Rasputin was known as a healer...
and when this was brought to the attention of the Tsarina Alexandra he became one of her closest confidants. It has been documented that the presence of Rasputin at the bedside of the ailing Alexei, could bring on a cessation of internal bleeding which is often fatal for a hemophiliac.
Many felt that Rasputin was taking advantage of the Tsar and Tsarina and was attempting to ingratiate himself into position of prominence within the Royal Family. Also, members of the Russian Imperial Government were concerned with decisions made by the Tsar where ministers of government were fired and quickly replaced by supporters of Rasputin.
Members of the Romanov family decided to take matters into their own hands and assassinate the Mad Monk. The Tsar's cousin, Grand Duke Dimitri Pavlovich and Prince Felix Youssoupov, husband of Nicholas II's niece Princess Irina Alexandrovna of Russia, were among the leaders of the plot to strike against Rasputin.
The events on a night December 1916...
at the Palace of Prince Youssoupov vary somewhat, however it is known that Rasputin was invited under false pretences to the home. The first attempt to kill him was by poisoning. When this didn't achieve the desired results, he was shot by Youssoupov.
With poison in his system and a bullet in his chest he staggered outside into the courtyard. One of the conspirators, Purishkevich, shot him several more times, one bullet hitting the head. Still Rasputin continued to crawl away in the snow.
The group of men now desperate to be rid of this man beat him then tied him and dragged him by the neck to the Neva River, where they threw him in. Several days later his body was recovered from the river and autopsy revealed he had died from drowning. This man of mystery had survived poison, bullets, beating, hanging and died only when plunged into icy-cold water.
This article is part of the Historic Travel series on The St. Petersburg Traveler.
