# Yusupov Palace, St Petersburg

> The Yusupov princes’ palace on the Moika, where Rasputin was murdered in 1916 — state rooms, a jewel-box private theatre and the basement where the plot unfolded. Open daily 10:00–19:30, last session 18:00. Self-guided entry with an English audio guide costs 950 ₽; the Rasputin rooms are extra, from 1,200 ₽. Enter at 21 Dekabristov Street. Allow 1–2 hours.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/yusupov-palace

- City: [St Petersburg](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg), Russia
- YesGo score: 47/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 1 h 30 min
- Entry: from 950 ₽
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Opening hours: Daily 10:00–19:30, timed sessions, last session 18:00
- Entrance: 21 Dekabristov Street only — through the garden and the Front Courtyard, not from the Moika
- Self-guided + audio guide: State Rooms and the Prince’s Living Quarters, 950 ₽; audio guide in 9 languages incl. English
- Combined self-guided ticket: Adds the Rasputin exhibition and the Young Couple’s Apartments, 1,300 ₽ — audio guide in Russian only
- Guided routes 1–6: 950–1,900 ₽; the Rasputin rooms are in routes 2, 4 and 6
- Audio guide: Free app “ЮД. Аудиогид” with the code on your ticket, or a device for a 1,000 ₽ cash deposit
- Paying: Foreign-issued Visa and Mastercard don’t work in Russia — bring roubles or a Russian card
- Bags: Anything bigger than 20×30 cm goes to the cloakroom; no tripods or selfie sticks
- Coordinates: 59.92950, 30.29870
- Facts checked: 29.10.2026

## Key facts

- **30 Dec 1916** — Rasputin was killed here overnight (17 December, Old Style) (source: Official Yusupov Palace website, History; English and Russian Wikipedia)
- **5 generations** — of Yusupov princes owned the palace from 1830 (source: Official Yusupov Palace website, History; Russian Wikipedia, “Yusupov Palace on the Moika”)
- **40+ rooms** — open to visitors — route 6 covers them all (source: Official Yusupov Palace website, Route No. 6)
- **1770s** — Jean-Baptiste Vallin de la Mothe built the first house for Count Andrei Shuvalov (source: Official Yusupov Palace website, Estate history; English and Russian Wikipedia)
- **1830** — Prince Boris Yusupov bought it, furniture included, for 250,000 roubles (source: Official Yusupov Palace website, Estate history; Russian Wikipedia)
- **1830s** — Andrei Mikhailov rebuilt the palace into its present shape (source: English Wikipedia, “Moika Palace”; Russian Wikipedia)
- **1925** — handed to the city’s educators — it is still their Palace of Culture (source: English and Russian Wikipedia)
- **Federal** — cultural heritage site of Russia (source: Official Yusupov Palace website; Russian Wikipedia)
- **Moika 94** — the palace address; the visitor door is 21 Dekabristov Street (source: Official Yusupov Palace website, Questions and answers)

> **The door is on Dekabristov Street, not the Moika** The postal address is 94 Moika Embankment, but nobody gets in or out on the river side. The ticket office and entrance are at 21 Dekabristov Street, through the garden and the Front Courtyard — about a 5-minute walk round from the famous yellow facade. Latecomers aren’t admitted and tickets aren’t refunded, so leave time for the walk and the metal detector.

## Yusupov Palace tickets and prices

For most foreign visitors the right ticket is the **self-guided State Rooms and Prince’s Living Quarters, 950 ₽**, about 70–75 minutes, with an audio guide in English and eight other languages. It takes in the state drawing rooms, the private theatre, the Moorish Room and the prince’s study — but **not** the Rasputin rooms.

The Rasputin exhibition comes with the **combined ticket (1,300 ₽, about 1 hour 50 minutes)**, but its audio guide is in Russian only — fine if the pictures are enough, frustrating if you want the story. The guided routes 2, 4 and 6 (1,200–1,900 ₽) also include it, but the palace doesn’t say which languages its group tours use — expect Russian. For an English-speaking guide, book a private tour.

