Saint and devil, “man of God” and sectarian, peasant and courtier: there seemed to be no end to the definitions characterizing Rasputin. The central and dominant feature of his personality was, without a doubt, the duality of nature: the “old man” was capable of playing one role with extraordinary skill, and then its complete opposite. And it was precisely thanks to the contradictions inherent in his character that he became a great actor.
Mediumistic intuition, coupled with the cunning typical of peasants, turned Rasputin into a creature with supernatural capabilities: he always managed to discover the vulnerable side of a person and benefit from it. When the “elder” firmly established himself in the Alexander Palace, he immediately revealed the weaknesses of the imperial couple; he never flattered them, addressed them only as “you,” calling them “mom” and “dad.” In communicating with them, he allowed himself all sorts of familiarity and realized that his worn-out boots, peasant shirt and even unkempt beard had an irresistible attractive effect on their august patrons.
Before the empress he played the role of “elder,” which she liked most; as during a large theatrical performance, he demonstrated his talent on the stage of the Alexander Palace. It did not matter that there might be a false saint, a libertine or a sectarian in the imperial residence; All that mattered was what Alexandra Fedorovna wanted to see and hear. Everything else - as she thought - was nothing more than baseness, slander and malice of those who dreamed of alienating her from this “holy man”.
The world in which the empress lived was rather simple and limited, and Rasputin, with his intuition, quickly understood how to win her favor. Surrounded by supposedly enlightened, but in fact depraved courtiers to the core, Alexandra Feodorovna decided that in the person of this ignorant peasant she had met the only one who could bring her and the tsar closer to the people. This man, sent to her by God himself and who came from a Russian village, combined in himself a peasant and a saint; the fact that Rasputin had the gift of healing was, in the eyes of the empress, another manifestation of his holiness. All this took place away from the outside world, in a residence similar to an ancient Russian tower.
And indeed, almost only women lived in the Alexander Palace; the empress, her ubiquitous friends, four daughters, as well as a great many teachers, governesses and maids. As in the days of ancient Russian towers, women from the family of Nicholas II were not supposed to be seen by male persons, except for close relatives, church representatives and high-ranking dignitaries. Alexandra Feodorovna did not consider Rasputin’s presence to be something unacceptable, since the “elder” was a holy man for her and directly expressed the will of the Almighty.
Rasputin did not live in the Alexander Palace, but when he was received there, he was given complete freedom: he entered the rooms of the young princesses at any time of the day, kissed all the women, claiming that the apostles also did this as a sign of greeting, and always found an explanation for his behavior . Rasputin was by nature a rude, primitive and vulgar man, but when he entered the palace, he turned into an “old man” to whom Alexandra Fedorovna and her daughters turned with hope; he was theirs guiding star, which enlightened them and pointed the right direction in the complex whirlpool of life. You just need to follow his advice, Rasputin said, and he will be able to help the imperial family overcome all the troubles that have befallen it: thanks to his gift of a seer, he will take it beyond fate and divine Providence itself.
The “elder” understood perfectly well that he had become necessary for the imperial couple. In addition, he had an irresistible magnetic influence, and a variety of people had already experienced, finding themselves unable to resist, the hypnotic spell of his gaze. Perhaps this is how Rasputin stopped the little crown prince’s bleeding, although it will never be possible to accurately establish his methods of “treatment.” Everything happened in the presence of only relatives and servants, and no one - even those who knew the secret of the Romanovs - could act as a witness.
Rasputin’s role in state affairs should not be exaggerated, since in reality he did not have any specific program: the “old man” was a real devil in psychology, but a complete layman in politics. Dramatic events began during the war, when Alexandra Fedorovna herself, together with Rasputin, had to control the situation in raging Petrograd. Undoubtedly, the “elder” managed to impose on the emperor people he liked, Rasputin, to influence the appointment of new ministers: and indeed, from that moment on, ministers began to replace one another with dizzying speed, and they were all under Rasputin’s heel. However, at that time the entire state machine was in such a deplorable state, and in addition there was such a shortage of suitable people, that there is no basis for asserting that without the direct intervention of the “old man” things would have gone better. 
Rasputin's real conquest was his close relationship with the imperial couple, friendly and trusting; everything else came later, as a natural consequence of this closeness, which only he, the “Man of God,” was awarded. Rasputin - a healer or Rasputin - a political adviser to the sovereign is nothing compared to Rasputin - an “old man” devoted to the imperial family: it was he who was the real mentor for the Romanovs. Only he was able to alleviate the mental suffering of those to whom history had placed too heavy a burden on their shoulders. The phenomenon of Rasputin originated in the minds of these people themselves, and its appearance became possible precisely because weak character Nicholas II combined with the mystical exaltation of Alexandra Fedorovna. In other words, the Tsar and Tsarina themselves opened the doors to the swindler, a worthy follower of the numerous charlatans who infested the Russian court in past centuries.
This dissolute man, as such, never existed for them: Rasputin was only a projection of the imagination of two confused creatures, suppressed by the seriousness of the events taking place and by nature prone to irrationality. At all times, monarchs loved to surround themselves with flatterers and mediocre personalities, but, unlike the jesters of bygone eras, Rasputin appeared as a “saint” who also possessed supernatural power. So, Nikolai and Alexandra unconsciously joined a game that could satisfy their spiritual needs, but this home game turned into a tragedy for the entire country.
