For Filippov, the soirée planned by Manasevich appeared to be a no-lose situation. He had many times observed how privately acquainting Rasputin with ill-wishers invariably ended in victory for the peasant. And so it happened this time! ‘Rasputin charmed everyone present, even those who had been predisposed against him,’ Filippov testified. And he who had witnessed those seductive sessions many times described Rasputin’s usual strategy.
Rasputin did not join in the conversation immediately but as was his custom carefully studied those present, and only then began with well-aimed retorts, for the most part in the form of aphorisms. Particularly effective were his replies to the well-known religious mysticism of Rozanov and Teffi …In the middle of dinner, finally dissolving under the influence of the wine, Rasputin offered to give an impromptu talk on what love is … Rasputin was dressed in a white silk shirt girded at the waist … with a small cord, and he improvised standing up in a slight sing-song with his eyes gazing upwards. At the same time, the picturesqueness of his expressions… close to the style of the ‘Song of Songs’ was such that Teffi started to write them down, and she kept that fragment with Rasputin’s autograph as a memento. Rasputin was informal with Teffi, as if divining her ageing but still passionate nature.
And Teffi described that evening, too. ‘There were about six people in the smoke-filled room … Manasevich stood by the doorway…as did a couple of others … Rasputin was … quite tall, dry, sinewy, with a face as if extruded into his long fleshy nose, and… sharp, close-set eyes … His eyes gleamed so brightly it was impossible to make out their colour.’
‘The host and I have arranged it,’ Rozanov informed Teffi,’ you are to sit next to him … he’s fond of ladies. Don’t fail to touch on erotic topics, draw him out, he’ll be interesting there.’
Teffi sat in the corner to Rasputin’s right, with Rozanov and Izmailov to his left.
Teffi has described ‘Rasputin’s informality’, or more accurately, his customary advances.
Rasputin drank a lot. ‘Why aren’t you drinking anything? Drink something, God will forgive you,’ and urging me, he rapidly touched my shoulder like a hypnotist. ‘You have sad eyes, he torments you a lot … Oh, but we are all fond of women’s tears. I know all about it. What’s that ring on your finger? Stick it quietly under the table, I’ll blow on it and warm it up. Why did you take it off yourself? I would have done it for you.’ But I knew perfectly well [what was going on] and took it off myself. ‘When you come to see me, I’ll tell you a great deal you didn’t know.’ And again he rapidly and furtively touched my shoulder.
Next was a recitation of Rasputin’s poetry. ‘That turned out to be a poem in prose in the style of the “Song of Songs” …I remember the phrase, “Beautiful are her lofty peaks. But my love is higher and more beautiful than they, for love is God.”’
After which the peasant gave the famous writer his autograph. ‘He licked the pencil for a long time. He wrote in an uncouth scrawl, “God is love, you love, God forgives, Grigory.” And then the host anxiously came over to Rasputin. “A phone call from Tsarskoe!”‘ And Teffi was astonished to realize that those in Tsarskoe Selo had known where he was! While Rasputin was gone, Rozanov started giving Teffi instructions. ‘The main thing is to get him to talk about his Khlyst “rejoicings”.’
That is what they had all come for. Rozanov, like all those present and like Rasputin’s friend Filippov, knew that the peasant belonged to the secret sect. And they were looking forward to that story, but…’But Rasputin did not return to the table. The host said he had been urgently called to Tsarskoe Selo.’
The Solution Of The Intrigue
The scandal burst the very next day. It turned out that the alarm had been sounded in Tsarskoe Selo regarding the soirée. And the next day Filippov was stunned to find his apartment searched. The File, from Filippov’s testimony:
Colonel Ivanov, who was carrying out the duties of the head of the security branch, told me in confidence in response to my indignation that the person at fault in it was Rasputin, who had alleged that during his presence the literary people had been copying down what he was saying…Intelligence had also reached their agents that I had at my disposal documents compromising to the empress, and that Rasputin was going to be murdered at my apartment.
