The Mysterious Advisor Was Highly Secretive, and Even More Misunderstood
In Imperial Russia in the early 1900s, there was no other person so mysterious and controversial as Grigori Rasputin. Rasputin managed to develop quite a reputation, and he was surrounded by myth, such as the belief that he rose from the dead or that he was impossible to kill. The Mad Monk, as he was called, was a mere mortal who was a spiritual leader, mystic healer, deviant, and political agitator who rose from a peasant to a position of unique power within the royal court of Russia. How did he do it? Rasputin was charismatic and intuitive and, as this colorized photograph of him shows, had piercing eyes that seemed to look deep into one’s soul. No, he did not have that particular mystical power, but he did seem to understand people and to know how to get what he wanted.
Rasputin, the Mad Monk (https://www.reddit.com/r/ColorizedHistory/comments/5pcu9w/rasputin_mystical_adviser_in_the_court_of_czar/)
Although he was an ordinary man, with some ordinary vices, he was able to use his aura and skills to dupe people, even the Russian royals, who would afford him extraordinary power.
The Strange Life Of Rasputin
Rasputin enjoyed drinking and woman. (historyextra.com)
Born in 1869 in a small, peasant village in Siberia, Grigori Rasputin did not fit into peasant life. He was a hard drinking, womanizing, petty thief that bucked traditions and rules. Even marriage and fatherhood couldn’t settle him down. He left his family behind and went in search of spiritual wisdom. He studied with monks from an offshoot of the Russian Orthodox religion. This sect believed that sinful activities were the surest way to reach God. This concept suited Rasputin well. He used it as his excuse to become even more of a sexual deviant. He slept with hundreds of women, despite the fact that he rarely bathed and smelled like a goat.
Piercing Eyes
Rasputin had a powerful charisma. (curioushistorian.com)
Rasputin’s piercing eyes were intense. As you can tell in the colorized photo of him, it was his eyes that made him look mystical. He claimed that he could see into the future and that he had healing powers. In reality, he was probably just very observant and understood how to read people. He used these abilities to draw attention to himself. And, of course, to attract more women.
Czar Nicholas and Czarina Alexandra
Czar Nicholas II and Czarina Alexandra (orthodoxchristian.com)
The wife of Russia’s ruler, Czar Nicholas Romanov, Czarina Alexandra believed in the occult and spiritualism. She was desperate to give her husband a male heir, but had given birth to four daughters, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia. Alexandra finally had a son, Alexei, but all was not well. Young Alexei suffered from hemophilia, a potentially deadly disease that prevents blood from clotting. Nicholas and Alexandra kept their son’s condition a secret as they sought out treatments.
Alexandra and Rasputin
Czarina Alexandra and her son, Alexei. (pinterest.com)
Rasputin’s wandering took him to St. Petersburg. There, he was quite popular among the elite class who believed that Rasputin was a powerful mystic and seer. It was just a matter of time before Rasputin was introduced to the Czar. On November 1, 1905, Nicholas wrote in his journal that he met a great “man of God”. He did not meet the Czarina until the following July. He immediately sensed that something was amiss with Alexandra. The historic record is not clear, but at some point, Alexandra became convinced that Rasputin had great powers. She hoped his powers could help her. She was even more convinced when Rasputin asked, in October 1906, if he could pray for the health of Alexei.
A Faith Healer or a Quack?
Rasputin was a popular mystic. (smithsonianmag.com)
Alexandra was desperate for a cure for Alexei. After Alexei’s first meeting with Rasputin, his hemophilia seemed to improve. While Alexandra contributed this to Rasputin’s powers, it was probably because Rasputin insisted that the boy stop taking aspirin. We know now that aspirin is a blood thinner, as well as a pain reliever. But when Alexei’s condition took a turn for the worse, Alexandra relied on Rasputin more and more. Rasputin told Alexandra and Nicholas that Alexei would die without his presence, and they believed him. Rasputin moved into the palace and exerted his dominance over the entire Romanov family.
Rasputin, the Puppet Master
The Romanov family. (themoscowtimes.com)
Soon, the royal family relied on Rasputin to help them make all their decisions. The Mad Monk told them that he saw visions from God that would guide their actions and decisions. Some of the decisions that the Czar made were questionable and the people of Russia became concerned. The military, the court, and the people came to believe that Rasputin was the true ruler of Russia and that he pulled the puppet strings for Nicholas. As Rasputin’s power over the royal family grew, there was a real concern that the Czar was no longer in control.
The Strange Assassination of Rasputin
Rasputin was poisoned, shot, stabbed, and drown. (yesterday.uktv.co.uk)
A group of powerful Russian elites, led by Felix Yusupov, decided that Rasputin was dangerous for Russia. They devised a plot and, on December 20, 1916, Yusupov asked Rasputin to join him for dinner at his home. Rasputin’s food and wine were laced with poison, but surprisingly, the Mad Monk showed no ill effects. In desperation, the men pulled out pistols and shot Rasputin several times. They thought he was dead, but as they went to move his body, he opened his piercing eyes, the same ones we see in this colorized image of him. Rasputin was stabbed and tossed into the freezing river. He died from drowning. His hold over the Russian royal family was over, but, as we know, things didn’t work out so well for the Romanovs.
