HistoryExtra podcast How Rasputin helped doom the Romanovs
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Mar 16, 2026 Antony Beevor, bestselling historian of 20th-century warfare, probes the life of Grigori Rasputin from Siberian peasant to court power broker. He explores Rasputin’s magnetic contradictions, his hold over Nicholas II and Alexandra, the scandals and scandals’ political ripple effects, and the chaotic assassination that symbolised a collapsing regime.
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Spiritual Charisma And Moral Contradiction
- Rasputin combined visceral spirituality with sexual misconduct to captivate conflicting audiences in Petersburg society.
- Antony Beevor describes him as genuinely religious yet lecherous, gaining devoted followers among ignored aristocratic women who mistook intimacy for spiritual connection.
From Siberian Pilgrim To Court Introduction
- Rasputin became a wandering pilgrim who transformed after a spiritual experience and traveled to major religious sites including Mount Athos.
- A rich woman in Kazan introduced him to a St Petersburg bishop, which led to introductions to senior churchmen and the court in 1905.
Romanov Nostalgia Fueled Rasputin's Appeal
- The Tsar and Tsaritsa's nostalgia for an older Russia made them receptive to Rasputin as a 'man of the people' and antidote to Petersburg corruption.
- Beevor links Slavophile sentiment and fear of Peter the Great's westernizing reforms to their embrace of Rasputin.