The Rasputin File (69 page)

The Colonel’s Departure

Stürmer’s commission had already begun its investigation of the whole story of the assassination cabal and Khvostov’s part in it, when Komissarov decided he would opt out of the game. The colonel withdrew in the most spectacular way.

From Komissarov’s testimony: ‘I went to his [Rasputin s] apartment and in front of Vyrubova and a large number of his devotees told Rasputin off, even using language of the street. The colonel stood and swore at Rasputin for all his humiliations and mockery and errands, and couldn’t stop himself. And thus unburdened his heart. After that he naturally ‘didn’t see Rasputin any more, and at the end of February 1916’ he left Petrograd by his ‘own choice and at the insistence of Tsarskoe Selo. When Beletsky arrived to apologize for Komissarov, Rasputin, according to him, ‘sighed and not without chagrin said, “He gave me a painfully hard cussing out, an awfully hard one.”’ The peasant respected the swearing ability of the true Russian gentleman.

An Anti-Rasputin Pogrom

The work of Stürmer’s commission provoked yet another quite unexpected reaction. Realizing that he had been ‘put at Stürmer’s mercy’, Khvostov made a desperate move. He had Simanovich arrested in the middle of the night.

He was taken right from his bed. After which Khvostov announced that he had reason to suspect Rasputin’s secretaries of involvement in proGerman espionage! And shortly thereafter more arrests were made among the secretaries. And then Dobrovolsky’s and Volynsky’s apartments were searched. ‘I managed to search them all,’ Khvostov proudly testified later. And all were found to possess numerous memoranda attesting to ‘Rasputin’s patronage’. ‘They were all the same, with a cross at the top and the following text: “My dear, sweet fellow, listen and help, Grigory.” The subject and addressee weren’t mentioned. The addressee could have been anyone you like on any question. Khvostov threatened to broadcast all over Russia the
trade in those memoranda, those peculiar indulgences. Steps were taken to banish Simanovich from Petrograd. Khvostov let loose the rumour that Rasputin’s apartment was in line to be searched, as well.

Rasputin was rattled. The eternal fear of the defenceless Russian peasant instantly returned. Alexandra Belling saw Rasputin at the time. ‘During tea at his home on Gorokhovaya, after grabbing his head, he shouted, “Villains! Why are you tormenting me? Stop it! Do you not know sorrow? Have you not experienced the wrath of God?” and quickly went off to his room,’ she recalled.

Khvostov, in the meantime, circulated another rumour: Rasputin’s apartment would be searched in the next few days. There was genuine alarm in Tsarskoe Selo.

From Vyrubova’s testimony: ‘I then immediately wrote Khvostov a letter … not to search Rasputin’s apartment, adding, “Supposing it isn’t just blackmail.” I … wrote to Khvostov from the palace, in accordance with what I had been told.’ Told, that is, by Alix.

This was more than enough! And at that time, in March 1916, Khvostov was sent into retirement. The infuriated tsar did not even summon him to inform him that he was being retired. The post of minister of internal affairs was free. But Beletsky was unable to take advantage of Khvostov’s fall.

From Manasevich’s testimony: ‘Rasputin said, “Anushka asked me who to appoint minister. I myself do not know who. Beletsky wants it. But if he has not murdered me yet, he certainly will! And the Old Chap is in the chair. Let him sit and rule.”’

And Stürmer received the long-awaited portfolio of the minister of internal affairs.

Compromising Material From Bygone Days

And so, the first ministerial appointment made on Andronikov’s recommendation clearly had not worked out. With Khvostov’s fall, they hurried to get rid of the suspicious ‘deputy minister’ as well. Beletsky would be sent away to the provinces as a governor-general. But here Beletsky made a blunder. He decided to explain the Rzhevsky matter in the pages of a newspaper — portraying his own innocence and Khvostov’s guilt. Khvostov replied at once in the pages of another newspaper. And the details of the activities of the mighty minister who had secretly and ineptly arranged for the peasant’s death, the squabbling and the intrigues of the secret police, the peasant’s power and invincibility — all that compromising material
poured out in waves of newsprint. As Milyukov summarized it in the Duma, after those mutual denunciations, ‘the ministry’s activities have all appeared before the country like a trashy novel … After this, we now understand that the government we have is not merely a bad one; it quite simply does not exist! To which statement the hall replied with loud calls, ‘What about Rasputin?

