rasputin

A wild-eyed mystic, Grigori Rasputin rose from the depths of Siberia to the pinnacle of power in Russia. His foes claimed he was a libertine fraud. His admirers were devoted to a holy man they believed could read minds and heal the sick. Saint or sinner, he overshadowed the Russian empire in the years before its demise.

The assassination of Rasputin has become the stuff of legend. As the infamous "Mad Monk" he has been condemned as the cause of the downfall of the Romanov dynasty. But who was the man behind the myth? And why did powerful members of Russia's elite decide to kill Rasputin in one of the most notorious murders in history?

The "mad monk"

Grigori Rasputin, the so-called Mad Monk, was a mystic layman. He had a deep faith and many believed in the power of his prayers. But many others saw him as a charlatan who had weaseled his way into the royal household.

The myth

Rasputin's followers believed he could see into their souls and heal their ailments. Even skeptics acknowledged that he was a man of extraordinary psychological perspicacity.

As his legend spread across Russia, those who were suspicious or jealous of his "powers" castigated him as a sex maniac, a huckster and even a heretic.

The man

He was notorious partier. Rasputin loved woman - and many well known socialites in St Petersburg were drawn to him. But he was also a loving father, whose family remained devoted to him until the end.

Rasputin was fiercely loyal to the Romanovs. However, his link with the royals brought scandal to the palace.

rasputin

The "mad monk"

The myth

The man

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