Yusupov family
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Yusupovs are a Russian noble family descended from the Khans of the 10th century who, in the 18th and 19th centuries, were renowned for their immense wealth, philanthropy and art collections. Most notably, Prince Felix Yussupov II was famous for his involvement in the murder of Rasputin.
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[edit] Early history
Traditional family history has that the earliest ancestors of the Yusupovs were allegedly from Arabia, believed to be descended from Ali, a cousin of Prophet Muhammad. In the 10th century, one of the descendants of the Arabian clan, Termess, moved and resettled in the shores of the Azov and Caspian Sea. In the 14th century, a descendant of Termess named Edigu, a Crimean Tatar from the Manghit tribe and one of Tamerlane's greatest strategists, settled on the south shores of the Black Sea, establishing the Nogai Horde and laying the foundations for the Crimean Khanate. Edigu's death was followed by infighting between his descendants, until, in the 15th century, Khan Yussuf became the head of the Nogai Horde.
Khan Yussuf allied himself with Tsar Ivan the Terrible, but the former allies eventually became enemies. Khan Yussuf's daughter Sumbecca was Queen of Kazan, and when Kazan was razed by Ivan, Khan Yussef's daughter was taken as prisoner to Moscow. After Khan Yussuf died, another period of infighting between his descendants followed until the 17th century, when Abdul Mirza, another descendant, converted to Orthodoxy under the name of Dmitry. After the conversion, Tsar Feodor I bestowed upon him the title of Prince Yussupov. The son of Dmitry, Prince Gregory, was a friend of Peter the Great and helped him with the construction of the Russian Navy.
[edit] 18th and 19th centuries
Prince Boris, the son of Prince Gregory was sent to study with the French Navy at the age of 20 and soon became the Tsar's advisor, and eventually served three sovereigns. During the reign of Empress Elizabeth he was appointed head of the Imperial Schools and, in 1756, encouraged the Empress to form the first Public Theatre in St. Petersburg.
The eldest son of Prince Boris, Prince Nicholas Borissovich, was a keen traveller who spoke five languages and also was a patron of arts. Nicholas served under a series of sovereigns, including Catherine the Great, Paul I and Alexander I as a private councillor and diplomat.
As a diplomat, Prince Nicholas travelled throughout Europe, to France and Versailles, where he met Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, to Germany and Prussia, where he met Frederick the Great, to Austria, where he met Emperor Joseph II, and to Italy. During his journey he purchased a large collection of art for the tsar and was later appointed director of the Hermitage and the Kremlin Armoury. In 1804, Nicholas went to Paris and frequently met Napoleon I, who presented him with a gift of three large tapestries.
In 1795 Nicholas married Tatiana Engelhardt, one of Prince Potemkin's nieces. The couple lived together in Arkhangelskoye Palace, their luxurious summer residence in Moscow. Prince Nicholas built his own porcelain factory there, with much of the artisans from France. In 1831 Nicholas died at the age of 80 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Prince Boris.
At the age of 42, Prince Boris inherited his immense family wealth, including more than 675,000 acres (2730 km²) of land and more than 40,000 servants inhabiting it, but unlike his father, Prince Boris was not a patron of the arts but, instead, was primarily occupied with business concerns. Prince Boris moved to the Moika palace in St. Petersburg (Also known as Yusupov Palace) with his wife, Zinaida, and son Nicholas. The Arkhangelskoye palace was soon derelict; the animals in the palace zoo were sold and much of the collection moved. Boris focused on the family granaries and developed good relationships with the peasants who worked in them. Prince Boris died in 1849.
Prince Boris's eldest son, Prince Nicholas Borissovich was much like his grandfather Nicholas I, a patron of arts. He first served in the chancery of Nicholas I. He bought a large collection of jewelery, including a 36 carat diamond known as Morocco Sultan. The Prince later spent much of his time in southern Europe because of poor health, while also serving the tsar as a diplomat. While in Europe he bought much to adorn his palace on the Moika, including collections of violins and paintings. He married Tatyana Ribeaupierre, a lady-in-waiting to the Empress. The prince was also a talented musician and composer and was a member of several musical societies. In 1866, he published a book about the Yusupov history On the Family of the Yusupov Princes. A Collection of Their Life Stories, Charters and Letters of the Russian Sovereigns to Them.
[edit] 20th century
When Prince Nicholas Yusupov II died in 1891, he was succeeded by his daughter, Zinaida, who was considered a legendary beauty at the time, as well as one of the richest; her suitors included the crown prince of Bulgaria. Princess Zinaida married Count Felix Sumarokov-Elston, son of Count Felix Sumarokov-Elston Sr. They married in 1882. After his father in law died, Felix was granted a special permission from Alexander III of Russia to carry the title Prince Yusupov and Count Sumarokov-Elston and to pass it to his and Zinaida's heir. Prince Felix was appointed adjutant to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich in 1904 and commanded the Guards Cavalry of the Imperial Guards, and in 1914 he was appointed Governor General of Moscow. At the beginning of World War I the Yusupovs owned more than 100,000 acres (400 km²) of land and their industries included sugar beet factories, brick plants, saw-mills, textile and cardboard factories, mines and distilleries, in addition to more than 16 palaces and estates.
The older son of Zinaida and Felix Sumarokov-Elston, Nikolay Felixovich Yusupov (1883-1908) was killed on duel at the age of 26 [1]. The last Yusupov Prince was Prince Felix Yusupov II, Count Sumarokov-Elston, the younger son of Zinaida and Felix Sumarokov-Elston , who is famous for his involvement in the murder of Gregory Rasputin. Felix Yussupov II married Irina, a granddaughter of Tsar Alexander III. After the murder of Rasputin he was exiled to Crimea, but returned to St. Petersburg in 1917 to find the city in massive disorder after the February Revolution. He took with him some of his most precious paintings by Rembrandt and jewelery, and in the autumn of 1917, he left Russia for good to Paris. He was the last Yusupov prince. His daughter married Count Sheremetev and their descendants moved to Greece, although recently they were granted Russian citizenship by the Russian President.
[edit] Sources
- Lost Splendor - Yusupov's self-biography until 1919 (online). Printed in 1952, ISBN 1-885586-58-2.
