It’s likely a myth that Rasputin was sleeping with the czarina. (Although there’s no proof either way.) He had a very close relationship with the czar and czarina because their son had hemophilia, and Rasputin’s presence seemed to help his condition. It was a serious illness, and the parents were desperate for anything that could help. But the hemophilia was a secret so nobody outside the family knew why the czar and czarina kept Rasputin so close despite dangerous rumours that Rasputin was the one running Russian policy. The idea that Rasputin was sleeping with the czarina was a popular theory because Rasputin was a well-known horny motherfucker.
If I remember right, the method by which Rasputin helped with the hemophilia symptoms was by stopping the doctors from using leeches.
EDIT: I did not, in fact, remember correctly. It was Aspirin.
Oh yeah - the classic move of saving people from doctors! Everything I know about this is from the Revolutions podcast by Mike Duncan which suggested that Rasputin likely provided an emotionally-calming influence that probably helped.
There are many theories
Doctors stopped bloodletting in the first part of the nineteenth century, long before Rasputin was around.
I wouldn’t have been particularly surprised to find out a doctor tried it on orders from his desperate mother, but a lot of sources seem to agree that he did indeed order the doctors to stop giving the prince aspirin.
The theory is that he stopped them from giving him aspirin, because aspirin exasperates the condition and was also something that they would have likely given him since it was considered a cure-all.
“he was big and strong, with his eyes a flaming glow”
I prefer this cover
You sneaky fucker. Thank god it’s a song I love.
Also, this exists:
Rah-rah-Rasputin, Russia’s greatest love machine.
Boney M member Bobby Farrell died on 30 december in St. Petersburg, as did Rasputin…almost a century later though.
I mean, Liam Neeson is looking pretty good there…
But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. Specifically, I have a huge cock and I can’t be killed.
Playing The Thaumaturge right now and immediately recognized them from that :D
This photo made me realize Ellen muskrat kind of looks like Tzar Nicholas.
That’s pretty unfair to Tzar Nicholas, who was fucking ripped. Whereas muskrat is basically dough.
Now I’m waiting for him to find his Rasputin
Timeline documentary for context https://youtu.be/HIxEfVRvPuk