What did Rasputin do. Tears invisible to the world
In assessing his personality, historians are contradictory. Who was he - a cunning charlatan, a black magician, a drunkard and a libertine, or a prophet, a holy ascetic and a miracle worker who had the gift of healing and foresight? There is no consensus to this day. There is no doubt only one thing - the uniqueness of nature.
Childhood and youth
Gregory was born on January 21, 1869 in rural settlement Pokrovskoe. He became the fifth, but the only surviving child in the family of Efim Yakovlevich Novykh and Anna Vasilievna (before Parshukova's marriage). The family did not live in poverty, but due to the alcoholism of its head, all property was sold shortly after the birth of Gregory.Since childhood, the boy was not very strong physically, he was often sick, and from the age of 15 he suffered from insomnia. As a teenager, he surprised his fellow villagers with his strange abilities: he allegedly could heal sick cattle, and once, resorting to clairvoyance, he accurately indicated where the neighbor's missing horse was. But in general, until the age of 27, he was no different from his peers - he worked hard, drank, smoked, was illiterate. A dissolute lifestyle and awarded him the nickname Rasputin, which stuck tightly. Also, some researchers attribute to Grigory the creation of a local branch of the Khlyst sect, which preaches "sink sin."
In search of work, he settled in Tobolsk, got a wife, a religious peasant woman Praskovya Dubrovina, who gave birth to a son and two daughters from him, but marriage did not curb his temper, eager for female affection. As if some inexplicable force attracted the opposite sex to Gregory.
Around 1892, a dramatic change took place in the man's behavior. Prophetic dreams began to disturb him, and he turned to nearby monasteries for help. In particular, he visited Abalaksky, located on the banks of the Irtysh. Later, in 1918, it was visited by the royal family sent to Tobolsk, who knew about the monastery and the miraculous icon of the Mother of God from the stories of Rasputin kept there.
The decision to start new life Gregory finally matured when in Verkhoturye, where he came to venerate the relics of St. Simeon of Verkhotursky, he had a sign - in a dream, the heavenly patron of the Ural land himself came and ordered to repent, go wandering and heal people. The appearance of the saint shocked him so much that he stopped committing sins, began to pray a lot, refused to eat meat, quit drinking, smoking, and to introduce the spiritual principle into his life, he set off on wanderings.
He traveled around many holy places in Russia (in Valaam, on Solovki, in the Optina Hermitage, etc.), and visited beyond its borders - on the holy Greek Mount Athos and in Jerusalem. In the same period, he mastered reading and writing and the Holy Scriptures, in 1900 he made a pilgrimage to Kyiv, then to Kazan. And all this on foot! Wandering across the Russian expanses, he delivered sermons, made predictions, cast spells for demons, talked about his gift to work miracles. Rumors about his healing powers spread throughout the country, and suffering people from different places began to come to him for help. And he treated them, having no idea about medicine.
Petersburg period
In 1903, the healer, who had already become famous, ended up in the capital. According to legend, the Mother of God appeared to him with an order to go and save Tsarevich Alexei from illness. Rumors about the healer reached the Empress. In 1905, during one of the attacks of hemophilia, which was inherited by the son of Nicholas II through Alexandra Feodorovna, the "people's doctor" was invited to the Winter Palace. With the laying on of hands, whispered prayers, and a compress of steamed tree bark, he managed to stop the nosebleed, which could become fatal, and calm the boy.
In 1906 he changed his surname to Rasputin-Novykh.
The subsequent life of the wanderer-seer in the city on the Neva was inextricably linked with the August family. For more than 10 years, he treated the Tsarevich, successfully drove away the insomnia of the Empress, sometimes doing it simply by phone. The distrustful and cautious autocrat did not welcome the frequent visits of the "old man", but noted that after a conversation with him, even his soul became "easy and calm."
Soon, the extraordinary seer acquired the image of an “advisor” and “friend of the king”, gaining a huge influence on the couple of rulers. They did not believe the rumors about his drunken brawls, orgies, performing black magic rites and obscene behavior, as well as that he took bribes to promote certain projects, including life-changing decisions for the country, and for appointing officials to high posts. For example, at the behest of Rasputin, Nicholas II removed his uncle Nikolai Nikolayevich from the post of supreme commander of the army, since he clearly saw an adventurer in Rasputin and was not afraid to tell his nephew about it.
Rasputin was forgiven by drunken brawls, shameless antics like revelry in the Yar restaurant in the nude. “The legendary depravity of the emperor Tiberius on the island of Capri becomes moderate and banal after that,” the American ambassador recalled about parties in the house of Gregory. There is also information about Rasputin's attempt to seduce Princess Olga, the Emperor's younger sister.
Communication with a person of such a reputation undermined the authority of the emperor. In addition, few knew about the illness of the Tsarevich, and the closeness of the healer to the Court began to be explained by more than friendly relations with the Empress. But, on the other hand, it had a striking effect on many representatives of secular society, especially on women. He was admired and considered a saint.
Personal life of Grigory Rasputin
Rasputin married at the age of 19, after returning to Pokrovskoye from the Verkhotursky Monastery, to Praskovya Fedorovna, nee Dubrovina. They met at an Orthodox holiday in Abalak. In this marriage, three children were born: in 1897, Dmitry, a year later, a daughter, Matryona, and in 1900, Varya.In 1910, he took his daughters to his capital and assigned them to a gymnasium. His wife and Dima stayed at home, in Pokrovsky, on the farm, where he periodically came. She allegedly knew perfectly well about his rampant lifestyle in the capital, and was completely calm about it.
After the revolution, Varya's daughter died of typhus and tuberculosis. The brother with his mother, wife and daughter were sent into exile to the North, where they all soon passed away.
The eldest daughter managed to live to old age. She got married, gave birth to two daughters: the eldest - in Russia, the youngest - already in exile. In recent years, she lived in the United States, where she passed away in 1977.
Death of Rasputin
In 1914, an attempt was made on the life of the seer. Khioniya Guseva, the spiritual daughter of the extreme-right hieromonk Iliodor, shouting "I killed the Antichrist!" wounded him in the stomach. The emperor's favorite survived and continued to participate in public affairs, causing a sharp protest among the royal opponents.Shortly before his death, Rasputin, feeling a threat looming over him, sent a letter to the Empress, in which he indicated that if one of his relatives became his killer royal family, then Nicholas II and all his relatives will die within 2 years, - they say, he had such a vision. And if a commoner becomes a murderer, then the imperial family will flourish for a long time to come.
