Yusupov Palace and St Isaac Cathedral Private Tour

An exciting tour to one of the most interesting and nicely preserved palaces of the city – Yusupov Palace, built in the 1740’s and then bought by Catherine II for one of her ladies in waiting and was eventually bought by Prince Nikolai Yusupov in 1830 for 250,000 roubles! It was here that Prince Felix Yusupov planned and carried out the murder of Rasputin, who was lured to the Palace under the pretext of meeting Felix’s young and beautiful wife Irina. All the rooms are beautifully restored and full of art, and the highlight must be the exquisite private theatre, built for Zineida Yusupov, where such renowned artists as Anna Pavlova and Shaliapin have performed. Later in the day the guide will invite you to proceed to the main church of the city - St. Isaac's Cathedral. Commissioned in 1818 by Alexander I, this imperial cathedral with its opulent interior and huge gold dome by its height occupies the 4th place in the world among domed cathedrals. The massive granite columns had to be transported from Finland on purpose built ships and rail and the dome is covered in nearly 100kg of gold; inside, there are 10 malachite columns and a beautiful iconostasis. For visitors with energy to spare, it is possible to climb the several hundred steps of the spiral staircase to the colonnade for a fabulous view of the city.