Known for their philanthropy, their art collections, as well as for their political influence, the Yusupov princes were one of the richest families in Russia on the eve of the Revolution. Of their four St. Petersburg palaces, the Yusupov Palace on the Moika, constructed in 1770 in several architectural styles, is, without a doubt, the most richly decorated. This palace is most well-known in history for Rasputin’s murder in the basement theatre, and is presented today as a museum of the lives of the Russian nobility.

Your guide will lead you through the rooms of the palace where you will be immersed in the spirit of Imperial Russia. You will discover the sumptuous living quarters of the Yusupov princes, and their private theatre where plays from the beginning of the 21st century continue to be presented for the first time. After the visit to the theatre decorated in the baroque style, your guide will take you to the Moorish Lounge, the place of relaxation and reflection favored by Prince Felix Yusupov. You will understand why their father prevented the young Princes Yusupov accessing the Moorish Lounge. Your guide will help recreate the last moments of Grigori Rasputin, the mysterious central figure of the reign of Nicolas II, who was assassinated in the Yusupov Palace theatre in 1916.

A journey through time and history is essential to any stay in St. Petersburg!