Portrait of Yusupova in the Russian Museum. Portraits of the Yusupovs - Never, never regret anything - LiveJournal

On the eve of the twentieth century, Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova ordered portraits of all family members from the fashionable artist Valentin Serov. Usually Valentin Alexandrovich" swaggering and rich" didn’t write, but didn’t refuse Yusupova: “ If all rich people, princess, were like you, there would be no room for injustice.". Many artists painted her, apparently there was something attractive and bewitching about her...

V. Serov. Portrait of Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova 1900-1902

"Wherever the mother appeared, she brought light, her gaze shone with kindness and meekness. She dressed with discreet elegance, did not like jewelry and, although she had the best in the world, she appeared in it only in special circumstances..."

(F. Yusupov)

Zinaida Nikolaevna was the daughter of the last prince Yusupov - Nikolai Borisovich Jr. Musician, historian, rather modest collector. Zinaida 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.

K. Robertson Portrait of Prince Nikolai Yusupov 1840

(father of Z.N. Yusupova)

Christina Robertson Portrait of Princess Zinaida Ivanovna Yusupova 1840

(grandmother of Zinaida Nikolaevna, equally beautiful)

Winterhalter F.K. Portrait of Princess Tatiana Alexandrovna Yusupova 1858

(mother of Z.N. Yusupova)

European princes of the blood wooed her, one of the richest and most noble brides in Russia, but... " military women love"When Count Felix Feliksovich Sumarokov-Elston appeared on the horizon, the beauty's heart melted. It was love at first sight, and for Zinaida Nikolaevna, which everyone noted, the first and only.

Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova in different years life

Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova with her husband Felix Feliksovich Sumarokov-Elston

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. A year later, the young couple had their first child, Nikolai, named after his grandfather. The boy grew up silent and withdrawn. All her life she remembered the horror that gripped her when, on Christmas Day 1887, when she asked her son what gift he would like, she received an unchildish and icy answer: “ I don't want you to have other children". Then Zinaida Nikolaevna was confused, but it soon became clear that one of the mothers assigned to the young prince told the boy about the Nagai curse.

The founder of the family is considered to be the Khan of the Nogai Horde, Yusuf-Murza. Wanting, contrary to the will of most of his fellow tribesmen, to make peace with Moscow 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 Tatar and Cossack servicemen settled there were subordinate to them. Since that time, Russia has become a fatherland for the descendants of Yusuf".

The old khan was not mistaken: before his sons had even reached Moscow, he was treacherously stabbed to death by his own brother. When the news reached the Horde that the sons of Murza abandoned Mohammedanism and accepted Orthodoxy, one of the sorceresses placed a curse on them. According to which, of all the Yusupovs born in one generation, only one will live to be twenty-six years old, and this will continue until the complete destruction of the family. It came true without fail. No matter how many children the Yusupovs had, only one lived to be twenty-six.

V. Serov. Portrait of Princess Zinaida Yusupova 1902

V. Serov. Portrait of Prince Felix Feliksovich Sumarokov-Elston 1903

People have always been interested in her, but she gave little reason for this, because... was a faithful wife. One day, a rider on an Arabian horse flew straight into their luxurious mansion and, in front of everyone, threw a luxurious bouquet of roses at the princess’s feet. This was the high-society rake and brilliant gentleman of all drawing rooms, Prince Wittgenstein, the dream of many ladies, who had been in love with Zinaida Nikolaevna since his youth. Her husband forbade him to appear at their house, and then the prince proved his love to her in such an extravagant way.

Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova with her husband Felix Feliksovich Yusupov,

Count Sumarokov-Elston, sons Nikolai and Felix

Francois Flameng Portrait of Princess Z.N. Yusupova with two sons in Arkhangelskoye 1894

And the princess took care of the house, managed all the affairs of the estate, to which her husband was indifferent, raised her sons, towards whom she was too patient and gentle. Throughout their lives, her sons considered her their friend and considered her the best of all women in the world. But no one will escape the cup of suffering. Her eldest son Nikolenka, so similar to her, was amorous. 6 months before his 26th birthday, he died in a duel, killed by the husband of his beloved.

