A Wicked Song

In an era shaken to its core by dramatic political and social change, a nation wracked by war and looming economic disaster looked for a villain to blame. In Russia, on the eve of the October Revolution, that villain was the charismatic holy man who had seemingly bewitched the tsar and the royal family. In this episode, we explore the life and the many deaths of Grigori Rasputin. Was he a spiritual guide, a faith healer, or a wielder of occult forces? 

Researched, written, and produced by Corinne Wieben, with original music by Purple Planet.   

Episode sources  

Chapters

• 0:00 Pre-roll
• 0:15 Intro
• 1:54 Whips
• 7:54 Blood
• 15:34 Poison
• 22:30 Conclusion
• 24:49 Outro

Transcript

Pre-roll
You’re listening to Enchanted, a podcast on the history of magic, sorcery, and witchcraft. I’m Corinne Wieben. Just a heads up before we start: this episode acknowledges the existence of sex. Listener discretion is advised.

Intro
On March 18, 1912, the New Sunday Evening Newspaper in Russia published the following:

Rasputin is a symbol. He is not a real person. He is the characteristic product of our strange times, when we must endure exhaustion without end, when you feel around you a poisonous miasma, rising up out of the swamp,  when the twilight descends all around, and in the half-light strange figures come crawling out from their cramped lairs—ghouls, bats, the undead, and every kind of evil spirit.

In an era shaken to its core by dramatic political and social change, a nation wracked by war and looming economic disaster looked for a villain to blame. In Russia, on the eve of the October Revolution, that villain was the “mad monk,” the charismatic holy man who had seemingly bewitched the tsar and the royal family. Was he a spiritual guide, a faith healer, or a wielder of occult forces?

In this episode, I bring you the story of the life and the many deaths of Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin.

Whips
The isolated Siberian village of Pokrovskoye, is the birthplace of Grigori Rasputin. Siberia is an enormous region of Russia, which, in the nineteenth century, carried a reputation for the religious fervor of its people and their healthy suspicion of outsiders. Growing up in a peasant family, Rasputin lacked a formal education in his childhood, but he did display a strong inclination toward spirituality. At eighteen, he married Praskovaya Fedorovna Dubrovina. A pious woman, she worked to convince her husband that he had a religious calling, and he began preaching in the village. His neighbors might have taken his preaching more seriously had he not simultaneously been cultivating a reputation for drinking and debauchery. When some of his neighbor’s horses went missing, the villagers accused Rasputin of theft and exiled him. He took this as his chance to become something more than the village pariah.

Deciding to go on pilgrimage, Rasputin walked roughly 325 miles to a monastery housing a mystic, whose divine visions had made him a celebrity. After an audience with this spiritual leader, Rasputin, filled with religious zeal, dedicated himself to God and Orthodox Christianity. He gave up drinking, adopted a vegetarian diet, and returned to preach in Pokrovskoye, where he quickly gathered a group of followers. Still suspicious of the preacher, the villagers began speculating that Rasputin had joined the controversial Khlyst sect.

While probably not a member, Rasputin would have encountered the sect’s members, beliefs, and practices. The origins of the sect are shrouded in mystery, but it was probably founded in the early seventeenth century. One story holds that in 1631 an army deserter proclaimed, “I am that God foretold by the prophets and have come down to earth to save the human race, seek no other God.” He preached against the Orthodox Church, calling it heretical, and he and his followers denied traditional sacraments like baptism and marriage. They believed that Christ had been reincarnated and that his presence could be called down through their sacred rites. The Khlysty flourished in Siberia, where its members reportedly wore white robes, gathered, and chanted in ceremonies led by a man they called “Christ” and a woman called “Mother of God.” Rumors circulated that the Khlysty would whip themselves and, in an attempt to ecstatically commune with the Holy Spirit, engage in wild orgies. The group’s enemies called its members “Khlysty,” from the Russian word for “whip.” The rumors about group sex may have sprung from the whirling ritual dances the group engaged in during their rites. One witness described this dance as “quite elegant, inspired, beautiful, and full of inner fire and striving.” After this dancing had induced a heightened state in its participants, the group’s priests, men and women whom they called “prophets,” would preach. 

It would be a mistake to see the Khlysty as an isolated movement. By the end of the nineteenth century, the whole of Europe had become obsessed with occultism, spiritualism, and spiritual seeking. Hand in hand with this new interest in the occult came conspiracy theories about demonic forces and those under their influence. In Russia, the dramatic transformations of industrialization and modernization led many to speculate that Russia’s enemies were using occult means to destroy the national spirit. No wonder, then, that many saw the Khlysty as not just eccentric but dangerous. Rasputin’s interest in others’ spiritual views and intense religious experiences would have drawn him to Khlysty ideas. While the extent of his involvement with the sect remains uncertain, their teachings appear to have significantly influenced his spiritual development and practices, as well as his disdain for the sacrament of marriage.

In 1902, after one too many scandalous affairs, Rasputin left Pokrovskoye for the city of Kazan. At 33, Rasputin had begun a career that would take him to the height of power, wealth, and fame. In Kazan, Rasputin began preaching and gathered a growing audience of supporters. He began working as a faith healer. One man who saw Rasputin treat his wife for severe depression testified, “My wife’s despair grew into insanity, and the doctors couldn’t do a thing. Someone advised me to send for Rasputin… Imagine this: after speaking with her for a half hour, she became totally serene. Say whatever you like against him, maybe it’s even so. But he saved my wife—and that’s the truth!” In addition to healing, Rasputin also began prophesying the future. He earned the support of a local monk when he warned him to be careful of one of the young monks in his care. When that same young monk attacked his superior with a knife a few days later, Rasputin’s reputation as a prophet soared within the Orthodox Church. By 1903, Rasputin found himself in Saint Petersburg, where the bishops were convinced he was a starets, a person with immense spiritual power and prophetic insight. The peasant from Pokrovskoye was about to be famous.

Blood
As a boy, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia witnessed his grandfather’s assassination. Later he wrote that, at that moment, he felt “a secret conviction… that I am destined for terrible trials. And my reward will not come on this Earth.” Nicholas spent the rest of his life devoted to religion and interested in mysticism and faith healing. His wife, Tsarina Alexandra Vedorovna, was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England, another ruler interested in religious mysticism. On July 30, 1904, Alexandra gave birth to a son, Alexei, the long-awaited heir to the imperial throne of Russia. However, after the baby experienced frequent bleeding and bruising, doctors diagnosed him with hemophilia, a dangerous condition that frequently proved fatal. The disease is genetic, and Queen Victoria is credited with introducing it to most of the royal houses of Europe through her descendants. It is also excruciating, and Alexei experienced terrible pain for most of his life. Alexandra became convinced that only spiritual intervention could heal her son. In 1905, the royal family discovered Rasputin, granting him entry to the imperial court. After spending time with Alexei, Rasputin showed an apparent ability to ease the boy’s pain. Alexandra was convinced that Rasputin was a messenger from God and put all her faith in Rasputin’s healing powers.

While at the court, Rasputin quickly gained some aristocratic supporters, many of them women. One friend of the empress said he appeared in the court in the unremarkable guise of a peasant but that he had “most extraordinary eyes, large, light brilliant, set deep within their sockets, and apparently capable of seeing into the very mind and soul of a person.” Rasputin’s influence on the royal family and his political involvement sparked controversy. His close relationship with Tsarina Alexandra caught the attention of the Russian nobility and the general public. Many believed Rasputin exerted considerable control over the royal family, manipulating their decisions and taking advantage of their trust for his benefit. Rasputin’s personal conduct did not help, contributing to his infamy. His fondness for alcohol, rumored sexual promiscuity, and connection to the Khlyst sect were considered scandalous and immoral, further damaging the reputation of the Russian imperial court.

In 1910 photos of Rasputin amid a group of naked women—some of them possibly nuns—rocked the imperial court. Nicholas refused to dismiss him but suggested that Rasputin leave Russia to travel to the Holy Land on pilgrimage in 1911. After his return, however, the scandals continued. Letters emerged between Tsarina Alexandra and Rasputin, showing just how strong their connection had become. One letter, dated February 7, 1909 reads:

It is an unspeakable joy that You, our beloved, were here with us. How [can we] thank You enough for everything?… I wish only one thing: to fall asleep on Your shoulder… You are our all. Forgive me, my teacher—I know I have sinned much and still do—forgive and be patient… I love You and I believe in You… God grant us the joy of meeting soon. I kiss You warmly. Bless and forgive me—I am Your child.

But just as Nicholas’s confidence in Rasputin was wavering, disaster struck. In September of 1912, the royal family arrived at their hunting lodge in Poland, where the eight-year-old Alexei fell while playing, causing massive bleeding into his lower abdomen. Despite medical treatment, Alexei lay feverish and delirious, suffering excruciating pain as the swelling worsened and began to compress his nerves. By October, it was clear to everyone that Alexei was dying. His parents sat with him as he received the Last Rites.

