Zinaida Nikolaevna was the daughter of the last prince Yusupov - Nikolai Borisovich Jr. A musician, historian, and rather modest collector (unlike his famous grandfather), Nikolai Borisovich literally adored his daughter Zinaida, who remained the only one of her kind after the death of her sister. Zinaida Nikolaevna was well educated, accustomed to the society of people of science and culture. She was even good at philosophy. European princes of the blood wooed her, one of the richest and most noble brides in Russia, but... “military women love her.” When Count Felix Feliksovich Sumarokov-Elston appeared on the horizon, the beauty’s heart melted, although the count had neither special intelligence, nor business acumen, much less subtle taste. But he had a uniform, and that was enough. The father was horrified, but did not dare to contradict his daughter.

Count Felix, through his mother, had already received the surname of the extinct Sumarokov family. Now, because of his wife, the surname Yusupov was added to him and the princely title was granted, but with the condition that it would pass only to the eldest son. Fate decreed otherwise - the youngest of the sons of Zinaida Nikolaevna and Felix Feliksovich became Prince Yusupov. The famous killer of the “elder” Rasputin was the last of his kind - he had only a daughter and granddaughter.

Zinaida Nikolaevna loved dancing. Court balls were her passion. They said that, having danced “until she dropped” in Zimny, upon arriving home she felt prenatal contractions, and soon Prince Felix Jr. was born, admitting that he was a useless dancer, while he was predicted to become the first secular gentleman.

Happiness, one might say, bypassed the beautiful Zinaida. Two of her children died in infancy, the eldest son, Nikolai, died in a duel because of some empty person. Together with her husband, she owned unique art collections and more than once thought about their fate, especially since some kind of fate was hanging over the Yusupov family. In 1900, long before the death of their eldest son, who was the main heir, she and her husband wrote a will that was quite extraordinary for its time, which was only recently introduced into scientific circulation (collection of the RGADA). Here is a short excerpt from it:

“In the event of a sudden cessation of our family, all of our movable and immovable property, consisting of collections of fine arts, rarities and jewelry collected by our ancestors and us... we bequeath to the ownership of the state in the form of preserving these collections within the Empire for the satisfaction of aesthetic and scientific needs of the Fatherland..."

After the death of her eldest son, Zinaida Nikolaevna devoted herself almost entirely to charity. She provided financial assistance to the Elizavetinsky and Krupovsky shelters, the Yalta women's gymnasium, schools on estates, etc., churches, canteens for the hungry in 1891-1892. In 1883, she allocated donations for the families of Montenegrins. The Yusupov archive preserved her correspondence with Elizaveta Fedorovna, the Grand Duchess, a famous philanthropist for charity.

For her patriotic activities, Zinaida Nikolaevna was awarded diplomas and letters of gratitude from many societies and institutions. Among them are the “Society of Devotees of Russian Historical Education in Memory of Emperor Alexander III,” the Russian Red Cross Society, and the Elizabethan Benevolent Society. Zinaida Nikolaevna was a member of the committee for the establishment of the Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow and donated 50 thousand rubles for the construction of the Roman Hall, which once bore her name, and now has simply become an anonymous part of the art gallery.

Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna safely emigrated from revolutionary Russia along with her entire family and died of her own death in 1939. She rests in the Russian cemetery of Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois, where almost all of old Russia found refuge. None of the princely family had time to use the tomb built in Arkhangelskoye.

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In 1903, Serov began painting portraits of the Yusupov princes, first working in St. Petersburg and then on their family estate of Arkhangelsk near Moscow. The artist worked on them for about two years. It is curious that in the portraits of the Yusupovs there is not a drop of caustic irony, nor a desire to reveal the negative or positive personality traits of representatives of the richest family. The Yusupovs' possessions were capable of capturing anyone's imagination. They owned estates, factories, oil wells, palaces and priceless works of art. The family's annual income exceeded one million rubles.

Four portraits of the Yusupovs by Valentin Serov - Felix Feliksovich, Zinaida Nikolaevna and their sons Nikolai and Felix, are on display at the Russian Museum. They admire, first of all, the artistry of the performance, the great skill of the artist, who subtly felt the individuality of each character. Serov created these portraits in a state of recovery. This was greatly facilitated by the friendly atmosphere of the Yusupov house.

The aristocratic family of the Yusupovs dates back to the ruling Nogai khan Edigei, who lived at the end of the 14th - beginning of the 15th century and served the cruel conqueror Tamerlane. In the 16th century, the head of the clan went into the service of Ivan the Terrible. At this time, his beautiful daughter, the widow of two Kazan kings, Enalei, who was killed by his own subjects, and Saf-Girey, who died as a result of intrigues - Syuyumbike bravely opposed the conqueror of Kazan, was captured and taken with her young son Utemish-Girey to Moscow. The father did not stand up for the unfortunate queen, who, against her will, was forced to marry the Kasimov prince Shikh-Aley, who, according to legend, treated her cruelly. In response, the unfortunate Syuyumbike angrily cursed her father's family, wishing all the offspring, with the exception of one, to die upon reaching the age of twenty-six. It is curious that, in despair, the queen’s curse began to come true in life. In the 18th century, the Yusupov family was one of the most noble and wealthy in Russia, however, of the five children of the honored chick of Petrov’s nest, Prince Grigory Dmitrievich, by the beginning of the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, only one son, the first-born, Prince Boris Grigorievich Yusupov remained. His brothers and one of his sisters, Maria, who voluntarily chose a monastic cell, died by the early 1740s. The second sister, Praskovya, a friend of Tsarevna Elizaveta Petrovna, who aroused the wrath of Empress Anna Ioannovna, was exiled to a monastery, subjected to interrogation in the Secret Chancellery, after which she was forcibly tonsured in one of the monasteries of Siberia, where she met her end. According to rumors, Princess Praskovya resorted to witchcraft, wanting to take the life of Empress Anna Ioannovna and free the throne for Elizabeth. It was Prince Boris who tracked down his sister and betrayed her to the Secret Chancellery, in order to personally take possession of Praskovya’s huge dowry! So it was, or not quite so, but in subsequent generations, according to the curse of the beautiful Syuyumbike, only one heir survived. The curse also affected the penultimate generation of the family, to which Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova belonged, who had only one sister, Princess Tatiana, who died before her marriage. They dreamed of marrying off Princess Zinaida, a beauty and the only heir to Yusupov’s wealth, to one of the powerful European princes. The first Russian suitors did not dare to propose marriage to her because they were afraid of being accused of self-interest. As a result, the independent beauty herself chose guards officer Count Felix Feliksovich Sumarokov-Elston as her wife. The groom, of course, is not a prince from a fairy tale, but he was also related to the Prussian royal family, or rather, indirectly belonged to it, being the illegitimate grandson of the King of Prussia, Frederick William IV. He was born as a result of a love affair connections of the royal son with Countess Tizenhausen, granddaughter of M.I. Kutuzova. After the wedding, Felix Feliksovich and Zinaida Nikolaevna, by a special decree of the emperor, received the right to a double title and a triple surname. The marriage turned out to be very happy, two heirs were born in the family, Nikolai and Felix. Undoubtedly, the parents were secretly afraid of the prophecy, but the 20th century is already here! Despite the passion of the emperor, empress and some members of the Romanov dynasty for mysticism, their worship of holy fools and prophets, the Yusupovs only laughed at this. Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna openly belonged to the party of haters of the elder Grigory Rasputin.

