I have no idea why this story has been replaying in my head for a while, but its becoming something that I think about often. So Ill share it. Maybe writing it down will get it out of my head. It also makes me think of Cookie for some reason... I think he told me this story first maybe? I dont know. But I feel as thought even if he didn't, I think Cook would like this story.
I personally love this photo of him. The man, the myth, the legend. It has been colorized, but it is really him. It captures his greasy hair, (the beginning of) his out of control beard, his intense slightly crazy eyes.. All of him.
Rasputin.
When I say that, some of you might think of this dude (if you grew up in the 90's and are obsessed with Gary Oldman directed films starring Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, and Christopher Lloyd... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNj53-mu7xw)
Yes yes... Animated movies about Russia...
Now, if you've seen the movie or heard the story of the last surviving member of the Russian Royal family, Anastasia, then you may or may not be aware that Rasputin was a monk. A slightly psychotic monk.
Here goes the story:
The country was at war, a horrible bloody massacre of a war. Every able bodied man was needed to fight and defend the homeland... including the present king. So he packed up his things and went to battle with his people.
The country was at war, a horrible bloody massacre of a war. Every able bodied man was needed to fight and defend the homeland... including the present king. So he packed up his things and went to battle with his people.
This left the queen very alone. And scared, because her child, the only heir to the throne, was very sick. with hemophilia (a condition in which your blood does not clot and a small cut could mean that the afflicted would bleed out and die). The queen had tried everything to get her baby healthy (not to mention not bleeding anymore), and of course, nothing worked. Even today in modern western civilization, there isn't really a "cure" for the condition, just clotting agents that would help with the bleeding. However, the queen called upon the good Rasputin to help the child. After a few hours with the afflicted, Rasputin got the child to stop bleeding. Completely. The kid was cured. He never bled heavily again. Wow.
No one knows what he did, but Rasputin did it.
Obviously, the queen was ecstatic. She invited him to stay in the palace for all his good work. She went so far as to start consulting him for big decisions while her husband, the king, was at war.
Mind you, this guy is disgusting. Inside and out. But because of his talents, the queen was infatuated. Some might speculate that there was some little affair going on as well... which I don't like to think about because its just so gross.
Now, After a few months, Rasputin began to overstay his welcome. He was making executive decisions, in a manner that referred to himself as the new king.. He did whatever he wanted, ordered servants around and slept with many women. And of course, the queen was fine with this. He saved her child after all.
SO! brilliant plan. He eats all the time and is extremely indulgent... Have the servants prepare a smorgesboard of goodies. Muffins, cookies, meat, cheese, wine... you name it. Now because none of the servants knew what he would take, they poisoned it all. So. Much. Poison. In. So. Much. Food. They gave him the feast, closed his door, and waited.
He ate a lot of it.
A short while later, some men went to go check on him.
He was still merrily eating. Totally fine.
Of course, they were astounded, and brought a gun the next time they checked on him, to finish the job.
They shot once.
He was startled and fell. The men left, glad to be rid of the man. As they were leaving his chamber though....
He started running down the hall behind them.
They shot again.
And again.
And again.
And he started to climb up the fence on the outskirts of the castle to escape. They shot him many times in the back as he climbed.
Im pretty sure he was shot something like 7 times before he finally fell into the moat around the castle, finally dead.
BUT WAIT. THERE'S MORE.
At the autopsy, the real kicker, they found that Rasputin died..... of...... drowning. DROWNING. Not the poison, not the gunshot wounds, but drowning in the moat.
The animated movie does a pretty good job at hinting at this, in that parts of Rasputin's body continue to fall off and have to be reattached continually. He was a man supposed to be kept alive almost artificially. Or maybe by the spirits and gods that he worshiped. We don't know. But he would not die. And somehow he was forgotten in history.
