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The Rasputin File

by Edvard Radzinsky, Эдвард Радзинский, Judson Rosengrant (Translator)

3.72 of 5 stars 3.72 · rating details · 572 ratings · 57 reviews

From the bestselling author of Stalin and The Last Tsar comes The Rasputin File, a remarkable biography of the mystical monk and bizarre philanderer whose role in the demise of the Romanovs and the start of the revolution can only now be fully known.

For almost a century, historians could only speculate about the role Grigory Rasputin played in the downfall of tsarist Russi...more

Paperback, 576 pages

Published December 4th 2001 by Anchor (first published 2000)

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Mar 02, 2013 Demonic Circus Princess marked it as paused-at-the-moment · review of another edition

Shelves: best-villain, chosen-by-my-amazing-intuition, doesn-t-entirely-make-sense

O__O

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Jul 26, 2007 Smashpanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this book for a friend and even though my interest on the topic was minimal at the beginning of the work I was completely drawn into the entire Russian empire at that time by the time I was finished. The author gives you more than just a Rasputin biography here which is the main pulling point of this work of non-fiction; he gives you a background and history lesson of the entire Russian court and all of the key players in history at that time rather than just following the path of Rasputi...more

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Aug 07, 2007 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

I got this book as a birthday present from Nick a bunch of years ago and I have finally just gotten around to reading it. Before I even begin, let me just say that I am big into Russian history. Prior to reading this book, I mostly was interested in the Lenin and Stalin periods of Russian history, but this book definately made me want to know more about the period right before it. This book is so great because it is written so much like a novel. It's really exciting and dramatic as the author us...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Sasha rated it 3 of 5 stars

My interest in anything Romanov occasionally borders with obsession so if there is a book about this subject,you can bet I will read it.
Found this one in local bookshop and of course had to buy it although at this point I am very familiar with the story,but here we have fresh files (unearthed from somewhere and sold on Sotheby's auction,presented as a gift to author),photos and less known characters.

It is a huge,occasionally very exhausting story that covers not only royal family and their inner...more My interest in anything Romanov occasionally borders with obsession so if there is a book about this subject,you can bet I will read it.
Found this one in local bookshop and of course had to buy it although at this point I am very familiar with the story,but here we have fresh files (unearthed from somewhere and sold on Sotheby's auction,presented as a gift to author),photos and less known characters.

It is a huge,occasionally very exhausting story that covers not only royal family and their inner circle but literally cast of thousands who one way or the other influenced the story,for example we have police file on everybody who has ever visited Rasputin's house,his visits to prostitutes,names of priests he clashed with,politicians who used him (and were used) and so on. Towards the end I must admit I started losing the count who is who and perhaps the book would have benefited from some serious editing but never mind,obviously the author was delighted with access to newly discovered files and I understand the pleasure of dealing with facts instead of second-guessing what actually happened. Hm,we are still talking about the "facts" but must admit these are documents that survived communism so who knows how distilled these "facts" actually are.

At the very first,I thought this might be (finally) a fresh look at character with incredibly bad reputation and something inside still tells me there is a possibility Rasputin's reputation was destroyed by his enemies. But soon it became clear this was not author's intention - Radzinsky is not interested in explanations of how and why,he is focused on messages,letters and interviews (in itself perhaps illusionary as we don't know for sure whom were they sent and what was the story behind it - letters signed with "Darling" could but don't have been sent by Empress,for example). Another thing is,Radzinsky is very one-sided: if he decides against certain character,he will write about him/her with disgust and clearly visible contempt (see Ana Vyrubova) no matter what documents say. Communists have released Vyrubova from prison because they simply couldn't find anything against her but Radzinsky still believes she was evil incarnated and never mind the documents. The fact that woman escaped certain death almost annoys him and reader can feel his irritation with the fact that she wasn't killed in some basement.

