Home theater of the Yusupov princes. Halls, living rooms and boudoirs of the Yusupov Palace

One of the most luxurious Palaces of Culture in the Northern capital is, in my opinion, the Palace of Culture for educational workers, located on the Moika embankment at number 94. It is understandable that our teachers inherited such splendor from the previous owners of this building - the princely Yusupov family, who successfully emigrated abroad after the revolution. We must pay tribute that the current owners of the Yusupov Palace not only carefully preserved the princely heritage, but began to manage it wisely. In addition to standard and thematic excursions through the halls of the palace, the Palace of Culture staff constantly organizes performances, concerts and other cultural events in the Yusupov home theater, which is part of the palace complex.

In my opinion, it is the small theater (with only 180 seats) that makes the most unforgettable impression on visitors to the Yusupov Palace. I would like to tell you a little about this temple of Melpomene and Thalia.
The history of the home theater began immediately after the purchase of the palace by Boris Nikolaevich Yusupov in 1830. According to the design of the architect A.A. Mikhailov, a new three-story building was added to the previously existing building on the eastern side, the palace wings were combined, and they housed art galleries and a theater. The interior decoration of the auditorium with lush gilded stucco has survived to this day in the same form as it was completed in 1858-59. architect Ippolit Antonovich Monighetti.

To top it all off, a staircase brought from Europe was added to the entrance to the auditorium from the side of the palace apartments in 1863. A funny thing happened with this staircase. Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov, the son of the first owner of the palace, while traveling around Italy, saw her in one of the ancient villas. He only wanted to buy a staircase, but the owners could only sell it along with the villa. Prince Yusupov had to buy the entire building in order to take the stairs for his theater. But the villa remained in Italy.

The entire theatrical Petersburg gathered at the Yusupovs' home theater! Who has not performed on this stage: Franz Liszt and Pauline Viardot, Fyodor Chaliapin and Anna Pavlova. Famous composers Mikhail Glinka and Alexander Dargomyzhsky, Ludwig Minkus and Hector Berlioz stood at the theater's conductor's stand. Musical and theatrical productions of the Yusupov Theater attracted famous and high-ranking guests, including members of the imperial family.

Currently, educators regularly stage a wide variety of performances and musical productions within the walls of the Yusupovs’ home theater, involving soloists of the Mariinsky and Mikhailovsky theaters, conservatories and operettas in them.

The highlight of some performances is that each new action can take place in a new place: not only in the theater, but also in a white-columned or mirrored hall. For example, for the sparkling operettas of Imre Kalman and Johann Strauss, the state rooms of the palace serve as natural settings. Spectators, moving from hall to hall, find themselves either in the princely house, then in the Orpheum cabaret, or at Prince Orlovsky’s ball.
With the help of such productions, the home theater of the Yusupov princes has now received a second life. And spectators coming to the theater can not only admire the amazing beauty of the interiors, but also enjoy the excellent acoustics, as well as the skill of the actors and musicians.

