Excerpt: The Splendor of St. Petersburg by Rizzoli International Publications

chapter iii

the marble palace Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich & his family

The Polovtsovs enjoyed an ebullient social life during the summers and autumns that they spent in France, but, while there, they did not neglect to search for artworks and furnishings for the palace. In August and September 1870 for instance, Polovtsov, together with some talented French craftsmen was engaged in purchasing wallpaper and furnishing fabrics for the interiors of his house. The presence of Alexander in Paris for the “Season” was a feature of the Parisian social calendar and was duly reported in the press: “The Councillor Polotsov otherwise know as the Russian count of Monte Cristo, half–billionaire, who owns a beautiful shooting estate in the vicinity of Paris, offers his hospitality every year to their Imperial Highnesses Grand Dukes Alexey and Vladimir of Russia.” Polovtsov and Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich were indeed closely acquainted. As early as in 1869, Tsar Alexander II had entrusted to Polovtsov with the preparation of the young Grand Duke Vladimir for his participation in the Senate meetings. In 1870 Polovtsov accompanied him on his travel abroad, when they visited museums, private collections and artists’ studios, including that of the Belgian painter Louis Gallait (1810–1887) from whom both Vladimir and Polovtsov commissioned portraits [ERZH-1006] [18] and the latter also advised the Duke on the places where he should shop in Paris. Polovtsov valued highly the Grand Duke’s intellect and knowledge but also his human qualities, as he remarked in his diary on September 15th 1895: “His simplicity and sincerity of speech especially attract me in this man.” In the 1870–90s they spent much time together, firstly because of their state duties and secondly because they shared, as inveterate sportsmen and art lovers, the same interests. Almost every Monday morning, Polovtsov discussed political news and state matters with the duke and exchanged society gossip during breakfast in the Grand Duke’s palace on the bank of the Neva. Almost every week they went shooting together near St Petersburg or further afield in the countryside. They both enjoyed hunting in France, where they frequented the same aristocratic circles. In October 1886 Polovtsov confided in his diary that he and his wife had spent five “most pleasant” weeks in France at their new mansion 41, rue Cambon, Paris in the 8th district, near the Champs Elysées: “I have hired the shoot near Melun at Aguado’s estate, that gives me an opportunity to entertain in turn people who have given me courtesies, and without any ill consequences, but only with benefit to health. Here we shoot with the duc de la Trémoille, duc de la Force, O’Connor, Costa, Turenne, the Aguado brothers, and others. I shoot also in Rambouillet and with Greffulhe. Rothschild does not entertain as he is in mourning for his mother. When I stay in Paris, I search 14 6

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This series of deaths strengthened his piety and concentrated his attention on his scholarly pursuits. However, in 1888, he was appointed Chamberlain at the Imperial court while his wife became Maid of Honour to the Empress Maria Feodorovna. Alexander Polovtsov who frequented the same circles and shared many interests noted her elevation in his diary: “The city is busy discussing the appointment of Countess Stroganova, born Buturlina, as Maid of Honour. She and her husband count Pavel Sergeevich are very modest and respected people; having left society about ten years ago, they live in isolation in the luxurious house which they built and furnished themselves at the corner of Sergievskaya and Mokhovaya,. They say that the idea of this appointment came from the Empress [Maria Fedorovna] herself, but others claim that it was done with the help of Pobedonostsev (1827–1907) [Konstantin Pobedonostsev, a jurist, statesman and adviser to the Tsar], who used to attend Sunday service in the chapel in the Stroganov palace” A special authorization had been granted to the Stroganoffs by the Tsarina, partly due to the frail health of the countess, who, by the late 1880s was almost unable to walk. Maximillian Messmaher (1842–1906) designed the chapel since Monighetti, the architect of the palace, had by then died. Unfortunately nothing survives of its interiors and the works of art that adorned it but we know that it was located on the piano nobile on the right hand side of the staircase. As a man of great piety with a picture collection that contained sufficient religious or devotional works to furnish a cathedral, it is probable that Paul himself would have collaborated with Messmaher in drawing up a unique, carefully planned design for this sacred space. Anna Dimitrievna’s blue boudoir was refined and comfortable in the extreme. The same Aubusson material with blue stripes and pink flowers was used for the curtains, walls coverings and upholstery, preserving the unity of the two rooms. Although the furniture was designed in the Louis XVI in style and lacquered in the pale grey, the spectacular Meissen chandeliers and figures and Rococo mirror gave the boudoir an air of Louis XV gaiety and fantasy. In the corner of the rooms were two important French secrétaires inlaid with harbor scenes in marquetry and a commode, identified by the estampille on its back as coming from the Château of Fontainebleau. The quality of the Chinese porcelain was remarkable. This had once belonged to Charles de Montigny (1805–1868), the first French Consul in Shanghai, who Caption tk. F O L L O W I N G L E F T OP-41838 Jules Mayblum. Boudoir, watercolour, 52,4 x 40,0. The State Hermitage Museum, OP-41838, O P P O S I T E OP-41836 Jules Mayblum. Library, watercolour, 55,0 x 40,0. Hermitage, OP-41836 [Detail with the bronzes] The State Hermitage Museum, LEFT

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that their existence could be improved. Her contribution to the family collection concentrated on jewels, about which she was passionate. Her husband’s generosity towards her knew no bounds in this respect and so she was able to acquire the famous diamond: l’Etoile Polaire [The Polar Star] from the collection of the French Crown. It is sadly conceivable that these jewels might have seemed to the Princess a small compensation for Nikolai’s infidelities. As for the black pearl Azra, it formed part of the Russian crown jewels until it was given by Catherine 16535 Andrey Redkovsky. 1831-1909. Grand escalier de marbre. Watercolour. Russian Museum Inv. N R16535. O P P O S I T E Caption tk. F O L L O W I N G L E F T 16536 Andrey Redkovsky. 1831-1909. Salon de gobelins. Watercolour. Russian Museum Inv. N R16536. F O L L O W I N G , R I G H T 2896 Meleager Meeting Castor and Pollux. Tapestry from the Story of Meleager series. Cartoon by Charles Lebrun. Flanders, Brussels; workshop of Jan Leyniers. Wool and silk, golden thread. 1680-s. 400x555 cm.

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the Great to Potemkine and them by descent to Tatyana. She also acquired the famous pear-shaped pearl called the Pelegrina, weighing 133.16 grains –or 33.29 carats traditionally supposed to have belonged to King Philip IV of Spain, then to Maria Theresa of Spain who married Louis XIV. It vanished during the Revolution only to reappear in the Youssoupoffs’ hands in 1826. The pearl was so legendary that it was alleged that it had belonged to Cleopatra. In homage to that fable, the prince, when Russian Ambassador in Venice, chose to acquire a pair of lively oil-sketches by Giambattista Tiepolo (1696–1770) depicting the Feast of Cleopatra. Tiepolo famously produced a vast fresco composition on the same subject in the Palazzo Labia. The fate of some of these extraordinary jewels will be told later. Boris’ architectural enhancement of the palace turned it into a magnificent neoclassical princely residence. Two majestic sphinxes welcome the visitors to the grand white marble staircase occupying a large Palladian-style hallway designed by Andrei Mikhailov and adorned with classical colonnades, architraves, friezes, niches and statues. Flooded with sun light during the day through large arched windows, the staircase in Carrara marble was equally glowing at night when illuminated by the spectacular French crystal chandelier. (ills P–16535 and IMG_6817, 6825,IMG-7048,) The landing on the first floor led to the classical enfilade and to the Gobelin Drawing Room (ill watercolour P–16536) lined with precious French and Flemish tapestries. On these walls hung the important series of tapestries, illustrating the Story of Meleager and Atalanta.(ills T-2896 & T-2897) These tapestries were woven in wool, silk and gold threads at huge cost in Flanders in the 1680s after cartoons by the French artist Charles Lebrun (1619–1690), First Painter to King Louis XIV. The Story of Meleager and Atalanta comes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. To complete these evocations of Versailles, the floor was laid with carpets that had belonged to the Sun King. Family history has it that these precious tapestries were presented by Napoleon to Prince Nikolai Youssoupoff together with two large Sevres Vases, when he was about to leave France. (ill IMG_5950 or IMG_5985) The State Rooms, on the opposite side epitomise Russian Neoclassical grandeur adopting a pale palette of colours attuned to offset the richness of the materials used for the geometric patterns of the marquetry floors, the ormolu-mounted mahogany doors, and the gilded details of the stucco mouldings and cornices. The majority of these reception rooms were left unchanged when yet again, Nicholas Youssoupoff the Younger (1827–1891), ordered the palace to be refurbished in the 1860s. These neo-classical spaces were particularly appropriate for displaying parts of the collection of ancient statuary

