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Issues of 2008

Rasputin▓s Gift

A meaning and a message of an artwork is by no means always determined by a set of such objective parameters as author▓s name, antiquity, virtuosity of techniques and quality of materials. Sometimes, a presentation inscription in an artwork is of much more importance than the art piece where it could be seen.

Sometimes even articles of little art value that are examples of mass production are of some interest for collectors and connoisseurs and let them forget about their standard of work. Being connected with important historic realities an item becomes a piece of special antique significancy.

Icon ╚St. George Slaying the Dragon╩ signed by Grigoriy Rasputin. Back side Russia, XIXth century. The State Museum of History of Religion. St. Petersburg [zoom (70k)]

Such a connection could be reflected in an inscription. As far as an icon is concerned, memorable and presentation inscriptions help see the monument anew and appreciate its historical meaning. At that an image of the icon could remain quite traditional ≈ these are cultural and historical events represented in inscriptions that make an icon have documental value.

It is strongly exemplified in an icon depicting St. George and a dragon kept in the State Museum of the History of Religion of St. Petersburg. It represents a category of so called common icons destined for street sale that started being produced in the XIX century and coexisted together with an official professional icon-painting. An unknown icon painter created a simple design. The scene is drawn with naпve simplicity. Static conventional architecture and George▓s figure match against dynamics of the flaring horseman▓s coat. Horse▓s movement portrayed professionally enough and prostrated dragon complement the dynamics of the coat.

Art manner of the period of the XIX ≈ the beginning of XX centuries shows complete breakaway from the Russian icon-painting tradition of the Middle Ages characteristic for icons with similar social addressness. It is reflected in graphic decision, painting techniques, use of narrative details and keeping to peoples understanding of characters.

But the present icon is of interest not because of its art features but the contents of its back side that refer to the history of relationship of two most important persons of the native history of the beginning of the XX century. We could see hardly readable ink scrawls on the backside of the icon ≈ letters are of different size and handwriting is shaky. The inscription tells, ╚this is your brother and a friend. He saved the tsar▓s daughter, and you dear keep the troops and handle them. a gift from gr.╩ (Punctuation of the original script was kept ≈ D. D.)

This is an autograph of Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin. It is addressed to the uncle of the Emperor Nicolas II ≈ the Great Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich-junior (1856√1929), one of the key figures of the Romanov in the times of the rule of the last Russian tsar. In the beginning of the First World War he was a Supreme Commander for a year (August 1914 ≈ September 1915).

The appointment was the cause to hand an icon over. The inscription needs comments. This is St. George depicted in the icon who is expected to be ╚brother╩ and ╚friend╩ of the addresser. ╚Tsar▓s daughter╩ refers to tsarevna Elisava that was saved by St. George from the dragon. Elisava embodies Russia that is overcome with enemies and cries for help. The motivation of the gift is not as clear as it may seem at once. To fully understand relationship between Rasputin and the Great Duke one should address their history.

A Siberian peasant Grigori Rasputin (1869√1916) appeared in Saint Petersburg for the first time in 1904. Rasputin▓s appearance was unpleasant as he was dirty, rude and forward. At that the starets or ╚holy devil╩ (as his friend, supporter and later opponent the monk Iliodor called him) possessed a phenomenal gift of suggestion. They said that his eyes looked right into one▓s soul. Grigori Rasputin soothsaid ≈ and a lot of his predictions came true, he healed ≈ and helped many people among those who addressed him.

Under the auspices of clergymen who sympathized him begin with ≈ inspector of St. Petersburg Ecclesiastical Academy Feofan (Bistrov), Saratov bishop Germogen (Dolganev), archbishop of Finland Sergii (the future Patriarch) ≈ Rasputin managed to find way into Saint Petersburg higher society. The Great Duchess Militsa Chernogorskaya, a wife of the Great Prince Piotr Nikolaevich, brought Rasputin to Tsarskoye Selo on November 1, 1905. Since then Rasputin contacted the tsar▓s family through the intermediary of Militsa and her sister Anastasia, a wife of Nikolai Nikolaevich.

Grigoriy Rasputin. Photo. Early XXth century [zoom (36k)]

Rasputin entered the tsar▓s inner circle thanks to Nikolai Nikolaevich who planned to use him as an instrument to influence his regal nephew. The reckoning seemed to be right. The Empress was pious, and her mystical piety increased many times after the birth of her hemophilic son. There were always some faith healers at court. Rasputin▓s predecessors were Mitya Kozelskii, Matrena-Bosonozhka and the French occultist monsieur Philip.

Grigori Rasputin left his opponents behind wearing a mask of a strict ╚starets╩ that did not drink wine, did not ask for money and pronouncing prophesies that the imperial couple expected to hear. At first, before 1910 Rasputin behaved quietly ≈ he avoided taking money for his prophesies but later began doing it little by little. The beginning of the First World War catalyzed it greatly.

Rasputin never more needed the patronage of the Great Duke and denied his intermediary. But Nikolai Nikolaevich was the leader of a group of tsar relatives, hundreds of noblemen, civil servants and merchants whose interests were defended by the Great Duke▓s party that had big influence at court before Rasputin. Nikolai Nikolaevich▓s appointment as Supreme Commander served the group▓s turn. The Great Duke did not have the talent of a commander but he was an energetic man and a good organizer and was respected by active officers.

