls.” In 1849, her husband dies, and the 40-year-old widow turns into a real socialite, about whose novels the entire St. Petersburg society gossiped. It came down to a secret wedding with the captain of the French guard, Louis Chauveau, who was 20 years younger than her. Fleeing from the dissatisfaction of the imperial court with such a misalliance, Yusupova goes to Switzerland, where she acquires for her husband the title of Count Chauveau and Marquis de Serres.

Zinaida Ivanovna Yusupova

The last representative of the female branch of the Yusupov family, Zinaida Nikolaevna, was one of the most beautiful women of her time. The heiress of a huge fortune was in her youth a very enviable bride, whose hand was asked even by the heirs of European ruling dynasties, but the proud girl wanted to choose a husband according to her own taste. As a result, her choice fell on Felix Feliksovich Sumarokov-Elston, who immediately after his marriage received the princely title and the position of commander of the Moscow Military District. The main activity that occupied Zinaida Nikolaevna was charity: under her patronage there were numerous shelters, hospitals, gymnasiums, and churches throughout the country.

The last descendant of the Yusupovs died in 1967 in Paris.

During the Russo-Japanese War, Yusupova was the head of a military hospital train right on the front line, and sanatoriums and hospitals for the wounded were organized in the family’s palaces and estates. Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, who knew Zinaida Nikolaevna from her youth, wrote: “A woman of rare beauty and deep spiritual culture, she courageously endured the hardships of her enormous fortune, donating millions to charity and trying to alleviate human need.” The life of the last Yusupovs was seriously overshadowed by the death of their eldest son, Nikolai: he died in a duel in 1908, competing with Count Arvid Manteuffel for the hand of the fatal beauty Marina Alexandrovna Heyden. Note that Nikolai Yusupov was supposed to turn 26 years old in six months...

Portrait of Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova by Valentin Serov

In the last years before the revolution, Zinaida Nikolaevna began to actively criticize Empress Alexandra Feodorovna for her fanatical passion for Rasputin, which led to a complete break in relations with the royal family, which had already worsened due to the recent family scandal. About their last meeting in the summer of 1916 and the “cold reception”, Zinaida Nikolaevna’s son, Felix, wrote: “... the queen, who was silently listening to her, stood up and parted with her with the words: “I hope I will never see you again.” Soon after the start of the February Revolution, the Yusupovs left St. Petersburg and settled in Crimea. Before the seizure of Crimea by the Bolsheviks, on April 13, 1919, they left Russia (along with the family of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich) on the British battleship Marlborough and emigrated to Italy.

Family tree

In his memoirs written in exile, Felix Yusupov described the history of his family as follows: “It begins with the Tatars in the Golden Horde, continues in the imperial court in St. Petersburg and ends in exile.” His family descended from the Nogai ruler Yusuf. Starting from the era of Peter the Great, the Yusupov princes invariably occupied important government positions (one of them was even the Moscow governor). Over time, the family accumulated enormous wealth. Moreover, each Yusupov had only one son, who inherited the entire fortune of his parents.

The male branch of the Yusupov family died out in 1882

The male offspring of the clan ended in 1882 with Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov. The aristocrat had a daughter, Zinaida, and from her two grandchildren. The elder Nikolai was killed in a duel, after which Zinaida Nikolaevna and her husband Felix Sumarokov-Elston were left with the only heir - Felix Feliksovich. He was born in 1887 and, thanks to an imperial decree, as an exception, received both the surname and property of his mother.

Stormy youth

Felix belonged to the capital's “golden youth”. He received his education at the Gurevich private gymnasium. In 1909 - 1912 the young man studied at Oxford, where he became the founder of the Russian Society at Oxford University. Returning to his homeland, Yusupov headed the First Russian Automobile Club.

In the fateful year of 1914, Felix married Irina Alexandrovna Romanova, the niece of Nicholas II. The emperor personally gave permission for the wedding. The newlyweds spent their honeymoon abroad. There they learned about the beginning of the First World War.

By coincidence, the Yusupovs found themselves in Germany at the most inopportune moment. Wilhelm II gave the order to arrest the unlucky travelers. Diplomats intervened in the situation. At the last moment, Felix and his wife managed to leave the Kaiser’s possessions - if they had delayed even a little longer, they would not have been able to return to their homeland.

The prince was the only son in the family and therefore avoided being sent to the front. He remained in the capital, where he organized the work of hospitals. In 1915, the young couple had their only daughter, Irina. From her come the modern descendants of the Yusupov family.

"Rasputin must disappear"

Living in Petrograd, Yusupov could observe with his own eyes the depressing changes in the mood of the capital. The longer the war dragged on, the more the public criticized the royal family. Everything was remembered: the German family ties of Nicholas and his wife, the indecisiveness of the crown bearer and, finally, his strange relationship with Grigory Rasputin, who treated the heir Alexei. Married to the royal niece, Yusupov perceived the mysterious old man as a personal insult.

