44. He Met An Icy End
In the early morning hours of December 30, 1916, Yusupov and his allies wrapped Rasputin’s remains in a cloth and dropped it into the Little Neka river. With the job finally done, they went back home—though even then, some said that Rasputin was still alive right up until he hit the freezing waters.
Minutes after his demise, Rasputin’s reputation as a nigh-unkillable mystic had already begun. It only got worse from there.
45. Rumors Flew About Him
Before anyone could recover the body, word got out that Rasputin was finally gone, and rumors started to multiply. Publications reported any scrap they could—a later rumor would claim Rasputin had been castrated that night—and a feverish, highly-unreliable atmosphere took hold. Even Felix Yusupov’s version of events isn’t completely reliable. Written after Yusupov fled Russia, they remain a compelling testament to the fear Rasputin struck into Russian hearts, but can’t be fully accurate.
Besides, Rasputin’s autopsy tells a much different story.
46. They Examined His Body
When investigators found Rasputin’s body—a full two days after his assassination—they sent it on to Saint Petersburg’s senior autopsy surgeon, Dmitry Kosorotov. Kosorotov later stated that he found three gunshot wounds in his exam, with one on Rasputin’s forehead, as well as a host of probable post-mortem injuries. But there were also details he didn’t find.
47. Something Was Missing
When Kosorotov took a look at Rasputin, several things didn’t match up to Yusupov’s account or to the swirling rumors. First, he found no water in Rasputin’s lungs, indicating he hadn’t been alive when he hit the river. Second, he found Rasputin’s private area intact. Third, and most shocking of all, he found no poison in Rasputin’s system.
With no cyanide to speak of, what had really happened with the poisoned sweet cakes?
Fototeca Storica Nazionale., Getty Images
48. His Daughter Revealed The Truth
For years, the story of Rasputin eating—and surviving—Yusupov's poisoned sweetcakes circulated, adding to the Mad Monk's mystique and making him seem even more superhuman. Shockingly, it was Rasputin’s daughter Maria who held the key to this unsettling mystery. And according to her, the truth was a lot simpler than themany stories that circulated about the incident.
Maria Rasputin claimed that her father was actually missing something most of us are plagued by: A sweet tooth. He really didn't care for sweet foods, and Maria said that he never would have eaten the cakes that Yusupov had offered him, even out of a sense of politeness. She believed that Yusupov had to have either embellished the story of been mistaken about Rasputin eating the cyanide-laced treats, which would certainly explain how he had managed to "survive" such a poisoning attempt.
It’s one more historical mystery solved, but Rasputin’s terrifying legacy lives on.
Agence de presse Meurisse, Wikimedia Commons
49. The Romanovs Protected Him
Even after his demise, the Russian royal family didn’t abandon Rasputin. When his funeral took place on January 2, 1917, at a small church, only the Imperial family and their close friends were allowed to attend. They even barred Rasputin’s wife, who had still loved and supported him throughout his rise, from coming to the service along with his children.
Ironically, the Romanovs were near their own funerals, too.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
50. The Empire Collapsed
In hindsight, Rasputin’s collapse was a harbinger for the collapse of the entire Romanov line. After years of turmoil, starvation, and unrest, the February Revolution spread throughout Russia in the very month following Rasputin’s end, forcing Tsar Nicholas II to abdicate that March. By 1918, the Romanov family were themselves felled down, and the Bolshevik Revolution all but complete.
Had the Romanovs listened to Rasputin when it mattered, they might have saved themselves—but as it was, they joined their holy man in death.
Jones, Stinton, Wikimedia Commons
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