That public washing of dirty laundry filled Stürmer, the tsar and the right with indignation. Beletsky was obliged to resign the post of governor-general as well. The tsar recommended that he ‘leave Petrograd for a while.

13

FAREWELL TO THE TSARS

The Last Spring

Thus began Rasputin’s last spring. After all the agitation connected with the searches, he wanted liberty. Work in the fields was starting, and he knew that the land needed the peasant. His son was now working as a medical orderly in the tsarina’s infirmary far from their own land.

As always, he decided to stop at Verkhoturye on the way to pay his respects to his favourite saint, to atone by prayer for his carnal sins and to sweetly repent. And in repentance to acquire strength.

And at the beginning of March 1916 Rasputin left Petrograd, seen off as usual by Vyrubova, Munya Golovina, various other devotees and, of course, by Manasevich.

As they were saying their farewells on the platform, those around were horrified to see the mad general’s wife, dressed in a shapeless white garment and carrying a basketful of squawking chickens. The File, from the testimony of Lokhtina:

Father Grigory…did not want me to go with him [to Verkhoturye]. Without telling him or the others that I meant to go to Verkhoturye on the same train he was taking, I went to the station and had my things carried into the compartment. Including a basketful of chickens which I was taking to Father Makary… Father Grigory angrily ordered me to go several days later … Since the second bell had already rung, I quickly had to remove my things by myself. Manasevich, who was standing in the corridor and haughtily gazing at me, said in French, ‘She’s leaving, too!’ I then ordered him in an imperious tone to take out the remaining basket with the chickens, which Manasevich did with a nervous glance around.

The Conspiracy Continues

But Our Friend soon afterwards returned to Petrograd. Alix had called him back, afraid again to let him go for too long, sensing that something was approaching. Many felt that way then.

The young poet Mayakovsky prophesied, 1916 is coming in a revolutionary crown of thorns.’ Khvostov was gone, but those powerful people remained who had given Khvostov the large sum for the peasant’s murder. And in 1917 Khvostov very carefully named them for the File. ‘Dedicated to my intention of eliminating Rasputin were people of the highest society. For example, I talked about it with Princess Zinaida Yusupova, who gave me to understand that for that purpose I could count on unlimited funds. Princess Yusupova … as a spokeswoman for the views of the whole grand-ducal milieu, saw clearly that Rasputin was leading the dynasty to destruction.’

Yes, Zinaida Yusupova was a ‘spokeswoman for the views of the
entire
grand-ducal milieu’. And the money that Khvostov had received for Rasputin’s murder was a mere surface manifestation of the secret activity that by then was proceeding apace.

The Man In The Mask

Glimpsed from time to time in the countless agents’ reports on those who visited Rasputin’s apartment in 1915–16 is the name of Alexandra Belling.

‘Alexandra Alexandrovna Belling, an ensign’s wife’, was seen by the agents at Rasputin’s apartment on 13 February 1916, on 26 October and so on. The thirty-year-old singer, whom it was modish to invite to sing at the most fashionable musical evenings, had sung in Tsarskoe Selo at the tsarina’s and in general, as she wrote of herself, ‘enjoying favour “at the top” as an artist, I sang whenever and wherever I liked.’ She was pretty, and since Rasputin was naturally by no means indifferent to her, she had to fend off his persistent courting. Then one day Alexandra Belling received a remarkable letter in the mail.

I found a manuscript excerpt of her recollections about that mysterious letter in the archive of Rasputin’s murderer Felix Yusupov.

Belling recalled:

One morning, while I was going through my mail, I found an envelope in an unfamiliar hand. Opening it, I read the following: ‘Believe that what I am about to say has been carefully thought over and places a great and
serious responsibility on you. Tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. I shall call to find out where and when I may hope to meet with you. I suggest that you not come alone. The one with you may wear a mask, as I myself shall do.’ What a joke, I thought.