Valentin Serov appeared with the Yusupovs in 1900, when both sons had already grown up and did not complain about their health, and the family was bathed in the rays of happiness and aroused the admiration of even him, such an insightful psychologist. Serov went to the Yusupovs' estate, Arkhangelskoye, near Moscow, to paint portraits of Zinaida Nikolaevna's husband and sons in the summer of 1903. By this time, he had already painted the portrait of the princess, which took a lot of time, and the customer liked it.

In August 1903, Serov wrote to his wife from Arkhangelskoye: “I don’t know what to do about my coming to you. I think that you know enough about my system to work, or rather finish a portrait, huh? Always someone, either the model (mostly) or me, has to leave, and thus the works end. The Yusupovs remain here in Arkhangelskoye until September 7. I need to paint 3 oil portraits (or maybe 4) and 2 pastels. During this time there will be 2 exams and a meeting of the Tretyakov Gallery Council, which will take me 3 days.

I feel good, I work decently. On Sunday the princes returned. They seem generally pleased with my work. I wrote the smaller one, or rather took it, okay. Yesterday the prince began, at his request, on horseback (an excellent Arab, a former sultan). The prince is modest, he wants the portrait to be of a horse rather than of himself - I completely understand... But the eldest son did not succeed, that is, I’ll just start it differently today. It turns out that I can’t paint official portraits at all - it’s boring. However, it’s my own fault, I should have waited and taken a closer look... Today in the evening I’ll try to sketch the princess with pastel and charcoal. It seems to me that I know how it should be done, but I don’t know - with painting you can’t guess ahead. How to take a person is the main thing.

4 September. Well, I seem to have finished my works, although, as always, I could have worked on them, perhaps, so much or half as much more. Customers are happy. The princess's laughter came out a little. Perhaps the most successful of all, the prince on a horse, maybe because he didn’t try so hard - it happens.” 1

In other letters, Serov notes the courtesy and courtesy of members of the aristocratic family, especially the hostess, Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna. However, contemporaries unanimously succumbed to her charm: “Zinaida Nikolaevna remains for everyone who knew her the perfect type of charming society woman... anyone who approached her involuntarily fell under her charm.” “She was not so beautiful as she was charming, with hair turning gray from an early age, framing a face illuminated by radiant gray eyes.” “She was not only smart, well-mannered, artistic, but she was also the embodiment of spiritual kindness... And along with these exceptional qualities, she was modesty and simplicity itself.” 2

Portrait of Princess Z.N. Yusupova

1900 – 1902 State Russian Museum of St. Petersburg

Serov admired the beautiful, charming, hospitable princess. It is not surprising that the portrait of Zinaida Nikolaevna turned out very successful. Valentin Aleksandrovich worked on it for a long time. The princess willingly posed for him, did not constrain the artist in any way, and fulfilled his whims regarding the choice of interior and outfit. Alexander Benois writes in his memoirs: Serov never hid the fact that he was captivated by certain features of aristocracy, exquisite toilets and furnishings, that is, everything that differs from “gray everyday life, from dreary “philistine” decency.” He places Zinaida Nikolaevna in a fashionable interior. The princess, by no means a primp, sits on a satin sofa in a curved, somehow twisted, uncomfortable pose. A white spitz sat next to her. This fragility and grace are artificial, restless, alarming. It seems that the owner of the salon, like her dog, is “awkward” on the slippery satin upholstery of the sofa. The Spitz is about to slide to the floor, and, alarmed but happy, will jump around the boudoir, looking like an elegant bonbonniere.

However... in the secular portrait of Princess Yusupova, the face dominates for the first time! The princess's eyes immediately find the viewer's eyes and meet this slightly stunned gaze of someone who dares to approach her portrait. Silver-gray, these eyes shine from the face like two stars. And now you are already captured by the charm of their owner. Contemporaries found the resemblance striking. A luxurious portrait with an abundance of exquisite accessories is a genuine portrait-painting. Serov writes sweepingly, broadly, making the situation “play”. But the beauty of the painting does not at all overshadow the character of the heroine of the portrait. The artist treated Princess Yusupova with admiration and did not hide it, despite the sliding slight irony. Before us is a portrait of a high psychological level - by no means a traditional “smooth” secular portrait. In 1903 he was a success at the international exhibition in Berlin.

Portrait of Prince F. F. Yusupov

Count Sumarokov-Elston

astride a horse

1903 . timing belt

Above were the words of the artist himself from a letter to his wife that Prince Yusupov wanted to have a portrait of a horse rather than his own. Serov was really more interested, not so much in the model itself, but in the pictorial tasks of the portrait. He seems to omit the psychological characteristics of the prince here, and compensates for the character with the brilliance of his painting. However, the prince does not deserve a negative characterization, under any circumstances. This is a man of honor, a faithful servant of the Tsar and the Fatherland, a strict, neat, smart military man. Look with what dignity he sits on a snow-white Arabian stallion in the Arkhangelsk park near Moscow! A white tunic, a general's cap, and a modestly worn medal cross in the buttonhole. The right hand is resting importantly on the hip, and with the left the prince is holding back the hot stallion. Oh, what a horse—how he casts his fiery gaze. The animal's muzzle is covered in pinkish foam. The stallion moves his feet impatiently. As in the portrait of Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich, the horse looks at the viewer. 3 Protruding ears give the horse a restless, impatient expression, in contrast to the calm owner. Why is he sitting on me like a mountain, pulling the bridle and not letting me gallop?

Serov himself said that he was naturally blessed with a “photographic” eye and, as a result, “healthy realism.” The model's behavior suggested and dictated to him a kind of mise-en-scène, which he achieved over many hours and sessions of work. In this portrait of Prince Yusupov, Serov combines the exact physiognomic resemblance of the owner’s calm, firm face with the fighting character of a restive Arabian stallion that previously belonged to the Sultan. Both a noble rider and a thoroughbred horse are, of course, quite worthy of each other.

Serov's love for our smaller brothers is evident in most of his works. Many times he painted dogs and horses as if they were the main characters of the portraits, and the owners were rather the background for the pets.

Portrait of Count F.F. Sumarokov-Elston,

later Prince Yusupov.

