The attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church to Rasputinism

The attitude of the church towards Rasputin has a negative connotation. Many clergy call him a servant of Satan, who through his activities caused the collapse of the Russian Empire and provoked the death of people who trusted him. The Siberian wanderer Gregory appears as an allegorical personification of human suffering: through this man, sinister demons entered the world and destroyed many souls.

The Church assumes that revolutionary madness, the destruction of churches, the desecration of shrines and the destruction of those who disagree with the authorities began with G. Rasputin.

Brief biographical information

Grigory Efimovich Rasputin (father Vilkin, then Novykh) was presumably born on January 10, 1870 in the village of Pokrovskoye, Tobolsk province. His parents, Efim and Anna Vilkin, may have lived in Saratov at first. Then the family moved to the village of Pokrovskoye, 80 versts from Tyumen, south of Tobolsk, where local peasants began to call them Novykh. There their children were born, both Mikhail and Gregory.

He is drawn to wanderers, elders, who are called “God’s people” - they often pass on their long roads through Pokrovskoye, and stay in their hut. He bores his parents with conversations about how God is calling him to wander the world. In the end, his father blesses him. While traveling, at the age of 19, he meets Praskovya Dubrovina in a church in Alabatsk on a holiday and soon marries her. However, their firstborn soon dies, and this loss shocked Gregory - the Lord betrayed him!

He goes on foot to the Verkhoturyevsky Monastery, four hundred kilometers northwest of Pokrovsky. There he learns to read and write, the Holy Scriptures and much more from the famous old hermit Makar in those parts. He tells him a year later that he can only find salvation in wanderings. Gregory becomes a distant wanderer.

Called by a vision of the Virgin Mary in 1893, he and his friend Dmitry Pechorkin went to Greece, to the mountains of Macedonia, to Orthodox monasteries. Returning to Russia, Rasputin spent three years getting acquainted with the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in Kyiv, Solovki, Valaam, Optina Monastery, Nilov Monastery and other holy places and miracles of the Orthodox Church. But every summer he comes to Pokrovskoye, to his wife Praskovya, and leads a normal village life there. Children are born: Dmitry in 1895, Matryona in 1898, Varvara in 1900. Then he begins to treat people, engage in healing - it works!

As a result, he gained a reputation as a holy man, but the local priest accused him of organizing orgies. The invited Bishop conducted an investigation, but found no violations. During his subsequent travels, Rasputin developed the power of a healer through prayer and kneeling at the bedside of the sick.

This is where his fame begins, both loud and bad. He is accused of recreating the Khlystun sect, which was banned back in the 17th century by Patriarch Nikon. The Rasputin sect is expanding and strengthening. Gregory teaches his flock that the Lord loves only those who, having recognized sin, are cleansed from it. This suits his temperament. There's another matter brewing. Rasputin prefers to quietly hide and sets off on new journeys. First Kyiv, then Kazan, where one of the 4 theological academies of Russia was located. There he impresses with his knowledge, eloquence, gift of healing and divination; on the other hand, even in Kazan he was not a modest man - “he rode on women,” as they said later.

This was probably known to the clergy of the academy, but they then turned a blind eye to it and advised him to go to the theological academy in St. Petersburg, and gave a letter of recommendation personally to Archimandrite Theophan, calling him in the letter an old man, convinced and clairvoyant. There is no doubt that it was all in Rasputin. This thirty-three-year-old old man Gregory arrives in St. Petersburg in the spring of 1903.

In the capital, he is included in the highest aristocratic circles. On November 1 (14 n.s.), 1905, he was introduced to Nikolai and Alexandra. He does not hesitate to speak to them on a first-name basis; from now on they are Dad and Mom for him...

Since July 1906, invitations to him from the royal family became almost regular. On October 15, 1906, Nicholas II received Rasputin in Detskoye Selo, in his Tsarskoye Selo Palace. His wife and children are with him—for the first time, Grigory meets the children.

Here begins a new chapter in the relationship between Rasputin and the royal family. Two-year-old baby Alexey has hemophilia. The disease was incurable. In 1907 he was cured by the prayers of Rasputin. And more than once. In 1915, after an injury, the prince developed a fever and developed severe nosebleeds that no one could stop. They sent for Rasputin. As soon as he entered the room, the bleeding stopped. As a healer and seer, Rasputin acquired unlimited influence over the Tsar, Tsarina and their entourage. Then an expression for the extreme decomposition of the ruling elite of Russia appeared - “Rasputinism.”

Grigory Rasputin did not doubt his abilities and it is not surprising that he had enemies. The manifestation of such abilities has always been treated with envy. In addition, Rasputin was never a tactful and prudent person. And his interference in the Romanov rule during the feverish revolutionary era further fueled the hatred. In 1914, Rasputin was stabbed for the first time in Siberia.

Within weeks, Rasputin was close to death. Having come to his senses, he learned that the king had rejected his advice not to enter the war. Chaos began in Russia.

According to the official version, on December 29, 1916, Grigory Rasputin was killed by a group of Black Hundreds: Prince Felix Yusupov Jr., Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich Romanov and State Duma deputy Vladimir Mitrofanovich Purishkevich. In addition to them, lieutenant Alexander Sukhotin and doctor Stanislav Lazavert took part in the conspiracy. All of them were united by hatred of the “dirty, lustful and corrupt man.” But here’s what’s curious: it’s still not known exactly who killed the old man and as a result of what he died.

Before his death, he wrote a letter in which he assumed that on January 1, 1917 he would no longer be alive. In the letter, he predicted a certain future for Russia - if the peasants kill him, Russia will remain a prosperous monarchy, but if the aristocrats (boyars), their hands are stained with the blood of the victim, there will be no noble people left in Russia, and the king, along with his entire family, will die in for two years. And it all came true.

Historian Bernard Paré saw this letter and confirmed its authenticity. Rasputin's death is legendary. Poisoned with cyanide (although no poison was found in his body), then shot, he miraculously escaped through a locked door. He was shot again, hit with an iron rod and thrown into an ice hole. Later, when the body was discovered, it turned out that Rasputin did not die from bullet wounds, he... choked.

As Yusupov wrote in his memoirs, the murder was planned and carried out solely on his personal initiative. According to him, he was the victim of an obsession: “No matter what I did, no matter who I talked to, one obsessive thought, the thought of ridding Russia of its most dangerous internal enemy, tormented me. Sometimes in the middle of the night I woke up, thinking about the same thing, and for a long time I could not calm down and fall asleep.”

