MONK THE CZARINA LOVED.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, Issue 17690, 2 July 1927, Page 3

MONK THE CZARINA LOVED.

♦ RASPUTIN’S DAUGHTER. Sophia Rasputin, the pretty and talontou daughter ol Gregory Rasputin, the monk who'played such a prominent part in the history of Russia 'just belorc tile revolution, and was filially lulled by Prince Youssoupoit, is dedicating the rest of her life to works of ,piety and charity. She plans to follow the career ot an evangelist without giving up me professions in which she has already won considerable success —those of dancing, acting, and singing. Alias Rasputin indignantly resented the idea that her pledging of herself to works of piety and charity is an elfort to oiler atonement ior what many think were the crimes of licr father. In ills daughter’s mmd Gregory Rasputin is a saint. "Aly father was- spoiled by the Czarina, who fell in love with him and proposed that lie should marry her inorganatically,” says Sophia Rasputin. "Since the Czar was in love vitn another woman, the Czarina found, solace in my lather’s teaching that love, when spontaneous and sincere, was a religious sentiment. "The fact that the Czarina was preparing to become the morganatic wife of mv father was not generally known. Abundant evidence that this was her

plan is to be found in her private diary. "I met the Czarina and. her daughters, being presented to them as a member of the family. ‘Sophia, my child,’ or ‘Sophia, my sister,’ is how I was addressed by the Czarina and her daughters. The Czarina told me that in one more year I would live in the palace and be member of the family. Aliss Rasputin lived some years quietcape from Pctrograd when the fury of the revolutionists was turned against everybody connected with the Court. ,AVith about two thousand roubles in ’gold in her possession, she was. able to bribe her way to Riga. From there she vent to Nice, where her father had bought a villa with the Czarina s money. . , Aliss Rasputin lived some yars quietly at Nice, where she still has a modest villa. It was there that she started to prepare herself for the stage by studying drama, dancing, and music. one made a debut in Rome, and was hailed as a marvellous actress and ballerina. Later she played in cinema pictures an France and Germany, under the name of Sophia Gregorieva. , Aliss Rasputin declares that her father dictated the policy of Russia for the last five years of the monaichy. The Czar and" the Czarina never hesitated to do what lie asked them to do. "AVhen the body of my father was found in the frozen Neva River, says Aliss Rasputin, “the Czarina hurried to the morgue and took the body m her own motor car to the chapel, wiereshe wept over it day and night until it vas f GW wee l cs after the death of my father I was taken to the palace. The Czarina kissed me and told me tlmt she considered mo her adopted child, and would cave for me as if I was liei own daughter. It was then that she told me: ‘I loved your father as I ncvei

loved another man, and we were to have been married next