Put an end to the influence of the objectionable "adviser" on the imperial family and all Russian government decided by a group of conspirators, including the husband of the sovereign's niece Irina, Felix Yusupov and the cousin of the autocrat, Dmitry Pavlovich (they were spoken of in society as lovers).
The life path of the seer was shrouded in mystery, but death turned out to be no less mysterious and added mysticism to his person. On a December night in 1916, the conspirators invited the healer to the Yusupov mansion to meet with the beautiful Irina, allegedly to provide her with "special help." In the wines and dishes prepared for the treat, they added the strongest poison - potassium cyanide. However, it had no effect on him.
Then Felix shot him in the back, but again to no avail. The guest ran out of the mansion, where the killers shot him point-blank. And it didn't kill the "man of God". Then they began to finish him off with clubs, castrated him, threw his body into the river. Later it turned out that even after these bloody atrocities, he survived and tried to get out of the icy water, but drowned.
Rasputin's predictions
Throughout his life, the Siberian soothsayer made about a hundred prophecies, including:own death;
The collapse of the empire and the death of the emperor;
second world war, describing in detail the blockade of Leningrad (“I know, I know, they will surround Petersburg, they will starve! How many people will die, and all because of the Germans. St. Petersburg to you! Nakos, we’ll lie down starving to death, but we won’t let you in! ”He once shouted in his hearts to a German who insulted him. Anna Vyrubova, a close friend of Empress Alexandra, wrote about this in her diary);
Flights into space and landing a man on the moon (“Americans will walk on the moon, they will leave their shameful flag and fly away”);
The formation of the USSR and its subsequent collapse (“There was Russia - there will be a red pit. There was a red pit - there will be a swamp of the wicked who dug a red pit. There was a swamp of the wicked - there will be a dry field, but there will be no Russia - there will be no pit");
Nuclear explosion in Hiroshima and Nagasaki (claimed to have seen two islands burned to the ground in a fire);
Genetic experiments and cloning (the birth of "monsters that do not have a soul and an umbilical cord");
Terror attacks of the beginning of this century.
Grigory Rasputin. Documentary.
One of his most impressive predictions is the statement about the “world in reverse” - this is the upcoming disappearance of the sun for three days, when fog will cover the earth, and “people will wait for death as salvation”, and the seasons will change places.
All this information is drawn from the diaries of his interlocutors, so there are no prerequisites for considering Rasputin a "fortune teller" or "clairvoyant."
Application №3
to the report of the Metropolitan of Krutitsy and Kolomna
Yuvenaly, Chairman of the Synodal Commission
for the canonization of saints
THE ROYAL FAMILY AND G.E. RASPUTIN
The relationship of the royal family to G.E. Rasputin cannot be considered outside the context of the historical, psychological and religious situation that prevailed in Russian society at the beginning of the 20th century; the phenomenon of Rasputin, which many researchers talk about, can hardly be understood outside the historical background of Russia at that time.
No matter how negatively we regard the personality of Rasputin himself, we must not forget for a moment that his personality could be fully revealed in the conditions of life. Russian society before the catastrophe of 1917.
Indeed, the personality of Rasputin is in many ways a typological expression of the spiritual state of a certain part of society at the beginning of the 20th century: “It is no coincidence that in high society they were fond of Rasputin,” writes Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov) in his memoirs, “there was the appropriate ground for this. And therefore, not in him alone, I even say, not so much in him, but in the general atmosphere, lay the reasons for his enthusiasm for him. And this is typical of the pre-revolutionary stagnation. The tragedy in Rasputin himself was deeper than simple sin. Two principles fought in it, and the lower prevailed over the higher. The process of his conversion that had begun broke down and ended tragically. There was a great personal emotional tragedy. And the second tragedy was in society, in its different layers, ranging from the impoverishment of power in spiritual circles to licentiousness in the rich” (2, 138).
How could it happen that such an odious figure as Rasputin could have a significant influence on royal family and on the Russian state-political life of his time?
One of the explanations for the Rasputin phenomenon is the so-called "eldership" of Rasputin. Here is what he writes about it former comrade Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod, Prince N.D. Zhevakhov: “When Rasputin appeared on the horizon of St. Petersburg, whom popular rumor called the “old man”, who came from distant Siberia, where he allegedly became famous for his high ascetic life, the society faltered and rushed towards him with an unstoppable stream. He became interested in both the common people and the believing representatives of high society, monks, laity, bishops and members of the State Council, statesmen and public figures, united among themselves as much by a common religious mood as, perhaps, by common moral suffering and hardships.
Rasputin's glory was preceded by many attendant circumstances and, among other things, the fact that Archimandrite Feofan, known throughout Petersburg for the height of spiritual life, supposedly went to Rasputin in Siberia several times and used his spiritual instructions. The appearance of Rasputin in St. Petersburg was preceded by a formidable force. He was considered, if not a saint, then, in any case, a great ascetic. Who created such fame for him and brought him out of Siberia, I do not know, but in the context of subsequent events, the fact that Rasputin had to pave the way to glory with his own efforts is of extreme importance. He was called either an "old man", or a "seer", or a "man of God", but each of these platforms placed him on the same height and fixed the position of a "saint" in the eyes of the St. Petersburg world (5, 203-204, 206).
In fact, having appeared in St. Petersburg, Rasputin, who until recently had spent his life in a riot and drunken revelry - at least his fellow villagers testify to this - already had the reputation of an "old man" and a "seer." In all likelihood, in 1903, he met the rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, Bishop Sergius (Stragorodsky), who introduces Rasputin to the inspector of the Academy, Archimandrite Feofan (Bystrov) and Bishop Germogen (Dolganov). Rasputin made a particularly favorable impression on Archimandrite Feofan, the confessor of the royal family, who felt deep sympathy for this Siberian peasant preacher and saw in "Elder Gregory" the bearer of a new and true power of faith. Through the mediation of Grand Duke Peter Nikolayevich and his wife Milica Nikolaevna, on November 1, 1905, a fatal acquaintance with the royal family took place, as we read in the diary of Emperor Nicholas II: “We drank tea with Milica Nikolaevna and Stana. We met a man of God - Grigory from the Tobolsk province ”(3, 287).
