Grigori Rasputin, born Grigori Yefimovich Novykh, was later given the name Rasputin (which translates to “debauched one”) because of his sinister and scandalous personal life. He is known as the controversial figure who was accused of religious heresy, sexual assault and was suspected of exerting undue political influence over the emperor of Russia, Tsar Nicholas the II and was rumored to have an affair with the empress of Russia, Tsarina Alexandra Romanov which led to the hit song “Ra Ra Rasputin… lover of the Russian queen”. Join Carly and Tab this week as they unpack the story of the man, the myth, the legend: Grigori Rasputin, a self-proclaimed mystical healer who earned the name the “devil incarnate” by evading many assassination attempts… and even coming back to life.
Content warning: discussions of sexual violence, abuse and drug use.
Case Sources:
- Time magazine.com “5 myths and truths about the mystic Russian monk” https://time.com/4606775/5-myths-rasputin/
- Smithsonian magazine.com “the murder of Rasputin, 100 years later” https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/murder-rasputin-100-years-later-180961572/
- Historyextra.com “Rasputin the mad monk who became a friend to the Romanovs” https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/rasputin-who-mad-monk-russian-royal-family-imperial-tsarina-alexandra/
- Biographics “Grigori Rasputin: the devil incarnate
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZOHQwzA0bM
- https://web.archive.org/web/20140210071816/http://www.orthodoxchristianbooks.com/articles/434/-life-death-rasputin/ Rasputin Music: Boney M – Rasputin (LST CNTRL Remix) – LST CNTRL via soundcloud
Historically Bad is created and produced by Tabitha Festa and Carly Sullivan.
Historically Bad Podcast 