The life story of Rasputin cannot be understood without knowing the special relationship that developed between him and the royal family. For more than ten years, Grigory Rasputin was for royal family one of the closest people. And the king, and the queen, and the royal children, of course, loved him and believed in him.

The end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries were characterized by a deep spiritual crisis due to the rejection of Russian spiritual values, traditions and ideals, and the transition of a significant part of educated society to the basis of existence on a Western scale of coordinates. The Tsar, who by his position was the supreme custodian of the people's foundations, traditions and ideals, felt the tragic outcome of this crisis and really needed people who would be spiritually close to him. This was the main reason for the rapprochement between the royal couple and Grigory Rasputin. The tsar and queen’s attraction to Rasputin was of a deeply spiritual nature; in him they saw an old man who continued the traditions of Holy Rus', wise in spiritual experience, spiritually minded, and capable of giving good advice. And at the same time, they saw in him a real Russian peasant - a representative of the largest class in Russia, with a developed sense of common sense, a popular understanding of the usefulness of their everyday intuition, who knew firmly what is good and what is bad, where are their own and where are strangers.

“I love the people, the peasants. “Rasputin is truly one of the people,” said the queen, and the king believed that Gregory was “a good, simple, religious Russian man. In moments of doubt and mental anxiety, I love to talk with him, and after such a conversation my soul always feels light and calm.” He repeatedly repeats this idea in correspondence and conversations (Naumov, 1995, p. 244).

The Tsar and Tsarina respectfully called Rasputin “our friend” or “Gregory,” and Rasputin called them “Dad and Mom,” meaning “father and mother of the people” in this sense. They talked to each other only on a first name basis.

In the life of the royal family, Rasputin played the same role as Saint John of Kronstadt. They often turned to him asking for prayer. Rasputin had an inexplicable power over Tsarevich Alexei. At the slightest indisposition, the elder was called. Sometimes even one short one was enough telephone conversation in order to achieve the elimination of a particular ailment.

“The heir lives as long as I live!” “He gave such an ultimatum to his “most august patrons,” as if to insure himself in case the immense respect and favor towards him changed to disfavor. (Collection of historical materials, vol. 1, p. 263).

It is quite natural that after these words, Alexandra Fedorovna, obeying her maternal instincts, literally prayed to the “elder”. Having unconditionally believed that Rasputin was sent to the royal family by God in order to protect the dynasty, that the truth was spoken through his lips, it was not difficult for the queen to convince her husband of this.

The queen’s letters to her husband are filled with the deepest faith in Grigory Rasputin: “Yes, prayers and selfless faith in God’s mercy alone,” she writes, “give a person the strength to endure everything. And our friend will help you bear your heavy cross and great responsibility” (Pokrovsky, 1923, vol. 4, p. 52).

Of course, the tsar listened to the advice of Grigory Rasputin. From the royal correspondence it is clear that the king listened to Rasputin’s proposals with attention and often accepted them. This especially concerned candidates for the posts of leaders of the Holy Synod and the movement of bishops to various dioceses, although at the last stage of his life Gregory also took part in the selection of candidates for the posts of ministers and governors.

With the tsar's boundless trust, Rasputin's opinion on certain political and state issues was taken into account almost unconditionally. For example, one of his words was enough for the cabinet of ministers to be replenished with a hitherto unknown person.

All these appointments took place spontaneously in most cases. Aron Simanovich in his memoirs described one of them, at which he himself was present: “It often happened that the tsar telephoned Rasputin, demanding to immediately indicate a candidate for any vacant ministerial post. In such cases, Rasputin asked the Tsar to wait a few minutes. Returning to us, he demanded to name the necessary candidate...” (Simanovic A.).

IN last years reign of Nicholas II was becoming increasingly difficult to find the right person for some position, because people were simply afraid. They were afraid that, having served for some time in a high-ranking position, they would not only fall under a wave of mistrust and be removed from this post, but would also fall out of favor with the sovereign, and after that there could be no talk of any high positions for them.

E.D. Chermensky thought differently. He finds the version about the significance of Rasputin’s will in making government decisions untenable. Chermensky argues that Rasputin's wishes simply coincided completely with the opinions of Nicholas II, and ministerial appointments were made only in accordance with the Tsar's own decisions, made independently. The echo of these decisions, appearing in written sources sometimes earlier than the voice that gave birth to it, was Rasputin. He himself could not play the enormous role in politics that was assigned to him, if only due to his “phenomenal lack of education” (Chermensky, 1986, p. 91).

But here’s the paradox: the tsar, who believed that Rasputin was sent to him by heaven in order to protect him and all royal family and to help him himself with advice on behalf of the Lord God, he would have to silently listen to his every word, accept his speech as truth, as a prophecy, for God himself speaks through his lips, heeded his advice only in matters of appointment or in matters of a smaller scale. In serious matters, he always did almost everything his own way.

Grigory Efimovich had his own positions on almost all political issues. But they did not always coincide with the positions of the sovereign, and he, despite the fact that Rasputin in his eyes was a “man of God,” was not going to change them. Contrary to the advice and even the pleas of the “elder”, contrary to the letters of the Tsarina, Nicholas did things his own way. There were also cases when he simply did not initiate either his wife or the “miracle worker” into his plans, and they learned about one or another of his actions from the newspapers.

Rasputin was strongly opposed to the “senseless bloodshed” of the First World War. No matter how hard the Tsar tried to make peace with Germany, on any terms, the Tsar stood his ground.

The same applies to the peasant question. All attempts by Rasputin to explain to the Tsar that the peasants remained the most powerless category of the population were in vain. In his opinion, after the reform carried out in 1861, the peasants began to live even worse than under the landowners, since they had less land and the provision, albeit meager, that they had during serfdom was taken away. He wanted to convince the tsar to give state and monastery lands to the peasants, but the tsar again did not agree with him.

At the very beginning of the First World War, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Russian army was Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich. One day Rasputin came to the Tsar and told him that he had a dream, from which it follows that in three days Nikolai Nikolaevich would send news that there was not enough food in the army, but you should not believe him, because with this news he was only trying to sow panic and fear and thereby force Nicholas II to abdicate the throne in his favor.

As a result of this meeting, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich was exiled to the Caucasus, and the Tsar took command of all military actions.

The lack of consensus in the scientific literature is due to the diversity of views on the same problem present in historical sources that scientists have today. These are most often testimonies of people close to the king who held government and court positions under him, as well as diaries and correspondence.

Let us present here some opinions about the empress’s mediation between the sovereign and Rasputin. Thus, Admiral Bubnov considered the influence of the Empress decisive. Wrangel (father) shared the same opinion white general P.N. Wrangel): “The state was ruled by his (the tsar’s) wife, and she was ruled by Rasputin. Rasputin inspired, the tsarina ordered, the tsar obeyed.” The scheme proposed by Avrekh is also confirmed by the remark of the famous liberal historian and Kadet politician A. Kiesewetter: “... fully... confirm (the letters) that Alexandra played a decisive role in establishing the course of domestic policy and in the matter of government appointments.”

The palace commandant Voeikov cannot agree with Rasputin’s influence through the empress: “One might think that the empress, under the influence of Rasputin, managed all appointments and resolved important state issues. In fact, this was far from the case; judging by the results, the number of people whose candidacies were supported by the empress was downright insignificant.” The rumor “that Rasputin makes appointments through Tsarskoe Selo” is also groundless: “in fact, it all came down to his personal relationships with the ministers, which had nothing in common with the empress.”

