Felix Yussupov – a noble murderer and a life of excess

Introduction

Imagine a world in which a nobleman eats off gold plates, high society is deceived by a cross-dresser and one of the most infamous assassinations in history is planned. This was the world of Prince Felix Yussupov – a man who lived luxuriously, broke social norms and played a key role in the downfall of the Russian Empire.

Why is his story so fascinating? Yusupov's life was a paradox: a rich nobleman who rebelled against convention and was embroiled in political intrigue. His story offers a unique insight into a bygone world – full of extravagance, scandal and revolution.

What it's about:

• Who was Felix Yusupov and why was he important?

• How did he challenge gender roles and deceive high society?

• What role did he play in the assassination of Rasputin?

• How did he survive the Russian Revolution and build a new life for himself?

Who was Felix Yussupov?

Felix Yussupov was born in 1887 into one of the wealthiest families in Russia. His fortune included seven palaces, an estate the size of a small town, and an estimated fortune of $500 million – the equivalent of several billion today. But Yussupov was no ordinary nobleman. He was eccentric, rebellious and a master of self-dramatisation.

His mother dressed him as a girl until the age of five – a decision that shaped his understanding of identity. He continued this style as a teenager, attending glamorous parties in women's clothing. But instead of ridicule, he earned admiration – even the Prince of Wales took an interest in him. This ability to play with identities became one of his most powerful tools in a society full of strict rules.

A life of luxury and breaking taboos

The aristocratic quick-change artist: how Jussupow deceived high society

Felix Jussupow was not just a wealthy heir – he was a social chameleon. In the metropolises of Paris and London, he moved in artistic circles and indulged his penchant for extravagant fashion.

• He visited exclusive restaurants in perfect women's clothing and was not recognised.

• He thrilled officers and aristocrats with his disguise.

• He only narrowly escaped a romantic interest from the Prince of Wales.

Jussupow's play with gender roles was not just a provocation – it was a conscious rebellion against the rigid social expectations of the early 20th century.

The heir to a gigantic fortune

His enormous wealth enabled him to live an almost unimaginable life:

• he owned several palaces with gold-decorated halls and magnificent parties.

• He hosted opulent banquets with thousands of guests.

• He designed his London apartment in an avant-garde style – with black carpets and orange silk curtains.

But wealth alone could not save him from history. When his older brother died in a duel, Felix became the main heir to a declining dynasty. In 1914, Russia was on the verge of revolution – and the Yusupovs' luxurious world began to crumble.

The assassination of Rasputin

Russia was in the throes of a profound crisis. Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra were heavily influenced by the mysterious monk Rasputin. Many considered him dangerous and blamed him for the Tsar's political mistakes.

Felix Yusupov decided to get rid of Rasputin.

The assassination on 29 December 1916 was as spectacular as Yusupov's life. He lured Rasputin to his palace under the pretext of introducing him to his beautiful wife. There he served him cake and wine poisoned with cyanide. But Rasputin survived. So Yusupov shot him – but even that was not enough. Finally, Rasputin was thrown into the freezing Neva and drowned.

Why was this assassination so significant?

• It showed the desperation of the aristocracy, who felt threatened by Rasputin's influence.

• It could not stop the downfall of the monarchy – a few months later the revolution broke out.

• It made Yusupov immortal – his name would always be associated with this murder.

Exile and a new beginning

Despite his name and wealth, Yusupov was unable to escape the revolution. He fled Russia in 1917 with little more than the clothes on his back.

• He settled in London and Paris, living in modest circumstances.

• He sued MGM for libel over its 1932 film Rasputin and the Empress (1932) – and won.

• He published his memoirs to record his version of events.

Although he lost his homeland, Yusupov always remained at the side of his wife, Princess Irina. Their marriage lasted a lifetime. He died in 1967 – as one of the last living memories of the defunct Tsarist Empire.

Conclusion

Felix Yussupov was a man of contradictions – a rich nobleman who questioned social norms, a rebel who nevertheless clung to the old order, and a murderer whose act ultimately had no influence on the course of history.

His story remains fascinating to this day because it captures the tension between privilege and power, identity and convention, excess and decline. Jussupow lived in a lost world – but his ghost remains as a symbol of decadence, intrigue and change.