# The death of Rasputin—A forensic evaluation

## TL;DR

This paper re-examines the death of Rasputin using forensic evidence to challenge the popular narrative of his murder.

## Contribution

The paper provides a forensic analysis suggesting Rasputin was killed by a contact gunshot wound, not as described in memoirs.

## Key findings

- A photograph shows a contact gunshot wound to Rasputin’s forehead, indicating he was dead before drowning.
- Autopsy findings contradict the cyanide poisoning story, as no poison was detected.
- Descriptions of the murder do not align with the forensic evidence found in post-mortem photographs.

## Abstract

Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, a confidant of Tsar Nicholas and his wife, was murdered by Prince Yussupov and his co-conspirators in the cellar of the prince’s Moika Palace in St Petersburg, Russia, on the evening of December 30th, 1916 (December 17th in the Russian calendar). The narrative of his death is largely based on Prince Yussupov’s published memoirs and has Rasputin being poisoned with cyanide, shot, bludgeoned, and finally drowned. A review of the available forensic material, however, shows a photograph with a contact gunshot wound to Rasputin’s forehead. This would indicate that he was dead prior to being dropped into the Little Nevka River. His distaste for sweet foods and the absence of poison at autopsy would also suggest that the story of cyanide toxicity was fabricated. Yussupov’s description of Purishkevich firing at Rasputin from a distance as he ran across the courtyard in an attempt to escape would also not be consistent with the post mortem photograph. The simplest version of the events would be that Rasputin was executed by a contact gunshot wound to the forehead when he visited the Yussupov Palace. While it appears that the events of that fateful evening have been embellished, it is certainly not uncommon for perpetrators of homicides to provide histories that are later shown to be at odds with the truth. Re-evaluation of historic cases may provide compelling evidence for alternative interpretations to the popular historic record.