His other confidants come to the king's defense. The aide-de-camp of the Mordvin king writes: “He (the king) agreed only with those opinions that did not contradict his own.” True, opinions often coincided, but these were precisely coincidences, and not subordination.

There is also Gurko’s opinion: “He did not even allow the thought of parting with her [Empress Alexandra Feodorovna - A.D.], and therefore silently, sometimes gritting his teeth, endured her oppression, from which he, however, repeatedly sought to get out.” .

Regarding the direct influence of Rasputin, Maurice Paleologue, the French ambassador to Russia, says the following: “Does Rasputin have the same power over the emperor as over the empress? No, and the difference is noticeable,” especially when the “old man” interferes in politics. Then Nicholas II puts on silence and caution, he avoids difficult questions; he postpones decisive answers; at any rate, he submits after a great internal struggle, in which his innate intelligence often prevails.”

In their research, historians rely not only on the testimony of contemporaries and analysis of known facts. The decisive role is played by the materials of correspondence between Nicholas II and his wife. Here are some letters from the empress to her husband.

“Keep this paper in front of you... Tell him [Protopopov - A.D.] to obey our Friend more.”

“My dear!.. I may not be smart enough, but I have a highly developed feeling, and it often helps more than my mind. Don’t replace anyone before our meeting, let’s calmly discuss everything together.”

In the summer of 1916, Alexandra Fedorovna wrote to her husband at Headquarters: “And now He [Rasputin - A.D.] believes that it would be advisable not to attack too persistently on the western sector of the front...”

The materials of this correspondence very well substantiate the hypothesis about Rasputin’s indirect influence on state affairs, which was exerted first on the empress, and through her on the tsar.

Some letters from Rasputin to Nicholas II himself have also been preserved: “The firmness of God’s foot against the Germans do not advance, stick to the Romanian front, from there glory will shine The Lord will strengthen the weapon, I pray fervently Gregory” and “I spoke very briefly and affectionately with Kalinin, begging that no one interfere with him, also let counterintelligence lead they talked about their business affectionately about the prisoner in a Christian way... give power to one so that Gregory can work with his mind.”

To say that Rasputin was in charge of absolutely all affairs in the state would be the same as lying. Yes, his influence on the entire royal family was enormous, yes, on his orders almost all ministers and high-ranking officials were appointed from 1902 to 1916, but he was not always listened to, and therefore he had to resort to some other measures besides the simple ones telegrams and conversations.

By order of the royal family, Rasputin was placed under surveillance by the royal secret police. Beletsky, director of the police department, noted in his notes that at the end of 1913, while observing the correspondence of people close to Rasputin, they noticed among them a letter from one of the Petrograd hypnotists, in which there was an absolutely clear indication that the “miracle worker” took from him hypnosis lessons.

This can also explain the attractiveness of his eyes to everyone around him. All the people who knew him personally invariably singled out his eyes. They always made a lasting impression. Elena Dzhanumova wrote about him in her diary: “What eyes he has! It is impossible to hold his gaze for long. There is something heavy about him, as if you feel material pressure, although his eyes often glow with kindness, but how cruel they can sometimes be and how terrible in anger...”

About another way of his influence on the tsar, Vladimir Mitrofanovich Purishkevich expresses his assumption in his diary: “Why don’t you, Felix,” Rasputin said to Yusupov, “visit Badmaev? He is the right person... He will give you a tiny glass of infusion, you will drink this infusion at an hour when your soul is confused, and immediately everything will seem like a trifle to you, and you yourself will become so kind, so stupid, and everyone will be equal to you.” There is everything there is reason to believe that it was this “tincture” that he treated the emperor to. Confirmation, even if indirect, can be found in the memoirs of his personal secretary. Before telling about the deception that Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich was preparing, Rasputin poured himself and the Tsar Madeira, his favorite drink, and ordered the Tsar to drink from his glass, while he drank from the Tsar’s. After that, he mixed the remaining wine from both glasses and ordered Nikolai to drink it. And only after all these “mystical” preparations did he tell him about his vision. A few days after this, the Grand Duke was given a train that was supposed to take him to the Caucasus.

Be that as it may, Rasputin is very short term gained almost unlimited power over the royal couple, but, nevertheless, at some moments the tsar eluded his influence and made decisions on his own, contrary to the instructions of the “elder” and Alexandra Fedorovna.

Grigory Rasputin is a well-known and controversial figure in Russian history, debates about which have been going on for a century. His life is filled with a mass of inexplicable events and facts related to his closeness to the family of Emperor Nicholas II and his influence on the fate of the Russian Empire.

Some historians consider him an immoral charlatan and a swindler, while others are confident that Rasputin was a real seer and healer, which allowed him to gain influence over the royal family.

Not a single tsar, commander, scientist, statesman in Rus' had such popularity, fame and influence as this semi-literate man from the Urals gained. His talent as a soothsayer and his mysterious death are still a matter of debate for historians. Who was Rasputin really?...

Speaking surname

Grigory Efimovich Rasputin really had to live at a crossroads historical roads and was destined to become a witness and participant in the tragic choice that was made at that time.

Grigory Rasputin was born on January 9 (new style - 21), 1869 in the village of Pokrovsky, Tyumen district Tobolsk province. The ancestors of Grigory Efimovich came to Siberia among the first pioneers. For a long time they bore the surname Izosimov, named after the same Izosim who moved from the Vologda land beyond the Urals. The two sons of Nason Izosimov began to be called Rasputin - and, accordingly, their descendants. Here is how researcher A. Varlamov writes about the family of Grigory Rasputin: “The children of Anna and Efim Rasputin died one after another. First, in 1863, after living for several months, daughter Evdokia died, a year later another girl, also named Evdokia.

The third daughter was named Glykeria, but she lived only a few months. On August 17, 1867, son Andrei was born, who, like his sisters, turned out to be a non-tenant. Finally, in 1869, the fifth child, Gregory, was born. The name was given according to the calendar in honor of St. Gregory of Nyssa, known for his sermons against fornication."

With a dream about God

Rasputin is often portrayed as almost a giant, a monster with iron health and the ability to eat glass and nails. In fact, Gregory grew up as a weak and sickly child.

Later, he wrote about his childhood in an autobiographical essay, which he called “The Life of an Experienced Wanderer”: “My whole life was illness. Medicine did not help me. Every spring I did not sleep for forty nights. It was as if I was sleeping like oblivion, and spent all my time.” .

At the same time, already in childhood Gregory’s thoughts differed from the train of thought of a simple man in the street. Grigory Efimovich himself writes about it this way:

“At the age of 15 in my village, when the sun was warm and the birds sang heavenly songs, I walked along the path and did not dare to walk in the middle of it... I dreamed of God... My soul longed for the distance... More than once, dreaming like this, I cried and did not know where the tears came from and why they were. I believed in the good, the kind, and I often sat with the old people, listening to their stories about the lives of saints, great deeds, great deeds.

The Power of Prayer

Gregory early realized the power of his prayer, which manifested itself in relation to both animals and people. This is how his daughter Matryona writes about this: “From my grandfather, I know about my father’s extraordinary ability to handle domestic animals. Standing next to a restive horse, he could, placing his hand on its neck, quietly say a few words, and the animal would immediately calm down. And when he watched the milking, the cow became completely docile. One day at dinner, my grandfather said that his horse was lame. Hearing this, the father silently rose from the table and went to the stable. The grandfather followed and saw his son stand for a few seconds near the horse in concentration, then go up to the back leg and put his palm on the hamstring. He stood with his head slightly thrown back, then, as if deciding that the healing had been accomplished, he stepped back, stroked the horse and said: “You feel better now.”

