S4 – 4_ Sheep's Clothing - The Mad Monk and the Myth of Rasputin

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Anna’s Journey to Siberia

• Background and Introduction:

  • Anna met Grigori Rasputin years prior through a fanatical follower named Olga.
  • Anna frequently hosted Rasputin and his followers for prayer and Bible readings.

• The Empress’s Mission:

  • Empress Alexandra sponsored a trip for a party of women to visit Rasputin at his home in Pokrovskoye.
  • Objective: To understand Rasputin’s lifestyle and the weight of his teachings beyond his palace visits.
  • Anna viewed this trip as a potential turning point to join Rasputin’s inner circle, similar to Olga.

• Observed Devotion:

  • Followers like Olga displayed extreme rapture, kissing Rasputin's feet and collecting hairs from his beard as sacred relics.
  • Olga even claimed Grigori was a transformation of Jesus Christ himself.

• The Train Incident:

  • During the journey, the party was split into two compartments. Rasputin led Anna and another woman, Yelena, into a separate sleeper car.
  • Yelena was in a state of "religious ecstasy," hanging on Rasputin's every word.
  • The car contained only two bunks. Anna occupied the lower bunk. Rasputi and Yelena climbed into the upper bunk together.
  • Anna protested the impropriety and asked Yelena to share the lower bunk, but Yelena refused.
  • During the night, Anna was awakened by something scratchy—Rasputin’s beard—against her face. He was on her bed.
  • Anna confronted him, asking how a holy man could justify such actions. Rasputin remained silent and returned to the top bunk.

• Aftermath and Conflict:

  • The next morning, Yelena scolded Anna, claiming Rasputin was attempting a "divine act" to commune with her spirit.
  • While in Siberia, Rasputin mocked Anna and made her the subject of jokes to the other women.
  • Anna observed the local Siberian population giving the group "side-eye," noting how Rasputin used charm to disarm people.
  • On the return trip, Rasputin attempted to kiss Anna, but she struck him with her fist, after which he kept his distance.

• Alexandra’s Response:

  • Anna reported to Alexandra that Rasputin was a fraud and a predator.
  • Alexandra ignored Anna's testimony, siding with other holy men and followers who vouched for him.
  • The Empress believed Anna was unable to grasp the "saintly innocence" of a Siberian peasant.

Iliador: The "Mad Monk"

• Origins and Early Life:

  • Born Sergei Truvanov into a Cossack family in Southern Russia; son of a deacon.
  • Entered church training in $1901$, meeting Rasputin in $1902$.
  • While Rasputin possessed "quiet intensity" for drawing rooms, Iliador was a powerful public orator.

• Ideology and Extremism:

  • Focused on the divine power of the Tsar, the holiness of Russia, and virulent anti-Semitism.
  • Blamed Jews for the changes in the Russian state and criticized the Tsar for moving away from autocratic rule.
  • Used the rallying cry: "The Tsar, Faith, and Fatherland."

• The Black Hundreds:

  • Iliador became a recruiter for the Black Hundreds, a violent nationalist group and right-wing terrorist organization.
  • He sheltered assassins in his monastery after they murdered a Jewish member of the new parliament.
  • Despite his actions, he was rarely punished, simply moving from one church academy to another.

• The Preaching Troika:

  • Historian Douglas Smith describes a "troika" (threesome) of upstart preachers: Rasputin, Iliador, and Bishop Hermagen.
  • Hermagen used church power to protect Iliador from consequences after street battles with police in the summer of $1908$.

• The Meeting with Alexandra:

  • Rasputin arranged a private meeting between Iliador and the Empress.
  • Alexandra commanded Iliador to stop attacking the Tsar’s ministers and preaching violence.
  • She suggested he follow Rasputin as a spiritual adviser to bring him back to the "straight and narrow."

Rasputin’s Role at the Court

• The Empress’s Conviction:

  • Alexandra believed the prayers of holy men were uniquely powerful, citing the Bible: "Pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayers of a righteous man are powerful."
  • She equated Rasputin's healing of her son, Alexei, with inherent righteousness.

• Nature of Visits:

  • Historian Helen Rappaport clarifies that Rasputin was not always at the Alexander Palace; he only came when invited and often communicated via telephone, letter, or telegram.
  • He became a "fashionable guru" to the urban elite and westernized aristocratic salons, who viewed him as a creature from "another planet."

• Teachings and Charm:

  • Rasputin offered simple, practical advice: go to church, take long walks, be humble, and reconnect with nature to strip away the vanity of wealth.
  • His lack of social graces and crude directness were perceived as authentic and attractive to the elite.

The Growing Scandal and the Secret Police

• The Game of Whispers:

  • Rumors circulated about Rasputin using back doors to keep his visits off official guest books.
  • Prince Nikolay Zhivakov was warned by a lady-in-waiting about these comings and goings, which he feared would feed suspicion of the monarchy.

• The Case of Anna Rasputin:

  • In February $1908$, a revolutionary named Anna Rasputin (unrelated to Grigori) was executed for an assassination attempt on Grand Duke Nicholas.
  • The coincidence of the name led the Okhrana (secret police) to investigate Grigori Rasputin.

• Okhrana Findings:

  • Investigative reports found no revolutionary ties but documented "predatory habits," seduction, and chronic drunkenness.
  • Prime Minister Stolypin presented these reports to the Tsar, but Nicholas told him to "mind his own business," stating it was better to have one Rasputin than "100 hysterical fits from Alexandra."

• Attempted Exile:

  • Stolypin and the Okhrana plotted to capture and exile Rasputin to Siberia.
  • Rasputin was tipped off, switched to traveling via side streets, and eventually escaped back to Pokrovskoye with the help of powerful friends.

Internal Betrayals and Public Fallout

• Theophan’s Change of Heart:

  • Archimandrite Theophan, the Tsar's former confessor, received a letter from a follower describing Rasputin as an authoritarian who beat his family and physically attacked women in private.
  • Theophan labeled Rasputin a "criminal in the religious and moral sense."
  • Nicholas received a copy of the letter but did nothing, dismissing it as a misunderstanding.

• Household Staff Alarms:

  • Alexei's nursemaid reported an attack by Rasputin to Alexandra, but the Empress silenced her.
  • The governess of the grand duchesses voiced concerns about the girls' safety and the family's reputation.
  • Nicholas refused to believe her, telling her: "I have survived all these difficult years only by his prayers."

• The Moscow Gazette Expos:

  • In March $1910$, the Moscow Gazette published a damaging article titled "The Spiritual Touring Actor Grigori Rasputin."
  • Accusations included: being a cunning Siberian charlatan, a predatory lecher, a hypnotist, a lazy deadbeat who abandoned his family, and a teacher of spiritual delusions.