Buy on the palace’s official website under “Buy ticket”: the palace doesn’t vouch for tickets sold by third parties, and e-tickets work at the door without exchange. Foreign-issued Visa and Mastercard cards don’t work in Russia since March 2022, so the online shop won’t take them: use a Russian card, bring roubles, or book a tour that includes the ticket. Concession prices are for Russian citizens only.

## Opening hours

The palace is open **every day, 10:00–19:30**, with no weekly closing day on the official site. Visits run in timed sessions; the **last one starts at 18:00**. The ticket office and entrance open 9:30–18:00, and sales for each session stop 10 minutes before it begins.

You can go in no earlier than 30 minutes before your slot, and if a session is sold out online, the desk won’t have tickets either. The garden is free and open 9:00–20:30, with a café — handy for killing time before your session. Toilets are inside the palace, ticket holders only.

## Is the Yusupov Palace worth visiting?

Yes — if you have already done the [Hermitage](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/hermitage) and want to see how Russia’s richest aristocrats, rather than its emperors, actually lived. It is compact, rarely crowded, and in 90 minutes you see gilded ballrooms, a family theatre and lived-in private rooms that most Petersburg mansions lost after 1917.

The Rasputin rooms are the hook, not the substance: a few basement rooms with wax figures and documents. Don’t come for Rasputin alone. Come for the theatre and the interiors, and add the Rasputin rooms if the story grips you. With one day in the city, skip it; with two or three, it is one of the best-value palaces in St Petersburg.

## What to see inside

- **The private theatre** — a tiny gilded auditorium with boxes, often called a miniature Mariinsky. Every route includes it.
- **The Front Staircase** and the run of state drawing rooms — Tapestry, Blue, Red and Green.
- **The White-Column Hall** and the Ballroom, built for parties of hundreds.
- **The picture gallery halls**, added in the 1830s for the collection brought from the family estate at Arkhangelskoye near Moscow.
- **The Moorish Room** and the Turkish Study in the prince’s quarters — 19th-century fantasies of the East.
- **The Oak Dining Room** and the neo-Gothic Henry II Drawing Room.
- **Felix and Irina’s apartments** — the Silver Boudoir, the jewel vault nicknamed “Aladdin’s Cave” and a study with a swimming pool (routes 5 and 6).
- **The “Murder of Grigory Rasputin” exhibition** — Felix’s study and the basement dining room, with wax figures, photos and investigation papers.

## The Rasputin murder: what happened here

On the night of **17 December 1916 (30 December in the modern calendar)**, Prince Felix Yusupov and fellow conspirators killed Grigory Rasputin, the Siberian peasant who had become a confidant of Nicholas II’s family. By Yusupov’s own account, Rasputin was lured to the palace, offered poisoned cakes and wine in the basement dining room, then shot; his body was found in the Malaya Nevka river.

The museum has staged those rooms as a documentary exhibition with wax figures of the plotters. It is only on routes 2, 4 and 6 and the combined ticket — the 950 ₽ ticket doesn’t include it. It is rated 16+, but the palace says the age rating is a recommendation.

## A short history

Jean-Baptiste Vallin de la Mothe built the first house here in the **1770s** for Count Andrei Shuvalov. Catherine the Great later bought it for her lady-in-waiting Alexandra Branicka, who sold it, contents and all, to Prince Boris Yusupov in **1830** for 250,000 roubles.

Architect Andrei Mikhailov rebuilt it in the 1830s, adding gallery halls and the theatre, where in 1836 Glinka rehearsed the first act of his opera “A Life for the Tsar”, according to the museum. Five generations of Yusupovs lived here until the revolution. The palace was nationalised in 1918, given to the city’s teachers in 1925, used as a hospital in the Siege and hit by bombs in 1941; restoration began during the war and still goes on.