After that incident, my father became like a miracle worker veterinarian. Then he began to treat people too. "God helped."

Guilty without guilt

As for Gregory’s dissolute and sinful youth, accompanied by horse stealing and orgies, this is nothing more than later fabrications of newspapermen. Matryona Rasputina in her book claims that her father was so perspicacious from a young age that he “saw” the thefts of others several times and therefore for himself personally excluded the very possibility of theft: it seemed to him that others “see” it just as much as he does .

I looked through all the testimony about Rasputin that was given during the investigation in the Tobolsk Consistory. Not a single witness, even the most hostile to Rasputin (and there were many of them), accused him of theft or horse stealing. Colonel Dmitry Loman, Grigory Rasputin and Prince Mikhail Putyatin.

Nevertheless, Gregory still experienced injustice and human cruelty. One day he was unfairly accused of horse theft and severely beaten, but the investigation soon found the culprits, who were sent to Eastern Siberia. All charges against Gregory were dropped.

Family life

No matter how many amorous stories are attributed to Rasputin, nevertheless, as Varlamov rightly notes, he had a beloved wife:

“Everyone who knew her spoke well of this woman. Rasputin married when he was eighteen years old. His wife was three years older than him, hard-working and patient. She gave birth to seven children, the first three of whom died.”

Grigory Efimovich met his betrothed at the dances that he loved so much. This is how his daughter Matryona writes about it: “Mom was tall and stately, she loved to dance no less than he did. Her name was Praskovya Fedorovna Dubrovina, Parasha... Rasputin with children (from left to right): Matryona, Varya, Mitya.

The beginning of their family life was happy. But then trouble came - the first-born lived only a few months. The boy's death affected his father even more than his mother. He took the loss of his son as a sign that he had been waiting for, but he could not have imagined that this sign would be so terrible.

He was haunted by one thought: the death of a child is a punishment for the fact that he thought so little about God. The father prayed. And prayers consoled the pain. A year later, the second son, Dmitry, was born, then - with an interval of two years - daughters Matryona and Varya. My father started building a new house - two-story, the largest in Pokrovsky..."
Rasputin's house in Pokrovskoye

His family laughed at him. He did not eat meat or sweets, heard different voices, walked from Siberia to St. Petersburg and back, and ate alms. In the spring, he had exacerbations - he did not sleep for many days in a row, sang songs, shook his fists at Satan and ran in the cold in his shirt.

His prophecies consisted of calls to repentance “before trouble comes.” Sometimes, by pure coincidence, trouble happened the very next day (huts burned, livestock got sick, people died) - and the peasants began to believe that the blessed man had the gift of foresight. He gained followers... and followers.

This went on for about ten years. Rasputin learned about the Khlysty (sectarians who beat themselves with whips and suppressed lust through group sex), as well as the Skoptsy (preachers of castration) who separated from them. It is assumed that he adopted some of their teachings and more than once personally “delivered” pilgrims from sin in the bathhouse.

At the “divine” age of 33, Gregory begins to storm St. Petersburg. Having secured recommendations from provincial priests, he settles with the rector of the Theological Academy, Bishop Sergius, the future Stalinist patriarch. He, impressed by the exotic character, represents the “old man” (long years of wandering on foot gave the young Rasputin the appearance of an old man) strong of the world this. Thus began the path of the “man of God” to glory.
Rasputin with his fans (mostly female fans).

Rasputin's first loud prophecy was the prediction of the death of our ships at Tsushima. Perhaps he got it from newspaper news reports that a squadron of old ships had sailed to meet the modern Japanese fleet without observing secrecy measures.

Ave, Caesar!

The last ruler of the House of Romanov was distinguished by lack of will and superstition: he considered himself Job, doomed to trials, and kept meaningless diaries, where he shed virtual tears, looking at how his country was going downhill.

The queen also lived in isolation from the real world and believed in the supernatural power of the “elders of the people.” Knowing this, her friend, the Montenegrin princess Milica, took outright scoundrels to the palace. The monarchs listened to the ravings of swindlers and schizophrenics with childish delight. The war with Japan, the revolution and the illness of the prince finally unbalanced the pendulum of the weak royal psyche. Everything was ready for Rasputin's appearance.

For a long time, only daughters were born in the Romanov family. To conceive a son, the queen resorted to the help of the French magician Philip. It was he, and not Rasputin, who was the first to take advantage of the spiritual naivety of the royal family.

The scale of the chaos that reigned in the minds of the last Russian monarchs (one of the most educated people of that time) can be judged by the fact that the queen felt safe thanks to a magic icon with a bell that supposedly rang when evil people approached.
Nicky and Alix during their engagement (late 1890s)

The first meeting of the Tsar and Tsarina with Rasputin took place on November 1, 1905 at the palace over tea. He dissuaded the weak-willed monarchs from escaping to England (they say they were already packing their things), which most likely would have saved them from death and would have sent Russian history in a different direction.

The next time he gave the Romanovs miraculous icon(found on them after the execution), then allegedly healed Tsarevich Alexei, who had hemophilia, and eased the pain of Stolypin’s daughter, wounded by terrorists. The shaggy man forever captured the hearts and minds of the august couple.

The Emperor personally arranges for Gregory to change his dissonant surname to “New” (which, however, did not stick). Soon Rasputin-Novykh acquires another lever of influence at court - the young maid of honor Anna Vyrubova, who idolizes the “elder” (a close friend of the queen - according to rumors, even too close, who slept with her in the same bed). He becomes the confessor of the Romanovs and comes to the tsar at any time without making an appointment for an audience.
Please note that in all photographs Rasputin always holds one hand raised.

At court, Gregory was always “in character,” but outside the political scene he was completely transformed. Having bought himself a new house in Pokrovskoye, he took noble St. Petersburg fans there. There the “elder” put on expensive clothes, became self-satisfied, and gossiped about the king and nobles.

Every day he showed the queen (whom he called “mother”) miracles: he predicted the weather or the exact time of the king’s return home. It was then that Rasputin made his most famous prediction: “As long as I live, the dynasty will live.”

The growing power of Rasputin did not suit the court. Cases were brought against him, but each time the “elder” very successfully left the capital, going either home to Pokrovskoye or on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

In 1911, the Synod spoke out against Rasputin. Bishop Hermogenes (who ten years ago expelled a certain Joseph Dzhugashvili from the theological seminary) tried to drive out the devil from Gregory and publicly beat him on the head with a cross. Rasputin was under police surveillance, which did not stop until his death.
Rasputin, Bishop Hermogenes and Hieromonk Iliodor

Secret agents watched through the windows the most piquant scenes from the life of a man who would soon be called “the holy devil.” Once hushed up, rumors about Grishka's sexual adventures began to swell with new strength. The police recorded Rasputin visiting bathhouses in the company of prostitutes and wives of influential people.

Copies were circulating around St. Petersburg tender letter the queen to Rasputin, from which it could be concluded that they were lovers. These stories were picked up by newspapers - and the word “Rasputin” became known throughout Europe.

Public health

People who believed in Rasputin's miracles believe that he himself, as well as his death, are mentioned in the Bible itself:

“And if they drink anything deadly, it will not harm them; They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."(Mark 16-18).

Today no one doubts that Rasputin really had a beneficial effect on physical state the prince and the mental stability of his mother. How did he do it?
The queen at the bedside of the sick heir

Contemporaries noted that Rasputin’s speech was always incoherent; it was very difficult to follow his thoughts. Huge, with long arms With his tavern floor hairstyle and spade beard, he often talked to himself and patted his thighs.

