Miracle worker? Hypnotist? A sect member? Or maybe an ordinary scammer? One thing is for sure, Rasputin was one of the greatest people in Russian history.
Grigory Rasputin was born in the family of a wealthy peasant in the village of Pokrovskoye in the Tobolsk province in Siberia. The date of his birth is still unknown today. From childhood, he was different from his peers. Weak and sickly, he preferred to spend his time in prayer, contemplation and conversations with adults about God, nature and the world instead of childish mischief. He was more serious and mature than his colleagues. Over time, a remarkable skill also came to that.
Once, while mowing a meadow, a village boy was injured in his leg by a scythe, young Grigory uttered a few strange words, put grass to the wound and ... stopped the bleeding . From then on, he was famous for being able to heal. Apparently, he also had the ability to predict the future. Even though he reached maturity, he did not get married. He led an ascetic life of a saint:he told about the Creator, he called for prayer and penance. Finally, he preached the truths of faith.
Cham, thief and drunk
There is also another version of Rasputin's childhood and youth. According to stories often repeated later, his family had a bad reputation in the village, and the young Grigory himself was vulgar, rude and disgusting. In addition, he liked to drink and was engaged in ... stealing horses, hay and wood. " Coarse, raving without order and composition, indescribable lewd, thief and blasphemer - he was the terror of his home village "- such an opinion about Rasputin is quoted by the author of his latest biography, the American historian Douglas Smith.
There are no less versions of Rasputin's birth and life than in the case of the saints ... Pictured is Rasputin with his followers in 1914.
Nor was Grigory a sexual ascetic. In 1887 he married Praskovia Dubrowina, who was three years his senior. He had seven children with her, four of whom died in childhood. He cheated on his spouse by chasing other women, and he drank and disappeared for a long time. He did not have a house of his own - he lived with his wife and children in a cottage with his parents.
The sinner seeks God
However, at some point there was a change in the peasant from Pokrovskoye. The Mother of God was to appear to him and say:“Grigory, I cry over the sins of mankind. Go on a journey and cleanse people of their sins. So Rasputin began to visit the nearby monasteries and then further and further, and finally abandoned his home and wandered around the country in search of God.
He got to know distant corners of Russia, met many people, and acquired wisdom in life. In villages, at fairs and indulgences, he preached the Word of God. Apparently, he reached Greece, where he visited monasteries on Mount Athos, which is holy to the Orthodox Church. When he returned to Pokrovskoye, followers began to gather around him. They sang religious songs together, read the Bible, and listened to Grigory's explanations.
Admittedly, representatives of the Church looked at these meetings with a wry eye and suspected Rasputin of building a sect, and people in the village gossiped about the sexual excesses taking place during the meetings , however, it was Grigory's fame as a sage, holy man, and prophet that began to go beyond the countryside. About him and his (real or supposed) miracles were soon talked about throughout Russia.
Miracles in St. Petersburg
In 1905, Rasputin came to St. Petersburg, where he wanted to get money to build an Orthodox church in his hometown. He managed to meet the inspector of the local Theological Academy, Archimandrite Theophane, who immediately fell in love with Grigory. As Douglas Smith writes in his latest book Rasputin. Faith, power and the decline of the Romanov dynasty :"Theophane was amazed at the psychological acumen of the stranger, bordering on clairvoyance."
Archimandrite introduced Grigory to the salons of St. Petersburg. It was initially accepted there as an exotic phenomenon from the provinces. Over time, however, Rasputin's personality strength began to work, and the circle of the prophet's admirers grew. The more so because he did other extraordinary things there: healed incurable diseases, guessed the thoughts of interlocutors, foretold future events . As one witness quoted by Smith stated:"It seemed no one was talking about anything else but miracles made by him in St. Petersburg.
We saw Grigory!
He was finally introduced to the imperial couple - Nicholas II and Alexander. The Tsar and the Tsar were just having a hard time. Russia was compromisingly losing the war with Japan, and a social revolution broke out in the country. People also called for political change. In addition, the only son of the tsarist couple, heir to the throne of Alexios, suffered from incurable hemophilia.
Tsar Nicholas II quickly believed in the extraordinary abilities of Rasputin. This is how he became the tsarist favorite. The illustration shows a portrait of the tsar by Boris Kustodiev.
Tsarova discovered the holy man in the newcomer from the very first meeting. It took a little longer for the tsar, but from the very beginning he referred to him as "the man of God." As time passed, his enthusiasm for Grigory grew. "We spent the evening in Siergijewka and we saw Grigory!" - the tsar wrote excitedly in his journal.
Erotic adoration of the tsarist
Rasputin soon became a close confidant of the tsarist couple. He gave Mikołaj political advice and kept him spirited in difficult times. In the book Rasputin. Faith, power and the decline of the Romanov dynasty Douglas Smith writes:
(...) gave Santa the confidence that the Tsar needed to rule; he never stopped encouraging him to be strong, to believe in himself and his power .
