Up next in 10
Last of the Tsars - Ep2 - Shadow of Rasputin
5K views
Jun 22, 2025
Wonder-worker, saint old man or quack and adventurer? He managed to conquer the boundless trust of Aleksandra Feodorovna and Nikolay II, that entrusted to him life and health of Tsarevitch Alexei, suffering incurable illness - haemophilia. Possessing inexplicable lordship over family of Romanov, Rasputin played a rock role in falling of tsar's throne.
View Video Transcript
0:00
St. Petersburg, 1905. Russian workers are up in arms. Factories are closing every day
0:11
Calls for the removal of the Tsar are becoming more and more strident
0:17
The passive and out-of-touch emperor, Tsar Nicholas II, was under serious threat
0:24
Reluctantly, he had agreed to sign an order which limited his powers and created a parliament
0:30
The Duma. How shameful it is to live through such a crisis in the eyes of the whole world
0:38
But this is God's will, and I must endure all troubles until the very end
0:45
Three hundred years of absolutist rule were over, but the conflict between Tsarist Russia and her growing legions of radicals was not
0:55
As desperate as the political situation was, the Tsar and his Empress Alexandra remained absorbed in their own family life
1:03
and the past glories of the Romanovs. And as the tides of history swelled into a tidal wave
1:10
they found themselves right in its course, struggling to remain afloat. It was in 1904, after having four charming daughters
2:03
that the emperor and empress of Russia were blessed with a male heir
2:17
Nicholas II was determined that his son would be better prepared for the Tsar's mantle than he had been
2:24
From an early age, Alexei was introduced to public life. and expected to take part in official occasions
2:36
He was the living proof of the regeneration of the Romanov dynasty
2:40
an inspiration to an entire generation. We were learning French using the same textbook
2:52
as the youngest Romanov. And on the second page, there was his picture
3:03
For us, it was even an incentive at that time that the heir to the throne
3:10
used the same textbook as us. How could we fail to do well
3:17
Of course, we all spoke wonderful French. the air was usually dressed in a sailor suit and i also wore a similar sailor suit
3:33
we were the same age and i would always compare myself with him
3:38
it was a fashion for boys to be dressed in the same way as they
3:43
but Alexei's innocent beauty concealed an awful truth he had been born with an incurable illness
3:55
the boy was a hemophiliac and was unlikely in those days to reach adulthood
4:03
haemophilia, a hereditary disease, was passed through the mother. This had a devastating effect on the Empress Alexandra
4:16
When the child was born with that illness, which was obviously inherited from her, from the mother
4:23
who awaited the birth of an heir finally, the boy was born and he had haemophilia
4:29
That destroyed her. The matric gave four daughters to the tsar
4:43
as if it meant to tell him, be careful, don't, don't, don't
4:50
From that moment on, she lived only to ensure that the boy would survive and would reign one day
5:03
Nicholas and Alexandra's desperate concern for their son's well-being was to dominate their thoughts and shape their destiny
5:14
The first clue that a savior for the little boy might have come can be found in Nicholas's diary
5:22
November the 1st, 1905. We have got to know a man of God, Gregory, from Tobolsk province
5:33
When Gregory Rasputin arrived in St. Petersburg, his reputation as a mystical faith healer had preceded him
5:45
The Tsar and the Empress were intrigued by this man, and my grandmother introduced Rasputin to the Tsar
5:54
The grandmother and her sister realized that this man was a typical Russian-style healer
6:01
They thought it could be useful or interesting for the Tsar and the Empress to know him
6:07
but they never thought it would go that far and it would become an exclusive relationship
6:16
For Nicholas and Alexandra, Rasputin symbolized the simple soul of the Staritz
6:23
the holy man of Russian folk tradition. They believed that God had at last answered their prayers
6:32
Rasputin was to worm his way into the hearts of the imperial family
6:43
From an early age, Alexandra had wanted her son to lead as normal a life as possible
6:49