Without exception, all of Rasputin's interlocutors recognized his unusual look - deeply sunken grey eyes, as if glowing from within and fettering your will. Stolypin recalled that when he met Rasputin, he felt that they were trying to hypnotize him.
Rasputin and the Tsarina drink tea

This certainly influenced the king and queen. However, it is difficult to explain the repeated relief of the royal children from pain. Rasputin's main healing weapon was prayer - and he could pray all night long.

One day in Belovezhskaya Pushcha the heir began to experience severe internal bleeding. Doctors told his parents that he would not survive. A telegram was sent to Rasputin asking him to heal Alexei from a distance. He quickly recovered, which greatly surprised the court doctors.

Kill the dragon

A man who called himself a “little fly” and appointed officials according to phone call, was illiterate. He learned to read and write only in St. Petersburg. He left behind only short notes filled with terrible scribbles.

Until the end of his life, Rasputin looked like a tramp, which repeatedly prevented him from “picking” prostitutes for daily orgies. The wanderer quickly forgot about a healthy lifestyle - he drank and drunkenly called ministers with various “petitions”, failure to fulfill which was career suicide.

Rasputin did not save money, either starving or throwing it left and right. He seriously influenced the country's foreign policy, twice persuading Nicholas not to start a war in the Balkans (inspiring the Tsar that the Germans were a dangerous force, and the “brothers,” i.e., the Slavs, were pigs). Facsimile of Rasputin's letter with a request for some of his protégés

When First World War However, it began, Rasputin expressed a desire to come to the front to bless the soldiers. The commander of the troops, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, promised to hang him on the nearest tree.

In response, Rasputin issued another prophecy that Russia would not win the war until an autocrat (who had military education, but showed himself to be an incompetent strategist). The king, of course, led the army. With consequences known to history.

Politicians actively criticized the Tsarina, the “German spy,” not forgetting Rasputin. It was then that the image of a “gray eminence” was created, resolving all state issues, although in fact Rasputin’s power was far from absolute. German zeppelins scattered leaflets over the trenches, where the Kaiser leaned on the people, and Nicholas II on Rasputin’s genitals. The priests also did not lag behind. It was announced that the murder of Grishka was a good thing, for which “forty sins would be removed.”

On July 29, 1914, the mentally ill Khionia Guseva stabbed Rasputin in the stomach, shouting: “ I killed the Antichrist! Witnesses said that from the blow " Grishka's guts came out" The wound was fatal, but Rasputin pulled out. According to his daughter’s recollections, he had changed since then - he began to get tired quickly and took opium for pain.
PrinceFelixFeliksovich Yusupov (1887-1967), killer of Rasputin.

Rasputin's death is even more mysterious than his life. The scenery of this drama is well known: on the night of December 17, 1916, Prince Felix Yusupov, Grand Duke Dmitry Romanov (rumored to be Yusupov's lover) and deputy Purishkevich invited Rasputin to the Yusupov Palace. There he was offered cakes and wine, generously flavored with cyanide. This supposedly had no effect on Rasputin.

“Plan B” was put into action: Yusupov shot Rasputin in the back with a revolver. While the conspirators were preparing to get rid of the body, he suddenly came to life, tore the shoulder strap off Yusupov’s shoulder and ran into the street. Purishkevich was not taken aback - with three shots he finally knocked down the “old man”, after which he only clanked his teeth and wheezed.

To be sure, he was beaten again, tied with a curtain and thrown into an ice hole in the Neva. The water that killed Rasputin's older brother and sister also took the life of the fatal man - but not immediately. An examination of the body, recovered three days later, showed the presence of water in the lungs (the autopsy report has not been preserved). This indicated that Grishka was alive and simply choked.
Rasputin's corpse

The queen was furious, but at the insistence of Nicholas II, the murderers escaped punishment. The people praised them as deliverers from “dark forces.” Rasputin was called everything: a demon, a German spy or the empress’s lover, but the Romanovs were faithful to him to the end: the most odious figure in Russia was buried in Tsarskoye Selo.

Two months later the February revolution broke out. Rasputin's prediction about the fall of the monarchy came true. On March 4, 1917, Kerensky ordered the body to be dug up and burned.

The exhumation took place at night, and according to the testimony of the exhumers, the burning corpse tried to rise. This was the final touch to the legend of Rasputin’s superpower (it is believed that the cremated person can move due to the contraction of the tendons in the fire, and therefore the latter should be cut). The act of burning Rasputin's body

« Who are you, Mr. Rasputin?- such a question could have been asked by British and German intelligence at the beginning of the 20th century. A clever werewolf or a simple-minded man? Rebel saint or sexual psychopath? To cast a shadow on a person, it is enough just to correctly illuminate his life.

It is reasonable to assume that the true appearance of the royal favorite was distorted beyond recognition by “black PR”. And minus the incriminating evidence, what appears before us is an ordinary man - an illiterate, but very cunning schizophrenic, who achieved fame only thanks to a successful coincidence of circumstances and the obsession of the heads of the Romanov dynasty with religious metaphysics.

Attempts at canonization

Since the 1990s, radical-monarchist Orthodox circles have repeatedly proposed canonizing Rasputin as a holy martyr.

The ideas were rejected by the Synodal Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church and criticized by Patriarch Alexy II: " There is no reason to raise the question of the canonization of Grigory Rasputin, whose dubious morality and promiscuity cast a shadow on the august family of Tsar Nicholas II and his family".

Despite this, over the past ten years, religious admirers of Grigory Rasputin have published at least two akathists to him, and also painted about a dozen icons. Curious facts

Rasputin supposedly had an older brother, Dmitry (who caught a cold while swimming and died of pneumonia) and a sister, Maria (who suffered from epilepsy and drowned in the river). He named his children after them. Grishka named his third daughter Varvara.
Bonch-Bruevich knew Rasputin well.

The Yusupov family originates from the nephew of the Prophet Mohammed. Irony of fate: a distant relative of the founder of Islam killed a man who called himself an Orthodox saint.

After the overthrow of the Romanovs, Rasputin’s activities were investigated by a special commission, of which the poet Blok was a member. The investigation was never completed.

Rasputin's daughter Matryona managed to emigrate to France and then to the USA. There she worked as a dancer and tiger trainer. She died in 1977.

The remaining family members were dispossessed and exiled to camps, where their trace was lost.
Today the church does not recognize the holiness of Rasputin, pointing out his dubious morality.

Yusupov successfully sued MGM over the film about Rasputin. After this incident, films began to put a warning about fiction: “all coincidences are accidental.”

Dates and last name

Historians cannot accurately determine not only the day, but even the year of birth of Grigory Rasputin. Some argue that 1, 10 or January 23, while others are sure that he was born July 29. With the year of birth it is even more complicated. There are options:

• 1864;
• 1865;
• 1871;
• 1872

Everyone calls the village of Pokrovskoye in the Tyumen province the place of birth of Gregory. He was born into an ordinary peasant family and was sick a lot as a child. Interesting fact - real name Rasputin, according to documents Grigory bore the surname New. He received his nickname because of his dissolute lifestyle.

Supernatural abilities

Gregory became famous throughout almost all of Tsarist Russia thanks to his supernatural abilities. Rasputin regularly predicted the future. He was able to predict the defeat of the Russian army in Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905, tried to influence the events preceding the First World War, but could not because he was being treated for a serious wound. But he sent a telegram to the king:

“There is a terrible cloud over Russia: there is trouble, there is a lot of grief, there is no light, there is a sea of ​​​​tears, and there is no measure, but blood? What will I say? There are no words, but indescribable horror. I know that everyone wants war from you, and the faithful, not knowing that it is for the sake of death. God’s punishment is severe when He blocks the way... You are the king, the father of the people... do not allow the insane to triumph and destroy themselves and the people... Everything is drowning in the great blood... Gregory.”