1903 . timing belt

The Yusupovs' youngest son, sixteen-year-old Felix, then called Count Sumarokov-Elston, came to pose for Serov with his beloved bulldog, smart and devoted to his owner. The doggie kept up with Felix, and the sociable young man willingly told Serov the story of the appearance of a bulldog in the family: the puppy was brought from France when, three years ago, the Yusupovs visited the World Exhibition in Paris.

What if you write it with me, dear Valentin Alexandrovich? Can? – Felix asked innocently.

And it was enough for Serov to look into the dog’s eyes and burn with the desire to write the young count and his faithful friend just like that. Or, conversely, a bulldog with its owner. Serov was intrigued by the juxtaposition of the handsome but cold, as if descended from Greek marble, face of a young man and the very expressive, lively and intelligent muzzle of a bulldog.

Certainly! I will be happy to write your favorite! I love dogs very much! - the artist agreed.

The ease of communication, as was the case during the work on the portrait of the princess, here too created the most favorable atmosphere for work. Serov admired the beautiful estate near Moscow, the art collections of the Yusupovs and the beauty of the summer park, where, starting with Catherine II, all Russian emperors visited. Felix and the dog posed for Serov in the lobby of the palace in Arkhangelskoye, against the background of a large plaster sculpture of a dog. Here is another comparison - a living dog and a sculpture, which especially emphasizes the intelligence, liveliness and devotion of the count's favorite.

Slender, handsome Felix, whose features clearly contain oriental features inherited from his Tatar ancestors, poses in a dark gray, with a slight lilac tint, double-breasted jacket, buttoned up with all the buttons. A black satin tie goes well with it. Serov himself chose this outfit from the young count’s wardrobe in order to better highlight the pampered, frozen beauty of this Russian Dorian Gray, who by nature was very sweet and even kind, but had already become familiar with many nasty things and vices. Felix's daring pranks are already known to representatives of high society: an attraction to metamorphosis, transformation into a restaurant singer. Felix had a beautiful voice, plasticity and intelligence, but since he was born the second son, hence the complexes and the desire to at least in some way surpass his older brother Nicholas, the heir to the princely title and enormous wealth.

At the time of painting the portrait, Felix did not yet know his fate: he would lose his older brother and marry the niece of Emperor Nicholas II Grand Duchess Irina Alexandrovna Romanova. In addition, he has his own role in the history of Russia. In 1916, Felix Yusupov would become one, if not the main, organizer of the murder of Grigory Rasputin. Then the newspapermen will remember his youthful portrait “by the virtuoso brush of Serov, as beautiful as the portrait of Dorian Gray.” 4 The emphatically beautiful image of Felix, the peculiar “aestheticism” of the portrait, evokes memories of the hero of Oscar Wilde. The French ambassador to Russia, Maurice Paleologue, gave an interesting description of the young Yusupov: “Prince Felix Yusupov... is gifted with a lively mind and aesthetic inclinations, but his amateurism is too carried away by unhealthy fantasies, literary images of Vice and Death; I’m afraid that he saw the murder of Rasputin, first of all, as a scenario worthy of his favorite author Oscar Wilde. In any case, with his instincts, face, manners, he resembled the hero Dorian Gray rather than Brutus.” 5 However, the portraits painted Valentin Serov with Prince Yusupov and invented by Oscar Wilde, when compared, have a mirror character. In Wilde's novel, the portrait grew old, the beautiful appearance of Dorian Gray changed, but the hero remained invariably young and handsome. Serov forever captured and immortalized the beauty of Felix Yusupov, who had a long life in exile. He died in France in 1967. And in 1903, while working on a portrait of a young man, Serov very correctly noticed the narcissism characteristic of a handsome man, and the fact that Felix wears his beauty proudly, like a mask frozen on his face.

Serov worked on the portrait of Felix Yusupov in Arkhangelskoye for about two years, with interruptions caused by the young man’s departure to St. Petersburg for exams at Gurevich’s private gymnasium. Many decades later, already an old man, F.F. Yusupov recalled this bright time warmly, readily admitting that conversations with the artist Valentin Serov had a “deep spiritual influence” on him.

“His (V.A. Serov’s) admiration for Arkhangelsk brought us closer together. After posing, I took him to the park. There, sitting on one of my favorite benches, we had frank conversations, repeatedly talking about issues that deeply concerned me. As a young man then, I really thought about the enormous responsibility that Yusupov’s countless wealth placed on me. I deeply understood and felt that the more I was given, the more was required of me. Serov, a humane man and a convinced defender of all the poor, with his long and friendly conversations “formulated” all my innermost thoughts and feelings. His progressive views influenced the development of my mind. And as his artistic brush completed my appearance on the canvas, the person I remained matured inside me, and Serov’s friendship left an indelible impression on me.” 6

This is how the Russian Dorian Gray and the murderer of Rasputin wrote about the great Russian artist Serov and, one must hope, that he was completely sincere and truthful in his story.

The work on the portrait of the Yusupovs’ eldest son, heir to the princely title Nicholas, turned out to be much more difficult. The young man behaved arrogantly, withdrawn, and posed reluctantly. The wall between him and the artist interfered with the work, and it progressed slowly. Serov painted the heir to the title and untold wealth of the Yusupovs against a neutral background, wearing a light gray student jacket. The same oriental features as Felix, but more pronounced: black Tatar eyes, thick eyebrows, dark skin. An inexplicable riddle, an impossible secret worried Serov, whether this was why the portrait of Nikolai Yusupov seemed unfinished.

Portrait of Prince N.F. Yusupova,

Count Sumarokov-Elston.

In 1908, several years later, Serov learned from the newspapers about the death of the young Count Nikolai Feliksovich in a duel. This happened on June 22 in St. Petersburg. Serov then thought first of all about the unfortunate princess Zinaida Nikolaevna. What grief for the mother! What a grief for the whole family! He also recalled conversations with Felix, who eagerly talked about his great friendship with his brother. Now Felix is ​​the only heir to the princely title and fantastic wealth! The reason for the duel was not a secret to the high society of St. Petersburg. Outwardly cold, Prince Nikolai Yusupov suddenly fell passionately in love with someone else's bride. But the point was not that his chosen one, Marina Gayden, was engaged. The girl came from a noble family, but which of the Russian nobles could compete with the Yusupovs?! The parents of Prince Nicholas's beloved, of course, understood this and did not want an unequal union. They hurried to get married, and the young couple went on a honeymoon abroad. And it was then that the young prince Nikolai Yusupov stepped on obviously shaky ground: he rushed after his beloved and in Paris began to court someone else’s wife with great fervor, and with redoubled ardor. The insulted husband, Count Arvid von Manteuffel, was one of the senior guards officers. A challenge to a duel followed. Prince Yusupov and Count von Manteuffel shot in St. Petersburg, in deep secret from everyone, primarily from their parents. Nikolai fired into the air, Manteuffel shot him in cold blood. Once again the curse of Suyumbike came true.

