Poem ~ Grigori Rasputin: Oracle Of Revolution - Friday, 15 December 1916 - Sunday 24 December 1916

Source: File: Rasputin: Film: Dark Servant of Destiny (1996).  See original footage: < https://youtu.be/zC_5ROBX3H0

 [Accessed 15 December 2016]

Source: File: Grigori Rasputin January 1864 - December 1916. See an original image at: <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rasputin_PA.jpg> [Accessed 15 December 2016]

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With centuries old system of serfdom,

That had long established relationships between

Russian nobility and peasant population -

18th century expansions gave proclamations

To a Russian Empire by Peter the Great.

In a vast great country, many ordinary 

People lived amid the federal subjects of Russia.
Situated in Tyuman Oblasta region,
In Pokrovskoye saw a woman, Anna Parshukova,

Wed Efim Vilkin Rasputin - a coach

Driver and yamshchik messenger of Siberian Plains.

Together the couple procreated a total

Of nine children; the couples fifth child was a son,

Born 9 January 1869 - they named him

A day later Grigori Yefimovich - his namesake

A venerated saint, Gregory of Nyssa.

though uneducated the child developed

Intelligence - Despite a shaky start as a brawler

Whose attitude lead him to be jailed

For 2 nights - when aged 18 in 1887, young Grigori

Rasputin married Praskovia by whom

He had six children, although the first three died.

After ten years of marriage, possibly

By the death of a child, Grigori left his family

And entered a monastery - he travelled

To Verkhoturye where he learnt from a hermit, 
Who taught him alternative thoughts.

Something of an outsider Grigori

Was also a libertine that always remained central

To his character - Makary the hermit,

Left a big influence over this young man - so that
When he returned to his village

All noticed a change in Grigori's personality.

An icon of the Russian Orthodox Church

Was the lady of Kazan, a vision of whom Grigori

Claimed to witness, opening up to him

A religious mysticism; though seen as a libertine

Grigori was dismayed while in Greece.

Staying at St. Panteleimon Monastery

Grigori claimed to witness acts of open sodomy.

His character had developed so by

1900 Grigori Rasputin had become a wanderer -

He did not see himself as a Staret

Or foolish Yurodiviy, just more as a strannik.

Grigori Rasputin as a religious pilgrim,

Travlled far from home to Kiev Pechersk Lavra -

And in the capital of Tatarstan - Rasputin

Came to attentions of the bishop and high classes;

From Kazan to St Petersburg on Baltic sea.

From his younger days Rasputin had

Held a charismatic aura and his religious fervor

Started to attract much attention -

In the capital via Bishop Theophane, Rasputin

Moved within the society salons, soon

To gain many lady admirers, as in Mme Lochtina.

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While doctors failed to cure her

From a severe illness Rasputin gained relief

For Mme Lochtina - his influence

For prayers was quickly sought and a keen circle

Of ladies took him under their wings.

They taught him to wash, dress and

Comb his unkempt hair - his religious reputation

Quickly spread - Rasputin eventually

Became introduced into ruling Russian family of Tsar;

1 November 1905, Rasputin had

An audience with Tsar Nicholas and Tsarina Alexandra.

Various factions and troubling issues

Occupied the Russian Tsar - an invitation for pray

Followed a political attack, then a year

Later 1907, Rasputin was requested to see the heir,

Tsesarevich Alexei at Alexander Palace.

The distressed parents asked him to pray

As the doctors could not heal the boys injury to bleed;

The condition then unknown was hemophilia -

After this Alexandra held Rasputin as saviour of Alexei;
Having halted blood thinning medications.

Another event to cause a bleeding

Hematoma on Alexia, led Tsarina again to seek help

From Rasputin by telegram - his reply

Said he will not die. Only halt the doctors in bothering

The boy; his prophecy was proved.

The hematoma faded by 19 October 1912.

But a dislike of Rasputin had been brewing for some

Time among the court - to suggest he used

Hypnosis or drugged the boy who then became cured;

Suspicions of his using spirits was far

From truth; just a man of conviction and strong calm.

Yet to all Rasputin seemed to have

A mystical power - Imperial Russia held a fever

For religious renaissance and

Occultism obsessed aristocrats - and Rasputin

Appeared to have this in loads.

Accusations against the travelling

Religious man had begun by the church in 1907,

When Rasputin was called before

The Ecclesiastical Tobolsk court  - accusations

Of his being a Khlysty, who held

Strange beliefs; carrying out sin as redemption.

Yet no proof could be found -

Although Grigori Rasputin shared some elements

In their belief system and their

Practices - likely Rasputin was merely something  

A magpie of religious elementals.

