Grand Duke Felix Yusupov: memoirs, biography, personal life. Yusupov-Sumarokov-Elston Felix Feliksovich (Prince Felix Yusupov Jr.)

As a result of revolutionary events in Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century. many representatives of noble aristocratic families were forced to flee abroad. Many of them managed to found their own businesses in exile and glorify their names throughout Europe. In the 1920s fashion trendsetters in France were noble immigrants from Russia Irina and Felix Yusupov, who founded the fashion house “IrFe” (“Irfe”). Outfits in a luxurious aristocratic style were in great demand not only in Paris, but also in Berlin and London.

(1887-1967) Russian prince, fashion designer and businessman

Complete official name This man - Prince Yusupov, Count Sumarokov-Elston - suggests that he belonged to one of the most noble Russian families. The roots of the Yusupov family go back to the 14th century, when the Nogai Khan Yusuf entered the service of Tsar Ivan IV. Felix's father was part of the inner circle of Nicholas II, and his mother, Zinaida Yusupova, usually accompanied the empress on her trips around Russia.

Felix was the second child in the family. As a child, he was sick a lot, so his mother treated him with special tenderness. The family spent the summer months in Crimea, on the family estate, or went abroad. When the boy was eight years old, he was sent to the Corps of Pages. But the change in situation had a serious impact on Felix’s health, and a year later he was forced to leave the corps. To complete his education, Yusupov entered the Gurevich Gymnasium in St. Petersburg, where children from aristocratic families studied. Having completed it, he wanted to continue his education at St. Petersburg University, but after his brother was killed in a duel in 1908, Felix’s parents sent Felix to England, to Oxford University. He spent the winter months abroad, visiting his parents in Paris during their visits.

Three years later, having received his diploma, Felix Feliksovich Yusupov returned to Russia. In the winter of 1912, he married the daughter of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich Irina, the Tsar’s niece. Together they take part in the solemn celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty.

At the beginning of the First World War, Felix Yusupov, among other representatives of the Russian aristocracy, passes crash course military training and receives an officer rank. His wife becomes a nurse and helps in the hospital. By that time, the Yusupovs had a daughter, Irina.

Felix is ​​part of the inner circle of Nicholas II. This was a period of enormous influence of Grigory Rasputin on royal family. A conspiracy against Rasputin is brewing in the Yusupov house. Felix and his like-minded people (Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich, member State Duma V. Purishkevich) believed that by freeing the Tsar from the influence of Rasputin, they would be able to overcome the influence on Russian politics of the pro-German group that had formed in the upper echelons of power.

On December 29, 1916, Felix Feliksovich Yusupov invited Rasputin to his place for dinner. The conspirators tried to poison the “old man,” but the attempt failed. Rasputin tried to escape, but was shot. His body was secretly taken from the mansion and thrown into the Moika.

Although Felix Yusupov and Grand Duke Dmitry were not openly charged, they were under house arrest. It was then that Felix transferred part of his capital abroad. His situation turned out to be very difficult: the tsar avoided him, the court accused him of murder behind his back, and as a result, Yusupov was ordered by personal order to go to the Rakitnoye estate. Soon his parents arrived there with their wife and daughter. They stayed there until the end of March 1917, when Alexander Kerensky did not allow Felix to return with his family to Petrograd.

After the arrest of Nicholas II and the expulsion of the royal family to Tobolsk, the Yusupovs, like most aristocratic families, went to Crimea, where they wanted to wait troubled times. At the beginning of 1918, the prince made a short trip to Moscow and Petrograd. He managed to remove some paintings and some jewelry from the family estates. He returned to Crimea and began to prepare to leave Russia.

After the start of military intervention, the Yusupov family goes abroad on the English battleship Marlborough. After a short stay in Malta, Felix's parents settled in Rome, and he and his wife stayed in Paris in their own house. From this time on, Paris became the main place of residence of the younger Yusupovs.

At that time, the prince still believed that he would soon return to Russia. In an effort to help the Russian army, he organized a relief committee and opened several enterprises in England that produced uniforms for soldiers and officers. Felix Yusupov gave his London house for emigrants to live in. But the defeat of the white army destroyed all hopes of a quick return to their homeland.