A sailor named Derevenko was assigned to protect the fragile Alexei. He was the young boy's constant companion, but by necessity he was also something of a warden
7:01
My mother, as a child, in the Crimea
7:12
used to play with the children of the emperor. She was three years older than the young Tsarevich
7:19
whom she remembers as a very spunky, energetic little boy who wanted to do all sorts of things and he was prevented from doing because they were so afraid that he would fall and again get sick from hemophilia
7:35
So the sailor who took care of him had a terrible time
7:42
It was a constant struggle to provide Alexei with a normal, happy childhood and still keep him alive
7:55
At the Imperial Palace of Livadia in the Crimea
8:05
the empress organized family and friends into helping with her charity bazaars
8:10
in the nearby resort of Yalta. Both the emperor and the tsarevich Alexei
8:15
were expected to do their bit to help Alexandra. There were round white marquise with stoves
8:29
and literally two steps away from me was air. He turned out to be a very jolly boy, a very mischievous boy
8:40
He was pulling prizes out of large socks-filled with oats and presenting them to the winners
8:47
He thrust his hand inside and cried, Oh, I can't find anything, I can't find anything, searching for a gift
8:54
But of course they were filled with gifts. And then he said, oh, this one's heavy, so heavy I can't lift it
9:01
He wanted to tease an elderly gentleman standing there. And then he pulled out a bottle of champagne
9:10
As Alexei grew up, severe bruising and hemorrhaging continued to appear without warning
9:25
often threatening his life. The doctors were at a loss. in may of 1905 gregory rasputin arrived at alexei's bedside and uttered a few soothing words
9:47
to everyone's amazement bleeding in the suffering young tsarevich stopped to the empress it was a miracle she was blind to rasputin's public image of depravity and deceit
10:01
My father saw him rush out onto the sort of balcony and draw attention to himself in no uncertain terms
10:15
And then he attempted, I don't know whether he was taken away by then
10:23
to show his vital parts. and is reputed to have said, this is what rules Russia
10:33
And that's it. As Rasputin elbowed his way up the social ladder
10:42
photographs found their way into the newspapers with captions full of suggestive innuendo
10:48
romancing the Romanovs in the family circle. Throughout St. Petersburg, Rasputin quickly became notorious, though in truth he did not
11:01
spend much time in the imperial household. He was often thousands of miles away in his native Siberian village of Pokrovskaya with
11:14
his wife and three children. And while Rasputin lingered in his homeland, his enemies in the capital were compiling
11:21
sexually compromising pictures of him. The pictures found their way to the chairman of the new parliament, or Duma, Rodzianco
11:41
Horrified, he requested an audience with Tsar Nicholas. I showed him the photographs, and I said
11:49
and what if something were to happen to the heir to the throne? I implore you, my sovereign
11:56
banish this dirty interloper from the court. The Tsar was silent and then said
12:04
no, I cannot promise you that. My grandfather didn't like Rasputin at all
12:14
He knew all about him. He studied his life. He had means to study, and he considered him as the evil spirit
12:27
Of course, Rasputin was an imposter, a tragic figure. He never was a monk, but he sometimes pretended to be one
12:36
No matter how grotesque the evidence, the Tsar could not take from his wife her one hope for Alexei's survival
12:46
Alexandra was becoming increasingly hysterical and paid little attention to public opinion
12:59
Fear for her son's life made the Empress turn ever more to God
13:03
In August 1912, the new cathedral built at Alexandra's instigation near the family home in Tsarskoye-Selot, the Tsar's village
13:13
was ceremoniously opened. It was named the Fyodorovsky Cathedral, and it was here that she spent many hours in silent prayer for her son
13:23
the cathedral still stands
13:32
an empty shell to the memory of Alexandra Feodorovna's faith the imperial couple hid their fears about the air
13:44
in a public display of official engagements outside their closest circles the nature of Alexei's illness was not known