In a last desperate bid to save their son, Nicholas and Alexandra summoned Rasputin. He sent a telegraph before he set out, writing “The Little One will not die. Do not allow the doctors to bother him too much.” When Rasputin arrived at Alexei’s bedside, he hovered over the boy, passing his hands over Alexei’s face and body and muttering something that sounded like prayers or incantations. At this, Alexei grew calm. His fever broke, and over the following weeks, the hemorrhage stopped, and the swelling subsided. The doctors were in awe. One recalled, “When Alexei was bleeding, I was unable to stop it with any method… [Rasputin] casually went up to the sick fellow and after the briefest time the bleeding stopped.” Alexandra described Rasputin’s power as “healing magnetism.”

The concept of healing magnetism is connected to mesmerism, the practice developed by eighteenth-century German doctor Franz Mesmer. Mesmer believed that an invisible force, called “animal magnetism,” connected all living things and was the secret to diagnosing and treating many illnesses. Eighteenth- and nineteenth-century mesmerists attempted to heal by laying on hands and redirecting the magnetic flow of energy through the patient’s body.

In 1826 The Royal Academy of Medicine in Paris investigated mesmerism. The study’s findings were as follows:

Magnetism has taken effect upon persons of different sexes and ages… In general, magnetism does not act upon persons in a sound state of health… Neither does it act upon all sick persons… we may conclude with certainty that this state exists, when it gives rise to the development of new faculties, which have been designated by the names of clairvoyance; intuition; internal prevision; or when it produces great changes in the physical economy, such as insensibility… and when these effects cannot be referred to any other cause… Magnetism ought to be allowed a place within the circle of medical sciences…

Though skeptics criticized the theory of mesmerism in the latter half of the nineteenth century, some, like Tsarina Alexandra, believed in its power even in the twentieth century. Rasputin frequently insisted that he was healing with prayer, but by 1913, he was looking for instruction in mesmerism, perhaps because his powers were faltering.

Poison
After Rasputin’s rescue of Alexei in 1912, Nicholas and Alexandra believed he could work miracles. Rasputin, however, was experiencing an existential crisis, falling back into his addictions to alcohol and sex. His presence at the imperial court was becoming inconvenient. One of Nicholas’s ministers showed him an editorial claiming that Russia was ruled not by the tsar but by an unnamed holy man. When Nicholas asked who this could be, his minister replied, “There is but one starets of that sort in Russia, and you know who he is. He is the sorrow and despair of all Russia.” The troubles of both the tsar and the starets grew as Russia joined World War I in 1914. Nicholas sent Rasputin back to Pokrovskoye, where a veiled woman approached him outside his home and stabbed him with a dagger. Though he survived the assassination attempt, Rasputin would never fully recover.

When Nicholas decided to join his troops at the front, Alexandra welcomed Rasputin back to the imperial court, where they assumed more and more responsibilities as the war increasingly occupied Nicholas’s attention. Anti-German sentiment turned Russians against Tsarina Alexandra and her German relatives, and Rasputin warned Nicholas of the dangers of a populace that was both discontented with their leaders and starving, as food stores and transportation were diverted to supply the army. Nicholas ignored Rasputin’s warnings, and Alexandra wrote urgently to her husband, telling him to “Hearken unto Our Friend, believe Him, He has your interests and Russia’s at heart—it is not for nothing God sent him to us—only we must pay more attention to what He says…” In addition to advice, Alexandra sent her husband trinkets of Rasputin’s as though they were saints’ relics—wine from Rasputin’s name day party, a comb he had once used—insisting that the use of these things would bring Nicholas health and wisdom.

By late 1915, powerful Russians expected the imminent collapse of the state, now entrusted to a German princess and a mad monk. The Russian people, losing the war and rocked by Rasputin’s scandalous conduct, lost all confidence in the tsar, calling this the “Reign of Rasputin.” Some historians have said the rumors that Rasputin controlled the imperial family contributed more to the downfall of the monarchy than any revolutionary movement. However, in the end, Rasputin’s death came not at the hands of rebels but a handful of aristocrats.

Before he became Rasputin’s assassin, Prince Felix Yusupov was probably best known for being the playboy heir to an enormous fortune. By 1915, Yusupov was convinced that Rasputin was to blame for Russia’s undoing and that he needed to rescue Nicholas and Alexandra from the monk’s influence. Yusupov recruited his friend, Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich. Pavlovich was a cousin to the tsar and had a very good reason for wanting to preserve the integrity of Russia’s monarchy; he was a possible heir to the imperial throne should anything happen to Alexei. The two recruited a few more friends and hatched a plan, and on December 16, 1916, Yusupov invited Rasputin to his house for a late-night dinner party.