V. Serov. Portrait of Count Nikolai Yusupov 1903

V. Serov. Portrait of Count Felix Yusupov 1903

In the memoirs of Felix Yusupov, it is easy to see that all his life he was jealous of his mother and his older brother. He, although he was outwardly more similar to his father than to Zinaida Nikolaevna, with his inner world was unusually similar to her. He was interested in theater, playing music, and painting. His stories were published under the pseudonym Rokov, and even Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy, who was stingy with praise, once noted the author’s undoubted talent.

After graduating from St. Petersburg University, he received a law degree. The family started talking about the upcoming marriage, but Nikolai unexpectedly fell in love with Marina Alexandrovna Heyden, who was already engaged to the captain of the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment, Count Arvid Ernestovich Manteuffel, and soon this wedding took place. The young couple went on a trip to Europe, Nikolai Yusupov followed them, a duel could not be avoided. And it took place... June 22, 1908 on the estate of Prince Beloselsky on Krestovsky Island in St. Petersburg. Nikolai fired into the air both times... Count Manteuffel did not miss. Nikolai Yusupov would have turned twenty-six years old in six months.

"Rending screams came from my father's room, years later, Felix Yusupov recalled. - I entered and saw him, very pale, in front of the stretcher where Nikolai’s body was stretched out. His mother, kneeling before him, seemed to have lost her mind. With great difficulty we tore her away from our son’s body and put her to bed. Having calmed down a little, she called me, but when she saw me, she mistook me for her brother. It was an unbearable scene. Then my mother fell into prostration, and when she came to her senses, she did not let me go for a second.".

"The body was placed in the chapel"- writes the younger brother Felix, to whom the title of Prince Yusupov passed. Prince Nikolai Feliksovich was buried in Arkhangelskoye, near Moscow. Shocked parents, having buried their eldest son, are building a temple-tomb in Arkhangelskoye where the Yusupov princes were to find their final refuge. The temple was erected by a famous Moscow architect R.I. Klein until 1916. The revolution broke out, and the temple never accepted a single burial under its vaults.

Arkhangelskoye Estate

Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova 1903

When Nikolai died in a duel, Zinaida Nikolaevna was nearly fifty. Now all her hopes were connected with her youngest son. Felix Yusupov married Princess Irina (1887-1970), daughter of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich and Grand Duchess Ksenia Alexandrovna, niece of Nicholas II.

Felix Yusupov and Grand Duchess Irina Romanova

Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova in Russian costume

For the Romanov ball in 1903

Makovsky K.E. Portrait of Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova in Russian costume, 1900s

At the same time, such instability of the clan did not affect the well-being of the family. By 1917, the Yusupovs were second in wealth after the Romanovs. They owned 250 thousand acres of land, they were the owners of sugar, brick, sawmills, factories and mines, the annual income from which was more than 15 million gold rubles. And the luxury of the Yusupov palaces could be the envy of the great princes. For example, Zinaida Nikolaevna’s rooms in Arkhangelskoye and in the palace in St. Petersburg were furnished with furniture from the executed French queen Marie Antoinette. The art gallery rivaled the Hermitage in its selection. And Zinaida Nikolaevna’s jewelry included treasures that previously belonged to almost all the royal courts of Europe. So, The magnificent pearl “Pelegrina”, with which the princess never parted and is depicted in all portraits, once belonged to Philip II and was considered the main decoration of the Spanish Crown.

Francois 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, 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 large pearl necklace served as her decoration. All grey, 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 old portrait. At court they called her “Radiance,” as the mistress of the house later told us. It was Princess Yusupova, Countess Sumarokova-Elston...."

The princess’s luxurious toilet is decorated with a large “Pelegrina” pearl, which once belonged to the Spanish King Philip II.

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 our movable and real estate, 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 to satisfy the aesthetic and scientific needs of the Fatherland..."

