Grigory Rasputin is a well-known and controversial figure in Russian history, debates about which have been going on for a century. His life is filled with a mass of inexplicable events and facts related to his proximity to the emperor’s family and influence on the fate of the Russian Empire. Some historians consider him an immoral charlatan and swindler, while others are confident that Rasputin was a real seer and healer, which allowed him to gain influence on royal family.
Rasputin Grigory Efimovich was born on January 21, 1869 in the family of a simple peasant Efim Yakovlevich and Anna Vasilievna, who lived in the village of Pokrovskoye, Tobolsk province. The day after his birth, the boy was baptized in a church with the name Gregory, which means “awake.”
Grisha became the fourth and only surviving child of his parents - his older brothers and sisters died in infancy due to poor health. At the same time, he was also weak from birth, so he could not play enough with his peers, which became the reason for his isolation and craving for solitude. It was in early childhood that Rasputin felt an attachment to God and religion.
At the same time, he tried to help his father graze cattle, drive a cab, harvest crops and participate in any agricultural work. There was no school in the Pokrovsky village, so Grigory grew up illiterate, like all his fellow villagers, but he stood out among others because of his illness, for which he was considered defective.
At the age of 14, Rasputin became seriously ill and was almost dying, but suddenly his condition began to improve, which, according to him, happened thanks to the Mother of God, who healed him. From that moment, Gregory began to deeply understand the Gospel and, not even knowing how to read, was able to memorize the texts of the prayers. During that period, the gift of foresight awakened in the peasant son, which later prepared for him a dramatic fate.
Monk Grigory Rasputin At the age of 18, Grigory Rasputin made his first pilgrimage to the Verkhoturye Monastery, but decided not to take a monastic vow, but to continue wandering through the holy places of the world, reaching the Greek Mount Athos and Jerusalem. Then he managed to establish contacts with many monks, wanderers and representatives of the clergy, which in the future historians associated with the political meaning of his activities.
Royal family
The biography of Grigory Rasputin changed its direction in 1903, when he arrived in St. Petersburg, and the palace doors opened before him. At the very beginning of his arrival in the capital Russian Empire The “experienced wanderer” did not even have a means of subsistence, so he turned to the rector of the theological academy, Bishop Sergius, for help. He introduced him to the confessor of the royal family, Archbishop Feofan, who by that time had already heard about Rasputin’s prophetic gift, legends about which were spread throughout the country.
Grigory Efimovich met Emperor Nicholas II during a difficult time for Russia. Then the country was gripped by political strikes and revolutionary movements aimed at overthrowing the tsarist government. It was during that period that a simple Siberian peasant managed to make a powerful impression on the tsar, which made Nicholas II want to talk for hours with the wanderer-seer.
Thus, the “elder” acquired enormous influence on the imperial family, especially on. Historians are confident that Rasputin’s rapprochement with imperial family happened thanks to Gregory’s help in treating his son and heir to the throne Alexei, who had hemophilia, against which traditional medicine was powerless in those days.
There is a version that Grigory Rasputin was not only a healer for the tsar, but also a chief adviser, as he had the gift of clairvoyance. “The man of God,” as the peasant was called in the royal family, knew how to look into the souls of people and reveal to Emperor Nicholas all the thoughts of the king’s closest associates, who received high positions at the Court only after agreement with Rasputin.
In addition, Grigory Efimovich participated in all government affairs, trying to protect Russia from a world war, which, in his conviction, would bring untold suffering to the people, general discontent and revolution. This was not part of the plans of the instigators of world war, who plotted against the seer, aimed at eliminating Rasputin.
Conspiracy and murder
Before committing the murder of Grigory Rasputin, his opponents tried to destroy him spiritually. He was accused of whipping, witchcraft, drunkenness, and depraved behavior. But Nicholas II did not want to take into account any arguments, since he firmly believed in the elder and continued to discuss all state secrets with him.
Therefore, in 1914, an “anti-Rasputin” conspiracy arose, initiated by the prince, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich Jr., who later became the commander-in-chief of all military forces of the Russian Empire during the First World War, and Vladimir Purishkevich, who was an actual state councilor at that time.
It was not possible to kill Grigory Rasputin the first time - he was seriously wounded in the village of Pokrovskoye by Khionia Guseva. During that period, while he was on the verge between life and death, Nicholas II decided to participate in the war and announced mobilization. At the same time, he continued to consult with the recovering seer about the correctness of his military actions, which again was not part of the plans of the royal ill-wishers.
