Episode 23: The Other Rasputin. The Tale of Iliodor (Trufanov)
From Tales from Imperial Russia by James White
December 8, 2023 · 25 min · Episode 23
About this episode
This episode explores the life of Iliodor, a monk whose right-wing rhetoric caused significant scandal in early 20th century Russia.
Between 1905 and 1912, the monk Iliodor (Trufanov) set Russia ablaze with his inflammatory right-wing rhetoric, causing scandal after scandal. In this episode, we follow Iliodor's remarkable life from humble beginnings to would-be assassin of Grigorii Rasputin. Sources S. Dixon, ‘The “Mad Monk” Iliodor in Tsaritsyn’ in S. Dixon, ed., Personality and Place in Russian Culture: Essays in Memory of Lindsey Hughes (London: Modern Humanities Research Association for the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies, 2010), pp. 377-415. D. Smith, Rasputin (London: Pan Macmillan, 2017). M. Iu. Krapivin, ‘Deiatel’nost’ S. M. Trufanova (byshego ieromonakha Iliodora) v Sovetskoi Rossii (1918-1922) v sviazi s formirovaniem gosudarstvennoi politiki v otnoshenii pravoslavnoi tserkvi’, Vestnik tserkovnoi istorii, no. 1/2 (21/22), 2011, pp. 137-149.
People in this episode
Host: James White
Topics covered
- Iliodor
- Rasputin
- Russian history
- right-wing rhetoric
- scandals
- monastic life
Keywords
- Iliodor
- Rasputin
- Russian monk
- scandal
- history
- right-wing
- 1905-1912
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Vestnik tserkovnoi istorii
Books & works: Personality and Place in Russian Culture: Essays in Memory of Lindsey Hughes, Rasputin, Deiatel’nost’ S. M. Trufanova (byshego ieromonakha Iliodora) v Sovetskoi Rossii (1918-1922)
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