"Rasputin the traitor": the formation of an image in 1914-1916

Abstract

The author of the article studies the process of forming the image of "Rasputin the traitor" during the First World War. The negative image of Grigory Efimovich began to form long before 1914. He was multifaceted: at first, Rasputin's detractors considered him a religious conman who posed as a "man of God", then he was accused of interfering in the management of the Church, as well as influencing the personnel policy of the supreme power. From the moment of the first failures at the front, an image of a traitor who acts in the interests of Germany began to form in relation to Rasputin. The mechanism for popularizing this image was rumors, newspaper publications and public speeches by deputies of the State Duma. The culprit behind the formation of the image of a traitor in relation to Rasputin was largely himself. On the eve of the Great War, the "Elder" Grigory spoke out several times in communication with the press against Russia's participation in the Balkan wars and the conduct of hostilities as such. This research is based on the principle of historicism, the study of written historical sources: office records, press materials, sources of personal origin. In the spring of 1915, the "Sacred unity" proclaimed by the Duma opposition at the very beginning of the war was replaced by "patriotic anxiety", the public began to look for internal enemies, and espionage began. At the same time, Rasputin attracted attention by staging a drunken brawl in a Moscow restaurant. This was the reason for attacks on Grigory Efimovich and accusing him of pandering to the Germans. It is important to note that Rasputin's accusations of betrayal were unfounded, no evidence was presented. The image of "Rasputin the traitor" began to be used by the Duma opposition, which fought for the Ministry of Public Trust. Everyone knew that Rasputin was a friend of the royal family, so the tsar and the tsarina indirectly became the object of criticism. The purpose of using the image of "Rasputin the traitor" was an attempt to influence the adoption of state decisions by the emperor and the government.