Therefore, it was decided to bring the conspiracy against Rasputin to the end. On December 29 (new style), 1916, the elder was invited to the Palace of Prince Yusupov to meet with the famous beauty, the prince's wife Irina, who needed the healing help of Grigory Efimovich. There they began to treat him to food and drinks poisoned by poison, but potassium cyanide did not kill Rasputin, which forced the conspirators to shoot him.
After several shots in the back, the elder continued to fight for life and was even able to run out into the street, trying to hide from the killers. After a short chase, accompanied by gunfire, the healer fell to the ground and was severely beaten by his pursuers. Then the exhausted and beaten old man was tied up and thrown from the Petrovsky Bridge into the Neva. According to historians, once in the icy water, Rasputin died only a few hours later.
Nicholas II entrusted the investigation into the murder of Grigory Rasputin to the director of the Police Department, Alexei Vasiliev, who got on the “trail” of the killers of the healer. 2.5 months after the death of the elder, Emperor Nicholas II was overthrown from the throne, and the head of the new Provisional Government ordered a hasty end to the investigation into the Rasputin case.
Personal life
The personal life of Grigory Rasputin is as mysterious as his fate. It is known that back in 1900, during a pilgrimage to the holy places of the world, he married a peasant pilgrim like himself, Praskovya Dubrovina, who became his only life partner. Three children were born into the Rasputin family - Matryona, Varvara and Dmitry.
After the murder of Grigory Rasputin, the elder’s wife and children were subjected to repression by the Soviet authorities. They were considered “evil elements” in the country, so in the 1930s everyone peasant farm and the house of Rasputin’s son were nationalized, and the healer’s relatives were arrested by the NKVD and sent to special settlements in the North, after which their trace was completely lost. Only her daughter managed to escape from the hands of the Soviet regime, who emigrated to France after the revolution and then moved to the USA.
Predictions of Grigory Rasputin
Although Soviet authority considered the elder a charlatan; the predictions of Grigory Rasputin, left by him on 11 pages, were carefully hidden from the public after his death. In his “testament” to Nicholas II, the seer pointed out that several revolutionary coups had taken place in the country and warned the tsar about the murder of the entire imperial family “ordered” by the new authorities.
Rasputin also predicted the creation of the USSR and its inevitable disintegration. The elder predicted that Russia would defeat Germany in World War II and become a great power. At the same time, he foresaw terrorism in beginning of XXI century, which will begin to flourish in the West.
In his predictions, Grigory Efimovich did not ignore the problems of Islam, clearly indicating that in a number of countries Islamic fundamentalism is emerging, which modern world called Wahhabism. Rasputin argued that at the end of the first decade of the 21st century, power in the East, namely Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, would be seized by Islamic fundamentalists who would declare "jihad" on the United States.
After this, according to Rasputin’s predictions, a serious military conflict will arise, which will last 7 years and will be the last in human history. True, Rasputin predicted one big battle during this conflict, during which at least a million people would die on both sides.
There is a year left until the centenary of the Great Russian Revolution. And 1917, from which we count modern history of our state, remains largely a mystery. Especially February - the rapid collapse of the empire that took place in just a few days. Strange as it may sound, but the underlying reasons, the springs and the entire course of the rapid February Revolution, which crushed the monarchy and empire, remain unexplored.
We were satisfied for a long time simple explanations Soviet historiography: a revolutionary situation has matured, autocracy has exhausted itself, the upper classes cannot, the lower classes do not want... Then they began to see conspiracies in everything, the influence of dark forces and other people’s money. The time has come for calm, serious and deep analysis. Although it is difficult to remain impartial when we're talking about about such dramas and tragedies of such magnitude.
Wouldn't it be correct to say that the revolution began in December 1916, when Grigory Efimovich Rasputin was killed in the capital?
If only he himself had not talked so enthusiastically about how he secretly rules Russia, how he manipulates the empress and the autocrat himself. If only they didn't believe him so unconditionally. If only society were not literally spellbound by the exotically wild madness of this gloomy wizard. If it weren't for him supernatural abilities and incredible manhood. He himself would definitely have avoided a terrible and painful death during a night dinner in one of the St. Petersburg palaces. And perhaps the lives of many other people would have been saved too.
The Tobolsk peasant Rasputin is credited with a special role in the fate of the last emperor and his family, in the history of the Romanov dynasty, and throughout Russia. Rasputin was killed, the monarchy collapsed.
