RASPUTIN: A Man of Mystery  

1. The Path to St. Petersburg

 

Grigori Efimovich Rasputin

 

Growing up in Siberia

Grigori Efimovich Rasputin was born a peasant in Povroskoe, a small village in Western Siberia in June of 1872. His father, Efim Rasputin, and mother, Anna, stressed religion in their family life. During this time in Russia and especially in Siberia, there was a large majority of illiterates. However, Rasputin’s father was fortunate enough to have the advantage of a small education in order to read the Bible to his family every night. This act was to have a great impact on Rasputin’s life by leading him towards his future path as a “holy man” and eventually to being a powerful figure in the Russian court of Czar Nicholas II. (Fuhrmann 2)

Grigori Rasputin was said to be gifted with psychic powers from an early age. When Rasputin was eight years old he lost his older brother Dmitry to pneumonia. This tragic event made him fall into a deep depression.  His mother, Anna, noted that his mood became unpredictable and his psychic powers had faded from their original strength. However, his powers were proven to his village when one night in his home while he lay in bed, Rasputin heard his father discussing a horse theft in the village with friends. Rasputin climbed out of his bed, then approached and pointed at one man exclaiming that he was the one who stole the horse. Everyone there laughed off Rasputin’s visions, but two of his father’s guests later followed the accused man home and found the stolen horse. (Fuhrmann 4)

Rasputin was a unique individual in his village. He became a heavy drinker early as a young adult. He lived a reckless life and tested all his limitations to see how far he could go and how much he could get away with. He was widely known as a ladies man and most of the young women in his village were attracted to his dark mysteriousness. Despite his womanizing nature, Rasputin fell in love by the time he was nineteen and after six months of courtship he married Praskovaya Dubrovina, a 23 year old woman from a neighboring Siberian village. (Fuhrmann 5)

  Even after his marriage to Praskovaya, Rasputin continued some of his wild ways such as getting drunk and causing trouble. One particular event, involving the theft of some horses, placed all suspicion on Rasputin and two of his friends. Although he was not convicted of the charges he was forced into banishment from Pokrovskoe. Rasputin offered an alternative punishment in place however. His father was supposed to make a pilgrimage 260 miles northwest to the Verkoturie Monastery. He volunteered to make the pilgrimage himself up to the monastery. Although at the time, Rasputin was only thinking of this journey as a less severe punishment in comparison to temporary exile, it turned out to be a very influential experience on his life that further led him towards his future infamy. (Fuhrmann 5)

 

 

____ _________

________

Rasputin with his followers

 

 

Visiting St. Petersburg

The pilgrimage to Verkhoturie set Rasputin on a new course in life. At the monastery he met Makary, a renowned religious figure in Russia who was a recluse. Before making the journey to the monastery, Rasputin and his wife lost their first son. Makary told Rasputin that this tragedy was a sign from God and that he should return to his village and become a Man of God. He followed these instructions and came back to his village a completely different man. He decided to give up eating meat, drinking and tobacco and prayed continually. His friends and neighbors were confused by his actions and did not know what to make of his strange, new ways. (Fuhrmann 6).

The pilgrimage that had changed Rasputin’s life also introduced him to an odd sect in the Russian Orthodox faith known as the Skoptsy. This sect believed that in order to connect with God one must commit sins. Only through sin and confession could forgiveness be achieved. Simply it was defined as “sin to drive out sin” and perfectly suited Rasputin if he was to reform himself. His past was full of sin and by becoming a monk under this religious sect, Rasputin was able to continue sinning and become a religious teacher who traveled the world all at the same time. (Beéche 1)

 Rasputin soon began to travel abroad and he impressed many clergymen throughout his journeys. In 1902 these clergymen recommended that Rasputin travel for the first time to St. Petersburg. He decided to go and once again impressed many religious leaders with his mysterious charm and story-telling ability. (Beéche 1) Rasputin was already well-known in St. Petersburg before he arrived. Along with his preaching experience, travels across the land, and his knowledge of religious scripture, Rasputin also developed the ability to heal. Through teachings of Christian prayer and pagan spells against disease he was able to learn this trait which would later serve as his key to the Russian Imperial family (Radzinsky 46).

In 1903, Grigori Rasputin finally arrived in St. Petersburg and further expanded his group of disciples by impressing members of the Russian upper class. He was described as a starets, that is a “man of God who lived in poverty, asceticism and solitude, offering himself as a guide to other souls in moments of suffering and turmoil” (Massie 193). His supernatural powers were widely talked about among the people and further increased the belief in his abilities. The upper classes labeled him as “a man of God” who was needed in the Church. However, there was still doubt among some people in St. Petersburg who stated that his enemies charged that he “was nothing but cynical, and that he used religion to mask his drive for sex, money, and power” (Hollenbach 1).