Yusupov had decorated his cellar for the occasion, as he figured it offered the most privacy and the least amount of noise to the outside world. As the two men sat, Rasputin ate cakes and drank wine. Both were laced with cyanide. As time passed, the poison did not seem to be working. Yusupov excused himself and met with the other conspirators upstairs. After some discussions, he went back downstairs with a pistol, shot Rasputin, and returned, leaving the monk alone to die in the cellar. After enough time passed that the conspirators were sure Rasputin was dead, Yusupov reentered the cellar and grabbed the body. Rasputin reportedly opened his eyes, stood up, and began to rage and claw at Yusupov, who ran for his life. The other conspirators, hearing the turmoil, descended only to find Rasputin making his way through the sideyard to freedom. They shot him twice more and dragged his body back into the cellar. Beside himself with terror, Yusupov began beating Rasputin’s body until his friends finally pulled him back. The men drove to a nearby bridge, where they threw the mangled body into a hole in the ice of a frozen river.

When Rasputin was still missing the following day, everyone assumed Yusupov, the last man to see him alive, was responsible, especially Tsarina Alexandra. As news of Rasputin’s death spread, the people of Petrograd rejoiced. Rasputin’s body was recovered from the ice a few days later, and some, including Alexandra, insisted he was a martyred saint. Reports of Rasputin’s mysterious powers, dramatic death, and unclear cause of death—as multiple autopsy reports emerged—gave rise to the rumor that Rasputin had the power to defy death by human hands until the river finally drowned him.

On February 23, 1917, two months after Rasputin’s death, an uprising broke out in Petrograd. By March, Nicholas had abdicated his title and political authority as tsar of Russia. The following year, on July 17, 1918, Russian rebels shot Nicholas, Alexandra, their children, three servants, and the family doctor in the basement of the former tsar’s house in Yekaterinburg.

Conclusion
Historians frequently debate the relationship between Rasputin and the occult. His life and practices were shrouded in mystery, and he was known for his spiritual and mystical abilities. His reputation as a healer and mystic has led some to believe he was involved in the occult or connected with esoteric practices. While Rasputin was deeply religious, there is no concrete evidence that he was directly involved in occult practices, but his spiritual journey led him to encounter various religious groups and sects, including the controversial Khlysty, who emphasized the same kinds of extreme asceticism and ecstatic religious experiences Rasputin seemed to enjoy.

Rasputin’s alleged healing abilities and his influence over the Russian royal family, particularly Tsarina Alexandra, have also contributed to the perception of his connection with the occult. Some have speculated that his abilities to alleviate Alexei’s suffering resulted from mystical or supernatural powers. However, many stories surrounding Rasputin have been exaggerated or sensationalized over time. While there is no definitive evidence to prove or disprove Rasputin’s involvement in the occult, his enigmatic persona and the air of mystery surrounding his life have left ample room for speculation and intrigue.

In his poem, “The Muzhik (moo-ZHEEK),” the early twentieth-century Russian poet Nikolai Gumilev wrote: “There he is, carrying his pack,/ filling the forest trail/ with a long, drawn-out song, a soft song,/ but a sly song, oh a wicked song…/ He comes — God help us! —/ to our proud capital./ He enchants the empress/ of endless Russia…”

Outro
If you enjoyed this episode, you can subscribe to Enchanted wherever you listen. This episode was produced by me, with original music by Purple Planet. You can find them at purple dash planet dot com. If you want to learn more about Rasputin and the occult, check out Joseph Furmann’s Rasputin: The Untold Story and Douglas Smith’s Rasputin: Faith, Power, and the Twilight of the Romanovs, and be sure to check out the sources link in the show notes for even more. Special thanks to Enchanted’s Patreon patrons for supporting the production of this and every episode. If you want to support Enchanted, please visit patreon dot com slash enchantedpodcast. If you’re looking for a way to support the show that won’t cost you anything, you can always give Enchanted a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser, Audible, or wherever you listen and recommend Enchanted to your friends. You can get in touch with me via email at enchantedpodcast at gmail dot com or follow on Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr at enchantedpodcast and on Twitter at enchantedpod. As always, for more information and special features for each episode, visit enchantedpodcast dot net. I’m Corinne Wieben. Thank you for listening and stay enchanted.