How did this happen?
The Empress gave birth to four daughters. And they demanded an heir from her, as if giving birth to a boy depended only on her desire. July 30, 1904, at the height of Russo-Japanese War, the empress gave birth to the long-awaited boy. But parental happiness was short-lived. The heir to the Russian throne was terminally ill. Hemophilia is a hereditary disease. The gene defect prevents blood from clotting. Any injury led to bleeding that could not be stopped. In one night, the emperor aged ten years. The illness of Tsarevich Alexei changed the fate of Russia in the twentieth century. The imperial family closed in on itself. All thoughts are about the sick boy.
The Empress did not want to submit to fate. Deeply pious, she was a mystic, which allowed her to hope for a miracle. And it appeared in the guise of the peasant Grigory Rasputin. He was brought to the palace by the confessor of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna, the rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, Bishop Feofan. He admired Rasputin:
There are still God's people in the world. It is with them that Holy Rus' still holds on.
Several times Tsarevich Alexei felt better at the moment of Rasputin's appearance. Grigory Efimovich was hardly able to stop the bleeding. Rather, his appearance conveniently coincided with the end of another attack. But he could definitely calm down and relieve the boy’s tension and fear.
The appearance of Rasputin near the throne brought some relief to the imperial family and restored hope. But society seemed offended by the proximity of the Tobolsk peasant to the throne. In Petrograd salons they started talking about a love triangle - Nikolai, Alexandra and Grigory. In the popular imagination, the Tsar is married to Russia, that is, he should not have a personal life. And therefore society hated his wife, whom he really loved and for whom he did not want to hide his love.
The Empress was accused of all sorts of things! The fact is that she is having an affair with Rasputin. That she let the elder into the grand duchesses’ bedroom. That she tried to poison her own son, that’s why Tsarevich Alexei is so sick. That Alexandra Fedorovna intended to overthrow her husband, take the throne and rule Russia herself. And all these fables were repeated day after day by a variety of people! There was a humiliation of power.
And in 1914 the war began. Failures at the front gave rise to rumors of a German conspiracy. There was talk that the Empress's German blood was more valuable than Russian blood! The Empress is a German agent! Insanity? Stupidity? A calculated attack on the government with the long-term goal of taking power into your own hands? It's time to talk about information war. The German Empress turned into the most convenient target. Rumors of a German conspiracy in palace circles undermined not only the emperor's reputation, but also the morale of the armed forces.
Why did the emperor not respond to the attacks of the opposition? First, he was busy with something he considered more important: the war. Secondly, he considered it beneath his dignity to respond to personal insults. He shouldn’t fight them in a duel...
On December 16, 1916, Rasputin was killed. This was done by Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich - cousin Nicholas II, Prince Felix Yusupov, married to the Tsar's niece, and the monarchist Purishkevich. This was a terrible blow for the unfortunate mother - the empress believed that only Rasputin was able to reduce the suffering of her sick son.
If we think sensibly: what bad did Grigory Efimovich Rasputin do to Russia? And isn’t it funny to say that he destroyed the empire? Well, did the Tobolsk peasant come to St. Petersburg and the empire collapsed?
It has now been documented: none of what he said about himself and what others said about him happened! There were simply people who were jealous of Rasputin's position on the throne, there were those who used him for their own political purposes, and those who hated him. They killed Rasputin. This story received a huge response! Thus they shook the throne. The monarchy collapsed, the Bolsheviks came to power, the Civil War, and Russia washed itself in blood.
Leonid Mlechin's program "Total Recall" is broadcast on OTR on Mondays.
The Royal Family and Rasputin (1907–1913)
The confidential and friendly relations of the royal family with Rasputin were kept in the deepest secrecy and even the all-knowing secret police did not know about their hidden essence. And therefore, the palace commandant V.A. Dedyulin was surprised every time when his staff reported to him that Rasputin was again in the personal apartments of the royal family. Not understanding what could connect some lapotnik with the anointed of God, concerned by the appearance in the royal family of an unknown man who could turn out to be a revolutionary in disguise, Dedyulin reported Rasputin to the head of the St. Petersburg security department, Major General A.V. Gerasimov. The security guards quickly determined that Rasputin had no dangerous connections, but they established surveillance on him, and thus the police became aware of the other side of his life - monstrous debauchery, endless orgies and excessive drunkenness. Moreover, the information received by Gerasimov led both himself and the highest ranks of the St. Petersburg police, who generally knew life well from the inside out and were not able to worry about lost virtues, into genuine and deep amazement. They could not believe that a mere mortal could possess such not human, but downright cosmic powers in the service of both Venus and Bacchus. For the time being, the secret police kept this information for themselves, but then brought it to Prime Minister P. A. Stolypin himself, but this was done only in the spring of 1911.