But at 6: 00 p.m. her telephone rang. ‘I heard a low, beautiful, rather dry voice.’ The voice suggested they meet. The singer decided to go along and told the stranger:

‘Tomorrow I shall dine at the Donon. Since the only way you will show yourself is in a mask, which I find amusing, I shall have to dine in a private room. I’ve reserved No. 6. Make no mistake — I shall be waiting for you there at 7:00 p.m. sharp.’ I then sent a wire to my friend K., asking him to be my escort. He was notable for his direct nature and clear mind. By 7:00 K. and I had already finished eating and were having coffee. Not five minutes had passed when a tall, dignified figure came in. And even though he did not take off his coat and his face was covered by a mask, it seemed to me that I had seen him before.

And the stranger began to speak.

‘I ask that you hear me out in silence, without interrupting. We are aware of your views on everything that is taking place around us now, and we propose in all deliberation that you choose a way of eliminating Rasputin. We shall not tell you that we can shield you from revenge from “above”. It’s even likely that they will destroy you. But knowing that the purpose of your life is your daughter, we guarantee that she will be royally provided for the rest of her life.’ He asked me to take my time before answering and to think about it, and then with a bow he left.

‘For God’s sake don’t get mixed up in that business!’ K. exclaimed. ‘To hell with all their proposals! To hell with them! My poor friend, do you know what a type like that wants? He wants to prevent a revolution and save the dynasty. Who among them has the resolve to kill that vermin? They’re worried about their own skins. Beware of them and don’t touch him. Wait a bit, the time hasn’t come yet. But it’s getting closer. Another two or three strokes of the brush and Russia will be saved.’

Why did Rasputin’s murderer preserve this document in his archive?

And why did Belling send the fragment to Felix in the first place?

I think because Felix was well acquainted with the man in the mask. A tall figure — but for the last tsar, all the Romanovs were very tall. And the hint that ‘I had seen him before’. She, who had visited court gatherings,
had recognized that man, despite his mask. And, of course, Yusupov had recognized the man in the mask and for that reason had held onto the manuscript. Most likely, the man was Felix’s father-in-law, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich (Sandro), who would soon plead with the tsar to get rid of Rasputin. So together with Felix’s mother, who had contributed money for Rasputin’s murder, men from the grand-ducal family were also active with their money. But their actions were unsuccessful. For the time being.

A Prophecy

But the noose round the peasant’s neck was getting tighter and he felt it. And now he repeated ever more frequently a frightening prophecy: as long as I am alive, the dynasty shall live.

From Badmaev’s testimony in the File: ‘Visiting Rasputin and observing his security guard, I asked him, “Aren’t you afraid?”

“No,” he answered, “I am not afraid for myself, but I am afraid for the people and the royal family. Because when they kill me, things will go badly for the people. And there won’t be any tsar.”’

One can imagine what Alix felt when she heard that. And how worried she must have been about his life. What was it? The cunning of an intelligent peasant who had decided that that was a way to defend himself? Or was it in fact one of the visions that haunted that mysterious person?

And all that time Alix, who was helpless in such matters, had been trying to arrange for his security. The tsarina had naturally entrusted the organization of Rasputin’s safety to Stürmer who, she knew, had worked for a long time in the ministry of internal affairs. As Stürmer testified, ‘After Komissarov left, Rasputin was only guarded by the security department. Towards the end Rasputin started drinking a great deal, and the security people complained that it was impossible to keep an eye on him, since various motors would keep coming for him and taking him away who knows where.’ Realizing that murder could not be avoided, the security department thus washed its hands of it ahead of time. And Stürmer washed his hands, too. The obligation of guarding Rasputin was dangerous and unpleasant to him. And so he found him a bodyguard. ‘We needed someone who could more or less judge who might be dangerous and undesirable, which is something the lower-ranking agents could not do. That is where Manasevich-Manuilov proved useful. He was well received in the family.’ Now the peasant’s security, and with it all future responsibility, were lodged with Manasevich. With Alix’s consent, although she had a poor grasp of such matters.

Rasputin was doomed. The agents followed him as before but security was lax. The peasant could tell by the scent that the wolf was circling. And drawing closer. And for that reason he decided to leave the capital for the summer — to abandon the ‘tsars’.