There was a man who lived in Russia long ago. The strange man was born from a peasant family. But due to his charisma and healing power, he became one of the most trusted man of the Russian czar. The man is Grigori Rasputin. His life is one of the strangest stories in history, filled with magical power, controversy, and death. So, here is the short history of Grigori Rasputin.
Childhood and early life
Many people describe Rasputin’s childhood as a black hole. No one really knows what he did when he was a kid. All we know is that he was born in the small village of Pokrovskoye in Tobolsk Governorate. Born on 21 January 1868, Rasputin was born from a peasant family. His father, named Yefim, is a peasant farmer and a church elder. He married Rasputin’s mother, Anna Parshukova in 1868.
When Rasputin was 18 years old, he underwent a religious conversion. During that period he was introduced to the Khlysty sect in a monastery in Verkhoturye. However, he did not turn into a monk. Instead, he returned to Pokrovskoye at the age of 19 and married Proskovya Dubrovina. In this marriage, she bore him 4 children.
Rise to power
At some point, Rasputin left his home and wandered to Greece and Jerusalem. In 1903, his journey brought him to St. Petersburg. There, he was welcomed by the inspector of the religious Academy of St. Petersburg. Gregori Rasputin was introduced to the Russian royal family in 1905.
In 1908, he became the czar’s trusted man after he healed the czar only son of his hemophilia. From then, the mad monk gained a lot of followers in the Russian royal circle. In front of the czar, Rasputin maintained his image as a humble man. Outside the court, he was a drunk man who always wanted to get his hands on women of any social background.
Eventually, Rasputin’s behaviour became a huge scandal. However, Czar Nicholas refused to believe every accusation brought against Rasputin. As a result, Rasputin’s influence on the royal family continued to grow. His peak of influence began in September 1915, where Nicholas II took a personal command of his army in WW1. The empress Alexandra was left to deal with the nation’s affairs.
Downfall and death
With the czarina’s influence, Rasputin began to intervene in various Russian detriments, including military and parliament. His involvement in the Russian empire left the nation in chaos. Several attempts were made to remove Rasputin’s influence to no avail. In 1961, a group of Russian extreme conservatives began the plot to kill the mad monk.
The plan was perpetrated by Prince Feliks Yusupof (the czar’s niece husband), Vladimir Mitrofanovich Purishkevich (Duma member), and Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich (the czar’s cousin). According to rumors, Rasputin was poisoned with laced wine and cake. Surviving the poison, Yusupov shot Rasputin. After several failed attempts by gunshot, Rasputin finally died after he was tied and drowned in the icy Neva River.
However, this rumor was spread to portray the mad monk as evil. In reality, Rasputin was shot to death.
