Yusupov Palace: visit, Rasputin’s murder and tickets

Yusupov Palace is one of the must-see museums in St. Petersburg and, above all, the actual scene of Rasputin’s murder in December 1916. Its modest yellow façade on the banks of the Moika River hides more than 35 rooms and cabinets behind doors of an opulence that, at its peak, surpassed even the tsar’s. In this guide I’ll tell you what to see, how much tickets cost in 2026, how to get there and which tours to book.

Why Yusupov Palace is worth your time

St. Petersburg has roughly 260 palaces and most visitors do the obvious circuit on autopilot: Hermitage, Peterhof, Catherine Palace and home. But if you’re interested in the intimate history of the imperial nobility, Yusupov is the one that’s going to surprise you the most. These are the reasons I’d add it to any St. Petersburg itinerary:

• It’s the actual scene of Rasputin’s murder, preserved exactly as it was, with wax figures of both the conspirators and the victim himself.
• It has its own private rococo theatre, still in use today, where Glinka, Liszt, Chaliapin, Anna Pavlova and Pauline Viardot all performed.
• There are 17 rooms each decorated in a different style: neoclassical, rococo, Russian Empire, Moorish-Oriental… each one is practically a museum in its own right.
• Access is by timed sessions, in groups of no more than 20 people. No crowds.
• There are 10 different tour routes, so you can choose whether you just want the highlights or whether you’d like to step inside the princes’ private apartments too.
• It’s right in the city centre, a 10-15 minute walk from the Mariinsky, St. Isaac’s Cathedral and Palace Square.

Who were the Yusupovs and why they matter

The original building dates from the 18th century, but the palace you see today is the work of the Yusupov family, who bought it in 1830 and lived in it for five generations, right up until the 1917 Revolution. Their origins were surprising: they descended from Yusuf, leader of the Nogai Horde, and from the famous Tatar queen Söyembikä. After Abdul-Murza’s conversion to Christianity in the late 17th century, the Yusupovs were absorbed into the Russian nobility until they became one of the richest dynasties of the Empire.

To give you a sense of scale: in addition to this palace in St. Petersburg, they owned 57 properties across Russia, including the Arkhangelskoye estate just outside Moscow and two imposing mansions in Crimea (Koreiz and Kokoz). Their art collection included works by Rembrandt and Rubens, which after nationalisation in 1918 ended up partly in the Hermitage and the Russian State Museum. The last owner, Prince Felix Yusupov, had a personal fortune greater than the tsar’s.

After the Revolution the family fled to Crimea and from there into exile in England and France. Felix Yusupov died in Paris in 1967 and left his own account of the night of the murder in his memoirs. During the Soviet era the palace served as a House of Teachers and a hospital during the Siege of Leningrad (it was hit by several shells but was not destroyed), and in the 21st century it was fully restored to its pre-revolutionary appearance after a long and meticulous renovation.

The state rooms and interiors you’ll walk through

The most spectacular part of the visit is the main state rooms on the second floor, which form the parade enfilade overlooking the Moika. Here you’ll find a sweep through the architectural styles of the 18th and 19th centuries, all restored to an extremely high standard. These are the spaces you can’t miss:

• The Grand Staircase: the first impression is breathtaking. A white marble staircase under an enormous crystal chandelier, flanked by two Egyptian sphinxes.
• The Grand Rotunda: eight Ionic columns supporting a painted dome. The curious thing is that the room is square in plan; the architect Mikhailov inscribed a circle of columns inside the square and created a vault that gives a sense of circular space. The ceiling frescoes are by Antonio Vighi.
• The White-Column Hall (banqueting hall): the largest in the palace (445 m²) and double-height, with 24 artificial marble columns and capacity for 200 guests. Glinka used to rehearse A Life for the Tsar here because the acoustics are excellent.
• The Red Hall (or Imperial Hall): gold and crimson tones, carved furniture and a ceiling with mythological scenes. The most lavish room in the palace.
• The Blue Hall: pure Russian classicism, with the original decoration preserved down to the smallest detail and a portrait of an anonymous lady as the centrepiece.
• The Green Hall, the Nicholas Hall (with family busts and heraldic shields) and the Ballroom: the latter, decorated by Stepanov in 1890, was the heart of the family’s social life.
• The Moorish (or Arab) Hall: a nod to the Yusupovs’ Eastern origins. It has a Carrara marble fountain in the centre, walls lined with embossed leather featuring Arabic calligraphy in gold, marble floors and scalloped arches. One of the most photogenic corners.
• The Oak Dining Room and the Antonio Vighi Hall: featuring panels painted in fresco by the Italian master who gives the room its name.