Zinaida Yusupova with Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna

Zinaida Yusupova on vacation

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 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, Friedrich Wilhelm 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. Psychological characteristics He seems to omit 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. Right hand It is important to rest on the thigh, and with the left the prince holds 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 finished mine appearance on the canvas - the person I remained was maturing 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

Valentin Serov in memoirs, diaries and correspondence of contemporaries. SOS. And ed. I.S. Zilberstein and V.A. Samkov. T. 1, 2, L.,

The handsome prince Felix Feliksovich Yusupov still amazes the imagination of many ladies and still remains one of the most mysterious figures in Russian history. The last heir of one of the richest families of Tsarist Russia, the killer of Grigory Rasputin, he was constantly in the spotlight even in exile: everyone from journalists to politicians wanted to know the secrets of his family. After World War II, Felix, apparently summing up his life, wrote memoirs on French, which have now been successfully translated into Russian and are available to everyone. A very interesting story about the Yusupov family, starting from very distant times from the ancestors of the Tatars and ending with sad nostalgia about Russia abandoned forever... Well, a few interesting excerpts from memoirs and photographs will once again allow you to immerse yourself in the life of this interesting person and his entourage...

Prince Felix Feliksovich Yusupov, Count Sumarokov-Elston

I was born on March 24, 1887 in our St. Petersburg house on the Moika. The day before, they assured me, my mother danced the night away at a ball in the Winter Palace, which means they said the child would be cheerful and inclined to dance. Indeed, by nature I am a merry fellow, but I am a bad dancer. At baptism I received the name Felix. I was baptized by my maternal grandfather, Prince Nikolai Yusupov, and my great-grandmother, Countess de Chauveau. At the christening in house church The priest almost drowned me in the font, where he dipped me three times according to Orthodox custom. They say I forcibly came to my senses.

Felix Yusupov "Memoirs"

Family photo of the Yusupovs - young Felix in a children's dress in the arms of Zinaida Yusupova

I was born the fourth boy. Two died in infancy. While carrying me, my mother was expecting her daughter, and they made a pink trousseau for the children. My mother was disappointed with me and, to console herself, she dressed me as a girl until I was five. I was not upset, on the contrary, I was proud. “Look,” I shouted to passers-by on the street, “how beautiful I am!” Mother's whim subsequently left its mark on my character.

Felix Yusupov "Memoirs"

Coat of arms of the Yusupov family

The famous great-grandmother of Felix Yusupov is Zinaida Ivanovna, Countess de Chauveau. Portrait by Christina Robertson

As a child, I was lucky enough to know my great-grandmother, Zinaida Ivanovna Naryshkina, by her second marriage, Countess de Chauveau. She died when I was ten years old, but I remember her very clearly. My great-grandmother was a beautiful woman, she lived a happy life and had more than one adventure. When her son got married, she gave the newlyweds a house on the Moika, and she settled on Liteiny. This new house of hers was exactly like the old one, only smaller... In 1925, while living in exile in Paris, I read in the newspaper that during a search of our St. Petersburg houses, the Bolsheviks found a secret door in my great-grandmother’s bedroom, and behind the door - a male skeleton in a shroud... Then I wondered and wondered about him.

Felix Yusupov "Memoirs"

Newlyweds - Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova and Felix Feliksovich Sumarokov-Elston

Felix Yusupov's father, Count Felix Felixovich Sumarokov-Elston, Lieutenant General

« The straight road» - this is the motto of the Sumarokovs. My father remained faithful to him all his life. And he was morally superior to many people in our circle. He was very handsome, tall, thin, elegant, brown eyes and black hair. Over the years, he became heavier, but did not lose his stateliness. Had more common sense than profundity. They loved him for his kindness simple people, especially his subordinates, but his superiors sometimes disliked him for his directness and harshness. In his youth he wanted a military career. He entered the guards regiment and subsequently commanded it, and even later became a general and was a member of the imperial retinue.

Felix Yusupov "Memoirs"

Young Felix on a horse

Family photo of the Yusupovs: father Felix Feliksovich Yusupov, mother Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova, eldest son Nikolai and youngest son Felix

Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova

Serov V.A. Fragment of a portrait of Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova 1900

Mother was amazing. Tall, thin, graceful, dark and black-haired, with eyes shining like stars. Smart, educated, artistic, kind. No one could resist her charms.

