Episodes
Rasputin's Murder Weapon: The Poison Plot Exposed
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into the most notorious detail of Rasputin's murder: the poison plot. They examine the cyanide-laced cakes and Madeira wine prepared by Felix Yusupov at the Moika Palace on the night of December 16/17, 1916, and confront the puzzle of why Rasputin seemed unaffected. Was it the poison itself, the way it was administered, or something else? They trace the forensic evidence gathered by the Extraordinary Investigative Commission, weigh the testimony of…
Rasputin's Murder in Art: Propaganda and Memory
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Rasputin's murder was transformed into propaganda by both the Romanovs' defenders and the Bolsheviks. They discuss the famous painting by Vladimir Makovsky, the role of the Extraordinary Investigative Commission in shaping public memory, and how the image of the 'mad monk' was used to discredit the imperial family. The conversation also covers the aftermath of the murder, including the fates of the conspirators and the shifting narratives in Soviet…
Rasputin's Women: The Petrograd Admirers
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Rasputin's relationships with the women of Petrograd's high society, from loyal followers like Anna Vyrubova to the aristocratic ladies who sought his blessing. They discuss the phenomenon of 'rasputinism' in the salons, the accusations of impropriety, and the investigative files of the Okhrana that tried to document his influence. The hosts examine how Rasputin's charisma and reputation for healing created a cult of personality that…
Rasputin's Ghost: How His Death Haunted the Fall of the Romanovs
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the shadow Rasputin cast after his death. They trace how his murder in December 1916 became a weapon in the hands of the Romanovs' enemies, how his influence outlived him in the Tsarina's letters, and how the Provisional Government's 1917 investigation—led by Nikolai Muravyov—tried to use his corpse and his legacy to bury the dynasty. Along the way, they uncover the strange afterlife of the starets: the mysterious burning of his body…
Rasputin's Murder: The Moika Palace Conspiracy
In this episode of Rasputin: Mystic, Manipulator, or Political Weapon?, Lucas and Luna revisit the night of December 17, 1916, when a group of aristocrats lured Grigori Rasputin to the Moika Palace in Petrograd. They examine the conspirators' motives—Prince Felix Yusupov, Vladimir Purishkevich, and Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich—and trace the sequence of events: the poisoned cakes, the gunshots, the body in the Malaya Nevka. But they also unpack the many myths that have grown around the murder…
Rasputin's Death Mask: The Myth-Making After Murder
In the months and years after Grigori Rasputin was killed in December 1916, his image underwent a startling transformation. From a disgraced holy man in life, he became a martyr, a saint, and a symbol of a lost Russia. This episode traces the afterlife of Rasputin's reputation through the testimony of his killers, the memories of his daughter Matryona, and the propaganda of both the Whites and the Reds. We examine how the legends of his invincibility—the poison, the bullets, the water—grew out…
Rasputin and the Tsarina's Confidante: Anna Vyrubova
In this episode of Rasputin: Mystic, Manipulator, or Political Weapon?, Lucas and Luna peel back the layers of one of the most misunderstood figures in the Romanov saga: Anna Vyrubova, the Tsarina's closest friend and a devoted follower of Grigori Rasputin. Through Anna's diaries and the testimony she gave to the Extraordinary Investigative Commission in 1917, we trace how a shy, devout courtier became the indispensable bridge between Alexandra and the starets. We explore Anna's childhood…
Rasputin's Murderers: The Conspirators' Aftermath
Episode 200 of Fexingo's Rasputin series looks beyond the Moika Palace basement to what happened to the men who killed Grigori Rasputin. Felix Yusupov, Vladimir Purishkevich, and Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich expected to save the monarchy; instead they were exiled or sidelined, and their act became a symbol of the regime's decay. Drawing on Okhrana reports, the Extraordinary Investigative Commission, and memoirs, Lucas and Luna trace the conspirators' fates through exile, revolution, and war, and…
Rasputin's Healer Rival: Dr. Badmaev's Tibetan Clinic
