Murdered by Russian nobles eager to eliminate his influence over the royal family, Grigory Rasputin was a self-proclaimed holy man of Russia.
Through his remarkable ability to halt the bleeding of their hemophiliac son, Alexei, Rasputin earned the favor of Czar Nicholas II and Czarina Alexandra.
Despite being widely criticized for his drunkenness and lechery, the peasant born in Siberia held considerable sway over Russia’s ruling family. His influence was particularly strong over the czarina, and when Nicholas left to command Russian forces during World War I, Rasputin ruled Russia through her effectively.
In the early hours of December 30, 1916, a group of nobles invited Rasputin to Yusupovsky Palace, where they tried to poison him. After seemingly being unaffected by the large amounts of poison in his wine and food, he was ultimately shot at point-blank range and fell.
A minute later, he revived, attacked one of his attackers, and attempted to flee the palace grounds, only to be shot again. Rasputin, still breathing, was then tied up and thrown into a frigid river.
Just a few months later, the Russian Revolution led to the overthrow of the imperial regime.