Lots of interesting pictures and research is well done,still the writing style could have been better (or should we say,more neutral) but apparently this is a subject where everybody gets one-sided and is difficult to stay calm. I am still waiting for realistic version of Rasputin and someone who will explain his behavior from different perspective,not only as a charlatan,mad monk and hypnotist. I refuse to believe he was evil and even the stories abut his drunken escapades and orgies don't make him less human (on contrary),in fact there was a certain childish innocence abut him specially when (for example) he would rush to visit friends who prepared beatings (or something similar nasty) for him,not even suspecting people hate him. I say,read between the lines. History is written by winners and you can bet media can turn any of us into mad monks,charlatans and whatnot if they lack understanding of what actually happened.(less)

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May 05, 2013 ☽ Moon ☯ 佛月球 Будда Луны rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Paganism has made an indelible mark in Christianity from the time of its birth, incorporating its antiquated mystic culture into the mainstream of its belief unbeknownst mostly to all, yet it is deeply ingrained in the tradition of the Christian thought. It has somehow created a convoluted world of endless discord in the pursuit of which is the truth, or which is the false.

The mysticism that envelops the figure of Rasputin during the last days of Tsarist Russia best illustrates this fusion of da...more Paganism has made an indelible mark in Christianity from the time of its birth, incorporating its antiquated mystic culture into the mainstream of its belief unbeknownst mostly to all, yet it is deeply ingrained in the tradition of the Christian thought. It has somehow created a convoluted world of endless discord in the pursuit of which is the truth, or which is the false.

The mysticism that envelops the figure of Rasputin during the last days of Tsarist Russia best illustrates this fusion of dark sorcery and holiness that literally brought down the entire empire to its knees as it perhaps epitomizes the oscillation of a common man between good and evil, capturing the conflict between the nature of God and the Devil in the battlefield known as the human consciousness.

Without sin there is no life, because there is no repentance, and if there is no repentance, there is no joy.

That sinfulness is next to godliness, was Rasputin′s famous epitaph, it was his legacy to the world from which salvation from earthly existence can be achieved even through debauchery. It was to willingly succumb into the desires of the flesh in order to exorcise the transient need from the body as a precursor step into holiness. Despite this vile and somewhat ignominious presence during his life at court, the most mysterious part was Empress Alexandra had remained his devout follower as multitudes of other women as well, following the Tsarina′s example. This blind devotion to Rasputin was in itself more inexplicable and more mysterious than the mysteries that appeared to surround his character, or was it? It may simply be just an overwhelming mother′s love to her sick child that made the empress bow down to him since it was only Rasputin who could cure his ailing son. Perhaps in the depths of her mind, she was ready to give up everything as she became consciously aware of their fall to destruction in exchange of the life of her one and only son, not fully comprehending that in saving his only son, she was preparing the foreground for their own deaths. ☾☯(less)

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Feb 21, 2011 Ally rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really wanted to like this book, but I found a some problems with it. Some of them are purely housekeeping problems. For instance, the English translation is good, but I think it sucks some of the punch out of the language. There are exclamation points where there shouldn't be, and assumptions of what the author is saying in parenthiesis where there needn't be. It comes off drier than I think the original author intended.

The bigger problem is that the author promises to offer an unbiased look...more I really wanted to like this book, but I found a some problems with it. Some of them are purely housekeeping problems. For instance, the English translation is good, but I think it sucks some of the punch out of the language. There are exclamation points where there shouldn't be, and assumptions of what the author is saying in parenthiesis where there needn't be. It comes off drier than I think the original author intended.

The bigger problem is that the author promises to offer an unbiased look at Rasputin, from the perspective of those who knew him best. He accomplishes this through blaming Tsarina Alexandra wherever and whenever possible, saying that most of what Rasputin did was through his gleaning insight, and that he instinctually knew what SHE wanted him to do. When it's NOT possible, he switches tactics, and discounts the things Rasputin's friends and admirers say about him. It seems virtually everyone in Russia who was connected to the man was fat, ugly, gay, or probably gay. Or possibly had a gay husband. Entertaining to note, sure, but certainly far from the unbiased look the author promises. Tsarina Alexandra is continually compared to Marie Antoinette, and Rasputin is compared to both Hitler and Stalin, but is most commonly called, "the semi-illiterate Russian peasant." When I say 'commonly reffered as' I mean Radzinsky seems determined to remind us of his status every three or four pages. (Again, that could be the translation.) There's a line in the first section of the book that talks about life before Rasputin's birth, how many miscarriages his mother had, where it says, "like Hitler and Stalin, Rasputin was an only child, as if God had warned against that family reproducing." Then casually goes on in later pages to talk about Rasputin's own five children!