The first two years after they met, Rasputin did not become for the royal family that “dear Gregory”, for whom their souls were open. They happily met and listened to other "God's people." So, the Emperor wrote in his diary on January 14, 1906: “At 4 o’clock, the man of God Dimitri from Kozelsk near Optina Pustyn came to us. He brought an image painted according to a vision he had recently had. I talked with him for about an hour and a half" (3, 298).
Until the end of 1907, the meetings of the imperial family with "Elder Gregory" were random and rather rare. Meanwhile, the rumor about the “Siberian elder” also increased, but as his fame grew, the unpleasant facts of his immoral behavior became public knowledge. Perhaps they would have remained facts of Rasputin's biography and, at best, would have entered the history of St. Petersburg society as a curiosity, if they had not coincided with the beginning of the period of systematic meetings between Rasputin and the royal family. In these regular meetings, held in the Tsarskoye Selo house of A.A. Vyrubova, the royal children also took part. Rumors spread that Rasputin belonged to the Khlysty sect. In 1908, by order of the Emperor, the Tobolsk Ecclesiastical Consistory conducted an investigation into Rasputin's belonging to the Khlysty. In the conclusion of the investigation, it was noted that “upon a careful examination of the investigative case, it is impossible not to see that we have before us a group of people who have united in a special society with a peculiar religious and moral worldview and a way of life that is different from the Orthodox ... The very way of life of the followers of Gregory the New and the personality he himself seems to be close ... to Khlystism, but there are no firm principles on the basis of which it could be argued that we are dealing with Khlystism here, in the case management examined by the investigation, ”therefore, the investigation was sent for additional investigation, which, according to unidentified reasons, it was never completed. However, in recently published memoirs about Rasputin, V.A. Zhukovskaya again raises the question of Rasputin's belonging to an extreme form of Khlystism. These memoirs provide evidence (of Rasputin's phraseology and his erotic zeal) about the belonging of the "old man Grigory" to the Khlyst sect (7, 252-317).
What is the solution to the mystery of Rasputin? How could the uncombinable—truly satanic rampage and prayer—combine in him? Obviously, the confrontation between these two principles took place in his soul for years, but in the end, the dark one still prevailed. Here is what he wrote in his memoirs: “A Siberian wanderer who sought God in a feat, and at the same time a dissolute and vicious person, the nature of demonic power, he combined tragedy in his soul and life: zealous religious deeds and terrible ups and downs alternated with his fall into the abyss of sin. As long as he was aware of the horror of this tragedy, all was not yet lost; but later came to justifying his falls, and that was the end” (4, 182). An even sharper assessment of the controversial nature of Rasputin was given by the former tutor of the Grand Duke P. Gilliard: “Fate wanted the one who was seen in the halo of a saint to be in reality an unworthy and depraved creature ... the unholy influence of this person was one of the main causes of death those who believed that they would find salvation in him” (6, 40).
So why did Rasputin turn out to be so close to the royal family, why did they believe him so? As noted by A.A. Vyrubova in her testimony to the ChSKVP in 1917, Nikolai and Alexandra Fedorovna “trusted him as Father John of Kronstadt, they believed him terribly; and when they had grief, when, for example, the heir was sick, they turned to him with a request to pray” (1, 109).
It is precisely in this latter that one should see the reason for the “fatal connection” that connected Rasputin with the royal family. It was at the end of 1907 that Rasputin was next to the sick heir, for the first time he helped to improve the health of Alexei Nikolaevich. The intervention of Rasputin repeatedly changed in better side the course of the heir's illness - there are quite a few references to this, but there are almost no specific, truly documented data. Someone heard something, someone knew something from someone, but none of the people who left written testimonies saw anything themselves. It is no coincidence that Pierre Gilliard writes about how he repeatedly “had the opportunity to see what an insignificant role Rasputin played in the life of Alexei Nikolayevich,” but, we repeat, there have always been more rumors in this area than reliable facts.
It was the case of the healing of the prince that was the turning point in Alexandra Feodorovna's attitude to Rasputin, to this, in her words, "a man of God." Here is what P. Gilliard, already mentioned by us, writes about Rasputin’s influence on Alexandra Fedorovna through her son’s illness: “The mother grabbed the hope that was given to her, like a drowning man grabs the hand that is extended to him, and she believed in him with all the strength of her soul. For a long time, however, she was convinced that the salvation of Russia and the dynasty would come from the people, and she imagined that this humble peasant was sent by God ... The power of faith did the rest and, thanks to self-hypnosis, which was facilitated by random coincidences, the Empress came to the conclusion that that the fate of her son depends on this man. Rasputin understood the state of mind of this desperate mother, crushed in the struggle and, it seemed, reached the limits of her suffering. He fully mastered what he could learn from this, and with diabolical art he achieved that his life was to some extent connected with the life of the crown prince ”(6, 37-38).
It was the illness of her son that turned out to be the defining moment in relation to Alexandra Fedorovna and Rasputin - he became the hope and support of her family, moreover, she believed that under the protection of this man her family and Russia were not in danger - she knew this for sure, she felt it with all her a heart that "never deceived."
Therefore, for all the ugliness of various rumors and gossip that surrounded Rasputin, Alexandra Fedorovna saw him only from one side. According to the palace commandant V.N. Voeikova, Alexandra Fedorovna looked at Rasputin as "at her man", who played the role of a mentor-comforter in her family - and how can we not understand the suffering mother, whose son is saved from death by this man? She was convinced that Rasputin was a messenger from God, his intercession before the Almighty gives hope for the future...
Alexandra Fedorovna expressed her understanding of the role of Rasputin in letters to her husband. So, in June 1915, she wrote: “Obey our Friend: trust him, the interests of Russia and yours are dear to your heart. God did not send him for nothing, only we should pay more attention to his words - they are not spoken to the wind. How important it is for us to have not only his prayers, but also advice.” In another letter to her husband, she wrote that "that country, the Sovereign of which is directed by a Godly Man, cannot perish." We see how Rasputin gradually turns from an "old man-comforter" into an influential political figure. Being smart and quick-witted, he undoubtedly understood that he could not evade the role of adviser to the “mother of the Russian land”, otherwise he would lose the favor of the royal family. It was in this dramatic confusion of Rasputin's roles that the tragedy of the last reign was found. The Empress assigned a role to the “simple and praying man” that he under no circumstances had the right to play, and even had no opportunity to successfully fulfill it.
