2003 Einojuhani Rautavaara composed Rasputin, an opera in three acts

In 2011, Jos'ee Dayan directed a French-Russian produced a film on Rasputin for television called Raspoutine which starred G'erard Depardieu in the role of Rasputin.

Rasputin was the subject of the BBC Radio 4 series Great Lives, first aired on 1 January 2013.

Rasputin is the subject of a musical theatre production, Ripples to Revolution, by Peter Karrie.

With the aim of casting Leonardo di Caprio as Rasputin, Warner Brothers have bought the rights to a screenplay by Jason Hall.>>

Bibliography of books about Rasputin in Russia has more than forty books (and thousands of articles in the media). The most famous study was published by Edvard Radzinsky in 2004 [23] , but after 2004 the new books on the subject continue to be published almost every year. Among them are also apologetic study (or almost apologetic ), as [ 24, 25 , 26]. The author of this brochure is devoted to this topic a big chapter in my book "The Emperor , who knew the fate. And Russia, who did not know" [27] . Study set out below are based largely on the materials of my book – and I hope that this study is objective.

Some Russian movies about Rasputin became almost a "cult." Unfortunately, the most popular of them ("Agony" by Elem Klimov, 1985, a work of a talented) is very biased. Year after year (and several times per year) Russian TV channel again and again show this film ("Agony") – the film is so talented and popular as it is full of old false myths about Rasputin and about the Tsar's family.

It would seem that in recent years much has been written about the streams of slander and lies that have hit the Tsar's family in during the time of Provisional Government (March-November 1917) and then in the Soviet Russia and the USSR. Rivulets of dirty rumors begun in 1916, then it turned into the stormy fetid flows. If before the February revolution, these streams flooded only drunk and hysterical Petrograd, then the Provisional Government consciously and purposely hit them in the whole of Russia.

So, it turns out, this heinous flow of slander and lies of nine months of 1917 – it still generates most people's notion about Raspuitin ! .. For almost 100 years!

Have to tell all this in detail.

Myths about Rasputin until March 1917.

Until 1912 Rasputin was accused only of belonging to a banned religious sect "whips" (where practiced group sexual orgies). However, the official inquiries in 1903 and 1912's have not confirmed these rumors.

First new false rumors (and rough jokes) about Rasputin's debauchery (and his impact on the Empress) appeared in 1912-1915. They proceeded on the one hand, from the revolutionaries (SRs and the Bolsheviks), and they were designed for ordinary people (and for soldiers). On the other hand, false rumors were created and started from the grand salons of some relatives of the royal family, which were in opposition to Nicholas and Alexandra.

The situation has sharply deteriorated in the autumn of 1916, when the Ministry of the Interior and the Russian counter intelligence discovered a large corruption in organizations "Zemgor" and “Military-Industrial Committee», which were led by prominent opposition leaders of the State Duma, Prince Lvov and Guchkov. Cadet Leader Miliukoff provided to these organizations for strong political support, he was also the leader of the opposition bloc "progressives" in the State Duma.

Then, November 1, 1916 followed by the famous speech Milyukov in the State Duma ("What is it – stupidity or treason?"), In which he accused the Empress and Rasputin in a betrayal. According to some modern Russian historians, this Milukoff's speech marked the transition opposition offensive to forestall future charges in corruption and declare these future charges as "politically motivated." [28] [29] [30]. Since November 1916 Miliukoff and Gutchkov sharply stepped conspiracy against Nicholas II, which they have successfully implemented at the end of February 1917 (with a few generals who have previously been implicated by them in this conspiracy).

Provisional Government. Lies and slander in "the freest country"

(Based on the eponymous article by S. Fomin ("Russian Gazette" of 19 December 2003 http://www.rv.ru/content.php3?id=1402 ) and "The Encyclopedia of the Great Patriotic films." Agony»» (http://top-rufilms.info/p1-84.html ), with additions and comments of the author.) More details about all of this, you can read in my book [27].

The first Provisional Government consisted mainly of the conspirators. Prince Lvov became Prime; Miliukov and Guchkov headed ministries . Naturally, winning the conspirators wanted to justify their coup and "playing card Rasputin" began to actively play out in the government media. It is also clear that this company was actively supported by all the leftist forces.

Simultaneously, the Provisional Government accused of betraying the motherland Rasputin and the Empress . They , as well as the deposed imperial government were also accused of corruption. However, these numerous accusations further found no documentary evidence – despite the fact that the Provisional Government has put a lot of effort to search for evidence. To search for evidence, at the beginning of March 1917 (immediately after the abdication of Nicholas II) was established National Extraordinary Investigation commission (NEIS) of Provisional Government.