'Oldest' known photograph of 'mad monk' Grigory Rasputin goes on display in Siberia

The ghostly picture was shown during a special exhibition of 'masterpieces' at the Yaroslavsky Museum of History and Culture of People of the North, Yakutsk.

Collector and owner Alexey Ivanov, a renowned culture expert in Yakutia, said: 'The picture was taken between 1880-1900. 

'This is the earliest period of the young priest's life. 

'It is quite likely to be his first photograph.'

While the exact date is not known, it is from before the time that the charismatic monk arrived in then capital St Petersburg in 1903, changing the course of Russian history. 

Red marks on the pictures show the way experts compared the image with others of Rasputin to verify its authenticity. 

Rasputin was from a peasant family in the Siberian village of Pokrovskoye, in Tyumen region, more than 3,000 kilometres west of Yakutsk. 

Once in St Petersburg he became a society figure and captivated the royals, especially Tsarina Alexandra, who viewed him as a healer, and hoped he could save crown prince Alexei, her son, who suffered from haemophilia. 

His critics saw him as a charlatan who discredited the Russian royals and helped predicate the Russian Revolution. 

He was assassinated by a group of noblemen in 1916 who were concerned at the sway he held over the tsarina.