13:51
the strain of keeping up appearances took its toll on nicholas and alexandra
14:01
whenever they could they took pleasure in normal family life far away from the formalities of the
14:09
court even when he wore the black armband of court mourning nicholas loved horsing around
14:20
when off-duty. The Tsar loved photography
14:41
and took pictures of his adored family at every opportunity. I not sure Surviving 70 years of Bolshevik rule thousands of these photographs are today held in the Moscow archives
15:05
It's not for nothing that Nicholas's contemporaries said that had Nicholas II not been Tsar
15:11
he would have made a wonderful photographer. Every evening, and for Nicholas this was the most pleasant part of his day
15:19
he would stick these photos in, sign them, sorts through them. and the whole family would join in
15:53
In the fall of 1912, the Imperial family gathered at Spala, a hunting retreat in Poland
16:11
It was a place meant for enjoying outdoor pursuits, and all the family participated
16:16
except for Alexei. He had to be content with gentle boat trips on a nearby lake
16:23
One day, while climbing into the boat, he tripped and fell. A terrible hemorrhage appeared on Alexei's thigh and groin
16:43
The seven-year-old was in agony, his strength seeping from his body. the doctors who rushed in from St. Petersburg
16:53
pronounced the case hopeless Rasputin was far away in Siberia Pierre Gilliard, the children's tutor
17:05
was in the dark about Alexei's malady which was a closely guarded secret
17:10
but he knew something was terribly wrong I found myself in the corridor
17:15
opposite Alexei's room from which a moaning sound came distinctly to my ears
17:20
Suddenly I noticed that Serena, running towards me, there was a terror-stricken and distracted look on her face
17:29
Nicholas, as so often in moments of despair, wrote to his mother
17:35
The days between October the 6th and the 10th were the worst. The poor darlings suffered intensely
17:42
The pains came in spasms and recurred every quarter of an hour
17:46
I was hardly able to stay in the room, but of course had to take turns with Alex
17:51
for she was exhausted by spending whole nights by his bed. For the first time since Alexei's birth
18:00
public bulletins were issued admitting that the heir to the throne was seriously ill
18:06
Desperate, the Empress gave instructions for a telegram to be wired to Rasputin
18:13
His reply came by return from Siberia. God has seen your tears and heard your prayers
18:21
Do not grieve. The little one will not die. Do not allow the doctors to bother him too much
18:34
Within a day of the telegram's arrival, the hemorrhage stopped. For the empress, it was simple
18:41
A miracle had been worked. Spala was to prove a dramatic turning point
18:46
From now on, Rasputin's power over the Empress was to grow unchecked
18:57
In February 1913, despite the now limited powers of the Tsar, the Romanovs were grandly celebrating 300 years of their dynasty
19:14
They made a pilgrimage through the Empire. arriving in Moscow in May
19:33
There was an appeal to welcome the Tsar. So I went along, climbed up onto a tree
19:42
and saw the Tsar and Serena with their cavalry escort. riding through Moscow
19:50
The Tsar and Tsarina were bowing to their people. It was all white, light and gold
20:08
The procession was headed by the Tsar and Tsarina. And I was rather surprised because the Tsarina looked so much more imposing, bigger somehow, than the Tsar
20:22
Despite all the splendor, the Romanov dynasty was troubled
20:43
public discontent bubbled beneath the surface and now a new weakness appeared in the royal family
20:57
newsreels had come into vogue and in them the young Alexei could be seen
21:02
obviously ill and being carried everywhere the invincible Romanovs were vulnerable after all
21:10
In the summer of 1914, the family set off on their annual cruise on the imperial yacht Stendart
21:31
It was a relatively carefree summer. As the Romanovs danced away the northern white knights
21:53
they seemed blissfully unaware that their whole world was about to be swept away
21:58
First by world war, and then by revolution. On the 28th of June, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated in Sarajevo by Serbian nationalists
22:23
The Germany of Kaiser William II saw in this the opportunity it had been seeking to expand its empire When the Austrians appealed for support in a retaliation against Serbia Germany agreed
22:44
The Germans anticipated that the Russian Tsar might well come to the assistance of his Slav brothers, the Serbs
22:51
This would give Germany the pretext it needed to declare war on Russia
22:59
But the Kaiser was the first cousin of the German-born Russian empress, Alexandra
23:05
In the close-knit world of European royalty, Willie, as he was known in the family
23:10
was also a distant cousin of Nicholas. Nicholas II couldn't believe in 1914
23:17
that a European war was going to break out. but couldn't really believe it in his heart
23:22
And I think that had something to do with the fact that he'd known William II since they were children
23:27
William had sat in the next-door room when Nicholas and Alexandra were engaged
23:33
William had fallen in love with Alexandra as a young man. Very hard to believe that your cousin, Willie
23:40
he's actually going to start a war which is going to turn Europe upside down
23:47
But blood counted for little when empires were on the march. Willie and Nicky were soon to find themselves
23:54
on opposite sides of the divide. And the Russian people would come to see
24:01
their Tsar's beloved empress as an interloper, a German spy, and the source of all the country's misfortunes
24:09
news of Germany's declaration of war on Russia
24:21
reached Nicholas at home in the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoe Selo Alexandra began to weep
24:30
as her confidant Isa Bux Hoveden remembered she was the empress of Russia
24:38
Russian always in heart and soul Once during the war she said to me
24:43
It is the country of my husband and my son I love this country with all my heart
24:50
word of the war spread like wildfire
25:08
Russia appeared to rally to the cause and even to her czar
25:13
When the Tsar arrived, we all made for Winter Palace Square
25:24
We were curious to see him and hear what he would say
25:33
People were carrying the Tsar's portrait and crosses. Reserve soldiers took their uniforms out of mouth bolts, put them on and were singing
25:46
God Save the Tsar. This was our official anthem. We went out onto the balcony, which was higher than the balcony of the emperor, and we saw
26:06
him come out, and everyone on the square in front of us
26:11
everyone, got down on their knees and sang, God Save the Tsar
26:36
At this point, a telegram arrived from Rasputin in Siberia
26:47
Let Papa not plan for war, for with war will come the end of Russia and yourselves
26:54
You will lose to the last man. The Tsar read it, tore it into shreds
27:00
and gave the order for general mobilization. People brought icons and placed them by the wheels
27:18
People were crying. And we young people were thinking that we haven't seen anything of life yet
27:27
and now we will die. Each time someone was called up, everyone would get together
27:39
They'd comfort one another, and everyone would see the recruits off. They'd be drinking and music
27:47
People were playing harmonicas and accordions. Though support for the war may have seemed strong
27:58
The last Russian defeat in 1904 had resulted in the country's first brush with revolution
28:09
As a precaution, the Tsar's secret police, the Okhrana, made it their job to neutralize those who did not support the war by exiling them to Siberia
28:19
the revolutionary members of the Duma stood clearly against the war
28:29
they staged a walkout and were promptly charged with treason and imprisoned
28:34
meanwhile the modern and well equipped German army was feeling lucky
28:45
Paris for lunch and St. Petersburg for dinner was the confident Kaiser's cry
28:53
The Tsar's army was larger than the Germans, the biggest in the world, in fact
28:57
but it was not as well equipped or as well led. Nikola supported his uncle, Grand Duke Nikolai
29:07
commander-in-chief of the army. Nikolasha, as he was known, was the obvious choice
29:14
His physical stature alone set him apart as a natural leader of men
29:18
The emperor was the shortest man of the whole extended Armada family
29:28
Unfortunately, he inherited his mother's genes instead of his father's. And all the grand dukes were from 6'2 to 6'6, and he was something like 5'7
29:40
My grandmother was his first cousin. told me once that he told her
29:45
who wants to take orders from a dwarf. But whatever personal doubts or insecurities haunted Nicholas
30:11
the Tsar was God's anointed and he did his duty, traveling the front lines and boosting his soldiers' morale
30:22
The capital, St. Petersburg, was renamed Petrograd in a spirit of Slavic unity
30:30
News from the front began to drift in. A Russian victory against the Austrians
30:34
was offset by crushing losses at the hands of the Germans. And, as always, war brought misery, fear, and tragedy
30:43
The attack was a nightmare
31:02
We were supposed to march in ranks. Our rank was scattered. Behind me was another rank, five ranks in all
31:13
And the Germans had the same. It was us against them. If I don't kill him, he'll kill me
31:27
And the horses just kept going, unconcerned whether you are on your feet
31:35
or have fallen to the ground, and the cavalry with their sabers slicing to the left
31:42
than to the right. And then we poor infantry had to clear it all away
31:59
Some were without heads, some without arms, some just wounded. The war roused the fervor of the already patriotic empress
32:17
She put on a nurse's uniform, and her two eldest daughters, Olga and Tatiana, followed suit
32:26
Alexandra supervised the establishment of 85 hospitals in the Petrograd area alone
32:32
Even the ground floor of the Winter Palace was given over to hospital beds
32:37
The well-meaning empress and her daughters struggled to do their part, caring for patients
32:42
I know that the wounded soldiers did not like that because they were still unskilled nurses
32:53
and after their departure it was often necessary to change the bandages and this was a painful procedure
33:00
The suffering she saw made a deep impression on Alexandra as she wrote to her husband after attending to a soldier
33:11
with a shattered groin scarcely a man anymore so shot to pieces perhaps it must be cut off as so black but hope to save it
33:24
terrible to look at i won't describe any more details as it's so sad
33:32
but being a wife and mother i feel for them quite particularly
33:36
Alexandra wrote daily reams to her husband at the front. In our archives, her letters alone number over 600
33:50
and two-thirds of them were written in the years of the First World War
33:56
She sometimes wrote two or three letters a day. Nicky and Alex wrote to each other in English
34:05
their best common language in a style all of their own, frozen in time
34:12
My own sweet Nicky love, may God help me to repay you hundredfold
34:18
for all your sweetness. Yes, verily, I doubt there being many such happy wives as I am
34:26
My beloved Sonny When I read your letters my eyes are moist
34:34
It seems that you are lying on your sofa And that I am listening to you
34:39
Sitting in my armchair by the lamp I don't know if I could have endured it all
34:44
If God had not decreed to give you to me as a wife and friend
34:48
I kiss you and the children tenderly Ever your old hubby, Nicky
34:55
In March 1915 the Russian army captured a key fort at Peromyshul, Poland
35:17
But their joy was short From now until the summer they were to suffer defeat after defeat
35:30
That summer of 1915, Nicky had his hands full at the front, and so his wife began to try
35:36
to lighten his load by helping with the affairs of state in the capital
35:43
That help eventually included conferring with Rasputin over political appointments. One of their joint decisions was to target the head of the army
35:54
Nicholas's uncle, the Grand Duke Nicolasha. Please, my angel, I have absolutely no faith in Nicolasha
36:03
I am haunted by our friend's wish and know it will be fatal for us and for the country if not fulfilled
36:12
You know Nicolasha's hatred for Gregory is intense. Nobody knows who is emperor now
36:20
It is as though Nikolasha settles all, makes the choices and changes
36:30
At the end of August 1915, Nikola summoned his council of ministers
36:35
and told them he was going to replace Nikolai. If the Tsar would have replaced Uncle Nikolasha
36:44
that would have been absolutely normal. The mistake was of taking up himself the high command
36:51
but his idea was a mystical idea. He felt he was a sacrificial victim
36:57
and the lamb sacrificed on the altar to the god, to the god of war