 Rasputin again visited St. Petersburg in 1905. He met and stayed with a friend that he had acquired from his initial visit to the city. A few days later he was brought to the home of Grand Duke Peter Nikolaievich and Grand Duchess Militsa. They thought of Rasputin as a near saint who was given unnatural abilities by God and respected him in the highest manner, despite his poor background. At this meeting, Rasputin performed one of his widely discussed healing miracles. The dog of the Grand Duke and Duchess was ill and was given only 2 months left to live. Rasputin knelt down beside the dog and prayed for approximately half an hour. When he had finished, the dog became visibly healthier and lived for years after the incident (Minney 42).
 

 

 
 

Tsar Nicholas II with his family

 

Acceptance Into the Imperial Family

The Grand Duke and Duchess were also very close to Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra. At the time the Tsaritsa had an advisor, Dr Phillipe, who discussed God, politics and military appointments with her. When Phillipe left Alexandra he told her “Your Majesty will some day have another friend like me who will speak to you of God.” Upon hearing this, the Grand Duchess was convinced that the man Phillipe spoke of was Rasputin (Minney 44).

 The Tsar and Tsarina met Rasputin only a few times between 1905 and 1906. Rasputin did not demonstrate his healing or psychic powers on any of these occasions; however, Nicholas and Alexandra were still quite impressed with him. The royal family were constantly surrounded by conservative, upper class individuals but they “craved simplicity and honesty,” which Rasputin brought them. Many people still looked down upon the interest of the peasant from Siberia but Rasputin had already gained the admiration of the royals. On December 9, 1906, the Tsar and Tsarina had dinner with the Grand Duchess and her sister. That night Nicholas expressed his fascination of the “holy man” in his diary by stating that “all evening we spoke of Grigori” (Fuhrmann 24-25).

 In 1904 the Russo-Japanese War began and halfway through, in 1905, Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaievich was born. Both Nicholas and Alexandra were so overjoyed with the birth of their son and the heir to the throne. They had desired a son for so long but instead were blessed with a trend of girls. The Tsarevich was celebrated by all Russians throughout the country. However, Alexei was very sick. Alexandra was a carrier of the hemophilia gene, which was inherited, from her grandmother Queen Victoria. The Tsarina refused to believe that she had passed the disorder to her only son and the recognition of the fact caused her much grief (Minney 44).

Nicholas and Alexandra did not publicly disclose the illness that plagued the Tsarevich. They thought that Alexei would be claimed unfit to ascend the throne if people found out about the constant threat to his health. Alexei had an unhappy childhood due to his disorder. He was unable to run and play with other children his age for fear that he would fall and cause internal bleeding that would be difficult to stop. Due to the level of care that was necessary to provide a comfortable and healthy life to Alexei, a sailor by the name of Derevenko was assigned to watch over him and take care of his needs (Massie 138-139).

Rasputin gained influence in the Imperial family mainly due to the Tsarevich’s ailments. Nicholas was impressed by Rasputin as well; he once said: “He [Rasputin] is just a good, religious, simple minded Russian. When in trouble or assailed by doubts, I like to have a talk with him, and invariably feel at peace with myself afterward.” Alexandra, however, thought of Rasputin as an important figure in her and her son’s life. She completely believed that her former advisor, Philippe, had sent Rasputin to her and to help her overcome the troubles in her life. Rasputin’s healing powers became the key to his influence (Massie 200). Rasputin rose to power through his undeniable ability to relieve Alexei’s pain and suffering due to hemophilia. Whenever the heir to the throne was hurt and his survival was doubtful, Rasputin was able to ease his suffering and guarantee his recovery. This alone increased the Tsarina’s admiration and appreciation of Rasputin and established a place for him in the life of the Imperial family.

One particular incident of healing was witnessed by Alexei’s older sister Tsarevna Olga. In her account of the miraculous event she noted:

 “The poor child lay in pain, dark patches under his eyes and his little body all distorted, and the leg terribly swollen. The doctors were just useless…more frightened than any of us…whispering among themselves…It was getting late and I was persuaded to go to my rooms. Alicky then sent a message to Rasputin in St. Petersburg. He reached the palace about midnight or even later. By that time, I had reached my apartments and early in the morning Alicky called me to go to Alexei’s room. I just could not believe my eyes. The little boy was not just alive – but well. He was sitting up in bed, the fever gone, the eyes clear and bright, not a sign of any swelling in the leg. Later I learned from Alicky that Rasputin had not even touched the child but merely stood at the foot of the bed and prayed” (Massie 202).

His miraculous performances with Alexei brought him even more prestige and admiration.

 

 

____ ____ ____
Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarevich Alexei               Tsarevich Alexei                                Tsarina Alexandra

Tsar Nicholas II

Next Page: The Downfall of Rasputin

Send Comments and mail to C.Hetzel