Rasputin and the royal family. The Royal Family and Rasputin (1907–1913)

There are a lot of contradictory things said about this man. So who was Grigory Rasputin? An old man, a charlatan, a prophet or just a libertine? Here are some Interesting Facts from the biography of Rasputin.

He was born in the village of Pokrovskoye, presumably in 1869, into the family of a coachman. The exact year of birth is not known, and he himself liked to inflate his age in order to look more like an old man. There was almost no information about him in his village. As a child, he was a frail child and was sick a lot. Perhaps this is what prompted him to begin traveling to holy places at the age of 18. He visited monasteries, but did not take the monastic vow. Therefore, it is difficult to say whether his faith was true or whether he was simply good actor. Returning to Pokrovskoye, Grigory got married and had three children. But all these years he continued to walk to holy places and even made a pilgrimage to the Athos Monastery in Greece.

At this time, Rasputin proclaimed himself a saint, possessing miraculous power. He asked the clergy to be recorded under a new name - Rasputin-Novy. He explained his desire by saying that his village was full of Rasputins and they would be confused with him. Gregory told everyone he could about his gift of healing. It took several years for rumors about him to spread throughout Russia. Patients began to come from far away. It must be said that Rasputin was completely illiterate, but apparently had the gift of persuasion or even hypnosis. People believed in his help.

There are two versions about how Gregory got to St. Petersburg. According to the first, rumors about him reached the capital's nobility, and they told Nicholas 2 about Rasputin. According to the second version, belonging to Rasputin himself, one day he had a vision of the Mother of God. She told Gregory that Tsarevich Alexei, the son of Nicholas 2, was seriously ill and needed help. After this, Rasputin moved to St. Petersburg. It was 1905. Nikolay 2 for a long time refused his services, but two years later Rasputin was called to the palace when the prince had another severe attack.

And from that moment on, the influence of Grigory Rasputin on royal family began to grow, he was firmly connected with the royal family, as he began to treat the royal son. The healer began to acquire connections and authority; everyone was already rushing to see him. Russian elite, calling him behind his back nothing more than “Grishka Rasputin.” He had great hypnotic abilities, with the help of which he seduced many princesses.

Rasputin and women are a different story. They loved him very much. When he was accused of adultery, he said that he did nothing specifically for this.

In everyday life, Rasputin was an ascetic. There was almost no furniture in his home, so his dates took place in a spartan atmosphere. He did not like long meetings and tried to get rid of his guest as quickly as possible. It is interesting that Rasputin’s wife was very proud that her husband was so popular with high-ranking people.

The queen was very pious, and yet Rasputin managed to win her trust. He inspired her that only she alone could save Orthodox Russia. It ended with the fact that the queen could not resolve a single issue without Rasputin, be it state or just family.

Gossip about their relationship spread throughout the world. Soon Nicholas 2 became not very happy with the frequent appearance of Rasputin in his own palace, because... Rumors began to circulate around St. Petersburg about his obscene behavior. He often got drunk and became rowdy, which terrified the residents of St. Petersburg.

The patience of the imperial entourage ran out, and a conspiracy arose against Rasputin. On December 30, 1916, Grigory Rasputin was invited to the palace, where he was served food stuffed with big amount potassium cyanide. The poison had no effect on him, so the healer was shot. Grigory tried to run away, but was again shot at point-blank range. Rasputin fell, was tied up, put in a bag and drowned in an ice hole. The autopsy showed that even in the water, Rasputin tried to free himself and extricate himself from the bag, but failed.

Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna was very upset about the murder of Rasputin, she grieved for him as if he loved one. They wanted to bury the deceased in the village of Pokrovskoye, but they were afraid to send his body across the whole country (unrest could break out) and buried him in Tsarskoe Selo. After February Revolution Rasputin's grave was found, and Kerensky ordered the corpse to be destroyed, which was done on the night of March 11 in the furnace of a steam boiler.

TWENTY-THIRD OF FEBRUARY, THURSDAY

1

In the secluded quiet of Tsarskoye Selo, Nikolai spent sixty-six days next to Alix, with his presence softening her immense grief of loss. (Fortunately, the winter lull at the front allowed such absence from Headquarters).

From the anxious, restless, grief-stricken Alix, Nikolai also conveyed the feeling of an impending period of troubles and misfortunes that could not be overcome immediately.

And another misfortune is that the death of the unfortunate man became the point of a disagreement between him and Alix. They always saw Gregory differently, his essence, significance, the degree of his wisdom, but sparing Alix’s feelings and faith, Nikolai never insisted on his own. And now Alix couldn’t let her husband go for not bringing the murderers to justice.

When on December 17 at Headquarters, during a military council with the commanders-in-chief about the plan for the campaign of the seventeenth year, a telegram was sent to the Emperor about the disappearance and possible death Rasputin is he, in a sinful way, inwardly he even soon became relieved: so much anger had accumulated around him, he was already tired of listening to this series of warnings, revelations, gossip - and suddenly the object of public hatred fatalistically disappeared by itself, without the Emperor having to make any effort or painful conversation with Alix. Everything fell away - of course.

He had a simple minded attitude! He did not imagine that almost immediately he would have to leave both that military council, which had been established for so long, and Headquarters - and rush to Alix for two whole months - and earn a hail of reproaches: what is it - with his indifference to the fate of the elder savior he brought to the very end the possibility of such a murder, and then - and does not want to punish the murderers.

Yes, after half a day he himself was already ashamed that he could experience relief from the death of a person.

And indeed: the murder was like murder, long persecution and evil tongues turned into poison and pistol shots - and there were no mitigating circumstances, why not judge. But the fact that the sting of the injection came from very close, from the grand ducal environment and even from Dmitry, soft, gentle, raised almost like a son, loved and pampered (he took care of him at Headquarters, did not send him to the regiment), weakened the Tsar. The more inexpressible and relatable the insult was, the more powerless he was to respond.

