Rasputin is a mysterious figure of Russian history, who rose from nothing to become one of the royal family’s most trusted advisers. Rasputin is mostly famous for his incredible death, after he was assassinated by a member of the royal family.
His Death
Yusupov poisoned Rasputin in this very basement
Grigori Rasputin’s mysterious death, may also be one of the most debated in history. It began when Rasputin was invited to the palace of Prince Yusupov. As soon as Rasputin arrived he was taken down to the cellar, where he enjoyed cake and wine. He could hear music coming from upstairs. The song was called Yankee Doodle Dandy, and was designed make him think there was a party going on. This was to be the place they killed him, however, their plan had already gone wrong. The cake he was eating had been laced with enough poison to kill many men. For some reason the poison had no effect on the man said to have magical abilities. So, Prince Yusupov poured him a glass of wine, however the wine had been laced with cyanide. He drank the whole thing, and then another, and then a third dose of cyanide laced wine.
He was still alive, and the would be assassins had run out of cyanide. When poisoning failed, the prince elected shoot him instead. Rasputin, finally fell dead. Only to wake up, and charge at the startled prince. They fought, and made their way to the courtyard, where Rasputin was shot more until he finally died. He was then tied up, and dropped in a frozen river. After analysing the body, it was discovered that he had died of drowning.
His Healing Powers Shocked The World
Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra’s son, Alexei was seriously ill, and no doctors were able to cure him. They turned to Rasputin to heal their son, and he told them not to let any other doctors near the child, and for him to stop taking any medication prescribed by the other doctors. Although, in the modern day this might be the worst advice possible when a child, or anyone is ill, in this case it was actually the right solution. Alexei was most likely being treated with aspirin at the time, but this medicine can induce adverse effects when the patient suffers from certain conditions. In this case, Alexei most likely suffered from hemophilia. Two days after they followed Rasputin’s advice, Alexei began to recover. This created a strong bond between him and the royal family.
Rasputin Was Repulsive, In More Ways Than One
Gossip spreads, and gossip is a major way Rasputin gained such a good reputation as a healer. Of course, this reputation would eventually allow him to rise to the upper echelons of Russian society. However, gossip comes in all form, and not all of it is good. Rasputin was said to lick spoons, before using them to serve other people. His long, unappealing beard was filled bits of food, which would go mouldy before he cleared them out. Whether, this is because of some sort psychological game he liked to play, or whether he was simply a slob is unclear.
He would sleep in his clothes for days, rarely took baths, and smelled atrocious. Despite this he was quite the womaniser, and was adored by many women. He once exposed himself, and bragged about having slept with the Tsarina. When he confronted by the Tsar himself, he excused himself, by claiming to be Jesus in miniature.
He Received A Strange Message Before Dying
The day before Rasputin died he received a phone call. He didn’t recognise the voice of the caller, and all they said was “Your days are numbered” before hanging up. By this point Rasputin was used to getting death threats, he received countless ones, but for some reason he reacted differently to this one. This time, he showed obvious signs of anxiety, as if, for some reason he felt this threat was real.
His Early Life Is As Mysterious As It Is Fascinating
Despite the heights he would climb, Rasputin was born as a member of the peasant class. His parents were illiterate farmers, who lived in a small village in Siberia. Very little is known about this period of his life, even his exact birth date is unknown with it being somewhere around 1869. He wouldn’t have had much in the way of schooling, but some of the people in his village reported that he had supernatural powers. They said he also displayed cruelty. He joined a monastery but left at the age of 19, and married a woman named Proskovia. However, in his 20’s he left his family to make several pilgrimages to the Holy Land.
Rasputin Dragged The Royal Family’s Reputation Through The Mud
After Rasputin saved the Tsar and Tsarina’s family he gained their trust. He wasn’t just seen as a healer though, but also an advisor. He knew exactly what they wanted to hear, and was able to quell the Tsarina’s anxieties, and give the Tsar more confidence in himself. Rasputin gained a vastly disproportionate amount of influence on the royal family considering his background. Politicians and journalists pointed to Rasputin’s behaviour and influence on the royal family in order to undermine their authority. The Tsar and Tsarina defended Rasputin against these claims.
Yusupov Couldn’t Decide Whether He Killed Him Or Not
From the way Rasputin was killed it’s obvious that Yusupov wanted to kill Rasputin without taking the blame himself. Like most murderers covering up his crime was a top priority, which is why some of his actions are so strange. When a police officer knocked on his door, to ask why gunshots had been reported, Yusupov made a strange declaration. “Listen here, he is dead, and if you love the Tsar and the Motherland, you’ll keep this quiet and won’t tell anyone a thing.” This threat, certainly makes the prince seem guilty, which makes you wonder why he would say such thing.
When asked about the gunshots he claimed that it was one of the guests and that they were only shooting at a dog. Later in life, he would write about how he had killed Rasputin, once again confessing to the crime. He even sued MGM in 1934 when they made a film with a scene where Rasputin is killed by someone other than Yusupov.
Rasputin’s Siblings
Rasputin’s parents had eight children, but seven of them died prematurely, leaving only Rasputin alive. The fact that he was the only one who survived may have in part led to the beliefs in his village that he had supernatural abilities. There are also rumours of a secret ninth child.
Rasputin’s Beliefs
Counter to what most religion preaches, Rasputin believed that the path to spirituality involved sin. After all you can only seek redemption after you’ve done something wrong. Because of this belief, he engaged in sexual behaviour, and drank alcohol.
Rasputin’s Cult
Rasputin was so popular with women, that they would wait outside of his apartment for days to have sex with him. He even picked a select few of them who were his favorites. He referred to them as his “Little Ladies”.