* In 1794, a pastry chef named Louis Jules Cesar Auguste Benoit arrived in Russia. He gave rise to a family from which numerous architects, artists, musicians, actors, and art historians have emerged. They had a huge impact on the image of St. Petersburg and the artistic life of Russia as a whole. Currently, representatives of the Benoit family live in France and Germany, Argentina and Australia, Armenia and Finland. The descendants of this famous family live in St. Petersburg, in the very apartment of the very house that was built at the end of the 19th century by Professor of architecture Leonty Nikolaevich Benois according to his own design. We are going to visit the architect's great–granddaughter, Anastasia. As hostess, she will show us the apartment, which is still filled with art. Do you remember Leonardo's famous Madonna Benoit? Before she ended up at the Hermitage, her place was right here. We will admire the real interiors of the early twentieth century, family portraits, watercolors, fireplaces and personal belongings of representatives of this artistic family.