In his memoirs, the prince called Rasputin “a satanic force.” He considered the Tobolsk peasant, who practiced strange rituals and was known for his dissolute lifestyle, to be the main cause of Russia's misfortunes. Yusupov not only decided to kill him, but also found loyal accomplices. They were Duma deputy Vladimir Purishkevich and Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich (Felix's brother-in-law).

On the night of December 30, 1916 (new style), Rasputin was invited to the Yusupov Palace on the Moika. According to the established version, the conspirators first fed him a pie poisoned with potassium cyanide, and then the impatient Felix shot him in the back. Rasputin resisted, but received several more bullets. The trio threw his body into the Neva.

Yusupov failed to poison Rasputin with potassium cyanide

It was not possible to hide the crime. With the beginning of the investigation, the emperor ordered Felix to leave the capital to the Kursk estate of Rakitnoye. Two months later, the monarchy fell, and the Yusupovs left for Crimea. After the October Revolution, the princely family (including Felix’s parents) left Russia forever on the British battleship Marlborough.

"All events and characters are fictitious"

“Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental” is approximately the same phrase at the beginning of many films that every film lover sees. Felix Yusupov is directly responsible for the creation of this stamp.

Once in exile, the prince had to learn how to earn money. In the early years, family jewelry helped out. The income from their sale allowed Felix to settle in Paris and, together with his wife, open the fashion house “Irfé” (the name was formed from the first two letters of the names Irina and Felix). In 1931, the emigrant’s business was closed due to unprofitability. And then an opportunity presented itself to Yusupov opportunity to earn money in court.

Although the aristocrat was never held accountable for the massacre of Rasputin, the label of the killer of the Siberian warlock stuck to him for the rest of his life. In the West, interest in “The Russia We Lost” has not subsided for many years. The theme of relations within the crowned Romanov family was also actively exploited. In 1932, the Hollywood studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer produced the film Rasputin and the Empress. The tape claimed that Yusupov’s wife was Grigory’s mistress. The offended prince sued the studio for libel. He won the case, receiving a significant sum of 25 thousand pounds. It was after that scandalous lawsuit that MGM (and later throughout Hollywood) began to include the disclaimer “All events and characters are fictitious” in their films.

Felix Yusupov owned the Irfé fashion house

Yusupov lived in his homeland for 30 years, in exile for 50. During the Great Patriotic War, he did not support the Nazis, as many other emigrants did. The prince did not want to return to Soviet Russia after the victory over Hitler. He died in 1967 at the age of 80. The last Yusupov was buried in the Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois cemetery.

The Yusupov family was one of the most famous noble dynasties of Tsarist Russia. This family included military men, officials, administrators, senators, collectors and philanthropists. The biography of each Yusupov is a fascinating story about the life of an aristocrat against the backdrop of his era.

Origin

The founder of the Yusupov princely family was considered the Nogai Khan Yusuf-Murza. In 1565 he sent his sons to Moscow. As major military leaders and Tatar nobles, the descendants of Yusuf received the Volga city of Romanov, not far from Yaroslavl, as their feeding. Under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich they were baptized. Thus, the origin of the Yusupov family can be dated back to the 16th-17th centuries.

Grigory Dmitrievich

In the history of this aristocratic family, it is noteworthy that the Yusupov family tree for several centuries did not acquire many additional lines and branches. A high-ranking family always consisted of a father and his only son, to whom all parental property passed. This state of affairs was unusual for the Russian nobility, among whom a large number of heirs was commonplace.

Yusuf's great-great-grandson Grigory Dmitrievich Yusupov (1676-1730) received the rank of steward granted to him by Tsar Feodor III in infancy. Being the same age as Peter I, he spent his childhood with him, becoming one of the faithful comrades of the autocrat's youth. Gregory served in a dragoon regiment and in its ranks participated in the next Russian-Turkish war. The culmination of that campaign was the Azov campaigns, in which Peter wanted to gain access to the southern seas. After the victory over the Turks, Yusupov solemnly entered Moscow in the royal retinue.

Closer to Peter I

Soon the Northern War began. The history of the Yusupov family is the history of aristocrats who faithfully repaid their debt to the country from generation to generation. Grigory Dmitrievich set an example for his descendants in his service. He took part in the battle of Narva and the battle of Lesnaya, where he was wounded twice. In 1707, the military man received the rank of major in the Preobrazhensky Regiment.

Despite his injuries, Yusupov was with the troops during the Battle of Poltava and during the capture of Vyborg. He also took part in the unsuccessful Prut campaign. Georgy Dmitrievich was brought to work on the case of Tsarevich Alexei, who fled from his father abroad and was then put on trial. Yusupov, along with other close associates of the monarch, signed the verdict.

Under Catherine I, the aristocrat received the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky and became a commander in the Ukrainian Landmilitary Corps. Peter II made him one of the members of the Military Collegium, and Anna Ioannovna made him general-in-chief. Grigory Dmitrievich died in 1730. He was buried in the Moscow Epiphany Monastery.