The Yusupovs sell their house in London and settle in Paris, where they sell the family mansion in the city center and move to a modest house in the suburbs. The main source of livelihood is money received from the sale of family jewelry. The post-war economic depression necessitates a trip to the United States. There Yusupov manages to profitably sell several paintings and some jewelry. He also organizes several charity events, which have raised large sums of money to help the families of Russian emigrants.

Returning to France, Felix Feliksovich Yusupov opens the Irfe Model House (the names Irina and Felix were used in the name). Gradually it turns into a profitable enterprise; Yusupov’s daughter Irina becomes a fashion model, demonstrating toilets from famous companies at receptions and parties.

The Yusupovs showed talent as fashion designers. Felix developed several series of dresses, in particular, he was the first to introduce into fashion silk translucent dresses with floral patterns. He also came up with three perfume scents - for blondes, brunettes and redheads. Irina turned out to be a talented fabric artist. The sketches she developed were purchased by famous French fashion designers. Gradually, the Yusupovs managed to open several clothing enterprises in the suburbs of Paris, employing mainly immigrants from Russia.

In 1927, at the suggestion of a French publisher, Felix Yusupov published a book of memoirs, “The End of Rasputin.” In it, he told the story of the conspiracy and murder of the elder, trying to deflect murder charges from the conspirators. The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio announced the start of filming a film based on Yusupov's book. After the release of the film, the prince sued the film studio for insulting his dignity and distorting facts. He won the case and received a large sum, which allowed him to lead a decent lifestyle.

Felix Feliksovich Yusupov again begins to engage in charity work, helping Russian emigrants. He organizes several exhibitions of Russian jewelry, during which donations are collected for the benefit of the Russian diaspora.

The peaceful course of life was interrupted by World War II. Felix Yusupov immediately declared his anti-German position and refused any cooperation with the enemy. After the capture of Paris, the German authorities were afraid to arrest Yusupov, but confiscated his accounts and jewelry stored in the bank. Only after the end of the war did the prince achieve the return of the confiscated goods.

Felix Yusupov lived the rest of his days in his own house located in the suburbs of Paris. His daughter married Count N. Sheremetev, and his wife Irina initiated the release of Yusupov’s memoirs about his past.

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 my home 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 years old. 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 herself 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 ordinary 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. securities, 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 to visit and settled down until the fall. Whether I loved the guests or not depended on their attitude towards the 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 venerable 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 Alexei Mikhailovich once came to my 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 large number 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 for enrollment 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.

Felix Yusupov "Memoirs"

Zinaida Serebryakova Portraits of Felix and Irina Yusupov 1925

Felix Yusupov with his daughter Irina

When the Reds approached Crimea in the spring of 1919, we realized that this was the end. On the morning of April 7, the commander of the British naval forces in Sevastopol appeared at the Araks to see Empress Maria Feodorovna. King George V, due to the prevailing circumstances, considering the empress’s departure necessary and urgent, placed the battleship Marlborough at her disposal. Irina and I boarded the Marlboro, where the Empress was already with Grand Duchess Xenia and my brothers-in-law. Leaving Russia on this day, April 13, we knew that exile was not the worst thing that awaited us. But we could not imagine that even after thirty-two years there would be no end to it!

Felix Yusupov "Memoirs"

Jean Claude Fornet Portrait of Prince Felix Yusupov 1951

Princess Irina Alexandrovna Yusupova 1924

Prince and Princess Yusupov during a charity bazaar

Irina and Felix Yusupov

The Yusupov couple 1932

The Yusupov couple in recent years life

Family burial of the Yusupovs at the cemetery of Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois

On April 13, 1919, the Yusupovs left Russia forever. From Crimea they sailed to Malta, where they received passports and visas for a few family diamonds, and from there they went to Paris, London, and Paris again. They bought a house in the Bois de Boulogne where they lived for many years. In 1924, the Yusupovs opened the Irfe Fashion House (IRFE) in Paris, the name of which consists of the first letters of their names. Many refugees from aristocratic families of Russia worked there... In 1925, the Yusupovs purchased two more houses in Corsica. Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna had to live in exile for 20 years. She buried her husband in a foreign land. She died in 1939. Her final resting place is the Russian cemetery of Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois near Paris. Later, the people dearest to her - her son and both Irins, daughter-in-law and granddaughter - will be buried in the same grave with her.