Valentin Aleksandrovich hurried to the post office and sent a telegram of condolences to the Yusupov Palace on the Moika. Despite the enormous social distance, the Yusupov family became close to the artist.

Probably, Serov at this time could not help but think about the future fate of Felix, primarily worrying about whether the young prince would now listen to the advice given to him, whether he would follow in the footsteps of the generous philanthropists who were engaged in charity work for the benefit of Russia, and about whom he told him a lot Valentin Alexandrovich? Felix listened very carefully then, but when was that, at what a tender age! At such a young age, a person can easily be persuaded to do both good things and bad things, even to the point of villainy. Naturally, Felix faces temptations, and what kinds of them!
Serov, however, was not destined to find out about this. The artist died suddenly, on the morning of December 5, 1911. Like his father, Valentin Aleksandrovich Serov was struck down by a “silent killer” - a heart attack. Valentin Serov in memoirs, diaries and correspondence of contemporaries. SOS. And ed. I.S. Zilberstein and V.A. Samkov. T. 2, L., 1971

5 Prince Felix Yusupov. Before expulsion. Memoirs. M. 1993

There are several versions of legends about the Yusupov family curse. Even within the family, this story was told in different ways. Zinaida Nikolaevna herself adhered to the version of her grandmother - Zinaida Ivanovna Naryshkina-Yusupova-de Chavaud-de-Serre.

The founder of the clan was considered to be the Khan of the Nogai Horde, Yusuf-Murza. Wanting to make peace with Moscow against the will of his fellow tribesmen and fearing for the lives of his sons, he sent them to the court of Ivan the Terrible. The Russian chronicle says: “The sons of Yusuf, having arrived in Moscow, were granted many villages and hamlets in the Romanov district, and the service Tatars and Cossacks settled there were subordinate to them. From that time on, Russia became the fatherland for the descendants of Yusuf."

A. G. Rokshtul. Fictional Portrait of Khan Yusuf.

The old khan calculated everything correctly: before his sons had time to reach Moscow, his brother dealt harshly with him. When the news reached the Horde that the sons of Murza had abandoned the Muslim faith and accepted Orthodoxy, one of the sorceresses placed a curse on them, according to which, out of the total number of Yusupovs born in one generation, only one would live to be twenty-six years old, and so it would continue up to the complete destruction of the dynasty. Why this curse sounded so confusing is not easy to say, but it came true with amazing accuracy. No matter how many children the Yusupovs had, only one man was destined to live to the age of twenty-six.

Abdul-Murza - Dmitry Seyushevich Yusupovo-Knyazhevo

At the same time, this terrible fate did not affect the financial prosperity of the family in any way. By 1917, the Yusupovs were in second place in wealth after the Romanovs themselves. They owned a huge amount of land, sugar, brick, sawmills, as well as factories and mines. Their annual income was no less than fifteen million gold rubles. And there were legends about the luxurious Yusupov palaces. Even the greatest princes were jealous of the stunning decoration of their houses and salons. For example, Zinaida Nikolaevna’s rooms in Arkhangelskoye and in the palace in St. Petersburg were furnished with designs from the executed French queen Marie Antoinette.

F. Flameng. Princess Yusupova with her sons in Arkhangelskoye (1894)

Artist Klavdiy Petrovich Stepanov (1854-07/15/1910)

Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova, artist Valentin Aleksandrovich Serov

The art gallery could compete with the Hermitage in terms of the number of greatest and authentic works by recognized artists. And Zinaida Nikolaevna’s countless jewels were treasures that in the past belonged to almost all the royal courts of Europe. She especially treasured the magnificent pearl “Pelegrina”. She rarely parted with it and is even depicted wearing it in all portraits. It once belonged to Philip II and was considered the main decoration of the Spanish Crown. However, Zinaida Nikolaevna did not measure happiness by wealth, and the curse of the Tatar sorceress made the Yusupovs unhappy.

Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova, artist Konstantin Makovsky

Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova

Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova, artist Stepan Fedorovich Alexandrovsky (1842-1906)

Of all the Yusupovs, probably only Zinaida Nikolaevna’s grandmother, Countess de Chavo, was able to avoid great suffering due to the untimely death of her children. Born Naryshkina, Zinaida Ivanovna was married to Boris Nikolaevich Yusupov while still a very young girl. Soon she gave birth to a son, and then a daughter who died during childbirth. Only after these events did she learn about the family curse. Being a sensible woman, she told her husband that “ give birth to dead people" no longer. In response to his objections, she said that if he still hasn’t had enough, then it’s allowed “ belly up the yard girls", and that she is not going to object. This was the case until 1849, when the old prince died.

Portrait of Princess Zinaida Ivanovna Yusupova (1809-1893) born. Naryshkina, Christina Robertson

Prince Boris Nikolaevich Yusupov (1794-1849), Christina Robertson

Zinaida Ivanovna was not even forty years old when she plunged headlong into the maelstrom of new novels and relationships. There were gossip and legends about her beau, but the young Narodnaya Volya received the most attention. When he was imprisoned in the Shlisselburg fortress, the princess abandoned social life, followed him and, unknown how, she achieved that he was released to her at night. Many people knew about this story and gossiped about it, but, surprisingly, Zinaida Ivanovna was not condemned. On the contrary, secular society recognized the right of the stately princess to all sorts of extravagances a la de Balzac. But then it all ended; for some time she was a recluse at Liteiny.

Portrait of Princess Zinaida Ivanovna Yusupova (1809-1893) born. Naryshkina, K. Robertson

Portrait of Princess Zinaida Ivanovna Yusupova (1809-1893) born. Naryshkina, K. Robertson

Then she married a bankrupt but well-born Frenchman and left Russia, renouncing the title of Princess Yusupova. In France, she was called Countess de Chaveau, Marquise de Serres. The story associated with the young Narodnaya Volya member was recalled by Yusupov after the revolution. One of the emigrant newspapers published a report that, in search of Yusupov’s treasures, the Bolsheviks destroyed all the walls of the palace on Liteiny Prospekt. To their chagrin, they did not find any jewelry, but they did find a secret room adjacent to the bedroom, in which there was a coffin with the body of an embalmed man. This was probably the Narodnaya Volya member sentenced to death, whose body Zinaida Ivanovna bought and brought to St. Petersburg.

The Keriole estate on the sea coast of Brittany, which Zinaida Ivanovna acquired for her second husband

Zinaida Ivanovna Yusupova Louis Charles Honoré Chauveau

However, for all the drama of the life of Zinaida Naryshkina-Yusupova-de Chavaud-de-Serre, her family considered her happy. All her husbands died before reaching old age, and she lost her daughter during childbirth, when she had not yet had time to get used to her. She fell in love many times, did not deny herself anything, and she died surrounded by her family. For the rest of the dynasty, despite their mind-boggling wealth, life was much more prosaic. Family rock spared no one.

