Killing Rasputin : The Murder That Ended The Russian Empire

by Margarita Nelipa

At last a book about the so-called “Mad Monk” of Imperial Russia that lays to rest the myths and reveals the truth about one of the most controversial characters in human history while exploring the impact his murder had on a dynasty, a people, and a country.

Written in three parts, KILLING RASPUTIN begins with a biography that describes how a simple unkempt “holy man” from the wilds of Siberia became a friend of Emperor Nicholas II and his empress, Alexandra, at the most crucial moment in Russian history. Part Two examines the infamous murder of Rasputin through the lens of a “cold case” homicide investigation. And lastly, the book considers the connection between a cold-blooded assassination and the revolution that followed; a revolution that led to civil war and the rise of the Soviet Union.

Unique about this book on Rasputin, is that the author combines Russian heritage (her parents were forced out of Russia during World War II and arrived as refugees in Australia in 1948) with medical science and legal training. Nelipa relied on Russian-language sources that she translated rather than depend on the interpretations of others. Her primary sources include police documents and witness testimonies, an autopsy report, diaries, letters and memoirs written in their native language by the participants in these historic events. Secondary sources include Russian-languages newspapers and other publications from that era. The narrative is copiously referenced and augmented with photographs (including graphic forensic photographs) and other documents, some of them published here for the first time.

Step into the imperial court of a 300-year-old dynasty in its final days with one of the most fascinating characters ever to grab our imaginations, judge whether Margarita Nelipa makes her case regarding his death, and if you agree that it was “the murder that ended the Russian empire.”

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Russia, True Crime, Biography, Romanovs, Russian Revolution

596 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 30, 2017

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Killing Rasputin: The Murder That Ended The Russian Empire
by Margarita Nelipa

I got this from Freeaudiblecodes and I learned so much! I can't say I was an expert in history anyway but what I did read about in books did not cover any of these details!

Other books made Rasputin as a real creep and some how deserved what he had coming to him. He was really a traitor to the Royal family. All that is rubbish!

This tells of a simple man who believed in herbal healing and fiercely loyal to the Royal family which made other factions very angry.

It describes how he died and myths around it. Lots of debunking going on in this book! Great information and explained in an interesting manner!
Narration was excellent!

[Lolly K Dandeneau · Rating 4 out of 5]

via my blog https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
“Aristocrats viewed Rasputin as engaging and modest, traits that allowed him to mix amongst them. Despite his clothing and unusual appearance, it was his sincerity that appealed to them. His pragmatic thoughts became wisdom, which contrasted with the esoteric mysticism that pervaded high society. The problems stemmed from rumors that spoke of Rasputin’s divine gift of healing and prophesizing. Those supposed qualities made him immensely popular.”

Those very qualities later became questionable and it wasn’t long before he was seen as vulgar, beneath the very people who first were enthralled by Rasputin. That he was a character is partially due to myths, rumors and the mysteries surrounding his life, as well as his death. I’ve always had an interest in the doomed Romanov family and the man that they welcomed into their bosom. A wandering msytic, self-proclaimed holy man, healer, or was he a dirty, ignorant peasant not fit to lick the boots of high society? It depends on which books you read, whose stories you believe. Here, Margarita Nelipa skips speculation and studies sold evidence. From his humble beginnings to befriending Emperor Nicholas II and his family, the murder of Rasputin and the ever changing tumult history and revolution that followed, this book explores it all. Who wanted Rasputin dead? Who didn’t?

How fast his fall, media campaigns against him, exposing him as a charlatan, questioning his belief in natural remedies. Of course Rasputin was a part of a political storm, simply being a part of high society during a hot time in Russia’s history. With lies circling about Rasputin’s sexual ‘exploits’ as noted in this book, the Empress too was smeared. Gossip, however whispered, can be the downfall of many. The truth was that the young Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich was better when Rasputin was near, and what mother, desperate to keep her child healthy and of this earth wouldn’t have faith in his presence?

Taking fabrications and using common sense and logic to find truth, much of what was said to damage Rasputin were impossibilities, simply for his station in life. Unfortunately Rasputin wasn’t one to challenge the falsities written about him, being a holy man. Maybe he wasn’t all the amazing, colorful, wild things he has been accused or praised (depending who you ask) of being, but he has held our fascination for over a century.

Which version is to be believed of his murder? Who masterminded the crime? What brought these conspirators together? Was Rasputin lured to his death, believing he was meeting with Nikolai II’s niece? With accounts, eye witnesses, Nelipa finds the holes and shares them with the reader. What did the British have to do with anything? Did they really believe Rasputin was an ‘evil influence’ on Russia and it’s people? As stated in the book, “Once the Russians eliminated Rasputin, they allegedly steered back onto the correct (British) course and continued fighting the war.” Who murdered him is known, but what were the triggers?

The people were turning on the emperor, as were the aristocrats, feeling the rupture between the dynasty and the Russian people could be laid at Rasputin’s peasant feet. They believed it was Rasputin that was guiding them, and he had to go. All of this is well known, but not everyone is aware of why Alexandra Fyodorovna was vastly different from other aristocrats. Already there were criticisms aimed at her, for enjoying her motherly duties, more consumed by love for her children than the social scene, surely her bond with Rasputin fed the fire. The sad diary entries shared throughout this book are nothing short of heartbreaking.

Rasputin was an outsider, many felt he weaseled his way in, bending the ear of the family in ways others of higher station never could. That in itself is enough to feed hate. It’s a fantastic gathering of material that sheds light on the life and death of Rasputin, and the influence he had on history. Sorting through the murky depths of lies and truth, it is an eye opening read. Certainly the fiction of Rasputin was far more interesting than the reality, but you cannot dispute facts. I always believed him to be a monk, a mystic, a psychic- I have heard everything, but this book lays much of it to rest. He wasn’t the depraved sex craved monster some have painted him, he was despised by the wealthy, the prominent and who can fight the powers that be when they so chose to turn on you? No one then and likely no one now. Time is a funny thing, truth has a way of crawling out of the dark tunnels of the past but not without the attention, blood, sweat and tears of writers like Margarita Nelipa. I am not an expert on Russian history but this book has changed the things I thought I knew about Rasputin.

Available Now

WildBlue Press

[Melisende · Rating 3 out of 5]

This work is based upon the report of Vladimir Rudnev, investigator into Rasputin's influence over the Tsar (28.03.1919), revised and updated again since its publication in 2010.

Its divided into three parts: (1) biographic information about Rasputin and his life; (2) the cold case review of the murder; and (3) connecting the murder with the downfall of the Russian Empire.

"It has happened! .... Because of an empty and shortsighted obstinacy of one women - the final catastrophe happened."

This is a well researched, heavily detailed tome with a huge cast of characters (imperial, political, noble). Nelipa's use of records obtained from Russian sources gives insights into how this man was viewed by the Russian royal family and the Russian nobility. She explores the many differing sources to provide explanations behind the mythology of both the man and the murder.

It would probably have made for easier reading had I had the actual book in my hand so that I could have easily references those involved. Personally, I preferred part 2 - the cold case analysis.

[Eva Müller]

DNF about halfway through

I had no idea what exactly the author was trying to tell me apart from the fact that Rasputin was poor and misunderstood and the people who killed him were immoral, evil monsters. Anything else got lost by the author throwing every single name and date she could find at us. So you know exactly what person X did on day Y but it's not really clear what you should make of that.

She also doesn't let you forget that she speaks Russian so we get sentences like 'the masses accused the empress of being a Nemka (German)' [pos 1554]. Look. Nemka just means German (woman). It's not an untranslatable word with special connotations. You could have just written 'accused the empress of being a German'.

We also get gems like 'Guiseva's appearance shows a nasal deformity that exaggerated her coarse, peasant appearance.' [pos 799] about a woman who tried to murder Rasputin. Because only ugly people could hate that angelic saintly creature...

[Laura L. Van Dam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rasputin is a really interesting though controversial character. This book has a lot of new info I have never read before, including excerpts from letters and diaries and even autopsy photos, which make it very interesting and well researched. This is the book´s strongest point.
But... The author seems a bit biased and constantly tries to convince us that he was a martyr and a saint. I am Orthodox myself and quite like him, but that doesn´t mean I can rationally think he was near to perfect.
The info seems a bit excessive and repetitive in some parts. Imagine that about 35% of the book is devoted to bibliography and footnotes.
To sum up, this is a must read if you are interested in the character, the period or just history, but you can safely skip more than a couple pages.
*Thanks to the publisher for providing me a free Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for a honest review via Netgalley*

[Pastels Passions · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this felt like when you're trying to cook spaghetti, throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks. Parts of this were interesting, even if you have knowledge on Rasputin, but, on a whole, it seems unfocused.

I received an ecopy of this through netgalley; however, all opinions are my own.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully immersive, well-researched and well-written account of Rasputin’s murder and the events leading up to it.

