The five last Czars, from Alexander I (1777-1825) to Nicholas II (1868-1918), practiced magic and the occult, culminating in Rasputin (1869-1916) and ending in the Russian Revolution and their assassination

Magic at the Russian Court

Standard of the Tsar of Moscow (1693–1700)

The Russian Church is an offshoot of the Byzantine (Greek Orthodox).  At first it had bishops under the control of Byzantium (Constantinople, now Istanbul).  Later some of these were raised to the rank of archbishops and even metropolitans, finally a patriarch was appointed (Patriarch of Moscow).  Meanwhile the Czar, who was the recognised temporal head of Russia had been gaining in power.  It was intended, by the clergy, to make Moscow the third Rome (Byzantium being the second).  Finally the Czar however acquired the supreme power over Church and State, and this was the position until the Revolution.

There was always a great deal of mysticism and occultism in the Russian Church.  Some of the clergy were not particular about associating with magicians, and mediums were freely consulted.  The last five czars (Alexander I, Nicholas I, Alexander II, Alexander III and Nicholas II) and their consorts were remarkable for their interest in occultism, and made contacts with mystics, occultists and mediums both in and out of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Alexander I (1777-1825)

Equestrian Portrait of Alexander I by Franz Krüger

Alexander I (1777-1825) who ascended the throne in 1801 was much influenced by Baroness von Krudener.  This mystic, who had some sort of an organisation in Switzerland, visited many European cities and was undoubtedly influential in cementing the Holy Alliance signed between Russia, Prussia, and Austria in 1815.  Baroness Krudener combined the vision-seeing of Swedenborg with the beliefs of the Moravians, and made a number of successful predictions, notably the return of Napoleon from Elba, and his subsequent expulsion.

The next arrival was Sister Salome (Madam Bouche nee Therese des Isard) who was at the Russian Court from 1819 to 1821.  She was a member of a French occult society (Society of St. John).  She predicted the failure of Napoleon's Russian campaign and his subsequent fall.  She persuaded Alexander I to have talismans of pure gold prepared.  These were impressed with the triangle, as the symbol of the Holy Trinity.  They were distributed from time to time to princes.

Nicholas I (1796-1855)

Emperor Nicholas I. Portrait by Franz Krüger

Nicholas I (1796-1855) who succeeded his brother Alexander I was much influenced by the aforementioned Hoene Wronski.  The latter addressed two publications to this Czar, dealing with the destiny of the Slav peoples.

Alexander II (1818-1881)

Portrait of Alexander II by Yegor Botkin

Alexander II (1818-1881) who succeeded his father Nicholas I in 1855 was interested in all forms of divination, but particularly astrology.  D. D. Home, the great medium was one of those consulted.  He said he could not continue to advise the Czar, but that a German would do the work.  Later a German medium called Baron Langsdorff (d. 1908) told the Czar in 1880 of a bomb outrage that might take place at a dinner at which he was expected.  The Czar delayed his arrival for half an hour, during which a terrible explosion took place.  The next year the medium was sent on an important mission in Paris.  During his absence the Czar was killed by another bomb.

Alexander III (1845-1894)

Portrait of Alexander III (1845-1894), the Russian Tsar, oil on canvas by I.N. Kramskoi (1837-1887)

He was succeeded by his son Alexander III (1845-1894).  The new Czar recalled Langsdorff, and held seances with him almost daily until 1886, when the medium retired owing to poor health.  Under this influence an alliance was concluded with France.  The medium fell into trances, but also used an instrument, called a psychograph, a rotating disc moved by the fingers of the medium, to facilitate the rapid selection of letters of the alphabet, spelling out the words of a message.  This was invented by the spirits, and was subsequently adopted by other mediums.

Towards the end of the reign of Alexander III a Russian priest named John of Constadt (1821-1908) became very popular both at court, and among the people.  He was supposed to perform miracles, and certainly carried out many works of charity.  He was unable to save the life of Alexander in h is last illness.

Nicholas II (1868-1918)

Nicholas II, unknown source

Alexander's eldest son was Nicholas II (1868-1918) who succeeded on his father's death.  He and all his family were murdered by Bolsheviks in the Revolution.  The Czar and his wife the Czaritza were deeply involved in mysticism and magic.  After the failure of John of Cronstadt they called in a magus of Lyons, France, Nizier Anthelme Philippe, known as le Maitre Philippe (1849-1905).  This individual was undoubtedly a remarkable personality.  When at school a priest told him he had diabolical powers, and at the age of thirteen he performed marvellous cures.  He married in 1877 and a daughter of this marriage married a doctor interest in Kabalism, but she died at an early age.  Philippe became a medical student, but towards the end of his course of instruction news had reached the college that he was already practising occult medicine, which was regarded there as charlatanism, so he was not allowed to complete his fifth inscription.  He was subsequently allowed to open a clinic and courses of lectures at Lyons under the auspices of the Practical School of Magnetism and Massage at Paris, run by the celebrated hypnotist H. Durville, helped at times by the equally celebrated occultist and kabalist G. Encausse, otherwise known as Papus.  He was, on several occasions fined for practising medicine without a licence.

Nicholas II relies on Le Maitre Philippe

Paracelsus (1493 - 1541) was a Swiss German occultist who influenced Le Maitre Philippe

Le Maitre Philippe classified diseases, rather after the manner of Paracelsus, into three classes: those of their origin which may be (i) physical, (ii) astral and (iii) spiritual.  But in all cases he seems to have detected a kind of moral responsibility for each disease.

