Grigory Rasputin - biography and predictions from the legendary personality. Brief biography of Grigory Rasputin

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Grigory Rasputin

"Grigory Rasputin"

Real name - Novykh. A peasant of the Tobolsk province, who became famous for his “divinations” and “healings.” By providing assistance to the heir to the throne who was sick with hemophilia, he gained the unlimited trust of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and Emperor Nicholas II. Killed by conspirators who considered Rasputin's influence disastrous for the monarchy.

In 1905, Grigory Rasputin appeared at the royal court. The background story of his appearance in St. Petersburg is as follows. Grand Duchess Anastasia, wife of Nikolai Nikolaevich, and her sister Militsa went on a pilgrimage to Kyiv. They stayed in the courtyard of the St. Michael's Monastery. One morning they noticed in the monastery courtyard an ordinary wanderer, who was chopping wood, and asked him a few questions. He told them about his travels to holy places and about his life. The Grand Duchesses went on pilgrimage incognito, and they were bored. They began to invite Rasputin - and it was he - to tea, and talked to him. Rasputin said that he was from the peasants of the village of Pokrovskoye, Tobolsk province, where he had a wife, Praskovya, a son and two daughters. Gregory also proudly reported that he attracted many people with his religious sermons, and he managed to defeat learned missionaries and theologians in religious disputes. And indeed, there was something in Rasputin’s personality that attracted people to him, and especially women. When he informed the grand duchesses that he had the ability to cure all diseases, including hemophilia, they decided to invite Rasputin to treat the heir.

Rasputin arrived in St. Petersburg not on railway, and on foot and at the same time barefoot. He stayed at the monastery hotel as a guest of Archimandrite Theophan. In Tsarskoe Selo, Rasputin was expected with impatience, but was received with restraint. He left a pleasant impression and behaved calmly and with dignity. He treated the sick crown prince with special consideration. Rasputin had the gift of influencing people in a calming way, and thanks to his care, the heir's health improved significantly. Whenever the boy’s health deteriorated and at the slightest ailment, a miracle worker was called upon: he had an inexplicable power over the boy. And thanks to the fact that the empress and emperor were convinced that Rasputin was necessary for the heir, this man acquired enormous influence over the royal couple.

Rasputin was a strong man, of medium height, with light gray, deep-set eyes, and long brown hair, falling onto the shoulders. Few could withstand his piercing gaze.

Rasputin's admirers can be divided into two categories. Some believed in his supernatural powers and his holiness, in his divine purpose, while others simply considered it fashionable to look after him or tried to achieve some advantages for themselves or their loved ones through him.

"Grigory Rasputin"

When Rasputin was reproached for his weakness for the female sex, he usually replied that his guilt was not so great, since there were a lot of dignitaries They directly hang their mistresses and even wives around his neck in order to achieve some benefits from him for themselves. And most of these women entered into intimate relations with him with the consent of their husbands or loved ones. Rasputin had admirers who visited him on holidays to congratulate him, and at the same time hugged his tar-soaked boots. Rasputin, laughing, said that on such days he especially generously smears his boots with tar so that the elegant ladies lying at his feet would get more dirty on their silk dresses.

Rasputin's fabulous success with the royal couple made him some kind of deity. One word from Rasputin was enough for officials to receive high orders or other distinctions, positions that they did not even dare to dream of. At Rasputin's whim, ministers and advisers lost their jobs; at his will, some inconspicuous official could make a dizzying career. It was an amazing picture when Russian princesses, countesses, famous artists, all-powerful ministers and high-ranking officials courted a drunken man. He treated them worse than footmen and maids. At the slightest provocation he swore in the most obscene words that would make the grooms blush. His impudence was indescribable. He treated society ladies and girls in the most unceremonious manner, and the presence of their husbands and fathers did not bother him. Rasputin's behavior should have outraged the most notorious prostitute, but none of the noble ladies and gentlemen showed their indignation. Everyone was afraid of him and flattered him. The ladies at the table kissed and licked his food-stained hands because he ate without cutlery.

Rasputin's rooms were almost without furniture, only in his study there were several leather armchairs. Rasputin’s intimate meetings with representatives of high St. Petersburg society took place there. Everything went very simply, and then Rasputin immediately sent the lady away with the words: “Well, well, mother, everything is all right!” - and he went to the bathhouse. He could not stand people who were too intrusive, but if he was refused, he pursued the woman with tenacity.

Rasputin's wife came to St. Petersburg to visit her husband and children who lived with him only once a year and stayed for the most a short time. During her visits, the elder did not embarrass himself, but treated her very kindly. She didn't pay much attention to his love affairs and said: "He can do whatever he wants. He has enough for everyone." He kissed his aristocratic admirers in the presence of his wife, and she was even flattered by it.

A passionate reveler, Rasputin was in best regards with all the playgirls of the capital.

"Grigory Rasputin"

The mistresses of grand dukes, ministers and financiers were close to him. Therefore, he knew all the scandalous stories, connections of high-ranking officials, the nightly secrets of the big world and knew how to use all this to expand his influence in government circles. St. Petersburg high society ladies, cocottes, famous artists - everyone was proud of their relationship with the favorite of the royal couple. It often happened that Rasputin called one of his friends from this circle and invited her to a famous restaurant. Invitations were always accepted, and revelry and debauchery began. However, debauchery is not of the kind that, according to rumors, Rasputin indulged in before arriving in the capital, living in Pokrovskoye. Gregory's fellow villagers recalled that in the evening Rasputin gathered his followers of both sexes and led them into the forest. There they lit a fire and boiled herbs with incense, and danced around the fire. Gradually the dance accelerated and became completely wild. When the fire went out, Rasputin shouted: “Obey the flesh!” - and everyone threw themselves on the ground. The orgy began.

