In 1840, in the center of the Rakitnoye settlement, on one of the elevated semi-hills, Prince Boris Yusupov began the construction of a large two-story stone house, which was not inferior in size to the capital palaces. This building has survived to this day. The house is located in the very center of the village, its facade overlooks the central square.
The building was created by the Yusupov serfs in six years. At the personal request of the prince, the palace was designed by the famous Italian architect Giacomo Florenti. The architecture of the palace uses the techniques of classicism, elements of the baroque and forms of Russian architecture. The main hall from the facade is distinguished by three large ogee windows on the second floor and a long balcony with an openwork forged fence.
The Yusupov family visited Rakitnoye every year. In the winter, they lived in St. Petersburg and Moscow, in the summer — in Arkhangelskoye, in the fall, they came to Rakitnoye, and at the end of October, they went to the Crimea.
The park was also landscaped on the territory of the estate. They laid out alleys, installed fountains, and planted an orchard. Cascading ponds were laid in the park, as well as men’s and women’s plunge tubs, which were connected by a bridge of love.
The total area of the house was 1340 square meters. It was divided into two halves: the owners stayed in one, the other was reserved for the office. A large farm had to be constantly supervised. Rakitnoye became the center of management of the princes’ estates in the Kursk, Voronezh, Kharkov and Poltava Governorates.
The photo shows the interior of the living room, which the Yusupovs called the green room. Here, they received high-ranking guests. Grand Duke Sergei Romanov and his wife Elizabeth often came to the estate to hunt, and in the evenings, they played cards with the owners in this room. Memories of his visit to Rakitnoye settlement were preserved in the diaries of the Grand Duke.
The appearance of the estate in Yusupov times has been preserved in photographs from the beginning of the 20th century — the period when Princess Zinaida Yusupova was the owner of the estate. These photographs were provided to the museum by Valentina Nabok, the collections curator of the Yusupov Palace on the Moika in St. Petersburg.
The building was created by the Yusupov serfs in six years. At the personal request of the prince, the palace was designed by the famous Italian architect Giacomo Florenti. The architecture of the palace uses the techniques of classicism, elements of the baroque and forms of Russian architecture. The main hall from the facade is distinguished by three large ogee windows on the second floor and a long balcony with an openwork forged fence.
The Yusupov family visited Rakitnoye every year. In the winter, they lived in St. Petersburg and Moscow, in the summer — in Arkhangelskoye, in the fall, they came to Rakitnoye, and at the end of October, they went to the Crimea.
The park was also landscaped on the territory of the estate. They laid out alleys, installed fountains, and planted an orchard. Cascading ponds were laid in the park, as well as men’s and women’s plunge tubs, which were connected by a bridge of love.
The total area of the house was 1340 square meters. It was divided into two halves: the owners stayed in one, the other was reserved for the office. A large farm had to be constantly supervised. Rakitnoye became the center of management of the princes’ estates in the Kursk, Voronezh, Kharkov and Poltava Governorates.
The photo shows the interior of the living room, which the Yusupovs called the green room. Here, they received high-ranking guests. Grand Duke Sergei Romanov and his wife Elizabeth often came to the estate to hunt, and in the evenings, they played cards with the owners in this room. Memories of his visit to Rakitnoye settlement were preserved in the diaries of the Grand Duke.
The appearance of the estate in Yusupov times has been preserved in photographs from the beginning of the 20th century — the period when Princess Zinaida Yusupova was the owner of the estate. These photographs were provided to the museum by Valentina Nabok, the collections curator of the Yusupov Palace on the Moika in St. Petersburg.