Felix Yusupov "Memoirs"

Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova with her beloved Spitz

Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova against the background of her portrait by K.E. Makovsky 1900s

Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova in Russian costume, 1900s

Mother was very loved by the entire imperial family, in particular the queen’s sister, Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna. Mother was also on friendly terms with the Tsar, but she was not friends with the Tsarina for long. Princess Yusupova was too independent and said what she thought, even at the risk of angering her. No wonder the empress whispered something, and she stopped seeing her. In 1917, the physician, dentist Kastritsky, returning from Tobolsk, where the royal family was under arrest, read to us the last sovereign message conveyed to him:

« When you see Princess Yusupova, tell her that I realized how correct her warnings were. If they had been listened to, many tragedies would have been avoided».

Felix Yusupov "Memoirs"

Francois Flameng Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova in Arkhangelsk 1894

Let us take a break at this point from the memoirs of Felix Yusupov and read what was written by L.P. Minarik. in the book “Economic characteristics of the largest landowners in Russia at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. M., 1971” about the wealth of the Yusupovs: “In In 1900, the cost of their estates, dachas and houses was 21.7 million rubles, including the cost of St. Petersburg houses - 3.5 million rubles, a Moscow house - 427.9 thousand rubles, an anthracite mine - 970 thousand rubles ., sugar factory- 1.6 million rubles, cardboard and paper factories - 986 thousand rubles. In 1900, the Yusupovs owned 23 estates; the largest of them were estimated: Rakitnoye - 4 million rubles, Milyatinskoye - 2.3 million rubles, Klimovskoye - 1.3 million rubles, Arkhangelskoye - 1.1 million rubles. By 1914, the Yusupovs had 3.2 million rubles. valuable papers, stored in the State Noble, Moscow Merchant, Azov-Don, St. Petersburg International, St. Petersburg Commercial and Industrial and Russian for Foreign Trade banks"It is worth remembering that all these capitals were backed by real gold at that time, and not just pieces of paper, which we now have in our hands.

Family photo of the Yusupovs

Our winter and summer travel remained unchanged: in winter, St. Petersburg - Moscow - Tsarskoe Selo; Arkhangelskoye in the summer, and an estate in Rakitnoye in the fall for the hunting season. At the end of October we went to Crimea.
We rarely traveled abroad, but our parents often took my brother and me on trips to their own factories and estates. They were numerous and scattered throughout Russia, and some were so far away that we never managed to get to them.

Felix Yusupov "Memoirs"

In Arkhangelsk among the peasants. Felix Yusupov in the background

Yusupov's son and mother

We went to Arkhangelskoye for the summer. Many friends went to see us off, stayed and settled down until the fall. Whether I loved guests or not depended on their attitude towards Arkhangelsk estate. I could not stand those who were insensitive to her beauty, but only ate, drank and played cards. I considered their presence blasphemous. I always ran away from them to the park. I wandered among the trees and fountains and tirelessly admired the happy combination of nature and art. This beauty strengthened, calmed, and reassured.

Felix Yusupov "Memoirs"

The Yusupov family on the stairs of the park

Yusupovs in the park

Finally, Arkhangelsky found an admirer to my taste - the artist Serov, who came to the estate in 1904 to paint portraits of us. He was a wonderful man. Of all the great people of art that I have met in Russia and Europe, he is the most dear and vivid memory. At first sight we became friends. Our friendship was based on our love for Arkhangelsky. In between sessions, I took him to the park, sat him down on my favorite bench in the forest, and we talked to our heart's content. His ideas had a noticeable influence on my young mind. By nature he was independent and unselfish and could not hide what he thought. He told me that when he was painting the portrait of the sovereign, the empress constantly annoyed him with advice. Finally, he couldn’t stand it anymore, handed her a brush and palette and asked her to finish it for him. This was the best portrait of Nicholas II. In the 17th revolution, when a brutal crowd broke into the Winter Palace, the painting was torn to shreds. An officer I knew picked up one scrap on Palace Square and brought it to me, and I cherish this relic like the apple of my eye.