Outside the walls of the Alexander Palace, Rasputin again became himself: a drunkard, a lover of prostitutes, especially willing to resort to violence against women. Fanfare and bragging, he boasted of his successes at court and, having drunk heavily, told obscene details, sometimes invented by himself. His house was a meeting place for a variety of people: great princes, the priesthood, ladies of high society and simple peasant women came to him to get to the sovereign. And everyone, without exception, asked for royal mercy and intercession.
But no matter what Rasputin did, he always took all precautions so that in Tsarskoe Selo the image of a holy man that he managed to create would remain untarnished, which was the real secret of his success. Thanks to his resourcefulness and tenacity, this man knew how to defend the positions he had conquered; moreover, here he did not encounter any particular difficulties, since Alexandra Feodorovna was unable to admit that he had at least one negative trait. The Empress always rejected all stories about Rasputin’s unseemly behavior, considering them fictitious and slanderous, and could not believe that “her old man” could have another face. Moreover, this illiterate man was absolutely necessary for her, since he personified the traditional triumvirate of the Russian nation: the tsar, the church and the people.
When Rasputin felt that there was a real threat to his career, he relied primarily on the eternal fears and deep religiosity of Alexandra Fedorovna. He used psychological blackmail, describing the future of her and her loved ones in gloomy tones; he also convinced the queen that they could not survive without him, and these predictions sounded like the death knell for the king and his dynasty.
Grigory Rasputin is one of the most amazing people born on Russian soil. Not a single tsar, commander, scientist, statesman in Rus' had such popularity, fame and influence as this semi-literate man from the Urals gained. His talent as a soothsayer and his mysterious death are still a matter of debate for historians. Some considered him vicious, others saw him as a saint. Who was Rasputin really?...
Speaking surname
Grigory Efimovich Rasputin really happened to live at the crossroads of historical roads and was destined to become a witness and participant in the tragic choice that was made at that time.
Grigory Rasputin was born on January 9 (according to the new style - 21) January 1869 in the village of Pokrovsky, Tyumen district, Tobolsk province. The ancestors of Grigory Efimovich came to Siberia among the first pioneers. For a long time they bore the surname Izosimov, named after the same Izosim who moved from the Vologda land beyond the Urals. The two sons of Nason Izosimov began to be called Rasputin - and, accordingly, their descendants.
Here is how researcher A. Varlamov writes about the family of Grigory Rasputin: “The children of Anna and Efim Rasputin died one after another. First, in 1863, after living for several months, daughter Evdokia died, a year later another girl, also named Evdokia.
The third daughter was named Glykeria, but she lived only a few months. On August 17, 1867, son Andrei was born, who, like his sisters, turned out to be a non-tenant. Finally, in 1869, the fifth child, Gregory, was born. The name was given according to the calendar in honor of St. Gregory of Nyssa, known for his sermons against fornication."
With a dream about God
Rasputin is often portrayed as almost a giant, a monster with iron health and the ability to eat glass and nails. In fact, Gregory grew up as a weak and sickly child.
Later, he wrote about his childhood in an autobiographical essay, which he called “The Life of an Experienced Wanderer”: “My whole life was illness. Medicine did not help me. Every spring I did not sleep for forty nights. It was as if I was sleeping like oblivion, and spent all my time.” .
At the same time, already in childhood, Gregory’s thoughts differed from the train of thought of the common man in the street. Grigory Efimovich himself writes about it this way: “At the age of 15 in my village, when the sun was warm and the birds sang heavenly songs, I walked along the path and did not dare to walk in the middle of it... I dreamed of God... My soul rushed into the distance... More than once, dreaming like this, I cried and did not know where the tears came from and why they were. I believed in the good, the good, and I often sat with the old people, listening to their stories about the lives of saints, great deeds, great deeds.
The Power of Prayer
Gregory early realized the power of his prayer, which manifested itself in relation to both animals and people. This is how his daughter Matryona writes about this: “From my grandfather, I know about my father’s extraordinary ability to handle domestic animals. Standing next to a restive horse, he could, placing his hand on its neck, quietly say a few words, and the animal would immediately calm down. And when he watched the milking, the cow became completely docile.
One day at dinner, my grandfather said that his horse was lame. Hearing this, the father silently got up from the table and went to the stable. The grandfather followed and saw his son stand for a few seconds near the horse in concentration, then go up to the back leg and put his palm on the hamstring. He stood with his head slightly thrown back, then, as if deciding that the healing had been accomplished, he stepped back, stroked the horse and said: “You feel better now.”
After that incident, my father became like a miracle worker veterinarian. Then he began to treat people too. "God helped."
Guilty without guilt
As for Gregory’s dissolute and sinful youth, accompanied by horse stealing and orgies, this is nothing more than later fabrications of newspapermen. Matryona Rasputina in her book claims that her father was so perspicacious from a young age that he “saw” the thefts of others several times and therefore for himself personally excluded the very possibility of theft: it seemed to him that others “see” it just as much as he does .
I looked through all the testimony about Rasputin that was given during the investigation in the Tobolsk Consistory. Not a single witness, even the most hostile to Rasputin (and there were many of them) accused him of theft or horse stealing.
Nevertheless, Gregory still experienced injustice and human cruelty. One day he was unfairly accused of horse theft and was severely beaten, but the investigation soon found the culprits, who were sent to Eastern Siberia. All charges against Gregory were dropped.
Family life
No matter how many amorous stories are attributed to Rasputin, nevertheless, as Varlamov rightly notes, he had a beloved wife: “Everyone who knew her spoke well of this woman. Rasputin married when he was eighteen years old. His wife was three years older than him, a hard worker , patient. She gave birth to seven children, of whom the first three died."