Zinaida Ivanovna Yusupova

Zinaida Ivanovna Yusupova

Zinaida Nikolaevna's eldest son Nikolenka grew up as a silent and withdrawn boy. No matter how hard Princess Yusupova tried to bring him closer to her, nothing worked for her. All her life she had imagined the horror that gripped her when, at Christmas 1887, when asked to her son what gift he would like to receive, Zinaida Nikolaevna listened to a completely unchildish and icy answer: “ I don't want you to have other children."

Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova

Then the princess was confused, but it soon became clear that one nanny assigned to the young prince told the boy about the Nogai curse. She was immediately fired, but Zinaida Nikolaevna waited for the expected baby with a feeling of absorbing and acute fear. Even at first, the fears were not in vain. Nikolenka did not hide his dislike for Felix, and only ten years later, between the matured brothers, a feeling arose that was more like friendship than the love of two relatives. Family rock made its presence known in 1908. Then the ill-fated duel took place.

“Wherever her mother appeared, she brought light, her gaze shone with kindness and meekness. She dressed with restrained elegance, did not like jewelry and, although she had the best in the world, she appeared in them only in special circumstances...” (F. Yusupov )

F. Flameng. Portrait of Princess Z. N. Yusupova. 1894

It is interesting to compare this portrait of a fashionable French artist with the description that Leonid Pasternak left about Princess Yusupova, who was portrayed at Golitsyn’s drawing evening.

“I remember who we drew... She was one of the most interesting women of the aristocratic circle, simply, elegantly dressed, only a necklace of large pearls served as her decoration. All gray hair, which suited her very well, with a young, healthy and beautiful complexion , - she was a real marquise of the 18th century, straight out of an ancient portrait. At court they called her “Radiance,” as the mistress of the house later told us. It was Princess Yusupova, Countess Sumarokova-Elston..."

And if this is so, then what is beauty?

And why do people deify her?

She is a vessel in which there is emptiness,

Or a fire flickering in a vessel?

N. Zabolotsky

And she truly radiated light and beauty. Possessing countless riches, she kept in her soul the most valuable things - kindness and mercy. Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova went down in Russian history not so much as the owner of millions, but as a great Russian philanthropist who built schools, churches, and hospitals. Her gentle disposition but strong character were well known to the royal family; only she could be absolutely frank with the crowned persons.

Nikolay Borisovich Yusupov

Princess Tatiana Alexandrovna Yusupova-Ribaupierre. Hood. F.K. Winterhalter.1858

Zinaida Nikolaevna was born in 1861 in the family of Prince Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov, the last representative of an ancient family. The owner of factories, manufactories, mines, apartment buildings, estates, estates, he was incredibly rich. In total, his family owned more than 2,500 acres of arable and forest land. And the Yusupovs’ annual income exceeded 15 million gold rubles. In St. Petersburg alone they owned four palaces, and their net profit, for example, in 1910, was 865,500 rubles. Even representatives of the ruling dynasty were surprised at the wealth of this family. Grand Duke Gabriel Konstantinovich Romanov recalled visiting the Yusupovs at their Crimean estate: “We once had dinner with the Yusupovs. They lived like royalty. Behind the princess’s chair stood a Tatar embroidered with gold and changed her dishes. I remember that the table was very beautifully set..."

The Theater of Yusupov Palace in saint petersburg

But all this luxury did not prevent Zinaida Nikolaevna’s father, the chamberlain of the royal court, from being known as a generous, magnanimous man. And judging by the memoirs of his contemporaries, good deeds were a truly important part of his life. It is known that in 1854, during the Crimean War, he armed two artillery battalions, and during the Russian-Turkish War, he donated an ambulance train to the army, which transported the wounded from field hospitals to hospitals in St. Petersburg. He completely maintained an institute for the deaf and dumb and founded many charitable foundations.

At the same time, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna recalled how, for the sake of economy, Prince Yusupov did not allow candles to be lit in all the rooms of his large palace house, and guests always gathered only in a few illuminated halls, where they were very cramped. And his own daughter Zinaida was “to death” afraid to travel abroad with her father, because he stayed in cheap rooms in the simplest hotels and upon departure left through a secret passage so as not to leave tips to the lackeys.

His brilliant daughter inherited all the best from her father, including the ability to give. Smart, educated, sensitive, gentle, she was one of the first beauties of St. Petersburg, along with Empress Maria Fedorovna and Princess Irina Alexandrovna Romanova. Radiance, in a word. Yusupova bore her surname with dignity, and no matter how hard some historians try to find any compromises in her nature, hinting at a relationship with the artist Valentin Serov, most likely, their speculation is in vain.

Zinaida Nikolaevna was of the wrong breed.

Its pedigree dates back to the 6th century - from the eastern ruler Abubekir, one of whose descendants was Khan Yusuf, ruler of the Nogai Horde. It was he who Ivan the Terrible welcomed and called brother, and treated the Nogai Horde as a sovereign state. A descendant of Khan Yusuf, Abdul-Murza, converted to Orthodoxy, for which he was cursed by his relatives. Having settled on Moscow lands, he began to be called Yusupov.

daughter of Yusuf - Sumbek (1520-1557)

Abdul Mirza converted to Orthodoxy in 1681

By the way, our contemporaries owe much of the surviving information about the ancient family to Zinaida’s father, Prince Nikolai Borisovich, who wrote the Yusupov family tree. In addition to his literary gift, the prince also had musical talents, he played the violin superbly, and he had the appropriate instruments: “Amati” and “Stradivarius”. Being the vice-director of the St. Petersburg Public Library, a patron of talent and a great lover of art, the prince attracted his daughters to the world of beauty: Tatyana and Zinaida (the third child in the family, son Boris, died in infancy from scarlet fever).

Portrait of Prince Nikolai Yusupov

The girls' mother, Countess Tatyana Alexandrovna de Ribopierre, was also involved in raising her daughters - from an early age they were familiar with the intricacies of etiquette. One day, a gentleman came to visit the Yusupovs, and while the countess was preparing to receive him, seven-year-old Zinaida entertained the guest: she treated him to tea, sweets, and cigars, but he remained unfriendly. When, having used up the entire arsenal of funds, the girl asked if the guest would like to “pee-pee,” the gentleman suddenly became cheerful and began to laugh like crazy.

Princess Tatiana Alexandrovna Yusupova-Ribaupierre.

Tatyana Alexandrovna was an intelligent, kind and beautiful woman - this is how she was remembered by her family. She was always surrounded by hangers-on and all sorts of female relatives, one of them had orders to keep the mistress’s sable muff. And the latter was so merciful that she didn’t even raise an eyebrow when, after the death of the keeper, the muff box was found empty...

