The Independent – Books

Rasputin: Untangling the Man From the Wild and Complicated Myth

Antony Beevor’s new biography, *Rasputin: And the Downfall of the Romanovs*, separates the Siberian mystic’s legend from fact, showing his real influence was largely symbolic. Rasputin’s charisma won Empress Alexandra’s trust, especially after allegedly easing her son Alexei’s haemophilia crises, which turned him into a court figurehead. Beevor argues that while Rasputin’s scandalous reputation destabilised the monarchy’s image, the empire’s collapse was driven by deeper military and administrative failures. The book frames Rasputin as a symptom of a decaying regime rather than its cause.