Which monarch has done this? Only the distant, dumb, invisible Orthodox people were his support. And all the nearby spheres - educated and godless - were hostile, and even among government officials and government servants there were so few zealous and honest people.

And the hostility within the dynasty itself was striking: everyone hated Alix. Nikolasha and her Montenegrin sisters have been around for a long time. But Mom was always against her. But – and Elizabeth, Native sister Alix. And of course, the Lutheran Aunt Michen did not forgive Alix’s zealous Orthodoxy, and due to the illness of the heir, she was preparing for the throne to be seized by her sons, either Cyril or Boris. And then, this autumn and winter, a string of whistleblowers appeared from the great princes and princesses, with rare impudence instructing the imperial couple on what to do - and even Sandro, a close friend of his youth once. Sandro agreed that the government itself was bringing the revolution closer, and what was needed was a government pleasing to the Duma. That all classes are hostile to the policy of the throne, and the people believe slander, and the royal couple has no right to drag their relatives into the abyss. His brother Georgy echoed him: if a government responsible to the Duma is not created, we will all perish. Great princes think about themselves. When they feel bad, they go to Biarritz, to Cannes. The Emperor is deprived of such an opportunity.

Now it was a shame in front of Russia that the hands of the sovereign’s relatives were stained with the blood of a peasant. But even so the circular dynastic condemnation was stifling that one could not find the firmness in the chest to respond with a judicial blow. And Mom asked not to initiate an investigation. Nikolai could not find the ruthless will in himself to persecute them severely according to the law. Yes, given the current gossip, any normal judicial action could be interpreted as personal revenge. And all that Nikolai decided to do: he ordered exile for Yusupov to his estate, for Dmitry to Persia, and for Purishkevich - there wasn’t even anything left, he left with his ambulance train to the front. And even this mild measure was met with a revolt of the dynasty, a hostile collective letter from the entire grand ducal big family, and Sandro arrived and directly shouted at the Emperor to stop the murder case.

They were completely forgotten. They no longer considered themselves subject to either the state or God's judgment!

And here Alix breathed with anger that Nikolai was criminally soft towards the murderers and with this weakness would destroy both the kingdom and the family.

And it lay down and stretched out for all these two months in Tsarskoe - an unprecedented, long-lasting burden between him and Alix, a resentment that did not go away. Nikolai tried his best to give in and please. He resolved all the special concerns with the body of the murdered man, security, and burial here in Tsarskoe, on Anya’s land. And hiding from everyone, like hunted outcasts in this country, and not its kings, they buried Rasputin at night, with torches, and Nikolai himself, Protopopov, and Voeikov carried the coffin. And still, Alix did not soften completely, and her heart remained heavy. (She now went on lonely walks to grieve and pray at the grave. And evil people They spied it and desecrated the grave in the very first days. And I had to put a permanent guard there until the chapel was restored in that place and closed).

Alix’s reproaches of weakness and royal ineptitude were so passionate and persistent—Nicholas’ confidence in himself was shaken. (And he was never strong from his youth; in everything he considered himself a failure. And even trips to the troops that he loved so much, he was convinced: they bring those troops combat failure). And even little Alexei, who had not yet interfered at all with adult affairs, exclaimed in grief: “Really, dad, won’t you punish them? After all, Stolypin’s murderer was hanged!” And really: why was he so weak? Why couldn’t he muster the will and determination of his father? Your great-grandfather?

After the murder of Gregory, the Emperor was even more unable to make any concessions to his opponents and society: they would have thought that he had freed himself from influence. Or: he’s also afraid of being killed.

Under the reproaches of his wife and his own reasoning, Nikolai decided to take drastic steps during these difficult winter months. Yes, now he will be firm and insist on fulfilling his will! He removed the Minister of Justice Makarov, whom Alix had not liked for a long time (and indifferently sluggish in the murder of Rasputin), and the Chairman of the Ministers Trepov, against whom she objected very much from the very beginning, that he was tough and alien. And he appointed the dear old Prince Golitsyn, who helped Alix so well on the affairs of prisoners of war, as prime minister. And he didn’t offend Protopopov. Then, under New Year, shook up the State Council, replaced some of the appointed members with more reliable ones, and Shcheglovitov became their chairman. (Even in this nest of sophisticated honorary dignitaries, the Tsar lost his majority and could not influence: not only elected members, but also appointed ones played the liberal game more and more ruinously here too). In general, he finally intended to move to decisive rule, to go against public opinion, no matter what the cost. Even deliberately choosing as ministers persons whom the so-called public opinion hates - and to show that Russia will accept these appointments very well.

It was high time to decide on something. In December, congresses after congresses went on a rampage - zemstvo, city, even noble, competing to see whose denunciation of the government and tsarist power was louder. And the Tsar’s former favorite minister Nikolai Maklakov, whose reports were always a joy for the Tsar, and working with him was inspiring, and he fired him under pressure from Nikolasha, now wrote most submissively that these congresses and all the hooting of the press must be correctly understood, that this began directly assault on power. And Maklakov presented a note from faithful people on how to save the state, and Shcheglovitov presented another similar one. The faithful did not sleep, so why did the Emperor give in to his soul?

And then from many sides, and from Uncle Pavel, information was received that everywhere in the capital and even in the guard they were openly talking about preparations coup d'etat. And in January, at the beginning of February, the Sovereign had an idea - to strike a pre-emptive blow: to return his best firm ministers to their places and dissolve the Duma now, and not assemble it until the end of 1917, when a new Fifth would be elected. And he has already instructed Maklakov to draw up a formidable manifesto on the dissolution of the Duma. And Maklakov already compiled and submitted.

