Ra Ra Rasputin

Back Story

Grigoris Rasputin was born on January 22 to a peasant family. Rasputin which means ‘debauched one’, underwent a religious conversion to the Russian Orthodox Church at the age of 18 and attended a monastery.

But eventually, he did not become a monk and instead came back at age 19 and married Proskovya Fyodoronva Dubrovina. She bore him four children.  Marriage was not his cup of tea, so he left his family and wandered to Jerusalem, Greece and Mount Athos and lived of the peasants’ donations.

He gained a reputation for his ability to heal and predict the future.

Now things get interesting…

While on one of his pilgrimages, he came to the capital – St. Petersburg, where got acquainted with Russian Tsar Nicholas II. Rasputin was warmly welcomed by Nicholas and his wife Alexandra as they were devout believers of the Orthodox church. 

Despite his heavy drinking, theft and promiscuity he was attracted by laypeople and powerful clergymen.

Alexei, son of Nicholas and Alexandra was captive to haemophilia. Nicholas was summoned to the palace to work his powers. He told his parents to terminate the use of drugs prescribed for the treatment and somehow it proved successful in helping ease the boy’s suffering. Rasputin left the palace prophesying that if he died or was deserted by the royal’s family, then their only son and crown would forever be gone.

Views about Rasputin outside the Palace.

One set of people like the peasants regards him as one of their own. Another group such as the nobles and clergymen despised him.

They were convinced that he was corrupting the royal family and decided to kill him. Yusupov plotted his assassination.

In the presence of the royal family, Rasputin remained a humble and holy peasant. But outside the palace, he was a different man, with filthy habits. He acquired mistresses and seduced many women with claims of healing powers.

Death of Rasputin

Several attempts were made to end Rasputin’s life but none proved to be successful.

Yusupov’s memoirs explain how he once tried to assassinate Rasputin by serving him pastries containing cyanide. But he was shocked to find that Rasputin showed no ill effects. On further questioning, he understood that one of his conspirators substituted cyanide with a harmless substance.

He further tried to shoot down Rasputin but it was of no use. Rasputin recovered and fled.

Finally, Yusupov and his team chased Rasputin and shot him on the forehead and dumped his body in the Malaya Neva river.

Enraged at the news of his death the peasants took matters into their own hands and that was the end of the Russian monarchy just like Rasputin had prophesied.