Boris Grigorievich

The further history of the Yusupov family continued with the vivid biography of Grigory Dmitrievich’s son, Boris Grigorievich Yusupov (1695-1759). Peter I sent him, along with several other noble young men, to study at the French military school in Toulon. In 1730 he became chamberlain, and at the age of 40 he entered the Senate.

Under Boris Grigorievich, the noble family of the Yusupovs achieved paramount importance. For two years (1738-1740), the head of the family was the Moscow vice-governor and manager of the provincial chancellery. The official initiated local reforms, the draft of which was adopted by the Senate. In particular, Yusupov advocated conducting a census of suburban and streltsy lands, as well as the creation of the post of Moscow commandant.

In 1740, Boris Grigorievich received the rank of Privy Councilor. Then he was briefly appointed Moscow governor. The official was removed from office already in 1741, when Elizaveta Petrovna came to power. The history of the Yusupov family knew many important appointments. Having resigned his gubernatorial powers, Boris Grigorievich received a new space for activity - the Empress made him president of the Commerce Collegium, which was responsible for the state of domestic trade. He was also appointed director of the Ladoga Canal.

In 1749, the nobleman served as Governor-General of St. Petersburg. He soon left this post, moving to the government Senate and beginning to manage the Land Noble Corps. Under him, deductions for the maintenance of cadets increased, and an educational printing house appeared. In 1754, Boris Grigorievich acquired a cloth factory in the Chernigov village of Ryashki. This enterprise began to supply almost the entire Russian army with fabrics. The factory used Dutch raw materials and employed foreign specialists. In 1759, Boris Grigorievich became seriously ill, resigned and died a few days later. The story of the Yusupov family, however, did not end.

Nikolay Borisovich

The continuation of the dynasty was the son of Boris Grigorievich, Nikolai Borisovich (1750-1831). He became one of the main art collectors of his era. Boris Grigorievich received a high-quality education abroad. In 1774-1777 he studied at Leiden University. There, the young man developed an interest in European art and culture. He managed to visit almost all countries of the Old World and communicate with the great enlighteners Voltaire and Diderot. The princely family of the Yusupovs was always proud of these acquaintances of their ancestor.

In Leiden, the aristocrat began collecting rare editions of books, in particular the works of Cicero. The German artist Jacob Hackert became his advisor on painting issues. Some paintings by this master turned out to be the first exhibits in the collection of the Russian prince. In 1781-1782 he accompanied the heir to the throne, Pavel Petrovich, on a European tour.

Subsequently, Yusupov became the main link between the authorities and foreign artists. Thanks to his connection with the imperial family, the nobleman was able to establish contacts with the main artists of that time: Angelika Kaufman, Pompeo Batoni, Claude Vernet, Jean-Baptiste Greuze, Jean-Antoine Houdon, etc.

At the coronation of Paul I, which took place in 1796, Yusupov served as the supreme coronation marshal (he then acted in the same capacity at the coronations of the next two autocrats: Alexander I and Nicholas I). The prince was the director of the Imperial theaters, the Hermitage and palace factories for the production of glass and porcelain. In 1794 he was elected as an honorary amateur of the Academy of Arts of St. Petersburg. Under Yusupov, the Hermitage for the first time carried out an inventory of the entire wide collection of exhibits. These lists were used throughout the 19th century.

In 1810, the prince bought Arkhangelskoye, an estate near Moscow, which he turned into a unique palace and park ensemble. By the end of his life, the nobleman’s collection included more than 600 valuable paintings, thousands of unique books, as well as works of applied art, sculptures, and porcelain. All these unique exhibits were placed in Arkhangelsk.

Numerous high-ranking guests visited Yusupov’s Moscow house on Bolshoi Kharitonyevsky Lane. For some time, the Pushkins lived in this palace (including the still child Alexander Pushkin). Shortly before his death, Nikolai Borisovich attended a festive dinner at the apartment of a newly married poet and writer. The prince died in 1831 during a cholera epidemic that swept through the central provinces of the country.

Boris Nikolaevich

Nikolai Borisovich's heir, Boris Nikolaevich (1794-1849), continued the Yusupov family. The 19th century became for the princely family a continuation of its brilliant aristocratic history. Young Boris went to get an education at the capital's pedagogical institute. In 1815 he began working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Soon he was made chamberlain.

Like all young aristocrats, he conducted the traditional familiarization tour of Europe, which took a full year and a half. In 1826, he participated in the coronation of Nicholas I. At the same time, he went to work at the Ministry of Finance. Service in the previous diplomatic department did not work out, since Boris Nikolaevich constantly conflicted with colleagues, allowed himself to behave freely with his superiors, etc. As a representative of an influential and wealthy family, he did not cling to the service and always adhered to an independent line of behavior.

In 1839, Yusupov became the district leader of the St. Petersburg nobility. Soon he received the court title of chamberlain. In his youth, the prince was distinguished by his lifestyle as a reveler. After the death of his father, he received a gigantic inheritance and over time learned to handle money prudently. At the same time, Boris Nikolaevich allowed himself to do things unusual for a business executive. In particular, all his serfs were freed.

