Rasputin

Grigory Rasputin, the Siberian peasant-turned-mystic, was as fascinating as he was unfathomable. He played the role of the simple man, eating with his fingers and boasting, ''I don''t even know my ABC...'' But, as the only person able to relieve the symptoms of haemophilia in the Tsar''s heir Alexis, he gained almost hallowed status within the Imperial court. During the last decade of his life, he...