It is difficult to judge how truthful this information is, but the sources about Rasputin’s capital and Moscow revelries are quite reliable. Thus, Colonel Semenov, the bailiff of the 2nd precinct of the Sushchevskaya part of Moscow, testified about such an evening in the Yar restaurant on March 26, 1915. Rasputin arrived there with the widow of A.I. Reshetnikova, employee of Moscow and St. Petersburg newspapers N.N. Soedov and an unidentified young woman. The whole company was already tipsy. Having occupied the office, the visitors called the editor-publisher of the Moscow newspaper “News of the Season” S.L. by telephone. Kugulsky and invited a women's choir to sing and dance for them. Rasputin danced the "Russian" and then began to open up with the singers about the Tsarina. Further, Rasputin’s behavior took on the completely ugly character of some kind of sexual psychopathy: he allegedly exposed his genitals and in this form continued to conduct a conversation with the singers, handing out notes to them with the inscriptions: “Love unselfishly,” etc. To the comments of the choir director Regarding the indecency of his behavior, the elder noted that he always behaves this way in front of women.

One of the most famous women, who fell under the influence of Rasputin, was the maid of honor of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna A.A. Taneyeva (Vyrubova). Here is how an eyewitness, Hieromonk Iliodor, tells about their relationship, which he had a chance to observe: “We arrived at the Marble Palace. Rasputin was literally dancing around Vyrubova, with his left hand he pulled his beard, and with his right he grabbed his shoulders, hit his thighs with his palm, as if wanting to calm down the playful horse. Vyrubova stood obediently. He kissed her. I, sinfully, thought: “Ugh, disgusting! And how her tender, beautiful face endures these nasty, hard cheeks..." But Vyrubova endured and, it seemed, even found some pleasure in these old man’s kisses...

"Grigory Rasputin"

Finally, Vyrubova said: “Well, they are waiting for me in the palace; I must go, goodbye, holy father”... Something fabulous happened here, and if others had said it, I would not have believed it, otherwise I saw it myself. Vyrubova fell to the ground like a simple penitent peasant, touched both of Rasputin’s feet with her forehead, then got up, kissed Grigory three times on the lips and kissed him several times dirty hands and left."

Iliodor also told in his notes how in Tsaritsyn, in one of the houses, Grigory Rasputin “blessed” all the beautiful and young ladies and girls with kisses. I kissed them several times in the house, kissed them in the yard and outside the gate. The old women also tried to sanctify themselves with the elder’s kisses, but he pushed them away. One priest from Saratov said that while Rasputin was visiting him, his wife’s young sister came to visit them. The elder invited her to walk into the city, and during the walk he grabbed the girl, began to knead her, kiss her, grab her by different parts of her body and press her against the wall. The girl broke free and ran into the house all in tears... Novice Ksenia told how Rasputin once, left alone with her, ordered her to undress him, then undress herself and go to bed with him. Rasputin began to kiss her... And tormented her for four hours, and then sent her home.

And here are some recordings from surveillance data of Grigory Rasputin, made in 1915.

“On February 19, Rasputin at 10:15 in the evening left building 1 on Spasskaya Street from the Solovyovs with two ladies and left in a taxi, and at 3:00 in the morning he returned home alone.

10th of March. About 1 am, about 7-8 men and women came to Rasputin... and stayed until 3 am. The whole company shouted, sang songs, danced, knocked, and all the drunks went out with Rasputin and went to God knows where.

11th of March. At 10:15 a.m. Rasputin was met alone on Gorokhovaya Street and taken to No. 8 on Pushkinskaya Street to the prostitute Tregubova, and from there to the bathhouse.

March 13. Miller bought Rasputin a hat. At 6.50 pm Rasputin went with two ladies to house 76 along the Catherine Canal, to the Savelyevs, where he stayed until 5 am and lay sick all day.

April 3. Rasputin brought some woman to his apartment at 1 am, who spent the night with him.

April 9. Rasputin was taken to 18 Sadovaya Street at 9:45 am. to... A.F. Filippov, former publisher of the newspapers Dengi and Exchange Day. It was noticed that some kind of meeting or feast was taking place. Rasputin returned home at 6:30 am.

April 15. Rasputin and the monk Martian were at 45 Ligovka with the hereditary honorary citizen V.E. Pestrikova. In the absence of the latter, he and his son and the still unknown student went on a drinking spree. Some musician was playing.

"Grigory Rasputin"

Songs were sung, and Rasputin danced with Pestrikov’s maid.

20 April. Around 10 pm they began to gather for Rasputin unknown men and women, about 10-12 people... At 11 o'clock guitar playing and dancing were heard. This happened until 2 am.

26 of May. Rasputin, together with the prostitute Tregubova, arrived home drunk on the motor of the merchant Manus.

2 June. Rasputin arrived home drunk at 10 pm with Manus and Kuzminsky and, without entering the apartment, sent the doorman's wife for the masseuse Utina, but she was not at home. Then he himself went to the dressmaker Katya. Apparently, he was not allowed into the apartment, he returned and began to pester the doorman's wife. She broke out and called his apartment, and his servant, Dunya, took Rasputin home."

