Born in Russia, Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin was a self-proclaimed holy man who held considerable influence in late imperial Russia. He gained favor amongst Nicholas II, the last emperor of Russia.
Rasputin belonged to a peasant village by the name of Pokrovskoye. He was born in 1869 on 21st January. Through the lack of records, not much is known about his life as a child or young adult. It is, however, assumed that he received no formal education and remained illiterate for most of his life, as was the norm for that time.
In 1897, he went on a religious pilgrimage to St. Nicholas Monastery at Verkhoturye. This was a major turning point in his life. He gained knowledge and most probably learned to read and write from the elder of the church. Later, he left the monastery, not agreeing with the monk’s way of life and returned home. Upon his return, he became a vegetarian, swore off alcohol, even changed his appearance, and began to travel as a wanderer (Strannik).
By the 1900s Rasputin gained a small following and word, as well as rumors, began to spread about him. Following his journey to St. Petersburg, he met with the Tsar and Tsarina.
By 1906, the holy man began serving as a healer for the Emperor’s son Alexei, who suffered from hemophilia. He was regarded highly by the empress as he had managed to “heal” her son several times through his prayers.
Considering his influence on the Tsarina a threat. Prince Felix Yusupov along with Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, and politician Vladimir Purishkevich recruited some nobles and led them to conspire against Rasputin. In 1916, they led him to Yusupov’s Moika Palace basement. There they poisoned him with cyanide, but when the poison did not affect him, Yusupov shot him dead with a revolver.
Born in Russia, Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin was a self-proclaimed holy man who held considerable influence in late imperial Russia. He gained favor amongst Nicholas II, the last emperor of Russia.
Rasputin belonged to a peasant village by the name of Pokrovskoye. He was born in 1869 on 21st January. Through the lack of records, not much is known about his life as a child or young adult. It is, however, assumed that he received no formal education and remained illiterate for most of his life, as was the norm for that time.
In 1897, he went on a religious pilgrimage to St. Nicholas Monastery at Verkhoturye. This was a major turning point in his life. He gained knowledge and most probably learned to read and write from the elder of the church. Later, he left the monastery, not agreeing with the monk’s way of life and returned home. Upon his return, he became a vegetarian, swore off alcohol, even changed his appearance, and began to travel as a wanderer (Strannik).
By the 1900s Rasputin gained a small following and word, as well as rumors, began to spread about him. Following his journey to St. Petersburg, he met with the Tsar and Tsarina.
By 1906, the holy man began serving as a healer for the Emperor’s son Alexei, who suffered from hemophilia. He was regarded highly by the empress as he had managed to “heal” her son several times through his prayers.
Considering his influence on the Tsarina a threat. Prince Felix Yusupov along with Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, and politician Vladimir Purishkevich recruited some nobles and led them to conspire against Rasputin. In 1916, they led him to Yusupov’s Moika Palace basement. There they poisoned him with cyanide, but when the poison did not affect him, Yusupov shot him dead with a revolver.