The private apartments (longer routes)

If you book one of the longer routes (#4, #5 or #6), you’ll also step into the prince’s private apartments and Princess Zinaida’s boudoirs, which for me are the most intimate and interesting part of the palace:

• The Porcelain Boudoir: neo-rococo style, with a lamp shaped like a flower basket and a mirrored ceiling. This is where Zinaida used to dress and receive her dressmakers.
• The Persian (or Oriental) Boudoir: walls and floors covered with rugs and Oriental paintings.
• The main Bedroom: done in blue tones, with a corner onyx fireplace and a set of original carved furniture.
• Prince Nikolai Yusupov’s Study: where 16th-century bibles, coins, decorations and thousands of antique books were kept. It has a secret passageway which, in 1925, revealed 27 previously unknown letters by Pushkin.
• The “Young Couple’s Half”: the eastern wing where Felix and Irina Yusupov moved in after their 1914 wedding. This is where you’ll find Felix’s famous Roman bath chamber, with a white marble pool and a design inspired by the classical thermae.

The murder of Rasputin: what’s preserved and where

If there’s one episode that has made this palace famous worldwide, it’s the murder of Grigori Rasputin on the night of 16-17 December 1916 (Julian calendar; that corresponds to 29-30 December on the Gregorian calendar). The crime happened in the private apartments of the young Prince Felix Yusupov, who was 29 years old at the time.

Rasputin, that Siberian peasant turned wandering monk and later mystic-healer at the court, had become indispensable to Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna because he calmed the haemophilia attacks of the heir Alexei. His political influence over the imperial family was so great, and so badly viewed by the aristocracy, that a group of conspirators decided to eliminate him. The plot was led by Felix Yusupov, with the help of his brother-in-law Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, the State Duma deputy Purishkevich, Dr Lazovert and the officer Sukhotin.

The classic version of the crime, told by Felix Yusupov himself in his memoirs, goes like this: first they served him cakes and wine laced with cyanide, then they shot him several times and finally they dumped his body in the Neva River through a hole in the ice. Later forensic evidence has called parts of that story into question and there are still grey areas: how exactly he died, what role the British secret services played, why the conspirators got off with barely more than internal exile. It’s an open case with its share of legend.

Inside the palace there’s a permanent exhibition titled “The Murder of G. Rasputin”, set up in the basement where the events actually took place. You walk through it in this order:

• Felix Yusupov’s study (the “conspirators’ room”), where the murder was planned.
• The small vestibule through which Rasputin entered that night.
• The basement dining room, recreated with the same table, the same dishes and the same furniture as on the night of the crime. Inside it stands a pair of life-sized wax figures of Rasputin and Felix Yusupov drinking the poisoned tea, with a realism that’s frankly unsettling.

The exhibition is rounded out with photographs, documents and archive material about Rasputin’s personality, his relationship with the imperial family and the days after the murder. As a quirky aside, museum staff sometimes say that “Rasputin comes back”: objects that get moved around overnight with no explanation. Take that one with a pinch of salt.

Important: this exhibition is only included on certain routes (those marked as Маршрут №2, №4 and №6). If you want to see the exact spot of the murder, make sure you book one of those. Route #2 is the most balanced option for a first visit: state rooms + Rasputin exhibition, around 1 h 30 min and 1,050 ₽.

The Yusupovs’ private theatre

One of the great surprises of the palace is that the Yusupovs had their own private theatre, built in the late 1850s and remodelled at the end of the 19th century. It’s a miniature jewel, decorated in baroque-rococo style, with seating for around 180 people and exceptional acoustics. In the centre of the first balcony is the royal box, reserved for members of the imperial family whenever they attended performances.

The names that took to this stage are extraordinary: Glinka conducting the orchestra, Liszt at the piano, Pauline Viardot, Fyodor Chaliapin and the ballerina Anna Pavlova. It still operates today as a venue and hosts classical opera, Russian ballet, chamber concerts, recitals and children’s shows. Tickets to performances are sold separately (they’re not included in the palace visit) on the official ticket website.

One detail that’s worth knowing: entry to evening performances is via the Moika Embankment 94 entrance, not the main entrance. A small but useful point: if you’re going to a show, don’t head to Dekabristov.

“Mysteries”: the immersive show that’s genuinely worth it

Over the past couple of years the palace has launched something different: “Mysteries” (Мистерии), an immersive theatrical experience that in 2026 has already passed the 200-performance mark. It’s not a conventional play: the audience moves through the state rooms and the private apartments following one of four characters from the Yusupov family (Felix, Nikolai, Tatiana or Irina), and lives the dynasty’s story from the inside.

There are two versions: “Mysteries. A Theatrical Game in the House of the Yusupovs”, which takes place in the old wing and the theatre, and “Mysteries. A Theatrical Reception at the Yusupov Palace”, which is set in the main state rooms on the second floor. If you’re going to spend several days in St. Petersburg and want something out of the ordinary, it’s a very original experience. Tickets are also sold via the palace website.

The rest of the complex: Konyushenny wing, church and gardens

The Yusupov complex is more than just one building. Apart from the main palace, there are three other spaces worth knowing about.

The Konyushenny Wing (the former stables)

Renovated and reopened in 2015, this is the most modern corner of the complex. It has two floors in a “loft” style with exposed brick walls and is used for temporary exhibitions, lectures, children’s concerts and experimental theatre productions. It only opens when there’s programming on. If your dates coincide with a series like “MultiClassics” (children’s concerts such as Saint-Saëns’s The Carnival of the Animals) or the chamber music programme, that’s a bonus.

