There is still interest, even fascination, with that dirty would-be-monk, Rasputin of Siberia, who captivated the grand-daughter of Queen Victoria of Great Britain, Alexandra, who happened to be the bride of Nicholas, the Tsar of Russia.

Read about Rasputin at http://www.worsleyschool.net/socialarts/rasputin/page.html That is a compilation from Internet and other sources.

The blue-eyed creature from the north held a mystical captivation over Alexandra.

Rasputin, who was a charming but filthy pig, was a healer having learned the "healing arts" in Greece and the Middle East.

Alexandra was captivated by Rasputin for one reason. He seemed to be able to help her young son who had inherited hemophilia from his Royal Line. When ever the boy suffered from uncontrolled bleeding, Rasputin was there with his hypnotic blue eyes.

Rasputin gained political influence. That angered Tsar Nicholas.

Could you blame the Tsar?

This dirty old man is hanging around his wife staring at her with those piercing eyes.

When Nicholas went off to fight his cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, he dreaded leaving Alexandra home with Rasputin. Things went into motion and Rasputin was murdered with cyanide, with bullets, by drowning, or all of the above.

The autopsy reported he died by drowning according to the first source. For more details on Rasputin's death from those who lived at his time go to http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSrasputin.htm

That rat, Rasputin, had a wife and kids of his own. I heard that Roscov the Hermit was looking after her. Just kidding!

To learn about Rasputin's early life go to http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/r/Rasputin.html This is an excellent article and a fascinating read.

His father was a horse thief who was sent to Siberia.

A funny thing happened on the way to the river: His sister, Maria, possibly an epileptic, drowned in a river and his brother, Dmitri, died from pneumonia after being rescued from a river (along with Rasputin who was trying to save him).

Rivers were not healthy for that family.

No wonder that Rasputin hated water.

Could anyone blame him?

Rasputin had two children. Can you guess what their names were?

copyright2006 John T. Jones, Ph.D.

John T Jones, Ph.D.

Jones was a vice president of a Fortune 500 company subsidiary having the major responsibility for research and development and certain engineering functions. After he retired, he became editor of an international trade magazine. Jones is Executive Representative of IWS, sellers of Tyler Hicks wealth-success books and kits. He is a direct mail and mail order marketer and operates a dozen websites.

He has written three technical books, four novels (Bull, Revenge on the Mogollon Rim, Bone China, and In No Way Guilty), and many published papers on business, marketing, engineering and other topics. Details on many of these topics can be found at his personal web site.

Jones is a hack poet and amateur landscape painter. He lives in Idaho with his wife of 52 years. He has five children, three in medicine, a lawyer, and a portrait artist. The Jones? have thirty-two talented grandchildren (many with special musical talent and skills), and one great grand child.

Jones is a prolific writer which started when he was an engineering professor at Iowa State University (Go Cyclones!). He doesn?t know how to stop.