37:02
He wanted to take part in the tragedy of the Russian soldiers
37:07
my own beloved darling sunny thank god it's all over and here i am with this new heavy
37:19
responsibility on my shoulders fancy my wifey helping hussy went away what a pity you did not perform that duty long ago
37:28
it was a extremely deep relationship husband and wife a deep physical bond you know it's very
37:37
strange they were they were lovers really and as a consequence he had total confidence in her
37:46
judgment in her wisdom but the poor woman was deluded my very own beloved one you have fought
37:54
this great fight for your country and throne, alone and with bravery and decision
38:01
It is the beginning of the great glory of your reign. Our friend said so, and I absolutely believe it
38:10
I am near and with you forever and ever, and none shall separate us
38:15
Your very own wife, Sunny. In Nicholas's absence, power in the capital moved more and more into the hands of the Empress
38:31
And with the passing months, the shadow over the Russian state grew longer and longer
38:45
The Russian army's headquarters have now moved to safer ground at Mogilev, not far from Moscow
38:54
The Tsarevich Alexei now joined Nicholas there, who wrote reassuringly to Alexandra
39:02
It is very cosy, sleeping side by side. I say prayers with him every night and read your letters aloud to him
39:12
He kisses your signature. His company brings light and life to all of us here
39:17
the czar had arranged for Alexei to continue his studies
39:27
his tutor Giliart was there to teach French and to take a few snowballs
39:33
the tsarevich obviously in high spirits was in a giddy mood when he found he had been caught on
39:42
camera. Then, after months of relative good health, he suffered a severe nosebleed in
39:53
December of 1915. He was hastily sent back to St. Petersburg, where he once more came
40:02
under the care of Rasputin. The Starets was now living in an apartment at number 64 Gorokovaya
40:11
Gorokovaya Street in the capital, and the legends about him continued to grow
40:17
In early winter, my husband and I were walking arm in arm along Gorokovaya Street
40:25
when suddenly I realized I was not feeling well. I was losing consciousness, and I fainted in the snow
40:41
My husband got a flight and said what the matter What wrong with you He turned round and his eyes met the green eyes of a mouzik
40:55
a peasant with a big bushy beard. My husband guessed who it was immediately
41:05
Rasputin. His sexual passion was so strong that he could make you lose consciousness even when he was behind you
41:21
Rasputin was always careful to appear devout and servile with the Empress
41:26
leading her to believe that all rumors of debauchery were just that, rumors
41:31
Feeling the power of imperial protection, Rasputin now tried to influence government appointments across the board
41:43
People like my grandfather at the time when he was governor of Petersburg
41:48
used to receive little notes, short notes, from Rasputin. All his notes always started in the same way
41:58
Dear friend, they always said. please appoint so-and-so to whatever Rasputin thought
42:08
Governor Zinoviev threw them into the trash. In fact, it is doubtful that Rasputin's little notes
42:15
had much impact on ministerial appointments at all. What is truly important about Rasputin is not what the man did
42:24
but what he was perceived to have done or be doing by Russian society
42:30
And it's how he was perceived and the way that that destroyed the prestige of the dynasty
42:37
that is really important in the history of the Russian Revolution. If Rasputin was damaging the Tsar's name in the capital
42:49
the war was testing his subjects' loyalty throughout the rest of the empire
42:54
Wounded soldiers, recuperating far from their families, were torn by the letters that started to arrive from home
43:08
As a boy, Kolja Izacek read such letters aloud to soldiers billeted in his school
43:16
They were writing that, for example, Ivan had also been drafted, that one of them had had to sell their cow
43:25
that the horse couldn't work anymore, that there were no men left in the village
43:31
All had been driven away to this carnage, and that we, women, are sowing and gathering in the harvest
43:38
and doing the work of horses. Life had become very hard. There were no supplies left, no cotton or cloth
43:48
barely any kerosene. The Tsar, the little father
44:00
tried to keep morale at the front high. His own morale was far from high
44:11
as news from Petrograd of strikes and shortages filtered through. And to those who saw their Tsar at this time
44:19
his face betrayed his sense of isolation. When he raised his hand in greeting to us
44:28
in his face was, I can't describe it, I saw such a look of terrible despair
44:35
as though he were asking us, what shall I do? Often, when I was in church
44:45
I found that some icons would remind me of the Tsar. such a look of resignation in his face
45:05
and even now I can see him before my eyes that winter of 1916
45:19
The whole family were again reunited with Nicholas at headquarters at the front
45:31
In December 1916, Rasputin wrote to the Tsar. I feel that I shall leave life before January the 1st
45:41
Tsar of the land of Russia. If you hear the sound of the bell which will tell you that Gregory has been killed
45:48
you must know this. If it was your relations who have wrought my death
45:54
then no one in your family, that is to say none of your children or relations
46:00
will remain alive for more than two years. They will be killed by the Russian people Gregory
46:20
In Petrograd, Rasputin's supposed political influence was grist to the mill of the Tsar's enemies
46:27
And in the Duma, one member finally had the courage to say what others were thinking
46:31
Vladimir Purishkevich was a prominent monarchist. The Tsarist ministers are puppets whose strings are held tightly in the hands of Gregory Rasputin
46:46
that evil genius of Russia and the Tsar. And the Empress Alexandra, a German woman
46:54
who's been left on the throne. The Tsar's reluctance to rid himself in Russia of this corrupt man
47:03
is pushing Russia into an abyss from which there will be no way back
47:11
Those closest to the Tsar felt it was now time to act
47:16
The Tsar's first cousin, Grand Duke Dmitry, was to take up the challenge
47:22
If Nicholas would not put an end to Rasputin's influence, then he would
47:27
The plan was remasterminded by Prince Felix Yusupov
47:40
Married to the Tsar's niece, he was one of the richest men in Russia and known for his flamboyant behavior
47:47
A more unlikely assassin would have been hard to find. Prince Yusupov now enrolled the support of Purushkevich
47:56
who was to supply the murder weapon. Grand Duke Dmitri, something of a socialite
48:03
determined the time of the plan's execution. His first free evening wasn't until the 16th of December
48:11
The date was set. Rasputin was invited to the Yusupov palace for midnight
48:19
and led down to the cellar. Whatever happened that night has been obscured by time and imagination
48:27
The story goes that his hosts poisoned him with cyanide, shot him three times at point-blank range
48:35
and beat and kicked him. Still, he pulsed with life. The astonished assassins dragged him outside
48:42
to the icy river Niva and threw him in. The waters closed over his body, and all was still
48:53
At the Alexander Palace, the Tsarina was frantic upon hearing the dire rumours about Rasputin
49:04
She wrote to Nicky. You can imagine our feelings, thoughts. Our friend has disappeared
49:12
I cannot and won't believe that he has been killed. God have mercy
49:16
Three days later, one of a pair of galoshes belonging to Rasputin was found on the Petrovsky Bridge
49:26
The police began to search the river and soon made a grisly discovery
49:38
The autopsy report, discovered years later, reported no traces of poison in the body and no water in the lungs
49:46
But ever the cause of death, the mad monk was no more
49:58
Alexandra was inconsolable. It was her wish that Rasputin be buried in the gardens of the Alexander Palace
50:04
where she could take courage from his spiritual presence. Nicholas returned from the front to comfort his grief-stricken wife
50:16
who was by now despised by her subjects and bereft of her source of hope
50:23
For Nicholas, it was one step closer to the abyss. Tsar of the land of Russia, you must know this
50:32
If it was your relations who have wrought my death, then no one of your family will remain alive for more than two years
50:42
They will be killed by the Russian people. Gregory
#Education