Grigori Rasputin
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| “ | In 1916, the bloated castrated body of a man was dragged from the freezing waters of the Neva River in St. Petersburg. Almost beyond recognition, it was later identified as that of the most notorious monk in history. To his enemies Grigori Rasputin was the incarnation of evil; he destroyed anyone who dared to cross his path to power. Implicated in murder, corruption and the eventual destruction and execution of the Romanov royal family, Rasputin was instrumental in wiping out the 300-year-old dynasty changing the history of Russia forever. | „ |
| ~ Introduction to a documentary about Rasputin |
Grigori Rasputin (January 22nd, 1869 - December 30th, 1916), the mad monk of Russia, was responsible for the deaths of thousands because of the incompetence of the Russian monarchy. This was due to the arguably negative influence by the ambitious, impulsive monk. Many people believe that Rasputin was the source of Russia's problems and that he was a demon in disguise as a man and his notorious death confirmed it for most people. He was also a theft in his youth and a rapist thinking that only by committing sins can you please Yahweh. After he supposedly saved the life of the empress's son he was given a position in the royal house. Russia went to war against Germany and the press gave all her trust to Rasputin who was the royal adviser at the time and Rasputin's influence over her lead to disastrous consequences. Nicholas knew how insane and wicked the mad monk was but in the end, he gave in. Many soldiers lost their lives in the war and there were many generals who took their own lives. Eventually, Rasputin and the empress were declared responsible and a rebellion ensued. First, several assassination attempts were made on Rasputin, until he was mutilated and thrown into the river by Felix Yusupov and other members of the royal family. The royals were promptly imprisoned and executed by the Communists.
Biography edit
The son of a peasant, Rasputin joined a monastery as a novice at the age of sixteen. As the Orthodox Church established hegemony in Russia, various dissenting sect groups emerged, among them the Khlysty. The Khlysty were supposedly founded in the seventeenth century by Daniel Filippov. They deviated from Orthodoxy in numerous ways. Several different splinter groups developed through the nineteenth century and by the beginning of the twentieth century the Khlysty numbered approximately 65,000 people.
Rasputin came into early contact with the Khlysty, though it is unclear just how dedicated a member he had been. Rasputin married around 1890, but his first son died when only six months old. The tragedy sent Rasputin to a strange hermit named Makary, and subsequently Rasputin became absorbed in scriptures, prayer, and meditation. One day he saw an image of the Virgin in the sky, and Makary told him, "God has chosen you for a great achievement. In Order to strengthen your spiritual power, you should go and pray to the Virgin in the convent of Afon."
The convent was at Mount Athos, in Greece, two thousand miles away, but in 1891, Rasputin made the pilgrimage on foot. Later he made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, traveling across Turkey. For the next few years he became a wandering staretz (lay priest). He was widely believed to possess occult power, which made him both loved and feared. He manifested gifts of healing and prophecy. In 1903, he traveled to St. Petersburg, where he met influential churchmen, including the monk Illiodor, who later became a hateful rival. Rasputin's reputation as a prophet and miracle worker spread widely, and he was sought by rich and poor.
In those days, Russian court life and high society were still strongly attracted to the marvels of Spiritualism which had been introduced in the 1860s by Alexander N. Aksakof, and any wonder worker was in great demand. Soon Rasputin came to the attention of the czar of Russia to whom he became an indispensable adviser and healer to the royal family.
Surrounded by the madhouse of tyranny, secret police, bomb plots, crippling wars, and the ruthless suppression of liberty of the Romanov empire, Rasputin, self-absorbed in his own sense of destiny, towered above the sycophants, bureaucrats, and plotters. He treated the czar and czarina with complete familiarity, and they welcomed Rasputin because of the healing powers he supposedly possessed; he seemed to be able to treat the couple's only son, Alexis, who was a hemophiliac. In 1911, tiring of court life, he undertook another pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and during his absence his enemies intrigued against him. In the fall of 1915, when the czar left to take command of the Russian army, Rasputin took on more power as the czarina's chief aide. Rasputin forced many of the cabinet ministers to resign, and he replaced them with his cronies. His enemies, headed by Prince Yussupov, felt he had taken on too much political power and planned his murder.
The day before Rasputin was killed, Czar Nicholas requested his blessing and with curious presence, Rasputin said, "This time it is for you to bless me." Yussupov invited Rasputin to his palace and persuaded him to eat poisoned food and drink poisoned wine. The poison was ineffectual. Thereupon the treacherous Yussupov sang gypsy songs and played the guitar before leaving the room and returning with a loaded revolver, shooting his victim in the back. Other conspirators rushed in clumsily, accidentally switching off the room light. When the light was switched on again, Rasputin appeared dead, but was still alive. Another conspirator shot Rasputin again; the body was dragged from the house and battered with a steel press. But Rasputin was still alive when he was pushed through a hole in the ice on the River Neva. And although his wrists had been bound, he had still managed to free his right hand and make the sign of the cross before drowning. He died December 30,1916.