To me the most exciting part of researching and writing this book was analysing the witness statements from the Russian State Archives (GARF). Previously, authors had not in any meaningful way examined or analysed these statements. The statements of the two police officers who were on duty close to the Yusupov Palace on the night of the murder are particularly revealing. In fact, one of the officers in his statement destroys much of what Yusupov and Purishkevich, two of the main players, say about the murder. Understanding who was where and when on that fateful night and then linking this to the times that various events were meant to have occurred proves the conspiracy to pervert the course of justice committed by Yusupov and Purishkevich.
The forensics are fascinating and challenging but once you accept, which cannot now be denied by anyone, that Rasputin was shot through the forehead at contact range by a large calibre weapon, you start to see that the previous accepted version was just a tissue of lies. Of particular importance to re-investigating the case are such important details as whether it was snowing or not, whether the River Nevka was tidal and the length of the day in St Petersburg on the date of the murder. These past overlooked details were obtained easily from various organisations.
The way the book has been received by many shows that this is a ‘cold case’ review of what previously had been a grave miscarriage of the Russian justice system. As for the British SIS involvement the evidence is all there in the book including the damning Captain Alley/Major Scale ‘Dark Forces’ letter.
Richard Cullen.
Rasputin: The role of the British Secret Service in his torture and murder is out now and available to buy here.