There are few interiors in the architecture of St. Petersburg that would evoke such a uniform enthusiastic reaction from everyone entering, regardless of age and nationality, as the Home Theater of the Yusupov Palace. It is quite difficult to surprise the sophisticated public of St. Petersburg with anything, but in the unique interior of the Yusupov Theater, created in the 19th century and reaching us in its original form, viewers today have the opportunity to see theatrical performances. Home theaters were already an unusual thing in the second half of the 19th century. This is a tradition, rather, of the eighteenth century. According to eyewitnesses, the entire theater of St. Petersburg gathered in the magnificent Yusupov Home Theater! During these years, Emperor Nicholas I said that theaters were preserved in St. Petersburg only by the Yusupovs and Sheremetevs. Serf artists, famous musicians, titled aristocrats - whoever performed on this stage. Such famous performers as F. Liszt, Polina Viardot, P. Barteneva, F. Chaliapin, L. Sobinov, Anna Pavlova appeared on this stage. M. Glinka, A. Dargomyzhsky, L. Minkus, E. Napravnik, G. Berlioz stood at the theater conductor's stand. The Yusupovs' musical salons and theatrical performances attracted famous and high-ranking guests, often including members of the Russian imperial family. One cannot help but pay attention to the impeccable acoustics of the White Column Hall, the largest in the palace. It was in the White Column Hall of the Yusupov Palace in February 1836 that the first rehearsals of M.I.’s opera took place. Glinka’s “LIFE FOR THE TSAR”, which became the founder of Russian opera music. Large symphony orchestras, jazz and romances sound equally good here. And today the theatrical poster of the Yusupov Palace is very diverse. Here you can listen to new productions of classical operas and sparkling operettas, see fragments of Russian ballets performed by leading artists of St. Petersburg, and theatrical performances for children. The best music continues to be heard within these walls. Orchestras conducted by Y. Temirkanov, S. Gorkovenko, the Kremlin orchestra, the ensemble “Chamber Soloists of St. Petersburg”, soloists of the Mariinsky Theater, the Mikhailovsky Theater, the State Conservatory, and the Musical Comedy Theater have more than once been able to appreciate the merits of this magnificent concert hall. New theatrical productions - promenade performances, in the interiors of the Yusupov Palace, allow each act to unfold in different halls: on the stage of the Home Theater, in the White Column Hall, in the Hall of Mirrors. Opera masterpieces by V. are heard in luxurious interiors. -A. Mozart. The opera “The Magic Flute”, full of light and goodness, is covered in the charm of the music of the great composer. The main motive of this philosophical fairy tale for people of any era is love and goodness. And for the sparkling operettas of J. Kalman and J. Strauss, full of cheerful light, the state rooms of the palace serve as natural settings. Spectators, moving from hall to hall, find themselves either in the princely house, then in the Orpheum cabaret, or at Prince Orlovsky’s ball. A theatrical performance in the ancient interiors of the Yusupov Palace will highlight the sound of the delightful music of the most wonderful operas and operettas. The theater poster of the Yusupov Palace invites St. Petersburg residents and guests of the city to a special theatrical performance - “Yusupov Divertissement”, consisting of arias from famous operas, romances and fragments of classical ballets performed by soloists Opera and Ballet Theater named after. Mussorgsky. The Yusupov Palace also has the honor to invite you to the program “Gala evening at the Yusupov Palace with a ballet divertissement,” as gala performances were called back in the 17th century. Our guests have a unique opportunity to take a guided tour through the state rooms of the palace and visit the exhibition “Grigory Rasputin. Myths and Reality" and enjoy a ballet performance at the Home Theater performed by soloists of St. Petersburg theaters. The theater poster of the Yusupov Palace is compiled two months in advance, and you can either purchase tickets for an evening already scheduled for a specific date or set your own date - in case of ordering and paying for more than 50 tickets for a specific performance. In this case, the date must be agreed upon with us two months before the event itself. “Musical promenades” are a combination of an excursion with musical and dance performances, these are also unique theatrical productions, where the stage action moves from one ancient interior to another, are a constant success among spectators. Performing classical music in state rooms and living rooms, including on authentic Yusupov instruments, allows you to immerse yourself in the unique atmosphere of an aristocratic house. The theater poster of the Yusupov Palace invites our young guests to attend a series of entertaining and educational meetings for schoolchildren and their parents, “The Magic World of the Palace.” Ideas and stories for developing events were taken from history Yusupov mansion on the Moika. The unique aristocratic atmosphere of the Palace, imbued with living history, will help young participants penetrate the veil of secrecy and truly discover the “Magic World of the Palace”, in which the Yusupov princes collected and carefully kept their treasures. The cycle consists of several thematic meetings, each of which has its own name and topic. Theatrical performances are intended for children aged 6 to 12 years. A theatrical performance will help our young guests learn how ancient balls were held, what the mysterious “language of the fan” meant, how the richest collections of works of art in Russia were created, what works of painting, sculpture, porcelain, and jewelry were owned by the country’s famous Yusupov dynasty, how unique interiors for art collections, how the palace hiding places were arranged... Little guests will come into contact with the amazing stories and secrets of the Palace associated with the Yusupov treasures! Each theatrical performance will contain a special surprise in the form of theatrical activities and games! We are restoring the long-lost tradition of secular salons, and the theater poster of the Yusupov Palace offers guests another unique program “Concert in the Tapestry Living Room”. This theatrical performance includes a story about the history of the Yusupov Palace on the Moika, a tour of the state rooms, poetic dedications to members of the Yusupov family, and, of course, music. Performance of musical works on an ancient Yusupov harmonium and a unique duet of harmonium and piano. The refined atmosphere, which is characteristic of all cultural and theatrical events of the Yusupov Palace, still forms the basis of its creative life. Traditions and innovation coexist harmoniously within the walls of the ancient princely house. We will always be glad to see you among our guests.

St. Petersburg is a city of theaters. Today there are more than a hundred of them. There are drama theatres, opera and ballet theatres, musical theaters and puppet theatres, philharmonic societies and chapels, variety theaters and mime theatres, theater and concert venues. The decoration is luxurious, imperial and modestly democratic. But among them there is one - the most precious pearl in the theater crown of the city - this is the home theater of the Yusupov princes.