Felix Yusupov "Memoirs"

Young Felix Yusupov

Felix Yusupov poses for artist Valentin Serov

Serov V.A. Portrait of Felix Yusupov

Felix Yusupov years later...

Serov was pleased with my portrait. Diaghilev took it from us to the exhibition of Russian painting that he organized in Venice in 1907. The picture brought unnecessary fame to me. Her father and mother did not like this, and they asked Diaghilev to take her away from the exhibition.

Felix Yusupov "Memoirs"

Young Princess Irina Alexandrovna Romanova with her brothers

Once, on a horseback ride near Koreiz, I saw a lovely girl accompanying a lady of respectable years. Our eyes met. She made such an impression on me that I stopped my horse and looked after her for a long time.

The next day and after, I walked the same way, hoping to see the beautiful stranger again. She didn't show up and I was very upset. But soon Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich and Grand Duchess Ksenia Alexandrovna visited us together with their daughter, Princess Irina. Imagine my joy and surprise when I recognized my stranger in Irina! This time I had enough of admiring the wondrous beauty, the future companion of my life. She looked very much like her father, and her profile resembled an ancient cameo.

Felix Yusupov "Memoirs"

Prince Felix Yusupov in Russian costume 1910

Upon returning to England, I received an invitation to a costume ball at the Albert Hall. I had enough time, and having managed to go to Russia for the holidays, I ordered a Russian costume made of gold brocade with red flowers from the 16th century in St. Petersburg. It turned out great. The caftan and hat were embroidered with diamonds and trimmed with sables. The suit created a sensation. That evening the whole of London became acquainted with me, and the next day all London newspapers published my photograph.

Felix Yusupov "Memoirs"

Felix Yusupov in Russian costume

I spent the winter in St. Petersburg with my parents. The year 1913 was marked by a huge event for me. Grand Duke Alexey Mikhailovich once came to his mother to discuss the proposed marriage between his daughter Irina and me. I was happy, because this answered my secret aspirations. I could not forget the young stranger I met while walking on the Crimean road. From that day I knew that this was my destiny. While still a girl, she turned into a dazzlingly beautiful young lady. She was reserved out of shyness, but her restraint added to her charm, surrounding her with mystery. Compared to this new experience, all my previous hobbies turned out to be wretched. I understood the harmony of true feeling. Soon after returning from Crimea, we officially announced our engagement. Finally, the wedding day was set: February 22, 1914 in St. Petersburg with the Dowager Empress in the chapel of the Anichkov Palace.

Felix Yusupov "Memoirs"

Prince Felix Yusupov 1915

Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna was not going to attend our wedding. The presence of a nun at a secular ceremony was, in her opinion, inappropriate. The day before, however, I visited her in Moscow. She received me with her usual kindness and blessed me.

The Emperor asked me through my future father-in-law what to give me for my wedding. He wanted to offer me a position at court, but I replied that the best wedding gift from His Majesty would be to allow me to sit in the theater in the imperial box. When my answer was conveyed to the sovereign, he laughed and agreed. We were inundated with gifts. Next to the luxurious diamonds lay simple peasant gifts.

Felix Yusupov "Memoirs"

Wedding photo of the Yusupov couple

Princess Irina Alexandrovna Yusupova in a wedding dress

Irina’s wedding outfit was magnificent: a white satin dress with silver embroidery and a long train, a crystal tiara with diamonds and a lace veil from Marie Antoinette herself. But it took me a long time to choose an outfit. I didn’t want to be in a tailcoat in broad daylight and wanted to get married in a business card, but the card outraged my relatives. Finally, the uniform of the nobility - a black redingote with a gold-embroidered collar and cuffs and white trousers - suited everyone.

Felix Yusupov "Memoirs"

Prince and Princess Yusupov

Members of the royal family who married persons of non-royal blood were required to sign an abdication of the throne. No matter how far Irina was from the throne, she too submitted to the rule. However, I wasn’t upset.