Fyodor Pavlov Portrait of Prince Felix Yusupov

Sometimes I go out in the evening onto the balcony of my Pierre-Guerin house and in the suburban silence of Auteuil I definitely hear the echo of the past in the distant Parisian noise...

Will I ever see Russia?.. No one is allowed to hope. I’m already in those years when you can’t think about the future unless you’re out of your mind. And yet I still dream about a time that, probably, will not come for me and which I call:

"After the expulsion."

Felix Yusupov "Memoirs"

Belonging to the most influential and wealthy family, Felix Yusupov was a very shocking personality. Loved to dress up as a woman and turn the heads of young officers, involved in the murder of Rasputin, he was known for centuries as a dark figure in Russian history. On the other hand, as if on a scale, his good deeds are balanced: the creation of a fashion house in Paris, patronage and assistance to emigrants from Russia in France. How did demonic vices and good deeds coexist in Yusupov?

Prince's parents

The parents of the imperial dandy were Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova and Count Sumarokov-Elston. The mother was an enviable bride, the owner of a colossal fortune. Not only famous bachelors competed for her hand Russian Empire, but also the aristocrats of Europe. Felix Yusupov remembered her as a beautiful, fragile and very intelligent creature.

Zinaida Nikolaevna was not ambitious, so she married not out of convenience (and she could even lay claim to the royal throne), but out of love. The chosen one was officer Felix Sumarokov-Elston. With his wife's high position, he easily managed to make a career. Moreover, Felix the father was given a princely title by the emperor, and he was also allowed to be called by his wife’s surname.

The marriage of such dissimilar people, a sophisticated princess and an officer, was happy, but not easy. Two children were born: Nikolai, the eldest, and Felix. In 1908, the 25-year-old heir tragically dies during a duel and Felix Yusupov becomes the successor to a huge fortune. His biography will be described below.

Childhood

Childhood is the time when personality is formed, character formation occurs. Yusupov Felix Feliksovich was born in 1887, on March 23.

His youth was spent in luxury and festivities. His mother's favorite, he was very handsome: regular, as if chiseled facial features, in which aristocracy could be traced. Zinaida Ivanovna passionately wanted a girl, so she dressed Felix exclusively in girl’s clothes.

Apparently, the boy had this habit from his distant childhood. Already as a five-year-old child, Yusupov demonstrates his love of dressing up in women's dresses. Not soldiers and games with boys, but his mother's wardrobe - this is his favorite entertainment. Together with his brother Nikolai, they dress up as women and visit taverns, gatherings of women of easy virtue. Felix even performs in a cabaret: he sings one of the parts.

This activity infuriates his father; the boy constantly receives slaps in the face. Felix Feliksovich wanted to see his son as a successor to his military career, and women’s clothes on the boy did not fit into this idea. The relationship between the two Felixes has always been distant.

The hobby continued until the death of Nikolai, Felix’s brother.

Period of life in the Russian Empire

In Russia, the young prince Felix Yusupov was known as an eccentric young man and a rebel. He loved ridiculous antics that extremely surprised the audience. They talk about him, gossip, and create fables. We should not forget that the society of that time was not as accustomed to shocking as modern society, so the shocking actions of young Yusupov stunned many.

As for Yusupov the student, he was not a diligent student. However, he had an amazing mind and the ability to synthesize the necessary information.

First he studied at a private gymnasium, then continued his education at Oxford University. There he united Russian-speaking students into a society and also created a car club.

Yusupov had a special relationship with his mother’s friend, Grand Duchess Elizabeth. She was the Empress's sister. Felix considered the woman a saint; her advice, parting words, and kind attitude helped the young man survive the tragic death of his brother. In 1914, Yusupov married a representative of the Romanov house, Irina, and thus became related to the imperial family.

The First World War finds the young Yusupov couple in Germany. Having returned to St. Petersburg with difficulty, Felix begins to help treat patients at the hospital. In 1915, the Yusupovs’ daughter Irina was born.

The murder of Rasputin: background

Zinaida, Yusupov Felix Feliksovich and even Grand Duchess Catherine saw that because of their closeness to the imperial family, they were suffering, because the attention of the monarchs was focused only on this dark personality.

Indeed, Gregory began to occupy a high position at the emperor's court. The savior of the heir, he was revered by the empress as a saint. All attempts to appeal to common sense were unsuccessful: the empress was adamant and considered everything slander. And the emperor was forced to agree with everything, because the life of the blood heir was in the hands of the elder. Thus, a plan to kill the unwanted “saint” began to be thought out.

