Rasputin

Often, there are many rumors regarding Rasputin. Some call him a "mad monk" and believe that he held powers greater than any normal human. The big question is this: how can a peasant with hardly any influence, make his inner way into the royal family?

Well, let's start from the beginning. Rasputin was born in 1869, and was raised in a Siberian village. As a young man, he had a very bad reputation. Rasputin was often the troublemaker, and would frequently get drunk. He also sexually harassed many women. Rasputin later became a monk, and his ideas of how to attain salvation were alluring, and mysterious. He believed that by giving in to sin (more often, for Rasputin it was sexual sin), one would be able to achieve salvation. This idea was new, and somewhat exciting for the Russian public. People were interested in him, and his ideas. And it was not only his ideas that were so alluring. Rasputin himself seemed to tempt many women. It was rumored that his charm seemed to almost hypnotize people. Rasputin though, not only charmed his way into the rich public, but also captured the interest of the most important couple in Russia; Czar Nicholas II and his wife (The royal couple of Russia). It was not only his personal magnetism though, that gave him so much power. It was the ability to heal the bleeding of Alexis (the son of the royal couple) who suffered from hemophilia. One day, Rasputin had witnessed the poor boy's bleeding, and called on his powers as a faith healer. It had worked, and because it had worked, Rasputin gained a powerful hold over Czarina Alexandra. After all, the son was supposed to be the heir of the throne, and the royal family needed Alexis to survive. For ten years, Rasputin healed the boy, and the public started believing that he and Alexandra were having an affair. Nicholas II could not take this anymore, and ordered for Rasputin to go back to Siberia. But when Alexis' life was on the line, and Alexandra sent a telegram to Rasputin, asking for a miracle (and surprisingly, Alexis recovered), Rasputin was welcomed back into the royal family's home.

When World War I started, and the czar went to the front, Rasputin's influence continued to grow stronger. Those who were against him were often removed. Not only that, but Rasputin's behavior continued to worsen. His power corrupted him, and he did whatever he pleased. Rasputin would sleep with prostitutes, get drunk all the time,