All attempts by the closest relatives, friends, church hierarchs to warn Alexandra Feodorovna against the influence of Rasputin ended in a break, resignation, complete insulation. In letters to Emperor Nicholas dated June 15, 1915, Alexandra Feodorovna wrote: “Samarin will undoubtedly go against our Friend and will be on the side of those bishops whom we do not like - he is such an ardent and narrow Muscovite” (1, 192). It is well known how the actions against Rasputin of the Hieromartyr Metropolitan Vladimir, the Bishops Hieromartyr Hermogenes and Theophan ended. A complete break occurred with Alexandra Feodorovna and with her sister, the Reverend Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, who, in a letter to the emperor dated March 26, 1910, wrote about Rasputin's stay in spiritual delusion.
The relationship between the Emperor himself and Rasputin was more complicated - he combined admiration for the "old man" with caution and even doubts. So, after the first meeting with Rasputin in 1907, he told Prince Orlov that he had found in Rasputin "a man of pure faith." To M. Rodzianko, Chairman of the State Duma, he characterizes Rasputin as follows: “He is a good, simple Russian man. In moments of doubt and anxiety, I like to talk with him, and after such a conversation, my heart always feels light and calm. But still, the Emperor was worried about Rasputin - after all, he could not help but be disturbed by messages proxies about his scandalous behavior. The emperor repeatedly tried to get rid of him, but each time he retreated under pressure from the Empress or because of the need for Rasputin's help to heal the heir. Here is what P. Gilliard writes about this: “At first he endured him, not daring to strike a blow at the faith of the Empress, which the Empress had in him and in which she found hope that gave her the opportunity to wait. The emperor was afraid to remove Rasputin, because if Alexei Nikolaevich died, then the Emperor in the eyes of his mother would undoubtedly be the murderer of his child ”(6, 157-158).
Summing up the analysis of the reasons for the influence of G. E. Rasputin on the royal family, in conclusion, I would like to note that the Emperor was unable to resist the will of the Empress, tormented by despair due to her son’s illness and, therefore, under the sinister influence of Rasputin, as the whole family had to pay dearly for it!
Bibliography
1. Bokhanov A. N. Twilight of the Monarchy. M., 1993.
2. Veniamin (Fedchenkov), Metropolitan At the turn of two eras, b/m, 1994.
3. Diaries of Emperor Nicholas II. M., 1991.
4. Evlogii (Georgievsky), Metropolitan The path of my life. M., 1994.
5. Zhevakhov N.D., prince. Memories, volume 1. M., 1993.
6. Gilliard P. Thirteen years at the Russian Court. Paris, b/g.
7. Zhukovskaya V.A. My memories of Grigory Efimovich Rasputin, 1914-1916 // Russian archive. History of the Fatherland in evidence and documents of the 18th - 20th centuries, volumes 2-3. M., 1992, p. 252-317.
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Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation
FGBOU VO "Mari State University"
Faculty of History and Philology
Department of National History
Scientific report
on the topic: "Rasputinism. Grigory Rasputin and his role in the collapse of the autocracy"
discipline: "History of Russia"
Completed by: 2nd year student of group OB-22
day department
Nasirova R.R.
Checked by: Associate Professor, Ph.D.
Soloviev A.A.
Yoshkar-Ola - 2017
- Introduction
- 1. Grigory Rasputin - a portrait against the backdrop of the decline of the empire
- 2. The influence of Rasputin on the emperor and the policy of Russia
- 3. The attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church towards Rasputinism
- 4. Rasputinism and its consequences
- 5. The murder of Grigory Rasputin
- Conclusion
- Materials used
Introduction
Grigory Rasputin is one of the most mysterious and entertaining personalities of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There has never been a similar case in history when the country was actually ruled by a village peasant who did not even know how to write correctly.
Rasputin evoked a variety of feelings in those around him. Some experienced a strange fear before him, others deep reverence, and still others hatred. Attitude towards him is still ambiguous. Someone sees in him a holy healer, someone - a charlatan, sent to the tsar by influential people of Petrograd to satisfy their own interests.
Rasputin's activities have been repeatedly mentioned in literature, cinema and music.
Who was really on Grigory Rasputin: a messenger of God or a demon? What did you achieve? How was he able to capture the minds of most of the secular society of the capital and the entire royal family?
These questions determined the relevance of the topic of the report.
The purpose of the work is to explore the place and role of Grigory Rasputin in the history of Russia.
Work tasks:
Consider the biography of Rasputin.
Find out his influence on the collapse of the empire.
Consider the attitude of the church towards Rasputin.
Reveal the consequences of Rasputinism.
In Soviet historiography, the question of G. Rasputin as a religious person was practically not considered. The attention of Soviet historians was focused on determining the size of G. Rasputin's power and the measure of his influence on the appointment of ministers and government policy. And if M.N. Pokrovsky and A.Ya. Avrekh considered this influence almost decisive, then E.D. Chermensky and G.Z. Ioffe, by no means, considered him insignificant. The question of the political role of G. Rasputin was described in most detail in the work of V.S. Dyakin. Great importance For Soviet historians, the topic was discrediting the Russian monarchy by emphasizing the real and imaginary vices of G. Rasputin, information about which was drawn from a variety of and very dubious sources.
The ideological bias and political one-sidedness of Soviet historiography, which ignored the theme of G. Rasputin's religiosity, did not allow it to create a versatile and objective picture of the life and personality of G. Rasputin and contributed to the 1990s. the appearance of works in which some parts historical research were called upon to explain the various versions about G. Rasputin. One of these versions was contained in the books of A.N. Bokhanova and O.A. Platonov's version of G. Rasputin as a religious righteous man from the people, who was the victim of a "slanderous conspiracy".
Now G. Rasputin was described as the victim of a smear campaign planned by the Freemasons with the aim of "undermining the national values of the country." This meant that all critical reviews about G. Rasputin were attributed to Masons (and since information about the activities of Russian Masons in the early 20th century is scarce and often unfounded, anything can be attributed to them) or people who were misled by Masons. On the basis of sources "purified" in this way from "Masonic slander" sources, a bright image of a simple native of a peasant environment, a seer and healer, a true friend and guardian of the royal family, was easily created. In fact, one myth breeds another.
