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Gregory Efimovich Rasputin

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In 1901, Rasputin left his home as a pilgrim, journeying through Greece and on to Jerusalem. In 1903, he arrived in St Petersburg. There he developed a following as a "[[starets]]" among some of the aristocracy, including the Grand Duchesses Militza and Anastasia and Alexandra's companion Anna Vyrubova, with healing and prophetic powers before he returned to Siberia. By 1905, Tsarina Alexandra, who had been searching for help in controlling the hemophilia of the young Tsarevich Alexei, appealed for help from Rasputin through her trusted friend, Anna Vyruova. Rasputin was said to been able to eased the suffering of the Tsarevich in St Petersburg by prayers from Siberia. As each time Alexei suffered an injury, Rasputin's intervention at the request of Alexandra seemed to result in improvement for the young Tsarevich, giving the appearance that Rasputin was effectively healing him. Nicholas and Alexandra, thus, developed a trust in Rasputin, where the Tsar would often refer to Rasputin as "our friend" and as a "holy man."
Rasputin developed considerable personal and political influence over Alexandra. Nicholas and Alexandra considered Rasputin to be a man of God. Rasputin gained the position that anyone who desired an audience with the Tsar or Tsarina had to go through him, thus angering people who previously had freer access to the royal couple. Rasputin fascinated many of the St Petersburg elite. He was widely accepted by them. As World War I progressed, his influence over the royal couple increased. After Nicholas took personal command of the army along the fighting front, Rasputin became the chief advisor to the Tsarina Alexandra. Through his close relationship with her Rasputin was able to place many who were his friends in position within the government and in the Russian Orthodox Church. A very tense relationship developed between him and the Russian Orthodox Church, He engaged in public disputes with the [[clergy]], thus increasing the animosity of the Church toward him. The [[Synod]] of Bishops would accuse him of a variety of immoral and evil practices. Using his influence with the royal couple, he knew how to undermine his enemies in the church and have them exiled or disgraced. [[Bishop]]s or monks who opposed him would find that they were suddenly sent to a remote monastery or distant episcopal [[see]].
A very tense relationship developed between him and the Russian Orthodox Church. His influence, through the Tsarina, enabled him to take control of the Holy Synod when Nicholas would only accept Rasputin's recommendations for the office of [[Ober-Procurator]]. He engaged in public disputes with the [[clergy]], thus increasing the animosity of the Church toward him. The [[Apostolic Governing Synod|Synod]] of Bishops would accuse him of a variety of immoral and evil practices. Using his influence with the royal couple, he knew how to undermine his enemies in the church and have them exiled or disgraced. [[Bishop]]s or monks who opposed him would find that they were suddenly sent to a remote monastery or distant episcopal [[see]]. It was through Rasputin's maneuvering that the president of the Holy Synod, Metr. [[Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky) of Kiev and Gallich|Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky)]], was moved to Kiev and replaced as Metropolitan of St Petersburg by a Rasputin crony, Abp. Pitirim (Oknov). He maneuvered the installation of the very aged Makari (Nevsky) as Metropolitan of Moscow, and Varnava (Nakropin) as bishop of Tololsk, and then had all three made members of the Holy Synod.
[[Image:YusupovBachelorDenEntry.JPG|right|thumb|200px|Side entrance door to Prince Yusupov's Moika Palace private entrance used on the night of December 16, 1916.]]
The intense animosity by members of the Russian nobility toward Rasputin and his relationship with Alexandra reached a critical point in 1916. Among these nobles, the Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, Prince Felix Yusupov, and Vladimir Mitrofanovich Purishevich began plotting to kill Rasputin, an act that has become legendary, the true facts of which have remained confused by inconsistent statements, even by the participants. On the night of [[December 16]], 1916, a group of nobles, including Yusupov and Pavlovich, lured Rasputin to the Moika Palace residence of Yusupov. During the night after serving him poisoned cakes and wine and being shot a number of times, Rasputin's body was thrown in the Neva River where it was found three days later.
*[http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/bailey/65/rasputin.html Rasputin: The Mad Monk]
*[http://history1900s.about.com/od/famouscrimesscandals/a/rasputin.htm The Murder of Rasputin]
*[http://www.scribd.com/doc/15905479/Russian-Christianity-1894-to-1990 History of Russian Christianity 1894 to 1990]
[[Category:Church History]]
[[Category:People]]
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