Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Poisoned, shot and beaten: why cyanide alone may have failed to kill Rasputin
The Guardian ^ | 01/13/2017

Posted on 06/21/2017 12:22:43 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

Theories around the death of Grigori Rasputin still abound 100 years after the event. We examine the scientific credibility of some of the claims.

The end of December 2016 marked the 100th anniversary of the death of Rasputin, the “mad monk of Russia”, or “lover of the Russian queen” if you believe the Boney M song, though you probably shouldn’t. While the song is undoubtedly a floor-filler, unsurprisingly it is not exactly a reliable historical account of Rasputin’s life.

Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, a mystic and spiritual healer born in Pokrovskoe in Siberia, wielded huge influence over the Russian royal family, particularly Alexandra, the Tsarina, who looked to the spiritual healer to cure her haemophiliac son, Alexei. The life of Rasputin was certainly pretty strange but it is the stories surrounding his death that are the strangest of all.

What is known is that one evening Rasputin went to the Yusupov Palace in St Petersburg at the invitation of Prince Felix Yusupov. Rasputin’s dead body was recovered from the frozen Neva River days later. No one is completely sure what happened in between these two events.

The most well-known account of the events comes from Prince Yusupov himself in his memoirs Lost Splendour. This autobiography reads more like a boy’s own adventure story than a reliable historical document and many doubt the authenticity of what he wrote. According to Yusupov, when Rasputin arrived at the palace he was taken down to the cellar where he was given cake and madeira wine. Upstairs, a gramophone played Yankee Doodle Dandy to fool the monk in to believing there was a party in full swing.

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Society
KEYWORDS: cyanide; poison; rasputin
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-27 next last
Yusupov and his accomplices had planned things carefully. The cakes offered to Rasputin had been laced with enough potassium cyanide to slay a monastery full of monks. But Rasputin just kept eating them. Incredulous at the monk’s survival, Prince Yusupov poured madeira into a cyanide-laced wine glass and handed it to Rasputin. Instead of collapsing into unconsciousness within seconds, as would be expected from a massive dose of cyanide, Rasputin continued to sip the wine like a connoisseur.

A second lethal glass disappeared into the monk’s mouth with little apparent effect other than some difficulty swallowing. Asked if he was feeling unwell he replied “Yes, my head is heavy and I’ve a burning sensation in my stomach.” A third glass of tainted wine only seemed to revive him. Having ingested their whole stock of cyanide, the group of assassins were somewhat at a loss as to what to do next.

So they shot him.

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE REST....

1 posted on 06/21/2017 12:22:43 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, a mystic and spiritual healer born in Pokrovskoe in Siberia, wielded huge influence over the Russian royal family, particularly Alexandra, the Tsarina.
2 posted on 06/21/2017 12:23:18 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Rasputin’s name contains the syllables “putin”.

Makes you go hmmm.....


3 posted on 06/21/2017 12:27:41 PM PDT by elcid1970 ("The Second Amendment is more important than Islam. Buy ammo.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

It is hard to “put down” such an evil, demon possessed servant of Satan, the “god of this world”.


4 posted on 06/21/2017 12:28:22 PM PDT by Jmouse007 (Lord God Almighty, deliver us from this evil in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, amen.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE REST....

No.

Rasputin was behind the hacking of the election, I hope he keeps it up.

Hack more, Rasputin. Hack like you don't even care.

Hack on, hacker.

5 posted on 06/21/2017 12:28:43 PM PDT by humblegunner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

They should have used iocaine powder.

Love, Dread Pirate Roberts


6 posted on 06/21/2017 12:28:47 PM PDT by NonValueAdded (#DeplorableMe #BitterClinger #HillNO! #cishet #MyPresident #MAGA #Winning #covfefe)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
Upstairs, a gramophone played Yankee Doodle Dandy to fool the monk in to believing there was a party in full swing.

Must have been a Republican Party..................

7 posted on 06/21/2017 12:29:07 PM PDT by Red Badger (Unless you eat The Bread of Life, you are toast!.......................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
CNN August 19, 2016

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST ... [Donald Trump is] like the Rasputin of American politics. He never gets killed.

8 posted on 06/21/2017 12:35:43 PM PDT by Cboldt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Just a theory on why the cyanide had no effect.
He may have suspected some attempt on his life and as a precaution he could have eaten a couple daffodil bulbs.
Daffodil bulbs contain atropine, the antidote for cyanide and many nerve agents. Atropine via daffodil bulbs will give you an upset stomach but won’t kill you.


9 posted on 06/21/2017 12:37:03 PM PDT by BuffaloJack
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Rasputin was double-tough. Hate to meet him in the woods during deer season!


10 posted on 06/21/2017 12:37:43 PM PDT by donozark (JAMES COMEY: Democrat Presidential candidate 2020.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Is Putin a version of Rasputin?


11 posted on 06/21/2017 12:38:51 PM PDT by Yaelle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Yaelle

RE: Is Putin a version of Rasputin?

The only way to find out is to do what they did to the mad monk himself .....


12 posted on 06/21/2017 12:42:10 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I have never believed he was he Tsarina’s lover. Look at that face.


13 posted on 06/21/2017 12:48:06 PM PDT by colorado tanker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: colorado tanker

I wonder how he eats pu$$y.


14 posted on 06/21/2017 1:04:34 PM PDT by DIRTYSECRET (urope. Why do they put up with this.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: DIRTYSECRET
I wonder how he eats pu$$y.

You do realize that he's been dead for over 100 years?

15 posted on 06/21/2017 1:30:00 PM PDT by ytrebil
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: elcid1970

> Rasputin’s name contains the syllables “putin”. Makes you go hmmm..... <

Here’s another one for you. There’s a very old Russian folk saying that goes like this: The Russian Empire will begin with a Mikhail, and end with a Mikhail.

Well, the first czar was Mikhail of Tver. And the leader of the Soviet Union when it collapsed was....Mikhail Gorbachev.


16 posted on 06/21/2017 1:41:26 PM PDT by Leaning Right (I have already previewed or do not wish to preview this composition.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: BuffaloJack

Cyanid is not a neurotoxin, and atropine would not be an antidote. It prevents aerobic metabolism, killing through hypoxia.


17 posted on 06/21/2017 2:04:25 PM PDT by I-ambush (If we make it, we'll all sit back and laugh, but I fear tomorrow I'll be crying)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I think I read that his body was exhumed a year(?) or so after death and then burned, during which he appeared to sit up.


18 posted on 06/21/2017 2:08:55 PM PDT by freedomlover
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ytrebil

Yes that would make it pretty difficult lol


19 posted on 06/21/2017 2:09:42 PM PDT by freedomlover
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Jmouse007
Or it could have been that he was working for the other side.

They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Mark 16:18

Sounds like he did two out of three.

20 posted on 06/21/2017 2:18:35 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Not a Romantic, not a hero worshiper and stop trying to tug my heartstrings. It tickles! (pink bow))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-27 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson