About the Author
Self Portrait
My name is Delin Colón. I was born in New Jersey and have lived in Maryland, D.C., Florida, California (northern and southern), Montreal and Washington state. My undergraduate work was in French, with a minor in Social Psychology, and my graduate work was in Clinical Psychology. Among many other things (such as working in psychiatric hospitals) , I’ve been a technical writer for Sociological Abstracts, a researcher, and owner of a construction company.
I’ve always enjoyed writing but seem to have a special affinity for research and non-fiction. I also enjoy creating minimalistic collage art. I live quietly in the Pacific Northwest with my husband, a fine art photographer.
Gates of Eden by Charles Degelman
The Accidental Anarchist
Rasputin and The Jews 
Dear Delin,
I am your distant relative, descendant of Simanovich line. My name is Semyon Linovich.
My grandfather, also Semyon Linovich by name, accordingly to his second wife’s memories, lived in Aron Simanovich family and was his business partner. She told me that personally. Many researchers (that point of view presents also in your book) think that he was elder son of Aron Simanovich, which is impossible, because Simanovich was 43 y.o. by that time, his wife 39, and my grandfather 28.
I believe that your grandfather Harry Linovich was brother of my grandfather Semyon Linovich, and thus, we – you and me – are second cousins.
I am a businessman since the beginning of 90’s, founder of the biggest printing complex in Moscow, founder of two publishing houses, owner of the biggest center of Russian Arts and Crafts.
I am ready to invest in possible future publications of these research works, including the comments of leading historians to the Simanovich’s book “Rasputin and the Jews” and your works.
I have an idea to open an affiliate of the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center in the former appartment of Grigory Rasputin in Saint Petersburgh which is now in awful state.
I will be happy to make personal acquaintance with you in Moscow or in Israel. I am a citizen of this country too.
Besides, it could be Montenegro, where I also have a residence😊
Sincerely yours
Semyon Linovich
Hello Delin, I was referred to your blog because I’ve been wanting to write a investigative post about his death. I’ve read as much as I could find on the internet about this subject, but have been reluctant to write the post as of yet. Do you have or could you send me in the right direction to find better information about this. As I read about him I began to realize the media has been very bent when it comes to getting unbiased information. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Hi. I think the most definitive work written about Rasputin’s death is a book by Margarita Nelipa, a Russian doctor who reviewed the autopsy info and physician statements. The conclusion was that he died of a gunshot to the head, not by drowning. The poison in the cakes were ineffective because Rasputin didn’t eat sweets, but he was a bit affected by the poison in his wine. Irina Yussupov was not present at the time, but was out of town, contrary to some accounts.
Why should I read about Grigory Rasputin, if my veins flow of his blood – the soul? Silin Vlad Khabarovsk
Hello, Vladimir. To answer your question, certainly there’s no life-changing necessity to read the book. However, Rasputin’s great great granddaughter who lectures about him found the book of interest. I think the interest lies primarily in dispelling so many of the untruths about him. So few books show the spirit of the man without the propaganda. Another book, written by a close friend of Rasputin’s great great granddaughter, will be coming out within the year, too. It will join the ranks of those authors who show how a progressive humanitarian can be brought down (scapegoated) by an oppressive regime, and then blamed for all of that regime’s problems.
Thank you for visiting the site.
Glad to meet you. Let us be friends. Vladimir Silin. Khabarovsk
Absolutely, Vladimir, let us be friends. Wonderful to meet you, too!
Delin, I think I forgot to tell you that I am Absolutely Blown Away by those links you sent me via LinkedIn. Thank you again BIG bunches!
Delin, I just nominated your blog for an award. If nothing else, it’s great exposure, and even if you don’t want to follow the contest rules so you can win, it’s great exposure. Check it out at:
http://www.vivian-hadleigh.com/blog
Many thanks, Vivian. I’ll check it out.
Dear Delin,
It is possible that we are related, though not enough of the pieces of information overlap to be certain. There is a family tradition in my mother’s family about a rich great (great)-uncle named Simanovich who lived in Kiev and met Rasputin on a train, played cards with him, and lent him money. My relatives were from Mozyr and the nearby town Kalinkovich, and they bore two family names, Simanovich and Feigelman. (As was the practice, I think the childless Feigelmans “adopted” a Simanovich boy so he wouldn’t be snatched away as a child to serve in the Russian Army.) Another part of the family story is that when the rich relative died, he left 6 million rubles to his brother (my great great grandfather, known as Zede Leib), and authorities came to town seeking proof, or perhaps to disprove the connection. They required Zede Leib to have his picture taken, to which he reluctantly consented, but then realized that he was photographed hatless. A head covering was superimposed on the photograph (I have a copy of this picture, which is the only one we have of Zede Leib). At any rate he never saw any part of the 6 million rubles.This would seem to have occurred pre-revolution. There also was a family visit to the U.S. at some point, perhaps in the 1970s by a French woman named Micheline, who I think was related to Simanovich.. I have yet to read your book, though I intend to do so. I did look into Simanovich myself some time ago, via secondary sources and the French translation, but couldn’t get any further at reconciling the family story and the historical record. I’d be happy to correspond further privately.
Fascinating! My husband’s family is from New Jersey, and he is a videographer. Research, too, is a special interest of mine. My fiction tends to be quite research-heavy. Sounds like we have a few things in common.