Grigori Rasputin, noted advisor to the Russian royal family, died on December 30, 1916. He was 47 years old. Rasputin was born in 1869 in the Siberian village of Pokrovskoye. He first achieved fame for his abilities as a faith healer and spiritual adviser, but rose in stature after Tsar Nicholas II asked him to become an advisor to the Russian royal family. Rasputin's influence on the royal family was both praised and reviled. Regardless of his successes and failures, his reputation as a mysterious man with eclectic religious beliefs and powerful sway over the royal family were undeniable. At the time of his death, Rasputin was still a divisive figure in the heart of the Russian monarchy. He will be remembered for his life-changing contributions to Russian politics, but also remembered for the controversy that surrounded it.