Rasputin was one of the most controversial figures in Russian history. He was an itinerant holy man who apparently had supernatural powers, especially when it came to healing.
He helped the Tsar’s heir with his illness, hemophilia. This led him to become a true force in the Russian court.
Many Russians resented this and this led to the murder of members of the Russian nobility. Rasputin’s time as a Russian court was a scandal and was one of the factors that led to the fall of the Tsar and the Romanov dynasty.
Most Intriguing Facts About Rasputin
1. Rasputin was born in a small Siberian town. He received no education and was illiterate. Rasputin entered a local monastery at a very young age.
2. Rasputin was known as the “mad monk”, but he was not strictly a monk. He claimed to be a monk and presented himself as a traditional Russian and holy man, with special powers.
3. Rasputin traveled through Russia, Europe, and the Middle East. Apparently he learned many tricks. This enabled him to affirm that he was a healer. It is very likely that Rasputin was a charlatan and only claimed to have special powers. Russia was full of men and women who claimed to have special powers and generally operated among poor peasants.
4. During World War I, the tsar was regularly at the Front. Rasputin managed to ingratiate himself at the Russian court. It had a particular influence on the tsarina, due to her apparent ability to prevent the bleeding of the Russian crown prince.
5. Rasputin was accused of having an affair with the tsarist, but this is not likely, according to historians.
6. However, Rasputin had fallen in love with women. He was able to seduce many noblewomen and beauties of society, despite having poor personal hygiene. He also had a large group of followers, mainly women.
7. Rasputin predicted his own death. “I must be assassinated,” he announced to the Russian royal court.
8. His assassins were all members of the Russian nobility. They resented his influence at court and believed they were helping the tsar by removing an evil influence from the Russian court.
9. Rasputin was lured to death by his assassins. They claimed that he was the guest of honor at a banquet. Rasputin never resisted a good party and had a voracious appetite for food and drink.
10. The killers of Rasputin tried to strangle him, shoot him, and poison him. Still, he was alive. It seems he was a remarkably strong man. His assassins dragged him to the Neva River and drowned him. His body was found the next morning.
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