Political weight of G. Rasputin A.N. Bokhanov and O.A. Platonov was not inclined to exaggerate, they even emphasized that his ability to influence events was very limited, they did not deny that G. Rasputin's position at court was often used by various swindlers for selfish purposes. However, all this did not call into question the spiritual authority of G. Rasputin, whom they considered an old man. According to O.A. Platonov, the authority of G. Rasputin, was based on the fact that the tsar and tsarina in him "saw an old man who continued the traditions of Holy Russia, spiritually inclined, able to give good advice", and also - "a true Russian peasant - a representative of the most numerous class of Russia, with a sense of common sense, a people's understanding of the usefulness of their worldly intuition, who firmly knew the norms of morality. This demagogic connotation, combined with derogatory criticism of the educated strata of Russian society, including the Orthodox clergy, is characteristic of the writings of A.N. Bokhanova and O.A. Platonov. G. Rasputin is glorified by them almost from "class positions" - as a person who believed that "in the spiritual development of Russia, the main stake should be placed on immigrants from the peasantry." If earlier G. Rasputin was presented as a symbol of "dark forces", now he is being made a symbol of the "folk Orthodox tradition" that opposes "intelligentsia devoid of national consciousness" and "official bishops".
1. Grigory Rasputin - a portrait against the backdrop of the decline of the empire
Rasputin's biography can be divided into two periods: life before coming to St. Petersburg and after.
Little is known about the first stage of life in Siberia. Grigory Efimovich Rasputin ( real name- New) was born on July 29, 1871 in the village of Pokrovsky, Tyumen district, Tobolsk province.
The youngest son in a wealthy, peasant family. He began to work early: grazed cattle, worked as a cab driver, fished, helped to harvest. There was no school in Pokrovsky, and Grigory was illiterate until the beginning of his journey. Among other peasants, he did not stand out in any way. At the age of 19, he married a peasant woman Praskovya Fedorovna Dubrovina. They had three children: Dmitry, Matryona, and Varvara.
In 1892, Gregory was accused of stealing stakes from the monastery fence and expelled from the village for a year. He spent this time wandering, making pilgrimages to holy places, where he studied Holy Scripture and literacy among the elders. His wanderings passed without any purpose, from monastery to monastery, he slept with monks and peasants, ate from other people's tables, thanking the owners with prayers and predictions.
The second stage of Rasputin's life begins at the beginning of the 20th century. In the spring of 1903 34-year-old Grigory Rasputin visited St. Petersburg for the first time and lived there for 5 months. In the capital, they spoke of him as a strange Siberian peasant who sinned and repented and was endowed with extraordinary strength. He was received by the most famous clergyman of the time, John of Kronstadt.
In 1905, Rasputin returned to St. Petersburg, where he met with the elderly Archimandrite Feofan, inspector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy and former confessor of Empress Alexandra. By that time, he was already respectfully called the "old man". They called him so for experience and faith. His bright personality and phenomenal abilities very soon attracted everyone's attention. The rumor about the "holy old man" who prophesies and heals the sick quickly reached the highest society. People who did not find complete consolation in the state church reached out to the Siberian "old man". They visited Grigory Efimovich, listened to his stories and instructions. The visitors were especially impressed by the wanderer's eyes, which looked into the very soul of the interlocutor. rasputin church influence consequence
AT a short time Rasputin became famous person in the capital. In 1904-1906, Grigory met dozens of representatives of the Russian nobility. Grand Duchess Anastasia and Melitsa Nikolaevna, together with the beloved maid of honor of the Empress Anna Vyrubova, introduced him to the royal family. The first meeting with the elder Rasputin took place at the beginning of November 1905 and left a very pleasant impression on the royal family.
Many people came to Rasputin with a request to pray for their affairs, telegrams and letters were sent to him. But most of all, of course, a personal meeting with him was appreciated. Unbiased sources testify that at a personal meeting he charmed people with some kind of special confidence, the ability to present himself, benevolence and kindness.
In addition to prayerful help and healing, people went to Rasputin with material requests, petitions, complaints of insults and oppression. The Commission of the Provisional Government, which interrogated hundreds of people who visited Rasputin, found that he often received money from petitioners for satisfying their petitions. As a rule, these were wealthy persons who asked Gregory to transfer their request to the Highest name or to intercede in one or another ministry. Money was given voluntarily and distributed to the same petitioners, only poorer. Rasputin's apartment in Petrograd, where he spent most of its time, according to eyewitnesses, it was overflowing with all kinds of poor people and various petitioners, who, believing the rumors that he had a huge influence on the king, came to him with their needs. Indeed, the doors of his apartment were open to everyone. Rasputin rarely refused a request for help if he saw that the person was really in need.
But along with this kind of characterization of the activities of the God's man" Grigory Rasputin, there was another. Some time after his arrival in St. Petersburg, rumors began to spread in secular society about the rampant behavior of the "old man" and the "prophet", his communication with various rabble, ugly revels (for which they called Grigory Rasputin).
In 1911, the indignation of the elder was still the subject of private conversations. In the Duma, clear allusions to the "dark forces" at the throne began to appear in the speeches of the left-wing deputies. Soon the "question of Rasputin" began to dominate the political scene.
Attacks on Rasputin intensified. The newspapers reported that "Grigory Rasputin is an insidious conspirator against our holy church, a corrupter human souls and bodies", as well as "about the unheard of tolerance shown to the aforementioned Grigory Rasputin by the highest dignitaries of the church".
But most of all, society resented the influence that this Siberian peasant had on Nicholas II in solving state issues. Nicholas II discussed with Rasputin plans for military operations, ways to improve the food business, and the appointment of new ministers. Every appointment in the highest echelon of government services, as well as in the top of the Church, passed through his hands. Rasputin was not just an adviser, but also a standard for evaluating other people.
In the 16 months since July 1915, Russia has experienced an unprecedented ministerial leapfrog: during this time, 4 prime ministers, 5 interior ministers, 4 ministers Agriculture and 3 ministers of war. In the end, a fairly respected and influential group, which had previously constituted the top of the administrative apparatus, gave way to Rasputin's proteges.
All educated strata of the population experienced hostility towards Grigory Rasputin. The monarchist nobles and the intelligentsia, both revolutionary and liberal, agreed on his negative role in the royal court, calling him the evil genius of the Romanovs. On September 19, 1916, deputy Vladimir Purishkevich delivered an impassioned speech against Rasputin in the State Duma. He fervently exclaimed "The dark man should not rule Russia longer!".