In high society, Boris Yusupov was best known as the organizer of luxurious balls, which became the main social events of the capital. The prince himself was a moneylender and, through financial transactions involving the purchase of enterprises, increased his family fortune several times. The nobleman had estates in 17 provinces of the country. During epidemics, he was not afraid to inspect his own estates, and during seasons of famine, he fed the gigantic servants at his own expense. The aristocrat donated significant sums to public charity institutions. He died in 1849 at the age of 55.

Nikolai Borisovich (junior)

The deceased prince had an only son, Nikolai Borisovich (1827-1891). Relatives, so as not to confuse him with his grandfather, called him “junior”. The newborn was baptized by Tsar Nicholas I himself. The boy was taught music (piano and violin), as well as drawing, to which he became extremely addicted from a very early age. The Paris Conservatory and the Philharmonic Academy of Bologna made the prince an honorary member.

In 1849, the young man inherited his father's fortune. A few months later he graduated from St. Petersburg University, where he studied at the Faculty of Law. Having received his education, the college secretary began working in the imperial office. In 1852 he was transferred to the Caucasus and then to Riga. The reason for the rotation was the displeasure of Emperor Nicholas I. In Riga, Yusupov received leave and went on a European trip. There he took up music, visited artists' workshops and the best art galleries.

In 1856, the prince attended the coronation of Alexander I. Then he served for a short time in the Russian embassy in Paris. The aristocrat spent most of his time abroad. His family fortune allowed him not to worry about service, but simply to do what he loved.

Nikolai Borisovich continued to expand the Yusupov collection of works of art. He owned rare snuff boxes, rock crystal, pearls and other valuables. The prince always had a wallet with him filled with rare stones. His collection also included musical instruments: grand pianos, harps, upright pianos, organs, etc. The crowning glory of the collection were Stradivarius violins. Some of Yusupov's music collections are now kept in the Russian National Library. In 1858, a nobleman brought one of the first cameras to his homeland. Like his father, he was involved in charity work. During the Crimean campaign, Nikolai Borisovich financed the organization of two infantry battalions, and during the next war with Turkey he gave money for the creation of a sanitary train. Yusupov died in Baden-Baden in 1891 at the age of 63.

Zinaida Nikolaevna

Nikolai Borisovich had an only daughter - Zinaida Yusupova (1861-1939). Having no male heirs, the prince asked permission for the princely dignity to be passed on to his grandchildren through the female line, although this was contrary to custom. In 1882 the girl got married. Her chosen one was Count Felix Sumarokov-Elston, which is why Zinaida became known as Princess Yusupova, Countess Sumarokov-Elston.

The only heir to a huge fortune and a woman of rare beauty, the daughter of Nikolai Borisovich was the most enviable bride in Russia before her marriage. Not only Russian aristocrats, but even representatives of foreign monarchical families sought her hand.

The last of the Yusupov family lived in grand style. She organized regular high-profile balls. The life of the capital's elite was in full swing in its palaces. The woman danced beautifully. In 1903, she took part in a costume ball held in the Winter Palace and which became one of the most famous events of this kind in the history of Imperial Russia.

The husband, whom Zinaida Yusupova loved very much, was a military man and was not interested in art. Partly because of this, the woman sacrificed her hobbies. Nevertheless, she was involved in charity work with renewed energy. The aristocrat patronized and maintained gymnasiums, hospitals, orphanages, churches and other institutions. They were located not only in the capital, but throughout the country. After the start of the war with Japan, Zinaida Nikolaevna became the chief of the front-line sanitary echelon. Hospitals for the wounded were created on Yusupov's estates. No other women of the Yusupov family were as active and famous as Zinaida Nikolaevna.

After the revolution, the princess moved to Crimea, and from there abroad. Together with her husband she settled in Rome. Unlike many other nobles, the Yusupovs were able to send part of their fortune and jewelry abroad, thanks to which they lived in abundance. Zinaida Nikolaevna continued to do charity work. She helped Russian emigrants in need. After the death of her husband, the woman moved to Paris. There she died in 1939.

Felix Feliksovich

The last of the Yusupov princes was Zinaida's son Felix Feliksovich Yusupov (1887-1967). As a child, he was educated at the Gurevich gymnasium and was a prominent figure of the golden youth of St. Petersburg in the last years of Tsarist Russia. At the age of 25 he graduated from Oxford University. At home, he became the head of the First Russian Automobile Club.

In 1914, Felix Feliksovich Yusupov married Irina Alexandrovna Romanova, the maternal niece of Nicholas II. The emperor himself gave permission for the marriage. During their honeymoon, the newlyweds learned about the outbreak of the First World War. The Yusupovs were in Germany, and Wilhelm II even ordered their arrest. Diplomats were brought in to resolve the sensitive situation. As a result, Felix and his wife managed to leave Germany shortly before Wilhelm issued a second order for their detention.

