Nikolay Borisovich Yusupov lived from 1751 to 1831. He was one of the most educated nobles of the four reigns, from Catherine the Great to Nicholas I. The owner of the famous Arkhangelskoye estate near Moscow, director of the imperial theaters and of porcelain and crystal factories, Yusupov became famous as a collector with an excellent taste in art.

The prince spent a lot of time traveling abroad, where he met the great men of his time: the thinker Denis Diderot, the philosopher Voltaire, and the author of “The Marriage of Figaro” the playwright Pierre Beaumarchais. Yusupov also established relationships with famous artists: Jean-Baptiste Greuze, Angelica Kauffman, Jacques-Louis David, and Antonio Canova, and began collecting paintings, statues, and bronzes in his youth.

He bought art in Europe both for the Hermitage and for his personal museum. His descendant Felix Yusupov mentioned in his memoirs that he obtained permission from

The prince was particularly fond of the magnificent park at Arkhangelskoye:

The estate bought grain for the peasants from neighbors, and the prince’s men were all busy working in the gardens.

The Park was laid out in the French manner: three terraces with marble statues and vases descended to the river; groves and fountains were everywhere. Four houses stood by the water, and a two-hundred-meter greenhouse was situated around each of them. In the Winter Garden, the prince arranged marble benches and fountains, which flaunted “between orange trees and palm trees”. The zoological garden was home to rare foreign animals. Felix Yusupov mentioned that “the Empress Catherine gave him a whole family of Tibetan camels. When they were taken from Tsarskoye to Arkhangelskoye, a special courier daily informed the prince of their health condition”. This Park was open to everyone, and the owner politely bowed when meeting unfamiliar ladies. In Arkhangelskoye, Yusupov also arranged his own theater with a serf troupe of actors.

Under Paul I, the prince received the rank of full privy councilor and the most important state awards: St. Andrew’s Ribbon and the Commandery of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. During the coronations of Paul I, Alexander I, and Nicholas I, the prince served as grand marshal.

Despite the fact that Nikolay Yusupov loved to flaunt his wealth and luxury, this did not prevent him from being a prudent man: he did not squander, but even multiplied his father’s great inheritance.