On the same day, the idea was born to kill Rasputin. After listening to Purishkevich's accusatory speech, Prince Felix Yusupov approached him with this proposal. Then several more people joined the conspiracy, including Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich. The execution of the plan was scheduled for December 16, 1916. Among the conspirators who in December 1916 conceived and carried out the assassination of Rasputin was Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich Romanov, the tsar's cousin. His accomplices were Prince Felix Yusupov (married to the Emperor's niece, Princess Irina), Captain Sukhotin, State Duma deputy Purishkevich, and Dr. Lazovert (Yusupov, 1991, p. 162).
Rasputin felt the threat looming over him very well. In December 1916, shortly before his tragic death, he wrote a prophetic letter, which was drawn up by a lawyer and handed over to the empress. “I am writing this letter and leaving it behind me in Petersburg,” Rasputin wrote. January". Further, turning to the king and queen, he made predictions about future fate Russia, which had to take shape one way or another, depending on who his killers would be.
Grigory Rasputin was modestly buried in Tsarskoye Selo. However, he did not rest there for long. After February Revolution his body was dug up and burned at the stake.
2. The influence of Rasputin on the emperor and the policy of Russia
Rasputin's life story cannot be understood without knowing the special relationships that developed between him and the royal family. For ten years, Grigory Rasputin was one of the closest people to the royal family. The royal family loved him and believed him.
The end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century was characterized by a deep spiritual crisis due to the rejection of Russian spiritual values, traditions and ideals. The king felt the tragic outcome of this crisis and really needed people who would be close to him spiritually. This was the main reason for the rapprochement between the royal couple and Grigory Rasputin. The craving of the tsar and tsarina for Rasputin was deeply spiritual in nature, in him they saw an old man who continued the traditions of Holy Russia, spiritually inclined, able to give good advice. And at the same time, a real Russian peasant - a representative of the most numerous estate in Russia, with a developed sense of common sense, a people's understanding of the usefulness of his worldly intuition, who firmly knew what was good and what was bad, where his own, and where strangers.
“I love the people, the peasants. Here Rasputin is really from the people,” the tsarina said, and the tsar believed that Grigory was “a good, simple, religious Russian person. In moments of doubt and spiritual anxiety, I like to talk with him, and after such a conversation I always feel light and calm in my soul.” He repeatedly repeats this idea in correspondence and in conversations.
The tsar and tsarina respectfully called Rasputin "our friend" or "Grigory", and Rasputin called them "Dad and Mom", putting into this meaning "father and mother of the people". They talked to each other only on "you".
In the life of the royal family, Rasputin played the same role as St. John of Kronstadt. They often asked him to pray. Rasputin had an inexplicable power over Tsarevich Alexei. At the slightest indisposition, the elder was called. Sometimes even a short telephone conversation was enough to achieve the elimination of a particular ailment.
"The heir lives as long as I live!" Rasputin said.
It is quite natural that after these words, Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, obeying her maternal instincts, literally prayed for the "old man". Believing that Rasputin was sent to the royal family by God in order to protect the dynasty, that the truth was spoken through his mouth, the queen tried to convince her husband of this.
The tsarina’s letters to her husband are filled with deep faith in Rasputin: “Yes, prayers alone and selfless faith in God’s mercy,” she writes, “give a person the strength to endure everything. And our friend will help you bear your heavy cross and great responsibility.”
Of course, the tsar listened to the advice of Grigory Rasputin. It can be seen from the royal correspondence that the tsar listened attentively to Rasputin's proposals and often accepted them. This was especially true of candidates for the posts of leaders of the Holy Synod and the movement of bishops to various dioceses, although last step of his life, Gregory also takes part in the selection of candidates for the posts of ministers and governors.
With the tsar's boundless confidence, Rasputin's opinion on various political and state issues was taken into account almost unconditionally. One of his words was enough for the cabinet of ministers to be replenished with an unknown person.
AT last years During the reign of Tsar Nicholas II, it was increasingly difficult to find a suitable person for any position, because people were afraid. They were afraid that, having served for some time in a high-ranking position, they would be removed from this post, but they would also fall into disfavor with the sovereign, and after that there could be no question of any high positions for them.
The tsar, who believed that Rasputin was sent to him by heaven in order to protect him and the entire royal family and help him with advice on behalf of the Lord God, would have to silently listen to his every word, accept his speech as truth, for he himself speaks through his mouth God, heeded his advice only in matters of appointments or in matters of a smaller scale. In serious things, he almost always did everything in his own way.
Grigory Efimovich had his own positions in almost all political issues. But they did not always coincide with the positions of the sovereign, and he, despite the fact that Rasputin in his eyes was a "man of God", was not going to change them. Despite the advice and even the pleas of the "old man", despite the letters of the tsarina, Nicholas did it his own way. There were cases when he simply did not initiate either his wife or the "miracle worker" into his plans, and they already learned about one or another of his actions from the newspapers.
Rasputin was strongly opposed to the "senseless bloodshed" of the First World War. No matter how hard he tried to inspire Nicholas II to make peace with Germany, on whatever terms, the tsar stood his ground.
It concerns and peasant question. All attempts by Rasputin to explain to the tsar that the peasants remained the most disenfranchised category of the population were in vain. He wanted to convince the tsar to give the state and monastic lands to the peasants, but the tsar again did not agree with him.
At the very beginning of the First World War, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich was the supreme commander of the Russian army. One day, Rasputin came to the tsar and told him that he had a dream, from which it follows that in three days Nikolai Nikolayevich would send news that there was not enough food in the army, but you should not believe him, because he was only trying to induce panic and fear and thereby force Nicholas II to abdicate in his favor. As a result of this meeting, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich was exiled to the Caucasus, and the tsar took command of all military operations.
About Rasputin's direct influence, Maurice Palaiologos, the French ambassador to Russia, says: "Does Rasputin have the same power over the emperor as over the empress? No, and the difference is palpable," especially when the "old man" interferes in politics. Then Nicholas II puts on silence and caution, he avoids difficult questions; he puts off decisive answers, in any case, he submits after a great internal struggle, in which his natural intelligence often prevails.
In their research, historians rely not only on the testimonies of contemporaries and the analysis of known facts. The materials of the correspondence between Nicholas II and his wife play a decisive role. Here are some letters from the Empress to her husband.
"Keep this paper in front of you ... Tell him [Protopopov - A.D.] to obey our Friend more."
In the summer of 1916, Alexandra Feodorovna wrote to her husband at Headquarters: "And now He believes that it would be advisable not to attack too aggressively on the western sector of the front ...".