Main buildings of the University of Moscow (1798) where Le Maitre Philippe was educated

Philippe was called to Russia and journeyed there late in 1900.  There his faculties of clairvoyance and clairaudience, enabling him to diagnose, even at a distance, astonished and enthralled the Czar.  He predicted that a male heir to the throne would be born, and this prophecy was soon fulfilled.  Philippe finally received the honorary Doctorate in Medicine of the University of Moscow, and permission to visit the royal family without special appointment.

However opposition was raised to the magus, on the grounds that he exerted political influence over the Czar, and in 1901 he returned to Lyons, continuing there to correspond with the Russian court.  In 1903 he was in Russia again, conducting seances on a large scale and founding a Martinist lodge with the help of the Czar and the King of Denmark.  He returned to Lyons for some reason, having been given a superb automobile as a parting gift from the royal family.  In 1904 his daughter died, and this so upset him that he retired into obscurity, dying himself the next year.

Nicholas II moves to new occult experiences

Nicholas II in Coronation by Valentin Serov

Attempts were no made to interest Nicholas in Russian Orthodox mystics, or at least in Russian occultism.  For a time he held sessions with Mitia Koliaba, a dumb crippled monk who communicated only by gestures, which were interpreted by another monk, Elpifidor, or Egorov of the same monastery.  Then attention was focused on a priest calling himself Heliodorus, a learned man, supposed to work miracles, and the leader of a group considered heretical by many theologians.  He had been a friend of Philippe, and his policy was so pro-French that there was political as well as religious opposition.

Enter Rasputin

Rasputin and the Imperial couple. Anonymous caricature in 1916.

However help was coming from Siberia.  Not only so, but it was rumoured at court that the new prophet had been predicted by Philippe, so the newcomer ought to be pleasing to both parties.  Grigori Rasputin (1871-1916) was the newcomer.  He had been born in the province of Tobolsk in Western Siberia as the son of poor peasants and when he grew up worked at first as a groom.  He married and had a family, and was regarded by some as a drunkard and libertine, but nevertheless claimed to have had a vision of the Mother of God, whilst doing some farming work in a field.  Soon after this a remarkable change came over Rasputin.  He joined the sec of the Khlysty, left his wife and family and became an itinerant preacher.

Rasputin is helped by the monk-priest Iliodor and the Doctor of Tibetan Medicine, S. Badmaev

Ascetic Russian monk (1897)

In some manner, not now determinable, Rasputin had acquired tremendous hypnotic powers, and a persuasive way of reconciling the doctrines of the Khlysty with those of the Orthodox Russian Church.  Moreover he was an able speaker, with a manner that was as direct as it was uncommon.  As he wandered around the country he became known as a miracle worker.  Son he was invited among the nobility and clergy.  But two persons, particularly, who had great influence in Russia at the time, helped in greatly.  One was the monk-priest Iliodor, Russia's most famous preacher and a most vigorous opponent of Western influence in Russia and of all foreign interference.  The other was S. Badmaev, Doctor of Tibetan Medicine, one of the Czar's leading medical advisers.  The latter worked at the magical and alchemical laboratory of his elder brother in St. Petersburg, where they dispensed Tibetan medicine, otherwise unknown in the West, obtaining remarkable cures.  Badmaev studied, not only the physiology and pathology of his patients, but also their politics, which he charted carefully, and thus gave much useful information to the Czar for making state appointments.

Rasputin helps assuage the Czarevitch's hemophilia

Tsarevich Alexei (1904 - 1918) in a sailor uniform

Now it so happened that the heir to the throne, the Czarevitch, suffered from hemophilia, a disease in which slight wounds or bruises produced long and serious illness.  Owing to the illness the Czarevitch was not allowed to ride or indulge in outdoor sports of any kind, and his play was restricted.  Even Badmaev could not cure him.  One day when the child was seriously ill with the complaint, and was lying inert, apparently near death, the Czar and Scarina were persuaded to allow Rasputin to come and see the invalid.  He told the Czarevitch that there was nothing really wrong with him, that he would soon be up and about, and would be able to play all sorts of games, in particular he began to talk about horses.  The Czarevitch soon began to listen attentively and Rasputin recounted all sorts of adventures.  The child began to improve from the first interview, and whenever he had a relapse Rasputin was called in to make him better.

Rasputin's power increases

Grigori Rasputin (1869 - 1916)

Soon Rasputin acquired great power at the Russian court, and many of his friends received official appointments, both in Church and State.  As most of the newcomers were hitherto unknown and uneducated, this caused dismay.  Although Rasputin was never severe with his enemies, he and his friends were disliked by many.  He had a large following of women, and very scandalous stories were circulated.  Worst of all was the power which Rasputin seemed to possess of instantly hypnotising most of those with whom he came into contact.

Noblemen attempt to murder Rasputin

Rasputin's corpse on a sledge

Eventually a group of noblemen plotted to destroy Rasputin, whom they regarded as a menace to the security of the State.  He was invited to a party by Prince Yusupov, who had gained his confidence.  Rasputin was plied with wine, and finally given cakes containing cyanide.  The poison, however, did not work, and Rasputin was finally shot.  The Prince was banished to a remote part of Russia, and at the time of writing is living in America.

The Revolution begins and the Czar and his family are murdered

One of the last photographs taken of Nicholas II, showing him at Tsarskoye Selo after his abdication in March 1917

The Revolution began in 1917 and the Czar abdicated.  The murder of the Czar and his family took place in 1918.  There is no evidence that Rasputin had any intention of fostering revolution, but it is held by many that his extraordinary activities weakened an already tottering throne.

Source: Crow, W. B.  A Fascinating History of Witchcraft Magic & Occultism.  Hollywood, CA: Wilshire Book Company, 1968, pages 268-273.