The life of Rasputin is amazing . He was one of the most striking phenomena of modern history.. His life is like a dark fairy tale .. A dark, uneducated peasant from the Siberian hinterland heard the voice of the Lord and, in search of true faith, set out on a journey that for many years led him through the vast expanses of Russia and ended in the royal palace. Miraculously, he managed to save the life of the heir to the throne, but his colossal influence on the king and queen angered the rich and those with power. They trapped him and killed him. Many believed that the saint foresaw his death and predicted that if something happened to him, the king would lose the throne. American historian Douglas Smith, based on data from the archives of seven countries - magazines, letters and diaries - created his most complete biography by the centenary of the death of the mysterious elder. Everything from official documents to the most ridiculous gossip becomes the material of large-scale and fascinating historical research.