Mistress of Felix, husband of Zenaide

[Van Heyden]

well, if we take into account that


1-  the  parents of Felix were a couple only at the surface, and that was  a well known fact ( Felix sr's mistress was going everywhere he went);
2- the parents (both) of Irina had their affairs too;

It seems that admitting the same behaviour and doing the same is quite easy. No?

There is no sign that Irina was unfaithful. However there are some facts that are troubling. I'm analysing them at the moment.

[IrinaAlexandrovna]

Yes...but Irina parents try to keep it away from her... (this that they had other affairs) and Irene had happy childhood.... but Thank you... I'm analysing them at the moment too..... Thanks

IrinaAlexandrovna

[Van Heyden]

For Irina s parents: one can hide affairs from his children, one nevertheless gives an education that matches one's own beliefs and behaviour. So it s difficult to be someone and teach children as someone else.

For Felix and Felix's father ( I think Zinaida Yusupovna was totally clean), we know it s an open and accepted mess :-) .

Just to tell that I would not be surprised to hear that Irina too had affairs and possibly children. But facts are missing.

[IrinaAlexandrovna]

Mmm maybe you are right... but when i see Irina on pictures i can't imagine her having affairs... she was very beautiful...but she was like angel.... but Felix... he was handsome but since i know he is bisexual....some how i look diffrent on him... :\

[Van Heyden]

well..... we never know,  people  aren't always what  they seem to  be.

[IrinaAlexandrovna]

Amm yes i agree ...for example if you understand me.... i was thinking if i was duchess OK i will write in my diary thoughts and things which happened... i will write letters .... but no one will find out what i was thinking when i for example saw a sweet soldier and i didn't wrote this is my diary or letters...Just keep it for me.... Sooo do you understand

[Van Heyden]

Of course I understand you. But you see, a person is not defined by what he or she thinks, but by what he/she does .

A grand-duchess may feel a lot of desire for this soldier  :-) if she does not express it, it becomes nothing.

[IrinaAlexandrovna]

Mmm your last sentence is so right.... not only for the duchess.... But if we return on theme.... yes just like OTMA express to the soldiers...

[Van Heyden]

right, right.

this thread is about Zinaida Gregoriev, first goddaughter then mistress of Count Sumarokov-Elston, prince Yusupov, 30 years younger than him, and eventually mother of their 3 children.
Her parents were the managers of an estate belonging to the Sumarokov-Elston family. We don t know which one.
current descendants live in France.

[IrinaAlexandrovna]

Right! But i will never accept this "love cheating" ......

[Van Heyden]

love cheating?

we don t know if the marriage between Felix Sr and Zinaida Yusupovna was a loving one at the beginning.  Tatiana (the daughter of Felix Sr and his mistress) explains that Felix did not want the "yusupov way-of-life" full of official celebrations, but rather a loving and tender relationship. He found it with Zinaida Gregoriev.

But I don t think that at this level and in this period, wedding issues were emotional. they were rather socially and financially motivated. It was almost normal to have affairs. Most important is to carefully manage the family assets and alliances.

[IrinaAlexandrovna]

Mmm i don't accept other affairs.... Why Nicholas II didn't have affairs?Because he loved his wife....

[Van Heyden]

If true, this is an exception. Nikolai I ( not sure, maybe another tsar) had for example an affair with Zinaida Yusupovna ( the elder). Most monarchs (including women) have had endless affairs.

And, Nikolai II did not have a typical monarchic life. He lost power. Same for Louis XVI in France.


Marriage and love were two distinct issues. Consider marriage as a partnership.


And by the way, to come back to our theme, Felix Sr was truly and madly in love with Zinaida Gregoriev(a), until his death in 1928.

[IrinaAlexandrovna]

Excuse me but if you have will you post a pictures of  Zinaida Yusupovna ( the elder ] and Felix's father which had affairs?

[Van Heyden]

there are plenty of pictures of Zinaida Yusupovna the elder and Felix Sumarokov-Elston, Prince Yusupov in this Chapter ( The Yusupovs).

I have posted in this thread pictures of Felix S-E with his illegitimate children ( Olivier and Tatiana) and pictures of his mistress Zinaida Gregoriev(na) with the same children. Their first child Nikolai lived only two years ( 1910-1912).

At the moment I m finalizing translation of his letters to his mistress when she s still stuck in Russia, and he has fled to Italy with his wife and his son Felix Yusupov and his wife (Irina Alexandrovna) and baby Bébé. Felix S-E is organizing money transfers and the trip of his mistress so that she can join him ( with Olivier born 1916 and Tatiana, born 1919). It should not have been easy to do the trip from Sebastopol to Constantinople and then Rome with 2 young children and with forged identities.