[John Plowright · Rating 4 out of 5]

The commonly accepted outlines of Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin’s life are as follows. Of Siberian peasant stock, he became a religious mystic, after claiming to have had a vision of the Virgin Mary. His religious beliefs conveniently allowed him to indulge himself to the full as long as he later repented and despite his scandalous private life he became an influential figure at the court of Russia’s last Tsar, Nicholas II, because the Tsarina Alexandra believed that he alone possessed the power to staunch the bleeding of the haemophiliac heir to the throne, the Tsarevitch Alexei.

As this medical condition was a state secret the people could not understand the attention paid to this ‘mad monk’ and rumours deeply damaging to the imperial family, that Rasputin was sleeping with the Tsarina and the royal princesses, circulated after the Tsar left Alexandra and Rasputin in charge of Petrograd whilst he assumed nominal command at military headquarters in 1915. Rasputin’s political meddling, using his influence with the Tsarina to appoint and dismiss ministers, contributed to political instability and severely damaged Russia’s war effort. Thus it was that Prince Felix Yusupov hatched a plot to murder Rasputin in December 1916, to strengthen the Tsar’s damaged authority.

As befits a larger than life character, Rasputin’s death has attained a mythical status, with him allegedly ingesting fatal amounts of poison, being repeatedly shot and bludgeoned but only finally succumbing to drowning after his body was dumped in the River Neva.

In ‘Killing Rasputin’ (an expanded and updated version of her 2010 book ‘The Murder of Grigorii Rasputin’) Margarita Nelipa has sought to challenge the orthodox account, unravelling the many myths surrounding Rasputin’s life and death, as well as assessing the latter’s significance. Indeed, the revised book is subtitled ‘The Murder That Ended the Russian Empire’.

This last aim is explored in the last part of the book, whilst its first part chronicles Rasputin’s rise to influence, and the second investigates the events of his murder.

The story of Rasputin’s extraordinary life is very interesting but also already well documented, although Nelipa’s book can claim to be the first Western source to provide photographic evidence of Rasputin’s date of birth (on 9 January 1869), a fact which had been shrouded in mystery until 1992.

Nelipa states that her “disbelief that a British secret agent [Sir Samuel Hoare] was implicated in murdering Grigorii Rasputin” - a thesis first put forward in Oleg Shishkin’s ‘To Kill Rasputin’ (2000) but popularized in the UK by Andrew Cook’s 2004 BBC documentary and 2005 book - “gave me the determination to study all the original material related to this murder case”.

Nelipa’s trawl through the Russian primary material seems commendably exhaustive, which makes it rather surprising that she makes no mention of Keith Jeffery’s 2010 history of MI6, based upon unrestricted access to the surviving files of the Secret Intelligence Service, which supports her in rejecting any idea of agency involvement in the crime.

Most controversial is Nelipa’s analysis of the reasons for the February revolution, writing that “The constant barrage of insinuations and conjectures by Duma representatives destabilized the imperial government” and had “the field commanders remained loyal to the emperor and to their Oath of Allegiance and focused solely on military matters, the Duma would not have succeeded in its quest for change.” This is simply untenable given that Tsarism had manifestly failed in the primary duty of any state, namely, to defend its citizens from external attack.

Nelipa’s forensic examination of the evidence, much of it new, is praiseworthy and her book should alter our understanding of Rasputin and particularly of how he died. The trouble is that in the process she may have fatally drained Rasputin of colour. A Rasputin who is not sexually depraved is simply not as interesting as one who is.

In John Ford’s ‘The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance’ the reporter Stoddard concludes “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend”. Nelipa has done much to expose the legend of Rasputin but not enough to deal it a mortal blow.

[Blaine Pardoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was just a kid (about nine years old) my mother took me to see the film Nicholas and Alexandra. Mom was the person that got me into true crime. She tried to cover my eyes when they executed the royal family. She failed. It was not anywhere near as shocking as the stuff we see on TV now, but at the time, it was pretty violent. In that respect, I miss the 1970’s.

That film was my first introduction to the story of Rasputin, the “Mad Monk.” I’ve read about the fate of the Czar and his family and Rasputin is hopelessly intertwined into their saga. We’ve all heard the legend. Rasputin was stabbed, poisoned, shot, choked, and drowned – all on the same night – and seemed to defy death at each attempt.

Margarita Nelipa has tackled the Rasputin murder with the keen eyes of both a historian and a true crime author. This is not your typical true crime fare, nor could it be. To unravel what happened to Rasputin you have to understand the inner court politics and the myriad of figures and gadflies that ensnared the royal family.

