Kschessinska Mansion
This exemplary model of art nouveau – or more accurately northern style moderne – architecture was built 1904-1906 by Alexander von Hohen for the ballerina Mathilde Kschessinska. A prima ballerina assoluta at the Imperial Ballet (now the Mariinsky Theatre), Kschessinska owed her renown and her considerable wealth not only to her unquestionable dancing talent, but also to her romantic affairs with three Grand Dukes of the Romanov family, including the future Tsar Nicholas II.Renamed the Museum of Political History after the fall of the Soviet Union, it has become one of the most fascinating and innovative museums in St. Petersburg, providing a frank, sensitive and slightly wry examination of Russia’s turbulent recent history. That and the opportunity to see inside this fabulous building make it doubly recommended for a visit.
