The Yusupov Palace on the Moika embankment was the city home of one of imperial Russia's wealthiest families, with interiors that rival those of the smaller royal palaces. The visit takes in the gilded ballroom, the family's private rooms, the small private theatre — still occasionally used for opera performances — and the basement chamber where Rasputin was murdered in 1916. The Moorish-revival Turkish Study and the Persian boudoir are particular highlights, both surviving virtually intact.
It is less crowded than the Hermitage and the great cathedral museums and gives a more domestic sense of imperial Russian life. The Rasputin tour is sold as a separate ticket and is in Russian only, but English audio guides are available for the main palace. The whole visit takes about two hours.