A summary of Andrei Amalrik’s "Rasputin" Automatic translate

This documentary novel by Soviet historian and dissident Andrei Amalrik, completed in the late 1970s, is a meticulous study of the phenomenon of Grigori Rasputin and his influence on the collapse of the Russian Empire. The author departs from the mystification of the "elder" image, offering a rational analysis of how a barely literate Siberian peasant managed to subjugate the will of monarchs and discredit state power in the eyes of society.

The Siberian Wanderer and the Capital’s Salons

The narrative begins with the origins of Grigory Efimovich Novykh, a native of the village of Pokrovskoye in the Tobolsk province. Amalrik explores the future favorite’s early years, noting his connection with the Khlysty sect. Although no direct legal evidence of Rasputin’s Khlysty affiliation has been found, the very atmosphere of his religious gatherings — devotions that blended prayer with sensual ecstasy — undoubtedly bore the imprint of sectarian practices. Young Grigory wandered extensively through monasteries, gaining experience communicating with people and a reputation as a clairvoyant.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Rasputin appeared in St. Petersburg. His rise was facilitated by the vogue for "folk Orthodoxy" and mysticism that reigned in high society salons. The Siberian’s first patrons were Archimandrite Feofan, inspector of the theological academy, and Bishop Hermogen, who saw him as the embodiment of the living folk faith. Through the "Montenegrins" — the Grand Duchesses Militsa and Anastasia Nikolaevna — Rasputin gained access to the imperial family. His first meeting with Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna occurred during the difficult period of revolutionary turmoil in 1905, which contributed to the strengthening of the psychological bond between the tsar and the "man of God."

The royal disease and its mechanism of influence

The central factor in Rasputin’s rise to power is the incurable illness of Tsarevich Alexei — hemophilia. Doctors are powerless against the bleeding attacks, but Rasputin manages to alleviate the child’s condition. Amalrik eschews mystical explanations, suggesting that the "elder" possessed the power of suggestion and was able to calm the hysterical empress, whose condition was passed on to her son. For Alexandra Feodorovna, Rasputin becomes the heir’s only savior, a "Friend" sent by God himself.

A circle of admirers formed around the favorite, among whom Anna Vyrubova, the empress’s closest friend, occupied a special place. It was through Vyrubova that constant communication was maintained between "Papa and Mama" (as Rasputin called the royal couple) and the "elder." Rasputin’s apartment on Gorokhovaya Street became an unofficial reception room, where the fates of petitioners, commercial deals, and personnel matters were decided.

Confrontation with the authorities and the church

Rasputin’s influence provokes strong opposition from parts of the state apparatus and the church hierarchy. Pyotr Stolypin, Chairman of the Council of Ministers, attempts to expel the "elder" from the capital, compiling a lengthy report on his indecent behavior. However, Nicholas II ignores the facts, guided by the principle: "Better ten Rasputins than one hysterical empress." Attempts by Bishop Hermogen and Hieromonk Iliodor to expose their former protégé end in their own disgrace and exile.

With the outbreak of World War I, the situation worsened. Rasputin, who had initially opposed Russia’s entry into the war (predicting the demise of the dynasty), gradually began to interfere with military and political appointments. Spy mania grew in the capital; rumors spread that the German empress and Rasputin were plotting a separate peace. Amalrik describes in detail the "ministerial reshuffle" — the frequent changes of ministers, which took place according to Rasputin’s notes. The appointment of figures such as Boris Stürmer (Prime Minister) and Alexander Protopopov (Minister of Internal Affairs) to high positions ultimately discredited the government.

CONSPIRACY

By the end of 1916, the idea of eliminating Rasputin had taken hold among representatives of various political forces. In the State Duma, monarchist leader Vladimir Purishkevich delivered a fiery speech, calling the events a "dark force" destroying Russia. This speech became the catalyst for a conspiracy.

Prince Felix Yusupov, heir to Russia’s wealthiest family, decides to take matters into his own hands. He sees Rasputin’s murder as a way to save the monarchy from imminent collapse and clear the Tsar’s name. Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich (the Tsar’s cousin), Lieutenant Sukhotin, and Doctor Lazovert join the conspiracy. The plan is to lure Rasputin to the Yusupov Palace on the Moika River under the pretext of meeting the prince’s beautiful wife, Irina Alexandrovna, who was in Crimea at the time.

The Night of the Murder

The events of the night of December 17, 1916, are reconstructed by the author based on the recollections of the murderers themselves, noting contradictions in their accounts. The basement of the palace on the Moika River is carefully decorated to resemble a living room. Cakes and wine poisoned with potassium cyanide are laid out on the table.

Rasputin arrives at the palace around midnight. Yusupov, hiding his nervousness, treats his guest to poisoned pastries and Madeira. To the prince’s horror, the poison has no effect. Rasputin complains only of a sore throat and asks to play the guitar, then demands more wine. Several hours of agonizing waiting pass. Upstairs, in the study, the remaining conspirators are nervous.

In a state of panic, Yusupov goes up to his accomplices, takes Dmitry Pavlovich’s Browning, and returns to the basement. He shoots Rasputin in the chest, right above the heart. The "elder" falls. The conspirators pronounce him dead and begin preparing to remove the body. However, as Yusupov bends over the body, Rasputin suddenly opens his eyes, leaps up, and with a wild roar, lunges at the assassin, attempting to strangle him. Breaking free, the prince runs upstairs.

The wounded Rasputin escapes into the courtyard through a side door, shouting that he will tell the empress everything. Purishkevich runs after him and shoots him as he flees. The first two shots miss, the third hits him in the back, and the fourth in the head. The victim falls into a snowdrift. Purishkevich kicks him in the temple. The body is wrapped in canvas, loaded into a car, and driven to Petrovsky Bridge, where it is thrown into an ice hole in the Malaya Nevka. In their haste, the killers forget to attach weights to his feet, and one of Rasputin’s galoshes remains in the ice.

Investigation and finale

The disappearance of the "elder" immediately raises alarm in Tsarskoye Selo. The Empress demands decisive action. Police quickly discover bloody footprints in the courtyard of the Yusupov Palace and a galosh near an ice hole. Two days later, divers find the body. An autopsy reveals water in the lungs, giving rise to the legend that Rasputin was alive even under the ice, although a fatal head wound would have ruled out such a possibility.

The funeral takes place in the park of Tsarskoye Selo, on the site of the Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov, which is currently under construction. Only the imperial family and closest friends are present. The news of Rasputin’s death is greeted with jubilation; candles are lit in churches, and people congratulate each other in the streets. The murderers are not severely punished: Dmitry Pavlovich is sent to Persia, and Yusupov is exiled to his estate.

However, the death of the favorite does not save the dynasty. On the contrary, it deprives the imperial couple of the "lightning rod" to which all misfortunes were attributed. Two and a half months later, the February Revolution occurs. The Provisional Government orders Rasputin’s body exhumed. The coffin is exhumed, loaded onto a truck, and driven out of town. On the road, in the forest, the body is burned on a pyre built from pine stumps.

Amalrik concludes his narrative with the thought that Rasputin’s destruction was merely a prelude to the destruction of Russia itself, which he personified in its dark, elemental form. The fire consuming the remains of the "holy devil" becomes a symbol of the coming conflagration of revolution. "The wind picked up the smoke and carried it north, toward Petrograd."