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(Antonio and Girolamo), Nicolò Amati (1596–1684,) and Antonio Stradivarius (1644–1737). One of these violins by Stradivarius still bears his name: “The Youssoupoff” and was played for decades by the great Russian virtuoso David Oïstrakh (1908–1974). Nikolai also wrote a History of Russian Music published in French in 1862, which is to this day a standard work of reference on the subject. As a diplomat, his postings took him mostly to Europe, where he also collected paintings. His obituary published in England in the Musical Times on October 1, 250

1891, described him as “A distinguished musical amateur, (…) Besides having written some symphonic pieces and other musical compositions, the prince was the author of some very interesting works written in the French language: Luthomonographie historique et raisonnné, being a historical essay on the violin and its celebrated makers.” In addition he wrote a detail account of the family history based on his archival research. From his post in France at the court of Napoleon III (1808-73), Prince Nikolai Youssoupoff the Younger entrusted the architect

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800 persons were invited, and no one stayed away who was able to attend. It was near midnight when the Emperor and Empress arrived from the French Theatre, after dancing had already commenced; and it was past 3 o’clock in the morning before they left. The Empress as usual took part in the dancing; but her Imperial Consort, who is apparently not fond of it, did not join in the exercise.” On a more regular basis, however, guests could be counted in the dozens or hundreds rather than the thousands. The singularity of the two sons’ upbringing in this extraordinary place was not without eccentricity: “One of my father’s whims consisted in continually changing dining rooms. Almost every day we dined in a different room, and this complicated the table service to an uncommon degree. Nicholas [older brother to Felix] and I, who were often late, were sometimes obliged to run all over the house before discovering where supper was being served.” A particularly grand architectural feature in the palace was the Louis XV theatre that the family used for concerts, plays and recitals. (ills IMG_5626—5729, 6857, 6923) Although created by architect Mikhailov, it owed its ornate rococo style to the work of Hippolyte Monigetti in the 1860s and then in the 1890s it was further decorated, and its auditorium enlarged by Alexander Stepanov. The painter Ernst von Liphart (see KK) designed the curtains as well as the medallions and ceiling painting. (ill IMG_6829) On the latter, he depicted an allegory of Night and Day, with Aurora flying through the clouds in her chariot announcing the arrival of the sun. Throughout the ages, the Youssoupoffs had been active in the field of the theatre. The performances in the splendid theatre of Arckhangelskoye at the turn of the 18th century were legendary, and many a member of the family and their guests took part in the plays, particularly Prince Nikolai and his wife Tatyana. During the reign of Catherine II Nikolai was in charge of the management of all the Imperial theatres. Even in Paris, he had “his entrée to the Imperial box in every theatre.” This tradition was echoed in St. Petersburg until the Revolution. Konstantin Stanislavski (1863–1938), the famous actor, director, and inspirational teacher was a frequent visitor and contributor to the Youssoupoff soirées. So impressed was he by Zenaida Youssoupoffa’s natural ease on stage in a charity performance of Les Romanesques by French playwright Edmond Rostand (1868–1918), author of Cyrano de Bergerac, that he encouraged her to become a professional actress and enter his company. Well aware of her innumerable responsibilities and status the princess humbly declined the offer. Indisputably, her extraordinary beauty and amiable nature made her extremely popular among all types of people.(ill ЭРж–1371 the yusupov pa lac e

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