Zinaida Nikolaievna Yusupova

Princess Zinaida Nikolaievna Yusupova (2 September 1861, Saint Petersburg – 24 November 1939) was the daughter of Prince Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov (12 October 1827 – 31 July 1891), Marshal of the Imperial Court, and Countess Tatiana Alexandrovna de Ribeaulierre (29 June 1828 – 14 January 1879). Prince Yusupov was a patron of the arts, and first served in the chancery of Nicholas I. Zinaida's mother served as a lady-in-waiting to the Empress, and was the daughter of Comte Alexandre de Ribeaupierre and his wife Ekaterina Mikhailovna Potemkina, another niece of Prince Potemkin. As the only child of this distinguished, highly placed, and vastly rich couple, Zinaida enjoyed great favor at court. With the death of her father, Princess Yusupova was one of the richest women in the world.

Princess Yusupova was born in Russia, and died in Paris, France.

Marriage

Zinaida Nikolaevna married Count Felix Felixovich Sumarokov-Elston (5 October 1856, Saint Petersburg, Russia - 10 June 1928, Rome, Italy), General Governor of Moscow (1914–1915), son of Count Felix Nikolaievich Sumarokov-Elston. They married on 4 April 1882 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. After his father-in-law died, Felix was granted special permission by Tsar Alexander III to carry the title Prince Yusupov as well as that of Count Sumarokov-Elston and to pass them both to his and Zinaida's heir. Prince Felix was appointed adjutant to the Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich in 1904 and commanded the Cavalry of the Imperial Guards. In 1914 he was appointed Governor General of Moscow. At the beginning of World War I the Yusupovs owned more than 100,000 acres (400 km²) of land and their industries included sugarbeet factories, brick plants, saw-mills, textile and cardboard factories, mines and distilleries, in addition to more than 16 palaces and estates.

Family and descendants

The older son of Zinaida and Felix Sumarokov-Elston, Nikolay Felixovich Yusupov (1883–1908) was killed in a duel at the age of 26 [1]. The last Yusupov Prince was Prince Felix Yusupov II, Count Sumarokov-Elston, the younger son of Zinaida and Felix Sumarokov-Elston, who is famous for his involvement in the murder of Gregory Rasputin. Felix Yusupov II married Princess Irina, niece of the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II. After the murder of Rasputin he was exiled to Crimea, but returned to St. Petersburg in 1917 to find the city in massive disorder after the February Revolution. He took with him some of his most precious paintings by Rembrandt and jewellery. In April 1919, he left Russia for good to Paris. He was the last Yusupov prince. His daughter, Irina, married Count Sheremetev's descendant. They moved to Greece with their children, although recently they were granted Russian citizenship by the Russian President.