Stolypin came to the tsar and openly told him everything he had learned, wanting to open Nicholas II’s eyes to a man who posed a serious threat to the reputation of the emperor himself and his family. Nicholas II listened carefully to Pyotr Arkadyevich, thanked him for his sincere devotion to him, but in conclusion said: “Perhaps everything you tell me is true. But I ask you never to speak to me about Rasputin again. I still can’t do anything.”
Stolypin was not the only one who informed Nicholas II and the Empress about the elder’s dark deeds, but the Tsar and Tsarina were deaf and blind to their stories. One of the first to try to expose Rasputin in the winter of 1910–1911 was the maid of honor S.I. Tyutcheva, the teacher of the Tsar’s daughters, but she only achieved that Rasputin was no longer allowed to see her pupils for some time. The maid of honor herself received her resignation soon after this conversation. The elder, having learned about what had happened and guessing that his communication with the grand duchesses had ceased due to the discovery of his second life, decided to disappear from St. Petersburg for a while and let the beginning storm subside. He went as a pilgrim to Greece to the Holy Mount Athos, on which two dozen Orthodox monasteries were located, and from there even further - to the Holy Land, to Jerusalem.
In the fall of 1911, returning to St. Petersburg, the elder met a warm welcome in the royal family and a completely opposite reaction from his many enemies - Bishop Hermogenes, Archimandrite Theophan, Grand Dukes Nikolai Nikolaevich and Peter Nikolaevich and his long-time fans of the “Montenegrin sisters”, who now became his haters.
Theophanes was sent to Crimea, Hermogenes to the Zhirovitsky monastery near Grodno. However, V.N. Kokovtsov (Stolypin’s successor as Chairman of the Council of Ministers) appeared on the stage and spoke with Nikolai, presenting the Tsar with many irrefutable facts. The Tsar decided to give in so as not to discredit himself and the Empress, and in the summer of 1912 the elder left for Siberia to his home.
However, Rasputin's influence on the Tsar and Tsarina remained unshaken. Why did the all-powerful ruler of 150 million subjects have no power over Rasputin? What connected a highly educated and moral emperor with an illiterate and depraved Siberian peasant? How did Rasputin “take” the Tsar and Tsarina, tying them to him with indissoluble bonds?
Vyrubova gave the answer to this. “The king and queen,” she said, “believed in him like 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.” We already know what the heir meant to the unfortunate parents who loved him more than anything in the world. Meanwhile, not a single doctor in the world could bring such relief to the boy as Elder Gregory.
Since the end of 1907, when the Tsarina first asked him to help her sick son, Rasputin relieved pain many times, stopped the bleeding and put the long-suffering Tsarevich to sleep. Undoubtedly, the elder was an outstanding psychic, hypnotist and healer-psychotherapist. Improving in his practice, he took lessons from the famous doctor Pyotr Aleksandrovich Badmaev in St. Petersburg, who treated patients according to prescriptions Tibetan medicine. All this together brought amazing results - the elder could interrupt the course of the disease not only with passes and suggestion, directly next to the patient, but also by talking with Tsarevich Alexei on the phone. Moreover, even the telegrams he sent healed the sick child.
The Frenchman Gilliard (one of the educators and teachers) recalled how once, when the Tsarevich was particularly ill, the girls staged a performance. They played "The Bourgeois in the Nobility" in French, and Gilliard, helping them, was the prompter. The performance was fun, there were many spectators, because many guests came to the hunt in Spala, where all this took place.
When the performance ended, Gilliard went out into the corridor and near the crown prince’s room he heard groans coming from behind the door. Meanwhile, the Empress returned to the hall, continuing to smile and pretending that everything was in order. It was clear that the parents were making a state secret out of the Tsarevich’s illness.
On October 4, Professor Fedorov arrived from St. Petersburg, but his arrival did not help the patient at all: after 4 days the temperature rose to 39.6° and the heart began to fail. It was then that the maid of honor Vyrubova, who was in Spala, suggested sending Rasputin a telegram asking him to pray for the sick man. They resorted to this as a last resort, because the crown prince’s bleeding did not stop, and his temperature became critical. But as soon as the telegram from the elder was read to Alexei, he immediately fell asleep, the pain and bleeding stopped. And there were many such cases. And he helped the queen herself, relieving headaches and heart attacks.
