Grigori Rasputin: The Mysterious Monk Who Held the Romanovs Captive

Grigori Rasputin was a Siberian peasant whose wild ways and seemingly mystical abilities helped him gain influence with the last Russian Tsar and his family. He remains a figure of fascination and controversy nearly a century after his death. Born in Siberia around the year 1869, the monk began wandering in the mid-1890s. By 1905, he had established himself as a holy man and healer in Siberia and would begin traveling to European Russia by that year’s end.

Intrigued by rumors of his mystical prowess, Russia’s royal family would invite this monk to Petersburg in 1906. From there, he ingratiated himself with the Tsar and his family. His powerful sway over Tsarina Alexandra would bring him into a prominent position at court, an influence that, some historians argue, contributed to the monarchy’s violent downfall.

Early Life of Grigori Rasputin: Origins and Uncharted Youth

In 1869, Grigori was born in Pokrovskoye, Siberia. He spent his early years far removed from the glittering court he would later enter, coming from humble beginnings and was born into relative obscurity rather than wealth. Rasputin’s parents were Efim and Anna, and he spent his youth in the wilds of Siberia. He has been described as somewhat of a mischief-maker during his youth; there are no written accounts verifying some of the more serious crimes attributed to him in his early life, such as horse theft.

He married Praskovya Dubrovina at the age of eighteen, and they had three children. Dubrovina is often forgotten during Rasputin’s later infamous years. She spent most of her life in Pokrovskoye, tending to their children, while her husband gained greater recognition at the Russian court in St. Petersburg, spreading his mystique throughout Russia.

Before delving into Rasputin’s biography, it is important to understand how much of his life is shrouded in mystery, speculation, and outright falsehood. What is known for certain is that he did not come from a remarkable or notable background, was from rural Siberia, and became one of the most controversial figures in the fall of the Russian Empire.

Rasputin’s Spiritual Awakening: From Peasant to Prophetic Wanderer

1897 was a turning point in Rasputin’s life. His trip to the St. Nicholas Monastery at Verkhoturye began as a pilgrimage. Upon returning to Pokrovskoye, old friends were astonished at Rasputin’s changed condition. Rasputin was no longer recognizable as the young peasant they once knew. He walked with a hunched posture and had wild eyes. Rasputin spoke only of his journey and his experiences there. He shaved his beard, stopped eating meat and drinking alcohol, began to eat vegetarian meals, and sang and prayed constantly with religious ecstasy greater than before.

Following this development, Rasputin began living as a “strannik,” a wandering holy man. He began to wander Russia as a pilgrim. Rasputin did not wander alone. By the early 1900s, the holy pilgrim had attracted a devoted following. Relatives and other peasants in Pokrovskoye found themselves drawn to him. Rasputin’s uncle, Yefim, had a household that featured a chapel in its root cellar where they could secretly worship.

On Sundays and feast days, Rasputin and his disciples held long, secret prayer meetings. Secretiveness bred rumors of ritual ablutions performed by the women who followed him, of strange and ominous chanting late at night. Villagers began to regard the holy man with mixed feelings as his popularity grew.

Rasputin’s Ascent: The Monk’s Journey to the Heart of the Romanov Empire

The stories began to emerge of a magnetic mystic that consumed Siberia in the early 1900s. News of Grigori Rasputin’s bizarre rituals, religious ecstasy, and sheer magnetism began to travel outside of Pokrovskoye. However, it wasn’t only in Siberia that Rasputin would become a wildly talked about figure. When Grigori made his way to Saint Petersburg he found a place that would welcome him with open arms: high society Russia.

His luck would change once he began traveling to Saint Petersburg. He befriended two women known as the “Black Princesses,” Militsa and Anastasia of Montenegro. Married to cousins of Nicholas II, the princesses became Grigori’s gateway into Russian nobility and celebrity.

Interest in occult religions was high in Saint Petersburg during this time. Spiritualism and theosophy were all the rage amongst the nobility who seemed obsessed with mystery and the supernatural. Rasputin was a match lighting ready kindling. Mysticism and rumors of spiritual gifts were right in step with what the times enjoyed.

This was also when the monk entered into an association with the Romanov family. On November 1, 1905, at Peterhof Palace, Rasputin met Tsar Nicholas II for the first time. Nicholas recorded in his diary that day that he met “a man of God – Grigory, from Tobolsk province”.

He returned briefly to Pokrovskoye after their initial meeting, but was not destined to remain there for long. After telegramming Nicholas II to request that he be presented with an icon of St. Simeon of Verkhoturye, he met with the tsar and tsarina again in July 1906. On this occasion, Rasputin also met the couple’s children.