Charisma and aura of Rasputin

That had initially attracted the aristocratic families

Lost their force, as they now made

A turn towards him - endowed with special privileges

By the imperial family, the monk took

Regular visits; once on 6 occasions within four months.

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By 1911 Rasputin followed instructions

Of the Tsar to travel with pilgrims - these visits

Took them to the Holy Land, while

A new Prime minister, Vladimir Kokovtsov, asked

The Tsar to banish Rasputin to Tobolsk.

This was refused as the Tsar

Stated he knew the man well enough to ignore all

Scandals - Rasputin was warned

To keep away, as first rumors and then actual letters,

Written to him by Tsarina and her

Daughters were handed to Nicholas by Kokovtsov.

The prime minister further tried to pay

Off Rasputin with money - until finally the Tsar

Giving into pressure allowed

An investigation of their holy friend - the bishop,

Alexey Molchanov, started this

Only to find him orthodox Christian seeking truth.

With investigations disproved

Rasputin found himself reinstated to the church

And court, until again to be rejected

For yet another investigation - but the criticisms

Were condemned by the Tsarina.

Both Nicholas and Alexandra

Maintained that this holy man, Grigori Rasputin

was their friend - yet threats

Of more scandal prompted Nicholas to request

Rasputin to leave for Siberia -

Yet by Alexandra's demand this was stopped.

Instead criticisms were turned

On the politicians - early into 1914 Kokovtsov

Was taken from post, replaced by

A more pliable Ivan Goremykin, alongside various

Other government shuffles.

All such factors showed how much

Influence Rasputin had gained within the highest

Russian family; other such close

Connections existed between rulers of Germany -

Wilhelm and Nicholas were cousins,

Their wives related to the English Queen Victoria.

Unease though brewed across Europe

And on Russian soil, that would lead to a general

Strikes in July 1914 - parallelizing industry

In St Peterburg - meanwhile Grigori Rasputin had

Travelled home to Pokrovskoye.

Concerned with the brooding events

Of a likely war, the Tsarina telegraphed her friend

12 July - mid afternoon Rasputin left

His house with the post office boy intent to make

A reply, not realising a fateful event;

From the city of Syzran had travelled an enemy.

A peasant woman Khioniya Guseva

A one-time follower of Iliodor, also a charismatic

Monk, felt uncertain if Rasputin

Was a saint or devil. Khioniya Guseva arrived in

Rasputin's village with the intent

Of seeing him - a chance occurred as he emerged.

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With her face veiled Guseva

Made her move, approaching the longhaired bearded

Figure - holding out her hand

Muttering humble requests for money - Rasputin stood,

Intent to give the beggar coins.

With swift movement of her

Other hand, Guseva pulled out a dagger and drove this

Into his stomach 'I have killed

The antichrist!' Khioniya Guseva proclaimed - not dead

Rasputin, holding the wound

Of his slit stomach, turned and fled down the road.

Seeing he still lived Guseva

Chased him, intending to finish him off - the wounded

Monk staggered as the woman

Caught up with him - a wooded shaft lay on the ground

And as she raised the knife

Again, Rasputin swung the wood hard into her face.

People appeared shouting 'kill her!'

Giving her self up to police as Rasputin bleeding badly

Was taken home to be saved

By a local Doctor - treatments followed paid by Tsarina;

Over six-weeks Rasputin recovered.

With Khioniya Guseva locked

Away in an asylum, Tsar Nicholas ordered full protection

For Rasputin, who would never

Fully recover from the attack - by time of his leaving

Hospital on 17 August, war

Had broken out between major European countries.

Rasputin raised his opinions

Against war, while those close to him tried to persuade

him otherwise - but he remained

Adamant. While in hospital July's crisis had developed;

Austria Hungaria  gave an ultimatum

To Serbia, who then appealed to Russia for assistance.

With war declared on Serbia by Austria,

Russia started to mobilise their army - though unable

To stop anything, Rasputin sent telegrams

From hospital in dire warnings - if Russia went into war

The monarchy's institutions were at risk.

As police protection followed the

Movements of Rasputin, there was no final end

To the dislike of the man, that carried

Influence of Russia's leader - dossier of reports

On the monks lifestyle were compiled.

January 1915; these words were

Handed to Tsar Nicholas as evidence, to persuade

The Russian leader to sever

Connections with the religious man - yet they were

Flawed, as one of the supposed

Events occurred when Rasputin was in Tsarskoe Selo.

