Rasputin believed that sin was vital to achieve redemption, i.e. behaving well wasn’t enough, you had to do wrong first in order to be forgiven. So, he believed that rampant fornication followed by rampant repentance brought you closer to god.

The upper class’ lies were purposefully brought to Tsar Nicholas’ attention, and the Prime Minister asked Nicholas to banish Rasputin. The tsar said “I know Rasputin too well to believe all the tittle-tattle about him”. Despite the tsar’s trust in him, Rasputin had become one of the most hated men in Russia and was under constant surveillance 24 hours a day.

Rasputin was accused of many wrongdoings, the church refused to ordain him and outside of the royal household he was unanimously distrusted. But still he continued unabated. Frustrations were rising within the ranks of the nobility…

In 1914 Rasputin was travelling with his visiting father from the capital to Pokrovskoye. Out of the blue a woman called Khionia Guseva took out a knife and stabbed him in the gut just above his belly button and screamed “I have killed the Antichrist!” The wound was so deep his entrails could be seen. But you don’t kill a Siberian that easily, she chased him through the streets until he got the opportunity to smash her in the face. This is him in hospital recovering:

The Tsar sent his private physician to Rasputin’s bed side and after a seven week stay in hospital he was good to go. Guseva said that she attempted to kill Rasputin because he was “spreading temptation among the innocent”. Others thought there may have been more going on, but thanks to his unpopularity no one was brought to justice, or even tried. Guseva was sent to the nut house.

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