The miniature theater, designed for 180 people, makes an indelible impression on all visitors to the Yusupov Palace. It began to be built almost from the moment Prince Boris Nikolaevich Yusupov acquired the palace from Countess Alexandra Vasilievna Branitskaya in 1830.

According to the design of the architect A. A. Mikhailov, a new three-story building was added to the previously existing building on the eastern side, the palace wings were combined, and they housed art galleries and a theater. The interior decoration of the auditorium with lush gilded stucco has survived to this day in the form in which it was completed in 1858-1859 by the architect Ippolit Antonovich Monighetti.

According to eyewitnesses, the entire theatrical Petersburg gathered in the magnificent Yusupov Home Theater. Serf artists, famous musicians, titled aristocrats - whoever performed on this stage! Such famous performers as Fernz Liszt, Pauline Viardot, Praskovya Barteneva, Fyodor Chaliapin, Leonid Sobinov, Anna Pavlova performed there. The theater's conductors were Mikhail Glinka, Alexander Dargomyzhsky, Ludwig Minkus, Eduard Napravnik, and Hector Berlioz. The Yusupovs' musical salons and theatrical performances attracted famous and high-ranking guests, often including members of the Russian imperial family.

White Column Hall

And today the theatrical poster of the Yusupov Palace is very diverse. Here you can listen to new productions of classical operas and sparkling operettas, see fragments of Russian ballets performed by leading artists of St. Petersburg, and theatrical performances for children. New theatrical productions - promenade performances, in the interiors of the Yusupov Palace, allow each act to unfold in different halls: on the stage of the Home Theater, in the White Column Hall, in the Hall of Mirrors.

Hall of Mirrors

For example, for the sparkling operettas of Imre Kalman and Johann Strauss, full of cheerful light, the state rooms of the palace serve as natural settings. Spectators, moving from hall to hall, find themselves either in the princely house, then in the Orpheum cabaret, or at Prince Orlovsky’s ball. A theatrical performance in the ancient interiors of the Yusupov Palace will highlight the sound of amazing music from the most wonderful operas and operettas.

Come and enjoy

In the meantime, let's start with a short tour of the theater. The Yusupov Theater is unique in many ways. As everyone has long known, theater begins with a hanger. Here this saying is not valid. Of course, there is a hanger, but it is located at the other end of the building. And our theater hall begins with the “foyer”. This "foyer" is the Roman Hall, decorated with busts, vases and candelabra.

In the middle of the hall there is a staircase that leads to the pearl of the palace - the THEATER. In most theaters in the world, to get to the theater hall, you need to climb the stairs. And in this case - go down.

This staircase appeared in 1863, and there is an interesting story associated with it. Prince Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov, traveling around Italy, saw her in one of the ancient villas and “fell in love at first sight.” He offered the owner to buy it, but he refused to sell it separately from the villa. Without thinking twice, Yusupov bought a villa, took the stairs with him, and left the building in place.

So, we went down to the theater hall. At the bottom of the stairs we are greeted by a small antechamber.

We pass it and find ourselves in the “holy of holies”. The hall consists of a ground floor and two tiers

By the way, the chairs and sofas on the sides of the room are original. Sitting on them you can feel like an influential person.

The ceiling of the hall is decorated with a large lampshade with an allegorical scene “Morning drives away the night” by the artist E. Lipgart (1899).

It amazes with its charming halls, living rooms, offices and boudoirs, arranged and furnished with the finest taste and greatest craftsmanship. Famous and venerable architects took part in their creation: Jean-Baptiste-Michel Vallin-Delamott, Andrei Alekseevich Mikhailov, Ippolit Antonovich Monighetti, Andrei Yakovlevich Beloborodov, famous and skillful decorative artists: Scotti, Vigi, Medici, Torricelli and others.

Today, the state halls, living rooms, living quarters of the Yusupov princes on the 1st and 2nd floors, the home theater, service and other premises are open to everyone who wants to get acquainted with one of the most majestic mansions of the Northern capital. The rooms are decorated with French tapestries and porcelain, Venetian mirrors and wood carvings, original works by Rembrandt, Rubens and other great masters of the decorative and artistic arts.

White Column Hall

The White Column or Banquet Hall is the largest in the palace, 2 floors high with the best ceremonial interior of the 18th - early 20th centuries. It is not surprising that balls, concerts, charity and other events were often held here. The space is arranged with twenty-four columns. It was designed by Andrey Mikhailov.