The Russian Orthodox Church refused to canonize Rasputin and Ivan the Terrible

Rasputin managed to convince Nicholas II and the Empress that only he, with his prayers, could save the terminally ill hemophiliac heir Alexei and provide “divine” support for the reign of Nicholas II. Gorokhovaya street, house 64, apartment 20 - Rasputin’s last place of residence in St. Petersburg (since May 1914) - became a center of attraction for swindlers of various ranks. Rasputin's influence on the emperor was used by representatives of the stock exchange and banks (I. P. Manus, A. I. Putilov, D. L. Rubinstein), high-ranking adventurers (I. F. Manusevich-Manuylov, Prince M. M. Andronikov), Black Hundreds and reactionary circles (Prince V.P. Meshchersky, A.N. Khvostov, P.G. Kurlov, A.D. Protopopov) and others, who used him as an intermediary in their relations with Nicholas II and the Empress, seeking their subordination to their influence. These goals were served by the appointments of prime ministers N.A. Maklakov, B.V. Sturmer, ministers P.L. Bark, D.I. Shakhovsky, Protopopov, carried out through Rasputin, as well as the “ministerial leapfrog” - from September 1916 to February 1917 3 chairmen of the Council of Ministers were replaced, 2 ministers of agriculture were replaced, and 88 out of 167 governors were removed. Rasputin and his entourage were directly involved in creating disorder in the spheres of influence of departments, which deepened the economic crisis in the country, and persuaded Nicholas II to accept the post of commander in chief (August 1915). In 1916, the monarchists (Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich, the emperor’s relative Prince F. F. Yusupov, the leader of the monarchists V. M. Purishkevich) plotted to assassinate Rasputin. On the night of December 17, 1916, Rasputin was killed in the Yusupov Palace (Moika River embankment, 94), the corpse was lowered under the ice of the Malaya Nevka near the Elagin Bridge. On December 21, 1916, Rasputin was buried in the presence of the imperial family in Tsarskoye Selo Park. In the February days of 1917, his ashes were removed from the grave and burned in the furnace of a steam boiler at the Polytechnic Institute. Having weakened the forces of the monarchy, "R." accelerated the development of revolutionary events.

the name adopted in literature for the court camarilla in the state apparatus, one of the clearest manifestations of the crisis of the ruling elite of the Russian Empire on the eve of the February Revolution. In the last years of the tsarist regime, the adventurer G. E. Rasputin (1864 or 1865, according to other sources, 1872-1916) enjoyed unlimited influence on Nicholas II and the imperial family, who, wandering through monasteries, gained the reputation of a “holy elder” and “soothsayer” . In 1907 he was introduced into the imperial palace, where by this time a number of “saints”, charlatans and holy fools had already visited (N. Philip, Papus, Mitya Kozelsky, etc.). Rasputin managed to convince Nicholas II and the Empress that only he, with his prayers, could save the terminally ill hemophiliac heir Alexei and provide “divine” support for the reign of Nicholas II. Gorokhovaya street, house 64, apartment 20 - Rasputin’s last place of residence in St. Petersburg (since May 1914) - became a center of attraction for swindlers of various ranks. Rasputin's influence on the emperor was used by representatives of the stock exchange and banks (I. P. Manus, A. I. Putilov, D. L. Rubinstein), high-ranking adventurers (I. F. Manusevich-Manuylov, Prince M. M. Andronikov), Black Hundreds and reactionary circles (Prince V.P. Meshchersky, A.N. Khvostov, P.G. Kurlov, A.D.

Rasputin and the church

In the teachings of “Elder Gregory” his teaching “I” is too evident. He never denigrated the Church, spoke with reverence about worship, about communion with the Holy Mysteries, and did not discourage anyone from the Church, but on the contrary, he attracted them. But in his actions and words, in the very position of a special “elder”, unlike anyone else, religious self-sufficiency was noticeable.

He needed the Church only as a source of grace-filled energies (in the sacraments), and, despite all the sincerity of his humility before God, there was no humility before the Church in Rasputin. They admonished him, but he did not heed. In general, since Gregory becomes a wanderer, no human church authority over him is visible. Thus, the moral fall of “Elder Gregory” could have been God’s allowance for the sake of self-accusation and unhypocritical churching, which did not happen

The name of Grigory Rasputin is associated with charlatanism, excess and the fall of the Romanov royal dynasty; he was a brilliant mystic and healer.

No matter how much Rasputin hid his affiliation with sectarianism, people in close contact with him, perhaps unconsciously, felt that in him, in addition to his own dark power, some kind of terrible element lived and acted, which attracted him to him. This element was Khlystyism with its drunkenly sensual mysticism. Khlystyism is all built on sexual principles and combines the crudest materialism of animal passion with faith in higher spiritual revelations.

Among the characteristic features of Khlystism, one cannot help but pay attention to the exceptionally hostile (albeit outwardly disguised) attitude of “God’s people,” among whom Rasputin was counted, towards the Orthodox clergy. “According to the Khlysty clergy, these are black corvids, bloodthirsty animals, evil wolves, godless Jews, evil Pharisees and even sniveling donkeys.”[1]

All issues closely related to church life and appointments not only interested Rasputin, but also touched him closely, since in this area he considered himself not only competent, but also, as it were, infallible, thereby considering insultingly low not only individual “pastors” ", but also the entire synod together.

The extent to which Rasputin reached the “maltretization” of our clergy in his “infallibility” is shown by his cruel reprisal against his former friends-bishops Theophan, Hermogenes and Hieromonk Ilidor, who had kindly treated him, the rape of the nun Ksenia, etc. facts.

Apparently, Rasputin found sheer pleasure in “spoiling” the representatives of our official church wherever possible. Apparently, this constituted a certain task for him, it was part of his personal plans, so to speak. How else can we explain, for example, the fact of Rasputin’s undoubted malicious, in a certain sense, denial of the autonomy of the theological school in general and in particular of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy.

How else can we explain Rasputin’s opposition to the restoration of the ancient order of deaconesses in our church, which was the concern of all members of the synod, Metropolitan Vladimir, Abbess Grand Duchess Elizabeth and a number of priests authoritative in church affairs?

The more hated priests the “infallible” Rasputin could “annoy”, the more peremptory his decisions were when the right opportunity arose. It is enough to recall at least his role in the question of the convening of an All-Russian Church Council, which was desired by almost all of our clergy, in 1904-1907!

“And without a council it is good, there is God’s anointed and it is enough; God controls his heart, what other cathedral is needed.”

By “god,” Rasputin apparently meant himself personally, “ruling” the heart of the “anointed one.”

“Why do they now go to different religions? - Rasputin asked in his book “My Thoughts and Reflections” and answered: “Because there is no spirit in the temple, but there are many letters - the temple is empty.”

This, of course, could only be said by a sectarian who despised the ordinary clergy.

Only a mockery of the Orthodox Church can one explain such “appointments” of Rasputin as the presentation to the mitre of the highly compromised priest Vostorgov, announced by John of Kronstadt as a “mazurik”, the appointment as bishop of Makariy Gnevushin, the same one whom Moscow merchants accused of criminal offenses, holding exarchs of Georgia, the famous bribe-taker, the disgraced Bishop of Pskov Alexei, etc.

Particularly characteristic of Rasputin’s Khlystyism was his awarding of the episcopal rank to Varnava, an almost illiterate gardener.

“Even though the bishops will be offended that they, the academicians, have been shoved into the midst of a peasant, they won’t care, they will reconcile,” this is how Rasputin explained this appointment to Alexandra Feodorovna.

By the time of the war of 1914-1916, Rasputin had finally mastered the directive of the entire state and church life of Russia. The fact that in the affairs of the church Rasputin became “king and god” for the clergy can be concluded not only from the prostrations of V.K. Sabler, paid to Rasputin for his appointment as Chief Prosecutor of the Synod, not only from Rasputin’s victory over Bishop Hermogenes, but from the following facts.

In November 1915, the Metropolitan of Kiev dies, and Rasputin prompts Alexandra Fedorovna to appoint his stubborn opponent, Metropolitan Vladimir of Petrograd, to this city as punishment. And in his place put “pleasant in all respects,” flexible and quick-witted Bishop Pitirim (Oknov). Nicholas II agrees, and, without even asking for the consent of the prosecutor of the Holy Synod, appoints Pitirim. It became clear to the metropolitan society and all of Russia that Rasputin was “twisting” the church as he wanted.

The attitude of the church towards Rasputin

In the capital in 1903, Rasputin was introduced to the spiritual leader of Orthodoxy, St. John of Kronstadt. The elder made a huge impression on Fr. John. He gives communion and confesses to Gregory, says: “My son, I felt your presence. There is a spark of true faith in you!” - and adds, as eyewitnesses said: “Make sure that your name does not affect your future.”

After this, Rasputin no longer doubts his divine destiny. His spiritual fathers invite him to study at the academy and become a priest, but he modestly refuses. Feigned humility hides the pride of a person who considers himself absolutely free and chosen for a great purpose. There can be no intermediaries between him and the Heavenly Father.

People called him a “wanderer,” but more often he was called an “old man.” Among his admirers as a bearer of the true faith were Kazan Bishop Chrysanthos, the rectors of the St. Petersburg Academy Bishop Sergius, Archimandrite Theophan and many others.

In the spring of 1908, Archimandrite Feofan, the confessor of the imperial family, on behalf of the queen, went to Pokrovskoye to check rumors and find out about the past of the “man of God.” Feofan lives in Gregory's house in Pokrovskoye for two weeks, visits Elder Makar in Verkhoturye and decides that Rasputin is truly a saint. During their conversations, Gregory says that he not only saw the Mother of God, but that the apostles Peter and Paul came to him when he was plowing in the field. Upon his return, Feofan writes a detailed report on the trip and declares that the devout Grigory Rasputin is God's chosen one and was sent to reconcile the Tsar and Tsarina with the Russian people. The chosen one himself, enthusiastically received in all the aristocratic salons of the capital, begins to openly preach his teaching: God needs sin and its awareness, only this is the true path to God. An erotic-religious myth arises around him.

In 1910, the rector of the Theological Academy, Bishop Feofan, not immediately, but quite definitely, came to the conclusion that Rasputin, latently, was leading a depraved life. Having brought before the “highest persons” a kind of “repentance” for recommending to them a once dubious righteous man, he thereby brought upon himself severe disgrace and, despite his merits, despite the fact that he had previously served as the confessor of the empress herself, he was soon after transferred, or rather exiled to the Tauride province.

Before the Extraordinary Commission of Inquiry in 1917, Bishop Feofan testified: “He (Grigory Rasputin) was neither a hypocrite nor a scoundrel. He was a true man of God who came from the common people. But, under the influence of high society, which could not understand this simple man, a terrible spiritual catastrophe occurred and he fell.”

When Rasputin stood like a black shadow near the throne, all of Russia was indignant. The best representatives of the highest clergy raised their voices in defense of the church and the Motherland from the encroachments of Rasputin.

Bitter topic: Grigory Rasputin

The controversial personality of Grigory Efimovich Rasputin, a hundred years have passed since his death, still disturbs the minds of people and becomes the subject of heated debate, causing an unpleasant feeling among some and admiration among others. So which of everything written about him is true and which is a lie? Was he a holy old man, or a deceiver, mired in sin? And what was his relationship with the Royal Family? Andrey Manovtsev is trying to find balanced answers to these questions.

Bilateral poisoning

Through the efforts of our compatriot ancestors, the name “Rasputin” turned into a so-called “sex symbol”, causing disgusting perception by some and unhealthy admiration by others. Therefore, as soon as (since 1990) publications appeared showing the value of public opinion of the early twentieth century in relation to the Tsar’s Friend, many admirers of the Royal Family identified Grigory Efimovich as a “slandered old man”, and only as slandered! With our usual maximalism, holiness was immediately brought out of slander - the thought of it became stronger and lives on. And many people, it must be admitted, in our Orthodox people revere Rasputin as a saint. The decision of the Council of Bishops in 2004, which saw no reason to venerate Rasputin, means nothing to such people: they say, “the authorities didn’t figure it out.”

So, on the one hand, there is a hostile and disdainful attitude towards a person who is inextricably linked with the Royal Family, very dear to them (not only in terms of healing) and for this reason alone deserves to be taken seriously. And on the other hand, self-inflicted holiness, with all the consequences arising from arbitrariness, a harbinger of schism.

Given (again) our usual inability, and most importantly, unwillingness to hear each other, all this lives and lives, and if some ignore the truth simply out of indifference (both to the truth and to the history of their native country), then others, on the contrary, from - for jealousy beyond reason.

A lot of good things

At the same time, a lot, a lot of good things can be said about Grigory Efimovchie Rasputin.

First of all, he was not a rogue at all - as was often considered by his contemporaries, as was believed in recent times, for example, by the author of the famous book “Nicholas and Alexandra” Robert Massey. Rasputin was not a demonic person either. For along with amazing talent, he, most importantly, was very kind, compassionate, sympathetic, as well as generous and selfless. It is not possible to talk about this in detail, but Rasputin’s admirers have reasons to venerate him; the latter cannot be considered only secondary, associated only with the veneration of the Royal Family.

Rasputin was not a Khlyst (which was a common opinion at the beginning of the twentieth century), but he loved the Orthodox Church and inspiredly advocated for churchism. Here are his words: “Take communion as often as possible and go to church, no matter what the priests are,” “I am convinced: the Church is invincible, and we are its seed, our joy is with the resurrection of Christ.”

Grigory Rasputin with his wife Paraskeva Fedorovna

Let us quote the words of Grigory Efimovich about prayer: “Pray in boredom, you will see, joy will triumph in you. It is very difficult - pray, loss - pray, God will reverse the loss with His destinies. ... I really don’t want to pray, pray, God will hear it sooner. You will force yourself, this is obedience to heaven, - obedience to everything, - the height of kindness... Pray, when enemies seek to shame you, pray. And when there is joy, pray, and when they deceive, pray, because they are making an experiment. Experience is the head of life and gold is the ideal. Error is a science, pray, you will learn, pray, most of all error will teach you to be a Christian” (quoted from Richard Batts “Wheat and Tares. Impartially about G.E. Rasputin.” M. 1997, pp. 60-61).