Based on the materials of this correspondence, the hypothesis of Rasputin's indirect influence on state affairs, which turned out to be first on the empress, and through her on the tsar, is very well substantiated.
Yes, Rasputin's influence on the entire royal family was enormous, yes, almost all ministers and high-ranking officials were appointed on his orders, but the tsar did not always listen to him, and therefore he had to resort to some other measures, in addition to uncomplicated telegrams and conversations.
By order of the royal family, Rasputin was placed under surveillance by the royal secret police. Beletsky, director of the police department, noted in his notes that at the end of 1913, while observing the correspondence of people close to Rasputin, they noticed among them a letter from one of the Petrograd hypnotists, in which there was an absolutely clear indication that the "miracle worker" took from him hypnosis lessons.
This can also explain the attractiveness of his eyes to all those around him. All the people who knew him personally invariably singled out his eyes. They have always made a good impression.
Whatever the case, but in a very short time Rasputin gained almost unlimited power over the royal couple, but, nevertheless, at some moments the tsar eluded his influence and made decisions on his own, contrary to the instructions of the "old man" and Alexandra Feodorovna .
3. The attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church towards Rasputinism
In the capital in 1903 Rasputin was introduced spiritual leader Orthodoxy, Saint John of Kronstadt. He takes communion and confesses Gregory, says: "My son, I felt your presence. You have a spark of true faith!" After that, Rasputin no longer doubts his divine destiny.
In the spring of 1908, Archimandrite Feofan, the confessor of the imperial family, on behalf of the tsarina, went to Pokrovskoye to check the rumors and find out about the past of the "God's man". Feofan lives in the house of Gregory in Pokrovsky for two weeks, visits the elder Makar in Verkhoturye and decides that Rasputin is truly a saint. Upon his return, Feofan draws up a detailed report on the trip and declares that Grigory Rasputin is the chosen one of God and sent to reconcile the tsar and tsarina with the Russian people. The chosen one himself begins to openly preach his teaching: God needs sin and its awareness, only this is the true path to God. An erotic-religious myth arises around Rasputin.
4. Rasputinism and its consequences
Rasputinism is an expression of the extreme decomposition of the ruling elite of the country named after the peasant Rasputin Grigory (1872-1916), who, in the guise of a "seer" and "healer", gained unlimited influence on the Russian Tsar Nicholas II (1868-1918) and his entourage, interfering in state affairs ). A blind people, deprived of guidance, mentors and leadership, easily became the prey of anti-Christian propaganda.
Rasputinism ... This is not just a characteristic of the pre-revolutionary era in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. The man who gave his name to this part of Russian history is still ambiguous. Who is he - a good or evil genius of the royal family and the Russian autocracy? Did he really have superhuman powers?
Undoubtedly, Rasputin was a strong synergist. He really helped the sick Tsarevich Alexei and treated other patients. But he used his powers to his advantage.
Rasputin liked to be the center of attention, he began to flatter popularity. He could not overcome this temptation, and in recent years he gradually became a victim of his pride. It is not difficult to notice the consciousness of his own significance in his own words. Many times, for example, he repeated to the queen: "They will kill me, and they will kill you," and "I" sounds here first of all.
Since the summer of 1915, the interference in the government of the country of the empress, G.E. Rasputin and his entourage. Concerning the nature of Rasputinism, the degree of influence of the "old man" on state affairs, there are different opinions. In any case, the influence of the "dark forces" left a noticeable imprint on the work of the government machine. Constant shuffling in the ruling circles disorganized the work of the bureaucratic apparatus. His positions both in the center and in the field in conditions global war and the unprecedented problems generated by this war were weakening. The authority of the government was finally undermined.
As a result, honest officials and ministers were replaced by those who, in order to get a place in the hierarchy closer to the "anointed ones of God", were pleasing to the "holy elder" - in any form. People from the government also bowed to him.
5. The murder of Grigory Rasputin
Rasputin was supposed to be killed on the night of December 16-17 in the palace of Prince Yusupov. The conspiracy also included Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich, Dr. Lazavert. The plan was that at one in the morning, bypassing the police agents whom Rasputin would have to release by prior arrangement, bring the "old man" to Yusupov's palace under the pretext of treating the prince's wife, who was not in St. Petersburg at all. Especially for his assassination, the basement of the palace was transformed into a dining room in a very short time, in which Rasputin had to wait for the princess, who allegedly received guests upstairs. To brighten up the expectation, the prince offered him cakes and Madeira, poisoned with potassium cyanide in advance. Then his body was to be wrapped in a rag and his corpse thrown into one of the rivers near Petrograd, with weights tied to it. The conspirators traveled in advance almost all the rivers and canals in search of a suitable hole.
Finally the appointed evening arrived. The basement has been changed beyond recognition. Purishkevich and the Grand Duke tried to make this room look as if a small company had just left it, frightened by the appearance of a guest. All this was done so that the "victim" did not guess about the plans of the conspirators. At first, everything went according to plan. Rasputin released the Okhrana agents and arrived safely, accompanied by Felix Yusupov, without anyone noticing. All the servants, with the exception of two military men who were standing at the main entrance, were released. The "old man" arrived in a positive mood, joked, but did not touch either Madeira or food. For half an hour the prince tried to do something to get him to eat or drink at least something, but this only made the task more difficult, because Rasputin began to express his distrust of Felix that the princess was even in the house. It worried him that Felix's wife was making him wait so long.
In the end, succumbing to Yusupov's persuasion, he began to eat cakes and drink Madeira, but absolutely nothing happened to him. The result was the same after a quarter of an hour, although potassium cyanide is a poison that acts almost instantly. The conspirators were worried. After some discussion, they decided that they had no choice but to shoot the "old man". This mission was undertaken by the prince himself. A few minutes later, the old man was lying on the dining room floor with a bullet in his chest.
The conspirators went out into the street. Yusupov, who returned for a cloak, checked the body, suddenly Rasputin woke up and tried to strangle the killer. The conspirators who ran in at that moment began to shoot at Rasputin. Approaching, they were surprised that he was still alive, and began to beat him. According to the killers, the poisoned and shot Rasputin came to his senses, got out of the basement and tried to climb the high wall of the garden, but was caught by the killers. Then he was tied with ropes on his hands and feet, taken by car to a pre-selected place near Kamenny Island and thrown off the bridge so that his body was under the ice. No poison was found in Rasputin's stomach. This can be explained by the fact that the cyanide in the cakes was neutralized by sugar or high temperature when cooking in the oven.
