On the Voltaire quay, opposite the Louvre in Paris, was the apartment of Rudolf Nureyev, where he lived for the last ten years of his life. A memorial plaque on house number 23 informs that the great dancer and choreographer, director of the Paris Opera Ballet Rudolf Nureyev (1938-2003) lived here.

This apartment was his favorite and resembled Ali Baba's treasure trove. It housed all the beautiful things that caught Nureyev's attention. People with a sensitive soul often seek unusual items, and Nureyev, who despised modesty, was just such a person. He always wanted to be in the spotlight and aspired to wealth. His home combined the spirit of Europe and Asia, elegance and bright colors, theatricality and excess, all of which characterized the owner himself.

The Parisian interior had its professional 'conductor', the renowned Italian designer Renzo Mongiardino (1916-1998), who took into account Nureyev's tastes and wishes. However, considering his energetic and impatient nature, one can assume that Nureyev actively participated in decorating his home.

This apartment was designed as a place for receiving guests, to impress them with luxury. And Nureyev managed this with ease.

Nureyev had no family. He lived for 54 years and died of AIDS. In 1995, two years after his death, all the contents of his Paris apartment were sold at a Christie’s auction.