Rasputin and the Royal Trust: The Healing of Alexei

Although Rasputin returned briefly to Pokrovskoye following their first encounter, he and the Tsar would meet again. Later that year, in July 1906, the holy man telegraphed Nicholas of his wish to give the Tsar an icon of St. Simeon of Verkhoturye, and was invited back to St. Petersburg to see him. It was at this time that Empress Alexandra also introduced Rasputin to her children.

The Romanovs’ faith would be sorely tested that summer of 1912. One particularly harrowing carriage ride left Alexei with another agonizing internal hemorrhage. The young prince writhed in pain, his life hanging in the balance. With contemporary medicine stumped, Alexandra reached out to Rasputin via Vyrubova. The eccentric holy man was in Siberia at the time, but responded with a telegram: “God has seen your tears and heard your prayers. Do not grieve. The Little One will not die. Do not allow the doctors to bother him too much.” The distraught mother felt reassured. Soon enough, Alexei started to improve.

Physicians such as Dr. S.P. Fedorov could not comprehend what had happened so quickly. When faced with a miracle, doubt became faith. Rasputin’s involvement in Alexei’s healing is one of history’s great mysteries. Historian Robert K. Massie suggests two possibilities. Maybe the order to leave well enough alone allowed his body time to heal itself. Or, maybe the mystic’s advice eased Alexei’s suffering by calming Alexandra.

In subsequent years, theories have abounded from hypnotism to Rasputin advising against aspirin, effective for pain but not known as a blood thinner at the time. Regardless of the reason, this incident only served to cement the “mad monks” role as the last protector of the Romanov heir.

Rasputin’s Contentious Court Presence

However, there was some controversy surrounding Rasputin’s closeness with the Romanovs. Through his Siberian charm and alleged mystical healing abilities, he became someone Nicholas II knew he could trust. He appointed Rasputin the job of “lampadnik” or guardian of the lamps in front of the palace icons.

This newfound role, however trivial it might seem, provided him unparalleled access to the royal quarters and the imperial family. It didn’t take long for whispers of impropriety to circulate. It was rumored Rasputin was leveraging his newfound stature, securing bribes, and indulging in sensual liaisons with his ever-expanding admirers.

The trust and faith that the royal family placed in him did not sit well with everyone. As Rasputin’s influence burgeoned, so too did the accusations against him. His religious contemporaries called him a heretic; in his hometown of Pokrovskoye, the local clergy vehemently denounced him, decrying his supposedly blasphemous teachings. The Bishop of Tobolsk initiated a formal inquiry, painting Rasputin as a purveyor of deviant and heretical doctrine. The discontent wasn’t just limited to the religious sphere. Alarmed by his sway over the Tsar, Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin ordered an investigation into the mystic’s activities. 

However, as evidence of the strange monk’s ability to hang onto influential positions, even the results of this investigation did little to shake Rasputin from power. Soon, investigators like Kehioniya Berlatskaya, a former devotee, were coming forward with allegations of rape. Stories of sexual misconduct against him grew, staining his relationship with Tsar Nicholas and his children, particularly Olga and Tatiana. Bound by religion and desperation, Rasputin’s relationship with the Romanov family was further tainted by a series of scandals.

The Attempt on Rasputin’s Life by a Former Follower

Numerous scandals marred Rasputin’s life and endangered him more than once. For instance, during the summer of 1914, Rasputin was stabbed by Chionya Guseva, a former female disciple who sought to kill him. Guseva stabbed him in the stomach with a knife as he was visiting his hometown, Pokrovskoye, slicing open his abdomen and exposing his intestines. He somehow managed to limp back to his estate, where he was eventually hospitalized. He survived the attack, which only fueled rumors of Rasputin’s holiness.

Guseva’s rampage did not happen spontaneously. She idolized Iliodor, Rasputin’s onetime priest, who had once been his biggest champion. However, their friendship dissolved when Iliodor became disgusted by Grigori’s many liberties and began resenting tales of sexual exploits. As a result of his hatred, Iliodor shouted down the monks’ debauchery and gluttonous lust for power in December of 1911. However, Iliodor was not only an opponent of the mystic, but he was also an outspoken conservative and anti-Semite. Iliodor joined forces with other conservatives to help separate the mystic from the royal Romanovs in 1911.

However, their efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. As a result, Iliodor fell from grace with the authorities, was exiled from Saint Petersburg, and later had his title stripped. Guseva’s botched attempt to assassinate him reflected the great divide that was created by the holy man with not only influential Russians but also his closest supporters against him.