At the same time a scared Izmailov ran to Teffi and told her that “F[ilippov] came by today and said that he … had been interrogated as to just which literary people had dined at his place, and what Rasputin had said there. They threatened to banish him from Petrograd. But the most offensive and amazing thing was that Filippov saw on the interrogator’s desk the same sheet in Manasevich’s handwriting. We need to be very careful. Even if they don’t interrogate us, they will certainly follow us.’
Yes, it was Manasevich! Having decided to take his place by Rasputin, he had carried out a purge of the team surrounding Father Grigory. Simanovich, who took care of finances, knew his place. But Filippov, who played the role of counsellor and who really did have immense influence on Rasputin, apparently worried him. And ‘Bond’, in the finest traditions of the Department of Police, had engaged in his customary duplicitous game. He himself had suggested that Filippov organize a literary soirée, and he himself had told Tsarskoe Selo about the soirée, attributing the initiative to Filippov. And he had passed on to the security branch ‘the same sheet’ — the list of literary invitees. The list had frightened Alix. All the people on it were well-known ‘leftist writers’. Which is why there had been a call from Tsarskoe Selo interrupting the meeting. And Manasevich had, of course, provided the information about the ‘documents compromising to the empress’ that were supposedly in Filippov’s apartment. And at the same time, he had told Rasputin about the malign intentions of the literary people, who had been recording the conversation in order to ridicule him. Even though they had agreed not to ‘write anything down’. Manasevich could be pretty confident here. He had no doubt that they would break their promise and write.
And one of the soirée’s participants, the well-known writer Anatoly Kamensky, did in fact finish a play about Rasputin.
‘An echo of that evening … was Anatoly Kamensky’s play… which encountered extraordinary difficulties with the censorship in Yavorskaya’s staging…The literary people present at the soirée had given me their word not to publish comments about the meeting, which is why… Rasputin attacked the production of Kamensky’s play so fiercely … The latter had, in Rasputin’s words, “violated his oath”,’ Filippov testified in the File.
In a yellowed 1915 issue of the newspaper Footlights and Life I found a report about the play and an event that had caused an uproar in Petrograd. ‘A production of A. Kamensky’s Maybe Tomorrow was set for 8 December 1915, in Petrograd at the Yarovskaya Theatre. At 8:00 p.m., when the theatre was already crowded with people, the management announced that the performance could not take place: it had been officially forbidden.’ The play was, of course, allowed once Kamensky had revised it and turned its hero, the Russian peasant Rasputin, into a Swede!
After that episode, the frightened Filippov began to distance himself from Rasputin. And Rasputin himself began to mistrust Filippov. Now Manasevich-Manuilov became his adviser and the chief member of his team. And Manasevich-Manuilov was already anticipating the governmental changes that promised so much.
But everything in fact turned out quite differently.
11
A PYRRHIC VICTORY
‘He Curiously Enough Said The Same As Me’
The war continued. And at the same time another war was going on — the one between Alix and the commander-in-chief (Nikolasha or N., as she variously called Nikolai Nikolaevich in her letters).
‘4 April 1915 … Though Nikolasha is so highly placed, yet you are above him. The same thing shocked our Friend, as me too, that Nikolasha words his telegrams, answers to governors, etc. in your style — his ought to be more simple and humble.’
In April the tsar and the commander-in-chie
f were supposed to inspect the troops stationed in conquered Galicia and Poland. At court a rumour persisted that the Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich had decided to become king of Galicia and Poland. Alix was scared that during their trip the ‘dread uncle’ would incline Nicky to agree to it. And Our Friend at once expressed the view that the tsar should not make the journey. Or if he did, that he should go by himself.
6 April 1915 …But the idea of L[vov] and P[eremyshl] already now, makes me anxious, is it not too soon, as all the spirits are not much for Russia — in the country, yes, but not at L[ithuania] I fear. — Well, I shall ask our Friend to quite particularly pray for you there — but, forgive my saying so — it’s not for N. to accompany you — you must be the chief one, the first time you go … really don’t take him, as the hate against him must be great there — & to see you alone will rejoice those hearts that go out to you in love … Au fond, our Friend wld. have found it better you had gone after the war to the conquered country, I only just mention this like that.