Of course, the unfortunate mother, who selflessly loved the boy and, moreover, felt a sense of inescapable guilt for “gifting” her son fatal disease, idolized “friend Gregory.” And a penchant for occultism, belief in miracles and the supernatural, forced Alexandra Feodorovna to see in Rasputin a holy miracle worker and a man of God. In communicating with the elder, the empress was extremely gratified by the fact that Gregory never, not even once, asked for anything for himself, but asked only for the wretched and poor who had fallen into misfortune or found themselves victims of injustice.
The queen gave her friend icons, amulet, shirts embroidered by herself, and from him she received Easter eggs, blessed Easter cakes and congratulatory telegrams, which always included good wishes and Christian instructions.
| |
IN last years Russian Empire name of a powerful temporary worker Grigory Efimovich Rasputin was widely known in Russia. Facts from his life were interspersed with speculation and rumors, and the true and imaginary “deeds of the elder” constantly provided food for conversation in aristocratic salons, among officers, at meetings of public figures, in taverns and tea houses. However, almost everyone agreed that this “illiterate man” with a dark past managed to gain unprecedented influence in the royal family and influence the course of public policy.
Possessing a strong will, a certain gift of influence and hypnotic suggestion, Rasputin managed to achieve enormous influence on the empress, who believed in the “holy power” of this man, who, in her opinion, was capable of saving the dynasty and the life of her only and beloved son Alexei. From birth, the Tsarevich suffered from an incurable disease - hemophilia (incoagulability of blood), and Rasputin several times managed to help him with fatal bleeding using hypnotic influence.
Initially, the “elder” acted only as a comforter to the royal family, but as his influence grew, it began to extend beyond the family circle. In society, any movement in senior government positions was perceived as a result of the intrigues of Rasputin and his entourage.
Rasputin, as many speculated, was a paid German spy. However, in all the years since 1916, there has been no confirmation from either the German or Russian side that this really happened. On the contrary, it seemed unlikely. No foreigner could offer him more power than he already possessed; in addition, he did not like foreigners, especially the British and Germans. It is more plausible that German agents could have used Rasputin to obtain information that he had. In this sense, he believes that “it would be inexplicable if the German General Staff did not use him [Rasputin].” He hated war and did not shy away from people who opposed it. His retinue was always full of different people, many of dubious reputation, and several extra persons could easily penetrate into this circle. Rasputin was so loud and boastful that any agent had to just sit and listen carefully.
Alexandra's support of Rasputin seemed to confirm the worst. Most people considered it proven that an intimate relationship existed between them. In the living rooms of high society, at meetings of zemstvo councils, trade union rallies and in the trenches, the empress was openly called Rasputin’s mistress.” Behind her back they called her “German” everywhere.
Daily life The “prophet-comforter” was constantly accompanied by revelry and revelry.
All this worried and outraged many. Major dignitaries, aristocrats, and other people close to the court repeatedly made attempts to induce the Tsar to remove Rasputin from the throne. Such appeals only caused irritation to the “anointed one of God” and did not change anything.
The fight against Rasputin turned into a fight for the self-preservation of those who belonged to the highest strata of society. However, no one dared to take violent measures.
The role of the “overthrower of pernicious influence” was destined to be played by a man far from all politics and who did not hold any government positions. Prince Felix Feliksovich Yusupov at 29 years old, he was the only heir to a huge fortune in Russia. An esthete, an Anglomaniac, a highly educated man (graduated from Oxford University), the young prince in February 1914 became the husband of Nicholas II’s niece, Irina Alexandrovna Romanova. His mother, Princess Z.N. Yusupova, an intelligent, charming and honest woman, was one of Rasputin’s open opponents. For this reason, the empress removed her from her circle of close acquaintances, despite the fact that they had been friends for many years.
During the war, Yusupov was not called up for military service. Remaining in Petrograd, he gained great fame as a playmaker.
Conspiracy and murder of Rasputin
The plan for the physical destruction of the “disgusting man” was formed by Yusupova not immediately, although they met in the house of one of the most devoted admirers of the elder M.E. Golovina back in 1909. Felix later recalled that already at the first meeting he felt both disgust and numbness at the sight of this odious person.