I wasn't exactly expecting sympathy for the man who is blamed for the fall of Russian Imperialism. It's a good read in that it doesn't skimp on details, and though the endings and conclusions are nothing I haven't heard before, there were lots of other little details in it that the historian in me loved. But the author promises to look at the story and the man in an unbiased way, and you can clearly see the author's own bias all through it. As he is a noted historian, I have to admit, I expected to find something a little more interesting and provocative. I have a feeling that's what the author meant to do, but in the end, even HE couldn't make up his mind, or deny his own biases.(less)

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Dec 09, 2012 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, russia

When I was young I thought that Rasputin was fictional like Ebenezer Scrooge or Simon Legree--a exaggerated character representing a real truth. Rasputin was not a made up character. He was a real living person who figured heavily in the lives of the Romanov family and the lead up to the Russian Revolution, but the true history of his life is not easy to discover.

This book purports to use original letters, diaries and police reports to present an unbiased biography of Rasputin, but it doesn't qu...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Jos rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very interesting and good in depth look at the way in which Russian Orthodox Christianity functioned on a peasant level, as well as interacted with the thinking of the Tsars. Especially the reflection on the Khlysty sect was fascinating - the cycle of redemption, elation, full observation and participation in life including giving into the flesh/sinning, which leads again to repentance and redemption; a purification rite in which Rasputin was most likely a participant, if not a secret proponent....more

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Jan 18, 2013 Kati rated it 5 of 5 stars

Well all I can say is fas-cin-a-ting. This book is fascinating. The way the author came upon his source materials is the stuff of movies and he, a playwright, does an excellent job conveying the historical facts about Rasputin and the Ramonov's in an entertaining way. There was a lot of presumption in the book. In trying to fill in all the gaps, Radzinsky did make a lot of educated guesses that were guesses just the same.
Also, Radzinky makes some conjectures about Rasputin's motivations but avoi...more

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Dec 19, 2009 Nathan rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: franklin-library, history

Awful. Radzinsky's one strong point is his access to the titular file, which enables him to reveal information not found in other accounts of Rasputin and the Romanovs. But he is not a good enough writer to handle the information; this is a clunky, unbearably boring book, full of characters who don't do anything and events that don't portend anything and prose that barely means anything. I don't know if his choppy, fragmented style is the result of something lost in translation, but this was pai...more

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Jul 04, 2009 Ns rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great writer; great access to materials.

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Oct 19, 2012 Diane Supinski rated it 3 of 5 stars

The one thing I will say about this book is that it definitely had a lot of information as well as a large cast of characters. That is why I gave it a rating of 3 stars. I tried to keep track of everyone, and the reference guide at the beginning of the book helped, but it still was confusing. I also think the author put in too many excerpts from the "file" The "file" was the main source of reference for the book. Having said that, I still got the gist of it, which is, an uneducated peasant had a...more

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Aug 19, 2008 Heidi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Whew. Took me a long time to get through this one. I guess I liked it, but I can't give a rave review. Although I learned quite a few facts and factoids about Rasputin and this period of Russian history, I don't feel I gained any understanding of the man, his contemporaries or the times. However, that might have been the author's point: it was a crazy time, and Rasputin and his motivations may be impossible to understand. Given that, I don't think that the much-touted "Rasputin File" shed as muc...more

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May 23, 2012 Pj rated it 3 of 5 stars

The only reason for the fewer stars is the translation from Russian to english is stilted and often leaves the subject matter dry and impersonal. Reads like a text book too often. Otherwise, a great look intoa man accused of being a manipulator, but may in fact have been manipulated by yet another ambitious behind the throne female, taking a fall for things he never did. You decide.