In the summer he went to Pokrovskoye, where he continued his wild life, from time to time sending telegrams to Tsarskoye Selo and Vyrubova. And women came here to him from everywhere. The officer's wife Patushinskaya arrived from Tyumen, with whom he walked around his yard in an embrace. Then he began to visit the wife of the psalm-reader Ermolai “for intimate purposes.” When Patushinskaya was called home by her husband, she was replaced by the wife of a certain Dobrovolsky, who came with her husband to Rasputin from Petrograd. Then all together - Rasputin and his wife, the Dobrovolskys, deacon Ermolai and his wife went to Tyumen to the Patushinskys, where they had a walk along the street, and when it got dark, Rasputin and Patushinskaya quietly “retired into the darkness.”

Upon returning to Petrograd, Rasputin continued the same life. Sometimes he went to Tsarskoye Selo, from where Vyrubova brought him in her motor, but more often he hosted women, went on a drinking spree, and sometimes came home in the morning, drunk. More and more women's names appeared in the reports. November 14 - Princess T. Shakhovskaya, November 25 - artist Varvarova, December 1 Rasputin with Princess Dolgorukova in Astoria, December 3 - the kept woman of Senator Mamontov - Voskoboynikov, December 12 - again with Varvarova, December 14 - Rasputin with M. On Yasinskaya’s night I went to the Villa Rode restaurant, where I had a row, then to a gypsy choir, then to Yasinskaya’s apartment. On December 15, he again caroused at Villa Rode, this time with Varvarova, and on December 17, Princess Dolgorukova sent a motor for him from the Astoria Hotel...

The same thing continued in 1916. Rasputin gained increasing influence over the empress. Obviously, not without his participation, she believed that she alone was destined to save Orthodox Russia. And she had no doubt that Rasputin’s patronage and his “high spiritual qualities” were necessary for success. She consulted with him on every occasion and asked for his blessing.

But the queen’s relationship with Gregory was shrouded in secrecy. Not a word was written about them in the newspapers. In society they spoke about this in whispers, and only among those closest to each other, as about a shameful secret into which it was better not to go deeper.

Everyone knew that Rasputin himself rarely visited the palace, but saw the queen most often at Vyrubova’s, in her apartment on Srednyaya Street, where he sometimes spent several hours with both women.

However, there were people in society who were outraged by Rasputin’s position and power in the country. And they understood that the only way to stop the influence of an illiterate man on the royal couple was to kill Grigory Rasputin. Several unsuccessful attempts were made on the elder's life. Finally, the plan was a success.

The conspiracy was led by Prince Yusupov and Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich. Cakes were prepared, soaked potassium cyanide. The same poison was dissolved in a glass of wine. Rasputin was invited to the prince. At first, Rasputin refused to eat the cakes, but then he swallowed one after another. The poison in each would be enough to kill a person, and Yusupov waited for the result, but in vain. Then he invited Rasputin to drink Madeira. The elder drank and complained of a slight burning sensation in his throat, and drank more wine. Again, no use. When Rasputin asked Yusupov to sing, he went out to get a guitar, but took a revolver and, returning, shot Rasputin in the heart. When the prince's accomplices wanted to hide the body, he came to life. He was shot four more times, and his body was thrown into Malaya Nevka.

The Empress was beside herself with grief, and the people were triumphant. People hugged in the street and went to light candles in the Kazan Cathedral. However, some considered this murder fatal in the history of the empire. Rasputin himself allegedly wrote in his will that if the nobles killed him, then “brothers will rise up against brothers and kill each other...” Although, it would seem, how blind one would have to be so that, seeing all the abomination of the Russian reality of those years, not understand that the country and people are heading towards disaster. And the fact that the princesses secluded themselves in separate rooms with a dirty man-fraudster and lay at his feet is clear evidence of this.

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Grigory Rasputin Interesting Facts You will learn from life in this article.

Grigory Rasputin interesting facts

Grigory Efimovich Rasputin born in the village of Pokrovskoye, Tobolsk province in 1869.

As a child, Rasputin was a very sick boy, when he became a pilgrim at the Verkhoturye Monastery - he plunged headlong into religion. In 1893, he traveled around Russia with the goal of visiting as many holy places as possible. He was on Mount Athos in Greece, in Jerusalem and other places.

In 1890, he married pilgrim-peasant Praskovya Dubrovina, who bore him three children.

In 1904 he moved to St. Petersburg, where he immediately gained fame " Elder of God"and a very religious person. Rumors about the religious celebrity also reached the empress. The first meeting with Nicholas II took place on November 1, 1905.

Rasputin gained influence on the royal family primarily by helping the little heir to the throne Alexei fight hemophilia, against which medicine was powerless.

Already in 1903, Rasputin was first reported that he has fun with many women“in the bathhouse,” but the case was archived. Rumors circulated around St. Petersburg that there were constant events going on in Rasputin’s apartment. slutty orgies and supposedly he keeps a whole “harem” there. It is unknown what attracted women. Eyewitnesses spoke of Gregory's burning, piercing eyes, of his hypnotic gaze. There was probably something unusual about this man after all.

In 1907, an investigation began into the case of " false teaching similar to Khlysty" As a result, the case was closed. Rasputin was also accused of treating people without special medical education and diploma.

Rasputin was very popular even among noble ladies. At the same time, he loved to behave with them familiarly, he liked to humiliate and insult their. Without hesitation, he could pinch or kiss a woman in front of her husband.

Queen Alexandra Fedorovna She treated Rasputin very favorably, even embroidering his shirts with her own hands.

In 1912, Rasputin was monitored surveillance, which continued until his death.