Murder plot

Involvement in the murder of Felix was the most direct. However, until the end of his life he will remember this as bad dream. Close friends of Yusupov took part in the conspiracy: deputy Purishkevich, Dmitry Pavlovich, a native of the royal family, and the resident of the British intelligence services O. Rayner was also involved.

To carry out the plan, it was necessary to get closer to Gregory. This role was assigned to Felix. He asks Rasputin to get rid of the vice, to help.

12/17/1916 Rasputin is invited to the Yusupov family mansion, supposedly to meet Irina, Felix’s wife (she is in Crimea at that time). There they first try to poison him, and then the fatal shots are fired.

This crime hides many mysteries, but one thing is clear: Felix himself believed that by doing this he was ridding his beloved country of obscurantism. Indeed, the citizens of the empire breathed a sigh of relief upon learning of Gregory's death.

Suspect Felix Yusupov is exiled to Rakitino, his father’s estate.

Emigration: life in London

The family survives the revolution safely, but emigrates to Europe. Their path ran first to Crimea, then to Malta. Next, Prince Felix Yusupov and his family go to the UK, and his parents go to the capital of Italy.

Until recently, they all hoped that they would still see their native land, but this was not destined to come true.

In London, Felix helps arriving noble refugees. The family does not live in luxury as in their homeland, because they left all the treasures at home. The jewelry that the women were wearing was sold - that’s what they lived on. There were also swindlers who stole from the Yusupovs.

Paris: World War II

Last place of residence is Paris. Irina and Felix Yusupov moved there in 1920. Miraculously, original paintings and some jewelry were taken out of Russia. This was enough to buy a small house. In France, assistance also continues to those who fled the new realities of the country of the Soviets. At the same time, the Yusupov couple opened the Irfé fashion house, but it did not bring them the desired financial well-being.

Funds for living appeared in an unexpected way: a film about Rasputin and his death was released in Hollywood. It was reported there that the elder had love affair with Irina, Felix's wife. It was decided to go to court with charges of libel. As a result, the couple received good compensation.

During the war, Yusupov flatly refused to join the Nazis. They took possession of Felix's family - a very rare pearl. They blackmailed her, but the prince was adamant. As a result, the jewel returned to the family.

In 1942, tragic news arrived: Yusupov’s best friend, who participated with him in the conspiracy against Rasputin, Grand Duke Dmitry, died. Felix mourns his friend for a long time.

After the end of the war, the Yusupovs live in Paris, they barely have enough money, but they do not despair: they are always hospitable, joyful and happy, despite severe hardships. Felix Yusupov, whose photo is in the article, is an example of a truly Russian aristocrat. Unsellable, with self-respect, but at the same time open to helping the disadvantaged.

Wife Irina Alexandrovna

A person’s personality will not be fully revealed unless one delves into his relationship with his spouse. Felix Yusupov's wife was nee Romanova, the Emperor's niece Irina Alexandrovna.

Since the engagement, the relationship of the young people has undergone obstacles. It should be said that Felix himself decided to get married, it was his decision, and not pressure from the family. The young people knew each other since childhood, had tender feelings in their youth, so they were not at all against the wedding. The families also did not object; the union was completely equal: the Romanovs and the richest family in the country. However, the engagement almost fell through due to “well-wishers” who told Irina’s father compromising facts about Felix’s sodomy. The young man convinces his future father-in-law of his innocence, and the wedding takes place.

All their lives in exile, the Yusupov couple was engaged in charity work and helping other emigrants, although they lived very modestly. They are an example of like-minded spouses, zealous patriots of their country.

Probably, for all the good deeds they were destined to live for many years: Felix Yusupov dies in 1968 at the age of 80, 2 years later his faithful wife Irina died.

Descendants of the prince

Unfortunately, the Yusupov couple had only one daughter, Irina. During her emigration, she lives for some time with her grandmother Zinaida, then marries Count Sheremetyev and moves to Rome.

From this union Ksenia is born. Thus, she, her daughter Tatyana and two granddaughters are living direct descendants of the Yusupov family.

The life of Felix Yusupov, the last of the Yusupov princes, is full interesting facts. However, only one is firmly entrenched in history books - about Felix Feliksovich’s involvement in the murder of Grigory Rasputin. “Amateur” will tell about others, no less curious, in his photo collection.