Felix Yusupov "Memoirs"

Here we will skip a large number of chapters in the Memoirs of Felix Yusupov concerning the murder of Rasputin and the political situation in Russia at that time and immediately move on to the tragedy of Russia in the year 1917, or rather already to 1918, to the period when the entire royal family was already destroyed.. Surprisingly, Felix Yusupov was denied the right to defend his Fatherland from the Bolsheviks...

Prince Felix Yusupov

My friends and I decided to join the White Army and submitted a request to enlist to the commander, General Denikin. We were refused. The reasons are political: the presence of relatives of the imperial family in the ranks of the White Army is undesirable. The refusal greatly upset us. We were eager to take part, together with all the patriotic officers, in the unequal struggle against the destroyers of the fatherland. In a single patriotic impulse, people rose up across Russia. The new army was led by several military leaders. The names of generals Alekseev, Kornilov, Denikin, Kaledin, Yudenich will go down in Russian history, constituting its glory and pride.

Zinaida Nikolaevna was the daughter of the last prince Yusupov - Nikolai Borisovich Jr. A musician, a historian, a 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.

Zinaida Nikolaevna loved dancing. Court balls were her passion. They said that, having danced “until she dropped” in the Winter Palace, 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 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. Provided financial assistance Elizavetinsky and Krupovsky shelters, 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. Her correspondence with Elizaveta Fedorovna was preserved in the Yusupov archive - Grand Duchess, a well-known charity worker.

For her patriotic activities, Zinaida Nikolaevna was awarded diplomas and letters of gratitude many societies and institutions. Among them are the “Society of Devotees of Russian Historical Enlightenment in Memory of Emperor Alexander III,” the Russian Red Cross Society, and the Elizabethan Charitable 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-Geneviève-des-Bois, where almost all of her found shelter. old Russia. None of the princely family had time to use the tomb built in Arkhangelskoye.

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“The more you are given,” she repeated to me and my brother, “the more you owe to others. Be humble. If you are superior to others in anything, God forbid you show it to them.”
Felix Yusupov "Memoirs"

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. 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..."

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.

A musician, a historian, a 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...

Mother was amazing. 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.

Famous Europeans, including the august ones, asked for her hand in marriage, but she refused everyone, wanting to choose a spouse according to her taste... Mother by nature had an ability for dance and drama and danced and acted no worse than actresses...

At a ball in the palace, where the guests were dressed in boyar dress of the 17th century, the sovereign asked her to dance the Russian dance. She went without preparing in advance, but danced so beautifully that the musicians easily played along with her. She was called five times...

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.

“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)

When the aunt of the Spanish king, Infanta Eulalia, came to Russia, her parents gave a dinner in her honor in their Moscow house. About the impression made on her by her mother, the infanta writes in her “Memoirs” as follows:

“What struck me most was the celebration in my honor at the Yusupov princes. 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. In the windows of the palace there is a gloomy city and bell towers. The Yusupovs combined flashy luxury in Russian taste with purely French grace. At dinner, the hostess sat in a formal dress, embroidered with diamonds and marvelous oriental pearls. Stately, flexible, on her head there 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...”

“If all rich people, princess, were like you, then there would be no room for injustice.”
Valentin Serov

To which Zinaida Nikolaevna replied: “Injustice cannot be eradicated, and especially not with money, Valentin Aleksandrovich.”

The princess was known as a famous philanthropist and philanthropist. Only in St. Petersburg she paid huge sums of money to several dozen orphanages, hospitals, gymnasiums, and during the war she maintained an ambulance train and infirmaries at her own expense.

In her palaces and estates, Yusupova organized sanatoriums and hospitals for the wounded...

“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 from an ancient portrait. At court they called her “Shining,” as the mistress of the house later told us. It was Princess Yusupova, Countess Sumarokova-Elston...”
Leonid Pasternak

Politicians and ministers appreciated my mother’s insight and correct judgment. If she were the true great-granddaughter of her great-grandfather, Prince Nicholas, she could have run a political salon. Out of modesty, however, she remained in the shadows, but thereby aroused even greater respect for herself.

