Who Was Rasputin?
Grigori Rasputin was a Russian mystic and healer born in 1869 in Siberia. He rose from a poor village boy to become one of the most powerful men in Russia. His influence came mainly from his close relationship with the royal family, especially Tsarina Alexandra, the wife of Tsar Nicholas II.
Rasputin was believed to have healing powers, and he gained the trust of the royals after helping their son, Alexei, who suffered from a deadly disease called hemophilia. Because of this, he became a trusted adviser in the palace.
Why People Hated Rasputin
Even though Rasputin was loved by the royal family, many Russians hated him. He was accused of being corrupt, a womanizer, and a dangerous influence on the empire. Politicians and nobles believed that Rasputin was leading Russia into destruction.
His mysterious lifestyle and the way he controlled decisions in the palace made many powerful people plot to kill him.
The Night They Tried to Kill Rasputin
In December 1916, a group of nobles invited Rasputin to a secret meeting at Prince Felix Yusupov’s palace. They offered him food and wine laced with cyanide poison, one of the deadliest substances on earth.
To their shock, Rasputin ate and drank everything, and nothing happened. The poison did not kill him.
Panic spread among the plotters. They then shot Rasputin in the chest. He fell, but minutes later, he got back up and tried to escape.
They shot him again, multiple times, and finally beat him. Still, he was breathing. In desperation, they tied him up and threw him into a freezing river. Only then did Rasputin finally die.
The strange way Rasputin survived poison and bullets has made him a legend. Many still wonder if he had some special power or if the poison was weak. Others believe his strong body and willpower made him live longer than expected.
His death symbolized the fall of the Russian royal family, as only a year later, Tsar Nicholas II and his family were overthrown during the Russian Revolution.
Rasputin is remembered as “the man Russia could not kill.” His story continues to inspire books, movies and documentaries. To some, he was a holy man with healing powers. To others, he was a dangerous fraud who brought down an empire.