There is no doubt that the family of Nicholas II knew Grigory Efimovich from the best side and received real spiritual help from him. During the war, the Tsarina decided to overcome her shyness and become a nurse, on the advice of Rasputin, and received constant support and encouragement from him in this regard. The Orthodox education of the royal children was inextricably linked with the authority of Grigory Efimovich for them. Let’s not even talk about the Heir’s repeated rescue from mortal danger during attacks of hemophilia, about the Heir’s love for the Siberian peasant and about the warm care of this peasant towards the royal “Alyosha”.

Rasputin was neither a hypnotist nor a psychic; he performed healings through prayer. During the most terrible event for the Heir’s life (autumn 1912, Spala, Poland), deliverance from danger came through the prayer of Rasputin, who at that time was in his native Pokrovsky thousands of miles away (a telegram was sent to him).

Rasputin with his children: Matryona, Varvara (in his father’s arms) and Dmitry

If we turn again to the small but expressive legacy of Rasputin (which consists of literaryly processed stories preserving the lively, original speech of the “experienced wanderer”), then it becomes easy to imagine for the Empress how impossible it was for her to be disappointed in the “elder” Gregory through the denunciations of outsiders . This especially applies to Rasputin’s stories about the pilgrimage to the Holy Land: the vividness of impressions and the reverence that these stories breathe are genuine. Let's quote one of the famous passages: “What a river I talk about that minute when I approached the Tomb of Christ!.. Here at the tomb you see with the spiritual heart of all the people who love you and they feel joyful at home... Oh, what an impression Golgotha makes! Right there in the Church of the Resurrection, where the Queen of Heaven stood, a round bowl was made in that place and from this place the Mother of God looked at the height of Golgotha and cried... When you look at the place where the Mother of God stood, tears inevitably flow and you see in front of you how it is it was... They took us to the Patriarchal courtyard and began to wash our feet. God, what a picture comes to mind. They wash their feet, dry them with a towel, and tears flow from the believers, everyone is amazed at the depth of the teaching, how we are taught to humble ourselves..."

Oh, how gratifying it would be for admirers of the Royal Family to stop at this good thing! This is what Rasputin’s admirers do, but instead of a lie “with a minus sign”, then a lie “with a plus sign” appears. For just as Rasputin was neither a Khlyst nor a German spy, so he was neither a saint nor even just a pious man. And it is a sin against the truth to assure others: it was! – especially since many would like to think so. Is it good to wishful thinking?

Worse than slander

On a recent broadcast of Radio Radonezh there was a broadcast “In memory of the murder of Grigory Efimovich Rasputin: a radio essay by the writer O. R. Verbitskaya (France). Memories of Grigory Rasputin,” the author of which is Olga Rostislavovna Sidelnikova-Verbitskaya (b. 1931) - a famous Orthodox writer of the Russian Abroad, living near Paris. This program was compiled with such love for the Royal Family and at the same time so well, expressively, professionally that it could not help but evoke a heartfelt response from Russian listeners and especially female listeners. Olga Rostislavovna reads the text herself, and reads it flawlessly. You can hear from her voice that she is not a young person, and not even young at all, and that the balance of intonation and the degree of feeling put into the sounds are ensured by serious experience - the more clearly each word is, the more truly it fits into the soul, so that any inexperienced listener, of course , stands in solidarity with the author! And, alas, the deeper the lie. Moreover, Olga Rostislavovna can be reproached not only for being partial, but also for deliberately concealing facts that contradict the meaning of the program she compiled.

Let us touch upon two points that immediately attract attention when getting acquainted with the radio program in question. Olga Rostislavovna quotes the testimony of Bishop Feofan (Bystrov), given by him to the Extraordinary Investigative Commission of the Provisional Government and relating not so much to Rasputin himself, but to the Empress and her relationship with their Friend. What? For a long time now, no one has any doubts about the purity of these relations, and the corresponding place in the program, therefore, is not very successful in terms of the choice of material. But we're talking about something else. The testimony of Bishop Feofan, given by the same ChSK, about which Verbitskaya is silent and which represents a capacious summary assessment of Rasputin’s personality and his path, is well known: “He (Rasputin) was neither a hypocrite nor a scoundrel. He was a true man of God who came from the common people. But under the influence of high society, which could not understand this simple man, a terrible spiritual catastrophe occurred, and he fell. The environment that wanted this to happen remained indifferent and considered everything that happened to be something frivolous.” Bishop Feofan knew Rasputin well both as an inspired man of prayer and as an inspired preacher, he loved him very much and valued him. The book by A. Varlamov “Grigory Rasputin-New” (M. “Young Guard”, ZhZL, 2007, 2011, 2013) tells how difficult and painful the disappointment in the Siberian wanderer was for the bishop. So there is no need to doubt (there are such attempts) the truth and balance of the Bishop’s words. Speaking about the fall, Bishop Theophan, of course, means sexual promiscuity - of necessity, we will touch on this issue later.

In my opinion, however, the most expressive, in terms of criticism of O.R. Verbitskaya, the next place appeared. The author has quoted Matryona, the daughter of Grigory Efimovich, more than once, and for one of these quotes I will give the context from which it was undeservedly removed. This is an excerpt from the testimony of Matryona Solovyova-Rasputina, given by her to investigator N.A. Sokolov in December 1919 (so we can vouch for the reliability here). I highlighted what Verbitskaya took: “His (Rasputin - A.M.) influence on people,” said Matryona Grigorievna, “probably consisted in the fact that he was extremely strong in spiritual energy and faith in God. He spoke remarkably well about God when he was drunk. As I already said, when he left to wander, he stopped drinking. But in Petrograd he returned to wine again and drank a lot. Most of all he loved Madeira and red wine. He drank at home, but mostly in restaurants and with friends. The Royal Family knew that he was drinking and condemned him for it. We told him about this too. He always had one answer for everyone: “I can’t wash down what comes after.” His thought was that he was expecting something bad for his homeland in the future, and wanted to drown his bitter feeling in wine from the consciousness of a bad future” (Russian archive. vol. VIII. M. 1998, p. 182).

How could this be? So good, but at the same time a libertine and a drunkard. You can only throw up your hands and remember “Confession of a Warm Heart” from the novel “The Brothers Karamazov”, where Mitya, among other things, says: “Wide, wide is a man, I would narrow it down.” Such “unordinaryness” does not fit into the mind, of course, it does not fit. But what to do? After all, a hundred years have passed, and the last 25 of them have already been without Soviet power, so it is possible to remove slander and highlight what is reliable.