## How to get to the Yusupov Palace

1. Take the metro to **Sadovaya** (Line 5, purple), **Sennaya Ploshchad** (Line 2, blue) or **Spasskaya** (Line 4, orange) — one interchange hub. It’s about 1.3 km, 18–20 minutes on foot west along Dekabristov Street to No. 21.
2. From **Admiralteyskaya** (Line 5) it’s about 1.7 km, 20–25 minutes, past [St Isaac’s Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/st-isaacs-cathedral) and along the Moika.
3. From [Palace Square](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/palace-square) or Nevsky Prospekt metro (Line 2) — 25–30 minutes on foot, or a short taxi ride.
4. Buses 3, 22 and 27 stop at Teatralnaya Ploshchad, about 5 minutes from the entrance.
5. Head for **21 Dekabristov Street**, not the Moika facade, then walk through the garden and Front Courtyard to the ticket office. Use that address in your map app.

## Before you go: checklist

- [ ] Timed ticket bought ahead — weekend sessions can sell out
- [ ] Decided whether you want the Rasputin rooms (routes 2, 4, 6 or the combined ticket)
- [ ] Going to 21 Dekabristov Street, not the Moika facade
- [ ] At the door 15–30 minutes early — latecomers aren’t let in
- [ ] Roubles or a Russian card — foreign Visa and Mastercard won’t work
- [ ] 1,000 ₽ in cash for the audio guide deposit, or the app downloaded at the hotel
- [ ] Small bag only (under 20×30 cm), no tripod or selfie stick

## Yusupov Palace vs the Hermitage vs the Fabergé Museum

|  | Yusupov Palace | Hermitage | Fabergé Museum |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | A princely family home with a theatre | The Winter Palace and a vast art museum | Shuvalov Palace with the Fabergé collection |
| Highlight | Lived-in interiors, theatre, Rasputin | State halls, world art | Fabergé Easter eggs |
| Format | Timed sessions, audio guide or guide | Free roaming | Free roaming or tour |
| Time needed | 1–2.5 h | 3–4 h or more | 1–1.5 h |
| Where | On the Moika near Theatre Square | Palace Square | Fontanka Embankment |

Do the Hermitage first. Pick the Yusupov Palace when you want an intimate, uncrowded palace you can see in full in an afternoon; pick the [Fabergé Museum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/faberge-museum) if jewels and decorative art are your thing.

## St Petersburg palaces compared

Every palace in St Petersburg rated by YesGo.

- [State Hermitage Museum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/hermitage) — YesGo score 76/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h · 500–1,200 ₽
- [Mikhailovsky Castle](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/mikhailovsky-castle) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ 700 ₽
- [Peterhof](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/peterhof) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 4 h · Lower Park from 2,000 ₽ for foreign visitors
- [Yusupov Palace on the Moika](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/yusupov-palace) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · from 950 ₽
- [State Russian Museum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/russian-museum) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · from 700 ₽
- [Catherine Palace](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/catherine-palace) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · 2,200 ₽ for foreign visitors
- [Fabergé Museum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/faberge-museum) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 700 ₽
- [Yelagin Island](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/yelagin-island) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free weekdays, 200 ₽ at weekends
- [Oranienbaum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/oranienbaum) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Park 1,100 ₽, palace 1,800 ₽
- [Pavlovsk Palace and Park](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/pavlovsk-palace) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Palace 800 ₽, park 300 ₽

## St Isaac’s, the Moika and New Holland in half a day

Start at the Bronze Horseman, climb the St Isaac’s colonnade, follow the Moika to the Yusupov Palace, unwind on New Holland island, then catch an evening show at the Mariinsky.

1. [Bronze Horseman](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/bronze-horseman) — YesGo score 72/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free
2. [St Isaac's Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/st-isaacs-cathedral) — YesGo score 69/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · 700 ₽, colonnade 700 ₽
3. [Yusupov Palace on the Moika](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/yusupov-palace) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · from 950 ₽
4. [New Holland Island](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/new-holland) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free
5. [Mariinsky Theatre](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/mariinsky-theatre) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Price depends on the show

> **Photograph the facade from across the river** The yellow colonnaded front is best seen whole from the opposite Moika embankment. Take your photo first, then walk round to Dekabristov Street — you’ll see both faces of the estate.

