Description:

Rasputin Grigori

Rasputin, Letter of Recommendation for Starving Unemployed Man

1p ALS in Russian inscribed overall and signed by Siberian holy man Grigory Rasputin (1869-1916) as "Rasputin" in Cyrillic letters at bottom. The letter is undated, but probably dates from the period of Rasputin's greatest influence, circa 1905-1916. At the top of the letter, Rasputin has drawn a cross, suggesting that he is a mouthpiece of God or Messiah. On cream blue-lined paper. Expected paper folds and weathering. Else near fine. 5.125" x 8.125". We Estimate less than a dozen exist in private hands having sold for as much as $30,000 for comparable letters.

Translated in full, with unchanged spelling and punctuation. Rasputin did not receive a formal education and was likely illiterate until adulthood, both factors which explain his awkwardness with the language. 

"Dear,

 

I'm sorry for inconvenience. Starving. Help him feel better. Give him a job.

 

Rasputin."

Rasputin's reputation as a faith healer grew during a period when Russia rediscovered its own interest in mysticism. His personal magnetism--which may have been intensified through actual hypnosis--proved irresistible to Russia's turn-of-the-century elite, and ensured his entrée into imperial circles. Rasputin became intimate with the Romanovs after his successful ministration of the hemophiliac Tsarevich Alexei.

Yet Rasputin's image of holiness was complicated by the man himself. Besides gaining notoriety through excessive drinking and promiscuity, Rasputin accepted favors and bribes in exchange for lobbying on behalf of supplicants. In this way, dozens would queue in front of his apartment, begging for work, letters of recommendation, or special dispensations. It is quite possible that our letter was the result of one such arrangement. Rasputin's influence extended even into government; as a trusted advisor to Nicolas II and Alexandra, he managed to promote his favorites and sabotage his critics.

Rasputin was assassinated in late December 1916 by a pro-royalist faction of aristocrats. The men feared the extent of Rasputin's influence, an influence which is on full display in this remarkable letter.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.


After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item.Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000