Since it was not possible to prove the guilt of the “elder of God” legally, Rasputin’s opponents began to wage a large-scale campaign against him. press campaign. Articles were written in newspapers and even special brochures were published accusing him of “Khlysty” and debauchery; letters of similar content were even written to members royal family.

On June 29, 1914, the first attack was carried out on Rasputin. assassination attempt. He was seriously wounded with a knife in the stomach.

During his lifetime, Grigory Rasputin said that as long as he lived, the imperial family would live.

In 1916, a large-scale conspiracy was hatched, and on December 17, Rasputin was finally killed. Information about the murder is contradictory, the testimony was confused and the killers changed several times. Death occurred as a result of several shots to the liver, kidney and head.

History, unfortunately, also has its own “scapegoats”, victims of the subjectivism of their contemporaries, which for some reason passed on to their descendants.

The “well-wishers” who were interested in this tried very hard to ruin their reputation. And now, with the passage of time, it is not easy to separate the wheat from the chaff, truth from falsehood.

We are unlikely to ever get the full truth, even after all the archives are opened. The point is to get rid of patterns and stereotypes of thinking, so as not to replace statistics with emotions.

Grigory Efimovich Rasputin - a figure in national history so odious, ambiguous and mysterious that debates about this personality have been going on for a whole century.

Biography of Grigory Rasputin (9(21).01.1869-16(29).12.1916)

The future friend and adviser of the last royal family was a native of the village of Pokrovskoye, which was located in the Tobolsk province. Detractors pointed to the allegedly initially negative etymology of this man’s surname, linking it with Gregory’s subsequent lifestyle at the imperial court. However, most likely, the surname is not associated with debauchery, but with words like “crossroads” or “thaw.”

Gregory came from peasant family, and it is unlikely that the parents could even imagine what dramatic fate destined for their son, who was sick a lot as a child and was on the verge of death more than once.

His biography is not rich in external events - rather, on the contrary, it is poor in them. Rasputin was married and had three children. Having turned to religion, he was at home extremely rarely, especially in last years, gaining weight and power at the royal court and taking advantage of it. Rasputin was not particularly literate - as in early years, and subsequently.

Elder Grigory Rasputin

Having grown a beard during pilgrimages to holy places and monasteries, Gregory seemed older than his years. And, of course, by the age of 47 (that’s how old he was at the time of the murder), he was by no means an “old man.” However, it was this nickname that firmly stuck to him soon after moving to St. Petersburg in 1904. Two years later, Grigory made an attempt to change his surname to Rasputin-Novy. The request was granted.

At the beginning of November 1905, Rasputin was introduced to members of the royal family and personally to the emperor. In the latter’s diaries and in the empress’s letters, the “man of God” is mentioned quite often. Rasputin gains influence over the imperial couple not only thanks to his intelligence and insight.

He owes his goodwill to the fact that he knew how to alleviate the suffering of the heir to the throne, a hemophiliac. At court there were many envious people and haters who demanded the removal of Rasputin, fearing the growth of his influence. For this purpose, “cases” were instigated against the “elder”, incriminating evidence was collected, and a powerful “anti-Rasputin” campaign was launched in the media.

Murder of Grigory Rasputin

Back in 1914, while staying in his native place, Rasputin survived an attempt on his life by a certain Khionia Guseva, who stabbed the “man of God” in the stomach. Then he miraculously survived. Two years later, death came for him. The conspiracy was made by very high-ranking and influential persons, including Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich.

The conspirators were led by Prince Felix Yusupov. He enlisted the support of deputy V.M. Purishkevich. The killers' testimony is confusing. According to the canonical version, the veracity of which is highly doubtful today, Rasputin was not affected by the poison, so he was shot in the back. However, Rasputin soon woke up and tried to escape. They overtook him and shot him several more times. Then they lowered us under the ice of the Neva.

In 2004, it became known about the participation in the murder of British intelligence officer Oswald Rayner. Britain feared that Russia would withdraw from the First World War and conclude a separate peace with Germany, for Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, as is known, was German by nationality. One way or another, less than a year after the death of the “elder”, one of his several dozen predictions came true - the Russian Empire ceased to exist, and a year later the reigning dynasty met a terrible death in the basement of the Ipatiev mansion in Yekaterinburg.

Slandered martyr, sorcerer, hero-lover, German spy or heresiarch? “Around the World” figured out who the favorite of the last Russian emperor really was

Grigory Rasputin. Photo from 1900

Grigory Rasputin had a different last name

Yes. Nicholas II officially allowed the “elder” to be called Grigory Rasputin-Novy, or simply Grigory Novy, at his request. “Living in the village of Pokrovskoye, I bear the surname of Rasputin, while many fellow villagers bear the same surname, which can cause all sorts of misunderstandings,” explained Gregory in a petition addressed to the emperor dated December 15, 1906. Probably, the “elder” also wanted to neutralize the negative associations that the surname Rasputin evoked.

Peasant Rasputin was the only spiritual mentor “from among the people” at court

No. At the beginning of the 20th century high circles Russian Empire communication with native speakers has become fashionable " folk faith" - all kinds of healers, miracle workers, blessed, beggar wanderers. Rasputin had predecessors at court, in particular the holy fool Mitya Kozelsky and the clique Daria Osipova.