7 April 1915 … How interesting all you are going to do. When A[nya] told Him in secret, because I want His special prayers for you, he curiously enough said the same as me; that on the whole it [the trip] does not please Him ‘God will help … but better after the war.’ — Does not like N. going with you, finds everywhere better alone — & to this end I fully agree. Well now all is settled, I hope it will be a success … God bless & guard this voyage of yours.
But the tsar did make the trip with the commander-in-chief. Nicholas did not know then that the Germans were preparing a decisive counterattack, and that he would never see those cities again.
But Our Friend was now not only performing the duties of the tsarina’s wise parrot. A metamorphosis had gradually taken place. From a diviner of her desires, from a conventional character in her letters by whom she entreated her husband, he had imperceptibly begun to turn into a true adviser. The seer produced in her imagination had gradually acquired reality. The peasant was becoming autonomous. He had begun to dictate his own thoughts to her. His peasant mind prompted decisions that derived from his favourite populist idea of ‘living by one’s conscience’, an idea whose simplicity of realization was for her a source of delighted wonder.
‘10 April 1915 … Gr[igory] is rather disturbed about the “meat” stories, the merchants won’t lessen the price tho’ the government wished it, & there has been a sort of meatstrike one says. One of the ministers he thought, ought to send for a few of the chief merchants & explain it to them, that it is wrong at such a grave moment, during war to heighten the pri[c]es, & make them feel ashamed of themselves.’
And the merchants were summoned and suitably shamed. But for some reason they failed to heed those calls to their consciences, and the prices continued to rise.
The First Wizard In The Court
It was at this time that Rasputin also started to make droll recommendations to the tsars. ‘Finds, you ought to order fabricks [factories] to make Ammunition, simply you to give the order even choose wh. fabrick, if they show you the list of them … Be more autocratic my very own Sweetheart, show your mind’ (14 June 1915).
It’s funny, but Rasputin suggested measures that are quite reminiscent of the Bolshevik empire of Stalin’s times. Who during the Second World War had with an iron hand converted all the factories to meet the needs of the front. Rasputin would propose the same thing: ‘29 August 1915 …But Friend finds more fabrics ought to make ammunitions, where goodies are made too.’
And the tsar would try to implement it all! Compulsory alienation of foodstuffs from the peasants and landowners would be introduced, along with nationalization and militarization of the factories — all that Rasputin called for would be done. Or, more precisely, would be started, since it would be completed by the Bolsheviks. For some of the measures instituted during the period of War Communism after the revolution, had in fact been proposed in advance of Lenin by the Russian peasant Grigory Rasputin. And had been implemented by the last tsar.
Not long before his death, the peasant started to talk to the tsarina about raising ‘the wages to all poor officials all over the country’ in order to strengthen the machinery of the state in a time of troubles. And his idea of how to obtain the money for this sounds funny on the lips of the Russian tsarina: there is always money had fr. some capitals,’ Alix would write to her husband on 25 September 1916. That is, simply seize the money from the rich.
And that age-old peasant dream would also be implemented by the Bolsheviks. So it was no accident that Bonch-Bruevich, Lenin’s future close friend and comrade-at-arms and a founder of the bloody Cheka, had in his articles been so delighted with the intelligent, talented peasant’. Just as it was no accident that in his article on Rasputin, that founding father of the Bolshevist state described a remarkable scene. In order to test his gift for knowing people’, Bonch-Bruevich had decided to show Rasputin a certain portrait dear to himself. Upon seeing the portrait, Bonch-Bruevich wrote:
Rasputin became agitated. Who is that? Tell me, who is that?’ He rushed straight over to the large wall portrait in which the proud, intelligent face of an old man was limned.
‘Well, he’s something! My goodness! He’s a Samson, my friend, a real Samson, yes sir! Introduce me to him! We’ll go see him right now! That’s somebody the people should follow in regiments!’ And Rasputin hurriedly turned on the nearby electric light, wanting to get a better look at the face of that stunning old man. I explained to him that it was Karl Marx.