In addition to the gift of prediction Grigory Rasputin was a famous healer. The queen gave him complete carte blanche to treat her son. He managed to save him and was included in the royal family as the main healer, and then an adviser.

The dissolute life of Rasputin

Grigory changed his last name to a nickname, since he was better known by it. All of Tsarist Russia gossiped about his evening festivities, a sea of ​​alcohol and numerous orgies. There is evidence that Rasputin was a member of the Khlyst sect, which preached the principle of “ If you don’t sin, you won’t repent, if you don’t repent, God won’t forgive, God won’t forgive, you won’t be closer to him, He won’t see your soul." Therefore, he combined prayer with sexual intercourse. Gregory allegedly assured women that by having sex with him, they would be cleansed of all sins.

Those around the royal family constantly tried to convey to them that Gregory was an ordinary charlatan who drinks a lot, cheats and regularly changes women, despite the fact that he is married. However, Grigory Rasputin managed to convince the tsar that this was all slander.

Murder of Rasputin

The death of Grigory Rasputin is shrouded in no less mystery than his life. Historians are confident that the conspiracy against the seer was led by the heir to the largest fortune in Russia, the husband of the emperor’s niece, Prince Felix Yusupov. However, in recent years, a version has emerged that British intelligence was involved in the murder of Rasputin, but this version has no official confirmation.

| strana.ru

Witnesses claim that Grigory Rasputin was invited to visit by Felix Yusupov, allegedly to introduce him to the emperor’s niece. Many were served on the table delicious dishes, sweets that contained potassium cyanide, but the poison had no effect on Gregory. Noticing this, the killers shot at Rasputin several times, but the bullets could not kill him.

The healer tried to escape from the palace, but was shot in the head at point-blank range. Even after this, Grigory tried to get up, so they tied him up, put him in a bag and threw him into the hole. The autopsy showed that Rasputin continued to fight for life, even being at the bottom of the ice hole, but was unable to untangle the bag.

Rasputin and the Jews. Memoirs of the personal secretary of Grigory Rasputin [with photographs] Simanovich Aron

Rasputin's personality

Rasputin's personality

In appearance, Rasputin was a real Russian peasant. He was a strong man, of average height. His light gray, sharp eyes were set deep. His gaze was piercing. Only a few could stand it. It contained a suggestive force that only rare people could resist. He wore long hair that flowed over his shoulders, which made him look like a monk or priest. His brown hair was heavy and thick.

Rasputin did not rank clergy highly. He was a believer, but did not pretend to be, he prayed little and reluctantly, he loved, however, to talk about God, to have long conversations on religious topics and, despite his lack of education, he loved to philosophize. He was greatly interested in the spiritual life of man.

He was an expert on the human psyche, which was of great help to him. He did not like regular work, as he was lazy, but could, if necessary, work hard physically. From time to time physical labor was necessary for him.

Countless legends have gathered around Rasputin. I do not intend to compete with the authors of all sorts of scandalous stories and want only to convey my observations of the real Rasputin.

Rasputin had a bump on his forehead, which he carefully covered with his long hair. He always carried a comb with him, with which he combed his long, shiny and always oiled hair. His beard was almost always in disarray. Rasputin only occasionally brushed her with a brush. In general, he was quite clean and often bathed, but at the table he behaved with little culture.

He used a knife and fork only on rare occasions and preferred to take food from plates with his bony and dry fingers. He tore large pieces like an animal. Only a few could look at him without disgust. His mouth was very large, but instead of teeth, some black roots were visible in it. While eating, food remnants often got stuck in his beard.

He never ate meat, sweets or cakes. His favorite dishes were potatoes and vegetables, which were brought to him by his admirers. Rasputin was not anti-alcoholic, but he did not think highly of vodka either. Of other drinks, he preferred Madeira and port. He was accustomed to sweet wines in monasteries and could tolerate them in very large quantities.

In his clothing, Rasputin always remained faithful to his peasant attire. He wore a Russian shirt, belted with a silk cord, wide trousers, high boots and a hoodie over his shoulders. In St. Petersburg, he willingly put on silk shirts, which were embroidered for him and presented to him by the queen and his admirers. With them, he also wore high patent leather boots.

Rasputin loved to teach people. But he spoke little and limited himself to short, abrupt and often even incomprehensible phrases. Everyone had to listen to him carefully, since he had a very high opinion of his words.

Rasputin's admirers can be divided into two categories. Some believed in him supernatural powers and his holiness, in his divine purpose, while others simply considered it fashionable to look after him or tried through him to achieve some advantages for themselves or their loved ones.

When Rasputin was reproached for his weakness towards female, he usually answered that his guilt was not so great, since many high-ranking officials directly hang their mistresses and even wives around his neck in order to achieve some benefits from him for themselves. And most of these women entered into intimate relationship with him with the consent of their husbands or relatives.

Rasputin had admirers who visited him on holidays to congratulate him, and at the same time hugged his tar-soaked boots. Rasputin, laughing, said that on such days he especially generously smears his boots with tar so that the elegant ladies lying at his feet would get more dirty on their silk dresses.

His fabulous success with the royal couple made him some kind of deity. All St. Petersburg officials were in a state of excitement. One word from Rasputin was enough for officials to receive high orders or other distinctions. Therefore, everyone sought his support. Rasputin had more power than any high official. You didn’t need any special knowledge or talent to make the most brilliant career with his help. Rasputin's whim was enough for this.

Assignments that required long-term service were carried out by Rasputin in a few hours. He brought people positions that they had never dared to dream of before. He was an all-powerful miracle worker, but at the same time more accessible and reliable than some high-ranking person or general. No tsar's favorite has ever achieved such power in Russia as he did.

Rasputin did not try to adopt the manners and habits of well-bred St. Petersburg society. He behaved in aristocratic salons with impossible rudeness.

Apparently, he deliberately showed his peasant rudeness and bad manners.

It was an amazing picture when Russian princesses, countesses, famous artists, all-powerful ministers and high-ranking officials courted a drunken man. He treated them worse than footmen and maids. At the slightest provocation, he scolded these aristocratic ladies in the most obscene manner and in words that would make the grooms blush. His impudence was indescribable.

He treated ladies and girls from society in the most unceremonious manner, and the presence of their husbands and fathers did not bother him at all. His behavior would have outraged the most notorious prostitute, but despite this, there were almost no cases when anyone showed their indignation. Everyone was afraid of him and flattered him. The ladies kissed his food-stained hands and did not disdain his black nails.

Without using cutlery, at the table he distributed pieces of food among his fans with his hands, and they tried to assure him that they considered this some kind of bliss. It was disgusting to watch such scenes. But Rasputin’s guests got used to this and accepted it all with unprecedented patience.

I have no doubt that Rasputin often behaved outrageously and disgracefully in order to show his hatred of the nobility. With special love, he cursed and mocked the nobility, called them dogs and claimed that not a drop of Russian blood flowed in the veins of any nobleman.

When talking with peasants or his daughters, he did not use a single swear word. His daughters had a special room and never entered rooms where guests were. The room of Rasputin's daughters was well furnished, and from it a door led to the kitchen, in which Rasputin's nieces Nyura and Katya lived, who watched his daughters. Rasputin's own rooms were almost completely empty and contained very little of the cheapest furniture.