Credible Convictions

Among Rasputin's admirers there are respected, learned people. The most active and most prolific of them is the historian Sergei Vladimirovich Fomin, who in recent years published a seven-volume work (each volume contains 600–800 pages!) under the general title “Rasputin: An Investigation.” In this work, 90% of the volume is devoted to the historical context, and as regards Rasputin himself, much, frankly speaking, is omitted, for example, his way of life in Petrograd during the war, in 1914–1916, is described one-sidedly, and the evening the pastime of our hero is behind a veil from the reader... The important thing is that Fomin, caustically exposing the distortions of many, many who wrote about Rasputin, treats with complete confidence and without any critical remarks the two persons (and often quotes them) whose testimonies about Rasputin, which we will now cite (Fomin glosses over them), have a devastating quality. I mean General A.I. Spiridovich, head of the Sovereign's personal guard in 1913–1916, and head of the Petrograd security department in 1915–1917. K.I. Globacheva. The memories of each of them are easily accessible - both in the library and on the Internet. So S.V. One can also only marvel at Fomin. For example, Fomin cites Globachev’s testimony about the modesty of Rasputin’s apartment in Petrograd (we are talking about 1914–1916) and omits further description of what happened in this apartment. And we are forced not to omit:

“Rasputin lived with his family, consisting of his wife, two daughters and a son, in a very modest apartment in the courtyard of house No. 64 on Gorokhovaya Street. The furnishings of the apartment are of the average bourgeois type, even rather poor. Every day, poor people crowded around the door of his apartment in the morning, and he gave everyone an allowance, some a ruble, some two, and some three. His family led a modest lifestyle, but apparently did not need anything. For almost a whole day, he was visited by people belonging to different strata of society and different official and social positions. Some came here out of personal sympathy for Rasputin, others seeking his protection, and others simply in the hope of lining their pockets around him. The list of people who visited Rasputin for one reason or another was very long. In addition, there were regulars, his friends, so to speak, whose composition changed depending on Rasputin’s personal sympathies at the moment. His most devoted friends were women - lady admirers who believed in him as a saint. Many of them had close, intimate relationships with him, while others were still achieving this honor. The belief in the holiness of Rasputin was so great that women kissed his hands, took food from his dirty hands and meekly endured insults and rudeness from him, considering this a special happiness. Rasputin was always very kind and affectionate with new people, whom he called not yet initiated, and extremely rude with those with whom he was already intimately close. I don’t think that he gave preference to one or the other of his admirers; he did not have sincere love for any of his many mistresses. He was simply attracted to the female body by a feeling of lust and depravity. Often, not content with the voluntary harem that surrounded him, he used ordinary street prostitutes. He tried to attract women with whom he did not have a close connection to his side with affection and an exceptional ability to influence their souls in order to create for himself in their eyes an aura of holiness and blind faith in himself” (K.I. Globachev “The Truth about Russian revolution: memoirs of the former head of the Petrograd security department" M. 2009, pp. 80-81).

Why would Globachev need to discredit the “old man”? He is only a police professional (“of a high level,” Fomin notes about him), and the reliability of information is part of his profession. In a somewhat more lively description of what was happening in Rasputin’s apartment, which is given by General Spiridovich, mercy and unchastity are also intertwined: “In Rasputin’s apartment (Gorokhovaya, 64), in his reception room, a lot of people were crowding in the morning. People of all ranks. I'll give you the most. There were priests, sometimes even very young officers. There are many unfortunate people./ Rasputin went out to the reception room and walked around the petitioners. He asked questions, gave advice, accepted written requests, everything was very sympathetic and attentive. Sometimes he would rummage in his pockets and slip money to the petitioner. One intelligent woman complained that her husband had been killed, her pension had not yet come out, and she had nothing to live on. Help, I don't know what to do. Rasputin looks at her vigilantly. Ruffles his beard. He quickly turns around, glances at the petitioners and, seeing a well-dressed gentleman, says: “You have money, give it to me.” He takes his wallet out of his side pocket and gives something to Rasputin. Having looked, Rasputin takes the petitioner by the shoulders. “Well, let's go.” He walks her to the exit door. “Here you go, my dear, the Lord is with you.” Going out onto the stairs and looking at what Rasputin handed her, crumpled, she counted five hundred rubles./ He gave some notes to various ministers. On an eighth piece of plain paper he would put a cross on top. Then it followed: “Dear, dear, do to her what she asks. Unhappy. Gregory.” Or: “Accept, listen. Poor thing. Gregory.” Everything was depicted in terrible scrawls and illiterately./ To one it was written: “Dear, dear, accept him. Good guy. Grigory.”/ He received some ladies especially, in a small room with a sofa. Sometimes the petitioner jumped out of there, flushed and disheveled” (quoted from A. Varlamov “Grigory Rasputin-New”, M. 2007, pp. 447-448). Fomin quotes this text, but, of course, without the last two phrases.

I foresee objections from those who will be offended (on behalf of Grigory Efimovich) by the above quotes and will say that Globachev and Spiridovich are writing from hearsay... Just below, the reader will become acquainted with an episode that Globachev personally witnessed. The episode is connected, however, with drunkenness, and not debauchery, but these vices are inseparable. As we have seen, Globachev gives a coherent, unsightly picture of Rasputin’s behavior, obviously summarizing the information received by the head of the capital’s security department and perceived by him as reliable. If, in matters that do not concern Rasputin, both Globachev and Spiridovich enjoy the trust of historians, then why not trust them in this regard? Or we must admit that they had to deal with a skillfully created (by Freemasons, of course) team of ordinary detectives who deliberately discredited the “old man.”

Globachev’s story about Rasputin’s ability to instantly, if necessary, sober up is noteworthy: “Once,” he writes, “I came to Rasputin’s apartment on official business (protecting his personal safety). He received me in his office, which was a small, dirty room, furnished with a cheap desk with a jar of ink on it, an armchair and a sofa covered with dermatoid, very shabby from time to time. Rasputin was completely drunk, which was expressed by dancing, talking nonsense, and endless hugs and kisses. He gave the impression of a man who was not responsible for his actions, and I was about to leave to see him another time, when he was in a normal state, when at that time the entrance bell was heard, and one of the daughters came to say that she had arrived “ Annushka,” that is, Anna Aleksandrovna Vyrubova. Rasputin was immediately transformed, he could not be recognized, the hop disappeared without a trace. He jumped up, took on his normal appearance and ran to meet the guest. Invited by him to the dining room to drink tea, I found a whole company there: Vyrubova, Bishop Isidore, several ladies and his family. The tea party lasted for half an hour, and all this time Rasputin behaved quite normally and very respectfully towards Vyrubova, and had an argument with Bishop Isidore on a theological topic. After Vyrubova's departure, Rasputin transformed again, continuing to be drunk, or at least showing it. This attitude towards Vyrubova is explained by the fact that Vyrubova deeply believed in the holiness of Rasputin, that she was at the court of the Empress the exact exponent of his thoughts, so to speak, the gramophone record he sang, and her opinion about him was therefore especially valuable to him. He had a completely different attitude towards her sister Alexandra Alexandrovna Pistolkors, with whom he was not at all embarrassed in view of his old acquaintance with her. Rasputin's drinking bouts were sometimes accompanied by scandals, that is, it came to a fight, since Rasputin then became excessively cheeky and impudent. He was beaten two or three times when he encountered strangers under similar circumstances. But Rasputin hid such cases and never complained to anyone” (Globachev, op. cit., pp. 82-83).

