Grigori Rasputin: Encyclopedia II - Grigori Rasputin - Controversial activities and beliefs

Grigori Rasputin - Controversial activities and beliefs

Rasputin in the meantime became a controversial figure, leading a scandalous personal life with his mostly female followers from Saint Petersburg high society. Furthermore, he was frequently seen picking up prostitutes, and drinking himself into a stupor, not arriving home until early in the morning. He was unsavory, ill-mannered, bathed infrequently, and often exhibited outrageous behavior in public.

While fascinated by him, the Saint Petersburg elite did not widely accept Rasputin. He did not fit with the royal family.

However, it must be noted that Rasputin and Russian Orthodox Church had a very tense relationship. Holy Synode frequently attacked Rasputin, therefore, a lot of myths about his life were deliberately spread by the competing religion. Therefore, a lot of anecdotal evidence about Rasputin's life has to be taken with a grain of salt. However, when Rasputin was a court official his apartment was under 24 hour surveilance, therefore there exists credible evidence about his lifestyle.

According to Rasputin's daughter, Maria, Rasputin did "look into" the Khlysty sect, and rejected it. While the Western world is particularly interested in the sexual practices of this sect (supposedly tied to a belief that one can obtain humility only by debasing oneself), Rasputin was particularly appalled by the belief that grace is found through self-flagellation.

Like most Orthodox Christians, Rasputin was brought up with the belief that the body is a sacred gift from God. Attaining divine grace through sin seems to have been one of the central secret doctrines that Rasputin preached to (and practised with) his inner circle of society ladies. The idea that one can attain grace through correction of sin is not unique. It is also understood that sin is an inescapable part of the human condition, and the responsibility of a believer is to be keenly aware of his sins and be willing to confess them, thereby attaining humility.

During World War I he became a focus of accusations of unpatriotic influence at court; the unpopular Tsarina was of German descent, and her "friend" Rasputin was accused of being a spy in German employ.

When Rasputin expressed an interest in going to the front to bless the troops early in the war, the Commander-in Chief, Grand Duke Nicholas, promised to hang him if he showed up. Rasputin then claimed that he had a revelation that the Russian armies would not be successful until the Tzar personally took command. This the ill-prepared Nicholas proceeded to do with dire consequences for himself and for Russia.

While Tsar Nicholas II was away at the front, Rasputin’s influence over Tzarina Alexandra increased immensely. He soon became the confidant and personal advisor of Alexandra. He also convinced her to fill some government offices with his own handpicked candidates. To further advance his power, Rasputin slept with upper-class women in exchange for granting political favors. Because of World War I, and to a lesser extent because of Rasputin, Russia’s economy was declining at a rapid rate. Many placed the blame with Alexandra, and with Rasputin, because of his influence over her. An example:

Vladimir Purishkevich was an outspoken member of the Duma. On November 19, 1916, Purishkevich made a rousing speech in the Duma, in which he stated, 'The tzar’s ministers who have been turned into marionettes, marionettes whose threads have been taken firmly in hand by Rasputin and the Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna — the evil genius of Russia and the czarina… who has remained a German on the Russian throne and alien to the country and its people.' Felix Yusupov attended the speech and afterwards contacted Purishkevich, who quickly agreed to participate in the murder of Rasputin.

Rasputin’s influence over the royal family was used against him and the Romanovs by politicians and journalists who wanted to weaken the integrity of the dynasty, make the Tzar give up his absolute political power, and separate the Russian Orthodox Church from the state. Rasputin unintentionally contributed to the propaganda by having public disputes with clergy members, bragging over his ability to influence both the Tsar and Tsarina, and by his dissolute lifestyle. Nobles in influential positions around the Tzar as well as some parties of the Duma, the Russian parliament, clamoured for his removal from the court. Perhaps inadvertently, Rasputin added to diminishing respect for the Tsar by his subjects.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Controversial activities and beliefs", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki