Grigori Yefímovich Rasputin was born on a day like today, in 1869, in Pokróvskoye, Russian Empire. Also called "The crazy monk", he was known for his unique appearance and personality, and for his healing abilities. During his youth he spent several months in a monastery, and later joined a sectarian group known as the flagellants. In 1908, Rasputin was introduced to Tsar Nicholas II and his wife to heal his son, who suffered from hemophilia. Before the improvement of the heir Alexei Nikoláievich, the Mad Monk gained the favor and the confidence of all the family Romanov, especially of the tsarina Alejandra. During the First World War, the Tsar assumed command of his army, and Rasputin took over the government of Russia through Alejandra.
This generated a great discontent among some members of the Russian nobility, who even accused him of being a German spy. For that reason, Prince Felix Yusupov, right-wing leader Vladimir Purishkevich and Duke Dmitry Pavlovich devised a plan to assassinate him. Rasputin was attracted to the Yusupov palace and there they tried to poison him. In the face of Rasputin's resistance to the poison, he was repeatedly shot and, before he could escape, he was tied and thrown into the river.
