The myth

"Father" Grigori Rasputin, the "Mad Monk" who was chief adviser to the last Tsar of Russia, was assassinated by monarchists in December 1916. Because of his devil-derived magic powers (or superhuman strength, or protective insanity, or immunity to poisons) he refused to die, despite being fed a gigantic dose of cyanide, being shot at point-blank range in the back (or chest), further shot in the head and shoulders, and beaten seemingly to death by several men. He was tied up and thrown into a frozen river, in which he finally drowned - or else escaped from, subsequently freezing to death on the bank.