Grigory Efimovich met his betrothed at the dances that he loved so much. This is how his daughter Matryona writes about it: “Mom was tall and stately, she loved to dance no less than he did. Her name was Praskovya Fedorovna Dubrovina, Parasha...
Rasputin with children (from left to right): Matryona, Varya, Mitya.
The beginning of their family life was happy. But then trouble came - the first-born lived only a few months. The boy's death affected his father even more than his mother. He took the loss of his son as a sign that he had been waiting for, but he could not have imagined that this sign would be so terrible.
He was haunted by one thought: the death of a child is a punishment for the fact that he thought so little about God. The father prayed. And prayers consoled the pain. A year later, the second son, Dmitry, was born, then - with an interval of two years - daughters Matryona and Varya. My father started building a new house - two-story, the largest in Pokrovsky..."
Rasputin's house in Pokrovskoye
His family laughed at him. He did not eat meat or sweets, heard different voices, walked from Siberia to St. Petersburg and back, and ate alms. In the spring, he had exacerbations - he did not sleep for many days in a row, sang songs, shook his fists at Satan and ran in the cold in only a shirt.
His prophecies consisted of calls to repentance “before trouble comes.” Sometimes, by pure coincidence, trouble happened the very next day (huts burned, livestock got sick, people died) - and the peasants began to believe that the blessed man had the gift of foresight. He gained followers... and followers.
This went on for about ten years. Rasputin learned about the Khlysty (sectarians who beat themselves with whips and suppressed lust through group sex), as well as the Skoptsy (preachers of castration) who separated from them. It is assumed that he adopted some of their teachings and more than once personally “delivered” pilgrims from sin in the bathhouse.
At the “divine” age of 33, Gregory begins to storm St. Petersburg. Having secured recommendations from provincial priests, he settles with the rector of the Theological Academy, Bishop Sergius, the future Stalinist patriarch. He, impressed by the exotic character, represents the “old man” ( for many years wanderings on foot gave young Rasputin the appearance of an old man) to the mighty of this world. Thus began the path of the “man of God” to glory.
Rasputin with his fans (mainly female fans).
Rasputin's first loud prophecy was the prediction of the death of our ships at Tsushima. Perhaps he got it from newspaper news reports that a squadron of old ships had sailed to meet the modern Japanese fleet without observing secrecy measures.
Ave, Caesar!
The Last Ruler At home in the Romanov family, he was distinguished by lack of will and superstitiousness: he considered himself Job, doomed to trials, and kept meaningless diaries, where he shed virtual tears, looking at how his country was going downhill.
The queen also lived in isolation from real world and believed in the supernatural power of the “elders of the people.” Knowing this, her friend, the Montenegrin princess Milica, took outright scoundrels to the palace. The monarchs listened to the ravings of swindlers and schizophrenics with childish delight. The war with Japan, the revolution and the illness of the prince finally unbalanced the pendulum of the weak royal psyche. Everything was ready for Rasputin's appearance.
In the Romanov family for a long time Only daughters were born. To conceive a son, the queen resorted to the help of the French magician Philip. It was he, and not Rasputin, who was the first to take advantage of the spiritual naivety of the royal family. The scale of the chaos that reigned in the minds of the last Russian monarchs (one of the most educated people of that time) can be judged by the fact that the queen felt safe thanks to a magic icon with a bell that supposedly rang when evil people approached.
Nikki and Alix during their engagement (late 1890s)
The first meeting of the Tsar and Tsarina with Rasputin took place on November 1, 1905 at the palace over tea. He dissuaded the weak-willed monarchs from escaping to England (they say they were already packing their things), which, most likely, would have saved them from death and would have sent Russian history in a different direction.
The next time, he gave the Romanovs a miraculous icon (found from them after the execution), then allegedly healed Tsarevich Alexei, who had hemophilia, and eased the pain of Stolypin’s daughter, wounded by terrorists. The shaggy man forever captured the hearts and minds of the august couple.
The Emperor personally arranges for Gregory to change his dissonant surname to “New” (which, however, did not stick). Soon Rasputin-Novykh acquires another lever of influence at court - the young maid of honor Anna Vyrubova, who idolizes the “elder” (a close friend of the queen - according to rumors, even too close, who slept with her in the same bed). He becomes the confessor of the Romanovs and comes to the Tsar at any time without an appointment for an audience.
Please note that in all photographs Rasputin always holds one hand raised.
At court, Gregory was always “in character,” but outside the political scene he was completely transformed. Having bought himself a new house in Pokrovskoye, he took noble St. Petersburg fans there. There the “elder” put on expensive clothes, became self-satisfied, and gossiped about the king and nobles. Every day he showed the queen (whom he called “mother”) miracles: he predicted the weather or the exact time of the king’s return home. It was then that Rasputin did his best famous prediction: “As long as I live, the dynasty will live.”
The growing power of Rasputin did not suit the court. Cases were brought against him, but each time the “elder” very successfully left the capital, going either home to Pokrovskoye or on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. In 1911, the Synod spoke out against Rasputin. Bishop Hermogenes (who ten years ago expelled a certain Joseph Dzhugashvili from the theological seminary) tried to drive out the devil from Gregory and publicly beat him on the head with a cross. Rasputin was under police surveillance, which did not stop until his death.
