Grigori Efimovich Rasputin (1869-1916)


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Well, I think Alix should have listened to what her sisters thought of Rasputin. Ella and Irene disliked him. They knew he was a fraud.It was the revolution and Alix was ill and Ella visit her and she told her not to trust Rasputin and Alix refused to listen to her. She tried to confort her. Ella left crying in tears.
 
I know that on the train to Ekaterinburg, the imperial family saw Rasputin's childhood village, but I heard that he told Alix they would pass his childhood home and that their family was doomed. I think this is just a rumor, but I don't know??????
 
How could Alexandra give up Rasputin, who was the only person who was helping her son to cope with his hemophilia and was saving his life for another hour, days, months, years...?
 
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He was the Prussian Emperor at the time of his grandmother's death...
In our family Kaiser Wilhelm II was labeled "Bullie Willie", who never had a doubt about be victorious over his cousin's George and Nicolas.
An excellent book to read is by Manchestor on the German weapons company of Krupp. It's an old book but it still rings quite accurate of "how goes Krupp goes Germany" before and during WW I and after.
 
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I never said Alexandra gave up on Rasputin, you are changing everything I said Bear. In fact I said that Alexandra did trust Rasputin, but however her sisters didn't.
I'm only saying that she should have listened to her sister Ella. But, she trusted him too much, convincing her didn't help.
 
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The way read Bear's response to you was different. I think she was pointing out that there was no way Alix could give up on Rasputin with her belief that her son's health was hanging in the balance. Ella may not have understood that. If memory serves, Ella was never around when Rasputin "healed" Alexei. Alexandra believed with all of her heart that Rasputin helped Alexei so therefore it would be impossible, as it would for any mother, to comply with Ella's request. In Alex's mind it would be like removing her son from life support.
Lexi
 
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The way read Bear's response to you was different. I think she was pointing out that there was no way Alix could give up on Rasputin with her belief that her son's health was hanging in the balance. Ella may not have understood that...[in part]...

That is what I meant.

And I agree with Lexi4's addition:

If memory serves, Ella was never around when Rasputin "healed" Alexei. Alexandra believed with all of her heart that Rasputin helped Alexei so therefore it would be impossible, as it would for any mother, to comply with Ella's request. In Alex's mind it would be like removing her son from life support.
Lexi

Thanks.

AGRBear
 
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Bear,

I think you've hit upon a point that is often ignored when talking about Alexandra and her relationship with Rasputin. She thought him necessary for her son's survival and therefore the survival of the monarchy.
I also think it is important to note that Alexandra did not always follow Rasputin's advice. For example, she did not agree with him when he tried to convince her (and Nicky) to stay out of WWI. There are other examples, but that is just the one that comes to mind right now.
And btw, you are most welcome.
Lexi
 
I don't think that that part is often ignored, all the biographies that I have read about Alexandra got great lenghts to stress how with Rasputin present, Alexei would heal (which is usually explained by Rasputins ability to calm the empress down, and as a result Alexei got calmer and the bleeding would stop).
 
That's right, but that wasn't my point. I wasn't talking about biographies. I was talking about in discussions, especially on discussion forums, of Alexandra. I wasn't very clear.
Lexi
 
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And of course Alexandra couldn't give him (Rasputin) up. There was so much pressure on her to birth an heir, then so much pressure to keep him alive. Amazing the poor woman didn't end up in a straight jacket!!
 
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The set of diary papers with the name of Rasputin on them was published today in russia. The "diary" that identity is hard to determine was kept in Russian State Archives for circa 100 years. The historians who decoded the writtings suggest that they apparently belong to one of the Rasputin's company. The main discovery of the book is the drawing of Tcarevich Aleksey adressed to Rasputin who relieved boy's pain.

