Siberian peasant and mystic whose ability to improve the condition of Aleksey Nikolayevich, the hemophiliac heir to the Russian throne, made him an influential favourite at the court of Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra.

He was also known as the Mad Monk, although he was not actually a monk, but a starets (ста́рец), or religious pilgrim. He was believed to have been a faith healer. He can be considered one of the more controversial characters in 20th century history, although Rasputin is viewed by most historians today as a scapegoat. He played a small but extremely pivotal role in the downfall of the Romanov dynasty that finally led to Bolshevik victory and the establishment of the Soviet Union.

Rasputin played an important role in the lives of the Tsar Nicholas II, his wife, the Tsarina Alexandra and their only son, the Tsarevich Alexei, who was a hemophilia patient and suffered from a lot of pain.

The name Rasputin in Russian does not mean “licentious”, as is often claimed. However there’s very similar Russian adjective “rasputnii” (распу́тный) which does in fact mean “licentious”. Name Rasputin may also bear the connotation of “mud”, as in rasputitsa (распу́тица) — “mud season”. However, most historians agree that his name signifies, roughly, a place where two rivers meet, which describes the area from which the Rasputin family originates. It is said that Rasputin tried to have his name changed to the inconspicuous “Novykh” (Новы́х, “New Man”) after his first pilgrimage to the Holy Land, but this is a subject of dispute. In fact, “Rasputin” is a not-uncommon surname, and does not have a “disgraceful” meaning, as the contemporary Russian writer, Valentin Rasputin, would be quick to explain.

No related posts.