The table in the dining room was never covered with a tablecloth. Only in the work room there were several leather armchairs, and this was the only more or less decent room in the entire apartment. This room served as a place for intimate meetings between Rasputin and representatives of high St. Petersburg society.

These scenes usually proceeded with impossible simplicity, and Rasputin in such cases would escort the lady in question out of his workroom with the words: “Well, well, mother, everything is all right!” After such a lady's visit, Rasputin usually went to the bathhouse located opposite his house. But the promises made in such cases were always fulfilled.

At love affairs It was obvious to Rasputin that he could not stand intrusive people. But, on the other hand, he annoyingly pursued ladies who did not give in to his lusts. In this regard, he even became an extortionist and refused all assistance in the affairs of such persons. There were also cases when ladies who came to him with requests directly offered themselves, considering this a necessary prerequisite for the fulfillment of their request. In such cases, Rasputin played the role of the indignant and read the most severe moral teaching to the petitioner. Their requests were still fulfilled.

From the book Rasputin and the Jews. Memoirs of the personal secretary of Grigory Rasputin [with photographs] author Simanovich Aron

Personality of Rasputin In appearance, Rasputin was a real Russian peasant. He was a strong man, of average height. His light gray, sharp eyes were set deep. His gaze was piercing. Only a few could stand it. It contained a suggestive force, against which only

From the book Stolypin author Rybas Svyatoslav Yurievich

Rasputin's House A very diverse group of people usually gathered in Rasputin's dining room. Each visitor considered it his duty to bring something edible. Meat dishes were not revered. They brought a lot of caviar, expensive fish, fruits and fresh bread. Also on the table

From the book Rasputin and the Jews author Simanovich Aron

Rasputin's power Rasputin often claimed that he possessed a special power with which he could achieve everything and even save his life in dangerous moments. Skeptics didn't believe it. In reality, Rasputin had a special ability, which he called his

From the book Tenderness author Razzakov Fedor

From the book About the Fall of the House of Romanov author Baranov Evgeniy Zakharovich

The Return of Rasputin The influence of his mother on the Tsar weakened during this period, and the position of his wife strengthened, who believed that parliamentarism and reforms were destroying the country, and who, we recall, favored Rasputin. Rasputin experienced fierce enmity towards Stolypin. It is known that

From the book Predator author Lurie Lev Yakovlevich

Rasputin's House A very diverse group of people usually gathered in Rasputin's dining room. Each visitor considered it his duty to bring something edible. Meat dishes were not revered. They brought a lot of caviar, expensive fish, fruits and fresh bread. Also on the table

From the book Notes. From the history of the Russian foreign policy department, 1914–1920. Book 1. author Mikhailovsky Georgy Nikolaevich

“The Power” of Rasputin Rasputin often claimed that he possessed a special power with which he could achieve everything and even save his life in dangerous moments. Skeptics did not believe this. In fact, Rasputin had a special ability, which he called his

From the author's book

Rasputin's gift of insight I always visited Rasputin in the morning, and he and I set the program for the day. At the same time, I learned about the events of the previous evening. We always exchanged our information. One day I found Rasputin in great excitement and concluded from this that with him

From the author's book

Attempts on Rasputin I was well aware of how much Rasputin was hated by his enemies, and I was in constant worry about his safety. It was clear to me that the unheard-of rise of this man must lead to a tragic outcome. During the night

From the author's book

The Murder of Rasputin At midnight, Rasputin called me on the phone and said: “The little one has arrived, I’ll go with him.” “God forbid,” I exclaimed, frightened. “Stay at home, otherwise they will kill you.” The word “little” terrified me. “Don’t worry,” objected Rasputin. -

From the author's book

Rasputin's funeral After finding Rasputin's body, Protopopov, the head of the political guard Globachev, the head of the St. Petersburg garrison, General Khabalov, the St. Petersburg mayor Balk and the police chief Halle came there. In their presence the body was transferred to

From the author's book

Rasputin's will After the murder of Rasputin, the Tsar continued to remain depressed. He lost all vitality. Only this can explain the fact that he signed his renunciation without much opposition. Even before the onset of the revolution, the tsar was confident in

From the author's book

MASHA RASPUTIN For the first 16 years of her life, Masha Rasputina (real name is Alla Ageeva, pseudonym is the surname of her great-grandfather) lived in the Siberian village of Urop, Kemerovo region, which is five thousand kilometers from Moscow. Despite his outwardly fighting character, the future star

From the author's book

How Rasputin was killed in 1923–1924. I had to meet in the “Nizok” tavern with one of its regulars, who bore the rather strange nickname “Thistle”. This man, about forty-five years old, blond, dressed in rags, one might say, did not stand out in anything special from the crowd

From the author's book

The fight for Rasputin Shabelskaya continued to regularly send Soviets “to the top” until her death. By 1916, she, like other Black Hundreds, was becoming increasingly uneasy. She felt that something was going wrong. And she wrote about the most subtle and sensitive - about Grigory Rasputin.

From the author's book

Rasputin's protégé It is appropriate here to touch upon the question of Rasputin's attitude towards our department. By this time, that is, by the end of 1915, as I said, Sazonov’s position in connection with his “liberalism” on Polish, Jewish and Duma issues and in connection with failures in

In Russian history at the beginning of the 20th century there is no more interesting figure than Grigory Rasputin. A peasant who came from nowhere managed to achieve an incredible position, essentially subjugating the royal couple, which greatly contributed to the fall of the monarchy in Russia.

If for domestic historians of the Soviet period Rasputin was still a minor figure, then in the West entire volumes of research were willingly devoted to him.

But the charisma of the “holy elder” affected not only scientists - the image of a bearded man in a red Russian shirt turned out to be in demand in Western culture. Films, cartoons, performances, songs - Rasputin for the Western world has become the same symbol of Russia as the matryoshka doll, vodka and balalaika.

In our country, the figure of Rasputin did not cause a stir. Perhaps drinking Russian peasants in the 1990s were excited by the German vodka of the same name, where the old man was twice “depicted on the bottle.”

On the threshold of “rehabilitation”

However, in Lately There has been a tendency to revise the existing image of Rasputin as a dubious personality and a successful swindler. “Declassified documents” allegedly indicate that the “elder” led a very ascetic lifestyle, was not any “great machine of love” and was a righteous man.

In truth, this turn of events was to be expected. The current “historical rehabilitation” of Grigory Rasputin was seen as inevitable a few years ago.

The miraculous transformation of Rasputin into a righteous man would have greatly amused his contemporaries. Russians of the 21st century would probably also be surprised if they learned that their descendants in the 22nd century praise “miracles” Grigory Grabovoi.

But who really was Grigory Efimovich Rasputin and what role did he actually play in Russian history?

Grigory Rasputin surrounded by women. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

Coachman, don't drive...

His biography is quite confusing, and Grigory Efimovich himself had a hand in this. The difficulties begin with the date of birth, which “walks” from 1864 to 1872.

Some historians believe that Rasputin himself “added years to himself” in order to better fit the role of an “old man.”

In fact, Grigory Efimovich did not at all look like an “old man” - at the time of his tragic death in 1916, he was about 50 years old.

He was born into the family of a coachman in the village of Pokrovskoye, Tyumen district, Tobolsk province. Grisha did not study for a day at school and had no education whatsoever.

Ill since childhood, Gregory sought healing in religion, traveling to holy places. In 1890 he married Praskovya Fedorovna Dubrovina, who bore him three children.

