Rasputin and the Fall of the Romanovs

Grigori Rasputin, the Siberian mystic who gained unprecedented influence over Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra, remains one of the most enigmatic and scandalous figures in Romanov history. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Rasputin's rise reflected the deep fractures in the Russian Empire on the eve of revolution. They discuss his early life as a peasant healer, his arrival in St. Petersburg, the nature of his relationship with the imperial family—particularly his role in managing Alexei's hemophilia—and the corrosive effect this had on the monarchy's legitimacy. They examine key events like the 1915 "ministerial leapfrog," Rasputin's murder in December 1916 by Prince Felix Yusupov and Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, and the debate over whether he was a holy man, a charlatan, or a cynical political operator. The conversation draws on primary sources, including Rasputin's own writings and the memoirs of those who witnessed the court's decline, to separate myth from historical reality. Listeners will come away with a nuanced understanding of how one man's influence symbolized the rot at the heart of autocracy. #Rasputin #GrigoriRasputin #NicholasII #TsarinaAlexandra #Romanovs #RussianHistory #Hemophilia #RussianRevolution #FelixYusupov #StPetersburg #TsarskoyeSelo #SiberianMystic #ImperialCourt #Monarchy #Conspiracy #History #FexingoHistory #EasternEurope Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo