History Daily – Episode 1281: The Assassination of Russia’s “Mad Monk”

Date: December 30, 2025
Host: Lindsay Graham
Topic: The murder of Grigori Rasputin and its consequences for the Russian Imperial Family

Episode Overview

In this dramatic narrative-driven episode, host Lindsay Graham explores the assassination of Grigori Rasputin—the mystic and controversial confidant to the Russian Imperial family. The story unfolds on December 30, 1916, recounting Rasputin’s sway over Empress Alexandra, the anxieties of the era’s aristocracy, the brutal slaying by Prince Felix Yusupov and his co-conspirators, and the assassination’s seismic shockwaves that contributed to the end of the Romanov dynasty.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rasputin’s Rise to Power

• Background: Once a Siberian peasant, Rasputin gains entrance and then unprecedented influence in the Romanov court due to his alleged mystical abilities and his close relationship with Empress Alexandra, serving as a spiritual advisor and the only hope for the heir, Alexei, who suffers from hemophilia.
• Empress Alexandra’s Devotion:
  • Alexandra meets Rasputin through friends interested in mysticism. Initially skeptical, she quickly becomes spellbound by his intensity and predictions.
  • “She had been awestruck after Rasputin correctly predicted the demise of her marriage. Believing Alexandra needed a powerful faith healer, the friend then insisted that she meet Rasputin.” (17:40)
  • His advice and presence bring Alexandra solace, especially during palace crises, strengthening her dependency—a fact that would alarm and alienate much of the Russian aristocracy.

2. The Heir’s Illness and Rasputin’s Miraculous Interventions

• Alexei’s Suffering: The young heir repeatedly suffers severe, life-threatening bleeding episodes due to hemophilia. In a particularly dire episode in 1912, Rasputin’s telegram brings hope and, mysteriously, the boy recovers after doctors follow Rasputin’s advice:
  • “Rasputin has written to tell her that God has heard her cries and that Alexei will not die. He tells her to have the doctors leave Alexei alone so that he can heal in peace.” (19:25)
  • Alexandra’s faith in Rasputin’s powers only deepens after this unanticipated recovery.

3. Rasputin’s Rule by Proxy

• World War I: As war devastates Russia, the Tsar leaves the capital to command the military personally, leaving governance in Alexandra’s hands. Rasputin, in turn, becomes the Empress’s primary advisor, giving him de facto rule over Russia.
  • This concentration of power, combined with Rasputin’s commoner background and licentious reputation, infuriates the nobility and undermines public trust in the monarchy.

4. The Assassination Plot

• Felix Yusupov’s “Patriotic” Scheme:
  • Alarmed by Rasputin’s influence, Prince Felix Yusupov orchestrates the assassination, believing it the only way to save the monarchy and country.
  • “Felix has been planning this murder for a long time. Everyone outside the Imperial family could see that their relationship...was undermining the monarchy.” (40:00)
• The Murder:
  • The conspirators lure Rasputin to Yusupov’s palatial cellar under false pretenses, first poisoning, then shooting him.
  • Rasputin astonishingly survives the initial attack, flees into the snowy courtyard, and is finally executed with a shot to his head.
  • “Rasputin is alive and his eyes, glad, gleam with defiance. Until Vladimir pulls the trigger.” (43:30)

5. Aftermath and Impact

• Immediate Consequences:
  • The murder is poorly concealed; police quickly suspect and arrest Yusupov.
  • Empress Alexandra is devastated and demands that Yusupov be executed for his crime, but he is only exiled.
  • Rasputin is buried close to the imperial family, as per Alexandra’s insistent wishes:
    • “Empress Alexandra insists that he remain as close to her until death as he was in life.” (45:30)
• Political Turmoil:
  • Instead of stabilizing the regime, Rasputin’s death accelerates its unraveling. Trust deteriorates further, and isolation intensifies within the royal family.
  • The Russian Revolution erupts months later in March 1917, sweeping away the Romanovs, with the family ultimately executed and the aristocracy decimated or exiled.
  • Yusupov’s reflections:
    • “He had hoped that the removal of Rasputin would restore trust in the monarchy, but his plan backfired completely...Still, for years to come, he will wonder if he did the right thing or if history might have turned out differently.” (48:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Alexandra’s helplessness and devotion:

  • “Alexandra refuses to even entertain the idea of dismissing him. She relies on Rasputin too much.” (19:55)

• On Rasputin’s tenacious will to live:

  • “Instead of lying dead on the floor, his hulking frame is halfway out the window...Rasputin wriggles away, adrenaline pumping through him.” (42:50)

• On the irony and regret of Yusupov’s actions:

  • “He had hoped that the removal of Rasputin would restore trust in the monarchy, but his plan backfired completely.” (48:35)

• Empress Alexandra’s grief:

  • “Placing a flower on the lid, Empress Alexandra’s composure breaks. Rasputin was one of her few true allies, and his murder shows now that she can’t trust even her fellow nobles.” (46:05)

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Opening scene: Rasputin’s last night at Yusupov’s palace| | 17:40 | Alexandra first meets and relies on Rasputin | | 19:25 | Rasputin “heals” Alexei via telegram/advice | | 29:30 | Nicholas II departs, Rasputin’s influence grows | | 40:00 | Planning and beginning of the assassination plot | | 42:50 | Rasputin survives first attack, flees | | 43:30 | Final execution of Rasputin | | 45:30 | Aftermath: Alexandra’s devastation, Rasputin's burial | | 48:35 | The Revolution: Downfall of the Romanovs, Yusupov’s exile and regret|

Summary

History Daily’s episode on Rasputin’s assassination dramatically details not just the events of December 30, 1916, but the social, political, and personal tensions swirling around the Romanov dynasty. Rasputin’s presence is shown as both solace and threat—his hold on Alexandra a source of hope, scandal, and ultimately fatal resentment. The brutal details of his murder emerge alongside the tragically ironic failure of his assassins’ goal: rather than saving the monarchy, they hasten its fall, leading to revolution and massacre. The episode closes with Yusupov in exile, left to ponder his role in a turning point of Russian—and world—history.