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the shadowy world of Dr. Pyotr Badmaev, the Buryat-Mongol physician whose Tibetan remedies and political cunning made him a pivotal figure in Rasputin's circle. We trace Badmaev's rise from a Siberian Buddhist to a Petersburg doctor beloved by the Romanovs, his secret clinic on Pokrovsky Island, and his controversial 'zashka' — a stimulant that may have fueled Rasputin's excesses. We examine how Badmaev used his connections to sell fraudulent railway…
Rasputin and the Okhrana: The Secret Police Files
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna dive into the Okhrana files on Grigori Rasputin, exploring how the tsarist secret police tracked the starets from his Siberian village of Pokrovskoye to the salons of Petrograd. They examine the surveillance reports, the bodyguards, the wiretaps, and the informants who shadowed Rasputin's every move, revealing a man who was both protected and hunted by the state. The conversation uncovers the strange relationship between Rasputin and his…
Rasputin and the Secret Police: The Okhrana Files
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into the Okhrana's secret files on Grigori Rasputin — the surveillance reports, the agents who watched him, the spy who became his friend, and the questions those files raise about how much the secret police really knew. From the first shadowing in 1910 to the final reports before the assassination, we piece together a Rasputin the public never saw: a man who drank, prayed, and schemed under the eye of the state. Learn how the Okhrana's own records — later…
Rasputin's Final Warning: The Letter That Predicted His Death
In 1914, Grigori Rasputin wrote a chilling letter to Tsar Nicholas II, warning that he would be killed by the end of 1916 and that the Romanov dynasty would fall within two years. This episode examines the authenticity of that letter, its contents, and the context in which it was written. We explore Rasputin's prophetic self-awareness, the political intrigue of the time, and how the letter was used after his death. Discover the origins of the letter, the debates over its authenticity, and the…
Rasputin's Healer: Dr. Badmaev and the Tibetan Pharmacy
In this episode, Lucas and Luna step away from the palaces and the Okhrana to explore the strange medical world around Rasputin: the Tibetan pharmacy of Dr. Pyotr Badmaev on Pokrovsky Island. We trace how a Buryat Mongol healer, trained in Tibetan medicine, became a trusted friend of the royal family and a crucial ally to Rasputin. Badmaev dispensed herbs, powders, and a notorious love potion called 'the zashka' — a tonic Rasputin regularly gulped down. Was he a genuine healer, a clever…
Rasputin's Grip on the Romanovs: The Petersburg Salons
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the glittering, gossip-soaked world of Petersburg's aristocratic salons — the drawing rooms where Grigori Rasputin's legend was spun before it ever reached the front. We trace how a self-taught Siberian peasant, with no court polish, navigated the capital's most exclusive circles, winning over society hostesses like Princess Zinaida Yusupova and the Grand Duchesses, even as the Okhrana tracked his every move. We meet the key intermediaries — Anna…
Rasputin's Demons: The Epilepsy That Shaped a Mystic
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the medical and psychological mysteries behind Grigori Rasputin's extraordinary abilities. From his alleged epilepsy to his supposed hypnotic gaze, they examine how a Siberian peasant with a possible brain injury became one of history's most enigmatic figures. Drawing on the work of contemporary physicians and modern neurologists, they weigh the evidence for temporal lobe epilepsy, syphilis, and even psychopathy, while considering how…
Rasputin and the Tsarina: Alexandra's Private Letters
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna dive into the private letters between Rasputin and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna — a correspondence that reveals the strange intimacy of their spiritual bond. They explore Rasputin's role as a healer and confessor, the Tsarina's desperate reliance on him during the war, and how their coded language ('Friend', 'Mama') masked a politically explosive relationship. The episode examines specific letters from 1915-1916, including Rasputin's telegrams…
Rasputin's Body and the Romanov Endgame
After the assassination at Moika Palace, what happened to Rasputin's body? In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the strange journey of the corpse — from the icy Malaya Nevka to a forest clearing near Tsarskoye Selo, where it was buried in secret, disinterred during the February Revolution, and ultimately burned amid rumors of a peasant rising. Along the way, they explore the political symbolism of Rasputin's death: how Felix Yusupov and his co-conspirators tried to purge the 'dark forces' by…