As the only son in the family, the prince was not subject to conscription into the army. Returning home, he began organizing the work of hospitals. In 1915, Felix had a daughter, Irina, from whom the modern descendants of the Yusupov family descend.

The aristocrat is best known for his own participation in the murder of Grigory Rasputin in December 1916. Felix was very close to the imperial family. He knew Rasputin and, like many, believed that the strange old man was a bad influence on Nicholas II and his prestige. The prince dealt with the royal friend along with his brother-in-law, Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich, and State Duma deputy Vladimir Purishkevich. The Emperor, having learned about the death of Rasputin, ordered Yusupov to move away from the capital to his own Kursk estate Rakitnoye.

There was no further accountability for the murder. Soon the revolution broke out, and Felix Feliksovich emigrated. The prince settled in Paris and lived from the sale of family treasures. During World War II, he did not support the Nazis, and after their defeat he refused to return to Russia, as many emigrants did (all of them were eventually repressed in their homeland). Prince Felix Yusupov died in 1967. His surname was dropped, although descendants from his daughter Irina continue to live abroad.

Possessions

As one of the richest families in Russia, the Yusupovs had many residences and properties in different parts of the country. A significant part of these buildings are today protected by the state as monuments of architectural and cultural heritage. The St. Petersburg Yusupov Palace, located on the banks of the Moika River, still bears their name, which has become a household name for the townspeople. It was built back in 1770.

The second Yusupov Palace (also in St. Petersburg) is located on Sadovaya Street. Built at the end of the 18th century, today it is the property of the University of Railways. Being an estate, this residence was one of the most spectacular and rich in the capital. The palace project belonged to the famous Italian architect Giacomo Quarenghi.

The Arkhangelskoye estate, which became the storage place for Yusupov's collection of antiques and works of art, was the favorite princely home outside St. Petersburg. The palace and park complex is located in the Krasnogorsk district of the Moscow region. Shortly before the revolution, the Yusupovs built their own Miskhor Palace in Crimea. In the Belgorod region, the main house of the princely estate of Rakitnoye, around which a whole village has grown, is still preserved. Today it houses a local history museum.

Arkhangelskoe. Church of St. Michael the Archangel

Special mention must be made about the Arkhangelskoye estate near Moscow, which has now become an estate-museum.

“Russians feel the beauty of nature and even know how to decorate it. For example, the village of Arkhangelskoye, 18 versts from Moscow, can surprise even the British lord with the taste and splendor of its gardens; a happy, rare location still enhances their beauty,” wrote the famous historian of those years N.M. Karamzin in his famous book “Travel around Moscow.”

Arkhangelskoe is a phenomenon of exceptional significance in the history of Russian culture. Thanks to its beauty and diversity of collections, the estate has gained worldwide fame. Built on the high bank of the Moscow River, the Church of the Archangel Michael (2nd half of the 17th century), the Great Palace (late 17th - early 19th centuries), as if decorated with a magnificent frame of marble sculpture of terraces, a strict regular park with the Small Palace "Caprice" ", pavilions and memorial columns, the famous Theater covered with old trees of the landscape park with the decorations of the famous artist P. Gonzaga preserved in it, the tomb - "Colonnade" (1916, architect R. I. Klein) turned Arkhangelskoye into one of the most beautiful places Moscow region.

The artistic appearance of the estate, which belonged to the Golitsyn princes until 1809 and was then acquired “for fun, not for profit” by the richest Russian nobleman, collector and philanthropist Prince N.B. Yusupov, was determined already in the 18th century; its heyday occurred in the first third of the 19th century. The process of construction and decoration of the estate was carried out thanks to the talent of the architects de Guern, Trombaro, Pettondi, Gonzaga, Beauvais, Tyurin and the high professionalism of the serf craftsmen.

The estate constantly attracted the attention of contemporaries. At different times it was visited by outstanding figures of Russian culture: historian and writer N.M. Karamzin, poets A.S. Pushkin and P.A. Vyazemsky, writers A.I. Herzen and N.P. Ogarev, artists V.A. Serov, A.N. Benois, K.E. Makovsky, K.A. Korovin, musicians K.N. Igumnov and I.F. Stravinsky. Members of the Russian imperial family did not ignore the Arkhangelskoye estate. Alexander I and Nicholas I, Alexander II and Alexander III visited here several times. There is also a temple-monument to Catherine II. Arkhangelsk is given special value by its famous collections. The imagination of the guests of the estate was amazed by the collections presented here: works of outstanding painters of the 17th - 1st half. XIX centuries. (A. Van Dyck, D.B. Tiepolo, F. Boucher, J. Roberta, P.A. Rotary, etc.), an extensive collection of objects of decorative and applied art, among which a special place is occupied by products made at the porcelain and crystal factories. Yusupov in the village of Arkhangelskoye, a rare collection of sculpture (7th century BC - early 20th century) and a unique estate library that has survived to this day (more than 16 thousand volumes of Russian and Western European authors).

