The aristocracy become incredibly disturbed by the scandal surrounding Rasputin.
Hundreds of these were dropped over the front lines by a German zeppelin.
Exactly.
The laughing stock of Europe, an international joke.
The mad monk.
The sick joker who rules the Czarina's cunt, and our country.
It's not funny.
It's a fucking tragedy! He's single-handedly destroying the faith of the people in the Czar! Prince Felix Yusupov was the spoiled son of one of the richest families in Russia.
He put another incompetent in power.
The ministers are puppets.
A sexually-depraved monk and a mad hysteric are pulling the strings and we are letting it happen.
Felix Yusupov is a fascinating character.
Bisexual, highly promiscuous, highly intelligent.
But he's also married to the Czar's niece, best friends with many of the grand dukes.
Well, someone has to do something.
The people are so stupid.
All these conspiracy theories, just because we're German.
That's not the reason.
And you know it.
It's about Rasputin.
If that's what you've come here to discuss, you may as well leave now.
He's playing you.
Everything he does is for himself.
He's leading the dynasty to disaster.
He is saving the dynasty! You have no idea.
Of course I do.
We are sisters, Alix.
You must stop blaming yourself for Alexei.
What are you talking about? Rasputin can't cure the bleeding disease.
Nothing can.
My sister needs her carriage.
Exile the monk.
Save your country.
While there's still an empire for your son to rule over.
I used to bathe Anastasia when she was a child.
She had a small deformity, which she hated.
I would recognize it immediately.
Can I look at your feet? Congenital hallux abducto valgus.
About one in four people are born with it, or develop it.
Could that be a bayonet wound? Possibly.
I'd say from the scar tissue it's about ten years old.
They shot them with bullets, but they had to stab them with bayonets too.
By the end of 1916, Russia is actually in a sort of surreal situation.
Okay, okay.
Help me, help me! The soldiers at the front now cannot see an end to the war.
Something's gotta give.
It seems that everything is out of control.
Much of the wider Romanov family believes that to save this monarchy, they have to save Nicholas and Alexandra from themselves, and specifically from Rasputin.
They need to do something to remove him from influence, or it can't possibly continue as it is.
Rasputin? It's Felix Yusupov here.
Felix, this is a pleasure.
How can I help? Well, I was hoping to make an appointment with you.
About a a problem I have.
Don't be shy.
There's no shame.
I would rather speak to you face-to-face.
It's personal.
I Papa, Papa.
Call me again.
We'll find a time and I'll heal you.
Elusive, condescending fucker.
By 1916, all of Russia is aligned against Rasputin.
The aristocracy know Nicholas and Alexandra are almost criminally negligent, and criminally incompetent.
But nonetheless, it's all centered on Rasputin.
Rasputin's life is hanging by a thread, and you get a feeling that he already knows that his days are numbered.
"Disaster threatens.
Misfortune draws near.
Judgment day has come for our country.
We will drown in our own blood.
I am blind before these griefs.
I can see nothing.
But I know my hour will soon strike.
I am not afraid.
But I know it will be the end of Russia as we know it.
" Please, help yourself.
I won't drink alone.
Ahem.
I prefer white.
My sins used to purge me.
Now they pollute me.
You like me, don't you? You don't want to like me, but you do.
I want to go home, Felix.
To Pokrovskoye.
There's too much sin here.
Prayers reach God more easily in my little village.
I used to walk the Siberian steppe, alone.
You can find God there.
This city chokes me! But I can't leave.
The Czar, the Czarina.
The little one.
Let's go to the gypsies and dance.
Ha? Me and you.
We'll meet Irina another time.
Yeah? Ha.
Everyone wants to kill me.
Why why such hate? You don't understand.
If they kill me they destroy Russia.
Do you understand? I need to go and find Irina.
Go.
Go! So.
It's not working.
Rasputin.
[Mr.
Gilliard] In my efforts to solve the mystery of the young girl who claimed to be Princess Anastasia, the sole surviving heir of the Russian imperial family, I was joined by someone who'd known her all her life, her aunt.
Your Imperial Highness.
[aunt] Olga.
Just Olga now.
The resemblance is only slight.
The physical evidence debatable.
If she is my little Pixie, I'll know.
Pixie? My nickname for her as a toddler.
What does your gut say? She tried to kill herself.
She must have been through something terrible to do that.
But so many others have made claims.
[Olga] I know.
But it's not the lies, it's how they force you to rake it all up again.
[clock ticks] [gun shot] [Mr.
Gilliard] The body of Grigori Rasputin was discovered beneath the ice of the Malaya Nevka River on the 19th of December, 1916.
The infamous mystic had been poisoned, beaten and shot in the head.
But while the imperial family mourned, many hoped that this was Russia's second chance to rule free of Rasputin's poisonous influence.
[Alix] He's gone.
The only man who could save our son.
What do we do now? We carry on.
He had faith in us.
He said God shines on us.
Now we must have faith in ourselves.
[kiss] [sniffs] Mm.
[Montefiore] Rasputin has been murdered.
There is a chance for Nicholas to reform and to make changes.
And yet, Nicholas continues exactly the same way as before.
Everyone realizes suddenly, that actually it wasn't Rasputin who was governing Nicholas.
It was Nicholas governing Nicholas.
[female voice on phone] I understand you need time to mourn, Nicky.
But you must put this behind you and listen to your family.
The country needs your leadership.
My family murdered Grigori.
[Nicky] Felix should be punished.
He deserves a parade.
Here, give me that.
Nicky, Nicky, listen to your sister.
You need to act now.
Appoint new ministers, and regain the confidence of your people, - or there will be total anarchy.
- I have to go, Mother.
But please have faith.
[click] All they do is criticize.
What would Father Grigori say? To trust my instincts.
I will head back to the war.
That's where I'm needed, not here.
I can keep the ministers in line.
We will continue the way we were.
[Dr de Orellana] This is a decision that could doom the Romanovs.
When Nicholas goes back to military headquarters, Nicholas is in fact leaving control of government, exactly when government needed him the most.
When Russia needed to be held together by its Czar.
[Dr Hetherington] The war by this time is deeply unpopular.
It's not only unpopular, it's also arguably the engine that's causing economic crisis, that's causing general unrest.
Partly because of the war, there's food shortages in the cities, there's bread rationing, people are starving.
To help the Russian war effort, workers are toiling under horrendous conditions, and winter has made life even more unbearable.
[noise of cart wheels] [Dr de Orellana]The very day that Nicholas leaves, there is a strike at the Putilov armaments factory.