At all, most of information about Rasputin’s young years came from himself, and it is impossible to be sure that Grigory Efimovich was telling the truth.

“Miracle! Miracle!

Marriage did not stop Rasputin’s wanderings, and after one of his trips he suddenly announced that he had miraculous powers to heal people.

It should be noted here that the institution of healing in Russia did not arise at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries. There was always an abundance of people who declared themselves shamans, sorcerers, magicians, “men of God” in Rus', so Rasputin was by no means unique here.

In 1903, Grigory Rasputin first appeared in St. Petersburg, already having behind him the glory of a “man of God” endowed with a “gift.” Among Rasputin's adherents there are also very influential people, including church representatives.

There is nothing surprising in this - “officials in the church,” of whom there were many at all times, needed people who performed miracles “in God’s name.” Of course, under strict and attentive control. Rasputin seemed a very suitable candidate.

For many years, historians have been arguing - did Rasputin have the ability to hypnosis? Quite possible. In any case, he knew how to influence people to achieve his goals perfectly.

So, during his first visit to St. Petersburg in 1903, Rasputin met Rector of the Theological Academy Bishop Sergius, and Inspector of the St. Petersburg Academy Archimandrite Feofan.

They learn about the “holy elder” in the circles of high society society in St. Petersburg, and a stream of elite members suffering from health and spiritual grace begins to reach out to the righteous Gregory.

Why suddenly educated and smart people start to believe a peasant with a dubious biography? This phenomenon is more a part of psychology and psychiatry, rather than historical science.

It existed both before and after Rasputin. In the early 1980s scientist Abai Borubaev And psychic Mirza Kymbatbaev They formed a sect in the USSR, into which representatives of creative circles joined in rows and columns in search of grace. Huge amounts of donations flowed to the creators of the sect, made by smart, educated and successful people. This story ended tragically - by order of the head of the sect, its adherents beat to death one of the members of the “brotherhood”, the famous Soviet actor, star of “Pirates of the 20th Century” Talgat Nigmatulin.

"The Great Love Machine"

But let's return to Rasputin. Already in 1903, in the Tobolsk province, local priests signaled that the “elder” was “healing” the high society ladies who came to him in too strange a way. For some reason, getting rid of worldly passions takes place in a bathhouse, half-dressed, with actions that somehow do not look very much like pacifying the flesh.

Rasputin was accused of heresy, but the case was successfully hushed up. Supporters of Rasputin say that due to the lack of evidence of a crime, opponents claim that influential fans stood up for the “old man.”

The “bath days” will haunt Rasputin until his death, and they, in fact, will give rise to the legend of the “great Russian love machine.”

Here we must not forget that the “old man” by that time was less than 40 years old, the presence of three children testifies to his sexual health, the ladies who came to him were very good-looking and, unlike Siberian peasant women, very well-groomed.

Gradually the fame of the “holy elder” reaches the royal court and personally Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.

At the Russian court, as it happened historically, there was a staff of hangers-on who posed as holy fools, soothsayers, healers and the like. During times Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra Fedorovna, this phenomenon blossomed in full bloom.

There were reasons for this - the queen could not give birth to an heir and was ready to believe in anything in order to achieve her desired goal. Her husband was a gentle man, he loved his wife sincerely, he tried not to contradict her and, most importantly, he also dreamed of a son.

Caricature of the Russian royal house. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

Physician to the Tsarevich

And then a blow fell on the royal couple - the heir suffered from hemophilia, that is, inability to coagulate blood. This disease is transmitted through the female line, but only men suffer from it.

Let's digress from the royal status of the Romanovs. Ordinary parents learn that their son is doomed to suffer all his life from a terrible disease that will most likely lead him to a young grave. The mother knows that it was her genes that “gave” this disease to her son. Terrible pain, terrible guilt. And when a child begins to suffer from terrible pain, you will do anything and believe in anything just to save him from suffering.

And then Grigory Rasputin appears on the horizon, who, according to his later stories, came to St. Petersburg at the behest of the Mother of God to heal the prince.

On November 1, 1905, at the height of the first Russian revolution, Nicholas II met Grigory Rasputin in person for the first time. In his diary, the emperor wrote: “We drove to Sergievka for 4 hours. We drank tea with Militsa and Stana. We met the man of God - Gregory from Tobolsk province."

We must pay tribute to the imperial couple - Rasputin was not allowed to see the prince right away. But in 1907, the best doctors began to throw up their hands and mentally prepare parents for the imminent death of their son. And in one of these moments of complete despair, Alexandra Feodorovna called on Rasputin. The “elder” came and... relieved the boy’s attack.

Let's be objective - apparently, Grigory Rasputin really alleviated the suffering of the prince. Was it hypnosis? psychic abilities, God's grace - this can be debated. But the fact that Rasputin really helped Tsarevich Alexei can hardly be denied.

From that moment on, both Alexandra Fedorovna and Nicholas II himself were ready to pray for Rasputin. And who can blame them for this?

Rasputin addiction

Moreover, Rasputin himself declares: “The Tsarevich will be alive as long as I am alive.” He couldn’t think of a better safe conduct for himself.

And Rasputin enjoyed his newfound power. Gradually, he began to influence the solution of government issues, explaining his ideas with “visions.” After some time, people appointed to government positions in the empire were forced to go through the “Rasputin filter.”

Before the outbreak of the First World War, only revolutionaries openly criticized what was happening. Abroad they look at all this as Russian exotica.

But when Rasputin begins to get involved in personnel and even military decisions during the First World War, even to the point of replacing the Commander-in-Chief, this causes general rejection.

Members of the royal family are trying to influence the ruling couple, saying that all this is becoming dangerous for the prestige of the monarchy. Alexandra Fedorovna refuses to listen to critics.

Failures at the front fuel passions in society. Openly opposes Rasputin The State Duma, people gossip that not only ladies-in-waiting sleep with “Grishka”, but he also cuckolded the sovereign-emperor himself.

Common sense demanded that the source of growing irritation be eliminated—Rasputin removed, at least temporarily. But the empress was not distinguished by her flexibility of character, and most importantly, the well-being of her son interested her most of all.

Colonel Dmitry Loman, Grigory Rasputin and Prince Mikhail Putyatin. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

Conspiracy of the Higher Spheres

In 1914, the first attempt was made on Rasputin. He was stabbed in the stomach and seriously wounded Khionia Guseva, who came from Tsaritsyn. The “elder” was sure that he was the victim of a conspiracy, but in the end Khionia was declared mentally ill.

The real conspiracy matured at the end of 1916, and its participants were Prince Felix Yusupov, prominent monarchist Vladimir Purishkevich and even Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich. The participants in the conspiracy believed that it was necessary to rid the monarchy of Rasputin until he himself rid Russia of the monarchy.

The participants in the conspiracy subsequently changed their testimony many times, so it is difficult to absolutely reliably establish the picture of the incident. It is clear that on the evening of December 16, 1916, Prince Yusupov lured Rasputin to the Yusupov Palace on the Moika. There they first tried to poison Rasputin, but potassium cyanide had no effect on him. The conspirators opened fire with pistols, and the “old man” fell. While they were deciding what to do with the body, Rasputin came to his senses and tried to escape. They overtook him only at the high wall of the garden, where they seemed to have finished him off, after which they took the corpse by car to a pre-selected place not far from Kamenny Island and threw it from the bridge into the Neva polynya in such a way that the body ended up under the ice.

The conspirators were let down by amateurism - the body was found quite quickly, and even faster there were witnesses who said that they saw Rasputin entering the house of Prince Yusupov. During the search in the prince's house, so much evidence was found that there was no point in denying it.

