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Russian mystic and faith healer (1869–1916) who 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 was assassinated in a legendary scheme involving poison, disguises, and multiple gunshots. ALS in Russian, signed “Grigory,” one page both sides, 5 x 8, no date. Handwritten letter to an unidentified recipient, presumably a child, in full (translated): "Precious little one. Thank you for your sensitive soul. I am living through a period of universal condemnation. May they judge me in any way that passes through their heads. God has the power to comfort, his strength is over me. May God protect your youth.” Rasputin draws his usual cross at the top of the letter, a mark suggesting that he is a mouthpiece of God. His message is followed by an editorial hand that has rewritten and corrected his rather idiosyncratic spelling and grammar in Russian. In very good to fine condition, with overall creasing, and a couple of small rust stains. A mysterious, boldly penned letter from the 'Mad Monk.'
Although this letter is undated, Rasputin’s message, “I am living through a period of universal condemnation,” alludes to a time of widespread revilement toward the Russian mystic, a public temperament that aligns with his lofty standing within the Russian aristocracy, one buttressed by the strong support of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna. Of further interest and mystery is the unknown identity of the letter’s recipient, which, given its salutation of “Precious little one,” implies that Rasputin sent the missive to either a child or a woman. The closing line, “May God protect your youth,” again, suggests both possibilities.
What is known is that Rasputin, a staple within the Tsar’s inner circle, wrote in great quantity to both Tsarina Alexandra and her five children, to whom Rasputin was granted unmitigated access. Per the biography Rasputin and His Russian Queen, author Marina Mayhew discusses how Alexandra and Rasputin exchanged nearly daily correspondence, and Felix Welch, in Rasputin: A Short Life, references instances where Rasputin sent letters to the entire royal household, children included, missives that sometimes included small tokens like food remnants or spiritual symbols.
Other notable aspects include Rasputin’s intimate phrasing, “Precious little one,” a salutation that historian Brian Moynahan, in his biography Rasputin, The Saint Who Sinned, matches with other letters sent by Rasputin to the imperial children, especially Tsarevich Alexei and Grand Duchess Anastasia, which use greetings like ‘moy malenki’ (‘my little one’) and ‘otyets’ (‘father’). Rasputin's use of religious consolation during moments of public persecution, especially to assuage the worries of his devotees, is noted by Daniel Smith in Rasputin: Faith, Power, and the Twilight of the Romanovs. In keeping with Rasputin’s declaration, “May they judge me in any way that passes through their heads. God has the power to comfort, his strength is over me,” Smith notes, ‘Rasputin's writings are devoid of any desire for retribution. Vengeance was a foreign concept to Rasputin. All would be settled in the end by God himself.’
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