Rasputin | How Rumour Broke an Empire | Feat. Sir Antony Beevor

About this episode

The episode explores how Grigori Rasputin, a Siberian peasant mystic, influenced the Russian Empire and the rumors surrounding his life and death.

How does a Siberian peasant mystic end up controlling the most powerful empire in Europe? Could the rumours that destroyed a dynasty have been entirely false — and did they matter anyway? And, without Rasputin, would there have been no Lenin — and would the 20th century have looked completely different? Peter sits down with Sir Antony Beevor — bestselling author of Stalingrad , Berlin , and D-Day — to dig into his new book on one of history's most mythologised figures: Grigori Rasputin, the Siberian wanderer who charmed the Tsarina, antagonised everyone else, and whose murder was so catastrophically bungled it reads like black farce. 0:00 From Siberia to the Imperial court — how a peasant mystic reached the centre of power 5:30 Holy fools, wandering pilgrims, and why Russia was always fertile ground for figures like Rasputin 10:00 The voice, the eyes, and the seduction: how Rasputin actually worked on people 13:00 The Tsarina's obsession — and why Antony Beevor is certain the rumours were fake news 17:30 How Rasputin's ministerial choices set the railways on fire and sparked a revolution 24:00 Rasputin was right about the war — and then made everything worse anyway 27:30 The…

People in this episode

Host: Peter

Guest: Sir Antony Beevor

Topics covered

• Rasputin
• Russian history
• mythology
• revolution
• 20th century
• political influence

Keywords

• Rasputin
• Tsarina
• Lenin
• Russian Empire
• historical myths
• revolution
• Sir Antony Beevor
• 20th century history
• political intrigue

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Stalingrad, Berlin, D-Day

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