Rasputin's Siberian Village: Pokrovskoye Revealed
In this episode, Lucas and Luna step back from the Petrograd salons and imperial palaces to the muddy banks of the Tura River, where Grigori Rasputin's story begins. We explore the village of Pokrovskoye in Siberia — a place of wooden izbas, horse-trading, and Orthodox piety — and how it shaped the man who would later haunt the Russian court. We meet his father Efim, his wife Praskovya, and the local clergy who first suspected him of heresy. We look at the village's economy, its distance from…
Rasputin and the Cossacks: The Holy Man's Military Allies
Most people know Rasputin as a mystic at the Romanov court, but his influence reached deep into the Siberian Cossack communities. In this episode, we explore how Rasputin's roots in Pokrovskoye, a village in Tobolsk province with strong Cossack traditions, forged lifelong bonds with the Cossack military class. From blessing troops before deployment to the appointment of Colonel Dmitry Loman as his personal bodyguard and liaison, the Cossacks were both protectors and tools of surveillance. After…
Rasputin and the Progressive Bloc: Duma's Last Stand
In the summer of 1915, as Russian armies retreated and the Tsar took personal command, a coalition of liberal and conservative deputies formed the Progressive Bloc in the Duma. Their demands — a government of public confidence, an end to Rasputin's interference — posed the last real chance for constitutional reform before revolution. This episode unpacks the Bloc's formation, its key figures (Pavel Milyukov, Alexander Guchkov, Vasily Maklakov), and Milyukov's thunderous November 1916 speech…
Rasputin's Siberian Origins: From Peasant to Starets
In this episode of the Fexingo History podcast, we trace Rasputin's early life before he became the infamous figure at the Russian court. Born in the remote Siberian village of Pokrovskoye in 1869, Grigori Rasputin was a peasant with a troubled youth, known locally as a horse thief. A pilgrimage to the Verkhoturye Monastery at age 28 set him on a spiritual path, where he studied under the elder Starets Makary. We explore his conversion, his travels across Russia as a wandering holy man, and his…
The Spala Crisis How Rasputin Saved the Heir
In October 1912, Tsarevich Alexei, heir to the Russian throne, lay bleeding internally at a hunting lodge in Spala, Poland. His hemophilia crisis was so severe that doctors gave him last rites. Desperate, Tsarina Alexandra telegrammed Grigori Rasputin in Siberia. His response—a few lines of prayer and a promise of recovery—coincided with the boy's sudden improvement. This episode unpacks the medical details, the family's anguish, the telegrams' exact wording, and the lasting fallout. We explore…
Rasputin vs. the Holy Synod: The Church That Couldn't Stop Him
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Rasputin's complex relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church. From his early reputation as a starets to the Holy Synod's failed attempts to silence him, we delve into the ecclesiastical politics of early 20th-century Russia. We meet key figures like Metropolitan Vladimir of Petrograd, Bishop Hermogen of Saratov, and the monk Iliodor, and examine how Rasputin used his influence with the Tsarina to thwart excommunication. We also discuss the Khlysty…
Rasputin and the Monk Iliodor: From Disciple to Deadly Enemy
This episode of Fexingo History peels back the tangled relationship between Grigori Rasputin and the defrocked monk Iliodor, once a fervent supporter who became one of his most dangerous enemies. We follow Iliodor's rise as a radical preacher in Tsaritsyn, his early alliance with Rasputin against the Holy Synod, and the spectacular falling-out that led to a church trial, an assassination attempt, and a bizarre escape to the United States. Along the way, we meet Bishop Hermogen, Metropolitan…
Rasputin's Daughter Matryona: Circus, Memoir, and Survival
After Grigori Rasputin was murdered in December 1916, his family was left to navigate a collapsing empire and a tainted name. This episode focuses on his eldest daughter, Matryona Grigorievna Rasputina — later known as Maria Rasputin. We follow her from the Siberian village of Pokrovskoye to exile in Paris and finally Los Angeles. Matryona wrote two memoirs defending her father, performed as a lion tamer in a circus, and worked as a riveter during World War II. Her story reveals the human cost…
Tsar Nicholas II and Rasputin the Reluctant Alliance
