The Russian Academy Of Arts

The Russian Academy of Arts invites you to attend a commemoration meeting devoted to the 150th birth anniversary of Zinaida Yusupova (Sumarokova-Elston) that will take place in the White Hall of the Russian Academy of Arts, 21 Prechistenka street on December 27, 2011 at 4 pm. The highlight of the meeting is a history of relations between Princess Zinaida Yusupova (1861-1939) and Grand Duchess Elizaveta Fedorovna (1864-1918).

Zinaida Yusupova has been a close friend of the Grand Duchess Elizabeth (Elizaveta Fedorovna). These two distinguished noble women of the Russian Empire have devoted their lives to the service to God and Motherland. The Grand Duchess Elizaveta Fedorovna founded the Convent of Sts. Martha and Mary (Marfo-Mariinsky Convent of Mercy) in Moscow and became its abbess. Both of them provided for needs of the poor and orphans, arranged charitable Christmas and Easter fairs, participated in the Red Cross movement in the years of World War I.

Both of them shared tragic events at the turn of the 20th century in Russia. The Grand Duchess Elizabeth’s husband Grand Duke Sergey Alexandrovich, the former Governor-General of Moscow was assassinated by terrorists in 1905. In 1908 was murdered the elder son of Zinaida Yusupova Nicholas. The revolution of 1917 stopped their charitable work. Elizaveta Fedorovna was arrested and killed by the Bolsheviks in 1918, Zinaida Yusupova immigrated and died in Paris in 1939.

Participants of the commemoration meeting are researchers of A. Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, the State Museum-Estate “Arkhangelskoye”, State History Museum, F. Shalyapin House-Museum, nuns of the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent of Mercy, professors of P. Chaikovsky Moscow State Conservatoire, soloists of the Moscow State Philarmony.

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