The time for decisions came in 1916. Trying to establish the true character of Rasputin and the extent of his influence, Yusupov Quite often he begins to meet with him, trying to instill in the temporary worker a good disposition towards him. Felix became Rasputin's welcome guest in the apartment on Gorokhovaya, which, by order of the tsarina, was carefully guarded by police officers, and it was almost impossible for an undesirable person to enter there. Having won the favor of Rasputin and observing his life quite closely, the prince came to the conclusion that the elder “possesses supernatural powers” that “can only be encountered once every hundred years.”
By the autumn of 1916, Petrograd society had mixed feelings of deep disgust for Rasputin and carefree indifference to the war. Yusupov with his close friend the prince Dmitry Pavlovich(cousin of Nicholas II) develops a plan: invite Rasputin to visit, poison him, and then take him out of the city and drown him in the river. The Yusupov Palace on the Moika embankment is chosen as the venue for the action.
The Grand Dukes, generals and Duma deputies all agreed on one thing: Rasputin must be eliminated. On November 19 (December 2), he delivered a sharp anti-Rasputin speech in the State Duma V.M. Purishkevich. At 50 years old, this man of sparkling intelligence, a witty writer of brilliant political epigrams, was an orator of such power that when he walked to the podium, the entire Duma, not excluding his enemies, beamed with smiles in anticipation of his speech. In politics, Purishkevich was an extreme rightist and the most ardent monarchist in the Duma.
For two hours, the Duma deputies heard accusations from Purishkevich, denouncing the “dark forces” that were undermining the monarchy. " All it takes is Rasputin's recommendation to elevate the most seedy citizen to high office.", he shouted. Then, in a stunning conclusion to the speech that brought his audience to their feet and received a wild ovation, he challenged the ministers seated before him. “If you are truly loyal, if the glory of Russia, its powerful future, which is closely connected with the bright name of the Tsar, means something to you, then you are a support, you are ministers. Go to Headquarters and throw yourself at the feet of the Tsar. Have the courage to tell him that the masses are threatening their indignation. Revolution is threatening, and the dark man should no longer rule Russia.”
Purishkevich's speech made such a strong impression on Felix that he decides to involve him in the conspiracy. The Bessarabian landowner and zealous monarchist happily agreed, exclaiming: “This is my long-time dream!” By the end of November, a circle of conspirators had finally formed. It included, in addition to Yusupov and Purishkevich, a front-line lieutenant who was being treated in Petrograd, Sukhotin, army doctor Lazovert and a young friend of Yusupov Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich. 26-year-old Dmitry was the son of Nicholas II's last living uncle, Grand Duke Paul. Dmitry was known as the favorite of the empress, who often laughed at his jokes and stories. Nevertheless, she was worried about his fate, “Dmitry doesn’t work and drinks constantly,- she complained to Nicholas during the war, - order Dmitry to return to the regiment, the city and women are poison to him.”
Row useful tips gave Maklakov, an expert in criminal law and the future Russian ambassador in Paris. He believed, for example, that “a murder must be done quietly and leave as little evidence against oneself as possible; it is best to kill with a blow; Then you can bring the corpse to the park, run it over with a car and feign misfortune,” etc.
The impulsive and talkative Purishkevich, a few days before the scheduled date of the murder, contrary to the agreement to maintain the strictest secrecy, told several Duma journalists about the time and place of the assassination attempt on Rasputin. The conspirators were saved only by the fact that journalists had long treated Purishkevich with irony. However, rumors multiplied, and the Minister of Internal Affairs A.D. Protopopov (Rasputin's henchman) warned the temporary worker about the possibility of an attempt on his life.
In December, the five conspirators met constantly, discussing the details of organizing a trap, murder and disposal of the corpse. The date was determined by Grand Duke Dmitry, due to his constant employment, December 16 (29) - this was his first free evening.
Rasputin began to behave cautiously. He avoided leaving the house during the day whenever possible. One day, after a long walk along the Neva, the elder came home and declared that the river would soon be full of the blood of the Great Princes. In his last meeting with the Tsar, he refused to give Nicholas the usual blessing, saying instead: “This time you bless me, not I you.”
In order to lure Rasputin to his palace, Felix had to resort to an irresistible argument: his beautiful wife Irina was looking for a meeting with him. “Rasputin has long wanted to meet my wife,- Yusupov wrote. - And, thinking that she was in St. Petersburg, and my parents were in Crimea, he said that he would be happy to come. My wife was not in St. Petersburg yet; she was in Crimea, with my parents, but it seemed to me that Rasputin would be more willing to come to me if he didn’t know this.” Referring to the well-known hostility of his relatives, the prince asked Rasputin to keep this visit secret, to which he immediately agreed.
