21. A Hypnotic Stare
Rasputin’s most prominent feature was the penetrating stare of his piercing blue eyes, often described by those who experienced it as magnetic and hypnotic. As one noblewoman put it: “What eyes he has! You cannot endure his gaze for long. There is something difficult in him, it is like you can feel the physical pressure, even though his eyes sometimes glow with kindness, but how cruel can they be and how frightful in anger…” Rumors followed Rasputin since an early age, and at age ten, it was said he could read minds and heal the sick. Growing up, he developed a taste for theft, alcohol, and carnal activities. He joined a heretical sect that had splintered off from the Russian Orthodox Church. He then splintered off from it to form his own cult, whose members had to experience sin to become one with the Divine.