In 1917, the life physician, dentist Kastritsky, returning from Tobolsk, where the royal family was under arrest, read to us the last sovereign message conveyed to him:
“When you see Princess Yusupova, tell her that I realized how correct her warnings were. If they had been listened to, many tragedies would have been avoided.”

A few words should be said separately about Felix Yusupov Jr....

He became a famous person after participating in the murder of the notorious Grigory Rasputin. His mother was the first to justify him: “You killed the monster that was tormenting the country. You are right. I'm proud of you..."

Zinaida Nikolaevna will continue to be touchingly proud of her son, helping him in every possible way even when he entered into dangerous contacts with counter-revolutionaries with the goal of overthrowing Soviet power. Zinaida Nikolaevna did not treat the new government aggressively, but critically, and until the end of her life she did not receive an answer to question: Why was it necessary to destroy the country’s culture, created over centuries?

Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna safely emigrated from revolutionary Russia along with her entire family and passed away in 1939 at the age of seventy-eight. She rests in the Russian cemetery of Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois, where almost all of old Russia found shelter.

Such was the life of Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova - one of the most charming Russian women at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, who did so much for the Russian state.

Portrait of F. F. Sumarokov-Elston, Prince Yusupov. 1903

Portrait of Count Felix Sumarokov-Elston.1903

p.s. History of the Yusupov family

The Yusupov family is very ancient. Its history goes back to the Muslim Middle Ages, to the Baghdad Caliphate of the 10th century. This is evidenced not only by family legends, but also by the ancient family document “Genealogy of the Yusupov princes from Abubekir.”

Family tree of the Yusupov family

Twelve generations of Abu Bakr's descendants lived in the Middle East. They were sultans, emirs, caliphs throughout the entire space from Egypt to India.

One of them, the third son of Sultan Babatiukles, who ruled in Mecca, Termes, in the 12th century. went with people devoted to him to the north and settled between the Don and the Volga, and then between the Volga and the Urals.

His descendant - the legendary Edigei (1340s-1419), an ally of Tamerlane and the killer of Tokhtamysh, founded at the beginning of the 15th century. Nogai Horde. Edigei's great-great-grandson, Khan Yusuf (1480s-1555), lived and corresponded with Ivan the Terrible for 20 years. Under him, the Nogai Horde reached the peak of its power, the “Tsar of All Rus'” recognized its sovereignty and regularly purchased hardy steppe horses from the Nogais - the main wealth of the nomads. However, having conquered Kazan, Grozny captured the queen of the Kazan kingdom, Syuyumbek, the daughter of Khan Yusuf. Angry, the ruler of the Nogai Horde wanted to terminate the peace treaty with Russia. Yusuf's brother Ishmael prevented this. He killed the khan, and Dmitry Seyushevich Yusupov-Knyazhevo (?-1694) (Abdul-Murza), the great-grandson of Nogai Khan Yusuf, who converted to Orthodoxy in 1681, sent his two sons, Il-Murza and Ibrahim-Murza, to Moscow as a guarantee peace.

John IV granted the descendants of Yusuf many villages and hamlets in the Romanov district (now Tutaevsky district of the Yaroslavl region). Thus began the Yusupovs’ service to Russia.

The grandson of Il-Murza Abdul-Murza fought for his new homeland with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Ottoman Empire and the Crimean Khanate. Under Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, during Lent, he unknowingly fed Patriarch Joachim a goose when he came to visit. The Patriarch praised the “fish”, after which Abdul-Murza boasted of his cook, who could cook a goose “for fish”. Joachim and the king, when they learned about what had happened, were terribly angry. Abdul-Murza thought hard for three days and decided to convert to Orthodoxy. During the ritual, he received the name Dmitry and the title “prince” instead of the Tatar “Murza”, was forgiven and saved from ruin.

That same night, according to family legend, the prophet Muhammad appeared to him in a dream and cursed the Yusupov family for apostasy. According to the curse, from now on only one man in each generation would survive to the age of 26. And so it happened...

_____________________

As for legends about an ancient family curse until its destruction, then, according to the stories of the elder Yusupovs, it was as follows: 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.

Marianna Morskaya