We’ve talked about Princess Irina’s early life, her marriage to Felix Yusupov, and the Romanov’s dangerous but unbreakable tie to Rasputin. Now our story begins to come together!

In 1916, Nicholas and Alexandra were ignoring the growing anger against them and Rasputin, and were determined to carry on as usual.

The extended Romanov family, meanwhile, was desperate to put a stop to Rasputin’s influence. He was not respectable. He was a fraud and a danger to the country.

Irina was aware of salacious rumors regarding her aunt and Rasputin. Many years earlier, the Grand Duchess Olga had told her about her little brother’s diagnosis. However, Irina probably had no idea that Rasputin was treating Alexei.

 

Meanwhile Prince Felix was in a state of continual indignation about Rasputin. He attributed much of the growing unrest and political violence to Rasputin’s malignant influence. But the personal insult went far deeper.  The idea that his father, Governor of Moscow, should be cast off for a Siberian peasant made Felix’ blood boil. The Yusupovs were the wealthiest family in Russia and the wound inflicted by the tsar went deep.

Saying the Yusupovs were wealthy is like saying, “The Grand Canyon is large.” While true, it doesn’t give you a sense of its magnitude. One description reads: “Contemporaries remember the endless suites of rooms that were literally littered with treasure. Priceless statues, snuffboxes, mirrors, jade and malachite jewelry boxes stood on the tables inlaid with mother-of-pearl and ivory, mantel shelve and secretaries…the Venus statue, carved from a single sapphire, and the ruby Buddha. No less impressive were the paintings by famous artists: Boucher, Watteau, Rembrandt and others.”   

Here’s one example, and you can see more pictures here.

Felix’s friend from his college days, Oswald Rayner, was living in Russia and working for the British Secret Service. He spoke to the prince seriously about taking action against Rasputin.

One day, Felix listened as the charismatic politician Vladimir Purishkevich, known for his  nationalist and anti-communist views, made a blistering speech in which he railed about Alexandra and Rasputin.  Felix and Purishkevich joined the Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, who was the tsar’s cousin, in a plot.

The Grand Duke, by the way, had been a contender for Irina’s hand, but she chose Felix over him.

Two more men–Dr. Stanislaus Lazovert and Sergei Mikhailovich Sukhotin–joined the others to help plot Rasputin’s murder. The five co-conspirators agreed only death would stop the mad monk from destroying Russia.

Felix wanted Irina to play a central role in the murder. She was on a visit in Crimea when a letter arrived from him. “You too must take part in it,” Felix wrote. “Dm Pavl [Dmitri Pavlovich] knows all about it and is helping. It will all take place in the middle of December, when Dm comes back.”

It’s difficult to interpret Irina’s real feelings about the plot from her response, which read like this: “Thanks for your insane letter. I didn’t understand the half of it. I see that you’re planning to do something wild. Please take care and do not get mixed up in any shady business. The dirtiest thing is that you have decided to do it all without me. I don’t see how I can take part in it now, since it’s all arranged… In a word, be careful. I see from your letter that you’re in a state of wild enthusiasm and ready to climb a wall… I’ll be in Petrograd on the 12th or 13th, so don’t dare do anything without me, or else I won’t come at all.”

Felix immediately wrote back. In a letter dated November 27, he said, “Your presence by the middle of December is essential. The plan I’m writing you about has been worked out in detail and is three quarters done, and only the finale is left, and for that your arrival is awaited. It is the only way of saving a situation that is almost hopeless…. You will serve as the lure…. Of course, not a word to anyone.”

On December 3, Irina got spooked. She wrote, “I know that if I come, I shall certainly get sick… You don’t know how things are with me. I want to cry all the time. My mood is terrible. I’ve never had one like it before… I don’t know myself what’s happening to me. Don’t drag me to Petrograd. Come down here instead. Forgive me, my dear one, for writing such things to you. But I can’t go on any more, I don’t know what’s the matter with me. Neurasthenia, I think. Don’t be angry with me, please don’t be angry. I love you terribly. I can’t live without you. May the Lord protect you.”

Another letter from Irina arrived in Petrograd on December 9. “Something unbelievable’s been going on with Baby. A couple of nights ago she didn’t sleep well and kept repeating, ‘War, nanny, war!’ The next day she was asked, ‘War or peace?’ And Baby answered, ‘War!’ The next day I said, ‘Say peace.’ And she looked right at me and answered, ‘War!’ It’s very strange.”

Irina’s premonitions were real but her husband was deaf to her pleas and determined to move forward.

Go to the next part!