Sex, Mysticism and Revolution: Rasputin at the Court of the Tsar

In this episode of History Book Buffs, Antonia Senior and Roger Moorhouse dive into the extraordinary story of Grigori Rasputin—the mystic, healer, and alleged holy man who gained an astonishing hold over Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra.

From his arrival in St Petersburg to his influence over the royal family through the illness of the Tsarevich Alexei, Rasputin became one of the most controversial figures in Russian history. To some he was a saintly healer; to others a drunken charlatan and sexual predator corrupting the imperial court.

But how much of the legend is true?

Using Antony Beevor’s gripping new book, the Buffs explore the political chaos, aristocratic mysticism, and cultural instability that allowed Rasputin to rise—and how his presence helped undermine the Romanov dynasty just months before the Russian Revolution.

Was Rasputin truly pulling the strings of power? Or was he simply the most visible symptom of a collapsing regime?

Along the way we discuss assassination plots, court scandals, the crisis of the First World War, and the strange cultural moment that made Rasputin possible.

• Rasputin and the Downfall of the Romanovs — Antony Beevor

• Nicholas and Alexandra — Robert K. Massie

• Rasputin: Faith, Power, and the Twilight of the Romanovs — Douglas Smith

• Natasha's Dance — Orlando Figes