But then, as always, the Emperor was overcome by debilitating doubts: is it necessary to aggravate this? Is it necessary to risk an explosion? Isn’t it better - peacefully, as it flows on its own, without turning special attention for bullies?

About a coup? So this is all talk, during the war no Russian will agree to a coup, not even the State Duma, deep down everyone loves Russia. And the Army is infinitely faithful to its Sovereign. There is no real danger - and why cause a new split and resentment? Among the names of the conspirators, the Police Department provided such major ones as Guchkov, Lvov, Chelnokov. The Emperor wrote: public figures, especially during war, cannot be touched.

Never before had such aching loneliness been felt around the royal family as after this unfortunate murder. Betrayed by relatives and slandered by society, they retained only a few close ministers - but they, too, were even more hated by society. And faithful close friends, like the adjutant Sablin, also remained in the cross. We spent Christmastide with them, winter evenings and Sundays at sparsely populated dinners and teas, they would sometimes invite a small orchestra to the palace, or sometimes a cinema. Moreover, there were still uniquely varied walks in the vicinity of Tsarskoe, even a new one: on snow motors. And in the evenings, Nikolai read aloud to the family a lot and solved puzzles with the children. Yes, since February the children began to get sick.

Alix spent these two months almost completely lying there, like a dead person. She learned almost nothing, did not know except the death of Gregory - and with this loyalty I burn every day, as if she reproached Nikolai more and more.

The family atmosphere was Nikolai’s favorite atmosphere, and so, undisturbedly withdrawn, he could have lived for a year or two. I didn’t miss a single liturgy, I fasted and took communion. However, now in the vicinity of the capital, he could not avoid business during these nine weeks government controlled. In one of these weeks, a conference of allies opened in Petrograd, Nikolai had no desire to appear in its bustle, and General Gurko acted there as the eldest from Russia, but he pretty much annoyed the Emperor with the length and harshness of his reports. (But I had to receive the conference delegates at Tsarskoe, - and Nikolai shrank so much, suffered so much - so that they would not give him advice on domestic policy). Every weekday, the Emperor received two, three or four ministers or prominent figures who liked him with great pleasure.

But is it because the note of funerealness has not subsided in their house all these weeks, the headaches and sobs for the dead have dragged on too long, somewhere there is a limit for every man - Nikolai finally began to gravitate towards the simple, relaxed life at Headquarters, to even without ministerial reports. The other day, Mikhail came to Tsarskoye from Gatchina (his wife, the daughter of a sworn attorney, twice already divorced, was not admitted or recognized) and said that discontent was growing in the army: why was the Emperor absent from Headquarters for so long. Somewhere there was even a rumor that Nikolasha would again take over the Supreme Command.

Oh really? What nonsense, but dangerous nonsense. Indeed, it's time to go. (It also happened so unfortunately that his last stay at Headquarters was short: he spent his name day with his family in Tsarskoe, returned to Headquarters only on December 7, and on the 17th he was already called by the death of Rasputin, and that’s still the case).

But it was not at all easy to ask Alix for time off. It was impossible for her to understand how he could leave her in such grief and when new assassination attempts could follow. They agreed that he would go only for a week or even less - so that on the unlucky March 1st anniversary for the Romanovs, the day of his grandfather’s murder, he could return to Tsarskoye and be together again. And this time she did not let the heir go with his father, he was coughing for something.

And Nikolai consoled himself with the fact that he was leaving the empress under the protection of Protopopov. Protopopov assured that all matters were arranged, and nothing was in danger in the capital, and the Emperor could travel calmly.

When the departure was already decided, suddenly this weight of reproach, which had separated them for two months, subsided. Alix warmed up, clarified things, eagerly delved into his questions, reminded him not to forget who in the army should be rewarded and who should be replaced - and she was especially distrustful and hostile towards Alekseev’s return to Headquarters after a long illness: why? It wouldn't be necessary. He is a Guchkov man, not reliable. I wish I could reward him and let him rest honorably.

But Nikolai loved his hard-working, unarrogant old man and did not find the strength to leave him. There’s no way to say this, it’s inconvenient. Related to Guchkov? So Gurko, in the same position, now in Petrograd, according to Protopopov’s report, met with Guchkov. And he was connected with the Duma. (And so, ten days ago, at a report in Tsarskoe, a voice came like a whirlwind, like the trumpet of Jericho: “Sovereign, you are ruining both your family and yourself! What are you preparing for yourself? The mob will not stand on ceremony, leave Protopopov aside!” - so maddened it happened when Nikolai was nearby, he already regretted that he agreed to take him).

Yesterday afternoon Nikolai was driving to the station - as always, to the ringing of the Fedorovsky Cathedral, both he and Alix were inspired by the ringing of the bells. On the way we stopped to kiss the Banner.

It had just cleared up - and the bright, frosty, joyful sun promised a good outcome for everything.

And in Nikolai’s compartment a pleasant surprise awaited him (as well as the usual welcome between them): an envelope from Alix, placed on the table with the travel accessories. I began to read greedily, in English:

"My precious! With sadness and deep anxiety, I let you go alone without our sweet, gentle Baby. God sent you something truly scary heavy cross. What can I do? Just pray and pray. Our dear Friend in another world is also praying for you - so He is even closer to us.

Things seem to be getting better. Just, dear, be firm, show a powerful hand, that’s what the Russians need. You never missed an opportunity to show love and kindness - now let them feel your fist sometimes. They themselves ask for this, just as many recently told me: “We need a whip!” This is strange, but such is the Slavic nature: the greatest firmness, even cruelty, and ardent love. They must learn to fear you - love alone is not enough. We need to play with the reins: loosen them, tighten them...”

