<WMD: <Frustrated by their inability to break down the walls built by Nicholas and Alexandra, some members of the Romanov family took events into their own hands. How many of the Romanovs were involved in the actual plotting to assassinate Rasputin will never be known for certain. What is widely accepted is that the Tsar's cousin, Grand Duke Dimitri Pavlovich and Prince Felix Youssoupov, husband of Nicholas II's niece Princess Irina Alexandrovna of Russia, were among the leaders of the plot to strike against Rasputin. The monk, always frustrated by the Romanov's opposition to his role in Russia, was invited by Youssoupov to attend an evening gathering at his vast Petrograd palace. Felix promised Rasputin that his wife Irina would be there to greet him. The monk fell in the trap and willingly arrived at the Youssoupov palace in the evening of December 16, 1916. He did not survive the evening.

Several excellent books recount in detail the events that took place at the Youssoupov palace, among them Greg King's "The Man Who Killed Rasputin," Alex de Yonge's "Rasputin," Robert K. Massie's monumental "Nicholas and Alexandra," and Prince Felix Youssoupov's "Lost Splendour." During the fateful last evening of Rasputin's life, the conspirators drugged, poisoned, beat and shot him. Yet the staretz survived all these and actually died by drowning when his body, wrapped in a carpet was thrown into the Moika Canal on the Neva River.>

http://www.eurohistory.com/Rasputin...

More likely he's related to the chief suspect in Rasputin's murder.>

I don't know whether Artur Yusupov has any connection to the House of Princes Yusupov and I doubt it a lot. But on the other hand above mentioned Prince Felix Yusupov (and all other Princes and Princesses Yusupov) has common ancestry with Princes Urusov including Prince Sergey Semenovich Urusov and his brother Dmitri Semenovich Urusov.

<What are your favourite pastimes, your main interests outside chess?

I like music and movies. Both classical music and some pop and rock music. Bands like Dire Straits or singers like Stevie Wonder. Of the classical composers I like Mozart, Tchaikovsky and some music by Brahms. I usually bring records and videos from my travels and I have a good collection of them.

What films do you prefer?

I can give you some of my favourite films, Amadeus, Cabaret, The French Lieutenant's Woman, A Passage to India. On the hotel's video circuit they showed Gandhi, a video I also have at home.

Do you also read the books if these films are based on novels?

Yes, that helps me to study my English. I try to read as much as possible in English because two of my favourite writers are English, John Fowles and William Golding. Fowles wrote The French Lieutenant's Woman and many other books. I learned English in school, but I'm trying to improve it. I need to learn English, not only as a chess player, but also because I am very much interested in English culture.

Do you mean English culture or English and American?

English and American, yes. There are great American films as well. I am also very fond of musicals. Like My Fair Lady.

Did you see the musical Chess?

No, but I heard the soundtrack. There was some good music in it.

Do you also listen to Soviet pop music?

No, I don't, but we have singers, in Russian we call them bards, and I like their songs very much. Such singers as Bulad Okudzhava and Vladimir Vysotsky. They don't play traditional music, but simple songs accompanied on guitar, with nice lyrics that are worth listening to.

The other day a novel by the Soviet detective writer Semyonov appeared in an English translation for the first time. Do you like him?