German group Boney M, performers of the 1978 hit Rasputin, in Moscow

Rasputin enjoyed incredible success with women

Yes. According to numerous testimonies, Rasputin was surrounded by a crowd of admirers, including noble and influential ladies. Women noted that the seemingly unattractive “old man” had an inexplicable attractiveness. “Spiritual mentoring” looked ambiguous in the eyes of society when Rasputin visited the bathhouse with his fans or laid them next to him on the bed, but the “elder” claimed that in this way he freed the ladies from the sin of fornication and pride, and he himself abstained. Several times, however, Gregory happened to get hit in the face by an interlocutor who did not see the difference between “spiritual practice” and harassment.

Rasputin (left) with Bishop Hermogenes and Hieromonk Iliodor. Photo from 1908

Rasputin was a monk or priest

No. The daughter of the “elder” Matryona said in 1919: “It seems that he had the idea of ​​​​entering a monastery, but then he abandoned this idea. He said that he did not like monastic life, that monks did not observe morality and that it was better to be saved in the world.” Chairman of the State Duma Mikhail Rodzianko indignantly pointed out to the emperor that Rasputin, not having a rank, wears a priest's cross, assigned to a priest. Gregory's followers called him "elder" - a spiritual mentor, which a layman could also be.

Tsarevich Alexei. Photo from the early 1910s

The “elder” knew how to heal the attacks of Tsarevich Alexei, who suffered from hemophilia.

Yes. There is numerous evidence of this. Researchers believe that the reason is in the “old man’s” ability to influence by suggestion. According to geneticist John Haldane, if a patient's stress is relieved using hypnotic techniques, this can cause the small vessels of the arterial system to constrict and thereby reduce bleeding. Professor Alexander Kotsyubinsky believes that Rasputin inspired the Tsarevich with the idea of ​​​​improving his condition, and also reassured the boy’s relatives, which helped him overcome the crisis.

Khlystov's zeal

Rasputin was a sectarian

No. “What a whip I am. God forbid. “I go to church, I acknowledge all the dogmas, I pray,” the “elder” declared. However, many suspected Rasputin of sectarianism because of his exalted behavior, vegetarianism, and especially because of the custom of visiting the bathhouse with admirers: this “spiritual practice” was very reminiscent of Khlyst’s zeal, which often turned into orgies. According to religious scholar Sergei Firsov, during his travels Rasputin also communicated with religious freethinkers, from whom he could gain unorthodox ideas. But for the Khlyst, the meaning of life is the interests of his community (“ship”), and Rasputin was too independent and self-centered.

A page from the diary of Grigory Rasputin

Rasputin was uneducated

Yes. According to a contemporary, Grigory counted money like this: “Two hundred rubles, three hundred,” then he had “thousands,” which he juggled completely arbitrarily. He taught himself to write, but knew neither spelling nor punctuation; Rasputin's two books were taken from dictation and extensively edited.

Sculptor Naum Aronson at work on a bust of Rasputin. 1915

The "Elder" was a German spy

No. "The favorite of the court, strange man Rumor recognized Grigory Rasputin as a German agent pushing the Tsar to a separate peace with Germany,” recalled singer Fyodor Chaliapin. Russian counterintelligence officer Alexander Rezanov, who verified these rumors, stated: “I must say in all conscience that I have no reason to consider him a German agent.” For a spy, Rasputin expressed his German sympathies too openly. The British ambassador George Buchanan, whose informants followed the “old man,” came to the same conclusion: if Rasputin supplied the enemy power with valuable information, it was involuntarily, having the habit of blurting out the content of his conversations with the tsar in society.

Portrait of Alexandra Feodorovna. Nikolai Bondarevsky. 1907

Rasputin was the Empress's lover

Hardly. In 1912, deputy Guchkov published her letter to the “elder”: “I am only at peace in my soul, I rest, when you, teacher, sit next to me, and I kiss your hands and bow my head on your blessed shoulders.” “Only those who did not know the empress, her sublime spirit and crystal clear family life, only deeply vicious people, fanatics or scandal-lovers could see in this letter confirmation of outrageous slander,” stated Alexander Spiridovich, head of the palace guard. In the reports of the secret police agents assigned to Rasputin, there is no hint of a dangerous connection.

Researchers believe the third shot was fired from a revolver Webley, weapons of the British army

Rasputin was killed by a British intelligence officer

Hardly. As is known, the “old man” after unsuccessful attempt poisoned by monarchist conspirators on the night of December 16-17 (Old Style) 1916 in the palace of Prince Yusupov on the Moika in St. Petersburg. Retired British detective Richard Cullen and intelligence history specialist Andrew Cook, pointing to inconsistencies in the details of the participants' description of the murder, suggested that Felix Yusupov and deputy Vladimir Purishkevich were hiding information about the third shooter, British intelligence agent Oswald Rayner, a friend of the prince. However, the professor of forensic medicine, Dmitry Kosorotov, who performed the autopsy of the “elder”’s body, testified that only one bullet was found and it was impossible to determine the number of shooters. There is no hard evidence for Rayner's presence at the crime scene. The British intelligence services had every reason to want the death of Rasputin, who advocated a separate peace between Russia and Germany, but Russian elite She had enough of her own motives to eliminate the “old man,” and she did not hide it.

Image of Rasputin according to the canons of icon painting

Rasputin canonized as a saint

No. The movement for the canonization of the “elder” began in the 1990s, several iconographic images were created, it is claimed that among them there are also myrrh-streaming ones. At the 2004 Council of Bishops, the hierarchs officially expressed the position of the Russian Orthodox Church: there are no sufficient grounds for canonizing Grigory Rasputin. “He discredited the monarchy and the last Russian emperor, which the enemies of the fatherland took advantage of. “I see no reason to reconsider the role of Rasputin in the history of Russia,” said Patriarch Alexy II back in 2002.

