I heard that Rantalinna is for sale 3.5 milj. Euros. So anyone who has little pocket money you can buy a piece of nice history.
http://www.rantalinna.fi/index.php?kategoria=2&sivu=41Rantalinna History
Rantalinna was constructed from 1911 - 1913. The client was then judge Fritz Wiik who sold Rantalinna in 1915 to Prince Alexander von Oldenburg. The Prince and Princess first came to stay in the castle in 1916, initially for the summer but from 1918 throughout the year. During the revolution period their wish was to return to a peaceful St. Petersburg, but they never did.
When the couple came to live in Rantalinna they brought a serving staff of 36 persons, two Rolls Royces and a ship.
The Prince and Princess belonged to the immediate circle of the Russian Tsar´s court, after all their son was married to the sister of Tsar Nikolai II. Both were also part of the Tomanov family, the Prince´s grandmother Katarina Pavlona and the Princess´ grandfather Tsar Nikolai I were brother and sister. In addition the Princess´ great father was Napoleon I Bonaparte. They were also related to other European courts.
The Prince and his father were rather well-known for their charity. The Prince´s father founded a hospital ib´n St. Petersburg for the poor which is still in operation today. In addition he founded a legal institute where amongst others Pjotr Tsaikovski got his legal degree.
The Prince was patron for many hospitals as the representative of Romanov´s. His son´s mother-in-law Marie Feodorovna, the spouse of Tsar Alexander III asked him to take care of hospital institutions. Amongst other things the Prince brought rabies vaccine to Russia from the Pasteur Institute in Paris.
The Prince was also a statesman as is shown in Ilja Repin´s painting which took four and half years to finish.
Rantalinna is located at Ruokolahti about 52 km from Lappeenranta airport. Imatra is about 15 km away, Helsinki about 260 km and St. Petersburg 250 km.