Without any ability in military ways

Tsar Nicholas in August 1915, took over supreme

Control of Russian armies - prompted

In the matter by combined ideas from Alexandra

And Rasputin - this he believed would

Boost morale. Duty led Nicholas away from capital.

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With Tsar's absence the throne would

Be held by the empress - now the fear was Rasputin

Would be perched on the seat of power;

the monk  potentially advising an all powerful empress.

In the capital on Gorohovaya Street

The monk lived in an apartment, to have many visitors.

All elements of Saint Petersburg

Society sought Rasputin - a trending figure who would 

See at his apartment, aristocrats

And peasants alike - the rich sought his favour in the

Court, as the poor sought his help.

Rumours abounded about him

To suggest he formed a sect of sex rituals with wealthy

Social ladies and prostitutes - all of which

The Tsar laughed off as total slander - another talent

Attributed to Rasputin lay in prediction.

December 1916 and Rasputin wrote

About his visions to Tsar Nicholas - Rasputin had

No fear if common assassins 

Killed him - but if nobles murdered him then descent

Would fall across the Russian state;

The Tsar's children would not live beyond 2 years.

A plague of the antichrist would devour

All and they will beg for death - the Russian people

Will kill the Tsar - the people would kill 
each other and be cursed 3 times in 25 years - all
Faith destroyed; 'think of your family.'

Russian women in presence

Of Rasputin were compelled by monk's charisma -

Not adverse to having his image

Taken, photographs show him with wide-open eyes,

Framed by often unkempt hair,

A dark straggly beard and dressed in long robes.

Described as an hypnotist

Grigori Rasputin had by society women's influence,

Tided his appearance -

His status lifted amid these women who treated him

Like some great apostle.

From the first days it was an

Association with the Tsarist friend, Mme Vyroubova,

That had led Rasputin into

Close circle of the imperial family - a situation that would

Finally be his undoing; his

Friendship with the Tsar and Tsarist despised by elite.

Here was a peasant from the Baltic

Lands who apparently worked his way into arms

Of power - an ability to influence

The imperial family, with talents to heal the sick and

Make prophecies intrigued the rulers.

Into months of war against Germany

And Austria Hungary, the Tsar's presence amid

His army kept him way from the capital -

To leave the Tsarist to take the weight of power;
A belief being Rasputin controlled her.

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A conspiracy among a few sought

His demise; a Russian noble Prince Felix Felixovich

Yusupov, began to acquaint himself

With Rasputin - gaining his confidence in asking

Him to treat a simple illness.

With extremist views, Russian politician

Vladimir Mitrofanovich Purishkevich made a speech

To impress Yusupov, stating how Rasputin

Was a threat being a advisor to the Tsarist - the two

Met to create a conspiracy; in order

To do their plan they recruited Stanilaus de Lazovert.

Doctor Lazovert would be of help,

Along with Lieutenant Sergei Mikhailovich Sukhotin.

Conspirators began their plan

Although precise information varied over exact events,

All stories held same elements.

Preparations were everything,

In order to carry out a intent to destroy a man

Who had already survived attempt

Of assassination - the venue, Prince Yusupov

Decided, was his favourite palace

In St Petersburg, on the banks of river Moyka.

On the day of the western Calendar,

17 December 1916, Rasputin took the invitation

To attend a visit to Prince Yusupov,

At his grand Moyka Palace - over the two nights

The conspirators had gathered.

In set preparations to welcome

The guest the five men, who intended to depose

The monk were: Prince Yusupov,

Vladimir Purishkevich, Captain Suhotine along

With Stanislaus de Lazovert, and
Dmitri Pavlovich; a basement room was prepared.

Purishkevich later told of the changed

Space - a cellar away from all other rooms, was

Transformed into a salon and dining

Room. A log fire had been lit in a huge chimney

Place, with comfortable easy chairs.

Rare wines had been set on a round

Table with plates of cakes - at that table the men

Sat and took tea and tried some

Of the unspoilt cakes - next they arranged the table

As if various guests had just
Visited and had recently left, as if hurried away.

Prince Yusupov handed over

The elements to Doctor Lazovert who, wearing

Gloves, grated potassium cynaide

Into a plate - then choose the vessels; two types

Of cakes, pink cream and chocolate.

Choosing the pink petits fours,

Lazovert cut them and the poison was dropped

Inside sealed with cream - with

Some left to look half eaten, they were mixed

Amid the chocolate - Pavlovich

And Suhotine would play lively music upstairs.

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Then taking bottles of liquid cyanide,

Purishkevich and Lazovert divied this between two

Glasses, next to bottles of rare wine.