Count Felix Feliksovich Sumarokov-Elston, Lieutenant General

The girls were educated by invited teachers. Zinaida Nikolaevna knew several languages, understood philosophy, literature, art, and since the most interesting people always visited her father’s house - musicians, writers, artists - she easily communicated with them and was known as an expert on many issues. The princess also understood political issues, and sometimes witnessed them.

So, in 1875, at one of the feasts in the Yusupovs’ house, a historical conversation took place between Alexander III and the French general Le Flot, who arrived in Russia to seek help in an unpleasant situation with Bismarck, who wanted to “end France.” Prince Yusupov was instructed to arrange a reception. After a home performance, the king stopped at the window in the foyer, and Le Flot approached him to talk. At that moment, Nikolai Borisovich called his daughter and said: “Look and remember: the fate of France is being decided before your eyes.”

At the age of 18, the princess was already involved in active charity work: she became a trustee of a shelter for soldiers' widows. And a little later, dozens of shelters, hospitals, and gymnasiums in St. Petersburg came under her protection. In 1883, Zinaida helped the families of Montenegrins who suffered in the fight against the Turks, and during the First World War, trains and hospitals were equipped with her funds, hospitals and sanatoriums were organized for the wounded, including on her estates.

Zinaida Nikolaevna

Tatyana Nikolaevna Yusupova

Yusupov sisters: Zinaida and Tatyana Yusupov.

It so happened that Zinaida Nikolaevna remained the only heir of the family: her sister Tatyana died of typhus at the age of 22.

Under this granite tombstone, the young daughter of Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov (the sister of Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova) was buried. Grieving over the loss, the prince ordered her to be buried near the house so that she would always be in front of his eyes. A sculpture by M. M. Antokolsky “Angel of Prayer” was installed on the slab. When the name of the sculptor became too famous, the statue was moved for safety in 1936 to one of the park pavilions “Tea House”

The most noble suitors, including august persons, applied for the hand of the rich bride, but the princess was waiting for true love. One can imagine how beautiful she was as a girl if she had such a portrait when she was married: “Mother was delightful,” recalls her son Felix. - Tall, thin, graceful, dark and black-haired, with eyes shining like stars. Smart, educated, artistic, kind. No one could resist her charms. But she did not boast about her talents, but was simplicity and modesty itself.” Zinaida Nikolaevna did not blush or powder herself, her natural beauty was so perfect. Of all the cosmetics, she used homemade lotion made from lemon juice, egg white and vodka. And for all her spiritual modesty, she was considered the first fashionista of St. Petersburg: her outfits drove everyone crazy. The great fashionista of that era, the Empress’s sister, Grand Duchess Elizaveta Fedorovna, especially grieved over this. But how can one compete with Yusupova herself, whose jewelry collection included things of European crowned persons. She knew about Marie Antoinette’s royal furniture in Zinaida Nikolaevna’s living room, and about the Marquise de Pompadour’s chandelier... Yusupova’s favorite decoration was Pelegrin’s unique pearl.

She did not part with her. This pearl can be seen in the portrait of Zinaida Nikolaevna by F. Flaming. Then, in distant emigration, her son Felix will fetch God knows how much for the pearls, and the trace of the beautiful woman’s talisman will disappear. In general, the Yusupovs had a passion for collecting stones in their family.

In addition to her passion for fashionable outfits and jewelry, the princess loved dancing. They say that the night before Felix was born, she danced tirelessly in the Winter Palace. The following episode is also known: once at a ball, where everyone was dressed in boyar dress of the 17th century, the emperor asked the princess to dance the Russian dance. She went without preparation, but her movements were so perfect that the dancer was called out five times.

Theater director Stanislavsky invited her to join his troupe. And here is the testimony of Eulalia, the aunt of the Spanish king, who was visiting Russia: “The princess was extraordinarily beautiful, the kind of beauty that is a symbol of the era. She lived among paintings and sculptures in a magnificent setting of the Byzantine style... At dinner, the hostess sat in a formal dress, embroidered with diamonds and marvelous oriental pearls. Stately, flexible, on her head is a kokoshnik, in our opinion a tiara, also in pearls and diamonds, this piece of clothing alone is a fortune. Stunning jewels, treasures from the West and the East, completed the outfit. In pearl drops, heavy gold bracelets with Byzantine patterns, earrings with turquoise and pearls and rings shining with all the colors of the rainbow, the princess looked like an ancient empress...”

Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova in the costume of a noblewoman.

Konstantin Makovsky "Portrait of Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova in Russian costume." 1900

The “Ancient Empress” turned 20, there was no end to the gentlemen, and everyone was refused. And the prince, worried about his grandchildren, continued to send prince after prince to his daughter. But love for Yusupova came on its own, like in a good love story. One day, in order to respect her father, the princess agreed to meet with another gentleman - Prince Battenberg, a contender for the Bulgarian throne. His retinue included officer Felix Elston, who, as planned, was supposed to introduce the prince to Zinaida Nikolaevna.

The meeting took place, but, despite preliminary correspondence, Battenberg was refused - Princess Yusupova fell in love at first sight with Felix Elston and the next day accepted his marriage proposal. This guards lieutenant was the grandson of the Prussian king Frederick William IV, and his father, Felix Elston the First, at one time married the last representative of the Sumarokov family - Countess Elena Sergeevna and received the sovereign's permission to take the surname and title of his wife. For this reason, Zinaida Nikolaevna’s husband had a double surname before his marriage, and then, as in the case of his father, received royal permission to be called Prince Yusupov (since he married the last representative of this family).

V. Serov. Felix Sumarokov-Elston-Yusupov on horseback (1903)

According to the memoirs of Yusupova’s son, Felix Elston III, he was “very handsome, tall, thin, elegant, brown eyes and black hair,” and had more common sense than profundity; Ordinary people, especially his subordinates, loved him for his kindness, but his superiors disliked him for his directness and harshness. Zinaida Nikolaevna’s husband followed the motto of the Sumarokov family all his life: “On the straight road!” In his youth, he dreamed of a military career and joined the Guards regiment. Subsequently, he commanded him, became a general, and at the end of 1914, the emperor sent him abroad on state assignments and upon his return appointed him governor-general of Moscow.

The wedding of Princess Zinaida Yusupova and Felix Elston-Sumarokov took place in the spring of 1882 and became the main news in St. Petersburg for a long time: why did the first beauty with such a dowry go down the aisle with a simple guards officer? One can imagine how sad the old prince was about this, who saw his daughter on the throne, but did not go against her wishes. Everyone noticed that the spouses were very different: she was open and cheerful, he was silent, sometimes unfriendly and gloomy. And yet they lived their whole lives together. Zinaida Nikolaevna was always with her husband, went with him on all his trips and business trips, received his friends - people from a completely different circle than the one to which she had become accustomed since childhood.

