The murder of Rasputin
Did you know?
Gregory Rasputin, the 'mad monk,' dominated the life of Alexandra, the last Tsarina of Russia, and his death helped to bring down the Romanov dynasty. Alexandra believed that Rasputin had supernatural powers because he seemed able to prevent bleeding in her haemophiliac son, Alexis, the heir to the Russian throne. Because of this, the monk, who came from peasant stock and in fact had little religious training, became closely involved with the Imperial family.
The royal family, however, did not make public the fact that an heir to the Imperial throne had haemophilia and questions arose about the nature of the relationship between Alexandra and Rasputin. The gossip was that the monk was romantically involved with the Tsarina and with her daughters. The Tsar, Nicholas II, however, was reluctant to dismiss Rasputin because his wife believed that he was their son's only hope.
Thanks for using Education in Chemistry. You can view one Education in Chemistry article per month as a visitor.
Register for Teach Chemistry for free, unlimited access
Registration is open to all teachers and technicians at secondary schools, colleges and teacher training institutions in the UK and Ireland.
Get all this, plus much more:
- unlimited access to resources, core practical videos and Education in Chemistry articles
- teacher well-being toolkit, personal development resources and online assessments
- applications for funding to support your lessons
Already a Teach Chemistry member? Sign in now.
Not eligible for Teach Chemistry? Sign up for a personal account instead, or you can also access all our resources with Royal Society of Chemistry membership.