Grigori Efimovich was born the son of a peasant in 1872 in the Siberian village of Pokrovskoe. Little is known about his early life, but as a child he appeared to exhibit none of the charisma he would become known for, becoming known as Grisha the fool by the other villagers.
Becoming Rasputin
At the age of 19, Efimovich married Proskovia Fyodorovna, the couple were to have four children together. However, far from settling down to family life, the enigmatic man was becoming known for his womanising and drinking in the surrounding villages.
During a visit to a monastery in Verkhoturye, Efimovich encountered the Khlysty, a group that preached closeness to God through mad dancing, flagellation and group sex. Embracing this philosophy with enthusiasm soon earned Efimovich the name Rasputin, meaning ‘debauched one.’ It was a name he would come to define. Despite this, he was denounced by the group.
Reinventing himself as a ‘strannik,’ (a pilgrim or wanderer), Grigori Efimovich left his family and embarked upon a journey that was to have a profound effect upon Russian history.
Leaving Pokrovskoe, the self-styled monk soon stopped washing and sometimes wore shackles to increase his hardship while travelling. Upon arrival in St Petersburg in 1903, Efimovich presented himself as a repentant sinner to Bishop Theophan (the confessor of Czar Nicholas II).
The Bishop was so impressed (also known as a ‘staryet’) that he introduced him to Royal Princesses Militsa and Anastasia, known for their interest in the occult. His reputation as a healer and visionary preceded him, and despite his unwashed and unkempt appearance, Efimovich soon became a favourite with the princesses
Healing the Czarevich
In July 1906, the heir to the Romanov throne, Czarevich Alexi fell over while at play. His parents Czar Nicholas and Czarina Alexandra had kept his haemophilia a secret from all but their inner circle. Militsa persuaded her parents to let Rasputin see her brother. Arriving in secret, the monk prayed over the young boy and the life threatening haemorrhaging stopped.
While all other treatments had failed to heal their son, the Royal couple came to rely upon Rasputin, becoming convinced that he had a special connection to God, made manifest in his ability to heal the Czarevich. This faith was reinforced when Alexi was healed via telegram whilst the family were on holiday.
However, others in the court disapproved of the close relationship the Royal couple had with the strange man, noticing that his advice was being taken not only on the health of Alexi, but also upon matters of state. Some believed that he “had absolute power in court. The Czar was a nonentity.”1
Efimovich himself could sense the disquiet, predicting not only his own death, but also that of the Romanovs in a letter to the Czar, warning “..if it was your relations who wrought my death then no one of your family…will remain alive for more than two years. They will be killed by the Russian people."2
The Death of Rasputin
On 29th December 1916, Prince Felix Yaupon (married to the Czar’s niece), Grand Duke Demitry Pavlovich (the Czar’s cousin) and MP Vladimir Purishkevich lured Efimovich to Moika Palace, the home of the prince. Despite being poisoned with cyanide, it had no effect. Becoming frightened, Prince Yusupov shot Efimovich (later claiming he had killed him). Still showing signs of life, Rasputin was beaten, before being dumped into the River Neva.
When his body was recovered, Efimovich was found to have water in his lungs, having apparently drowned. Ten weeks later, the Royal family, was executed by firing squad.
1 Statement of Stanislaus de Lazovert
2Letter from Rasputin to Czar Nicholas II, dated 16th December 1916
Sources:
The Last Word, Edvard Radzinsky
Last Splendor: The Amazing Memoirs of the Man Who Killed Rasputin, Prince Felix Yusupov
Records of the Great War, Vol V. Ed Charles F. Horne, National Alumni 1923
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