Well, if Grigory Efimovich (I’m speaking absolutely seriously) could so instantly give up alcoholic intoxication, then, probably, he could just as quickly switch to a deeply chaste mood. The description of the next scandal, with which we will end this section, capaciously combines piety, which is not alien to the subject of our attention in the morning, and revelry, characteristic of the evening, as well as relations with Tsarskoye Selo.

We are talking about the name day of Grigory Efimovich, which fell on the day of memory of Grigory Nyssa, January 10/23. General A.I. Spiridovich talks about what he learned upon his arrival with the Sovereign from Headquarters on January 17 (old style) 1916: “While in Petrograd, I met with the people I needed. In social and political circles, in the editorial offices of newspapers, they talked a lot and cheerfully about how the “Elder” celebrated his Angel Day. Since in this case the names of Their Majesties were dragged in, it was necessary to collect complete information. That's what it turned out to be. On the day of his Angel, January 10, early in the morning, Rasputin, accompanied by two agents guarding him, went to church. He prayed long and earnestly. Upon returning home, he was met by Komissarov and, on behalf of Khvostov and Beletsky, presented him with valuable gifts for both him and his family. He also handed over the money. Rasputin was very pleased. They brought a congratulatory telegram from the palace. The overjoyed “Elder” immediately sent a telegram to Tsarskoe Selo: “Unspeakably delighted. The light of God is shining upon you. Let us not be afraid of insignificance.”/ Still ill, A. A. Vyrubova congratulated her over the phone and, although Rasputin demanded that she come, she did not come. Since yesterday evening, gifts from different people have been brought into the apartment every now and then: furniture, paintings, silver, dishes, flowers, boxes of wine, pies, pretzels, cakes. Letters and telegrams arrived in batches. Many people of various positions came to congratulate in person. They gave money and valuables. Closer ones were invited to the dining room. There, from midday, a meal was served at a table richly stocked with all sorts of food and wine. We drank a lot. By evening the birthday boy himself fell off his feet. They took him away and put him to bed. In the evening, one of the restaurateurs sent a full dinner for many people. Only close friends were invited to dinner./ The dinner soon turned into a drinking party. A choir of gypsies came to congratulate the birthday boy. There was music, singing and dancing. “Charochki” has begun. The birthday boy, who had sobered up and started drinking again, began to dance. The fun began to crescendo and soon turned into an orgy. The gypsies, seizing the moment, left. Both the men and the ladies got drunk... Several ladies spent the night at the “Elder’s.” / The next morning the phone kept ringing. The husbands of the wives who had spent the night with the “Elder” appeared. It threatened a colossal scandal. The husbands demanded to be let into the bedroom. While the family tried to persuade the husbands, assuring them that the ladies had left them last night, the detectives at that time rescued the two ladies and took them out the back door. And then Rasputin was taken away by the back door. After this, the obliging Akilina asked the jealous husbands to personally make sure that their wives were not in the apartment, which they did. / Rasputin, having overslept and hung over, sent Vyrubova a bottle of Madeira, flowers and fruit on her name day. Vyrubova told the Tsarina how touchingly and friendly the name day was held at the “Elder’s” home, among family and friends. How happy the birthday boy was that Their Majesties were not afraid to congratulate him openly with a telegram, how cheerful and charming he was at home./ And ordinary people - spies - spat, remembering how the “intelligentsia” behaved at the name day, Beletsky and Khvostov knew the truth, but It was not in their interests to decipher the “Elder”” (A.I. Spiridovich “The Great War and the February Revolution”, Minsk, 2004, pp. 260-262).

It is impossible to imagine that S.V. Fomin and other learned admirers of Rasputin were not familiar with the evidence that had just been presented. Obviously, if there were reasons to consider these texts false, Rasputin’s apologists would provide such reasons. Fomin’s usual style is to denigrate and discredit anyone who gives negative evidence about Rasputin; if at the same time there is an opportunity to “bite into” the relevant material, Fomin does not miss it and shows enviable meticulousness. And he has complete respect for Spiridovich, and no criticism of the “negativity” in what Spiridovich wrote about Rasputin. Moreover, S.V. Fomin writes about Spiridovich as “a man who knew Rasputin well.” We thus come to the only possible conclusion: there is a silence and an unseemly expectation that the reader will not become acquainted with the memoirs of Spiridovich himself or Globachev himself. What has been said only confirms the truth of the unsightly, upon meeting which the reader has the desire to “spit and run.” And we are dealing with the Tsar’s Friend... I’m taken aback.

It is interesting that in the collection of documentary materials “Chronicle of Great Friendship. Royal Martyrs and the Man of God Gregory the New” (St. Petersburg, 2007), Spiridovich’s story about Rasputin’s name day is taken in the following form: from the words “While in Petrograd” to the words “there was a treat.”

Grigory Rasputin in the circle of the Royal Family

Tsar's Friend

On October 16/29, 1914, the German-Turkish fleet made a surprise attack on Odessa and sank the gunboat Donets. The Russian fleet was taken by surprise, completely unprepared to parry the blow. On October 17/30, 1914, the Emperor wrote in his diary: “...I was in a furious mood with the Germans and Turks because of their vile behavior yesterday on the Black Sea! Only in the evening, under the influence of Gregory’s calming conversation, my soul came into balance!” There were other similar cases, and there is evidence from the Emperor himself about the importance of Rasputin’s support for him. The Emperor treated Grigory Efimovich much more soberly than his wife, but he loved and appreciated him.

As for the Empress, the popular idea about the exalted nature of her disposition towards Rasputin is absolutely unfair. This can best be sensed in her reaction to Friend's death. Great grief, concern for Anna Vyrubova, nothing unnecessary - all this is clear from the letters. Usually the Tsarina is blasphemed for the constant mention of Rasputin in letters to her husband in 1915–1916, for the constant advice, even of a military nature, transmitted by the Tsarina from Rasputin. S. Oldenburg, in his famous monograph “The Life and Reign of Emperor Nicholas II,” counted 17 such advice for the entire correspondence of 1915–1916. The Emperor did not listen to a single one, and he did not listen to some in vain (see the book by S. Oldenburg): Rasputin was a smart and sensible man, everyone noted this. Well, the Empress believed in the “elder” as a man of God, sent from above to the Anointed of God, and we ourselves must calm down, leave the exaltation of hostility towards the Queen ourselves, and then think about her. Usually they say this: “As a mother, she can be understood,” followed by “but” and inspired blasphemy instead of understanding. And it’s easy to imagine how they don’t favor Rasputin.