And she never gave anyone a reason to doubt her choice. Meanwhile, her rejected fans made the most incredible attempts to gain her attention. One day, the princess's husband forbade the secular gentleman Prince Wittenstein to appear in their house - too often he circled around Zinaida Nikolaevna. But the admirer was not taken aback and decided to respond to the ban - he flew into the chambers of Yusupova, whom he had idolized since his youth, on a beautiful Arabian horse and threw a bouquet of scarlet roses at her feet... Then Felix Elston II ran into his wife’s room with a pistol and said that in next time he will shoot him like a thief who is going to steal from the prince the greatest treasure of his life.

with firstborn Nikolai.

The first-born Nikolai, named after his grandfather, appeared to the princess in 1883, the second son, Felix, five years later. In total, Zinaida Nikolaevna gave birth to four children, but two died in infancy. And soon after the birth of the eldest - Nikolai - she herself almost died. The doctors could not even make an accurate diagnosis and believed that the princess had contracted typhus. But everything turned out to be much worse - after premature birth, blood poisoning began. The princess was considered hopeless, and the famous Professor Botkin, who personally treated her, only shrugged helplessly - the forty-degree temperature could not be brought down, the liver was failing, and dark spots had already appeared all over her body... At the age of 23, it is difficult to believe in one’s own death, but gradually Zinaida began to realize that she did not have long left. On one of the difficult sleepless nights, she suddenly remembered Fr. John of Kronstadt - his fame was already thundering throughout Russia.

She really wanted to see him before he died, not because of the hope of a miracle of healing, but simply for the opportunity to talk with this wonderful man. The Yusupov family had long wanted to meet him, but everything was somehow postponed, it didn’t work out... They sent an old, reliable servant to Kronstadt, and Fr. John, having learned what condition the patient was in, put aside all matters and came straight away. Zinaida Nikolaevna remembered the way he prayed for the rest of her life. Botkin, with whom Fr. John, leaving, bumped into the doorway and turned to him: “Help us!” - which greatly surprised those around him - the professor was known for his skepticism and free-thinking. A few days later Fr. John gave the princess communion, and for the first time in a long time she fell asleep peacefully. The temperature subsided, and upon waking up, Zinaida Nikolaevna felt completely healthy. The husband was kneeling by the bed, and Professor Botkin was silently crying next to him. A week later the princess stood up. And after 3 years, her second son was born - Felix, the famous killer of Grigory Rasputin. But for now, those terrible times before the start of the revolution were still very far away...

Five-year-old Nikolai did not want to accept his brother. Accustomed to attention and not wanting to share it with anyone, he even offered to throw the baby out the window... Hearing this, Felix Elston resolutely reprimanded his wife for spoiling the child. But the soft, patient Zinaida Nikolaevna brought everything to peace, promising to improve. At first, the brothers were not friends, which greatly saddened their mother, and at the same time, each individually adored her to the point of passion, as Felix Jr. recalled. And the princess raised them by word and example: “The more given to you,” she told her sons, “the more you owe to others. Be humble. If you are superior to others in anything, God forbid you show it to them.”

Yusupov brothers: Nikolai and Felix.

F.Flameng Portrait of Princess Z. N. Yusupova with two sons in Arkhangelsk 1894

There was no end to their pranks in childhood; they made mischief both on weekdays and on holidays. Old aristocratic women who came to the house for the holidays were a special target for the schemes. They spoke only French and admired those who sent their laundry to Paris to wash. The brothers watched for them in the elevator and stopped it between floors... The screams of the old women echoed through the halls. But the most memorable were, of course, the grandiose holidays that were held in their house on the Moika.

Sadovnikov V.S. Party evening at the Yusupovs' house. Watercolor. 1852-1854

For example, preparations for Christmas began well in advance. The tall Christmas tree was being decorated. And the guests came with suitcases to take away all the gifts. The next day, the Christmas tree was held for the servants and their families. For a month, the princess asked all the servants who to give what. The Arab servant Ali once asked her for a “beautiful thing.” The “piece” turned out to be a tiara with Burmite grain and diamonds, which Yusupova wore when going to balls in the Winter Palace. And when Ali saw Zinaida Nikolaevna, usually dressed simply, but here in a luxurious dress and dazzling jewelry, he was stunned and fell prostrate before her, mistaking her for a deity.

Festive illumination of the Yusupov Palace on the Moika. V.S.Sadovnikov.1856

Nikolai Petrovich Bogdanov-Belsky Portrait of N. F. Yusupov, 1911

Felix Yusupov poses for artist Valentin Serov

V. Serov. Portrait of Prince Felix Yusupov (1903)

Nikolai and Felix really became close when the younger one turned 16, and the older one graduated from St. Petersburg University and organized an acting troupe that played in private theaters. He also invited Felix to this troupe, entrusting him with the role of a gnome, but his brother was terribly offended by such a role and forever abandoned thoughts about the theater. Nikolai showed great promise and, probably, would have achieved a lot in both the theatrical and literary fields if tragedy had not happened - on June 22, 1908, before he was 26 years old, he was shot in a duel on Krestovsky Island because of his love - Marina Heyden, the married daughter of the rear admiral of the royal retinue. The death of her son turned the life of Princess Yusupova upside down. Perhaps she later recalled the day when Nikolai came to ask for his parents’ blessing for his marriage to Marina, who was still unmarried; her parents were against it... Having survived a nervous illness, the princess never got rid of its consequences. All that she has left of her son are photographs and a portrait painted by Serov.

hunting with sons

Zinaida Nikolaevna continued to be active for the benefit of people: she created canteens for the hungry, patronized the Elizabeth Orphanage, a women's gymnasium in Yalta, built schools and churches. She submitted the idea and paid for the creation of a Greco-Roman Hall at the Moscow Museum of Fine Arts, and replenished its collection with art objects from her own collection. She followed the work of her father and grandfather, who left the following will: “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 collected by our ancestors and us... we bequeath to the ownership of the state in the form of preservation these collections within the Empire to satisfy the aesthetic and scientific needs of the Fatherland.”

Alexandrovsky S. F. portrait of Zinaida Nikolaevna

Felix and Irina

There were legends about the mercy of Princess Yusupova. Testimonies of those who were treated in her hospitals have been preserved. In particular, military engineer V.M. Dogadin, who arrived at Zinaida Nikolaevna’s sanatorium on the estate in Koreiz, wrote down that the officers were invited to dinners and evening tea, that the guests sat at a beautiful table and had casual conversations, that the princess knew about the condition of all the seriously ill and was very cordial...

At the beginning of the First World War, the Yusupovs, like many wealthy families, transferred their deposits from foreign banks to Russian ones and after the revolution were left with practically nothing. They also failed to take the family jewels abroad, despite the fact that Felix was able to deliver them from Petrograd to Moscow to a hiding place in the palace on Kharitonyevsky Lane - all this ended up in the hands of the new government.

got into trouble......

And yet, after the February Revolution, the Yusupovs did not leave Russia immediately; first they moved to Crimea - to the estate of the royal family Ai-Todor.

