Rasputin, Lover of the Russian Queen?

Rasputin was a prominent figure in the Russian royal family just before the Russian revolution of 1917. The nobility felt that he had too much power over the czar and czarina, and wanted him gone. He was murdered by nobles in the basement of Prince Yusupov’s Moika palace, on December 30, 1916. Stories of his indestructible nature have been passed down over the generations, but what really happened? How did a peasant rise through the ranks to become the most important holy man in the royal family, and how did he really die? Sources and resources: Disclaimer: There are many myths and rumors about Rasputin. I have tried to find the most accurate information available, but historians disagree about many of the facts. Wikipedia “Rasputin” performed by Boney M., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16y1AkoZkmQ “Rasputin” lyrics: https://genius.com/Boney-m-rasputin-lyrics What really happened during the murder of Rasputin, Russia’s “mad monk?” 27 Dec 2016, Smithsonian Magazine, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-really-happened-during-murder-rasputin-russia-mad-monk-180961572/ The myth of Nicholas II’s indifference to the Khodynka tragedy, by Paul Gilbert, 23 August 2023, https://tsarnicholas.org/category/khodynka-tragedy/ Encyclopedia Brittannica, entry on Nicholas II, tsar of Russia, 23 Aug 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nicholas-II-tsar-of-Russia Prince Felix Yusupov, the Aristocrat Who Murdered Rasputin, by E.R. Zarevich, The Archive, 15 Feb 2023, https://explorethearchive.com/felix-yusupov The Murder of Rasputin, posted by Heather Thomas, Library of Congress Blog, 13 October 2020, https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2020/10/the-murder-of-rasputin/#:~:text=On%20the%20night%20of%20December,and%20left%20him%20for%20dead Fuhrmann, Joseph T. (2013). Rasputin, the untold story (illustrated ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 978-1-118-17276-6.Rasputin: The Untold Story This podcast uses sound from Freesound.org: minor-key-music-box by user darkwaryurmc (http://freesound.org/s/318908/) licensed under CCBYNC 4.0 All statements in this podcast represent the opinions of the host and her guests. Cover art photos: photo, public domain.