Whip? - it's horrible. This cannot be imagined or spoken. Neither swing. If this is the price to be a king, then there is no need at all.

But to be firm - yes. But to show a powerful hand - yes, it is finally necessary.

“I hope you can come back very soon. I know all too well how "roaring crowds" act when you're close. Just now you are much more needed here than there. So come home in ten days. Your wife - your stronghold - is always on guard in the rear.

Ah, the loneliness of the coming nights - there is no Sun with you and no Sunbeam!

Oh dear! My treasure!…

And how it relieved my heart that there were no clouds between us again. How emotionally empowering this is.

As always, on the way by rail, Nikolai read with pleasure, resting and refreshing himself, this time in French - about the Gallic War of Julius Caesar; he wanted something alien from modern life.

It was cold outside, but somehow I didn’t want to move; I didn’t get out of the car anywhere during the entire journey.

Nikolai noticed more than once: our calm or anxiety does not depend on distant, even major events, but on what is happening directly next to us. If there is no tension in the environment, in the next few hours and days, then your soul becomes light. After the St. Petersburg state worries and without the nasty official papers, it was very nice to lie in the sweet train trembling, read and not have the need to see anyone, talk to someone.

And late in the evening I re-read my beloved adorable English story about the Blue Boy. And, as always, tears came.

DOCUMENTS – 1

To Her Majesty. Telegram.

Arrived safely. Clear, cold, windy. I rarely cough. I feel strong again, but very lonely. Mentally always together. I miss you terribly.

Nicky

to His Majesty

(in English)

Well, Olga and Alexei have measles. Baby coughs a lot and his eyes hurt. They lie in the dark. We eat in the red room. I can imagine your terrible loneliness without dear Baby. He and Olga are sad that they cannot write to you, they cannot tire their eyes... Oh, my love, how sad it is without you - how lonely, how I long for your love, your kisses, my priceless treasure, I think about you endlessly. Wear a cross sometimes if you have difficult decisions ahead - it will help you.

...I will shower you with kisses. Forever

The favorite vacation spot of the Royal Family was Crimea. She invited Her Friend there more than once. The first time this happened was in November 1911, shortly after the consecration of the new Livadia Palace. The Emperor, said Grigory Efimovich, took him everywhere, showed him every room. Then they went out onto the balcony, where they admired the sea and sky for a long time.
G.E. came Rasputin to Crimea and subsequently: in March 1912, September-October 1913 last time he visited there in May 1914. At the same time, the Royal Family also rested for the last time in Her beloved Livadia.


Hotels in Yalta where G.E. usually stayed. Rasputin. Courtesy of Stanislav Moiseev (Yalta).

G.E. Rasputin on top of Mount Ai-Petri near Yalta, in Crimea. Photo by M.E. Golovina. November 1911

There is one more famous photograph G.E. Rasputin, made in Crimea. Thanks to our recent publication of the memoirs of M.E. Golovina now knows that she made it on Mount Ai-Petri (St. Peter) on the way to the Balaklava St. George Monastery, founded by the Greeks in the 9th century, which has enjoyed the attention of the Russian Sovereigns since the time of Emperor Alexander I. The Royal Martyrs were also there.
However, the dating of the photograph in the memoirs of M.E. Golovina (1913) is erroneous, especially since, if we take into account the sequence of events in the same memoirs, then this joint trip took place shortly after the return of G.E. Rasputin from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Thus, the correct dating of the photograph is November 1911.



Ai-Petri.

G.E. Rasputin with M.E. Golovina (left) and S.L. Volynskaya (?). Gurzuf. 1911 Photo by A.A. Vyrubova (?).

Not long ago, researchers of the life of G.E. Another photograph of the elder associated with Crimea became known to Rasputin. On it he is depicted at the famous fountain “Night” by German architect Berger. In 1898, it was purchased at the Vienna World Exhibition by industrialist P.I. Gubonin, installing it in the center of Gurzuf Park.

Fountain "Night" in Gurzuf.
To the left of G.E. Rasputin in the photo - M.E. Golovin, on the right, as some researchers believe (Anastasiya Rahlis), is S.L. Volynskaya. It is possible that the photograph was taken by A.A. Vyrubova. From the memoirs of the same M.E. Golovina, we know that in November 1911, Grigory Efimovich was accompanied by A.A. on a trip to Crimea. Vyrubova.
Perhaps it was then (taking into account some features of the elder’s appearance) that another Crimean photograph was taken: A.A. Vyrubova with G.E. Rasputin and T.A. Rodzianko (attribution to Anastasiya Rahlis). If this is so, then it was probably M.E. who took the photographs. Golovin.

G.E. Rasputin with A.A. Vyrubova (left) and T.A. Rodzianko (?). Gurzuf. 1911 (?). Photo by M.E. Golovina (?).
Tamara Antonovna Rodzianko (1881†14.3.1938), née Novosiltseva, daughter of a general, was married to Pavel Pavlovich Rodzianko (1990†1965), nephew of the Chairman of the State Duma. Contemporaries called her a “musical romantic young lady.” At one time she lived in Yalta. (Perhaps it was there that this photograph was taken during one of G.E. Rasputin’s visits to Crimea.) Participating in civil war P.P. Rodzianko, a colonel in the Russian and British armies, managed to escape to England with his children (Tamara and Pavel). His wife remained in Soviet Russia. She lived in Kuibyshev (Samara), where she was arrested and shot.

House of A.A. Vyrubova in Tsarskoe Selo. Pre-revolutionary photograph.
Much more often than in the Alexander Palace, G.E. Rasputin met with the Royal Family in the small house of A.A. Vyrubova (1884†1964), daughter of the chief manager of the Own EIV Chancellery A.S. Taneyev, a personal friend of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and one of the elder’s most devoted spiritual daughters.
Anna Alexandrovna's house was literally a few steps from the Palace, on the corner of Tserkovnaya and Srednyaya streets. In Anya’s small house, the Empress met not only with Grigory Efimovich himself, but also with his closest spiritual friends, among whom were many young bishops. In addition to the already mentioned Bishop Isidore (Kolokolov), these were Bishop Melchizedek of Kronstadt (Paevsky, 1878†1931) and Bishop Anthony of Gori (Giorgadze, 1866†1918). Both, one way or another, were connected with Georgia. The first was brought from Tiflis by Metropolitan Pitirim (Oknov), the second was not only himself a Georgian by origin, but also held the position of suffragan bishop there.
Both knew G.E. Rasputin a long time ago, from the time of his wanderings. Bishop Melchizedek, graduate of the Kazan Theological Academy (1904), in 1905-1907. was the rector of the Epiphany Brotherhood Monastery in Mogilev, in which stayed one of the especially revered Royal Martyrs in last years The shrines of their earthly life are the Mogilev Fraternal Icon of the Mother of God, in front of which, according to the testimony of the Empress, G.E. Rasputin “many years ago, during his wanderings around Russia... prayed.”
State 1914-1916 rector of the Tiflis Theological Seminary, he won the ardent love of the students, despite the troubles from the civil authorities, by providing the seminarians with the opportunity to perform divine services in the Georgian language. On September 8, 1916, Archimandrite Melchizedek was consecrated Bishop of Kronstadt, vicar of the Petrograd diocese, in the capital's Kazan Cathedral.

Lord Melchizedek (Paevsky).
“Here now,” the Empress reported to the Emperor in a letter on September 28, 1916, “is a wonderful young, newly ordained Bishop Melchizedek […] When he serves, the church is packed - very “exalted” - (this is the future metropolitan); Imagine, he was the abbot of the Brotherly Monastery in Mogilev for a long time and he idolizes and terribly reveres the miraculous image of the Mother of God there, which You and I constantly visit. […]
On Friday I will meet Melchizedek in her [A.A. Vyrubova] house, and Our Friend will be there - they say that his conversation is wonderful, it works wonderfully - he speaks excellently and helps the soul to rise above earthly sorrows for a while, but I want you to be here too to survive this together with me".
A few days later, the Queen described Her impressions of the meeting as follows: “We had such a good and calm conversation, such a peaceful, harmonious mood!” In November 1916, Bishop Melchizedek participated in the foundation stone of the temple St. Seraphim Sarovsky at the infirmary of A.A. Vyrubova, where a month and a half later the body of the murdered Tsar's Friend will be buried. As for the Queen, even after the coup She continued to be interested in the fate of the Lord, as evidenced by her letters from Tobolsk to A.A. Vyrubova.
Under temporary workers, His Grace Melchizedek was appointed Bishop of Ladoga, vicar of the Petrograd diocese. After the Bolshevik coup he was transferred to Belarus. Since 1919 he has been Bishop of Minsk and Turov. On May 17, 1931, he was summoned to Moscow and appointed a member of the Synod. The Bishop died in the church near the throne, vesting himself before the service.

The grave of Archbishop Melchizedek at the Preobrazhenskoye Cemetery in Moscow.
Bishop Anthony (Giogradze), who came from the family of a simple psalm-reader, graduated from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy in 1907 and, apparently, knew Grigory Efimovich from then on. On January 15, 1912, in the Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, he was consecrated Bishop of Gori, vicar of the Mtskheta-Kartala diocese, whose position was assistant to the Exarchs in managing the diocese. “...a charming impression,” the Empress described in a letter dated September 21, 1916. Her feelings from communicating with the Bishop, “the sweet Georgian intonation in his voice, “he knows Our Friend longer than We do...”

Fragment of a photograph of participants in the Georgian Cathedral Orthodox Church September 8-17, 1917 From left to right: Vicar Bishop of Alaverdi Pyrrhus (Okropiridze, 1874†1922), in the rank of metropolitan, brutally murdered in the Alaverdi monastery; Vicar Bishop of Guria-Mingrel Leonid (Okroperidze, 1860†1921), Georgian Catholicos since 1918, died during a cholera epidemic; Bishop of Polotsk and Vitebsk Kirion (Sadzaglishvili, 1855†1918), elected Catholicos at the Council of 1917, was found murdered in his cell in the Martkop Monastery; Vicar Bishop of Gori Anthony (Giorgadze).

After the revolution, Bishop Anthony was one of the supporters of autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church. In September 1917, he was appointed to the Kutaisi-Gaenat department, elevated to the rank of metropolitan. A year later he was poisoned (according to one version, by his son-in-law). In front of a large crowd of people, Vladyka was buried in the Kutaisi Cathedral. It might not have survived.

Even professional “fighters against autocracy” could not help but take into account the Friendship of the Royal Family and G.E. Rasputin. As an example, we present two postcards made by local artist Ya.Ya. Ryss from a whole wave of similar drawings that fell on the head of the metropolitan man in the street.

Wonderful and Bright Young Man...
Just as there never was such a King and there never will be...
Great Autocrat...
Cedar of Lebanon…

The simple, ingenuous words of Elder Gregory about the Tsarevich, which, however (to be honest, of course), penetrate the powerful scab of our indifference. And how could it be otherwise, because their source was a loving heart!

I have Alexei very much in my heart...

Grigory Rasputin. State Archives of the Russian Federation.
“Her Majesty was convinced,” Her friend Yu.A. wrote about the Empress. Dan, - that Rasputin is endowed with the gift of healing the sick. She believed that there were people to whom this gift was sent from Above, and that Rasputin was one of them. When She was persuaded to seek help from the most famous doctors, Her Majesty invariably answered: “I believe in Rasputin.”
And the Empress’s faith was not disgraced!.. “Heir,” testified A.A. Vyrubova, - during His illness, he affirmed to Mother and me that Grigory Efimovich enters Him into the nursery, baptizes Him “and then I feel better.”
In her memoirs, Anna Alexandrovna mentioned Grigory Efimovich’s prediction that from the age of 12, that is, from 1916, the Tsarevich “would begin to recover and subsequently become completely stronger.” More details A.A. Vyrubova spoke about this in an interview with American journalist Rita Child Dorr in the summer of 1917: “When the Child turns twelve years old,” Rasputin told us, “He will begin to get better. Then His health will continually improve, and when He becomes an adult, He will be as healthy as any other young man of His age.” And very soon after the Boy turned twelve, He actually began to get better."

A house for honored guests in the Verkhoturye Monastery, to which Tsarevich Alexy and G.E. were supposed to arrive in 1917. Rasputin. Verkhoturye State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve. Courtesy of Archimandrite Tikhon (Zatekin).
Life physician Professor S.P. Fedorov spoke about the time shortly after the murder of the elder: “...Sailor Derevenko once brings the Heir a prosphora and says: “I prayed for you in church; and you will pray to the saints to help you get well soon!” And the Heir answers him: “Now there are no more saints!.. There was a saint - Grigory Efimovich, but they killed him. Now they treat Me and pray, but there is no benefit. And he used to bring Me an apple, stroke Me on a sore spot, and I immediately feel better.”

M.V. Nesterov. Righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye. Paper, gouache. 1906 Nizhny Novgorod Art Museum. This sketch, presented at an exhibition of the artist’s works held in St. Petersburg in January 1907, was acquired by Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. The author personally delivered it to Tsarskoye Selo.
For the healing of Tsarevich Alexy Nikolaevich, on the advice of G.E. Rasputin, shortly before the start Great War It was decided to build 12 temples. One of them was built and consecrated on October 18, 1912 in the village of Pogrebya, on the left bank of the Dniester.

This should be the church in the village of Pogrebya, built once with the blessing of G.E. Rasputin for the healing of the Heir to the All-Russian Throne - Tsarevich Alexy Nikolaevich.
St. Alexis Church stood until 1944, when it was badly damaged during the fighting. Recently, on the initiative of a local businessman and with the blessing of Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau and All Moldova, it was decided to restore the destroyed temple, naming it in honor of the Holy Royal Martyrs. On October 3, 2013, the foundation was consecrated with the participation of deans from Criuleni and Dubossary. Although the church is located in a village located on the left bank of the Dniester, administratively it does not belong to the Transnistrian Republic, but to Moldova.

Latest photographs of the Tsarevich. Tobolsk "House of Freedom" May 1918 Steamship “Rus” May 7, 1918 Photographer: Ch.S. Gibbs, teacher of Alexei Nikolaevich. Courtesy of K.A. Protopopov (Moscow).
“My dear Little One! Look at God, what wounds He has. He endured for a while, and then became so strong and omnipotent - so are You, Dear, so will You...”

Read this and other publications on S. V. Fomin’s blog “The Tsar’s Friend”

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Writer Igor Evsin about the sorrowful path of the holy Royal family and the prophecies of its Friend, Elder Grigory Rasputin.
Yulia Alexandrovna von Dehn, St.'s closest friend. Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna recalled how Elder Gregory once said prophetic words about the Royal Family: “Willing it or not, they will come to Tobolsk and, before they die, they will see my native village.”
This prophecy came true completely. As is known after the revolution Royal family was arrested and subsequently deported to Tobolsk. On the way, the Martyr Queen wrote a letter to Anna Vyrubova, which says: “They don’t tell us where we are going... and for how long, but we think it’s where you recently went / Rasputin’s homeland, p. Pokrovskoe/. Saint/St. John of Tobolsk/ calls us there and our Friend / Elder Gregory, who by that time had been martyred/. It’s no surprise that we are here.” Why the holy Queen was not surprised when she arrived at Rasputin’s homeland we will say later, but for now let us turn to the diary of Chief Chamberlain E. A. Naryshkina, in which there is the following entry: “It finally became clear: they were being taken to Tobolsk. The Emperor became very pale and lost weight. The Empress controls herself and continues to hope! Despite everything, I’m glad to go to their home sphere dear friend" And Anya is a saint before whom one should bow. Nothing has changed in her mentality. What a test, and what a humiliation! And they endure everything with the fortitude and meekness of saints.”
And now let’s turn to the memoirs of the teacher of the Tsar’s children, Pierre Gilliard: “Having left on August 14 at 6 o’clock in the morning, on the 17th in the evening we arrived in Tyumen - at the station railway, closest to Tobolsk. A few hours after this we loaded onto the steamship Rus. The next day we sailed past the village - the birthplace of Rasputin, and the Family, gathered on the bridge, could contemplate the old man’s house, which stood out brightly in the middle of the huts. This event was not a surprise to them, since Rasputin had predicted it, and this coincidence of circumstances seemed to once again confirm his prophetic words.”
That is why it was not surprising for the holy martyr Alexandra Feodorovna that they were brought to the homeland of Elder Gregory.
Valet Nikolai Volkov recalled: “We were traveling by boat to Tobolsk and, when we passed the village of Pokrovskoye, She, /The Queen/, looking out the window, said to me: “This is where Grigory Efimovich lived. He caught fish in this river and sometimes brought them to us in Tsarskoye.”
This event was also noted by Tsar Martyr Nicholas II in his diary dated August 6, 1917: “Yesterday before lunch we passed /on a steamer/ past the village of Pokrovskoye - the birthplace of Gregory.” But here is his entry from April 14, 1918, when the Royal Family was transported from Tobolsk to Yekaterinburg on horseback “In the village.” There was a harness in Pokrovsky, for a long time we stood right in front of Grigory’s house and saw his whole family looking out the windows.”
Thus, the Tsar and Queen were convinced with their own eyes of the truth of Elder Gregory’s prophecies about their fate. They finally understood that his prophecy would come true and that after his death they would all be killed: “The Tsar of the Russian land,” wrote Elder Gregory in his letter to the Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II, “when you hear the ringing of bells, informing you of death Gregory, then know: if the murder was committed by your relatives, then not one of your family, that is, children and relatives, will live longer than two years. They will be killed...”
Moreover, Grigory Rasputin, like a true prophet, also knew about the slander of the memory of the holy Royal Family by dark forces in Russia. Just a few years before her martyrdom, Rasputin wrote: “...Again I saved him (Tsarevich Alexei), I don’t know how many more times I will save him for predators. Every time I hug the Tsar and Mother, and the girls, and the Tsarevich, I shudder with horror, as if I were hugging the dead... And then I pray for these people, for they are in greater need in Rus' than anyone else. And I pray for the entire Romanov family, BECAUSE THE SHADOW OF DEBT AND ECLIPSE WILL FALL ON THEM.”
And indeed, as it is said in one of my poems, our people:
“For a long time, I blindly believed
Slander, lies and slander.
Only by God's grace did we see
We are the King in holy purity.”
Let us also say that the Tsar and Queen, knowing about their death, carried in their hearts a comforting word, which Elder Gregory conveyed to their son, St. to Tsarevich Alexy: “My dear little one! Look at God! What kind of wounds He has. He endured for a while, and then became strong and omnipotent - so are you, dear, so will you be cheerful, and we will live and visit together.” As Elder Gregory predicted, it came true. Together with the Royal Family, he lived in earthly life, doing only good, but suffering for this only reproach and slander. And the Royal Family, like Rasputin, was ritually killed.
Their deaths are strikingly similar from the very beginning - the murder of the elder and the royal family took place in the basement. Then a dog was thrown to the scene of the murder, and then their bloody clothes were burned. In both cases, the bodies were reburied and burned. But the main thing is that in heaven, according to the prophecy of Elder Gregory, they saw each other, met in joy, that is, in the Kingdom of God. “To live and visit together” - this is said about their commonality of both earthly and heavenly fate. After staying on earth, they began to live together forever in heaven and pray together for the salvation of Russia.
Therefore, while honoring the royal disciples as saints, we must also honor Elder Gregory, a man of prayer for the Royal Family and for Russia. And it is necessary to canonize the prophet and wonderworker, the man of God, the martyr Grigory Rasputin the New. As the righteous elder Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov said: “We are already late. Russia bears penance for Gregory. We must quickly cleanse Gregory and all our Russians from untruths...”

Appendix No. 3
to the report of Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna
Juvenal, Chairman of the Synodal Commission
on 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 developed 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 the Russia of that time.

No matter how negatively we treat the personality of Rasputin himself, we must not forget for a moment that his personality could fully reveal itself in the conditions of life Russian society on the eve of the 1917 disaster.

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 high society was carried away by Rasputin,” writes Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov) in his memoirs, “there was appropriate soil for this. And therefore, not in him alone, I would even say, not so much in him, but in the general atmosphere lay the reasons for the fascination with him. And this is typical for the pre-revolutionary timelessness. The tragedy in Rasputin himself was deeper than simple sin. Two principles fought in him, 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 here. And the second tragedy was in society, in different layers of it, starting from the impoverishment of strength 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 the royal family and on the Russian state and political life of his time?

One explanation for the Rasputin phenomenon is the so-called “elderhood” of Rasputin. Here is what the former comrade of the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod, Prince N.D., writes about this. Zhevakhov: “When Rasputin appeared on the horizon of St. Petersburg, whom popular rumor called an “old man,” who had come from distant Siberia, where he allegedly became famous for his high ascetic life, society trembled and rushed towards him in an unstoppable stream. Both common people and religious representatives of high society, monks, laity, bishops and members of the State Council, state and public figures, united among themselves as much by a common religious mood as, perhaps, by common moral suffering and adversity.

The fame of Rasputin was preceded by many incidental circumstances and, among other things, the fact that Archimandrite Feofan, known throughout St. Petersburg for the height of his spiritual life, allegedly 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. I don’t know who created such fame for him and brought him out of Siberia, but in the context of subsequent events, the fact that Rasputin had to pave the way to glory through his own efforts is of extreme importance. He was called either an “elder”, or a “seer”, or a “man of God”, but each of these platforms placed him at the same height and secured 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 riotousness and drunken revelry - this, in any case, is evidenced by his fellow villagers - 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 introduced Rasputin to the inspector of the Academy, Archimandrite Feofan (Bistrov) and Bishop Hermogenes (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 Nikolaevich and his wife Militsa 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 Militsa Nikolaevna and Stana. We met the man of God - Gregory from the Tobolsk province" (3, 287).