Conclusion
Over the past few years, interest in the personality of Grigory Efimovich Rasputin has grown significantly. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the global ideological changes in the country, which made it possible to look at the Russian language differently than in Soviet times. history of the XIX- beginning of XX century.
Secondly, in the post-Soviet period, it became possible to start a serious study of church history, outside of which the Rasputin phenomenon is difficult to understand. Thirdly, there were no special works about the Siberian wanderer in Soviet times, although domestic scientists, of course, wrote about his influence on the church and state affairs of the empire.
Materials used
List of sources:
1. Grigory Rasputin - Collection historical materials in 4 volumes (the second volume includes memoirs of various people, including writers, military men, foreign diplomats, one of the "old man's" admirers and others).
2. Materials of the diaries of Nicholas II in 1915-1916 (in the diary of Nicholas II, interactions with the Tsar and Rasputin are described in detail).
Bibliography:
1. Bokhanov A.N. The Truth about Grigory Rasputin M., 2011 (The author makes it very accessible, interesting. The book is written about the life of G. Rasputin from birth in the village of Pokrovsky to death in St. Petersburg).
2. Kasvinov M.K. 23 steps down M., 1987 (The book by M.K. Kasvinov tells about the life and deeds of the king and his inner circle).
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A year is left before the centenary of the Great Russian Revolution. And 1917, from which we count modern history our state remains a mystery in many respects. Especially February - the rapid collapse of the empire that took place in just a few days. Strange as it may sound, but the underlying causes, springs and the whole course of the swift February Revolution, which crushed the monarchy and empire, remain unexplored.
For a long time we were satisfied with the simple explanations of Soviet historiography: the revolutionary situation has matured, the autocracy has exhausted itself, the top cannot, the bottom does not want ... Then they began to see conspiracies in everything, the influence of dark forces and other people's money. It is time for a calm, serious and deep analysis. Though it's hard to remain impartial when we are talking about such dramas and tragedies of this magnitude.
Wouldn't it be correct to say that the revolution began in December 1916, when Grigory Efimovich Rasputin was killed in the capital?
If he himself had not so inspiredly told about how he secretly rules Russia, how he twirls the empress and the autocrat himself. If only they didn't believe him so unconditionally. If society were not literally fascinated by the exotic-wild madness of this gloomy wizard. If he had not been credited with supernatural abilities and incredible male virtues. He himself would definitely have escaped a terrible and painful death during a nightly dinner in one of the St. Petersburg palaces. And perhaps the lives of many other people would have been saved too.
The Tobolsk peasant Rasputin is credited with a special role in the fate of the last emperor and his family, in the history of the Romanov dynasty, and indeed of all of Russia. Rasputin was killed, the monarchy collapsed.
How did it happen?
The Empress gave birth to four daughters. And they demanded an heir from her, as if giving birth to a boy depended only on her desire. On July 30, 1904, at the height of the Russo-Japanese War, the Empress was relieved of her burden by the long-awaited boy. But parental happiness was short-lived. The heir to the Russian throne was terminally ill. Hemophilia is a hereditary disease. The gene defect prevents the blood from clotting. Any injury led to bleeding that could not be stopped. In one night, the emperor aged ten years. The illness of Tsarevich Alexei changed the fate of Russia in the 20th century. The imperial family was closed in its own circle. All thoughts are about the sick boy.
The Empress did not want to submit to fate. Deeply pious, she was a mystic, this allowed her to hope for a miracle. And it appeared in the guise of a peasant Grigory Rasputin. He was brought to the palace by the confessor of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna, the rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, Bishop Feofan. He admired Rasputin:
There are still God's people in the world. It is by them that Holy Russia is still kept.
Several times, Tsarevich Alexei felt better at the moment Rasputin appeared. It was hardly possible for Grigory Efimovich to stop the bleeding. Rather, his appearance successfully coincided with the end of the next attack. But he definitely could calm down, relieve the boy's tension and fear.
The appearance of Rasputin near the throne brought imperial family some relief and renewed hope. But society seemed to be offended by the proximity of the Tobolsk peasant to the throne. In the Petrograd salons, they started talking about a love triangle - Nikolai, Alexandra and Grigory. In the popular view, the tsar is married to Russia, that is, he should not have a personal life. And therefore, society hated his wife, whom he really loved and whose love he did not want to hide.
What was the empress accused of! That she has an affair with Rasputin. That she let the old man into the bedroom of the Grand Duchesses. That she tried to poison her own son, which is why Tsarevich Alexei is so sick. That Alexandra Fedorovna intended to overthrow her husband, take the throne and rule Russia herself. And all these fables repeated the most different people! There was a humiliation of power.
And in 1914 the war began. Failures at the front gave rise to rumors of a German conspiracy. There was talk that German blood was more precious to the Empress than Russian! Empress - german agent! Madness? Stupidity? A deliberate attack on the government with the long-term goal of taking power into their own hands? It's time to talk about the information war. The German Empress has become the most convenient target. Rumors of a German conspiracy in palace circles undermined not only the reputation of the emperor, but also the morale of the armed forces.
Why did the emperor not respond to the attacks of the opposition? First, he was preoccupied with something he considered more important: the war. Secondly, he considered it below his dignity to respond to insults of a personal nature. It’s not for him to fight with them in a duel ...
On December 16, 1916, Rasputin was killed. This was done by the Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich - the cousin of Nicholas II, Prince Felix Yusupov, married to the tsar's niece, and the monarchist Purishkevich. It was a terrible blow for the unfortunate mother - the empress believed that only Rasputin was able to reduce the suffering of her sick son.
If you think sensibly: what did Grigory Efimovich Rasputin do to Russia? And isn't it ridiculous to say that he ruined the empire. Well, then, a Tobolsk peasant came to St. Petersburg - and the empire collapsed?
Now it has been documented: nothing of what he told about himself and what others said about him happened! There were simply people who envied Rasputin's position on the throne, there were those who used him for their own political purposes, and those who hated him. They killed Rasputin. This story received a huge response! Thus they shook the throne. The monarchy collapsed, the Bolsheviks came to power, the Civil War, and Russia washed herself with blood.
Leonid Mlechin's program "Total Recall" is aired on OTR on Mondays.