Rasputin, Bishop Hermogenes and Hieromonk Iliodor
Secret agents We watched through the windows the most piquant scenes from the life of a man who would soon be called “the holy devil.” Once hushed up, rumors about Grishka's sexual adventures began to swell with new strength. The police recorded Rasputin visiting bathhouses in the company of prostitutes and wives of influential people.
Copies were circulating around St. Petersburg tender letter the queen to Rasputin, from which it could be concluded that they were lovers. These stories were picked up by newspapers - and the word “Rasputin” became known throughout Europe.
People who believed in Rasputin’s miracles believe that he himself, as well as his death, were mentioned in the Bible itself: “And if they drink anything deadly, it will not harm them; They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16-18).
Today no one doubts that Rasputin really had a beneficial effect on physical condition the prince and the mental stability of his mother. How did he do it?
The queen at the bedside of the sick heir
Contemporaries noted that Rasputin’s speech was always incoherent; it was very difficult to follow his thoughts. Huge, with long arms With his tavern floor hairstyle and spade beard, he often talked to himself and patted his thighs.
Without exception, all of Rasputin's interlocutors recognized his unusual look - deeply sunken gray eyes, as if glowing from within and fettering your will. Stolypin recalled that when he met Rasputin, he felt that they were trying to hypnotize him.
Rasputin and the Tsarina drink tea
This certainly influenced the king and queen. However, it is difficult to explain the repeated relief of the royal children from pain. Rasputin's main healing weapon was prayer - and he could pray all night long.
Once upon a time in Belovezhskaya Pushcha the heir began to experience severe internal bleeding. Doctors told his parents that he would not survive. A telegram was sent to Rasputin asking him to heal Alexei from a distance. He quickly recovered, which greatly surprised the court doctors.
Kill the dragon
A man who called himself a “little fly” and appointed officials according to phone call, was illiterate. He learned to read and write only in St. Petersburg. He left behind only short notes filled with terrible scribbles.
Until the end of his life, Rasputin looked like a tramp, which repeatedly prevented him from “picking” prostitutes for daily orgies. The wanderer quickly forgot about a healthy lifestyle - he drank and drunkenly called ministers with various “petitions”, failure to fulfill which was career suicide.
Rasputin did not save money, either starving or throwing it left and right. He seriously influenced foreign policy country, twice persuading Nicholas not to start a war in the Balkans (inspiring the Tsar that the Germans are a dangerous force, and the “brothers,” i.e., the Slavs, are pigs).
Facsimile of Rasputin's letter with a request for some of his protégés
When First world war However, it began, Rasputin expressed a desire to come to the front to bless the soldiers. Commander of the troops Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich promised to hang it on the nearest tree. In response, Rasputin issued another prophecy that Russia would not win the war until an autocrat (who had military education, but showed himself to be an incompetent strategist). The king, of course, led the army. With consequences known to history.
Politicians actively criticized the Tsarina, the “German spy,” not forgetting Rasputin. It was then that the image was created eminence grise", deciding all state issues, although in fact Rasputin’s power was far from absolute. German Zeppelins scattered leaflets over the trenches, where the Kaiser leaned on the people, and Nicholas II on Rasputin’s genitals. The priests also did not lag behind. It was announced that the murder of Grishka was a good thing, for which “forty sins would be removed.”
On July 29, 1914, the mentally ill Khionia Guseva stabbed Rasputin in the stomach, shouting: “I killed the Antichrist!” Witnesses said that from the blow “Grishka’s guts came out.” The wound was fatal, but Rasputin pulled out. According to his daughter’s recollections, he had changed since then - he began to get tired quickly and took opium for pain.
Prince Felix Yusupov, Rasputin's killer
Rasputin's death is even more mysterious than his life. The scenery of this drama is well known: on the night of December 17, 1916, Prince Felix Yusupov, Grand Duke Dmitry Romanov (rumored to be Yusupov’s lover) and deputy Purishkevich invited Rasputin to the Yusupov Palace. There he was offered cakes and wine, generously flavored with cyanide. This supposedly had no effect on Rasputin.
“Plan B” was put into action: Yusupov shot Rasputin in the back with a revolver. While the conspirators were preparing to get rid of the body, he suddenly came to life, tore the shoulder strap off Yusupov’s shoulder and ran into the street. Purishkevich was not taken aback - with three shots he finally felled the “old man”, after which he only clanked his teeth and wheezed.
To be sure, he was beaten again, tied with a curtain and thrown into an ice hole in the Neva. The water that killed Rasputin's older brother and sister also took the life of the fatal man - but not immediately. An examination of the body, recovered three days later, showed the presence of water in the lungs (the autopsy report has not been preserved). This indicated that Grishka was alive and simply choked.
Rasputin's corpse
The queen was furious, but at the insistence of Nicholas II, the murderers escaped punishment. The people praised them as deliverers from " dark forces" Rasputin was called everything: a demon, a German spy or the empress’s lover, but the Romanovs were faithful to him to the end: the most odious figure in Russia was buried in Tsarskoye Selo.
Two months later the February revolution broke out. Rasputin's prediction about the fall of the monarchy came true. On March 4, 1917, Kerensky ordered the body to be dug up and burned. The exhumation took place at night, and according to the testimony of the exhumers, the burning corpse tried to rise. This was the final touch to the legend of Rasputin’s superstrength (it is believed that the person being cremated can move due to the contraction of the tendons in the fire, and therefore the latter should be cut).
The act of burning Rasputin's body
"Who are you, Mr. Rasputin?" - such a question could be asked to him by the English and German intelligence at the beginning of the 20th century. A clever werewolf or a simple-minded man? Rebel saint or sexual psychopath? To cast a shadow on a person, it is enough just to correctly illuminate his life.