Rasputin's treatment of a young Tsarevich from haemophilia remains a mystery to this day. However, it was thanks to this that he gained, above all, the tsarist's trust. The photo shows the children of Nicholas II and Aleksandra Fiodorovna.
In turn, the imperial trust of the Tsar, Rasputin, was won by treating little Alexius. He was able to stop the haemorrhages that often haunted him and make the boy feel better. The delighted Alexander secured him a permanent place at court. She spoke about him no other than "God's messenger" and "prophet". She even wrote inspired letters to him, full of erotic adoration.
In the hotbed of intrigue
As was to be expected, the career that Rasputin made in St. Petersburg and the role he played at court earned him many enemies. Rumors circulated all over Russia about his sexual exploits allegedly performed with courtiers, aristocratic ladies, and even the tsarist herself .
The reluctant people of Grigory claimed that he had embroiled the tsar (which, by the way, was true) so much that he actually rules Russia. Another thing is that around the "messenger of God" gathered various political and financial scandals, careerists and schemers, monarchists and enemies of the monarchy, all trying to realize their interests through him.
Surrounded by women
Rasputin's influence grew immeasurably after the outbreak of World War I. The tsar was increasingly at the front and left St. Petersburg for a long time. The leadership of the state was then taken over by Tsarist Alexander, whose main adviser was Grigory. He has created his own "general staff" of worshiping women from almost all states. Among them were countesses, students, widows of generals, wives of officers, the tsar's court, townspeople.
The fair sex provided him with information and money, and spread news of his alleged extraordinary sexual abilities. The behavior of the old man aroused more and more criticism and dissatisfaction among both the St. Petersburg elite and ordinary Russians. Worse still, Rasputin's actions had a real impact on the defeat Russia suffered in the war that was underway and led to the fall of the Romanov dynasty .
Rasputin's penis controls Russia
In the summer of 1915, Tsar Nicholas II decided to take the position of commander in chief of the Russian army. It was a disastrous move. The tsar had neither the military talent nor the knowledge to participate in modern warfare. The immediate perpetrator of the decision was Rasputin. Douglas Smith in his latest book Rasputin. Faith, power and the decline of the Romanov dynasty quotes the opinion of the French ambassador to Russia, Maurice Paléologue, on the subject:
Rasputin and Alexander kept telling Nicholas:“When the throne and homeland are in danger, the place of the autocratic tsar is at the head of his troops. Offering this place to someone else is a violation of God's will. ”
According to another opinion quoted by the writer, the decision was reportedly discussed by everyone (even the cab drivers!), Considering it a sign of the extraordinary power of Rasputin. In turn, soldiers and officers greeted the Tsar's decision with mockery and mockery, losing all hope of victory. It was widely believed that Rasputin was leading Russia to ruin. The more that the tsarist who trusted him immensely was accused of secretly acting for Germany (after all, she was German by origin ...).
During the war, no one left a thread on Rasputin. He was accused of almost all disasters, and even of espionage. The illustration shows a caricature from 1916.
Both - the favorite of the tsarist and Alexander herself - were credited with the defeats suffered at the front by the Russian army. They were also directly accused of being German agents. The press waged an organized campaign against Grigory. Cartoons of his penis were distributed with the caption "Russia's helm" . All this had a destructive effect on the state and public mood - and so much weakened by the protracted war.
Poland may rise
Anti-Rasputin opposition grew. Several unsuccessful attacks were organized against him. Finally, in December 1916, the tsarist favorite was eliminated. "The shots fired at Rasputin struck the entire monarchy," wrote Polish historian prof. Andrzej Andrusiewicz. And actually. The Romanov monarchy was so discredited by Rasputin's cause and by the inept warfare that it took little to overthrow it.
As early as February 1917, Tsar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate due to violent social upheavals and rebellions in the army. The Provisional Government took over the reins and Russia became a republic. The new authorities changed their approach to the Polish issue. The government issued a manifesto in which it stated that Poland should rise again. The state was to encompass all former Polish territories, though tied to Russia by the union and military alliance . The authorities also agreed to form Polish military units within the Russian army.
The Bolshevik Revolution sealed what Rasputin was gradually leading to:the fall of Tsarist Russia. The illustration shows a caricature of Boris Kustodiev.
More important than the declaration, however, was the actual weakening of the Russian state, which, under the influence of internal unrest and subsequent military disasters, began to plunge into chaos. The Bolsheviks, who took power by arms in the fall of 1917, took advantage of this. This caused even more chaos. A bloody civil war broke out in the country. The tsarist family, beloved by Rasputin, was shot. All this meant that the Russian empire ceased to exist, but for Poles it was an opportunity which they took advantage of in November 1918. Thus, a peasant from Siberia, Grigory Rasputin, involuntarily contributed to the fall of Russia and the regaining of independence by Poland.