Wild story on wikipedia

Now I realize wikipedia is not by any means a reliable, scholarly source, but sometimes it can be a skeletal outline. Anyways, I was reading Grand Duchess Tatiana's article and came across this bizarre passage: "Tatiana was rumored to have been present at Rasputin's murder on 17 December 1916, 'disguised as a lieutenant of the Chevaliers-Gardes, so that she could revenge herself on Rasputin who had tried to violate her.' It was also rumored that Rasputin was castrated in front of Tatiana, wrote Maurice Paléologue, the French ambassador to Russia, in his memoirs. Paléologue was skeptical at the time about the truth of the wild rumors and attributed them to the hatred of Rasputin held by people in St. Petersburg.[30]"

I've seen some wild stuff on wikipedia before, like Rasputin being able to shoot black fire out of his hands or something like that, but usually the articles get cleaned up by knowledgeable writers. Is this wild rumor about Tatiana something anyone has heard about before? In the days between Rasputin's death and the discovery of his corpse, there were a lot of wild rumors. That he had been made to commit suicide, that he had been beheaded, etc. I never heard this as one of those rumors, but because they quoted Paleologue, I am curious to know more. Can anyone shed some more light on this legend?

I've read all the Wikipedia Romanov articles some months ago but i didn't find anuything like this O_o who did it?
I've here the text i printed directly from Wikipedia - nothing like that, so it's something recently!
Of course you can write to Wikipedia to inform them about it - about the legend, alas, i've never heard anything!

Someone look at lifelong passion pg 508 and 509. It lists those as its sources. this is just too funny! Wouldn't Felix and the other notice a womanly commander??

WHAT?? How intirely absurd! Even though Wikipedia, of course, isn't the most reliable place out there, it is one that many students and/or adults read to get basic knowledge on stuff. Good grief!!!!!

Someone look at lifelong passion pg 508 and 509. It lists those as its sources. this is just too funny! Wouldn't Felix and the other notice a womanly commander??

Or a TATIANA commander? Felix knew her. And Dmitrij? We surely would have recognized her, there were rumors he was in love with her. What an absurdity.
But BTW rhanks Talya!!!

Thanks for what? It was listed in the sources.

Also, Maurice Paléologue is the source for it, and he said it was gossip that was spreading around the city. Quite funny if you ask me!

[Mathematic, art and history in ♥]

There were women presented in Yussupov's home when Rasputin was murdered, since GD Irina refused to come, but Tatiana Nicholaievna was not among them to my knowledge, nor any of the participants mentioned her either.

I thought it was established that there were no women present? Only GD Dmitri, Prince Felix, a handful of soldiers, and that Purishkevich guy. And I just read this too! Think think! -pounds head trying to remember-

Thanks for what? It was listed in the sources.

Thanks because you found them; i payed not enough attention to them!

According to the police reports that are used in Greg King's book on Rasputin and also in other books written about the subject, there were quite a few more people at the Yusupov Mansion on the night of the murder than is usually thought.

A few of Felix's brothers in law might have been there as well as a few women who were seen to be leaving the party early in the morning.

Get a few reputable books on the murder and not Felix's autobiography and you will find that the whole story has been changed several times.  Mostly by Felix to make himself seem much grander than he was.

However, I doubt that Tatiana was ever there or any other member of the Imperial Family except Grand Duke Dmitri.  The others would have been princes - the sons of Grand Duchess Xenia and Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich (Sandro).  If they were there.

I have The Rasputin File (which is Rasputin The Last Word) and I've learnt to be skeptical about Radzinsky.

[Mathematic, art and history in ♥]

Alixz is completely correct! And yes, there were only men...only in the cellar of the palace! Rasputin had to have the expression that there was 'party' (dinner)  held upstairs, so they would easily bring him down! There ARE sources/testimones/documents that claim/prove that also some women/more people were there. It was planned long time before, and Felix for sure, did not tell everything. As for Mr. Radzinsky, his book may not sound historical we are used to read, but surely he finds, let me say, extensive details on regarding the IF, probably he has more access. ;-) IMO, it is logical that people thought that GD Tatiana was present there at the night, since at least one of the ladies was there! And it was easier, (because people knew Tatiana better, she was linked to Empress more than an lady from the Court), to people to say that she was among them. I hope that I was understandable.

Here is a link to another thread on the forum


http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php?topic=11226.msg494392;boardseen#new

Richard Cullen is publishing his book about the murder of Rasputin and he has other thoughts about who was there and what happened.  Much of the work has been removed as Richard's publisher asked that it be taken down, but Richard has left at least a few interesting facts on the thread.

The article is actually correct. According to Paleologue's memoirs, there was indeed a rumor circulating that Tatiana had witnessed the murder:

They are also whispering that the Grand Duchess Tatiana, the Emperor's second daughter, witnessed the drama disguised as a lieutenant of the Chevaliers-Gardes, so that she could revenge herself on Rasputin who had tried to violate her.
And carrying the vindictive ferocity of the moujik into the world of the Court, they add that to satiate her thirst for vengeance the dying Grigory was castrated before her eyes.

~Maurice Paleologue, Memoirs - 20 December
quoted in A Lifelong Passion, pgs 508-9

I have read different sources with different casts of characters present at the murder of Rasputin.

Definitely:
Prince Felix Yusupov
Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich
Vladimir Purishkevich
the mysterious Lieutenant Sukhotin
Dr. Stanislaus Lazavert (I've also read some interesting articles about him in the NY Times archives)

Possibly:
Vera Karalli, the actress
Marianne "Malanya" Derfelden (nee Pistolkors)
Buzhinsky, Felix's batman (male servant)

According to some other sources:
1 - 2 British agents.
or possibly several brothers of Irina Yusupov (if you believe Radzinsky's claims.)

I think several more people were present at the murder of Rasputin apart from the individuals who were there for sure there. Not Tatiana of course, but perhaps one or two women to help create the sounds of a soiree upstairs. It also seems unlikely that Felix and Dmitri carried out the wounds found on Rasputin's corpse. Felix was not a very violent man, I can't see Dmitri carrying out a beating. Purishkevich definitely advocated violence, after all he helped establish the Union of the Russian People which advocated the Black Hundreds. Who knows about Sukhotin. A lot of what Andrew Cook writes in "To Kill Rasputin" points to others being present at this assassination. It seems like all the confusion and varying reports and rumors allowed for many of the witnesses to disappear into history...