It is reasonable to assume that the true appearance of the royal favorite was distorted beyond recognition by “black PR”. And minus the incriminating evidence, what appears before us is an ordinary man - an illiterate, but very cunning schizophrenic who achieved fame only thanks to a successful coincidence of circumstances and the obsession of the heads of the Romanov dynasty with religious metaphysics.
Attempts at canonization
Since the 1990s, radical-monarchist Orthodox circles have repeatedly proposed canonizing Rasputin as a holy martyr.
The ideas were rejected by the Synodal Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church and criticized by Patriarch Alexy II: “There is no reason to raise the question of the canonization of Grigory Rasputin, whose dubious morality and promiscuity cast a shadow on the august family of Tsar Nicholas II and his family.”
Despite this, over the past ten years, religious admirers of Grigory Rasputin have published at least two akathists to him, and also painted about a dozen icons.
Curious facts
Rasputin supposedly had an older brother, Dmitry (who caught a cold while swimming and died of pneumonia) and a sister, Maria (who suffered from epilepsy and drowned in the river). He named his children after them. Grishka named his third daughter Varvara.
Bonch-Bruevich knew Rasputin well.
The Yusupov family originates from the nephew of the Prophet Mohammed. Irony of fate: a distant relative of the founder of Islam killed a man who called himself an Orthodox saint.
After the overthrow of the Romanovs, Rasputin’s activities were investigated by a special commission, of which the poet Blok was a member. The investigation was never completed.
Rasputin's daughter Matryona managed to emigrate to France and then to the USA. There she worked as a dancer and tiger trainer. She died in 1977.
The remaining family members were dispossessed and exiled to camps, where their trace was lost.
Today the church does not recognize the holiness of Rasputin, pointing out his dubious morality.
Yusupov successfully sued MGM over the film about Rasputin. After this incident, films began to put a warning about fiction: “all coincidences are accidental.”
Rasputiniana:Petrenko, Depardieu, Mashkov, DiCaprio
Since 1917, more than 30 films have been made about the Tobolsk elder! The most famous Russian films are "Agony" (1974, Rasputin - Alexey Petrenko) and "Conspiracy" (2007, Rasputin - Ivan Okhlobystin).
Now the French-Russian film “Rasputin” has been released, in which the old man is played by Gerard Depardieu. Critics did not accept the film well, however, they say that it was this film work that helped the French actor obtain Russian citizenship.
Finally, in 2013, work was completed on the new Russian series “Rasputin” (director - Andrei Malyukov, script - Eduard Volodarsky and Ilya Tilkin), in which the Tobolsk elder was played by Vladimir Mashkov...
And the other day, filming of a Hollywood film about Rasputin begins in St. Petersburg; on main role film company Warner Bros. invited Leonardo DiCaprio. Why is the life story of Grigory Rasputin so attractive to directors and screenwriters?
Russian version
- We do not know whether Cagliostro, Count Dracula, existed or not. But Rasputin is a real historical figure,” says Andrei Malyukov, director of the series “Rasputin”. “At the same time, everything seems to be known about him: where he was born, and how he lived, and how he was killed. But at the same time... nothing is known! Do you know how much has been written about Rasputin? Tons! You can’t re-read everything! And everyone writes about some other person. He is a mystery, and that is why there is such interest in him. Ask anyone outside of Russia: "Who is Rasputin?" - “Yes, of course! There’s a restaurant! There’s a store!” A very popular figure.
— With what heart did you take on the filming of the series?
“I wanted to look at this person from the point of view of the truth.” After all, during his lifetime they wrote a lot about him! If you peel off and leave in a pure residue what he really did, it turns out that he was a man who sincerely supported the Russian Empire, for the Tsar, for the Tsarina, who categorically opposed the war, believing that there is enough of everything in Russia, that it is a great and powerful country. This is his message. And to those who wanted war, to those who hated Russia, he seemed like a fiend from hell. And the bottom line is that he was a man with a big plus sign. And with such a tragic fate...
— So, in your film you want to debunk all the myths that exist about Rasputin?
— There were an insane number of myths. Our eight episodes are not enough to debunk everything. Our story splits into two parallel lines: Rasputin and investigator Sweeten, whom Kerensky instructs to look into the murder of the elder and find evidence of all his “sins.” But during the investigation of this criminal crime, Sweeten, from ardent hatred of Grigory Efimovich, comes to the point that he demands that Kerensky bring the killers to justice...
Vladimir Mashkov about his hero
In the Russian-French film "Rasputin", where Rasputin was played by Depardieu, Vladimir Mashkov starred in the role of Nicholas II. Then he got into character so thoroughly that he even learned to sign his name as an emperor.
— In the new Russian film “Rasputin” my transformation is even deeper. “There’s a settler living inside me,” the actor admits. - The role is amazing! After all, Grigory Efimitch treated with prayer. He loved the person at that moment and took on all his pain. I almost died when I treated people, and this process is incredible, divine...
To declare that Rasputin is a saint or a devil, it seems to me, is the most terrible, disgusting mistake. This is very sincere person, who loved Russia, loved the Tsar, loved his people.
The story with the beard
The creators of the film say that they did not consider anyone for the main role except Mashkov, who specially flew in from America for filming. He got into character so much that sometimes he shocked the film crew: even his gait changed, a Rasputin-like stoop appeared...
