
What the old Russians thought would happen if they died without their beard:
u/TsarOfIrony — 18 hours ago

Source: Edvard Radzinsky, Rasputin, p. 241.
The more I read about the Romanovs, the more I realize Rasputin wasn't the root of all evil - he was just a symptom. The Tsar's family was deeply superstitious and desperate for a magical figure to guide them (like Monsieur Philippe, Mitya the Blest, Papus etc). If it hadn't been Rasputin, they simply would have found another yurodivy (holy fool).