Grigorii Rasputin
The Romanovs' 'Holy Man' Was Given a Special Position at Court
Rasputin was given credit for curing the tsarevich when he had boughts of illness. However, most people felt the Romanovs would be better off without his influence.
Grigorii Rasputin is one of the most mysterious characters to come out of Russian history. Even while he has been the subject of much research and writing, few facts can be ascertained about the life and death of the tsar's and tsaritsa's "holy man."
Rasputin's Origins
Rasputin was born in 1869. Other facts about his early life are difficult to come by, but it is known that he spent some time at a monastery near his home village in Siberia. The time spent at the monastery is undoubtedly the source of Rasputin's religious calling. Speculation about this period of Rasputin's life places him in the vicinity of a scandalous religious sect, which practiced self-flagellation and orgies as means to achieve higher states of spirituality.
Rasputin was first introduced to the Romanovs after it was determined that the Tsarevich Alexei had hemophilia. The Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna was desperate to find a cure for her son's disease - not only was he her youngest child, but he was also the heir to the throne of the Russian Empire, which made his life all the more valuable for the sake of the Romanov dynasty.
Rasputin at Court
Rasputin supposedly possessed a strange power that could halt Tsarevich Alexei's bleeding when his hemophilia caused him to fall ill. This strange power has not been definitively attributed to anything in particular, though Rasputin may have been able to use hypnotism to cast a sort of "spell" over those in his presence. Because he seemed to be able to save Alexei even at times when it was feared he might die, the Empress relied upon Rasputin and made certain he had an important position in the royal court.
Rasputin was both reviled and worshipped at the Romanov court. A dirty, greasy man who had brushes with the police and coarse manners, Rasputin's reputation was known far and wide. Those close to the Romanovs may have been taken in by Rasputin's "holy" presence. However, as rumors about Rasputin sexual appetite spread (that he had seduced ladies at court - even the Empress and the Grand Duchesses), his presence and political power became a destructive factor for popular opinion about the Romanovs.
Rasputin's Death
It is well-known that Rasputin was decidedly difficult to kill. Wine laced with cyanide, bullets, and a beating were not enough to do Rasputin in. It finally took a dunk in a frozen river to kill Rasputin. Rasputin allegedly either drowned or froze to death. When officials drung his body out of the Neva River, it was positioned in such a way to imply that he had been attempting to claw his way from underneath the ice when he perished.
Felix Yusupov was responsible for the plot to kill Rasputin. It took him and two friends guns, poison, and physical violence to end Rasputin's life. Even the facts surrounding Rasputin's death are under debate - the effects of poison, the number of shots taken, and the general chronology of the assassination attempt have changed over time and with each telling.
