Rasputin. The Truth About the 'Holy Devil'

For the premiere of the TV series “Rasputin,” starring Vladimir Mashkov in the lead role. All the truth about the legendary “elder,” who was called the “Holy Devil” (“Svyatoy Chort”). According to the director of this series (previously famous for hits such as “The Diver,” “Special Forces,” “Thunder Gate,” “We Are from the Future”): “I’m interested in looking at Rasputin from the point of view of truth. Because during his lifetime people made up all kinds of things about him… But if you peel away the layers and leave only what he actually did, it turns out he was a man who sincerely cared about the Russian Empire, about the tsar, and about the empress—and who categorically opposed the war. That’s his message. And to those who wanted war, to those who hated Russia, he seemed like a creature from hell. But at the end of it all—on the dry sum—it was a man with a big plus sign. And with such a tragic fate…” How did an illiterate man become the closest friend of the royal family? What was the secret of his enormous influence at court? Is it true that he had “hypnotic power” and “a magical influence on people”? Should we believe rumors about his “legendary male potency”? And who, in fact, was behind his assassination?