Grigory Rasputin first met the Romanov family on November 1, 1905, at the Peterhof Palace. The tsar briefly wrote about this in his diary: “We got to know a man of God - Grigory from the Tobolsk province.”
By that time, rumors about the charismatic monk Rasputin had already traveled all the way from Siberia to St. Petersburg, where he acquired the reputation of a wise saint elder and healer of spiritual wounds. He was brought to the palace by Bishop Theophanes, Nicholas II’s and Alexandra Feodorovna’s confidante. The bishop greatly admired Rasputin and said the following about him: “There are still people around the world. These are who make Holy Rus’ still exist.”
Yet, one meeting was not enough to win over trust. Rasputin was back in St. Petersburg in July 1906, promptly sending the tsar a telegram saying he wanted to personally gift a miracle-working icon of St. Simeon of Verkhoturye to him. Nicholas fulfilled the request, with their other meeting and a meeting with his children taking place on October 13.
Initially, Rasputin didn’t see the Romanovs very often - all in all, three times over a two-year period. However, over time, their relationship became stronger. On a number of occasions, Tsesarevich Alexei, who suffered from hemophilia, felt relief as soon as Rasputin turned up and, by 1907, these meetings became regular. Deeply pious Alexandra Feodorovna believed Rasputin to have miraculous powers and allowed him into her inner circle.
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