Local History Museum — the Yusupov Princes' Estate, Rakitnoye settlement

About museum

Initially, a local history department was established at the Rakitnoye Central Library on June 1, 1994; its staff carried out significant work over two years to search for and collect local historical material. On August 1, 1996, the department was dissolved in connection with the creation of a local history museum. In December 1996 the museum received its premises in the center of the settlement of Rakitnoye — an architectural monument, the priest's house (built in 1906).

In the autumn of 2015 a long-awaited joyful event took place: the Rakitnoye Local History Museum moved to a new building. The exhibition was placed in an old estate — the palace of the Yusupov princes, built in 1840 by the serfs of one of the estate's former owners, Prince B. N. Yusupov.

In one half of the building (on the first floor) the enfilade-and-hall layout has been almost completely preserved, and it houses a luxurious exhibition dedicated to the construction of the Belgorod defensive line, the first owners of the Rakitnoye land, and the famous princely family of the Yusupovs. By visiting the second floor of the building, anyone can learn about the more recent history of the area — from the 19th century (peasant life) and the period of the Great Patriotic War to the present day.

Today the Local History Museum — the Yusupov Princes' Estate — is the leading research and educational cultural institution of the district. Its collections contain more than 4,000 exhibits, and the museum is visited by over 8,000 people annually. The museum regularly organizes extracurricular activities for students of schools in the Rakitnoye District, as well as walking and bus excursions around the district and beyond.