Viktor Obninsky

Obninsky's reputation was that of a man of rare virtues and a progressive politician, "a dedicated federalist and proponent of sweeping national self-determination".

His many interests included the arts: he was among the founders of the "Free Aesthetics" society, whose goal was to unite the Russian artistic intelligentsia.

In 1902 Obninsky and his wife moved to his father's country estate at Belkino, the family's ancestral home since 1840.

Upon receiving the land that constituted his share of the inheritance, Obninsky invested some of his wife's capital in building a small but architecturally noteworthy manor that they called Turliki, and Cleopatra became the lady of the house.

Eventually his contemporaries learned otherwise: it seemed that his fatal decision was the result of a "tragic romantic love" after having fallen for the young Countess Vera Urusova, but his feelings were unreciprocated.