Under arrest......

And on April 13, 1919, they left Russia forever on board the English destroyer Marlborough, which was sent for the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna by her nephew King George V.

Felix and Irina Yusupov at a charity auction. London, 1919.

In exile, the Yusupovs purchased a house in the Bois de Boulogne near Paris, and then moved to Italy, leaving the house to Felix and Irina.

with granddaughter Irina

In 1928, Zinaida Nikolaevna buried her husband and then lived with the joys of her granddaughter. She spent 22 years in exile and died in 1939. Princess Yusupova was buried in the Russian cemetery of Saint-Genevieve-des-Bois.

Together with her, her son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter rest in the same grave - after the death of her mother, Felix had no money left for separate graves.

Prince's grave Yusupova F.F., book. Yusupova Z.N., book. Yusupova I.A., gr. Sheremeteva I.F. and gr. Sheremeteva N.D. in Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois

This Russian churchyard in a town near Paris.
"Novgorod" church - Benoit's project.
The lawn at the entrance is neatly trimmed.
In my dreams I am back in Sainte-Genevieve des Bois.
To die in a foreign land and live there as an outcast...
Autumn will rain over Galich's grave.
I read Bunin’s books avidly when I was young,
And now my idol lies near Paris.
On the tombstone there is the inscription “Prince Felix Yusupov”.
Pavel Struve and Prince Trubetskoy lay down nearby.
But there is little land here, everything is compressed and stingy.
Shackled to France with Russian melancholy.
Pray for them, dear priest Eulogius,
They are sinners, like everyone else, atone for their sins.
There are so many of our Russian churchyards around the world,
There are Icelandic mosses on their gravestones.
(O.M. Ivanov)

Portrait of Prince F.F. Yusupov by Zinaida Serebryakova. Paris. 1925

Princess Irina Yusupova 1925,

Many years passed, and the old aristocrat Felix Yusupov lived out his life in Paris in the company of his aged wife and his faithful servant Grisha. As an incredibly rich man in the past and a real Russian gentleman, he did not know how to count money and did not know the real price of things. He never had a wallet.

Fyodor Pavlov Portrait of Prince Felix Yusupov

The money was lying everywhere in envelopes, and he handed it out to anyone who asked, without counting it. Therefore, very soon the old prince found himself completely without funds. Then he took the treasured pearl, which he had carefully kept all these years, and went to the famous Parisian jeweler Cartier.

How much can you give me for it, monsieur? - Yusupov asked modestly.

Seeing the legendary jewel, the poor Frenchman was speechless with excitement. He immediately realized that in front of him was the famous “Pelegrina”. There were only three such pearls in the world, and one of them, shimmering mysteriously, now lay in front of him.

Of course, the savvy jeweler immediately bought it, and after some time the priceless relic was sold at Christie's auction in Geneva to an anonymous buyer (it is believed that this buyer was Elizabeth Taylor) for 2 million 780 thousand francs - unprecedented money at that time. Of course, Cartier paid Yusupov himself much less, but still a very decent amount.

Alas, the careless Felix Feliksovich also quickly spent this money. He ended up living in his old age at the expense of his faithful servant Grisha...

As for the legend about the ancient curse of the family until its destruction, it, according to the stories of the elder Yusupovs, consisted of the following: all, except one, male heirs in all generations of princes lived no more than 26 years. This curse came from the historical moment when the descendants of Khan Yusuf adopted Christianity and were cursed by their relatives. And indeed, no matter how many children were born into Yusupov’s families, only one heir crossed the threshold of 26 years.

At the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova, who revived traditional meetings of artists and musicians in Arkhangelskoye, built by her grandfather, invited Valentin Serov to paint portraits of her family members. The artist, who refused to paint a portrait of the Tsar after the events of January 9, came to the princess and lived for some time in Arkhangelskoye. He was truly surprised by the breadth and purity of the soul of this extraordinary woman. After completing her portrait, he was also glad that he was able to convey the light that she emitted and the inner mystery that lay within her. Once, in a conversation with Yusupova, Serov remarked: “If all rich people, princess, were like you, then there would be no room for injustice.” To which Zinaida Nikolaevna replied: “Injustice cannot be eradicated, and especially with money, Valentin Alexandrovich.”

You say you are in your seventh decade?
Of course, with your help I will believe,
Madam, in this news, otherwise
I would have thought that you weren’t even three dozen.
So, you are sixty years old, you say.
Thank you for that. And if I thought it was thirty,
Of course, I couldn’t help but fall in love with you!
And, without knowing you briefly,
I wouldn't enjoy love completely!
So, madam, you are now sixty,
And young and old don’t hide their love in you.
You are sixty. And what? For a loving look
Not only sixty - and a hundred is not a barrier.
And for the better - when you are already over sixty!
The duller the petals, the stronger the aroma.
When the soul is in bloom, winter has no power over it.
And her charms are forever irresistible.
Immature beauty will understand a little.
And the conversation with you is both sharp and honey.
And only you alone will understand and forgive.
And in you, like threads in one single thread,
Both intelligence and kindness. And I'm honestly glad
That you turned sixty today!
(from letters to Zinaida Yusupova, author unknown)

But everything returns to its beginning. The great-granddaughter of the princess, Ksenia, who was born in Paris in 1942, in the spring of 1991 for the first time crossed the threshold of the Yusupov Palace on the Moika, the house in which many generations of the Yusupovs lived, and in 1994, standing on the main staircase of the palace, she greeted guests of the “St. Petersburg Seasons”, which opened with a large Christmas ball. That same year, in the fall, in the dilapidated family church of the Savior of the Image Not Made by Hands in the Moscow region, she attended a litany - an Orthodox church rite of cleansing from the defilement to which the temple and the graves of her ancestors were subjected. In the northern limit of this manor church, five family graves have been preserved.

Irina Feliksovna with Ksenia

Ksenia Nikolaevna Sfiri, granddaughter of Prince F.F. Yusupova

In her interview, she said the words that Zinaida Nikolaevna probably could have said: “I love Russia madly, my native St. Petersburg, which I consider the most beautiful city on earth, I feel like a part of my homeland. My parents never renounced Russian citizenship and did not want to accept foreign citizenship. That's how they died. And I received Greek citizenship only when I married a Greek. That is why I decided to become a Russian citizen now and turned to the embassy with a request to issue me a Russian passport. The embassy unexpectedly told me that the new president, Vladimir Putin, wanted to meet with me. Well, I would love to meet him..."

AND I WATCHED THESE VIDEOS:

Great Dynasties: - Yusupovs

Fatherland and destinies: Women of the Yusupov family

Women in Russian history. Yusupova Zinaida Nikolaevna

Yusupov Palace

Arkhangelskoye Yusupov Estate

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Part 10 -
Part 11 -
Part 12 -