In his unique (in terms of sobriety and good mood) book “Wheat and Tares,” Richard Batts cites a unique story by a certain Gerard Shelley about a meeting with the Empress in 1915 in Rasputin’s apartment, where he invited him to tea: “... Two ladies in veils entered . Both were modestly dressed in simple black dresses, their heads covered with fur currents. The elder moved towards them, greeting them, and softly said: “I greet you, Alexandra, servant of God.” The tall lady threw back her veil. It was the Empress. I was amazed beyond words. With her was Grand Duchess Tatiana, stately, elegant and beautiful in her simple black dress. I could not help but notice the respect that the Empress showed towards the elder. Spiritual peace and happiness shone in her gaze as she returned his greeting and, bringing to her the golden cross that he wore on a chain, pressed her lips to it with touching reverence. I felt terribly confused and could hardly figure out what to do. My first thoughts were about escape. I was sure that my presence must be a burden to the Empress, who, perhaps, went to the apartment, counting on the presence of only her two ladies-in-waiting. However, the Empress immediately encouraged me... “I am sure you will appreciate the beauty of our friend’s soul,” she said, sitting down on the hard chair that I pulled out for her. <…> – “This revives me so much. If we are true Christians, we must love simplicity. Our friend takes a step into the past, to the simple faith of the first Christians, when high and low gathered together to hear the Word of God from the lips of simple fishermen. The spirit breathes where it wants.” I dared to insert the platitude that God is no respecter of persons. “If only people always remembered this!” - she exclaimed. I could not help but notice the shadow that ran across her face, as if a disheartening tragedy had appeared before her inner gaze" (Richard Batts, “Wheat and Tares. Impartially about G.E. Rasputin.” M. 1997, pp. 43-44 ).

Thus, we cannot help but see how truly dear the “elder” Gregory was to the Royal Couple. In this case, could the Lord give them insight into what the “old man” really was like? And they were weak people, like everyone else - could they have stood it?

“Those who seek will find. Gregory." This autograph of G.E. Rasputin was reproduced many times in post-revolutionary publications of 1917.

Unworthiness

The man did not respect the dignity of the Tsar's Friend. Or he could have observed: the society accused by Bishop Feofan is not a decree for Grigory Efimovich. He was a very independent person, to the point of complete self-sufficiency, and always acted as he saw fit. For example, a month before his death, the Empress asked Rasputin to leave the capital, because I was very worried about him. He didn't want to and stayed.

It is impossible not to make here, on the eve of the upcoming centenary dates (the abdication of the Tsar from the throne, the imprisonment of the Royal Family, and beyond), the following general remark. The unworthiness was universal, starting with the highest society and excluding the Crowned Ones. Seventeen people from the Tsar’s inner circle wrote to him asking for a mitigation of measures against Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich in connection with the murder of Rasputin, which they regarded as a “patriotic act” (however, the letter did not say so directly). The Emperor replied: “No one is given the right to engage in murder; I know that conscience haunts many people, because... Dmitry Pavlovich is not the only one involved in this. I am surprised by your appeal to me. Nikolai."

Then the people as a whole showed their unworthiness. It's easy to show. At the beginning of the summer of 1918, the Bolsheviks spread rumors about the execution of the Tsar at least twice, in order to then refute them in the newspapers. Why was this done? For the sole purpose of seeing what the reaction would be. The people remained silent, and the Royal Family was shot.

Returning to Rasputin, it is worth noting that yes, this man was slandered to the highest degree, with an understandable (especially in hindsight) goal: to discredit the Royal Couple. But we saw in Spiridovich’s story about the name day of the Tsar’s Friend that he himself gave a reason to those looking for a reason. And this is called “Life for the Tsar”? (one of the titles of a book by Oleg Platonov, as important an apologist of Rasputin as Fomin). Considering how much and with what unwavering loyalty to his dear man the Tsar stood up for Rasputin, it is appropriate to ask the question: who suffered for whom? A man for the Tsar? Or the Tsar for a man? More likely the latter.

Bitter topic

To paraphrase Gogol, one can exclaim: it is bitter to live in this world, brothers and sisters! It’s bitter to think about how the heart of a Russian cultured (“bookish”) person is bruised by indifference to his native country, how too often such a person could say on his own what Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov said: “I love not Russia, but wit.” It’s bitter to think about his readiness for idle thinking and reasoning, about his readiness to judge Tsar Nicholas II and his inability to abandon the clichés that have set one’s teeth on edge. But it is bitter to think about an unbookish person. Disappointment in Rasputin is useful because it sobers up - it frees you from false affection for a “simple man”, called to dignity and truth to the same extent as a “bookish” man. It’s bitter to think about how the Tsar and Empress selflessly believed in the common people, how they believed in “dear Gregory” - and how they were deceived!

Bitterness is what we are called to in this topic, for “blessed are those who mourn.” And not those who condemn, not those who are bitter, but also not those who smear the truth with oil. The bitterness of the truth is normal. The truth about Rasputin should not confuse the heart of a person who venerates the Royal Passion-Bearers. Firstly, because the Tsar and Empress showed themselves impeccably in this regard as well. Secondly, because each of us can reproach himself: “it’s wide, wide, it would be nice to narrow it down.” Thirdly, when thinking about Grigory Efimovich, we must not forget about his love! Which of us is capable of such love and such sadness for our native country, which we meet in the surviving letter from Rasputin to the Tsar, written in July 1914? With your permission, for the sake of normal reading, I will correct grammatical distortions in it; if desired, they can be distinguished in the attached photograph of this famous letter:

“Dear friend, I’ll say it again: a threatening cloud is over Russia. Trouble. There is a lot of dark grief and no light. There are so many tears and no measure. What about blood? What can I say? There are no words - indescribable horror. I know that everyone wants war from You, and, probably, without knowing, it is for the sake of death. God's punishment is severe when the mind is taken away, this is the beginning of the end. You are the King, the father of the people, do not allow the insane to triumph and destroy themselves and the people. Now, Germany will be defeated, but what about Russia? To think that there was truly no more suffering, all drowning in blood. Great is the destruction, endless sorrow. Gregory" (“Chronicle of Great Friendship. Royal Martyrs and the Man of God Gregory the New” (St. Petersburg 2007), p. 139).

Endless sadness.

Andrey Manovtsev

Source

Rasputinism and its consequences

The crisis that befell the people, the church and the intelligentsia at the beginning of the 20th century alarmed progressive thought too late.

The comprehensive crisis found its expression in the terrible and shameful phenomenon of “Rasputinism,” when the spiritual and secular authorities completely compromised themselves. A blind people, deprived of guidelines, mentors and leadership, easily became prey to anti-Christian revolutionary propaganda. This was probably the “secret” of the Bolsheviks’ success: there was no need to conquer or overthrow anything, the country was hopelessly sick. The dark, unconscious, destructive forces lurking in the depths of the masses were released and directed against the state, church, and intelligentsia.

Rasputinism... This is not just a characteristic of the pre-revolutionary era in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. The man who gave his name to this part of Russian history is still assessed ambiguously. Who is he - the good genius of the royal family or the evil genius of the Russian autocracy? Did he have superhuman powers? If not, how did a drunkard and libertine almost become a saint?

Of course, Rasputin was a strong sensitive person. He really helped the sick Tsarevich Alexei and took advantage of other patients. But he used his abilities to his advantage.

