Grigory Rasputin: The Man in the Myth
Rasputin is an infamous name that brings up feelings of discomfort and maybe even fear. We know of him from vague descriptions of a greasy former monk who practiced magic like healing and prophesying. Cartoons about Anastasia, the lost princess, portray him as just that: a dirty man who only wants to hurt people. However, history may paint a different picture. He was very close to the Tsar and Tsarina, who trusted him absolutely. In fact, they let him take care of their son, Alexei, who suffered from a severe case of hemophilia, because Rasputin was the only who could make the pain go away.
Despite, or perhaps because of, the Imperial couple's blind faith in this man who came from nowhere, many nobles and politicians hated Rasputin. They felt that he was actually the cause of Russia's problems, since he was practicing magic. They considered him evil and poisonous to their country, and began to resent Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna for trusting him. So the real question of Rasputin's character and motives may never be satisfactorily answered. Was he a fraud? Was he a genuine healer? Why did he want to help the Romanovs? Did he just want power? Although there may not be real answers to some of these, there is evidence to be evaluated. I think you'll agree with my conclusion: Rasputin was a really shady guy. |
Early Life
Grigory Rasputin was born in a remote village in Serbia. Even as a young boy, the village people talked about him, some saying he was a visionary who could help them all, and others calling him possessed and shunning him. He was rumored to be psychic and have special healing powers. He was wild and not well behaved, getting drunk and harassing women were some of his pastimes. He himself believed that he was a vessel of some higher power. In spite of all that, he married around the age of twenty and had four children.
For reasons unknown, Rasputin decided to visit a monastery where he adopted an interesting sort of religion that operated on the belief that people can "drive out sin with sin". These people participated in things that are frowned upon in most societies around the world in the name of their religion. Rasputin, of course, embraced this belief wholeheartedly, thinking that this ritualistic sin would bring him closer to God. Now, he could basically carry on living however he wanted and justify it by saying he was simply worshiping God. He then became a self-proclaimed wanderer instead of returning home to his family, going on a trip that took him all the way to Greece and the Holy Lands and engaging in sinful acts all along the way.
For reasons unknown, Rasputin decided to visit a monastery where he adopted an interesting sort of religion that operated on the belief that people can "drive out sin with sin". These people participated in things that are frowned upon in most societies around the world in the name of their religion. Rasputin, of course, embraced this belief wholeheartedly, thinking that this ritualistic sin would bring him closer to God. Now, he could basically carry on living however he wanted and justify it by saying he was simply worshiping God. He then became a self-proclaimed wanderer instead of returning home to his family, going on a trip that took him all the way to Greece and the Holy Lands and engaging in sinful acts all along the way.
St. Petersburg
In the year 1903, the people of St. Petersburg were practically obsessed with anything that appeared to be magical or otherworldly. Luckily for Rasputin, this interest in magic overrode his body odor and creepy appearance. When a Bishop of the Russian Church met him, he was very interested in his eyes, especially, which never seemed to blink. The Bishop introduced him to some Montenegrin princesses, who in turn presented him to the imperial couple, Nicholas and Alexandra. Alexandra was immediately impressed by Rasputin and invited him to the Palace often, where they would spend long visits discussing religion and later, the health of Alexei. Nicholas soon came to trust Rasputin as much as his wife did, and the "holy man" became one of the most trusted advisers.
However, Rasputin's ties to the imperial family did nothing to halt his suspicious and underhanded activities. He had affairs with noblewomen and engaged prostitutes on a regular basis, as well as being a drunk and getting involved in numerous fights. In spite of this, the tsar continued to trust him and he grew close to the entire family. He was the only person ever brought into the palace that was actually able to relieve Alexei's pain after an episode of his hemophilia acting up. This only made Alexandra and Nicholas cling more blindly to him, believing that he was sent by God to save their family.
In December of 1916, Rasputin composed a letter to the tsar predicting his own death. He stated that he felt he would be killed before the end of the year. He also said that if he was killed at the hands of peasants, then Nicholas shouldn't fear for his children's lives. However, if he was killed by noble relatives of the imperial family, then the Romanov children would all be killed before two years were over. To read a transcript of the entire letter, click on this link: http://russiapedia.rt.com/prominent-russians/history-and-mythology/grigory-rasputin/.
The nobles who reported Rasputin's questionable behavior were wither brushed off or banished by the tsar, who either didn't believe them or chose to ignore the man's behavior. Perhaps he was willing to overlook anything, if only for his son's sake. Whatever the reasons for his lack of action, it infuriated the other nobles, who hated Rasputin and blamed him partly for Russia's troubles in the first World War (even though Rasputin had strongly advised Nicholas not to get involved). Finally, a man named Prince Yusupov had had enough. On December 19, 1916, he invited Rasputin over to his palace to meet his wife, the tsar's niece. Rasputin ate a bunch of food poisoned with enough cyanide to kill several men, but the nobles present were astounded to realize that he was not affected at all. When Yusupov realized that Rasputin was not going to be killed by the cyanide, he shot him instead. Even this didn't kill Rasputin, who tried to run away and was shot again, then thrown into the Neva River, where he finally drowned.
Ten weeks after Rasputin was murdered, Nicholas II was forced to abdicate, and the Romanov dynasty was overthrown. In July of 1918, the entire Romanov family was executed.
However, Rasputin's ties to the imperial family did nothing to halt his suspicious and underhanded activities. He had affairs with noblewomen and engaged prostitutes on a regular basis, as well as being a drunk and getting involved in numerous fights. In spite of this, the tsar continued to trust him and he grew close to the entire family. He was the only person ever brought into the palace that was actually able to relieve Alexei's pain after an episode of his hemophilia acting up. This only made Alexandra and Nicholas cling more blindly to him, believing that he was sent by God to save their family.
In December of 1916, Rasputin composed a letter to the tsar predicting his own death. He stated that he felt he would be killed before the end of the year. He also said that if he was killed at the hands of peasants, then Nicholas shouldn't fear for his children's lives. However, if he was killed by noble relatives of the imperial family, then the Romanov children would all be killed before two years were over. To read a transcript of the entire letter, click on this link: http://russiapedia.rt.com/prominent-russians/history-and-mythology/grigory-rasputin/.
The nobles who reported Rasputin's questionable behavior were wither brushed off or banished by the tsar, who either didn't believe them or chose to ignore the man's behavior. Perhaps he was willing to overlook anything, if only for his son's sake. Whatever the reasons for his lack of action, it infuriated the other nobles, who hated Rasputin and blamed him partly for Russia's troubles in the first World War (even though Rasputin had strongly advised Nicholas not to get involved). Finally, a man named Prince Yusupov had had enough. On December 19, 1916, he invited Rasputin over to his palace to meet his wife, the tsar's niece. Rasputin ate a bunch of food poisoned with enough cyanide to kill several men, but the nobles present were astounded to realize that he was not affected at all. When Yusupov realized that Rasputin was not going to be killed by the cyanide, he shot him instead. Even this didn't kill Rasputin, who tried to run away and was shot again, then thrown into the Neva River, where he finally drowned.
Ten weeks after Rasputin was murdered, Nicholas II was forced to abdicate, and the Romanov dynasty was overthrown. In July of 1918, the entire Romanov family was executed.