Irreversibility

The investigation, however, did not proceed quickly - persons from the royal family participated in the conspiracy, and even the emperor found it difficult to decide to punish the culprits to the fullest extent.

While the process was going on, the February Revolution broke out. After the overthrow of tsarism, no one was interested in the perpetrators of Rasputin’s murder anymore.

His death in December 1916 could no longer affect anything - Rasputinism became the last nail in the coffin of the Russian monarchy.

It is possible to understand the motives that forced Alexandra Feodorovna to stick to Rasputin. But what is excusable for an ordinary mother, exhausted by her son’s illness, is unforgivable for the empress.

History judges monarchs much more harshly than ordinary people.

But a hundred years later, it seems to someone that history has subjunctive mood and it can be changed by “drawing” an improved version of it instead of the image of the real Rasputin.

Saint and devil, " man of God"and sectarian, peasant and courtier: there seemed to be no end to the definitions characterizing Rasputin. The central and dominant feature of his personality was, without a doubt, the duality of nature: the “old man” was capable of playing one role with extraordinary skill, and then its complete opposite. And it was precisely thanks to the contradictions inherent in his character that he became a great actor.

Mediumistic intuition, coupled with the cunning typical of peasants, turned Rasputin into a creature with supernatural capabilities: he always managed to discover the vulnerable side of a person and benefit from it. When the “elder” firmly established himself in the Alexander Palace, he immediately revealed the weaknesses of the imperial couple; he never flattered them, addressed them only as "you", calling them "mom" and "dad". In communicating with them, he allowed himself all sorts of familiarity and realized that his worn-out boots, peasant shirt and even unkempt beard had an irresistible attractive effect on their august patrons.

Before the empress he played the role of “elder,” which she liked most; as during a large theatrical performance, he demonstrated his talent on the stage of the Alexander Palace. It didn't matter what imperial residence could turn out to be a false saint, a libertine or a sectarian; All that mattered was what Alexandra Fedorovna wanted to see and hear. Everything else - as she thought - was nothing more than baseness, slander and malice of those who dreamed of alienating her from this “holy man”.

The world in which the empress lived was rather simple and limited, and Rasputin, with his intuition, quickly understood how to win her favor. Surrounded by supposedly enlightened, but in fact depraved courtiers to the core, Alexandra Feodorovna decided that in the person of this ignorant peasant she had met the only one who could bring her and the tsar closer to the people. This man, sent to her by God himself and who came from a Russian village, combined in himself a peasant and a saint; the fact that Rasputin had the gift of healing was, in the eyes of the empress, another manifestation of his holiness. All this took place away from the outside world, in a residence similar to an ancient Russian tower.

And indeed, almost only women lived in the Alexander Palace; the empress, her ubiquitous friends, four daughters, as well as a great many teachers, governesses and maids. As in the days of ancient Russian towers, women from the family of Nicholas II were not supposed to be seen by male persons, except for close relatives, church representatives and high-ranking dignitaries. Alexandra Fedorovna did not consider Rasputin’s presence to be something unacceptable, since the “elder” was a holy man for her and directly expressed the will of the Almighty.

Rasputin did not live in the Alexander Palace, but when he was received there, he was given complete freedom: he entered the rooms of the young princesses at any time of the day, kissed all the women, claiming that the apostles also did this as a sign of greeting, and always found an explanation for his behavior . Rasputin was by nature a rude, primitive and vulgar man, but when he entered the palace, he turned into an “old man” to whom Alexandra Feodorovna and her daughters turned with hope; he was their guiding star, which enlightened them and pointed them in the right direction in the complex whirlpool of life. You just need to follow his advice, Rasputin said, and he will be able to help imperial family overcome all the troubles that befell her: thanks to his gift of a seer, he will take her beyond fate and divine Providence itself.

The “elder” understood perfectly well that he had become necessary for the imperial couple. In addition, he had an irresistible magnetic influence, and a variety of people had already experienced, finding themselves unable to resist, the hypnotic spell of his gaze. Perhaps this is how Rasputin stopped the little crown prince’s bleeding, although it will never be possible to accurately establish his methods of “treatment.” Everything happened in the presence of only relatives and servants, and no one - even those who knew the secret of the Romanovs - could act as a witness.

One should not exaggerate the role of Rasputin in government affairs, because in reality he did not have any specific program: the “old man” was a real devil in psychology, but a complete layman in politics. Dramatic events began during the war, when Alexandra Fedorovna herself, together with Rasputin, had to control the situation in raging Petrograd. Undoubtedly, the “elder” managed to impose on the emperor people he liked, Rasputin, to influence the appointment of new ministers: and indeed, from that moment on, ministers began to replace one another with dizzying speed, and they were all under Rasputin’s heel. However, at that time the entire state machine was in such a deplorable state, and in addition there was such a shortage of suitable people, that there is no basis for asserting that without the direct intervention of the “old man” things would have gone better.

Rasputin's real conquest was his close relationship with the imperial couple, friendly and trusting; everything else came later, as a natural consequence of this closeness, which only he, the “Man of God,” was awarded. Rasputin - a healer or Rasputin - a political adviser to the sovereign is nothing compared to Rasputin - an “old man” devoted to the imperial family: it was he who was the real mentor for the Romanovs. Only he was able to alleviate the mental suffering of those to whom history had shouldered too much I carry a heavy load. The phenomenon of Rasputin originated in the minds of these people themselves, and its appearance became possible precisely because of the weak character of Nicholas II in combination with the mystical exaltation of Alexandra Fedorovna. In other words, the Tsar and Tsarina themselves opened the doors to the swindler, a worthy follower of the numerous charlatans who infested the Russian court in past centuries.

This dissolute man, as such, never existed for them: Rasputin was only a projection of the imagination of two confused creatures, suppressed by the seriousness of the events taking place and by nature prone to irrationality. At all times, monarchs loved to surround themselves with flatterers and mediocre personalities, but, unlike the jesters of bygone eras, Rasputin appeared as a “saint” who also possessed supernatural power. So, Nikolai and Alexandra unconsciously joined a game that could satisfy their spiritual needs, but this home game turned into a tragedy for the entire country.

Outside the walls of the Alexander Palace, Rasputin again became himself: a drunkard, a lover of prostitutes, especially willing to resort to violence against women. Fanfare and bragging, he boasted of his successes at court and, having drunk heavily, told obscene details, sometimes invented by himself. His house was a meeting place for the most different people: the great princes, the priesthood, ladies of high society and simple peasant women went to him to get to the sovereign. And everyone, without exception, asked for royal mercy and intercession.

But no matter what Rasputin did, he always took all precautions so that in Tsarskoye Selo the image of a holy man that he managed to create would remain untarnished, which was the real secret of his success. Thanks to his resourcefulness and tenacity, this man knew how to defend the positions he had conquered; Moreover, here he did not encounter any particular difficulties, since Alexandra Fedorovna was unable to admit that he had at least one negative trait. The Empress always rejected all stories about Rasputin’s unseemly behavior, considering them fictitious and slanderous, and could not believe that “her old man” could have another face. Moreover, this illiterate man was absolutely necessary for her, since he personified the traditional triumvirate of the Russian nation: the tsar, the church and the people.

When Rasputin felt that he existed real threat his career, he relied primarily on the eternal fears and deep religiosity of Alexandra Fedorovna. He used psychological blackmail, describing the future of her and her loved ones in gloomy tones; he also convinced the queen that they could not survive without him, and these predictions sounded like the death knell for the king and his dynasty.