Rasputin liked to be the center of attention; popularity began to flatter his nature. He was unable to overcome this temptation and in recent years he gradually became a victim of his pride. The consciousness of his own importance is not difficult to notice in his own words. Many times, for example, he repeated to the queen: “They will kill me, and they will kill you,” and “I” sounds here first of all.

Since the summer of 1915, interference in the governance of the country by the empress, G.E. Rasputin and his entourage has been increasing. There are different opinions regarding the nature of Rasputinism and the degree of influence of the “elder” on state affairs. In any case, the influence of “dark forces” left a noticeable imprint on the work of the government machine and compromised power, causing a sharp narrowing of its social base. The intensified struggle at the top, clashes between Rasputin’s proteges and other members of the government, and the inability of certain representatives of the highest administration to cope with the most complex problems of public life generated by the war caused a “ministerial leapfrog.”

During two and a half years of war, 4 people served as prime minister, 6 as minister of internal affairs, and 4 as ministers of agriculture, justice and military. Constant shuffling in ruling circles disorganized the work of the bureaucratic apparatus. His positions both in the center and locally in the context of a global war and the unprecedented problems generated by this war were weakening. The authority of the authorities, who did not want to cooperate with the opposition and at the same time did not dare to shut its mouth, was completely undermined.

As a result, minimally honest officials and ministers were replaced by those who, in order to get a place in the hierarchy closer to the “anointed ones of God,” did not shy away from pleasing themselves to the “holy elder” - in any form. People from the government now came to bow to him. At the instigation of Rasputin, the Chairman of the Duma Council is also changing - the Duma members are furious. The final, mortal battle begins on the carpet and under the carpet of the empire. Some of our historians point out that many of Rasputin’s advice in this last year of his life on domestic and foreign policy were correct, smart, even wise. Maybe. But now all this was already useless - both for the country, and for the royal family, and for Rasputin himself.

Sectarian or freethinker

Scandalous fame did not come to the Siberian wanderer immediately upon his arrival in St. Petersburg. In 1908, relations between Rasputin and the Church began to deteriorate: Archimandrite Veniamin tried to put him in his place through Prince Orlov, but this did not bring results. Soon the name of the “wanderer” becomes famous, but has a connotation of wild life.

The attitude of the church towards Rasputin

Gregory had long been closely watched and suspected of sectarianism, which was proven by his unreasonable zeal for the salvation of his own soul, personal pride and intolerable arrogance. The “elder” was fond of false sciences and philosophies, allowed himself carnal pleasures and convinced his charges to self-deify. This is where new dogmas arise, born of the sect leader (false Christ).

However, Rasputin is more like a religious freethinker who loves controversy and does not respect the authorities of the church hierarchy. The “elder” helped Tsarevich Alexei and received other sick people, but he repaid with a sense of self-interest. The nature of this man strived for popularity, he was pleased with the opportunity to become the center of attention. Over time, sinful vanity completely consumed Rasputin; the words of the Siberian wanderer were replete with a sense of self-importance.

Since 1915, Gregory's insidious interference in government affairs has been observed. The authorities compromised themselves, which led to disruptions in work and a sharp narrowing of the social base. A “ministerial leapfrog” was observed at the throne, where officials of opposing beliefs sought to overthrow each other from their posts.

On a note! Actually, the Church was for Rasputin only a source of blessed energy during services.

The Siberian wanderer felt self-sufficient dark energy and a terrible desire to destroy certain goals. His personal religion became sexual lust and crude materialism, disguised by hypocrisy and impenetrable pride.

About other sins:

Covetousness
Extortion
Love of money

Modern views of the church on Rasputin

How does the Church relate to the personality of Rasputin? How big is his role in the death of the state, the royal family, the emperor? To the church he appears to be a “micro-antichrist” who caused the fall of Russia and the death of all the people who trusted him - as a prototype of the end of the world, that through him demons entered the world and took possession of millions of souls. Perhaps this madness began in Russia with him - revolution, blood, degeneration of people, destruction of temples, desecration of shrines...

There is no official formulation of the attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church towards Rasputin, just as there is no official formulation of the attitude of the Church towards the vast majority of historical figures. The question of Rasputin’s role in the “death of the state, the royal family” is rather a historical question, but not a theological-historical one, so for clarification in this case it is better to turn to historical literature.[2]

Nevertheless, a brochure compiled by I.V. was recently published in Ryazan. Evsin, in which the reader is invited to look at Rasputin as a righteous man and even a saint, and to consider any negative word about him as slander. The brochure is called “The Slandered Elder” (Ryazan, “Zerna”, 2001). Such a view is far from new. One of its main supporters is the historian O.A. Platonov, whose book about Rasputin “Life for the Tsar” has been published in more than one edition. He writes in his book: “Later, both Bolshevik leaders and their enemies from the opposite camp denounced Rasputin with equal fervor, without bothering to prove his guilt. Both needed the myth of Rasputin for political and ideological reasons. For the Bolsheviks, he was a symbol of the decay of Tsarist Russia, its squalor and depravity, from which they saved it. When it came to the last Russian Tsar, they pointed to Rasputin to confirm the correctness of their bloody policy, which, according to them, alone could lead the country out of the nightmare of Rasputinism and decay. For political opponents of the Bolsheviks, Rasputin was a scapegoat, the culprit of their downfall. They tried to explain their political insolvency, isolation from the people, wrong line of behavior and gross mistakes before the revolution with the subsequent collapse by the influence of dark forces, headed by Rasputin.”

Moreover, in church bookstores you can sometimes find the book “Martyr for Tsar Gregory the New,” which also contains an akathist to the “elder.” In one of the churches in the city of Ryazan, prayerful veneration of “Elder Gregory” takes place.

Three “icons” depicting the “holy elder” were painted. There was even a special akathist (prayer text) written addressed to the “elder” Gregory, who is called nothing less than a new prophet and a new wonderworker. However, in this case we may be talking about a certain sect that openly opposes itself to the hierarchy.

Live on Radio Radonezh, priests sometimes were asked a question about Rasputin. Usually their feedback was negative and reasonable. However, one of the authoritative Moscow priests defends the view of Oleg Platonov. Another authoritative Moscow priest has repeatedly stated that the veneration of Rasputin is a new temptation for our Church. We thus see a division. We see that this temptation is a reality. The main thing here is the harm that is done to the veneration of the royal martyrs

After the decision of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church on the canonization of Nicholas II and his family, a group of Orthodox citizens are not averse to raising the question of canonizing Gregory Rasputin.

According to the Segodnya newspaper, members of a number of marginal para-Orthodox organizations have created a kind of informal “Rasputin club”

The Moscow Patriarchate knows nothing about such an initiative yet. It is unlikely that any of the bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church will even dare to raise the question of canonizing Rasputin. However, attention is drawn to the fact that recently in historical and church works the positive aspects of the activities of Grigory Efimovich (for example, a healing gift) are increasingly noted, and all the “negativity”, including drunken brawls and debauchery, is written off as slander from side of the Freemasons and other conspirators.