Movie. "Mad Monk"

	"Rasputin and the Empress". Director: Richard Boleslavsky. Lionel Barrymore plays Rasputin.
	"Rasputin" ("Rasputin, demon of women"). Director: Adolf Trotz. Conrad Veidt plays Rasputin.
	"Rasputin" ("Tragedy of the Empire"). Director: Marcel L'Herbier. Garry Bohr plays Rasputin.
	"Rasputin: The Mad Monk". Director: Don Sharp. Christopher Lee plays Rasputin.
	"Nikolai and Alexandra". Director: Franklin Scheffner. Tom Baker plays Rasputin.
	"Agony". Director: Elem Klimov. Alexey Petrenko plays the role of Rasputin.
	"Rasputin". Director: Uli Edel. Alan Rickman plays Rasputin.
	"Anastasia". Cartoon studio Disney. Directors: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman. Rasputin is voiced by Christopher Lloyd.
	"Hellboy". Director: Guillermo del Toro. Karel Roden plays Rasputin.
	"CONSPIRACY". Director: Stanislav Libin. In the role of Rasputin Ivan Okhlobystin.
	"Rasputin". Director: Jose Dayan. In the role of Rasputin is Gerard Depardieu.
	"Gregory R.". Director: Andrey Malyukov. In the role of Rasputin, Vladimir Mashkov.

Photo: Alamy / Legion-media, AKG / East News (x2), Mary Evans / Legion-media, Library of Congress, Alexey Varfolomeev / RIA Novosti, Fine Art images (x2), Alamy, Everett collection (x5) / Legion- media, Getty Images, Diomedia (x3), PhotoXPress.ru, ITAR-TASS/ Press service of “The Walt Disney Company Russia & CIS”, Orthodox33

This person played important role in the history of Russia. Rasputin never tired of surprising his contemporaries, and continues to do so even today with researchers of his biography. Legends and anecdotes are written about him, historical and not so historical films are made, and he is endowed with supernatural qualities, including sexual power.

Thanks to his friendship with the family of the last Russian Tsar, a simple peasant gained worldwide fame. Rasputin's fame was ambiguous, he was admired and worshiped, but he was also cursed, considered a harbinger of the fall of the tsarist regime.

It is no coincidence that such a bright figure disturbed many, which was the reason for the murder of the elder. Who was he really? Saint or rogue? Let's try to find out by debunking some myths about Grigory Rasputin.

Rasputin was born in 1864 (1865). Very contradictory data about the year of birth of Grigory Efimovich. Historians agree that he was born between 1864 and 1872. Third edition Big Soviet encyclopedia believes that these were 1864-1865. In fact, the birth registers of the village of Pokrovskoye, where Rasputin was born, have been preserved. The years 1862-1868 just survived. The birth of several children to Efim Yakovlevich was recorded. During this period they all died in infancy. But nothing has been written about the birth of Gregory. But in the records of the All-Russian Census for 1897 there are mentions of him. Grigory Efimovich indicated that he is 28 years old, which can be believed. Thus Rasputin was born in 1869.

Rasputin had a powerful physique. It is a myth that Rasputin was a strong and healthy man. It was a man short, physically not very strong and sickly in his youth. In 1980, the film “Agony” was shown in Pokrovsky, but old people who remembered Rasputin said that main character does not look like its prototype. He was not at all so big and scary, but rather even frail, pale, with sunken eyes and an exhausted appearance. The description of Rasputin was also preserved in police documents. The old man had an average build, an oblong face, a moderate nose, a beard all over, and his general type was originally Russian. It is often written that Rasputin’s height was 187-193 centimeters, but this cannot be true.

Rasputin is not a real surname. When Rasputin first began to enter the court, they began to say that his last name was a pseudonym that revealed the behavior of this man. They even named the elder’s “true” surname - Vilkin. In fact, this surname appears quite often in the parish registers of the village of Pokrovsky. There were actually seven families with that last name living in it. In Siberia, this surname is generally common, coming from the word “crossroads” (fork, crossroads). Those who lived in such places were called Rasputins, which later transformed into Rasputins. In 1862, rural records recorded the marriage of the peasant Efim Yakovlevich Rasputin and Anna Vasilievna Parshukova, Grigory's future parents.

Rasputin did not even remember his family in his love affairs. Contemporaries noted that the elder did not forget about his wife, loving her sincerely. Rasputin married at the age of eighteen. Of the seven children born, only three survived. Family life began happily, but after the death of his first-born, Gregory changed. He understood this as a terrible sign of God's wrath in response to a lack of faith. Having already acquired his influence, Rasputin moved his daughters to St. Petersburg to give them a good education. His wife visited him in the capital once a year, calmly reacting to gossip about her husband and not causing scandals for him. There was a rumor that Praskovya once even dragged one of her husband’s mistresses out of her house by the hair. However, during the interrogation of Lokhtina, who became the central figure in the scandal, the following became clear. His wife actually pulled the guest's hair, but only in response to accusations of greed. So there was no question of jealousy here.