A basement room was prepared in the palace to receive the long-awaited visitor. Yusupov described the scene as follows: “The room was dim, gloomy, with a granite floor, with walls lined with gray stone, and with a low vaulted ceiling... Carved chairs covered with darkened leather, ebony cabinets with a lot of hiding places and drawers, massive oak chairs with high backs and here and there small tables covered with colored fabrics, and on them goblets made of Ivory... A cabinet with inlays, inside of which a whole labyrinth of mirrors and bronze columns was made. On this cabinet stood an ancient crucifix made of crystal and silver, Italian workmanship of the 16th century... On the floor lay a large Persian carpet, and in the corner, where there was a cabinet with a labyrinth and a crucifix, the skin of a huge polar bear...
A table was placed in the middle of the room, at which Grigory Rasputin was supposed to drink his last tea... On the table there was a samovar and many different cookies and sweets, for which Rasputin was a great hunter. A tray with wines and glasses was prepared on one of the cabinets... a large granite fireplace was burning, the wood in it was crackling, splashing sparks on stone slabs... From the cabinet with the labyrinth, I took out the box of poison that stood there, and from the table I took a plate of cakes, there were six of them: three chocolate and three almond... Doctor Lazovert, putting on rubber gloves, took sticks of potassium cyanide, crushed them and , lifting the detachable upper layer chocolate cakes, poured into each of them a decent dose of poison... many times stronger than what is necessary for death.”
Felix, in a car driven by Dr. Lazovert, who played the role of a driver, left for Gorokhovaya, and the rest of the conspirators went up one floor, turned on the gramophone and began to pretend to be a walking company.
After midnight, Felix and his companion arrived at the palace. When asked who is having fun here, the owner replied: “My wife has guests, they will leave soon, but for now let’s go to the dining room and have some tea.”
Finding himself alone in the basement with his victim, Yusupov offered Rasputin poisoned cakes. Rasputin refused. Then, changing his mind, he greedily ate two of them. Yusupov watched, expecting to see him writhing in agony, but nothing happened. Rasputin then asked for Madeira, which was also poisoned. He drank two glasses in one gulp, but to no avail. Seeing all this “I was seized by some strange numbness, my head was spinning, I didn’t notice anything in front of me,”- Yusupov wrote. Rasputin drank several glasses of tea and, while sipping it, asked Yusupov to sing for him with a guitar. Performing song after song, the amazed killer sang while the satisfied “dead man” sat nodding his head and smiling. Huddled together at the top of the stairs, barely breathing, Purishkevich, Dmitry and the others heard only the trembling sounds of Yusupov's singing and the indistinguishable echoes of conversation.
For many years, Yusupov was tormented by the question: why did the large doses of deadly poison that Rasputin took with food and drink not affect this man? According to one version, Doctor Lazovert, an accomplice in the assassination attempt, gave Rasputin a harmless powder instead of poison.
Seizing a moment, Yusupov went up to his accomplices in the assassination attempt. When they heard that the poison had no effect on the old man, they panicked. Finally, the experienced Purishkevich declared that Rasputin could not be allowed to leave half-dead. Having overcome himself, Yusupov volunteered to return to the basement and complete the murder. Holding Dmitry's Browning behind his back, he returned and found Rasputin sitting. The elder suggested going to the gypsies. “Thoughts are with God, but bodies are with people”, he said, winking meaningfully. Here Yusupov led Rasputin to a mirrored cabinet and showed him a richly decorated crucifix. The elder looked at the crucifix and declared that he liked the closet better. "Grigory Efimovich,- said Yusupov, - You’d better look at the crucifix and pray in front of it.”
Rasputin looked intently at the prince, then looked again at the crucifix. At that moment Yusupov fired. The bullet entered the back. With a piercing cry, Rasputin fell backward onto the white bearskin.
After the shot, fellow conspirators burst into the room. After examining the wound, they concluded that “the bullet went right through the heart,” and stated that he was dead. The joy was great. Having locked the door, everyone went upstairs, where they noisily and cheerfully began to celebrate the victory and discuss the plan for eliminating the corpse.
