Grigori Rasputin was a Russian mystic and faith healer who became entrenched in the Russian royal family during the turn of the century it was believed he was the only one who could treat the Tsar’s son, Alexei, for his hemophilia. However, the aristocracy and populace questioned the relationship between the family and Rasputin. Rasputin’s sexual exploits and decadent lifestyle also made many question his relationship with the Tsarina, Alexandria.
Seeking to remove this blemish from the Tsar’s reputation, a group of nobles plotted to kill Rasputin in 1916. They invited the mystic to a house where they gave him tea, cakes, and wine poisoned with arsenic. After eating the cakes and drinking three glasses of poisoned wine, the conspirators were shocked to see him seemingly unaffected. One of them then shot him in the chest and left to construct an alibi. When he returned, he was attacked by Rasputin, who had survived the bullet. The men then shot Rasputin two more times, wrapped him in a rug, and threw his body into an icy river.