Having written a historical true crime myself, (Sawney Bean) I understand the daunting challenge she had to face as a historian. This book is more like an academic study of the murder of the monk, rather than a standard true crime story. In that respect I liked it. It is the kind of book you might expect from a university press, burrowing deep in the details necessary to set the stage for the events that led to Rasputin’s demise.

My only struggle with the prose was navigating the often confusing names of the characters. There were a few times I confused some characters because their names were so similar. This is not a complaint but more of a warning for readers. If you are looking for a simplified account of Rasputin’s death, this is not the book for you. This books bridges the gap between the rigor of a historian’s keen eye and the tantalizing lure of a sordid murder.

Ms. Nelipa’s research seems three-steps beyond solid. I found a swelling pang of envy in the depth of her digging. She has most likely broken new ground in the murder of Rasputin, though I confess this is not my field of study. I will say this, she has given me a as a reader, a much more in-depth understanding of the man as both a historical figure and the victim of a heinous murder.

Overall, I found it a nice break from the usual menu choices for true crime. If you enjoy in-depth historical research intertwined with a murderous saga that had a mark on history, then this is a book for you.

You can get the book here, on Amazon. Killing Rasputin

#truecrime

[Graham Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing work, which manages to reconstruct from original material (remarkable that it has survived let alone brought to us now in sometimes gruesome detail) the murder of Rasputin – the early attempts on his life, the conspirators and their plot, and the police investigation that uncovered the facts. This I found the most compelling sections of the book – in particular the careful way in which Nelipa presents the original evidence, and then lays out what seem to be eminently reasonable suppositions based on that evidence.

The book also contains a vivid picture of a dissolute aristocracy that was behind the plot and that also sought to destroy the reign of Nicholas II. The revelation that Nicholas' own close relatives, including his mother, condoned or conspired with the murder and sought to denigrate Alexandra and Nicholas, was particularly shocking.

And as well, there is in effect, woven through the book, a biography of Rasputin that dispels the common myths about his life and character and helps to explain the mystery of how a Siberian peasant became so close to the imperial family and how this access was used by others to attack them. The description of how Rasputin came to be autopsied, buried, dug up and cremated forms an interesting coda to his life’s story.

There are many pictures and documents - the last one, of Nicholas’ daughter Maria's sketch of the Rasputin family home while on the way to what would prove to be their place of execution, is particularly touching. It would be better if the kindle allowed ‘hot linking’ from the text to the document rather than having to manually go to the list of documents at the end, but that is a minor issue.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been told those at the very top and those at the very bottom have a lot in common; The Russian royal family, their friends and Rasputin were a perfect, if deadly, fit. Rasputin's death always leaves me awed, but laughing- I mean, his murderers did everything they could to kill him and the guy just would not die! Ineptitude on their part or immortal on his, amazing. Nicholas always struck me as an ineffectual leader. Wasn't very smart on his part to leave Alexandra and Rasputin in charge for even an hour. Seems to me he would have listened a bit harder to his subjects.... Anyway, the book covers a lot of territory and has more detail than anyone but the most die hard fans of the story will care about. It's a shame the kids were executed along with the parents. seems someone could have stepped in and just forced them into exile as the royals everywhere were about to be washed up anyway. I know WW1 wasn't brought on by their death, but revolution seems to have been in the air everywhere- sick of royals, I suppose, and everyone wanting more freedom from their sort. Interesting read, but mainly for folks really into it.

[KarnagesMistress · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have figured out the problem with this book: it was published and marketed all wrong. While listening to this book on my commute, I kept having flashbacks to my freshman year of college, when I used the old Annenberg The Western Tradition lectures as part of my coursework. That is because Ms. Nelipa's work is scholarly, not so much popular. Had this book been published by a university press, available through institutions of higher learning, no confusion would exist. Instead, it was published by a more popular press, and so confusion abounds. Because you lose out on the photographs and source material, audio-only is not the best format for this book, either. It's a great work, and I highly recommend it-- just not as an audio book for the casual true-crime aficionado's commute! Students of Russian history or politics are another matter. They are the audience, and they won't be disappointed (just get the print edition so you don't miss anything). This book will also satisfy the 2018 Watauga County Public Library Reading Challenge category A Book About A Revolution (Fiction OR Non-fiction). I received this book for free because of a Goodreads Giveaway. It is an Audible Audio Book.

[Dkolacinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I began this book expecting yet another expose of Rasputin the evil genius who seduced the final royal Russian dynasty and was ultimately murdered with all its grotesque and salacious details. Instead I discovered a humble and almost saintly character who played a minor yet significant role in the final days of royalty in Russia and the beginnings of revolution. There is political intrigue and petty plotting. The death itself is yet a minor part of a wider Russian drama. After struggling through the plethora of Russian names, I switched to the Audible version for which I was glad. I was swept into the world which is foreign yet oddly familiar to me, seeing may parallels to the dynamics and politics of present-day America. I note that many reviewers found this book dry or tedious. They probably also find the great classic novels of Russia the same. So sad, so sad.

[Darcysmom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.
Margarita Nelipa presents a very thorough and meticulously researched study of Rasputin's murder and subsequent investigation. Ms. Nelipa packed every chapter with her own translations of primary source material. At times, the narrative was weighed down by cited material (there were over 1800 endnotes).
Ultimately, this is a thoughtful study of Rasputin including his relationship with the imperial family, the political chaos that centered around him, his murder, and the subsequent investigation. I particularly enjoyed Ms. Nelipa's analysis of the autopsy.
Killing Rasputin requires a bit of work to get through, but it is a worthwhile endeavor.

[Darren Sapp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nelipa's research is beyond question and anyone wanting every detail about Rasputin's killing won't find a better work. Therein lies the problem. There were hundreds of details I found unnecessary to the story. This person walked and turned left, the dimensions of bridges, document numbers, and on and on. Those are details better for footnotes or left out altogether. CSI fans may like this, but the reader looking for a basic telling on Rasputin's bio and killing may find themselves struggling to make it through to the end. I highly recommend this author edit and reissue to match the first couple of sections on Rasputin's bio.

[John Blackburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best and most comprehensive account of the events that befell Rasputin that I have had the pleasure of reading. Every point that the author has presented is backed up with relevant evidence.

This book is filled with historical information, be sure this is not a 'light and fluffy' account of the 'mad monk', this is a serious analysis of the time period in Russia and what led to the events surrounding Rasputin's death. This books questions previously held misconceptions and challenges the reader.

Would highly recommend to a scholarly audience or Russian history buffs!

[Lili · Rating 2 out of 5]

From Netgalley for a Review:

This was a laborious read, not for lack of interesting material, Rasputin and that period of Russian history is immensely fascinating, but the way it was presented in this book was not so much. I feel as though this book could use another pass by an editor, it gets a little repetitive and rambly and I think that the points could have been equally made with less text.

[Nena Gluchacki · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is apparent that the author thoroughly researched this book and has a passion for Rasputin's history. That being said, it could use more of a narrative so as to be more interesting and not read quite so thesis-like. Overall, informative read for those interested in Russian history.

**Free copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Donna Peake · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always found this part of Russian History fascinating. The writer really had to do a lot of research as she has lots of names and dates. I've always considered his death as one of the downfalls of the ZSAR.

[Mary Lou Ferguson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting but laborious reading

Too hard to keep the numerous people straight with the difficult Russian names. Too much detail and confusing time lines

[Denise Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating historical account of the "Mad Monk" of Russia from a criminal investigator and biographer!

[Sharyn Simcox · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't waste your time .Poorly written, tedious book

[Lisa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a thoroughly engaging and well researched book! The author has clearly spent a lot of time researching her history and the new information she brings to light is absolutely fascinating!

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this up. There was far more here about Rasputin’s death than I actually want to know.

[Mike McWhorter · Rating 1 out of 5]

Questionable

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

The translation at times seems a bit . . . awkward?

[Sekhar N Banerjee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have been better

Too many details - it reads like a lawyer’s brief. The book definitely needs editing by a professional writer. For the general reader, who are not familiar with the branches of Romanov family, a brief introduction would have been appropriate whenever a Grand Duke is brought into the story

[Yvonne Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Difficult Read For Some

I thought it was good the Russian way of using full name every sentence was somewhat difficult for me maybe not for others.

[Craig McGuire]

With “Killing Rasputin,” author Margarita Nelipa delivers a well-rounded, must-read for fans of forensics True Crime and history buffs alike, expertly peeling back layer after layer of one of the most notorious assassinations in history. Much of the mystic “Mad Monk” of Russian history is shrouded in mystery, yet Nelipa’s analytical approach coupled with well-paced writing dissects the life and legacy of the evil-eyed Svengali of the Imperial Russian court in a way that feels fresh and highly readable. Weaving in everything from autopsy reports to witness testimonials, this work benefits greatly from Nelipa’s meticulous research and masterful plotting of source material. And by wearing multiple hats here – biographer, court reporter, criminal investigator – she produces a compelling account that is as enlightening as it is engaging. A highly recommended read.