The charismatic and enigmatic Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin insinuated himself into the Russian royal family when he “healed” the young Tsarevich Alexei’s hemophilia in 1905. From that point, his influence on the Romanovs grew ever greater, and his sway over the Empress Alexandra, who believed that God spoke to her through him, was especially powerful. In the waning days of Imperial Russia, he was viewed by the Russian nobility as increasingly dangerous, and an assassination plot was hatched. The effort was led by Prince Felix Youssoupof, who attempted to poison Rasputin; despite an astounding dose of cyanide, the mystic was apparently unaffected, so Youssoupof shot him in the chest. Though Rasputin fell to the floor, he revived half an hour later and, after attacking a shocked Youssoupof, attempted to flee. The conspirators pursued Rasputin, shot him again, clubbed him, and, in a final act of horrified desperation, stuffed him through a hole in the frozen Neva River. Rasputin’s superhuman durability finally failed him, and his body was discovered three days later. Though Youssoupof’s account the incident was widely accepted for decades, more recent theories have credited the assassination to the British government, apparently in response to worries that Rasputin was using his influence to replace pro-British ministers in the Russian government and to effect the withdrawal of Russian troops from the First World War. Lot of two items: Intriguing and very scarce ANS in pencil, reading [translated from the Russian], “The mother of the child is holy,” on an 8.5 x 5.5 sheet of lightly lined graph paper; and an ALS, signed “Youssoupof,” one page on the correspondence side of a 5.75 x 4 postal card, postmarked July 25, 1944, in which Youssoupof thanks Félix Bonafé for the letters and requests that Bonafé telephone him about some books. Accompanied by a note in German explaining the provenance of the Rasputin letter (given to Dr. Moritz Blumenthal by the Russievich family, who had fled Russia in 1915). In fine condition, with folds, small tears and separations, a few small spots, and collector’s notations to Rasputin note, and mild toning and edge wear and a few light bends to Youssoupof letter. COA John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and R&R COA.
