It was not.
Rasputin ate the cakes. He drank the wine. Minutes passed. Then more.
Nothing happened.
Whether the poison was ineffective, poorly administered, or never actually present remains disputed. But according to the conspirators’ accounts, the man before them showed no sign of dying.
Panic set in.
Yusupov retrieved a pistol and shot Rasputin at close range. The mystic collapsed to the floor, apparently lifeless.
Believing the deed done, the prince left the room.
Then something happened th