Old Russian figure condemned puritans (8)

I believe the answer is:

rasputin

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'old russian' is the definition.
'rasputin' can be an answer for 'russian' (I have seen 'Influential Russian' mean 'rasputin' so perhaps 'russian' could also mean 'rasputin'). I'm not certain of the 'old' bit.

'figure condemned puritans' is the wordplay.
'puritans' anagrams to 'RASPUTIN'.
Though, I'm not clear how this is indicated.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for rasputin that I've seen before include "Puritans (anag) - Russian monk" , "Peasant monk" , "Russian mystic who had influence in tsar's court" , "This madman" , "Infamous Russian monk" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.