Vladimir Mashkov and his hero do not have a portrait-photographic resemblance. The make-up artists even copied the beard from historical photographs down to the last hair! Makeup artists tried several beards and hair extensions, but as a result, Mashkov had to grow his hair and implant a natural beard, one hair at a time. Approximately two hours were spent on his makeup every day.
“We implanted Mashkov’s side cheeks literally hair by hair, so that even the camera would never see the glued-in beard,” said makeup artist Evgenia Malinkovskaya.
Trapped in a mirror
Filming of the film "Rasputin" began in April 2013. Some episodes were filmed in St. Petersburg, near St. Petersburg, and also in Novgorod. At the same time, the film crew faced many difficulties.
When the priests found out who the film would be about, they closed the doors of the churches and prohibited filming. (By the way, Gerard Depardieu’s team faced the same problem: Patriarch Kirill did not give them his blessing, and they also could not film in churches.)
The only temple that opened its doors for the filming of the Russian series about Rasputin was St. Samson's Cathedral. In Novgorod, they decided to film in the Anthony Monastery - and in just two days, the production designers erected a scaffolding set around the monastery wall.
It was necessary to build palace chambers. Lenfilm recreated the famous mirror trap of the Yusupov Palace, where Felix Yusupov and the conspirators lured Rasputin. This is an octagonal room of mirrors, once in which you don’t know where to go. Special mirrors were ordered for her, which are usually produced for special forces guarding consulates, so that the operator could shoot through the glass and not be reflected.
Stunts, effects, costumes
Vladimir Mashkov's partner in the film was Ingeborga Dapkunaite (Empress Alexandra Feodorovna). All dresses for her and Ekaterina Klimova, who played the Empress's maid of honor Anna Vyrubova, were designed from scratch and sewn in strict accordance with the fashion of the early 20th century. By historical examples made French lace. In England they ordered stiff collars, bought top hats and boaters. They found an antique jacket and coat for Mashkov and made a collection of shirts.
The film contains many complex stunts, most of which Vladimir Mashkov performed himself. For example, in one of the scenes, when fellow villagers believed that Rasputin had embezzled money from the sale of someone else’s horse, the actor was beaten with clubs and trampled by horses. The actor worked so honestly and let the horses get so close to him that at one moment he got carried away and the horse touched his hand.
The second, no less difficult scene is the murder of the old man. Mashkov was beaten again, and kicked. Of course, the actor was wearing special protection that covered his back, arms, chest, and legs, but the bruises remained.
Mashkov was always eager to fight, but in some episodes the stunt director was categorical: “Volodya, don’t, this is an unnecessary risk!” Therefore, sometimes the actor was replaced by an understudy, Sergei Trepesov, who worked with Vladimir Mashkov in the film “The Edge”.
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IN Russian history beginning of the 20th century there is no more interesting figure than Grigory Rasputin. A peasant who came from nowhere managed to achieve an incredible position, essentially subjugating the royal couple, which greatly contributed to the fall of the monarchy in Russia.
If for domestic historians Soviet period Rasputin was still a minor figure, but in the West they willingly devoted entire volumes of research to him.
But the charisma of the “holy elder” affected not only scientists - the image of a bearded man in a red Russian shirt turned out to be in demand in Western culture. Films, cartoons, performances, songs - Rasputin for the Western world has become the same symbol of Russia as the matryoshka doll, vodka and balalaika.
In our country, the figure of Rasputin did not cause a stir. Perhaps drinking Russian peasants in the 1990s were excited by the German vodka of the same name, where the old man was twice “depicted on the bottle.”
On the threshold of “rehabilitation”
However, recently there has been a tendency to revise the existing image of Rasputin as a dubious personality and a successful swindler. “Declassified documents” allegedly indicate that the “elder” led a very ascetic lifestyle, was not any “great machine of love” and was a righteous man.
In truth, this turn of events was to be expected. The current “historical rehabilitation” of Grigory Rasputin was seen as inevitable just a few years ago.
The miraculous transformation of Rasputin into a righteous man would have greatly amused his contemporaries. Russians of the 21st century would probably also be surprised if they learned that their descendants in the 22nd century praise “miracles” Grigory Grabovoi.
But who really was Grigory Efimovich Rasputin and what role did he actually play in Russian history?
Grigory Rasputin surrounded by women. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Coachman, don't drive...
His biography is quite confusing, and Grigory Efimovich himself had a hand in this. The difficulties begin with the date of birth, which “walks” from 1864 to 1872.
Some historians believe that Rasputin himself “added years to himself” in order to better fit the role of an “old man.”
In fact, Grigory Efimovich did not at all look like an “old man” - at the time of his tragic death in 1916, he was about 50 years old.
He was born into the family of a coachman in the village of Pokrovskoye, Tyumen district, Tobolsk province. Grisha did not study for a day at school and had no education whatsoever.
Ill since childhood, Gregory sought healing in religion, traveling to holy places. In 1890 he married Praskovya Fedorovna Dubrovina, who bore him three children.
In general, most of the information about Rasputin’s young years came from himself, and it is impossible to be sure that Grigory Efimovich was telling the truth.
“Miracle! Miracle!
Marriage did not stop Rasputin’s wanderings, and after one of his trips he suddenly announced that he had miraculous powers to heal people.
It should be noted here that the institution of healing in Russia did not arise at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries. There were always plenty of people in Rus' who declared themselves shamans, sorcerers, magicians, “men of God,” so Rasputin was by no means unique here.
In 1903, Grigory Rasputin first appeared in St. Petersburg, already having behind him the glory of a “man of God” endowed with a “gift.” Among Rasputin's adherents there are also very influential people, including representatives of the church.
