Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, known as simply 'Rasputin,' stands as one of the most enigmatic, controversial, and mythologised figures in modern history. Born into a simple Russian peasant family in the Siberian village of Pokrovskoe, his ascendancy to the heights of the Russian aristocracy was as unexpected as it was dramatic.
Rasputin rose to a position of significant influence, particularly over Tsarina Alexandra, wife of Tsar Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia.
His ability to seemingly ease the ailments of the heir to the Russian throne, Alexei, who secretly suffered from haemophilia, earned him the favour of the desperate Tsarina.
This, coupled with his mystical charisma and claims of divine insight, allowed Rasputin to hold a manipulative grip over the Imperial family, an influence that extended into matters of state, politics and ultimately the fate of the Russian Empire.
His unorthodox lifestyle, rumours of debauchery, and manipulation of the tsarina drew much hatred and demonization, leading to numerous attempts on his life.
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