Rasputin was fabulously rich. Those who assert Rasputin’s power over the Tsar, and therefore over the entire country, draw the logical conclusion that the old man had fabulous wealth. And this seems logical given the fact that very wealthy clients approached him with personal requests. As a token of gratitude, they left significant sums. But the creators of this myth avoid the question of whether Rasputin appropriated all this money for himself. He actually spent some of it on himself. The elder built himself a two-story house in his village and purchased an expensive fur coat. However, compared to those mansions that the modern elite are building today, his house in the village of Pokrovskoye looks very modest. But Rasputin never had his own housing in the capital. Even the apartment on Gorokhovaya Street was not his property, but was rented by his fans. So where did all the rest of the money go? The intelligence services checked Rasputin's bank accounts and did not find significant funds there. But it is a fact that he spent significant sums on charity. Rasputin allocated a lot of personal funds for the construction of churches. After the death of a “wealthy” old man, for some reason his family began to live in poverty. Could this happen to such a rich man?

Rasputin was a member of a gang of horse thiefs. This is one of the first myths that appeared after the appearance of the old man in St. Petersburg. They said that it was horse stealing that became the beginning of a man’s working life. However, there is essentially no evidence for such an accusation. The myth appeared thanks to the words of Rasputin’s fellow villager, Kartavtsev, spoken in a private conversation. He claimed that he once saw his horses being stolen, and among the intruders he saw Rasputin. But the police caught the criminals, and the village assembly sentenced them to various punishments. For some reason, Grigory Efimovich escaped this punishment. And if you think that he could somehow persuade the police, then he certainly could not escape from the reprisals of his neighbors if he was guilty. And Kartavtsev’s testimony suffers from a lack of logic. Why did the owner calmly watch his property being stolen and not stop the criminals? If Rasputin had really been a thief, he would have lost the respect of his fellow villagers. But it is known that they revered him until the end of their lives. Most likely, Rasputin’s personal enemy simply made up his testimony, which was immediately picked up by the sensation-hungry press. In 1915, a Siberian newspaper tried to revive this rumor. Then Rasputin personally turned to the editor and asked for facts confirming this information. And the newspaper could not find anything, which is also remarkable.

Rasputin was a sectarian. They said that Rasputin was part of the notorious Khlysty sect. Her fans believed that they could be saved through self-flagellation and rampant sin, that is, orgies. In the Russian Empire, such associations actually operated illegally for a long time. The “Khlysty,” under the guise of true Christians, sinned in such a way that they had nothing in common with ordinary Orthodoxy. It’s just that someone really wanted to show that the spiritual mentor of the royal family was a member of an immoral and pseudo-religious society. Only Rasputin did not deserve such fame. This is evidenced by the results of a special investigation conducted in 1903-1912 by the Tobolsk Ecclesiastical Consistory. Investigators spent a lot of time great job, interviewing Rasputin’s fellow villagers and studying his life. All the elder’s acquaintances stated that he is an honest and deeply religious person who actively preaches and is not involved in sectarianism in any way. And although they said that Rasputin indulged in pleasures with fans in the bathhouse, this myth also was not proven. Although it quickly became clear that Rasputin’s affiliation with the Khlysts was a fiction, Tobolsk Archbishop Eusebius insisted on a re-investigation. Agents conducted constant surveillance of Grigory Efimovich, but this did not provide any information about his connections with the sect. As a result, on November 29, 1912, the consistory decided to close the case of the Khlysty of the peasant Grigory Rasputin, declaring him completely innocent.

Rasputin was a notorious rowdy. This myth appeared in 1915, when General Dzhunkovsky, the head of one of the special services, showed a note to the Tsar. It said that in March of the same year, Rasputin caused a riot in the Moscow restaurant “Yar”. It was said that Grigory Efimovich behaved obscenely: he drank a lot, pestered ladies with obscene proposals and even pulled down his pants. The Tsar, knowing the character of his mentor, did not believe the slander and instructed his adjutant Sablin to investigate the incident. The officer turned to Dzhunkovsky with a request to give him written testimony from those persons who were in the restaurant that evening. And then it turned out that these documents simply did not exist. Sablin could not find eyewitnesses of those outrages. But there were people who showed that that evening Rasputin behaved extremely decently in the establishment.

Rasputin was the de facto ruler of Russia. In those years, many caricatures of Rasputin were published. One of them depicted him as a giant who held the little Tsar Nicholas II in his fist. Today there is a very popular myth according to which the last years of the Russian Empire’s existence were ruled by Rasputin. But a study of the facts suggests that this is far from the case. For example, with the outbreak of World War I, Rasputin sent as many as 15 telegrams to the Tsar, urging him to prevent Russia from entering the conflict. But the king did not agree with this opinion, entering into a world war. Earlier, in 1911, Rasputin urged the Tsar not to take Stolypin with him to Kyiv. Grigory Efimovich believed that the minister was waylaid deadly danger. But Nicholas rejected this advice, which cost the famous reformer his life. There are many examples that the tsar gave ministerial portfolios to people who were not recommended by Rasputin. And Nikolai ignored his views on the conduct of war. For example, he did not attack in the Riga area and did not stop the offensive near Kovel. It becomes clear that it was the Russian emperor who ruled the country, having a decisive and sole voice in deciding important government issues. Rasputin was only allowed to sometimes give advice.

Rasputin was the lover of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. It is difficult to find out what was really going on in the royal bedroom. In fact, there is no reliable evidence that such different people were connected by anything other than religiosity. The rumor about the tsarina's indecent behavior was launched with a very obvious meaning - to discredit Nicholas and his family. Already in our time, the group “Boney M” turned to the myth in their song, directly singing: “Rasputin is the lover of the Russian queen.” Rasputin’s methods of communication with his fans did not imply intercourse itself. The elder caressed the women, bringing them to a trembling state. Here he stopped the caresses and called for prayer to forgive the sin of voluptuousness. It is likely that Rasputin had this form of intimate friendship with Alexandra Fedorovna and her best friend, maid of honor Anna Vyrubova. But there is counter-evidence to this myth - adventurer Nadezhda Voskoboinikova worked as Vyrubova’s maid. She set herself a goal: to find sensational evidence of Rasputin’s love affair with the queen. The maid began to constantly spy and eavesdrop on the “lovers,” but could not find anything. Even Voskoboynikova was forced to openly admit that physical intimacy there was no relationship between Alexandra Fedorovna and Rasputin.