Pavlovich had sudden fear that Yusupov might

In error drink poison - but was then
Assured of the Prince's iron will and steady nerve.

A gramophone was to play much

Music - ready for Rasputin Doctor Lazovert

Drove into the night to collect

The monk from the imperial palace; dressed

In the uniform of a chauffer.

On meeting Rasputin prior

To midnight, Lazovert found him in relaxed mood.

Driving him quickly back 

To the Palace - Pavlovich and Suhotine watched

The car drove across snow

Into the courtyard - snow crunched underfoot.

The two figures made their 
Entry. Leaving Rasputin with the prince, Lazovert

Joined the others upstairs to 
Play music - the prince greeted Rasputin who sat

In a chair by the warm fire.

A gramophone scratched out

Echoing American tunes - finished and played

Again - the two talked in the cellar.

Rasputin relaxed reportedly talking of his great

Successes and of Germany's
Over Roumania, while the Prince poured wine.

Rasputin drank and accepted pink

Cream cakes, which he enjoyed - the others

Upstairs listened tense - with

Time going by without any results, Yusupov

Briefly went upstairs.

He proclaimed his fear; Rasputin

Had drunk two glasses of poison, and ate several

Cakes - all without any effect

Other than to belch and dribble the wine - what

Could they do? A debate ensued.

This then could only prove

Grigori Rasputin was the devil - that he could

Not be killed - likely the effects

May have been partially stayed by a man with

Iron constitution - what Yusupov

Had to do was go back and end him by a bullet.

Taking a revolver Yusupov nervously

Descended the stairs - maybe by then Rasputin

Suspected his own prophecy - how if he

Died at hands of nobles the Tsar was doomed -

Yet he was drunk and drugged.

He stood as the Prince solemnly

Walked to him, dour and tense as gramophone

Music drifted into the room.

Rasputin was motionless with head bent, maybe

In prayer. The Prince looked 

At him; both fixed on the crucifix around his neck.

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Yusupov held the crucifix and raised

His gun - where to shoot him? In heart or temple?

He shuddered with fear, his hand

Tensed with the gun - then fired into Rasputin’s

Chest; with a scream the monk fell.

Yusupov stepped back, to wonder

How with ease a man could be killed. The others

Ran down into the room, to see

Monk face pressed on bearskin rug - they agreed

To leave him to die alone, while they

Decided on how to dispose of the Rasputin body.

The door was closed - then not long

After came a wild sound - as they looked the door 

Opened. On hands and knees Rasputin

Crawled out, a bloody froth spitting from his mouth.

With bulging eyes he sprang and ran.

With sudden strength of recovery

Rasputin pushed open the doors and ran outside

Like some superhuman - the five

Gave chase out into the snow covered gardens -

Purishkevich took aim and fired

Two shots into his back - the man fell with a groan.

The five walked to him thinking

Maybe he might rise again and flee - then Doctor

Lazovert made a study of Rasputin

And said he was dead; bullets struck near his heart.

They dragged him into a car.

Pavlovich drove slowly to avoid

Attention and paused close to Varshavsky railway

Station - they burned the monks 
clothes. Night was close to ending when they arrived

Petrovskii Bridge - 4.50 a.m. they
Bound Rasputin’s body in chains and fixed weights.

The five of them wrapped Rasputin's

Body into a sheet and dragged to edge of the frozen

Malaya Nevka River - they broke

Through ice to push him down in the water; the deed

Was done, Grigori Rasputin was dead.

by Jamie Mann.

Source: File: Russia In World War I. Available at: <Syzran http://alphahistory.com/russianrevolution/world-war-i/> [Accessed 15 December 2016]

Source: File: Prominent Russians: Grigory Rasputin . Available at: <http://russiapedia.rt.com/prominent-russians/history-and-mythology/grigory-rasputin/> [Accessed 15 December 2016]

Source: File: Grigori Rasputin From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grigori_Rasputin> [Accessed 15 December 2016]

Source: File: The Murder of Rasputin by Jennifer Rosenberg. Available at: <http://history1900s.about.com/od/famouscrimesscandals/a/rasputin.htm> [Accessed 15 December 2016]

Source: File: 1916 Rasputin is murdered. Available at: <http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rasputin-is-murdered> [Accessed 15 December 2016]

Source: File: The death of Rasputin - December, 1916. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/world/from-the-archive-blog/2016/dec/30/rasputin-murder-russia-december-1916> [Accessed 15 December 2016]

Source: File: The Murder of Rasputin, 100 Years Later. Available at: <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/murder-rasputin-100-years-later-180961572/> [Accessed 15 December 2016]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 15 December 2016). 

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