Rich heir

The father of Felix Feliksovich Yusupov - also, by the way, Felix Feliksovich - bore the title of Count Sumarokov-Elston. Only in 1885 did he receive the right to call himself Prince Yusupov, which is why we already know his son, born in 1887, by this name. In general, Felix Yusupov’s father made a dizzying career and, at the end of his years, rose to the position of mayor of Moscow. It was then that little Felix, who was the only heir to a huge family fortune, became one of the most eligible bachelors in the country.

Felix Yusupov at the age of 16, portrait of V. Serov

The father decided to further strengthen his son’s position and sent him to study not just anywhere, but to Oxford University. During his three years at Oxford, Felix, without wasting any time, made influential friends and even organized the Russian Society of Oxford University.

Prince Felix Yusupov poses for Serov's painting

Rebel

Felix was born in the St. Petersburg house of the Yusupov family on the Moika. However, his mother, Zinaida Nikolaevna, was really expecting a girl, but Felix was born. Zinaida Nikolaevna then began to often dress him like a girl, allowed him to play with her magnificent outfits and, in general, allowed him to do everything that is only permissible for a girl.

Yusupov Palace on the Moika

This is where, most likely, the young man’s fascination with women’s outfits and cross-dressing began. For example, in one of his diaries, he recalls: “One evening, when my father and mother were not there, we decided to take a walk, dressed in a woman’s dress. We found everything we needed in my mother’s closet. We dressed up, put on our rouge, put on jewelry, and wrapped ourselves in velvet fur coats. In this form we went into the city. On Nevsky, a haven for prostitutes, we were immediately noticed.” For a long time There were even rumors circulating in society about the count's homosexual inclinations, which, however, have no documentary evidence.

Felix visited officer courses under the Corps of Pages

Marriage

“Tall, thin, slender, with an iconographic face of Byzantine writing,” that’s how pop idol Alexander Vertinsky described Yusupov. Obviously, it was not difficult for a person with such an outstanding appearance and huge fortune to find a profitable match. In 1914, with the consent of the emperor, Felix Yusupov married the niece of Nicholas II, Princess Irina Alexandrovna. For a long time the newlyweds, whom the First world war caught while traveling, they were forced to remain in Europe until the end of hostilities.

Felix Feliksovich and Irina Alexandrovna

A year after the wedding, in 1915, the Yusupovs had a daughter, Irina. Even at that time, being a husband and father, Felix Yusupov writes in his memoirs: “I have always been outraged by human injustice towards those who love differently. You can blame same-sex love, but not the lovers themselves. Normal relationships are contrary to their nature. Are they to blame for being created this way?” Researchers still can’t figure out whether Yusupov is simply demonstrating the freedom of his views, or justifies his hobbies.

During their entire married life, Felix and Irina had only one child.

Not a survivor

It must be said that Yusupov played one of the main roles in the action-packed action film “The Murder of Grigory Rasputin”. Moreover, even the Yusupov family house on the Moika embankment was chosen as the site of Rasputin’s murder.

Wax figures of Felix Yusupov and Grigory Rasputin at the murder site. Exhibition at the Yusupov Palace on the Moika

Judging by the investigation documents, four accomplices gathered in the Yusupov Palace: Yusupov himself, Purishkevich, Prince Dmitry Pavlovich and British intelligence officer Rayner. Rasputin was first poisoned with potassium cyanide, and the dose was given enough to kill five. Then Yusupov went upstairs to get a pistol and shot him in the back. Grigory attacked Felix, who came to make sure that Rasputin was dead, and tried to strangle him. Then Rasputin was shot by all four participants in the conspiracy. Then they beat him some more, just in case. The matter did not end there - Rasputin, riddled with bullets, poisoned and beaten, allegedly tried to escape. He was caught, tied up and thrown into the Neva.

After the revolution

For obvious reasons, Yusupov managed to escape punishment for the murder of Rasputin. He emigrated with his family from the impending revolution. First they reached the Crimea, from there they sailed to Europe, finally stopping in Paris, in a house near the Bois de Boulogne.

Prince Felix Yusupov in exile

Prince Felix Yusupov never returned to Russia again, even by invitation. Felix Feliksovich Yusupov died on September 27, 1967 and was buried in the Russian cemetery of Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois.