What Really Happened During the Murder of Rasputin, Russia’s ‘Mad Monk’?

The killing of Grigori Rasputin, the controversial Russian mystic often called the “Mad Monk,” remains one of the most dramatic episodes in the final years of the Russian Empire. His violent death became the center of stories that mix fact with legend, but it also intensified the already unstable political situation in Russia before the revolution.

On December 30, 1916, a group of aristocrats carried out a plot to kill Rasputin in the basement of the Moika Palace in St. Petersburg. The residence belonged to Prince Felix Yusupov, one of the wealthiest men in Russia and the husband of Irina, the only biological niece of Czar Nicholas II. Several days after the attack, Rasputin’s badly beaten body was discovered in the Neva River.

Rasputin’s rise from peasant to royal adviser

During the decade before his death, Rasputin had risen from humble beginnings to become one of the most influential figures around the imperial family. He was born in 1869 in the Siberian village of Pokrovskoye along the Tura River, near the boundary between Europe and Asia. His early life suggested nothing extraordinary. Though he had some run-ins with authorities as a young man, he appeared destined for an ordinary existence.

At 18, Rasputin married Praskovya Dubrovina. They had seven children, though only three survived into adulthood: Maria, Dmitri, and Varvara. His life took a dramatic turn in 1892 when he left home for several months to stay at a monastery. That experience began his transformation into a wandering religious figure seeking spiritual insight.

Despite the nickname “Mad Monk,” Rasputin was never formally ordained. Instead, he traveled as a self-proclaimed holy man. Unlike many wandering religious seekers who abandoned their families, Rasputin continued to support his wife and remained in contact with his children. Later, his daughters even lived with him in St. Petersburg.

His intense religious devotion and magnetic personality helped him gain attention among members of the Russian Orthodox clergy and influential figures in the royal court. Eventually he was introduced to Czar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra.

In a letter written in October 1906, the czar described meeting Rasputin after the peasant presented him with an icon. Nicholas wrote that the meeting made such a strong impression that what was supposed to be a brief conversation lasted more than an hour.

The imperial couple had previously sought guidance from unconventional spiritual figures, but Rasputin seemed to have an unusual ability to reassure them and speak directly to their hopes. He encouraged Nicholas to trust his own authority as ruler, while Alexandra found comfort in his advice.

By the time World War I began in 1914, Rasputin’s influence had expanded beyond spiritual matters. He began offering political opinions and recommending candidates for government positions, alarming members of Russia’s political and social elite.

The illness of the heir

Rasputin’s connection to the royal family strengthened because of the condition of the czar’s only son, Alexei, who suffered from hemophilia, a disorder that prevents blood from clotting properly. Rasputin was believed to have helped relieve the boy’s suffering.

Accounts of his supposed healing abilities remain debated. Grand Duchess Olga later recalled that Rasputin would kneel beside Alexei’s bed and pray. The calm atmosphere he created in the palace may have helped the child stabilize. Another observer believed Rasputin may have relied on traditional folk remedies used in Siberia.

Some historians suggest his influence may have worked indirectly. At the time, doctors often prescribed aspirin for many ailments. However, aspirin thins the blood, which would have made Alexei’s condition worse. Rasputin encouraged Alexandra to keep doctors from interfering too much with the boy, which may have prevented the use of treatments that aggravated the illness.

Scandal and rumors

Although Rasputin presented himself as a devout religious figure and champion of the peasantry, his personal life often contradicted that image. Reports of heavy drinking and relationships with women from every level of society—from prostitutes to aristocrats—created public outrage.

He appeared to enjoy the attention that came with his notoriety. Rasputin sometimes wore shirts embroidered by the empress and entertained visitors from the royal household at his home. His wife seemed largely unconcerned by the scandals, reportedly remarking that he had enough affection to give to everyone.

After political reforms in 1905 loosened restrictions on the press, newspapers widely circulated sensational stories about Rasputin both inside Russia and across Europe. Many rumors exaggerated his influence over the government. Some people even sent petitions to him at the imperial palace, believing he lived with the royal family.

Wild claims spread during World War I. Soldiers on the Eastern Front repeated stories that Rasputin had a secret relationship with Alexandra, though there was no proof. Other rumors accused him of secretly aiding Germany or plotting to sabotage Russia’s war effort with bizarre schemes.

Whether true or not, these stories shaped public opinion and deepened hostility toward Rasputin.

Growing political power

Rasputin’s political influence expanded further when Nicholas II left the capital to personally command the Russian army during the war. While he was away, Alexandra took on a leading role in government affairs and relied heavily on Rasputin for guidance.

The empress, who had been born in Germany, was already unpopular with many Russians. Nevertheless, Nicholas supported her decisions and rejected suggestions that the government be reorganized.

The conspiracy

Felix Yusupov, the aristocrat who eventually led the plot to kill Rasputin, had previously lived a life of luxury with little responsibility. Members of the royal family criticized his unwillingness to serve in the war. One of Nicholas’s daughters, Grand Duchess Olga, once complained that Yusupov appeared idle while others were sacrificing for the country.

For Yusupov, organizing Rasputin’s assassination offered a chance to present himself as a patriot defending the monarchy from what he saw as a dangerous influence.

Yusupov and his fellow conspirators believed that removing Rasputin might help restore respect for the throne. They hoped that without Rasputin’s influence, the czar would return to St. Petersburg and govern with advice from the nobility, his extended family, and the Duma rather than relying on Alexandra.

Myth and reality surrounding the killing

The most famous description of Rasputin’s death comes from Yusupov’s memoirs, published in 1928. In his version, Rasputin was lured to the palace with the promise of meeting Yusupov’s wife. Once there, he was offered cakes and wine allegedly mixed with cyanide. According to Yusupov, the poison had no effect, forcing the conspirators to shoot Rasputin repeatedly before he finally died.

The dramatic story became widely known and was repeated in films and popular culture.

However, later evidence suggests the event may have been much less elaborate. Rasputin’s daughter Maria disputed parts of Yusupov’s story, pointing out that her father disliked sweets and would not have eaten the cakes described in the memoir.

The official autopsy did not report poison or drowning. Instead, it concluded that Rasputin died from a gunshot wound to the head at close range. Critics believe Yusupov embellished the story to make the killing appear like a heroic battle between good and evil.

Reaction and aftermath

Public reaction to Rasputin’s death reflected the divided opinions about him. Many members of the aristocracy celebrated the conspirators and applauded them when they appeared in public. Nicholas II punished Yusupov and another conspirator, Grand Duke Dmitri, by exiling them from court—an action that unintentionally spared them from the revolution that soon followed.

Among the peasantry, Rasputin’s death was viewed very differently. Many saw it as another example of powerful nobles eliminating someone of humble origins who had gained influence with the czar.

The conspirators had hoped the assassination would change the direction of the government. Instead, it had little immediate impact. Just a few months later, the political situation collapsed.

In March 1917, Nicholas II abdicated the throne, ending more than three centuries of Romanov rule. The imperial family was later executed by Bolshevik forces in July 1918.

For many revolutionaries, Rasputin symbolized the corruption and instability of the imperial system. His death, in their view, illustrated how desperate members of the old aristocracy had become as the empire approached its final collapse. One revolutionary leader, Alexander Kerensky, later claimed that without Rasputin, Vladimir Lenin might never have risen to power.