In the foyer there is a sculpture of Dionysus made of marble - an analogue of the ancient version. Dionysus is the god of wine and fun. Therefore, an appropriate atmosphere is immediately created at the entrance. In this hall with excellent acoustics they rehearsed “Life for the Tsar” by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka. Opera became the founder of Russian opera art.

Dance hall

This room in the Yusupov mansion is very bright and pleasant. The eternal classic is reflected in it. The architect Mikhailov was involved in its arrangement in the 1830s. In the 1890s, it underwent reconstruction, which was carried out by the architect Alexander Vladimirovich Stepanov.

At the balls here, the entire flower of St. Petersburg high society danced and shone. The most honorable visitors were members of the imperial family. The decor is crowned with amazing mirrors that visually expand the room.

Red living room

The red living room is also called Golden, Raspberry or Imperial, Imperial. Made by architect Mikhailov in the 1830s. Today, on the wall hangs a portrait of the first mistress of the palace, Princess Zinaida Ivanovna Yusupova. During the lifetime of the owners, this place was occupied by a portrait of the reigning emperor.

There is a set of 28 pieces of carved gilded furniture here. The parquet flooring is made from various species of tropical trees. The ceiling painting represents the plot of Homer's poem "The Iliad", painted by the Italian artists Medici and Scotti in the 1830s. On the chandelier made of gilded bronze and crystal is the figure of Apollo.

Blue living room

The blue living room, representing the style of late Russian classicism, was furnished in the 1830s according to Mikhailov's design. On the central wall hangs a portrait of an unknown lady by the artist Viktor Karlovich Stember.

The room is furnished with a walnut set, which consists of 16 pieces. It was made in the style of strict French classicism or Louis XVI. Overall, the room has an eclectic feel.

Old sources say about it that “this is partly a stylistic and compositional repetition of the Red Living Room, but in a different color scheme.” The furniture arrangement here, as in the Red Living Room, is classic: sofas, armchairs and chairs are grouped around decorative tables.

Green living room

The green living room follows the style of late Russian classicism. Its interior appeared in the 1830s thanks to the architect Andrei Mikhailov. Furniture from Karelian birch was made by domestic cabinetmakers at the beginning of the 20th century.

The main decoration of the room is a fireplace made of Ural malachite, lined with Russian mosaic techniques. This creation was created in the 1860s by Ippolite Monighetti. The ceremonial porcelain vases on the fireplace were painted by European masters in the 19th century.

Princess's bedroom

The walls of the corridor leading to the princess's living quarters are decorated with Pompeian frescoes. Boudoirs and rooms were furnished by architects Mikhailov in the 1830s, then Monighetti in 1858-1860s and Stepanov in the 1890s. The princess's bedroom is not so pompous, but more intimate and cozy. It is furnished with a set consisting of 6 chairs, 2 armchairs and a sofa.

There are several tables: a turtle bedside table made of brass and gilded bronze; ladies' room made of mahogany, made using the marquetry technique at the end of the 18th century; for handicrafts made of walnut; with a round tabletop made of wood and cloisonne enamel.

There are sculptures: “Girl on a Pillow” and “Laughing Cupid” made of marble, as well as a painting by an unknown artist “Girl with Cupid”. The interior is ideally complemented by an onyx fireplace in the Louis Philippe style.

Great rotunda

This front office was decorated in the style of late classicism by the architect Mikhailov and the artists Vigi and Travin in the 1830s. The composition of the Rotunda is an obligatory component of the ceremonial suite. The concept is taken from the architecture of round ancient temples. However, the rotunda of the Yusupov Palace has its own highlight - the circle is created by 8 columns, inscribed in the rectangular plan of the hall.

The dome on the ceiling is decorated to resemble a starry sky; the ceiling painting was done by Travin in the 1830s. The walls here are made of artificial marble with paintings by Viga. A fireplace made of white Italian marble, as well as a large armorial floor lamp made of gilded bronze, made in Gede’s St. Petersburg workshop in the 1830s, look great in the interior. Candelabra vases were made from porcelain and gilded bronze in the mid-19th century in France.

Nikolaevsky Hall

This hall was named after the founder of the gallery - one of the first halls of the art gallery, named after Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov Sr., who marked the beginning of the genealogy of the art collection.

There are ceremonial marble sculptural portraits of the owners of the mansion - Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov and his son Boris Nikolaevich Yusupov. They were sculpted by the sculptor Vitali.

Hall of Preciosa

The word "preciosa" means "precious" in Italian. The hall was decorated in the 1890s by the architect Stepanov. It contained over a thousand valuable paintings. Among them were masterpieces by Rembrandt, Rubens and many other famous artists of the world.

