Tsar Nicholas II at the Dvinsk District, 1916

Amid the chaos of World War I, Nicholas II of Russia entrusted the affairs of his kingdom to the enigmatic figure of Rasputin, a move that would prove disastrous. As Rasputin’s influence grew, so did civil and political unrest, culminating in Nicholas’s forced abdication on March 2, 1917. Despite widespread rumors of Rasputin’s negative impact on the royal family, Nicholas remained oblivious to the brewing discontent.

In a tragic turn of events, Rasputin was assassinated by a group of Russian nobles, yet the damage had been done. Nicholas’s abdication marked the beginning of the end for the Romanov dynasty, with the ultimate fate of his family sealed by their tragic execution a year later.