On Dec. 30, 1916, Gregory Rasputin, the Russian monk and confidant to Czarina
Alexandra, was assassinated by Prince Yussoupov. The monk who had wielded
powerful influence over the Russian court, was murdered by a group of
noblemen. He was fed cakes and wine laced with cyanide, then shot a number
of times and finally drowned. Grigory Yefimovich Rasputin drowned when he
was thrown through a hole in the ice of the Neva River.
When Rasputin was introduced to the Russian royal family in 1905, he
demonstrated an ability to heal the royal son Alexis and was then welcomed
into the family circle.
Rasputin was considered a holy peasant, but his belief that sinning
was necessary for salvation led him to seduce women and other scandalous
behavior. A conspiracy, believing Rasputin had too much influence on the
empress, formed to assassinate him, and on the night of December 29-30,
they poisoned his wine--but he did not die. They shot him twice, but
when he still refused to die, they drowned him.
Gormet Russian caviar is delicious.