Under the USSR, a large number of paintings were taken out of here and distributed to various museums in the city. Part was lost. Nowadays, visitors can see here paintings by Russian artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Antonio Viga Hall

The hall was decorated by the architects Valen-Delamot in the 1770s, also Mikhailov in the 1830s and Simon in the 1840s. The ceiling is decorated with the canvas “The Triumph of Hercules” by the Italian artist Viga, after whom the hall was named. Also hanging on the wall is a portrait of Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova - the work of the artist Makovsky.

Henry II's drawing room

The name of the hall determined its design, created in the Renaissance style of the era of Henry II. The interior decoration of the hall is due to the brilliant design of Monighetti.

Attractive here is the furniture set, made from solid pear and the only genuine 19th-century woolen fabric in the palace. The most unique thing is the fireplace finial, which is a copy from the Chateau de Villerois in the Louvre.

Prince's office and library

The book collection of the Yusupov family was one of the largest and most valuable in Russia. Under the owners, the Bible on parchment from 1462 was kept here, and ancient medals and coins were displayed in the display cases. A secret door was discovered behind one of them in 1925. 27 letters from Pushkin were found in a secret treasury.

Turkish cabinet

The room was combined with a billiard room, where they not only played the game of the same name, but also organized vocal concerts. Here, hollow clay vessels – voice boxes – were built into a wall niche, which improves the acoustics of the room.

White cabinet

This office was created in the Rococo style by the architect Stepanov. Comfort and warmth, cordiality and joy are best conveyed by furniture made of soft sofas and other items of unobtrusive and delicate colors in combination with wonderful mirrors.

The central wall is decorated with a portrait of the owner of the office, Zinaida Yusupova, by the famous Russian artist Valentin Serov.

Moorish living room

The oriental style of the room speaks of the fashionable passion of the home owners. The architect Monighetti worked on the living room in 1858-1860, and it was redesigned by the artist Stepanov in the 1890s. The hall pleasantly surprises with the wonderful and unusual lining of the walls in embossed leather with golden Arabic script. The corners are occupied by unique sculptural works.

Oak dining room

The dining room was created from solid oak according to the design of the architect Stepanov in the 1890s. The decoration contains heraldic motifs. The oak dining table was brought here from Venice. Each table leg imitates a winged lion - a symbol of Venice.

Wardrobe

This room is interesting because real oak cabinets that contained the prince’s clothes have been preserved here. Also, it is very interesting that behind the door of one of them there was a marble bath.

The prince's living quarters

The bedroom was created by the architect Stepanov in the 1890s. The walls are decorated with portraits of Princess Zinaida Yusupova, Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov Jr., as well as the granddaughter of the last owners of the mansion - Princess Ksenia Nikolaevna Yusupova-Sheremeteva, married to Sfiri. In the 90s of the last century, she visited the Yusupov family estate.
There is a unique stained glass window made in Paris. The prince's chambers included a dining room (pantry) and a porcelain boudoir.

mansion basement

The Yusupov Palace gained worldwide fame after the murder of Rasputin, which took place in the basement of the house on a December night in 1916. The conspirators, together with Felix Yusupov, were sure that the old man from the Siberian village had too much influence on the imperial family. Now in the basement there is an exhibition dedicated to this tragic event.

Home theater

The theater is one of the most valuable pearls of the mansion. It has classic proportions and exquisite decor. The space has unique acoustics. It was created in 1858-1859 by Monighetti, and rebuilt by Stepanov in 1899. The original stage with a curtain that is raised by hand has survived to this day. The chairs also retain their original, and good appearance.

The most famous people of that time gathered at the Yusupov Palace. The brightest stars of the creative sky shone on these stages: the famous vocalist Pauline Viardot, the unsurpassed Fyodor Chaliapin, Anna Pavlova danced her parts, the outstanding pianist Franz Liszt played music.

Orchestras led by Glinka and Temirkanov came to give concerts. Leading soloists of the Mariinsky and Mikhailovsky theaters considered it an honor to perform on stage with the Yusupovs. Monarchs and their families frequented the theater.

And today this theater venue offers viewers a variety of productions from classics to avant-garde. Here you can see performances by masters of Russian ballet, hear arias from classical operas and frivolous operettas, or bring your children to children's performances.

Now famous artists perform on this platform, including Hvorostovsky, Fleming, Gerello, Vasiliev. Performers of contemporary music that have become classics, such as “Time Machine,” perform. Theater troupes from the world's leading theaters present their productions in the luxurious interior of the house theater, designed for 180 spectators.

The Yusupov Palace offers an extensive cultural program for visitors: exhibitions, theatrical performances, seminars and forums. It hosts high-level meetings as well as private events.