Rasputin’s Ascendant Mysticism and the Shadows of War

The assassination attempt had other consequences beyond leaving Grigori with a limp for the rest of his life. With Rasputin’s mysterious recovery, rumors spread that he was indestructible by God’s design. To others, it confirmed his mystic abilities and that he was personally protected by God. He became more influential with the Romanovs, particularly with the Tsarina. The role of healer fit perfectly into Rasputin’s story and helped gain an audience for his prophecies.

While Rasputin was becoming immortalized in the eyes of his followers, Russia was headed for war. World War I erupted in 1914, and it would prove to be one of—if not the biggest—setbacks the Romanovs would face. Resources were spread thin, millions of young men were dying, and there was more grief and starvation than ever. In 1915, Nicholas II decided to take direct command of the Russian armies fighting in the war and left domestic policy to the Tsarina and to anyone she chose to consult, mainly Grigori.

It wasn’t long before Russia’s misery was blamed on the mad monk. As Russia suffered from war, criticism became even more prevalent toward the once respected holy man. Many believed him to be the embodiment of the corruption of the Romanov empire.

The Enigmatic End of Russia’s “Mad Monk”

Rasputin was assassinated by individuals who feared his rising power over Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra. In December of 1916, a group composed of Purishkevich, Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, and Prince Felix Yusupov decided to end the turmoil caused by the mystic. They decided to lure him to the Moika Palace, which belonged to Yusupov.

The incident ended with the mad monk being found dead with 3 bullet wounds. The fatal wound was a bullet through his forehead. Much of what happened that night is unknown and left to speculation, but one story has endured because of its thrilling nature: Yusupov’s account.

Prince Yusupov claims that he told Rasputin that he had wine and cakes waiting for him upstairs. When he came into view, Yusupov offered him the poisoned cake and wine. To Yusupov’s surprise, the mystic ate the cake and drank the wine with no ill effects. Fearing for his life, Yusupov pulled out a revolver and shot him. Although injured, Rasputin was still alive. Yusupov led the injured monk into another room where he and his accomplices continued to beat and stab Rasputin.

This story may be the most dramatic retelling of what happened that night, but there is another rumor regarding Rasputin’s assassination. There is no concrete evidence to support this claim, but rumors spread of Grand Duchess Tatiana also being in the room where he was murdered. Tatiana was said to have seduced by the monk and raped. It is said she killed him in revenge for the pain he caused her. French ambassador to Russia Maurice Paléologue wrote in his memoir that he heard Tatiana watched Rasputin get castrated, but he also questioned if it was true.

Recently, new information was brought to light regarding Rasputin’s murder. Dr. Carolyn Harris of the University of Toronto cleared up some misconceptions about Rasputin’s death that circulated for over a century. In her studies, she uses Rasputin’s daughter’s words and the autopsy. One major thing that stood out to her was the fact that Rasputin hated sweets, so it is unlikely he would have eaten the cakes. Also, the autopsy did not show signs of poisoning or drowning. It concluded his death to be by “one bullet entering the region of the fontanelle from close range.”

The Romanovs’ Twilight: After Rasputin

News of Rasputin’s gruesome death spread throughout Russia like wildfire, sending waves of panic through the nation’s upper crust. Conspiracy theories, rumors, gossip, and hearsay covered up what actually happened when he was murdered. Once word got out that he was dead, people were even more curious as to the mystery surrounding his death.

Even with Rasputin dead, Russia’s opinion of the Romanov family could not be swayed. Rasputin’s intimate relationship with Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra hugely tarnished their reputation. The world was in the middle of WWI, which led to economic strains and social and political turbulence. Rasputin’s involvement with the Russian royal family did not help their case with the people. Only a few months after Rasputin’s murder, Tsar Nicholas II officially stepped down as the leader of Russia. For 317 years, Russia had been ruled by a Romanov; that had now come to an end. New faces were emerging, such as Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks.

After Rasputin’s death, the end loomed over the Romanov family. Nicholas, Alexandra, and their five children were put under house arrest. From there, the family was transferred to a house in Yekaterinburg, Russia. It was there that Bolshevik military officers murdered the family in the Ural Soviet in July of 1918. Russia’s royal family had come to an end, leading to Communism taking over imperial Russia.

After Rasputin was buried, his body was dug up and burned after Nicholas’ abdication. The new rulers of Russia could not risk Rasputin’s grave site becoming a royalist meeting point. The mad monk’s fate and that of the Romanov family illustrate how desperate Russia was to modernize and change the status quo at any cost.