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Nov 09, 2010 Audrey rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history-russian, nonfiction, biography, rossiya

I got this in the Dom Knigi bookstore in St Petersburg in the beautiful old Singer building. I don't know if it was a bad translation or what, but this book was almost unbearable to read, with very awkward, jolting language. Radzinsky is not really a serious historian, but more of a media personality and writer. He seems to follow Alexander Solzhenitsyn's sort of history writing, which is like, semi-fictionalized nonfiction. But the problem was that it felt so poorly written that any power that...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Trula Kellermann rated it 3 of 5 stars

I felt that I had enough background in Late-Tsarist Russia to get the maximum out of this book, but I probably needed to read a good biography of Nicholas & Alexandra before hand. That said, Radzinsky puts Rasputin into context in a way that I haven't seen before and the first two thirds of the book are really good. Whether you're impressed with the author's reconstruction of Rasputin's murder is another question.

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May 10, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arts-and-historical

From the bestselling author of Stalin and The Last Tsar comes The Rasputin File, a remarkable biography of the mystical monk and bizarre philanderer whose role in the demise of the Romanovs and the start of the revolution can only now be fully known.

For almost a century, historians could only speculate about the role Grigory Rasputin played in the downfall of tsarist Russia. But in 1995 a lost file from the State Archives turned up, a file that contained the complete interrogations of Rasputin’s...more

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Feb 18, 2011 Braxton rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the best book about Grigori Rasputin I have found. It is interesting, and not at all dry and boring like a lot of historical books. This book practically wrote an eight page research paper for me. Out of a whole stack of books about Rasputin, this was the one I kept coming back too for references.

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Dec 07, 2008 Natasha rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: history lovers, autobiography enthusiasts

Shelves: non-fiction, history

The Rasputin File is a meticulously researched and enlightening piece of work about one of history's most mysterious characters. You instantly become immersed in the author's narrative, compounded by a sense of impending doom in the years leading up to the Romanov family's demise. I have rarely read a piece of non-fiction this gripping or provocative (the complex and intertwining stories of all the Romanovs occasionally reads like a soap opera, although recollections of things like perishing in...more

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Aug 03, 2010 Cinderella3653 rated it 4 of 5 stars

This man was very strange indeed. A man of God? A man of Satan? What did this man have that kept an impresses loyality? And in the end did it save him from his own fate? and what of that curse he put on the royal family. Well, this book goes through all that and then some. You will learn more than you ever cared to know about this man. But... it is a good read, and worth the effort.

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Feb 02, 2009 Jodi rated it 3 of 5 stars

I just started this. It was withdrawn from our library and I thought I should give it a shot. I'm kind of fascinated with the Russian revolution, it seems like something that happened a long long time ago but it really wasn't that long ago at all.

The book was fine. It was pretty dense and had a ton of very similar sounding names to keep track of. I don't think I can highly recommend it unless you happen to be really, really into Rasputin.

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Mar 02, 2013 Athena rated it 4 of 5 stars

A must-read for anyone interested in the last years of the Tsar's era. The writer's ideological preferences are visible - i.e. he treats the Romanov family with certain affection -, however this does not affect the fascinating pace of the narration.

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Jul 30, 2011 Peachesxyz rated it 5 of 5 stars

the book presents its characters in a magentic spider-web of history, human relationships and intrigues. truly a worthy read, it is densed with facts, names, dates, reasons etc. enjoy it but do not expect to get through it in one go :-)

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Jan 31, 2013 Lynda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Finally, we have all 52 cards so to speak in regards to what happened to
Gregory Rasputin and the part he played in the end of the Russian Imperial era.

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May 06, 2010 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Hard to read - but so worth it for me! I am unnaturally fascinated about Rasputin, and this had so much more background than anything else I have ever read.

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May 31, 2009 Sarah Kissel marked it as to-read

I am very interested by this whole story. I know how the Disney movie portrays Rasputin :) but I want to know the real story. Looks good!

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May 10, 2010 Kimberly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Extremely interesting. Sheds a lot of light on one of history's most myterious figures.

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Mar 24, 2012 Sera rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, own

For a man who is incredibly fascinating, this book was a real snoozefest.

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Jul 04, 2009 Ns rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great writer; great access to materials.

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Sep 18, 2012 Selen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

Best book written about Rasputin.

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