## Not to be confused with

This is the main Yusupov Palace, on the Moika. St Petersburg also has a Yusupov Palace on Liteyny Prospekt and the Yusupov Garden on Sadovaya Street — different places. The Yusupov Palace in Crimea (Koreiz, near Yalta) and Arkhangelskoye near Moscow belonged to the same family but are far from here.

## Tips

- Short on time: guided route 1 (state rooms and theatre) takes 70 minutes.
- Best all-rounder for English speakers: the 950 ₽ self-guided ticket with the English audio guide — download the app before you go, signal inside is patchy.
- Want the Rasputin rooms in English? Book a private English-speaking tour; the palace’s own combined audio guide is Russian-only.
- No food or drink inside — eat first, especially before the 2.5-hour route 6.
- Afterwards, [New Holland](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/new-holland) is a 7-minute walk and the [Mariinsky Theatre](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/mariinsky-theatre) 5 minutes.
- The palace garden is free to enter, with a café — a good place to wait for your slot.

## Questions

### How much are Yusupov Palace tickets?

From 950 ₽ for the self-guided State Rooms and Prince’s Quarters with an audio guide, or guided route 1. With the Rasputin exhibition: 1,300 ₽ self-guided (Russian audio only) or 1,200–1,900 ₽ on guided routes 2, 4 and 6.

### Is the Rasputin exhibition included in the ticket?

Not in the basic 950 ₽ ticket. It’s on the combined ticket and guided routes 2, 4 and 6.

### Is there an English audio guide?

Yes, for the 950 ₽ self-guided route — it comes in 9 languages, including English. The combined ticket with the Rasputin rooms has a Russian-only audio guide.

### What are the Yusupov Palace opening hours?

Daily 10:00–19:30, with the last session at 18:00. The ticket office opens 9:30–18:00 and the garden 9:00–20:30. There is no weekly closing day.

### Where is the entrance to the Yusupov Palace?

At 21 Dekabristov Street, through the garden and the Front Courtyard. You can’t enter or leave from the Moika embankment side.

### How do I get to the Yusupov Palace by metro?

Sadovaya, Sennaya Ploshchad or Spasskaya, then about 20 minutes on foot along Dekabristov Street. From Admiralteyskaya it’s 20–25 minutes past St Isaac’s Cathedral.

### How long do you need at the Yusupov Palace?

About 70 minutes for route 1 or the self-guided ticket, 90 minutes with the Rasputin rooms, up to 2.5 hours for route 6, which covers over 40 rooms.

### Can I pay with a foreign card?

No — Visa and Mastercard cards issued abroad don’t work in Russia. Bring roubles, use a Russian card, or book through a tour that includes the ticket.

### Where was Rasputin killed in the palace?

In Felix Yusupov’s private quarters — his study and the basement dining room. Those rooms now hold the “Murder of Grigory Rasputin” exhibition.

## How we checked

Prices, routes, durations, hours, rules and the entrance come from the official palace website, checked 29.10.2026. The English and Russian versions of the site disagree on route 4 (2 h 15 min vs up to 1 h 45 min), so we don’t quote it; the self-guided ticket is listed as 1 h 10 min in English and 1 h 15 min in Russian. The garden appears as 10:00–19:30 in one block and 9:00–20:30 on the opening-hours page; we use the latter. The site doesn’t say whether the ticket office takes cash or foreign payment methods, so the payment row is marked “verifying”. Guided-route languages aren’t stated; we infer Russian from the Russian-only combined audio guide and timetables. The palace dates the Yusupov ownership to 1830–1919, Wikipedia to 1917, so we say “five generations from 1830”. Walking times are our estimate from the map.

## Sources

- Official Yusupov Palace website: opening hours, tours (routes 1–6, self-guided and combined tickets), visitor rules and concessions, questions and answers, audio guide, 29.10.2026
- Official Yusupov Palace website: estate history, the palace, the private theatre
- English Wikipedia: Moika Palace; Russian Wikipedia: Yusupov Palace on the Moika; Wikidata Q2991838
- Visa and Mastercard statements on suspending operations in Russia, March 2022

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