After some time, Yusupov decided to return to his victim. The prince stopped near the dead man and began to look at him. Suddenly Rasputin's face twitched; and the left eye opened tremblingly. After a few seconds, the right eye also opened. “Both of Rasputin’s eyes, somehow green and snakelike, glared at me with an expression of devilish power.”, Yusupov recalled. Suddenly Rasputin, foaming at the mouth, jumped to his feet, grabbed the killer by the throat and tore the shoulder strap off his shoulder. In horror, Yusupov broke free and ran up the stairs. Behind him, crawling on all fours and growling with rage, crawled Rasputin.
Purishkevich, standing at the top, heard a “wild, inhuman scream.” It was Yusupov: “Purishkevich! Shoot, shoot! He's alive! He's running away!" Purishkevich ran out onto the stairs and almost collided with the distraught Yusupov.
Purishkevich quickly rushed into the yard. He managed to shoot Rasputin near the Yusupov palace. Yusupov reappeared at the prostrate temporary worker and, in hysterics, hit the bloody man with a rubber baton. When the body finally fell silent on the bloody snow, it was wrapped in a blue curtain, tied with a rope and taken to the Neva, where Purishkevich and Lazovert lowered it into the hole. Three days later, when the corpse was found, it turned out that his lungs were full of water, Grigory Rasputin, poisoned by poison, riddled with bullets, drowned.
The fate of the conspirators against Rasputin
Only the Tsar had the right to arrest the Grand Duke, but Alexandra ordered that both Dmitry and Felix be placed under house arrest. A day later, when Felix called her, asking permission to see her, she refused, telling him to put his request in a letter. When the letter arrived, it contained a denial of any involvement in the rumored murder. Grand Duke Pavel, shocked by rumors about his son's participation, came to Dmitry with an icon and a portrait of his mother. He demanded that his son swear on these two relics that he did not kill Rasputin. “I swear,” Dmitry said solemnly.
In Petrograd, where everyone knew the details and savored the details of the Rasputin scandal, the confirmation that the “cattle” had been killed caused a fit of wild joy. People kissed in the streets and greeted Yusupov, Purishkevich and Grand Duke Dmitry as heroes. In the Kazan Cathedral they choked to light a candle in front of the icon of St. Demetrius. In the distant provinces, the peasants, who only knew that a man like them had become powerful at the royal court, looked at the murder differently. “For the men, Rasputin became a martyr, - reported one old count, who had just returned from his estate on the Volga. - He was a man of the people; he forced the king to listen to the voice of the people; he defended the people from the nobles. For this the nobles killed him. That's what they say."
For Nicholas, the most serious blow was the fact that the murder was committed by members of the royal family. Grand Duke Dmitry was ordered to immediately leave Petrograd and go to the active army - to the troops of General Baratov, who were in Persia and Mesopotamia (this saved his life, protecting him from the outbreak of the revolution). Yusupov was exiled to one of his estates in central Russia; a year later, he left his homeland with Princess Irina, taking with him only a million dollars worth of jewelry and two paintings by Rembrandt from his entire enormous fortune. Purishkevich was released. Participation in the murder raised his prestige high.
Rasputin's funeral
Rasputin was buried in the corner of the imperial park. I said goodbye to him and royal family. The Empress carried several white flowers; she was very pale. Inside the coffin, the Empress placed an icon on Rasputin’s chest, signed by herself, her husband, son and daughters, and a letter: “My dear martyr, give me your blessing so that it may always follow me on the sad and dark path that I have yet to follow. And remember us from the height of your holy prayers. Alexandra".
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 1717, the Tsar was given a telegram about the disappearance and possible death of Rasputin - he, sinfully, internally even quickly relieved himself: so much anger had accumulated around him, he was already tired of listening to this series of warnings and revelations , gossip - and suddenly the object of public hatred would fatalistically disappear by itself, without the Emperor having to make any effort or a 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 also Elizabeth, Alix’s sister. 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; he considered himself a failure in everything. And even trips to the troops that he loved so much, he was convinced: they brought military failure to those troops). And even little Alexey, 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 people whom the so-called public opinion hates, and to show that Russia will perfectly accept these appointments.
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, there was information that everywhere in the capital and even in the guard they were openly talking about preparing a 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 loyal, close friends, like Adjutant Sablin, also remained in the crosshairs. They spent Christmastide, winter evenings and Sundays with them at uncrowded dinners and teas, or they invited a small orchestra to the palace, or 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 evade the affairs of state administration during these nine weeks. 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 a truly terribly 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 railway Nicholas 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 favorite charming 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. Put on a cross sometimes if you are going to difficult decisions, - he will help you.
...I will shower you with kisses. Forever
