There are n’t many the great unwashed out there whose death has been turned into a song , let alone an absolute firecracker . In fact , pretty much the only one we can recollect of is Rasputin , whose dying people trip the light fantastic toe to , thanks to it being set to medicine by Boney M. But despite all the legends surround his slaying , his autopsy tells a very dissimilar tale .
For those uninitiated , Grigori Rasputin was a Siberian monk endure in 1869 , who went on to befriend Emperor Nicholas and Empress Alexandra in late Imperial Russia . At 28 , he was hook up with with children , when he developed a yen for faith and left his village to go on a pilgrimage , wind the demesne to visit various holy sites . With his trademark personal magnetism , he soon attracted his own follower , and then influential follower , and was bring in to the Emporer and Empress .
Rasputin ’s favor with the rulers uprise after he " treated " their hemophiliac son , who for a time did seem to meliorate , and the bleeding check after Rasputin ’s intervention . Of course not due to some mystical powers , the improvement likely amount about because Rasputininsisted that the boy finish taking aspirin . It was n’t known at the prison term , but aspirin thins the blood , and was in all likelihood put up to his problems .
So far , so " why would anyone want this guy utter " . It seems unlikely that you ’d amass many enemies by traveling the demesne and healing sick baby .
The homo , unlike most self - trace holy men , also had a reputation as an absolute sex - machine . He was mainly in the line of credit of Holy Man for the rumpy - pumpy , using his fame as a way into woman ’s beds . His riding habit of catch some Z’s with everyone from ladies of high society to prostitutes was shocking , and the influence he had over the rule of the Russian Empire was concerning to those who would care that influence for themselves . Rumors broadcast that he was possess an social function with Empress Alexandra , and strange rumors ( both untrue ) that he hadstarted a epidemic cholera epidemic in Saint Petersburgto undermine the state of war effort .
Several noble dislike the perceived influence Rasputin had over the monarchy and sought to take that influence away through the old - fashioned and clock time - tested method of gain him dead . They planned to kill Grigori by inviting him over to the house of one of the conspirators – aristocrat Felix Yussupov – before dispatching him there .
According to the storey you probably know , Rasputin come at Yussupov ’s theater and was offeredcakes that had been poisoned , as well as wine-coloured laced with nitril . He deplete the cake and guzzle a glass of wine , before involve for more , during the portion of the even that Yussupov had reserved for Rasputin die a horrible , poisoned demise . When he refused to die out , Yussupov moved onto the more traditional method acting of fritter him right through his blood heart . Still , he went on living andran out into the courtyardpursued by his assailant .
“ This devil who was die of poison , who had a bullet in his heart , must have been raise from the dead by the powers of evil , " themost illustrious of accounts goes . " There was something dismaying and monstrous in his hellish refusal to break . ”
Finally , after a few shots to the head come by a drowning in the ice - cold Neva River , he died , though some accounts say that he was draw out of the riverwhilst still live . Other score say there were claw mark in the ice , because why not .
For some grounds , this has become the prevailing version of effect , despite two factor :
Yes , the principal adaptation of events that everyone recall , and were eventually become into a Sung , was written by Rasputin ’s liquidator , who had a vested interest in have the execution seem more like a struggle between good and evil than what it was . Because what it was , was much less grand , as the autopsy revealed .
Rasputin was drag out of the river a full two days after his last , with no pincer marks on the trash , and no indication that he had swim , as his lungs were not filled with water , suggesting he had been throw away into the crank post - mortem .
What ’s more , there wasno indication that he had been poisoned either , and his daughter insisted that Rasputin never ate sugariness , make that part of consequence seem unlikely too .
What they did find was three slug hole ; one in the head , one in the back , and one in the chest , from which he died passably much instantly . Which , admittedly , is more hard for Boney M to turn into a call .