For the first two years after they met, Rasputin did not become for the royal family that “dear Gregory” to whom their souls were open. They joyfully met and listened to other “God’s people.” Thus, the Emperor wrote in his diary on January 14, 1906: “At 4 o’clock the man of God Dimitri came to us from Kozelsk near Optina Hermitage. 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, meetings of the imperial family with “Elder Gregory” were random and quite rare. Meanwhile, rumors about the “Siberian elder” grew, but as his fame grew, completely unpleasant facts about his immoral behavior became public. 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 Tsarskoe Selo house of A.A. Vyrubova, the royal children also took part. Rumors spread about Rasputin's membership in the Khlysty sect. In 1908, by decree of the Emperor, the Tobolsk Spiritual Consistory conducted an investigation into Rasputin’s affiliation with Khlysty. At the conclusion of the investigation, it was noted that “upon a careful examination of the investigative case, one cannot help but see that before us is a group of people united in a special society with a unique religious and moral worldview and a way of life, different from the Orthodox... The very way of life of the followers of Gregory the New and the personality it seems that he himself is coming close... to Khlystyism, but there are no solid principles on the basis of which it could be argued that we are dealing with Khlystyism here in the paperwork examined by the investigation,” therefore the investigation was sent for further investigation, which, according to unidentified reasons, it was never completed. However, in the recently published memoirs of Rasputin V.A. Zhukovskaya again raises the question of Rasputin’s belonging to an extreme form of Khlystyism. These memoirs provide evidence (of Rasputin’s phraseology and his erotic passions) about the belonging of “Elder Gregory” to the Khlyst sect (7, 252-317).

What is the solution to the mystery of Rasputin? How could the incompatible be united in him - truly satanic rampage and prayer? Obviously, the confrontation between these two principles took place in his soul for years, but in the end the dark prevailed. This is what he wrote in his memoirs: “A Siberian wanderer who sought God in heroic deeds, and at the same time a dissolute and vicious man, a nature of demonic power, he combined tragedy in his soul and life: zealous religious deeds and terrible ascents interspersed with his fall into the abyss of sin. As long as he was aware of the horror of this tragedy, all was not lost; but later he came to the point of justifying his falls - and that was the end" (4, 182). An even more harsh assessment of Rasputin’s contradictory nature was given by the former educator 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 being... the wicked influence of this man was one of the main causes of death those who believed that they would find salvation in him” (6, 40).

So why did Rasputin end up being so close to the royal family, why did they believe him so much? As noted by A.A. Vyrubova in her testimony to the ChSKVP in 1917, Nikolai and Alexandra Fedorovna “believed 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 found himself next to the ill heir, and for the first time helped improve the health of Alexei Nikolaevich. Rasputin's intervention repeatedly changed better side the course of the heir’s illness - quite a lot of references to this have been preserved, but there is almost no specific, truly documented data. Someone heard something, someone knew something from someone else, but none of the people who left written evidence saw anything themselves. It is no coincidence that Pierre Gilliard writes about how he repeatedly “had the opportunity to verify what an insignificant role Rasputin played in the life of Alexei Nikolaevich,” but, we repeat, there were always more rumors in this area than reliable facts.

It was the case of the prince’s healing that was a turning point in Alexandra Feodorovna’s attitude towards Rasputin, towards this, in her words, “the man of God”. Here is what P. Gilliard, already mentioned by us, writes about Rasputin’s influence on Alexandra Feodorovna 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 man 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 conviction 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, as it seemed, reached the limits of her suffering. He fully understood what he could gain from this, and with devilish skill he achieved that his life was to some extent connected with the life of the crown prince” (6, 37-38).

It was her son’s illness 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 of her a heart “that never deceived.”

Therefore, despite all the ugliness of the various rumors and gossip surrounding Rasputin, Alexandra Fedorovna saw him only from one side. According to the palace commandant V.N. Voeykova, Alexandra Fedorovna looked at Rasputin as “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 gave hope for the future...

Alexandra Feodorovna expressed her understanding of the role of Rasputin in letters to her husband. So, in June 1915, she wrote: “Listen to our Friend: believe him, the interests of Russia and yours are dear to your heart. It was not for nothing that God sent him, but we must pay more attention to his words - they are not spoken into the wind. How important it is for us to have not only his prayers, but also his advice.” In another letter to her husband, she wrote that “that country whose Sovereign is directed by the Man of God cannot perish.” We see how Rasputin gradually turns from an “elder comforter” into an influential political figure. Being smart and quick-witted, he undoubtedly realized that he could not shy away from 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 his last reign lay. The Empress assigned to the “simple man and man of prayer” a role that he under no circumstances had the right to play, and did not have the opportunity to successfully perform it.

All attempts by her closest relatives, friends, and church hierarchs to warn Alexandra Fedorovna from the influence of Rasputin ended in a break, resignation, and complete isolation. 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-minded Muscovite” (1, 192). It is well known how the actions against Rasputin ended by the holy martyr Metropolitan Vladimir and the bishops the holy martyr Hermogenes and Theophan. A complete break occurred between Alexandra Feodorovna and her sister, the Reverend Martyr Grand Duchess Elizaveta 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 complex - his admiration for the “old man” was combined with caution and even doubts. Thus, after his first meeting with Rasputin in 1907, he told Prince Orlov that he had found in Rasputin “a man of pure faith.” To the Chairman State Duma M. Rodzianko characterizes Rasputin this way: “He is a good, simple Russian man. In moments of doubt and mental anxiety, I love to talk with him, and after such a conversation my soul always feels light and calm.” But still, the Emperor was worried about Rasputin - after all, he could not help but be disturbed by the reports of his confidants about his scandalous behavior. The Emperor tried many times 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 cure the heir. Here is what P. Gilliard writes about this: “At first he tolerated him, not daring to strike a blow to the Empress’s faith, which the Empress had in him and in which she found hope, which 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).

Summarizing 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, who was tormented by despair due to her son’s illness and was therefore under the ominous influence of Rasputin - how the whole family had to pay dearly for this!

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. Evlogy (Georgievsky), metropolitan. The path of my life. M., 1994.

5. Zhevakhov N.D., prince. Memoirs, 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 testimonies and documents of the 18th - 20th centuries, volumes 2-3. M., 1992, p. 252-317.