12.30
On December 30, 1916, Rasputin, a self-fashioned Russian holy man, is murdered by Russian nobles eager to end his sway over the royal family. Rasputin won the favor of Czar Nicholas II and Czarina Alexandra through his ability to stop the bleeding of their hemophiliac son, Alexei. Although the Siberian-born peasant was widely criticized for his lechery and drunkenness, he exerted a powerful influence on the ruling family of Russia. He particularly influenced the czarina, and when Nicholas departed to lead Russian forces in World War I, Rasputin effectively ruled Russia through her. In the early hours of December 30th, 1916, a group of nobles lured Rasputin to Yusupovsky Palace, where they attempted to poison him. Seemingly unaffected by the large doses of poison placed in his wine and food, he was finally shot at close range and collapsed. A minute later he rose, beat one of his assailants, and attempted to escape from the palace grounds, where he was shot again. Rasputin, still alive, was then bound and tossed into a freezing river. A few months later, the imperial regime was overthrown by the Russian Revolution.
Michael Thomas Barry is the author of numerous books that include Murder & Mayhem 52 Crimes that Shocked Early California, 1849-1949. He makes his basic cable TV debut on Investigation Discovery (ID) channel’s Deadly Women series, season 7, episode “Brutal Bride” where he discusses the sensational 1899 Orange County murder case involving Katie Cook. The TV show airs on Friday January 3, 2013 @ 9:00 PM ET/PT (Check your local listings).
