Grigory Rasputin rose from a humble Siberian peasant to become one of the most influential figures at the court of Tsar Nicholas II. A mystic and self-proclaimed holy man, he won the trust of the Romanov family and gained extraordinary access to power. But his growing influence, scandals and enemies at court deepened the crisis facing imperial Russia. In Rasputin and the Downfall of the Romanovs, historian Antony Beevor explores how the “mad monk” became entangled in the empire’s final collapse.

• Guest: Antony Beevor, historian
• Producer: Ali Benton