The Protracted Murder of Gregory Rasputin
EDITOR’S NOTE. The Russian prince, Felix Yousoupoff (who was also entitled to the title of Count Sumarokov-Elston), was the husband of Princess Irina, daughter of the Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich and Tsar Nicholas II’s sister, the Grand Duchess Xenia. In 1916, when he was twenty-nine, he, with others, murdered the ‘Satanic Monk’, Gregory Rasputin (whose full surname was Rasputin-Novy or -Novykh). Rasputin was believed by many (foremost among them, both royal and noble ‘Sister-Disciples’) to be a miracle-worker, and by comparatively few others to be a dangerous charlatan; the majority of both the adorers and the haters agreed that he was the most influential man in Russia – and more powerful even than the Tsar. Just what Yousoupoff’s motive was – whether political, patriotic, sexual or superstitious – is argued over by people who believe that motives for murder are always finite and tidy, capable of being described in one or at most two words. Leon Trotsky, a founder of the Communist Party, considered that the murder of Rasputin ‘was carried out in the manner of a scenario designed for people of bad taste’. (In 1940, which was Trotsky’s thirteenth year of Stalin-imposed exile from the USSR, he himself was murdered, also untastefully – with an ice-axe wielded by a Stalinist agent who, having pretended admiration for Trotsky, had been welcomed into his heavily guarded villa near Mexico City.)
Lady Lucy Wingfield was the fascinatingly beautiful wife of the diplomat Sir Charles, who from 1915 until 1919 was attached to the British Embassy at Tokyo. From there, on 28 November 1917 (three weeks after the start of the Russian Revolution), she wrote the following letter to Lady Fane, in England.
Darling Mother,
… This is the true story of the killing of Rasputin as told by Yousoupoff himself. It is particularly horrid and medieval but interesting. I remember first seeing Rasputin at the tourney when Lady Curzon was Queen of Beauty. He was so beautiful that I asked who he was.
Rasputin, besides being vicious, was given to drink and was quite illiterate. He had a fine presence, great physical strength and a highly-developed magnetic power which enabled him to cure by the laying on of hands. Though he had relations with most of the ladies of the court and society, he was never really more to the Empress and young Archduchesses than arch-prophet and hypnotiser….
Yousoupoff, who is young and handsome and of the intensely ‘Russian’ Party, got news at the beginning of November last year that a separate peace was to be declared by the Court Party. He could think of no way to prevent this but by the removal of Rasputin, and set to work to devise means to remove him. This was extremely difficult as Rasputin was always shadowed around Saint Petersburg by his secret police and, suspecting Yousoupoff’s clique, always refused to meet the young man. Finally Yousoupoff went to one of the court ladies, who had had an affair with Rasputin, and told her that he, Yousoupoff, was tuberculous – which he looks – and that having heard of Rasputin’s strange powers, he prayed her to implore Rasputin’s assistance. Finally Rasputin consented, stipulating that the interview must be at Rasputin’s house.
Yousoupoff went on the day appointed, and was told to undress and lie on a sofa while Rasputin proceeded to make passes over him. Yousoupoff said that he felt as though streams of fire were running through him, and he melted like wax except for one square patch of resistance in the middle of his chest. These visits and treatments continued daily for some time, the square of resistance each time increasing till finally Yousoupoff said he felt himself entirely proof against Rasputin’s power. During these weeks he laid himself out in every way to fascinate Rasputin, who ended by becoming quite infatuated with him and, being very musical, used to spend hours listening to Yousoupoff’s singing and playing – but never forgot himself sufficiently to visit Yousoupoff at his own house or even to accept invitations to Yousoupoff’s friends. By this time they were on Christian-name terms and extremely intimate.
The days were passing and Yousoupoff was in despair as he knew Rasputin was leaving for the Crimea in December and he wouldn’t get another chance in time to avert the disaster of a separate peace. He made a last appeal to Rasputin, saying he would take offence if he didn’t pay him one visit to see his curios, etc., before his departure. To his amazement and joy, Rasputin consented – but only on condition that Yousoupoff’s servants were sent away for the night – that no one knew of the visit – that they were entirely alone…. Overjoyed, Yousoupoff agreed to everything and dashed off to the Grand Duke Dimitri, who was his great friend and fellow-conspirator. They finally added two more members to the plot – a doctor to prepare the poison (as they had settled that as the easiest way to do the deed) and a member of the Duma – of the right – as a witness.
The evening [of Friday, 16 December] arrived – the servants were dismissed. Yousoupoff went off in his little two-seater car to collect Rasputin. He found him gorgeously dressed in a silk soutane, with a jewelled cross on his chest. He helped him into a big fur-coat and motored him to his house, where he ushered him into the luxurious sitting-room. This room was on the ground floor, filled with objects of art, and had six doors to it. In the middle stood a table with poisoned fruit, cakes and wine at one end, while opposite were corresponding refreshments not poisoned. This poison, prepared by the doctor, was supposed to work instantaneously.
They sat down and, pouring out some of the poisoned wine, Yousoupoff handed it to his guest, saying, ‘Drink, Gregory, to our next happy meeting.’ To his horror, Rasputin refused. He also refused to eat. This was the first time Yousoupoff had known him to refuse a drink, and naturally concluded that the plot was discovered. It wasn’t till ages afterwards that he found out that Rasputin belonged to a strange sect which would not eat or drink the first time they crossed the threshold of a house.
Rasputin said, ‘Fetch your guitar and play and sing to me, as I cannot remain long.’ Yousoupoff played and sang, and Rasputin got more and more fascinated – till suddenly he held out his glass to be filled. Still singing, Yousoupoff filled it and watched him gulp it down. Again and again Rasputin tossed down glassfuls of the poisoned wine and then began eating the poisoned cakes and fruit. Yousoupoff watched anxiously for the expected result and – nothing happened! The hours passed; Rasputin drank and Yousoupoff sang, thinking desperately what could be done, knowing that this night was his last chance. The poison had no effect beyond making Rasputin rather drunk.
Suddenly Yousoupoff thought of a plan. Leaning forward, he said, ‘You remember, Gregory, I told you of the fine crucifix I picked up last week and which you haven’t seen yet. I simply must show it to you before you leave – just wait a minute while I get it.’ He ran upstairs to his bedroom, where the three other conspirators were anxiously waiting and wondering why things took so long. He hurriedly told them what had happened, seized the crucifix and his revolver, and rushed back to find Rasputin leaning in an armchair, half asleep.
Handing Rasputin the crucifix, he said, ‘Take it to the light, Gregory, it is a very fine one.’ Rasputin rose and, holding the crucifix in both hands up to the lamp, was just saying ‘Yes, the expression is …’ when Yousoupoff shot him through the shoulders from behind. Rasputin fell with a crash. Hearing the shot, the three other men came down, and the doctor said that Rasputin was in his death-agony and could only last a few minutes. Thereupon they left him lying on the floor and all four went up to the bedroom, shutting the door.
All at once they heard a noise, and there was Rasputin covered in blood and foam – on all fours – having crawled up the stairs. He seemed to have superhuman strength. He wrenched the handle of the door and, seeing Yousoupoff, he gathered himself together for a spring – but the Deputy drew his revolver and shot him twice. Yousoupoff then seems to have broken down completely and, throwing himself on the corpse, tore it and mauled it like a dog.
By this time, the secret police were hammering on the door. Yousoupoff and the Deputy sent the Grand Duke down to parley with them. The police asked what the shots were and Dimitri carelessly answered, ‘Absolutely nothing – Yousoupoff’s dog turned savage and flew at me, so I shot him.’ Seeing who it was, the police made no more inquiries and departed. The conspirators then dressed Rasputin in his fur-coat, put the body on a sledge, drove it to the River Neva, broke a hole in the ice and bundled him in – but, in so doing, one of Rasputin’s fur boots fell off. This the police found next day, and so recovered the body.
The Empress, on hearing of her favourite’s murder, went nearly mad and swore that, when caught, the murderers should be hanged without trial. But Yousoupoff and Dimitri went to the Czar and confessed, and he, worried that he might be implicated, didn’t dare to touch them beyond banishing them. The Empress and her Lady-in-Waiting visited the hut on the Neva where Rasputin’s body lay and wrapped it in rich silk. The Lady-in-Waiting’s name was something like Vourouba.
This account of the macabre incident is from Lady
Muriel Paget, who had it direct from Yousoupoff himself. She arrived here in Tokyo on her way from Russia via Siberia with a troop of nurses and governesses….
EDITOR’S NOTE. None of the murderers was tried for the crime; but, as has been said, the Tsar ordered the banishment of two of them – Yousoupoff to his estates in the province of Kursk, north of the Ukraine (where he remained but a short while before becoming an émigré).