That’s somebody the people should follow in regiments,’ Rasputin had predicted in that article published in the newspaper Day on 1 June 1914, on the eve of a war that would destroy the empire of his tsars and become the pretext for a Marxist state.
The Meetings At Anya’s
Alix and Anya’s great friendship had by then definitely recovered. ‘14 April 1915 … Poor Ania has got again flebitis [sic] in her right leg & strong pain … poor girl, she now really is good & takes all patiently … Yesterday morning for the first time she walked alone on her crutches to the dining room without being held.’
By the end of April the Friend was already going everywhere on her crutches. And it would have been absurd to be jealous of a flabby, disgracefully fat cripple. After visiting her infirmary in the morning, Anya would now spend the rest of the day at the palace, just as in times past.
And Our Friend, who had saved Anya and her friendship with Alix, was present for their conversations, sometimes visibly but more often invisibly.
The File, from the testimony of Maria Belyaeva, Vyrubova’s twenty-year-old maid.
‘In May 1915 … Vyrubova would get up between nine and ten, drive to her infirmary where she would remain until one or two in the afternoon, then drive to the tsarina’s at the palace and remain there until five o’clock … Sometimes she would have dinner with the tsarina or would go out. But after dinner she would every time go off to the tsarina’s, where she would remain until twelve o’clock.’
The Friend and the tsarina were inseparable, including on the rare evenings that Anya spent at home. For if she was home, it meant that Our Friend was at her house. And, it follows, that Alix was there, too.
‘15 April 1915 … Temp. 37.2 again yesterday evening, but…am feeling decidedly stronger, so will go to Ania this afternoon & meet our Friend there, who wishes to see me,’ Alix wrote to Nicky.
‘16 April 1915 … Our Friend was not long at Ania’s yesterday, but very dear. Asked lots about you.’
The Secret Letter
An event occurred at that time that produced a wave of rumours in Petrograd and great concern among the Allies. Maria Vasilchikova had come from Germany. She was a maid of honour of the tsarina, the daughter of the director of the famous Hermitage, and the owner of a large estate near Vienna, where she had been caught by the war. The Germans had refused her permission to return to Russia. But then her mother died. And under the warranty of Alix’s brother Ernie, duke of Hesse-Darmstadt, she was allowed to
leave Germany for three weeks. In the event that she did not return, the Germans would appropriate her estate. Ernie had interceded for her, since she had, to her misfortune, agreed to convey a letter from him to the empress.
But at the time, the epidemic of spy-mania was in full swing. And the poor Vasilchikova was doomed. Vyrubova testified before the Extraordinary Commission:
The empress was informed of her arrival by Elizaveta Fyodorovna, who refused to receive her … After her arrival in Petrograd Vasilchikova sent me a letter in Tsarskoe Selo with a request to receive her. But at the order of the former empress, I replied with a refusal. Since at court she was suspected of spying, she was expelled from Petrograd and her maid of honour insignia was taken away from her … As to how she [the tsarina] regarded the possibility of concluding a separate peace with Germany, I definitively state that I never heard any such discussion of the possibility or the desirability of a separate peace either from the former sovereign or from the former empress. On the contrary, they both supported the war till the end … For the three years of the war, she did not write or read anything in German. She loved her brother, the duke of Hesse, very much, but for three years she did not receive any news from him at all.
She had lied again. She knew that Vasilchikova had conveyed a letter to Alix from her brother.
Alix to Nicky: ‘17 April 1915 …I had a long, dear letter fr. Erni [sic] … He longs for a way out of this dilemma, that someone ought to begin to make a bridge for discussion. So he had an idea of quite privately sending a man of confidence to Stockholm, who should meet a gentleman sent by you…So he sent a gentleman to be there on the 28th…So I at once wrote an answer…& sent it the gentleman … he better not wait — & that tho’ one longs for peace, the time has not yet come. — I wanted to get all done before you return, as I know it would be unpleasant for you.’
The Rasputin File Page 42