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the complex relationship between Tsar Nicholas II and Grigori Rasputin, moving beyond the familiar narrative of the Tsarina's devotion to examine the Tsar's own perspective. Drawing on Nicholas's diary entries, letters, and the accounts of courtiers, they trace how the Tsar's deep-seated piety and belief in divine right made him reluctant to reject a man he saw as a holy man, even as the Duma and the press raged against Rasputin's influence. They discuss…
The Night Rasputin Died: The Moika Palace Assassination
In December 1916, a conspiracy of aristocrats, a grand duke, and a monarchist politician lured Grigori Rasputin to the Moika Palace in Petrograd. Their plan: poison him with cyanide-laced cakes and wine. But when the poison failed, they resorted to gunshots, a beating, and finally drowning in the icy Malaya Nevka River. This episode reconstructs the harrowing night of the murder, drawing on witness accounts, autopsy reports, and the assassins' own confessions. We explore why the conspirators…
The Posthumous Trial of Rasputin 1917 Investigation
In the wake of Rasputin's murder, the Provisional Government launched the Extraordinary Investigative Commission in April 1917 to expose the 'dark forces' surrounding the late Tsar's court. This episode examines the commission's methods, key figures like Alexander Kerensky and Nikolai Muravyov, and the explosive testimonies from Prince Felix Yusupov and Vladimir Purishkevich. Discover how the commission's findings—and its silences—shaped the narrative of Rasputin's influence, from the Tsarina's…
Rasputin the German Spy? The Treason Accusations That Nearly Destroyed Him
Did Rasputin actually spy for Germany? In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the explosive accusations that labeled Rasputin a German agent during World War I. They explore the origins of the spy rumors—fueled by the press, politicians, and even fellow clergy—and examine how the Tsar's government handled the claims. Drawing on the work of historian Mikhail Lemke and the infamous 'Wilhelmine letter,' they separate fact from propaganda. Discover how the 'dark forces' narrative was weaponized…
Rasputin and the Press: The Birth of a Monster
How did a Siberian mystic become the most infamous figure in late Imperial Russia? In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the role of the press in creating the Rasputin legend. From the first scandalous articles in Novoye Vremya to the pornographic caricatures and the Duma speeches that painted him as a German spy, they trace how newspapermen, politicians, and the Okhrana turned a controversial starets into a symbol of everything wrong with the monarchy. Learn about the specific libels—the…
Rasputin and the Georgian Prince: The Tiflis Connection
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore a little-known chapter in the Rasputin saga: his ties to the Georgian prince and occultist, Prince Dmitry Rurikovich. In 1913, Prince Rurikovich, a flamboyant aristocrat with a taste for mysticism, invited Rasputin to Tiflis (modern-day Tbilisi) for a high-society séance that scandalized the local elite. We dive into the prince's background, his role as a conduit between Rasputin and the Okhrana, and how this Georgian interlude shaped…
Rasputin and the Banker: How Dmitry Rubinstein Funded the Dark Forces
In 1915, as Russia staggered through the Great War, a shadowy figure moved between Rasputin's apartment and the highest circles of finance. Dmitry Rubinstein—a Jewish banker, Okhrana informant, and Rasputin's most controversial ally—built a fortune on war contracts while fueling rumors of German influence. This episode traces Rubinstein's rise from Odessa's underworld to Petrograd's salons, his tangled relationship with the starets, and the scandal that nearly brought down the government. With…
Rasputin and the Million Ruble Bribe: Sergei Witte's Secret War
In 1916, as World War I dragged on and Rasputin's influence at court reached its peak, a strange figure emerged from the shadows: the former Prime Minister Count Sergei Witte. The architect of Russia's industrial revolution and the man who forced Japan to the negotiating table in 1905, Witte had been sidelined by Nicholas II. But in the winter of 1915-1916, he launched a secret campaign to bribe Rasputin's inner circle and discredit the starets, hoping to force the Tsar to dismiss Alexandra's…
Rasputin and the Tolstoyan Assassin: Khionia Guseva
