The Last Czar Essay, Research Paper

The Last Czar Have you ever heard of Gregory Efimovich Rasputin, the holy man, the mad monk? The first time I heard of the mad monk and his involvement within the Alexandra Palace in Tsarkoe, Selo I was really moved by the turn of events; that lead to the overthrow of the Russian imperial system, the dethronement of the House of Romanov and the assassination of the Imperial Family. The mad monk was in the highest circles of St. Petersburg society, and captured the attention of the higher clergymen of the Russian Empire. The monk performed his miracles within the palace on the imperial couple s son, Tsarevich Alexis Nicholaievich, who was born with Hemophilia. In my story of the mad monk and the imperial family you will learn why the mad monk was loved, and why he was hated in the circles he traveled. I will also reveal the dark side of this so-called holy man; one of a man with a debauched, and endless sexual appetite. Undoubtedly, the Empress Alexandra never had relations of a sexual nature with Rasputin; he was a healer to her son, Alex, the heir to the throne, when he had a bleeding crisis. Alexandra put her faith into Rasputin, she became dependent on him, and she saw no wrong in the his ways. Many of the Orthodox clergymen became skeptical of the monk and his close involvement with the imperial family, the Romanov family members of Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich also became concerned and wanted him to be sent away. With many entreaties from Tsars Nicholas s family to send the monk away, Nicholas was so in love with Alexandra , that he could not send the monk away for fear of his son bleeding to death and his family falling to pieces. Rasputin had great influence over the imperial family, and his actions causing outrage , gave a scandalous image to the imperial family. Without delay , from rumors about the monk, and his drunken parties, of wild sexual behavior, Nicholas punished Rasputin by sending him back to the provinces. Rasputin as summoned by Alexandra not long after his departure , when the Empresses son had another bleeding crisis. A penitent Rasputin, was never again challenged and his behavior remained as sinful as ever. Rumors of Rasputin ranged anywhere from him having orgies in his basement to having sex with prostitutes. Despite the monk s drinking bouts, and womanizing ways, Rasputin remained in high circles.

Consequently, some of the family members of the Romanov s took matters in to their own hands and plotted to assassinate the monk. The killers were believed to have been the Tsra s cousin, the Grand Duke Dimitri Pavlovich, and the Prince Felix Youssoupov. Rasputin was invited by Youssoupov to his vast Petrograd palace on December 16, 1916. Rasputin ate teacakes, and drank wine; any of which were filled with enough cyanide to have killed six men. When the mad monk did not die from the poison, he was then shot. Rasputin gained consciousness and crawled his last steps to the gate of the entrance of the Petrograd palace, where he was then shot and beaten. Rasputin s body was found in icy water s of Neva on December 19. Rasputin s bonds were broken upon discovery. This indicated that he did not die until his body was submerged into the icy waters, and his lungs filled with water, drowning him. Furthermore, Nicholas and Alexandra exiled the conspirators and said that no punishment could ever be too great for the crimes they committed. Alexandra read a letter from Rasputin written just before he died. In the letter, he said that he knew his life would end in a few days, and if anyone else besides her family killed him, she would be safe; but if it was her family who killed him, within two years her whole family would be dead. After the death of Rasputin Nicholas lost his throne, and some of the Romanov cousins were killed by a Bolshevik firing squad. The Tsar s family , and their staff were imprisoned in a house in Ekatinburg. On July 16, 1918 The Tsar , Aleaxandra, their fourteen year old son, their four daughters, and staff members were taken into a half cellar room and killed by a Bolshevik secret police firing squad. The bodies have never received a proper burial, and today the bones remain in basement.