The copy of the State Archive’s important historical document — the Decree on transfer of the Rakityansky lands to Prince Grigory Yusupov is housed in the museum. Emperor Peter II signed the original in the 18th century.

The history of Rakityansky district dated back to the second half of the 17th century. As appeared in the historical documents, gradual settlement of lands along the Rakitna River started in the middle of this century, during the establishment of the Belgorod fortifications. The soldier Yelizarii Yakovlev and the scrivener Zinovka Markov traveled from the river Pena mouth to Bakayev highway, the river Vorskla and further to measure the distance and determine the places for ostrogs construction so that to protect the Russian land from the Crimean Tatars raids.

They wrote in their report:

Therethrough in 1652, a guard ostrog (small wooden fort) was built on the right bank, and under its protection, the first inhabitants, Ukrainians, and Russian back-settlers from frontier towns and central Russia settled there.

The Ukrainian hetman Kochubey — a companion of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, became the first owner of the land, even before its name had been known. Then, his son-in-law Mazepa became the landowner. He was also the great historical figure but became famous in a negative way: Mazepa betrayed the Russian tsar in the course of the Battle of Poltava. For this, the existed Patriarch anathematized him, which meant giving a malediction in Christian culture.

In 1709, the lands were transferred to Prince Alexander Menshikov, a close companion of Peter the Great. After the death of the first Emperor, he was in exile in the Berezov town, and his estate was confiscated and transferred to Grigory Yusupov, along with a number of the other villages. Prince Yusupov also obtained a large ancient stone house in Moscow, and today this house is located on Bolshoy Kharitonyevskiy lane.

From then on, the Yusupov Princes owned the Rakitnaya sloboda for almost two centuries: from 1729 until the 1917 revolution. As long as 188 years, these lands remained with the same owners: they were never transferred, nor gifted or gambled away, although in those days such scenario could be common.