In 1914, a poor peasant woman named Khionia Guseva stabbed Rasputin in the stomach in his home village of Pokrovskoye. She was a follower of the monk Iliodor and deeply inspired by Leo Tolstoy's radical Christian teachings. Guseva believed she was carrying out God's will to rid Russia of the 'holy devil' corrupting the tsar's family. But the attack reveals something often overlooked: the religious fringe movements that opposed Rasputin, including the Tolstoyan and sectarian networks that saw…
Rasputin and the Romanov Easter of 1916
In April 1916, as Russia staggered through the Great War, the Romanov family gathered at Tsarskoye Selo for Easter — the most sacred festival in the Orthodox calendar. That year, Grigori Rasputin played an unprecedented role in the imperial family's private devotions, a moment that reveals how far his influence had penetrated the court. Drawing on eyewitness accounts from Anna Vyrubova and the diaries of Tsarina Alexandra, this episode recreates the Paschal midnight service at the Fedorovsky…
Rasputin's Prophecies: The Dark Predictions That Haunted Russia
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Rasputin's little-known role as a prophet and apocalyptic visionary. From his 1912 prediction of the Romanov tercentenary to the chilling letter foretelling his own murder and the fall of the dynasty, we examine the religious underworld of Siberian peasant mysticism that shaped his prophecies. We discuss the Khlysty influence on his apocalyptic worldview, the 1913 'fiery chariot' vision, and his 1916 claim that the imperial family would be 'drowned in…
Rasputin and the Empress: The Wilhelmine Letter
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a tantalizing thread that previous episodes have only touched in passing: the story of a letter — allegedly written by Tsarina Alexandra to Kaiser Wilhelm II, discovered in 1917, and used as propaganda to paint Rasputin and the Empress as German spies. They discuss the letter's discovery in the Petrograd crowds, its content hinting at a separate peace, the question of its authenticity (forgery or genuine?), and how it shaped the revolutionary narrative.…
Rasputin and the Ministerial Carousel of 1915-1916
In 1915-1916, as World War I dragged on, the Russian government collapsed into chaos as Tsar Nicholas II dismissed ministers at an astonishing rate. This episode explores the 'ministerial leapfrog' — the revolving door of appointments driven by Rasputin and Tsarina Alexandra's interference. We focus on key figures like Prime Minister Ivan Goremykin, the corrupt Boris Stürmer, and the ambitious Alexander Khvostov. The episode examines how Rasputin's influence, combined with Alexandra's distrust…
Rasputin's War Cabinet: The Ministerial Carousel of 1915-1916
In 1915, as Russia's armies reeled from the Great Retreat, Tsar Nicholas II made a fateful decision: he left for the front, handing domestic authority to Tsarina Alexandra. What followed was a chaotic revolving door of ministers appointed and dismissed under the influence of Grigori Rasputin. This episode examines the so-called 'ministerial leapfrog' — the rapid turnover of Prime Ministers, Interior Ministers, War Ministers, and Holy Synod officials from 1915 to 1916. We track specific figures…
Rasputin and the Romanov Women Beyond the Tsarina
When we think of Rasputin's influence on the Romanov family, the Tsarina Alexandra dominates the narrative. But what about the other women of the imperial household? In this episode, Lucas and Luna turn the spotlight on the Grand Duchesses — Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia — and their relationships with the starets. Using letters, memoirs, and Okhrana surveillance reports, they explore how the four daughters of Nicholas II reacted to Rasputin's presence at Tsarskoye Selo. Did they see him…
Rasputin's Assassination Cover-Up: The Okhrana's Secret Report
What did the imperial secret police really know about the plot to kill Grigori Rasputin? In the weeks after his murder, the Okhrana compiled a secret report that pieced together his final movements, the involvement of Felix Yusupov, Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, and Vladimir Purishkevich — and the Tsar's own role in burying the truth. This episode digs into that Okhrana dossier: its leaks from within the palace, the conflicting testimony, and how it became a propaganda tool in the 1917…
Rasputin's Male Disciples: The Forgotten Followers
While much has been said about the women around Rasputin, his male disciples were equally crucial in spreading his influence across early 20th-century Russia. This episode focuses on figures like Dmitry Rubinstein, a financier who leveraged his Rasputin connection for immense profit; Vladimir Purishkevich, the monarchist who plotted his murder; and lesser-known followers like Mikhail Novosyolov, a theologian turned critic, and Prince Mikhail Andronnikov, a shadowy fixer who exploited access to…
