Mikaylla Raymond
Mrs.Wolfe
History 121
November 26, 2012
Life and Times of the Mad Monk
Debated by historians, conversed through a mixture of speculations and facts, the life of Grigory Yetimovich Rasputin is not only mysterious, but undeniably fascinating. Also known as the Mad Monk for his spiritual beliefs and wild personality, Rasputin made a name for himself through out his whole being. As a young man he made his presence known with his troublemaking, partying, and psychic abilities, as he grew older it was with his magnetism, beliefs and rituals, and some help from the Romanov’s, more specifically Empress Alexandria Romanov. This ability of making a name for himself through his personality and actions undoubtedly made him the most talked about man in 1900 Russia and made his name famous for many following years. Born sometime between 1869 and 1872 in Pokrovskoye, Siberia, Rasputin grew up as a peasant under the care of his mother and father. As he grew up he gained the reputation as a wild, uneducated, trouble making party animal. He was also known for his so-called psychic abilities. At a young age he identified the man who had stolen a horse from a local villager and through that, he and the victim recovered the missing horse. Rasputin had claimed that he did not see the crime physically, but eerily knew the criminal with out being a witness. It was also said that the monk could calm spooked animals with just the sound of his voice. Word spread around villages of his incredible talents, though he couldn’t curve his love for trouble. At the age of 28, Grigory found him self in a Siberian monastery for an unknown reason, historians believe stealing was the probable crime. Though he did not realize this at the time, this incident would set the rest of his life. While in the monastery, Rasputin met a mystic by the name of Malcary who shared his spiritual beliefs and thoughts with him. Rasputin took in the mystic’s teachings and began to