Yusupov Palace

Also known as the Moika Palace, Yusupov Palace is a St. Petersburg landmark. It was the main residence of the House of Yusupov, which was a wealthy family of Russian nobles.

Travelers come here to take in the luxurious interior. Lonely Planet says, "The palace interior is sumptuous and rich, with many halls painted in different styles and decked out with gilded chandeliers, silks, frescoes, tapestries and some fantastic furniture."

However, the real claim to fame for the palace is that it was the location where Rasputin was assassinated in 1916. Felix Yusupov and his co-conspirators carried out the act -- which ended up being far more difficult than he'd anticipated. According to him, Rasputin ingested enough cyanide to kill five men; he was shot multiple times, then bludgeoned with an iron bar and dumped in the Moika River. Once Rasputin's body turned up, it turned out that he had actually died from hypothermia.

Yusupov Palace is accessible from the Sadovaya metro station and open daily from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Admission costs roughly $17 USD (500 rubles) for adults and around $13 USD (or 380 rubles) for students. For more information, click here.