The Church of the Protection of the Mother of God

Built in the 1880s as the princes’ private chapel, it witnessed all the family’s important moments (including the christening of Felix’s daughter Irina, attended by Tsar Nicholas II and the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna). It’s in Byzantine style and was restored in 2005 after decades of being closed. Entry is free via the Moika Embankment 94 and on Wednesdays at 10:00 there’s a religious service.

The gardens

A small historic park reopened in February 2016 after extensive restoration. Entry is free via Dekabristov Street 21 and it’s open daily from 09:00 to 20:30. A good spot to sit and catch your breath after the visit, especially in spring and summer. In summer it also hosts events from the International Music Festival “Palaces of St. Petersburg”, which runs from 1 May to 31 July, coinciding with the White Nights.

Routes and updated prices (2026)

The palace runs on a system of ten numbered routes, each with a different itinerary and a different price. The idea is that you choose according to the time you have and what interests you most. All visits are by timed sessions, in groups of up to 20 people, and to make sure you join the right group you need to arrive at the palace at least 30 minutes before the time printed on your ticket. The last session of the day is at 18:00 and the ticket office closes 10 minutes earlier.

These are the reference prices for 2026 (one euro is roughly 83 ₽; one US dollar around 78 ₽):

• Route #1 – Main state rooms and theatre (1 h 10 min): 900 ₽. The most affordable option to get a feel for the palace. No Rasputin murder exhibition.
• Route #2 – Main state rooms + “Murder of Rasputin” exhibition (1 h 30 min): 1,050 ₽. This is the flagship route for a first visit and the one I’d recommend if you’re only going to come once. Age rating 16+.
• Route #3 – Main state rooms + prince’s apartments (1 h 30 min): for those who’d rather get to know the intimate life of the Yusupovs than focus on the Rasputin episode.
• Route #4 – State rooms + prince’s apartments + Rasputin (1 h 45 min): the most complete mid-sized combination.
• Route #5 – State rooms + prince’s apartments + princess’s boudoirs + young couple’s half (2 h): around 1,250 ₽. No Rasputin exhibition, but everything else.
• Route #6 – Everything above + “Murder of Rasputin” exhibition (2 h 30 min): 1,350 ₽. The most comprehensive. If you’re only going to visit once and you have 3 hours in total counting entry and internal movement, this is the one that will give you the most.

On top of these standard routes there are themed excursions with fixed schedules, all in Russian, including:

• “Triumph of Taste” (Торжество вкуса): 2 h 30 min. A walk through the state rooms, the private apartments and the theatre, a stroll around the estate and a finale with aristocratic tea in the 18th-century garden pavilion, with pastries prepared from historic recipes.
• “Raising the Curtain” (Открывая занавес): 2 h. A visit with backstage access to the private theatre.
• “Excursion with a Musical Miniature”: 1 h 30 min. A tour of the state rooms accompanied by a short live musical performance.
• “Time of Renewal”: a new summer offering, an author-led excursion focused on how the palace was restored after the Revolution.
• Interactive family programmes for parents with children aged 4-6 and 7-10 (October to April only).

If you want to take photos inside, bear in mind there’s a 150 ₽ supplement. As for discounts: children under 7 enter for free and students pay a reduced rate.

How to buy tickets

This is the part that tends to raise the most questions for travellers coming from Europe or the Americas. You have two options:

• Online on the official website: tickets.yusupov-palace.ru. The catch is that the payment gateway rejects Visa and Mastercard cards issued outside Russia. If you have a Russian MIR card, this is the quick and direct option.
• At the palace ticket office (entrance via Dekabristov 21, open 09:30 to 18:00 daily). With roubles in cash there’s no problem. In high season (June, July and weekends) some sessions sell out, so go with time to spare or, better, first thing in the morning.

Updated opening hours

• Ticket office and complex entry: 09:30 to 18:00 (daily, no weekly closing day). The last session starts at 18:00 and ticket sales close at 17:50.
• Palace exhibitions: 10:00 to 19:30, daily.
• Park and gardens: 09:00 to 20:30 (free entry).
• Konyushenny Wing: only opens during scheduled events.

How to get to the Yusupov Palace

The palace has two entrances, around 520 metres apart, depending on the kind of visit you’re doing:

• Dekabristov Street, 21 (behind the palace): this is the main entrance for individual visits, small groups and all exhibition routes. The ticket office is here.
• Moika River Embankment, 94: entrance for organised groups and for anyone attending an evening performance at the theatre (you’re let in an hour before the show begins).

To get there you have several public transport options:

• Metro: the nearest stations are Admiralteyskaya, Sadovaya and Nevsky Prospekt, with connections to Spasskaya and Sennaya Ploshchad. From any of these it’s between 12 and 18 minutes on foot.
• Buses 3, 22 and 27, stop “Teatralnaya Ploshchad” (Theatre Square).
• Trolleybuses 5 and 22, stop “Dvorets Truda” (Palace of Labour).
• By canal cruise: many river and canal cruises in St. Petersburg sail right past the palace’s yellow façade.

Frequently asked questions about the Yusupov Palace