This appointment could result in disgrace for Rasputin as while fascinated by him, the St. Petersburg elite did not widely accept him. So Rasputin decided to make the Emperor displace the Great Duke. Speculating on Nicolas▓ mistrust to people, Rasputin reminds the tsar of the increasing role of the Supreme Commander and points out that the latter invites ministers to his headquarters to listen to their reports passing the tsar and put his candidates (spite Grigori ≈ D. D.) forward to ministerial posts.

The Empress echoed Rasputin. ╚Grigori is jealous of your love and he can not bear Nikolai (Nikolaevich ≈ D. D.) to play any role╩ Alexandra Fyodorovna wrote to the tsar two months after the beginning of the war, on September 20, 1914. Only the overwhelming defeats of the Russian army in the spring and summer of 1915 made the Emperor displace Nikolai Nikolaevich and take up a post of the Supreme Commander himself.

The ╚seriousness╩ of the charges in betrayal that Rasputin brought against the Great Duke can be demonstrated by a letter of the Empress to her husband written shortly before the ╚starets╩▓ death, on December 8, 1916. She wrote, ╚Our friend says that disturbances came that should have been in Russia during the war or after it, and if our very own (Nicolas II ≈ D. D.) had not occupied the post of Nikolai Nikolaevich, he would now fall from the throne╩. The self-seeking short views of the ╚prophet╩ touches: he ascribes himself the prediction of the revolution together with its prevention. Reality turned more severe: neither Rasputin▓s death at the hands of conspirators nor the following second appointment of the Great Duke as Supreme Commander were able to prevent the revolution.

In addition we would like to mention that the practice of gifts was not something exceptional in Rasputin▓s court and social activity. Wearing a mask of a ╚starets╩ and peoples healer demanded not only certain ritual practices but a set of amulets. The imperial couple needed objects that had magic power and maintained continuous connection ╚with our Friend╩ (the Empress referred to Rasputin as ╚our Friend╩). The sharp Rasputin was generous on giving things that led to psychological enslavement of a person: icons and vessels with ╚curative╩ tinctures, flowers, fruits and welfare items.

The letters of the Empress prove Rasputin▓s tactics to be right. For example, on September 15, 1915 she wrote to her husband, ╚Do not forget to take a little icon given by our Friend in your arms and to brush with his comb before the session of the Council of Ministers.╩. On January 11, 1916 she wrote, ╚Do not think that I went mad as I am sending you the bottle handed by our Friend. We all have tasted it. Fill your liqueur-glass and drink to his health.╩. The tsar▓s answer is not less important, ╚I▓ve drunk the entire bottle╩. On March 14, 1916 Alexandra Fyodorovna wrote, ╚I am sending you a flower and an apple from our Friend. He thinks that the general Ivanov suits perfectly the post of the War Minister.╩.

Nowadays we, the Russians, try to revise our views on many personalities and events of the past among them Grigori Rasputin. In 2000 the Bishops▓ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church came to a decision on mass canonization of new martyrs. That induced tendency to revise history with the purpose of future canonization even of such odious personalities as Ivan the Terrible or Rasputin. Representatives of neo-orthodoxy organizations, for example the Union ╚Christian Renaissance╩ and the Union of Orthodox Gonfalon-bearers stand for it.

Grigoriy Rasputin. Photo. Early XXth century [zoom (42k)]

Rasputin is also justified by the publicist Oleg Platonov famous for his anti-masonic investigations. In 2005 Oleg Platonov wrote the book with the pathetic title ╚Life for the Tsar (Truth about Grigori Rasputin)╩ that appeals to rehabilitate the starets. Besides apologetic books and articles, three ╚icons╩ with the image of ╚the holy starets╩ were drawn; an acathistos addressed to ╚tsarets╩ where he is called ╚a new prophet and wonder-worker╩ was composed by his devotees. Among clergy the most famous supporters of the rehabilitation are the priests Dmitrii Dudko and Kirill Sakharov.

Stir among the public concerning the initiative on the canonization was so significant that in the autumn of 2004 metropolitan Krutitskii and Kolomenskii Yuvenalii (Poyarkov), head of Synodic Committee of Moscow Patriarchate on canonization, exactly denoted the official position of the church, ╚Images of Ivan the Terrible and Grigori Rasputin are presented as symbols of ╚peoples╩ piety that is set against ╚official religion╩┘ The Committee studied the subject and came to the decision that there are no reasons to glorify these persons.╩.

Despite uniqueness of the church determination Rasputin▓s personality continues arousing interest. There is a museum in the Siberian village of Pokrovskoye where Rasputin was born. Excursions held there are distinguished by complementary character that runs into sacralization in relation to Rasputin.

The exhibition titled ╚Devil or Prophet? Grigori Rasputin in the Fate of Russia╩ has been working in Tver since the spring of 2006. Durability of the project is an oblique evidence of persistent attention to the ╚starets╩ himself and his deeds.

╚Timeo danaos et dona ferentes ≈ Beware of Danaians, [even] when they are bringing you gifts╩, the Trojan priest Laokoon says in Vergil▓s poem ╚Aeneid╩ suspecting Greeks who left a huge wooden horse at the walls of the besieged Troy of cunning. Not every present has sincere love and warm of a grantor behind it ≈ Rasputin▓s compliment icon reminds us of it.