All enlightened people know about Arkhangelskoye, but few even those interested in the Yusupov dynasty know about the Spasskoye-Kotovo estate near Moscow and its role in the life of Nikolai Borisovich. The oblivion of this place is all the more strange since this one of the most famous princes of the family is buried there.

Under Nikolai Yusupov, at the turn of the 18th - 19th centuries, the Spasskoye-Kotovo estate experienced unprecedented prosperity: a regular layout was created there with “prespekt” alleys, orchards, and dug ponds. A brick factory was built in the village. In the refusal books for 1799 it is written: “In the village of Spassky, Kotovo, also, a stone church of the Savior of the Image Not Made by Hands with a chapel of the Vladimir Mother of God, a wooden house with wooden services. A regular garden with greenhouses, fruitful trees, four ponds, brick factories.”

In his youth, Prince Nicholas traveled a lot and was received by many of the then rulers of Europe. It is known that Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov had short friendships not only with government officials, but also with people of art.

The relationship with the outstanding, world-famous Russian poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin (1799 - 1837) deserves special attention. When the poet was still a child, the Pushkin family lived for some time in the Yusupov house, in Kharitonyevsky Lane. Alexander Pushkin was the same age as Nikolai Yusupov’s son, Boris. Alexander Sergeevich still has childhood impressions of Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov. As a young man, Pushkin visited Arkhangelskoye more than once. The ambitious owner even erected a monument to the great poet on this estate, made by an unknown sculptor.

Many people know A. S. Pushkin’s ode “To a Nobleman,” written by him in 1830, dedicated to N. B. Yusupov. In it, he creates the appearance of two eras that replaced each other, gives a description of the lifestyle of the nobleman, Yusupov, who traveled all over the world. All historical and linguistic references indicate that the first part of the poem was written about Arkhangelsk:

Freeing the world from the northern shackles,
As soon as the marshmallows flow into the fields,
As soon as the first linden tree turns green,
To you, friendly descendant of Aristipus,
I appear to you; I'll see this palace
Where is the architect's compass, palette and chisel?
Your learned whim was obeyed
And the inspired ones competed in magic.

Yes, this is written about Arkhangelsk, but not in Arkhangelsk. The linguistic certificate says: “In one of the estates near Moscow.”
Linden alleys. Kotovo.

In the year the poem was written, Arkhangelskoye was being rebuilt after a huge fire. Nikolai Borisovich himself lived out his last years in Spassky, where he was buried. So it’s not Kotov’s linden trees that turn green in the first lines of Pushkin’s message “To the Nobleman”?

In A. S. Pushkin’s book “Refutation of Criticism” there are the following lines: “Returning from Arzrum, I wrote a letter to Prince Yusupov. It was immediately noticed in the world, and they were... unhappy with me. Secular people have a high degree of this kind of instinct. This forced the nobleman to call me to dinner on Thursdays...” (1830). At this time, Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov lives in Spassky-Kotovo. Perhaps this is where Pushkin visited on Thursdays! It is a pity that this fact is forgotten and is not considered historically valuable.

In 1831, Prince Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov died and was buried behind the altar of the northern chapel of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God.
Boris Nikolaevich Yusupov

A chapel-tomb was built over his grave. It was adjacent to the apse of the northern aisle.

The heir to the untold wealth of Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov was his only son, Boris Nikolaevich Yusupov (1794 - 1849). This was a man less emotional and less in love with art. He no longer lived in Arkhangelskoye, but, while in Moscow, stayed in Spassky. He began to transport Arkhangelsky’s artistic treasures to his St. Petersburg possessions, until the Emperor found out about this and forbade him to “rob himself.”

Boris Yusupov began further transformations of the village of Spasskoye-Kotovo. Under him, a project for a new chapel was created in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The chapel will be built on the site of the broken southern part of the bypass gallery, symmetrically to the northern Vladimir chapel, but it will be consecrated after the death of Boris Nikolaevich - in 1853. In addition, Boris Yusupov began the construction of a wooden almshouse in the name of the Holy Martyr Tatiana with seven cells “for the care of his courtyard people,” the completion of which, apparently due to his death, was delayed until 1859.

Prince Boris Nikolaevich Yusupov, actual state councilor, chamberlain, is buried in the crypt of the Spasskaya Church. On his tomb there is an inscription carved, written by him during his lifetime: “Here lies a Russian nobleman, Prince Boris, Prince Nikolaev, son of Yusupov. Born 1794, July ninth.” Attributed: “Died on October 25, 1849.” At the bottom was written in French his favorite saying: “Honor above all.”

Prince Boris Nikolaevich Yusupov was married twice. The first time was with Princess Praskovya Pavlovna Shcherbatova (1795-1820), with whom they had no children in common. She rests at the left choir in the quadrangle of the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands.

The second time the prince was married to Zinaida Ivanovna Naryshkina, from whom he had a son, Nikolai (1831-1891), who became the master of ceremonies and chamberlain of the Imperial Court, the last hereditary prince in the male line of the Yusupov princes. By special order of the tsar, he was allowed to transfer his title to his daughter, Zinaida Nikolaevna, so that the famous princely family would not sink into the centuries.

Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova Married a descendant of the Prussian kings, Count Felix Sumarokov-Elston, who took the title and became Prince Yusupov. They owned Arkhangelsk and Spassky until 1917. From this marriage two sons were born: Nikolai and Felix. In 1908, Nikolai was killed in a duel and the only heir in the Yusupov family remained Felix Feliksovich, Prince Yusupov, Count Sumarokov-Elston (1887-1967). Now the princely title and surname of the Yusupovs could only pass to the eldest of his descendants.

In 1917, Felix Feliksovich emigrated to France and never returned to Russia. Felix Yusupov married Princess Irina (1887-1970), daughter of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich and Grand Duchess Ksenia Alexandrovna, niece of Nicholas II. From their marriage a daughter was born, Irina (1915-1983), in Sheremetyev’s marriage. Her daughter Ksenia (born in 1942, married Sfiri) and granddaughter Tatyana (born in 1968) live in Greece.

based on materials from http://www.spas-neru.orthodoxy.ru

History of the Yusupov family

According to documents, the biography of the princely family goes back to the Baghdad Caliphate of the 10th century, where the ancestors of the Yusupovs were emirs, sultans, high dignitaries and military leaders. In the 12th century, the descendants of one of the powerful branches of this family moved to the shores of the Azov and Caspian seas. Two centuries later, their descendant, the brave commander of Timur Edigei founded the Nogai Horde. In the middle of the 16th century, under his great-great-grandson Khan Yusuf, the Nogai Horde reached its peak. Yusuf's two sons appeared in Moscow in 1563 at the court of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. In 1681, the great-grandson of Khan Yusuf received Orthodox baptism with the name Dmitry.

During the Streltsy rebellion of 1682, Prince Dmitry Yusupov led a military detachment of Tatars to the Trinity Lavra to guard the young Tsars John and Peter Alekseevich, for which he was granted lands in the Romanovsky district (now Yaroslavl region) into hereditary possession.

His son Gregory became an associate of Peter the Great and a brave warrior who took part in all Peter’s battles. For military valor and special merits, Prince Grigory Dmitrievich Yusupov received huge land holdings in the fertile provinces of Russia. His son Boris Grigorievich and grandson Nikolai Borisovich, the eldest, continued serving the imperial throne.

() was sent by Peter I to France to study. During the reign of Anna Ioannovna, he was appointed Moscow Governor-General, then Chief Director of the Ladoga Canal. Under Elizaveta Petrovna, he received the rank of actual privy councilor and the position of president of the commercial board, and for 9 years he headed the first Land Noble Cadet Corps in Russia.

His son - Prince Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov () - became one of the most notable characters in the history of the Russian Empire in the period from Catherine the Great to Nicholas I.

He spent a decade and a half in Europe, traveling for educational purposes. At Leiden University, Prince Yusupov is taking a course in law, philosophy and history. In The Hague he meets Diderot, in London he meets Beaumarchais. In Paris, the 25-year-old Russian aristocrat is presented to the Court of Louis XVI and visits Voltaire himself.

In the Russian public service, he is the director of the Imperial Hermitage, the director of the Imperial theaters, glass and porcelain factories, and a tapestry manufactory; since 1823, Prince Yusupov has been a member of the State Council. An unprecedented fact in the history of the Russian Empire is associated with his name: as the Supreme Marshal of the Coronation, Yusupov three times over the course of 29 years presided over the coronation ceremony of three monarchs - Paul I, Alexander I and Nicholas I. In 1830, Emperor Nicholas I awarded him the rare insignia - epaulette studded with pearls and diamonds.

The prince's wife was Tatyana Vasilievna, née Engelhardt. She remained in the memory of contemporaries as an intelligent and hospitable hostess of an elegant salon. Her chosen circle of friends included Derzhavin, Zhukovsky, Krylov, Pushkin.

The representative of the next generation - Prince Boris Nikolaevich Yusupov () purchased a house on the embankment of the Moika River in 1830. During seven years of reconstruction, the mansion turned into a vast luxurious palace. transports to a new St. Petersburg house a priceless art collection of paintings, marble, porcelain, collected by his elder father.

The beautiful mistress of the palace on the Moika became the wife of Boris Nikolaevich - Princess Zinaida Ivanovna (), nee Naryshkina, whom her contemporaries called “a star of the first magnitude”. Among her enthusiastic fans were crowned persons - Russian Emperor Nicholas I and French Emperor Napoleon III.

Zinaida Ivanovna’s son, Prince Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov (), referred to in the genealogy as “junior” (unlike the legendary grandfather), became the rightful owner of the palace in the mid-1850s.

Having received his education at the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University, Yusupov Jr. began his career in the office of Emperor Nicholas I, to whom he was a godson. This was followed by a long stay in Europe, where he carried out diplomatic assignments for the Emperor. Upon returning to Yusupov, the younger married Countess Tatyana Ribopierre. The Yusupov couple gave birth to beautiful daughters Zinaida and Tatyana.