Rasputin and the Tsarevich: Healing Hemophilia at Spala
In October 1912, the Romanov dynasty teetered on the brink of collapse when twelve-year-old Tsarevich Alexei suffered a catastrophic hemorrhage at the imperial hunting lodge in Spala, Poland. With doctors helpless and the boy near death, Tsarina Alexandra turned to a Siberian peasant she believed was a holy man: Grigori Rasputin. This episode unpacks the medical reality of hemophilia, the desperate telegram exchange between Rasputin and the Tsarina, and the political fallout from Rasputin's…
Rasputin and the Mystic Healers of Siberia: Peasant Traditions
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Siberian folk-healing traditions that shaped Grigori Rasputin's early reputation. They discuss the role of the *yurodivy* (holy fool) and *starets* (elder) in Russian Orthodox spirituality, the influence of healers like Starets Makary at Verkhoturye Monastery, and how Rasputin's own practices—his use of herbs, prayer, and 'laying on of hands'—fit into a long tradition of peasant mysticism. The conversation draws on accounts from Rasputin's village of…
Rasputin and the Romanov Exile: Tobolsk 1917
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the final chapter of the Romanov dynasty: the family's exile to Tobolsk after the February Revolution of 1917. They discuss how Tsar Nicholas II, Tsarina Alexandra, and their children were confined in the Governor's Mansion under house arrest, with the Siberian town's isolation and harsh winter playing a key role. The episode delves into the political machinations of the Provisional Government, the role of Alexander Kerensky, and the daily life of the…
Rasputin and the Holy Fool: The Yurodivy Tradition That Shaped Him
In this episode of Rasputin: Mystic, Manipulator, or Political Weapon?, Lucas and Luna explore the ancient Russian tradition of the yurodivy — the holy fool — and how it shaped the perception of Grigori Rasputin. Moving beyond the familiar tales of the Tsar's court, they delve into the Orthodox roots of holy foolishness, tracing figures like Saint Basil the Blessed and the legendary Nikola Salos, who defied Ivan the Terrible. They discuss how Rasputin consciously adopted the persona of a…
Rasputin and the Holy Synod: Church vs Starets
In Episode 161 of Fexingo History's Rasputin series, Lucas and Luna explore the explosive conflict between Grigori Rasputin and the Russian Orthodox Church's Holy Synod. From 1907 to 1916, church leaders like Metropolitan Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky) and Archbishop Antony (Khrapovitsky) tried to expose Rasputin as a heretic and a fraud, only to be outmaneuvered by his alliance with Tsarina Alexandra. The episode reveals how the Synod's investigations into Rasputin's Khlysty ties were repeatedly…
Rasputin and the Khlysty: Heresy or Fabrication
In Episode 160, Lucas and Luna explore the controversial accusation that Grigori Rasputin belonged to the Khlysty, a Russian Christian sect accused of ecstatic rituals and flagellation. They trace the origins of the Khlysty, their belief in the 'Christ of the Spirit,' and how Rasputin's association with them was used by his enemies. The conversation draws on the 1912 Tobolsk Consistory investigation, which cleared Rasputin, and the later claims by Iliodor and others. Lucas explains the…
Rasputin and the Tsar's Telegram: The 1915 Stavka Correspondence
In 1915, Tsar Nicholas II left Petrograd for the Stavka, the Imperial Army headquarters at Mogilev, to take personal command of the Russian military during World War I. What followed was a remarkable secret correspondence: a series of telegrams and letters exchanged between the Tsar and his wife, Alexandra — and through her, with Grigori Rasputin. This episode dives into the actual texts of those messages, preserved in the Russian State Archive. Lucas and Luna examine what Rasputin advised…
Rasputin and the Empress's Brother: Grand Duke Ernest Louis
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the unlikely connection between Grigori Rasputin and Grand Duke Ernest Louis of Hesse, the Tsarina's brother. Ernest Louis, a liberal-minded German prince with artistic passions, found himself at the center of a web of family loyalty, wartime propaganda, and Rasputin's influence. We trace how Ernest Louis's letters to his sister Alexandra, full of concern about Rasputin's reputation, became a flashpoint in the imperial family. We examine the 1915 Okhrana…
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