Gregory Rasputin was a Russian mystic who befriended Tsar Nicholas II and his family. He proclaimed himself as a holy man and was known as a monk. But he did not have any position in the Russian Orthodox Church.
Rasputin influenced the imperial history of Russia. Nicholas II gave him a position in the royal court because of his supposed healing powers. He soon became Tsarina Alexandra’s favourite. Rasputin was also known for his prophetic powers. When Russia entered World War I, Rasputin prophesied that the country would face a calamity. In 1915, Nicholas II took command of the Russian army, and Alexandra took responsibility for domestic policy.
Alexandra governed according to Rasputin’s whims; she dismissed ministers who were said to be suspicious of the ‘mad monk’. Though the government officials warned her of Rasputin’s undue influence, she did not pay any heed. Tired of the mad monk’s prophecies and ideas, a group of conspirators killed him and threw his body into the Neva River.
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