The heir to the throne Alexei Nikolaevich was the son of Rasputin. The myth about the empress’s love affair gave rise to this one too. But not only were there no facts about Alexandra Fedorovna’s betrayal with Rasputin, she simply could not give birth to a son from him. The fact is that Alexei Nikolaevich was born in the summer of 1904, and the empress met the elder only in the fall of 1905.

Rasputin was a holy man who suffered for his faith. Even if we leave aside rumors and myths about oddities in sexual behavior Rasputin, as well as his drunkenness, historical fact is his participation in the appointment of ministers. Naturally, the elder did this to please certain circles and not selfishly. There is evidence that Rasputin was involved in thefts in the army and even espionage. For example, the appointment of Dobrovolsky as Minister of Justice brought Grigory Efimovich personally one hundred thousand rubles. And thanks to the adventurer Manasevich-Manuilov, the Germans were able to find out military secrets from Rasputin. The elder did not suffer for his faith. Both the right and the left dreamed of removing him - Rasputin had too strong and unlimited influence on the tsar.

Rasputin was a libertine. This myth is constantly being replicated in different stories about Rasputin. There are many facts that seem to confirm this myth. Thus, Maria Vishnyakova worked as a kindergarten teacher. She visited Pokrovsky among her admirers, declaring later that Rasputin raped her at night. But that day there were many guests in the house, and no one heard the screams. And the teacher personally could not confirm this fact to Nicholas II himself, having been fired for slander. Another victim, nun Ksenia Goncharenkova, claimed that she was seriously and permanently seduced by the elder. But the investigation showed that the woman did not even know Rasputin personally, having seen him only a couple of times from afar. They wrote that Rasputin’s mistress was the maid of honor Anna Vyrubova. But in reality they were connected by pure and selfless friendship. Already after February revolution Vyrubova underwent a medical examination, which showed that the “victim of debauchery” was actually a virgin! It is interesting that after the overthrow of the autocracy, the Provisional Government created a special commission that was supposed to bring to the “clean water” figures of the recent past, including Rasputin. In particular, the goal was to determine the veracity of the information presented about the elder in Iliodor’s book “The Holy Devil.” However, the commission found that there were no victims of sexual depravity; scandalous letters simply did not exist. For the sake of fairness, it should be said that Rasputin did have contact with prostitutes. He admitted to his friend, businessman Filippov, that he liked to look at a naked female body. But at the same time, Rasputin did not undertake sexual actions themselves. Information about this was also included in police reports. One of the priestesses of love said that Rasputin, who came to her, asked her to undress, looked for a few minutes and went home. That's all the depravity attributed to this extraordinary personality.

Rasputin was a sexual giant. Today there is a fashionable myth that Rasputin not only had many mistresses, but also suffered from priapism, experiencing a painfully long erection. However, psychiatrists who studied Rasputin’s personality came to the conclusion that he was a hysterical person whose sexual abilities were very modest. Most likely, the old man had weak potency, and his hypersexuality was feigned. Such unbridled behavior in this regard allowed him to hide his own inferiority.

A member of Rasputin is kept in St. Petersburg. The country's only erotica museum houses a 30-centimeter giant penis. The organizer of the establishment, urologist Igor Knyazkin, claims that this organ belonged to Rasputin himself. He tells the story of how he bought a penis from private collectors. Along with this part of the body came old photographs and letters. In fact, there is no evidence that the organ actually belonged to the great old man. Knyazkin conducted an examination, which showed that the huge penis is indeed more than 80 years old. But the DNA of Rasputin himself was not preserved, so there is simply nothing to compare with. Nevertheless, the beautiful myth has taken root, which brings the owner of the “treasure” material income in the form of curious visitors.

Rasputin was a German spy. The Russian army was oppressed by defeats, so they needed a culprit for all the troubles. This is how the myths about Rasputin the spy appeared, to whom the German queen tells all the secrets, and he sells them to enemy intelligence. This question was also of interest to the courtiers, who did not hesitate to follow the queen and even read her letters. But even people neutral to Rasputin believed that he was simply blurting out military secrets. Later, during the investigation, the maid of honor Vyrubova said that the tsar’s secret card was in his locked office, where even children were not allowed. Nikolai never spoke about military affairs among his family. But from the empress’s letters it follows that she was aware military strategy Russian army, trusting this to your Friend. So Rasputin knew secrets and could well have become an unwitting spy, since there were secret German agents in his circle.

Rasputin was a charlatan. The other extreme is to call Grigory Efimovich a saint. So who was he really? You just need to look at the facts of his activities. Rasputin turned out to be the person who helped the heir Alexei in his fight against hemophilia. After treatment by Rasputin, the boy recovered noticeably. There is no doubt that the elder had a powerful hypnotic gift, literally programming people to recover and change their lives. It is no coincidence that those who wanted to communicate with him and be healed constantly came to Rasputin. If we question the divine basis of the elder’s influence, we cannot escape his talents mental impact. He was definitely not a charlatan; he was a talented, bright and ambiguous personality, historical events and destinies discredited by many myths.