"Now, I know some of you might not be aware of the tale of Rasputin," The professor said but soon felt an uproar in the classroom of students throwing their knowledge at her.
"What is it about Rasputin, Milady?" Lict asked.
"I don't know," Vierne looked at him.
"You don't know about Rasputin?" Galkin gave a dirty look to Lict and Vierne as if they were the dumbest people alive.

"No?" They said together.
"What!" Everyone stared at them, "He's the biggest Russian historical figure out there!"
"Give me a break, guys—I'm not Russian! And I haven't ever studied about him or heard of him." Lict defended himself from the raging mob. Then, they turned towards Vierne.

"I like fantasy or romance novels. I don't study historical figures or history." Vieren said, "Who is this Rasputin?"
"Rasputin was—"
"A sexual deviant!"
"A mystic healer"
"The queen's lover!"
"Russia's secret ruler!"
"A renegade monk!"

Everyone was excited to enlighten Lict and Vierne who seemed the least interested in knowing about this man 'Rasputin'

"Alright, sit down all of you," The professor calmed them down, "I am the professor here not you. As per for people like Lict and Vierne, I will tell you the tale of Rasputin—The man who wouldn't die!"
"A mortal that can't die?" Vierne turned towards Lict and he just shrugged his shoulders.
"That is not possible. All mortals die." She said to him.
"Maybe he wasn't a mortal," Lict said.

"The story starts like this," The professor began the lesson and everyone opened their books, "Rasputin was born a peasant in the small village of Pokrovskoye in Siberia. He was not formally educated and remained illiterate well into his early adulthood. He had a somewhat unruly youth – possibly involving drinking, small thefts, and other stuff which has been a mystery. Rasputin travelled to Abalak, where he met a peasant girl named Dubrovina. After a courtship of several months, they married in February 1887. The couple had seven children, though only three survived to adulthood: Dmitry, Maria and Varvara.

In 1897, Rasputin developed a renewed interest in religion and left Pokrovskoye to go on a pilgrimage. And this pilgrimage to the St. Nicholas Monastery at Verkhoturye in 1897 was transformative. There he learnt to read and write, but he later complained about the monastery, claiming that some of the monks engaged in homosexuality and left the place.

Rasputin spent the years that followed living as a Strannik or a pilgrim. He made certain societies including his family members and other peasants where they held secret prayers. It was rumoured that female followers were ceremonially washing him before each meeting and the group sang strange songs that the villagers had not heard before. Rumours also stated that Rasputin had joined the Khlysty, a religious sect whose ecstatic rituals were rumoured to include self-flagellation and sexual orgies."

"Oh my God," Vierne said.
"It says they are just rumours. There was never a strong proof about him joining a sect."
"What is a sect?"
"It is a subgroup of a religion which gathers a group of people who have broken away from the practices or beliefs of that religion.

"And self-flagellation and sexual orgies?"
"Self-flagellation is when people flog themselves—It is usually done for maintaining a religious discipline. A sexual orgy is like a sex party consisting of at least five members where guests freely engage in open and unrestrained group sex."
"That is messed up." Galkin rolled his eyes.

"Continuing—The word of Rasputin's activity and charisma began to spread in Siberia during the early 1900s. He travelled to the city of Kazan on the Volga river, where he acquired a reputation as a wise and perceptive holy man, who could help people resolve their spiritual crises and anxieties. Despite rumours that Rasputin was having sex with some of his female followers, he won over the local church officials who gave him a letter of recommendation to Bishop Sergei and arranged for him to travel to St. Petersburg. Rasputin was also introduced to the church leader who was so impressed with him that he invited him to stay in his home.

Regardless, by 1905 Rasputin had formed friendships with several members of the aristocracy, including the "Black Princesses", who married the Tsar's cousins and were instrumental in introducing Rasputin to the tsar and his family. Rasputin was first introduced to the king and the queen as a healer who could help their son in November 1905.

Queen Alexandria had a passionate attachment to Rasputin as a result of her belief that he could heal her son's affliction. Prince Alexei suffered from haemophilia and only Rasputin could cure him. And this is how he became an indispensable member of the royal entourage.

During the summer of 1912, Alexei developed a haemorrhage in his thigh and groin after a jolting carriage ride. In severe pain and delirious with fever, the prince appeared to be close to death. In desperation, the queen asked to send Rasputin, who was in Siberia at that time, a telegram, asking him to pray for Alexei. Rasputin wrote back that the prince would not die. Just do not allow the doctors to bother him too much. And guess what—Alexei's bleeding stopped the following day."