Nikolai Borisovich made a brilliant court and civil career. He devoted his free time to playing music and composition, possessing an extraordinary talent in this area of ​​art. was an honorary member of the Paris Conservatory, the Roman Academy of Music, the Munich Art Society, and donated a lot of money to charity and philanthropy, especially after the death of his wife and youngest daughter Tatyana.

The daughter of Prince Nikolai Borisovich Jr. Zinaida () with her rare beauty and high spiritual qualities stood out from the galaxy of famous beauties of the noble class.

Zinaida Nikolaevna was gifted extremely generously by both nature and fate. Representatives of the most noble families of Europe wooed the heir to the fantastic wealth of their ancestors. The chosen one was Count Felix Feliksovich Sumarokov-Elston, in whose veins, according to family legends, flowed the blood of Field Marshal Kutuzov and the Prussian king Frederick William IV. Having married Princess Zinaida Yusupova in 1882, who after the death of her father became the only representative of the family, he received permission from the Emperor for himself and his wife to be called Prince Yusupov Counts Sumarokov-Elston.

By the beginning of the 20th century, while remaining the largest landowners in Russia, the Yusupovs became successful industrialists. They own brick factories, sawmills, textile and cardboard factories, and mines. Among the family's wealth, art collections of unheard-of value and palaces of unprecedented beauty stood out - Moscow in Kharitonyevsky Lane, Moscow Region in Arkhangelskoye, Korean in Crimea and St. Petersburg on Moika. Realizing the historical and artistic value of the treasures they owned, Prince and Princess Yusupov drew up a will in 1900, in which they wrote: “in the event of a sudden cessation of our family, all our movable and immovable property, consisting of collections of fine arts, rarities and jewelry... ... bequeathed to the property of the state...” Fortunately, the ancient family did not die out, although the family suffered a sad loss. At the age of 25, the Yusupovs’ eldest son, Nikolai, died in a duel.

The fate of the youngest son Felix (), his actions shocking generally accepted secular rules, his reputation as a frivolous rake greatly worried Zinaida Nikolaevna. The son's desire to settle down and get married was received by his parents with great joy. Princess of imperial blood Irina Alexandrovna was a brilliant match for a descendant of the ancient and noble Yusupov family. The parents of the newlywed - the grandson of Nicholas I, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich and the daughter of Alexander III, Grand Duchess Ksenia Alexandrovna - contributed to the conclusion of this marriage. On March 21, 1915, Irina Feliksovna Yusupova was born in an old St. Petersburg house on the Moika. The girl's godparents were Emperor Nicholas II and Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. The newborn princess became the last offspring of the Yusupov family to be born on Russian soil.

After the murder of the tsar's favorite, Gregory was sent into exile to his estate Rakitnoye, Kursk province (now Belgorod). At the end of March 1917, the family returned to Petrograd and, soon, both Yusupov couples - the eldest and the young - left the troubled capital to find refuge in their Crimean estates.

In the spring of 1919, Red troops approached Crimea. On April 13, 1919, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna and her relatives, among whom were the Yusupovs - Irina, Felix, their four-year-old daughter, Zinaida Nikolaevna, Felix Feliksovich - the eldest, left their homeland. Long years of exile began, as Felix Yusupov would later write, “the vicissitudes and torments of our life on a foreign land.”

Zinaida Nikolaevna and Felix Feliksovich Sr. settled in Rome. Irina and Felix Yusupov first settled in London, two years later they moved to Paris, buying a small house in the Boulogne-sur-Seine area. The acquisition turned out to be part of the once extensive estate of the magnificent Zinaida Ivanovna Princess Yusupova, Felix’s great-grandmother.

In 1928, Felix Feliksovich, Prince Yusupov, Count Sumarokov-Elston, Sr., died. He was buried in Rome. Zinaida Nikolaevna moved to Paris with her son. In 1938, the daughter of Felix and Irina married Count Nikolai Sheremetev. The young couple settled in Rome, where Nicholas’s parents lived. There, in 1942, their daughter Ksenia was born.

In 1941, the Yusupovs bought a modest house on Rue Pierre Guerin in the center of Paris. Here they set up a small cozy home for themselves, which their granddaughter Ksenia still owns.

In the early 1950s. Felix Yusupov took up writing his memoirs. His first book, “The End of Rasputin,” was published back in 1927. Now he has written two volumes, “Before the Expulsion.” and “In Exile.” Neither Zinaida Nikolaevna, nor Felix Feliksovich with Irina Alexandrovna, nor their daughter Irina waited until the end of the exile. They all found rest in the Russian cemetery of Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois.

Granddaughter Ksenia first visited the homeland of her ancestors in 1991. In 2000, by decree of the President of the Russian Federation, Ksenia Nikolaevna Yusupova-Sheremeteva, Sfiri’s marriage, in response to her request, was granted Russian citizenship. In 2005, Felix's great-granddaughter Tatyana also visited the palace.