There is nothing surprising in this - “officials in the church,” of whom there were many at all times, needed people who performed miracles.” in God's name" Of course, under strict and attentive control. Rasputin seemed a very suitable candidate.
For many years, historians have been arguing - did Rasputin have the ability to hypnosis? Quite possible. In any case, he knew how to influence people to achieve his goals perfectly.
So, during his first visit to St. Petersburg in 1903, Rasputin met Rector of the Theological Academy Bishop Sergius, and also Inspector of the St. Petersburg Academy Archimandrite Feofan.
They learn about the “holy elder” in the circles of high society society in St. Petersburg, and a stream of elite representatives suffering from health and spiritual grace begins to reach out to the righteous Gregory.
Why suddenly educated and smart people start to believe a peasant with a dubious biography? This phenomenon is more a part of psychology and psychiatry, rather than historical science.
It existed both before and after Rasputin. In the early 1980s scientist Abai Borubaev And psychic Mirza Kymbatbaev They put together a sect in the USSR, into which representatives of creative circles joined in rows and columns in search of grace. Huge amounts of donations flowed to the creators of the sect, made by smart, educated and successful people. This story ended tragically - by order of the head of the sect, its adherents beat to death one of the members of the “brotherhood”, the famous Soviet actor, star of “Pirates of the 20th Century” Talgat Nigmatulin.
"The Great Love Machine"
But let's return to Rasputin. Already in 1903, in the Tobolsk province, local priests signaled that the “elder” was “healing” the high society ladies who came to him in a very strange way. For some reason, getting rid of worldly passions takes place in a bathhouse, half-dressed, with actions that somehow do not look very much like pacifying the flesh.
Rasputin was accused of heresy, but the case was successfully hushed up. Supporters of Rasputin say that due to the lack of evidence of a crime, opponents claim that influential fans stood up for the “old man.”
The “bath days” will haunt Rasputin until his death, and they, in fact, will give rise to the legend of the “great Russian love machine.”
Here we must not forget that the “old man” by that time was less than 40 years old, his sexual health is evidenced by the presence of three children, the ladies who came to him were very good-looking and, unlike Siberian peasant women, very well-groomed.
Gradually the fame of the “holy elder” reaches royal court and personally until Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.
At the Russian court, as it happened historically, there was a staff of hangers-on who posed as holy fools, soothsayers, healers and the like. During times Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, this phenomenon blossomed in full bloom.
There were reasons for this - the queen could not give birth to an heir and was ready to believe in anything in order to achieve her desired goal. Her husband was a gentle man, he loved his wife sincerely, tried not to contradict her and, most importantly, also dreamed of a son.
Caricature of Russian royal house. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Physician to the Tsarevich
And then a blow fell on the royal couple - the heir suffered from hemophilia, that is, inability to coagulate blood. This disease is transmitted through the female line, but only men suffer from it.
Let's digress from the royal status of the Romanovs. Ordinary parents learn that their son is doomed to suffer all his life from a terrible disease that will most likely lead him to a young grave. The mother knows that it was her genes that “gave” this disease to her son. Terrible pain, terrible guilt. And when a child begins to suffer from terrible pain, you will do anything and believe in anything just to save him from suffering.
And then Grigory Rasputin appears on the horizon, who, according to him, later stories, appeared in St. Petersburg at the behest of the Mother of God to heal the prince.
On November 1, 1905, at the height of the first Russian revolution, Nicholas II met Grigory Rasputin in person for the first time. In his diary, the emperor wrote: “We drove to Sergievka for 4 hours. We drank tea with Militsa and Stana. We met the man of God - Gregory from Tobolsk province."
We must pay tribute to the imperial couple - Rasputin was not allowed to see the prince right away. But in 1907, the best doctors began to throw up their hands and mentally prepare parents for the imminent death of their son. And in one of these moments of complete despair, Alexandra Fedorovna called on Rasputin. The “elder” came and... relieved the boy’s attack.
Let's be objective - apparently, Grigory Rasputin really alleviated the suffering of the prince. Was it hypnosis? psychic abilities, God's grace - this can be debated. But the fact that Rasputin really helped Tsarevich Alexei can hardly be denied.
From that moment on, both Alexandra Feodorovna and Nicholas II himself were ready to pray for Rasputin. And who can blame them for this?
Rasputin addiction
Moreover, Rasputin himself declares: “The Tsarevich will be alive as long as I am alive.” He couldn’t think of a better safe conduct for himself.
And Rasputin enjoyed his newfound power. Gradually he began to influence the decision government issues, explaining their ideas with “visions.” After some time, people appointed to government positions in the empire were forced to go through the “Rasputin filter.”
Before the outbreak of the First World War, only revolutionaries openly criticized what was happening. Abroad they look at all this as Russian exotica.
But when Rasputin begins to interfere in personnel and even military decisions during the First World War, even to the point of replacing the Commander-in-Chief, this causes general rejection.
Members of the royal family are trying to influence the ruling couple, saying that all this is becoming dangerous for the prestige of the monarchy. Alexandra Fedorovna refuses to listen to critics.
Failures at the front fuel passions in society. Openly opposes Rasputin State Duma, people gossip that not only ladies-in-waiting sleep with “Grishka”, but he also cuckolded the Emperor himself.
Common sense demanded that the source of growing irritation be eliminated—Rasputin removed, at least temporarily. But the empress was not distinguished by her flexibility of character, and most importantly, the well-being of her son interested her most of all.