There is a video in russian. If somebody's interested take a look:

 ÂÇÃËßÄ / Ðàñêðûòû òàéíû Ãðèãîðèÿ Ðàñïóòèíà (âèäåî)
 
Well that sounds interesting. From what I've read, everybody knew they (members of the IF) had plans to send Alix to a convent and possibly get Nicholas to abdicate to Misha (who would never betray his oath to the Reigning Tsar --the Crawford book) but that they actually wanted to KILL Nicky and Alix, well, that is something indeed. . .
 
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I've always wondered about that little prophecy he made before he was murdered. If their relatives murdered him, there would be a revolution, or something like that.
 
I believe Rasputin told Little Mama (Alix) that if the Russian people killed him, Alix's family would be safe. But if he was killed by an aristocrat, the Tsar would lose his throne within a year and all would perish.
 
Yeah, that. Makes me wonder sometimes if he wasn't in on his own murder and the revolution. So...weird. I can never make up my mind what he really was.
 
Russo dear,

Thank you for posting the link to Rasputin's letter. I see I misquoted it and that he foretold the destruction of the royal family within two years of his death, not one year as I remembered it. Thanks.
 
Oh good Lord I don't expect you to remember everything! Poor Warren has had to correct me many a times due to my Alzheimers! :D
See again, I don't think it took a rocket scientist for Grigory to figure out that if they went to war, there might be a French revolution in Russia wiping the IF out. So I think he was pretty safe to say what he said. You know, like those gypsy fortune tellers who give you basic information like "You're going on an adventure". And given Alix's obsession with religion and superstition she ate it up.
 
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Do you really believe that Rasputin was that politically astute? Or do you think it was his way of saying to Alix to rein in any members of the aristocracy who were grumbling about him?
 
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Do you really believe that Rasputin was that politically astute? Or do you think it was his way of saying to Alix to rein in any members of the aristocracy who were grumbling about him?
He heard a lot of things so I dont' think it took much to put 2 and 2 together. Alix shared Nicky's messages with him--I need to remember where I read that piece of info. I am sure, in the letters, there were many instances of "We didn't get the guns and (insert everything needed to fight a war here) we needed."
I also like your idea of Rasputin covertly ordering Alix to reign in her relatives. That makes perfect sense as well.
 
plain and simple, he is a creepy creepy man. I am afraid of him (and he is dead) he is just a frightening man. (and I believe he was possessed or was dealing with witch craft or something. No man has power like that or is that evil) I do believe he was using the Tsaritsa through Alexie.
 
If the story about the attempts to kill him are true, Rasputin certainly seemed to possess, or be possessed, by some incredible power which kept him alive through numerous attempts on his life. It could very well be an evil power or perhaps supernatural.
 
I am reading the bibliographical notes in Alexandra: The Last Empress by Carolly Erickson and the author mentions that Zenaida Yussoupov and Grand Duchess Elizabeth, Ella, may have encouraged the murder of Rasputin. For the first time I read that Ella sent a congraulatory telegram after the murder. Does anyone have information on the involvement of these two women?
 
I have actually come across some references that it was actually Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich who came up with the idea and plan to murder Rasputin, not Felix, but that they decided to say it was him to protect Dmitri. Although I think that is quite unlikely.

As to Zenaida and Ella, well, perhaps they thought like it's for 'the greater good'. Perhaps the encouragement was that they were very upset by the fact that Alix was rude and all that to both Zenaida and Ella. After all, Zenaida was Felix's mother, and Ella had been Dmitri's guardian, and Felix was very fond of her, too. But yes, I have read that Ella did send such a telegram to them.
 
Many of the Russian royals discussed the need to "eliminate" Rasputin, so it is not surprising that almost all rejoiced at the murder. But because of the two men involved, Felix and Dmitri, it appears that Zenaida and Ella, who were close, actively urged them on to commit the crime.
 
Page 286 of Warwick's bio. on Ella says she sent a telegram to Zenaide Yussopov stating "My prayers and thoughts are with you all. God bless your dear son for his patriotic act."
The source of this is Felix's autobio. "Lost Splendor."
 
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