Rasputin

Grigori Yevseyevich Rasputin (1869–1916) was a Russian mystic and self-styled holy man who gained influence at the court of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra in the final years of the Russian Empire. Born to a peasant family in Pokrovskoye, Tobolsk Governorate, he married Praskovya Dubrovina in 1887 and had three children before leaving home to travel as a monk and faith healer. He reappeared in Saint Petersburg around 1905, where he attracted the interest of the imperial couple, particularly after reports that he eased the bleeding of their son, Tsarevich Alexis, who suffered from hemophilia.

The empress trusted him for spiritual guidance and healing, and Rasputin became a controversial confidant at court. His presence and alleged ability to influence political decisions provoked strong opposition among many nobles, who accused him of meddling in state affairs and undermining the government. Historians continue to debate the extent of his political influence, noting that his affable treatment of the royal family and his anti-modernist views alienated segments of Russian society.

Rasputin was assassinated in December 1916 by a group of nobles, including Prince Felix Yusupov and Sergei Yusupov; he is said to have been poisoned, shot, and then drowned in the Neva River, though accounts differ. His death did not restore monarchic stability, and the empire collapsed a few years later during World War I. Rasputin remains a polarizing figure in history and popular culture, often cited as a symbol of court corruption and mysticism, as well as a subject of ongoing historical debate about his actual influence.