Colonel Dmitry Loman, Grigory Rasputin and Prince Mikhail Putyatin. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Conspiracy of the Higher Spheres
In 1914, the first attempt was made on Rasputin. He was stabbed in the stomach and seriously wounded Khionia Guseva, who came from Tsaritsyn. The “elder” was sure that he was the victim of a conspiracy, but in the end Khionia was declared mentally ill.
The real conspiracy matured at the end of 1916, and its participants were Prince Felix Yusupov, prominent monarchist Vladimir Purishkevich and even Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich. The participants in the conspiracy believed that it was necessary to rid the monarchy of Rasputin until he himself rid Russia of the monarchy.
The participants in the conspiracy subsequently changed their testimony many times, so it is difficult to absolutely reliably establish the picture of the incident. It is clear that on the evening of December 16, 1916, Prince Yusupov lured Rasputin to the Yusupov Palace on the Moika. There they first tried to poison Rasputin, but potassium cyanide had no effect on him. The conspirators opened fire with pistols, and the “old man” fell. While they were deciding what to do with the body, Rasputin came to his senses and tried to escape. They only caught him at high wall garden, where they seemed to have finished off, after which they took the corpse by car to a pre-selected place near Kamenny Island and threw it from the bridge into the Neva polynya in such a way that the body ended up under the ice.
The conspirators were let down by amateurism - the body was found quite quickly, and even faster there were witnesses who said that they saw Rasputin entering the house of Prince Yusupov. During the search in the prince's house, so much evidence was found that there was no point in denying it.
Irreversibility
The investigation, however, did not proceed quickly - persons from the royal family participated in the conspiracy, and even the emperor found it difficult to decide to punish the culprits to the fullest extent.
While the process was going on, the February Revolution broke out. After the overthrow of tsarism, no one was interested in the perpetrators of Rasputin’s murder anymore.
His death in December 1916 could no longer affect anything - Rasputinism became the last nail in the coffin of the Russian monarchy.
It is possible to understand the motives that forced Alexandra Feodorovna to stick to Rasputin. But what is excusable for an ordinary mother, exhausted by her son’s illness, is unforgivable for the empress.
History judges monarchs much more harshly than ordinary people.
But a hundred years later, it seems to someone that history has subjunctive mood and it can be changed by “drawing” an improved version of it instead of the image of the real Rasputin.
Born exactly 146 years ago famous Gregory Efimovich Novykh, known as Grigory Rasputin. Friend the last Romanovs. Subsequently, at the height of the revolution, it was he who was credited with the serious political decisions of Emperor Nicholas. What role did this mystical, but still real, play? historical character in Russian history? Amateur. media found out from experts
Questions:
What role did the famous “old man” play in the history of Russia? Is it more of a positive or negative role?
Alexey Uminsky
Today, in the 21st century, looking back, it seems that his role was very dangerous, very seductive. This was a man who took on the role of a kind of prophet and interpreter of the will of God in the royal family, and in many ways his own presence in the family of the sovereign greatly strained the atmosphere before the First World War. Of course, there were a lot of rumors about him, his name became the talk of the town, but his figure was so strange and cloudy.
German Lukyanov
This historical figure is always a little demonized, believing that he determined something there. In fact, he could only determine minor moments in history. He could not command events and predetermine fundamental events. I am deeply convinced that with his actions he, of course, went down in Russian history, but with such a disadvantage that one cannot talk about his advantages.
Was Rasputin directly involved in solving the political problems of Tsarist Russia?
Alexey Uminsky
The empress refers to him in her letters. Rasputin, of course, influenced not only royal family, but also on the structure of the church, its personnel policy, and those people who were opposed to him, he tried to remove from the sovereign’s entourage.
German Lukyanov
Sometimes this is attributed to him, but I believe that political events he could not, both within the country and in outside world. This was not given to him, including due to the existing political regime. Of course, he could influence some decisions, but he played a minor role there. I could recommend someone for some positions, but last word- for the monarch.
Is it possible to believe that Rasputin really had some kind of supernatural power?
Alexey Uminsky
This is confirmed by fairly reliable things. But what the component of this force was is unknown. He had a special power, a special charm that allowed him to attract attention and dominate the minds and souls of those people who trusted him. I can’t say that his talent was bright and God-given, but it was there. He gathered around himself a whole circle of admirers and admirers, mostly who trusted him greatly. But rumors about him as a depraved person who organizes some kind of orgies are, of course, far-fetched accusations. Some of the clergy were very supportive of Rasputin, Bishop Feofan introduced him into the royal family. But she was very harsh about his influence Reverend Elizabeth Fedorovna.
German Lukyanov
Naturally, he had extraordinary abilities, this known fact. It is known that he stopped the blood of the royal heir, and somehow he calmed the hearts of parents regarding their sick son. Yes, he was close to members of the royal family and communicated closely with them, but nothing more.
Why did the emperor stop loving Rasputin?
Alexey Uminsky
The Tsar was dissatisfied with the influence that Rasputin had on his family, but could not do anything about it, apparently because Rasputin had the ability to stop the blood of Tsarevich Alexei, thus influencing the royal family.
German Lukyanov
Because the emperor realized what role he occupied at court, and decided that Rasputin should be removed from the imperial court. Nicholas had already expelled Rasputin several times, but somehow he managed to appear before the royal eyes again. He had extraordinary ability, studied hypnosis, but these were all artificial techniques, so he was a bit of an adventurer, solving his own problems.