"This is impossible. He wasn't even there!" Vierne said.
"It sounds too much like a fairytale," Lict said.
"Guys," Galkin whispered, "You're demigods. You are a fairytale so shut up."

"It is one of the most mysterious episodes of the whole Rasputin legend. The cause of the prince's recovery is unclear. The royal family's belief that Rasputin possessed the power to heal Alexei brought him considerable status and power at court. The king appointed Rasputin his lamplighter who was charged with keeping the lamps lit that burned in front of religious icons in the palace, and he thus had regular access to the palace and royal family.

By December 1906, Rasputin had become close enough to the royal family to ask a special favour of the king: that he be permitted to change his surname to Rasputin-Novyi (Rasputin-New). King Nicholas granted the request and the name change was speedily processed. Rasputin used his status and power to full effect, accepting bribes and sexual favours from admirers and working diligently to expand his influence. He soon became a controversial figure; he was accused by his enemies of religious heresy and rape, was suspected of exerting undue political influence over the king making him the secret ruler of Russia, and was even rumoured to be having an affair with the Queen. But again, these are all accusations. We don't know how true they are.

Then came World War I which led to Russia's declining economy at a very rapid rate. Many laid the blame with Alexandra and with Rasputin, because of his influence over her. Rasputin's influence over the royal family was used against him by politicians and journalists who wanted to weaken the integrity of the dynasty.

On 12 July 1914, a 33-year-old peasant woman named Chionya Guseva attempted to assassinate Rasputin by stabbing him in the stomach. It was not clear that he would survive, but he recovered and Guseva was found to be not responsible for her actions by reason of insanity. She claimed to have acted alone, having read about Rasputin in the newspapers and believing him to be a "false prophet and even an Antichrist"

But soon after, a group of nobles led by Prince Felix Yusupov, Dmitri Pavlovich, and right-wing politician Vladimir Purishkevich, decided that Rasputin's influence over the queen had made him a threat to the empire, and they concocted a plan in December 1916 to kill him, apparently by luring him to the Yusupovs' Moika Palace. Yusupov claimed that he invited Rasputin to his home shortly after midnight and ushered him into the basement. He offered Rasputin tea and cakes which had been laced with cyanide. He began to eat them and, to Yusupov's surprise, he did not appear to be affected by the poison. Rasputin then asked for some Madeira wine, which had also been poisoned, and drank three glasses, but still showed no sign of distress.

At around 2:30 am, Yusupov excused himself to go upstairs, where his fellow conspirators were waiting. He took a revolver from Dmitry Pavlovich, then returned to the basement and told Rasputin that he'd "better look at the crucifix and say a prayer", referring to a crucifix in the room, then shot him once in the chest. The conspirators then drove to Rasputin's apartment, with Sukhotin wearing Rasputin's coat and hat in an attempt to make it look as though Rasputin had returned home that night. They then returned to the Moika Palace and Yusupov went back to the basement to ensure that Rasputin was dead.

Suddenly, Rasputin leapt up and attacked Yusupov, who freed himself with some effort and fled upstairs. Rasputin followed and made it into the palace's courtyard before being shot by Purishkevich and collapsing into a snowbank. The conspirators then wrapped his body in cloth, drove it to the Petrovsky Bridge, and dropped it into the Malaya Nevka River

News of Rasputin's murder spread quickly, even before his body was found. Two workmen noticed blood on the railing of the Petrovsky Bridge and found a boot on the ice below, and police began searching the area. Rasputin's body was found under the river ice on 1 January. Dr Dmitry Kosorotov conducted an autopsy. Kosorotov found no water in Rasputin's lungs, and reports were incorrect that Rasputin had been thrown into the water alive. Rasputin was buried on 2 January at a small church that Anna Vyrubova had been building at Tsarskoye Selo."

"This man's creepy" Lict flinched but Vierne seemed to be lost in thought.
"I feel like...I've heard this story before."

"I have decided." The professor said, "Since you both have no idea who he was, it would be best for you both to enact the main leads in the play to understand it better. Vierne will be Alexandra and Lict will be Rasputin. Galkin, you'll be prince Felix and Grigory will be Alexei. I've prepared the script, you all should start the practice soon. We'd be doing it in the form of a musical."

-To be continued

Lict The hour of Music
Dear Ms Lady Demigod