What was so unusual about Rasputin's death?

Rasputin, a Siberian-born muzhik, or peasant, who underwent a religious conversion as a teenager and proclaimed himself a healer with the ability to predict the .... The pair had run away together in July 1814, but because Shelley was already married they were unable to marry for two years, until the death of Shelley's wife. read more

There is some controversy about Rasputin's death and some accounts are probably ficitonal. Greg King's 1996 book "The Man Who Killed Rasputin" said that Khionia Guseva attacked Rasputin on June 29, 1914. read more

Adding another layer of mystery to Rasputin's death, his body was found with his right arm outstretched, presumably to make the sign of the cross, indicating that he was still alive when he hit the water and managed to partially free himself [source: Wilson]. read more