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GRIGORY YEFIMOVICH RASPUTIN
1872 - 1916
What a
character. So thought Alan Rickman and agreed to play Rasputin in
the
movie Rasputin.
His real name was Grigory Yefimovich
Novykh. They nicknamed him Rasputin, which is Russian for "debauched
one." Sweet. Early in his life Rasputin quickly fathered four
kids with his young wife. He then decided it was high time to travel
the world.
His trips brought him to Mount Athos,
Greece, and Jerusalem. If you're interested to know where Mount
Athos is located, here's a
map. With
this company you can travel to Mount Athos, but it looks like
you have to be male and you have to like monks.
Anyhow, Rasputin finally ended up at St. Petersburg
where he became the Czarina's personal adviser (define "adviser")
and caused scandal after scandal. His reputation was that of a
healer and seer. Plus he liked women, of course. Like... many of them.
Here you can see Rasputin surrounded by his admirers.

Photo: Liberty's Victorious Conflict:
A Photographic History of the World War, (Woman's Weekly, Chicago,
1918)
Extreme Russian conservatives tried
to end Rasputin's life and invited him for poison tea and cookies.
But he ate and drank it all without showing any sign of being
poisoned. His host, by then a nervous wreck, shot him just to be
on the safe side.
Rasputin, still not dead, dragged
himself into the courtyard, where he got shot again. But, you
guessed it, he was still quite perky and didn't die until he got
thrown into the icy river Neva. There he drowned. One tuff sucker.
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