According to the Russian Book of Records, the tallest man in world history was Russian citizen Fedor Makhov! His height was 2 meters 85 centimeters (with a weight of 182 kilograms).

The correspondent of the 7 Days magazine reports that he personally saw the grave of our hero - at the Staroe Selo railway station, near Vitebsk. Today, the giant is called in the newspapers either Makhnov or Makhno. However, the text on the time-worn obelisk read:

"Fyodor Andreevich Makhnov. Born June 6, 1878. Died August 28, 1912. The tallest man in the world. He was 3 arshins 9 inches tall."

He died at the age of 35. The height indicated on the grave, corresponding to 254 centimeters by modern standards, he was in his youth, but, according to numerous testimonies, after that he grew significantly. Fedor Makhnov was born into a peasant family on a farm near the village of Kostyuki. And today, local residents can indicate the place where he was born, nicknamed the Velikanov farm.
The gifts of an amazing child appeared early. At the age of 8, the kid could lift an adult, his father taught him to play the harmonica. At the age of 12, he took the "bar" of 2 meters. I could sleep more than 24 hours in a row. A shoemaker from the nearby village of Yazvino, Vasily Orlov, left evidence of the length of the giant's foot: 51 centimeters. The palm was 31 cm. Fyodor Makhnov bent horseshoes, once one lifted the roof of a hut. His brothers Stepan and Nikolai were slightly taller than average. He developed strength talents in the circus, where he twisted spirals of iron rods, and then straightened them, smashed a brick with a fist, while lying down he raised a wooden platform on which the orchestra played. He also did wrestling. The Vitebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore contains materials that tell how Fyodor Makhnov got into the circus and about his tour of Europe and the USA. He signed a contract with entrepreneur Robert Cook (and according to another version, a local landowner Bronislav Korzhenevsky made an offer to conquer Europe to Fedor) and set off around the world. The journal "Nature and People" for 1903 placed the following note about him:

"The tallest man in the world"

The Russian giant Feodor Makhov is now unanimously recognized as one of them. At present, he has arrived with his impresario in Berlin, where he is shown in a freak show. In the Berlin Anthropological Museum, Makhov was carefully measured and weighed, and he was given a document with the following content: "Feodor Makhov, who was born in Russia, in the town of Kustyaki, Vitebsk province, has a height of 238 cent. [misprint - V.V.] and belongs to number of the tallest giants that ever existed on the globe. In many ways, he is of great interest to science. " And indeed, all the giants that have been shown so far in Europe were in most cases 12-15 sant. below Makhov.
Feodor Makhov comes from an ancient family whose ancestors moved to Russia from the south, from Syria. Makhov's parents, as well as his two sisters, are distinguished by quite normal growth; his grandfather was very tall, but in any case not a giant. Feodor Makhov is currently only 22 g. To give at least some idea of ​​the size of his body, let's say that his boot, which barely reaches the giant's knee, reaches the chest of a normal person, and a 12-year-old boy could fit in it with his head . The impresario pays Makhov 5,000 rubles a year and, in addition, maintains it at his own expense. It was only with such a huge amount of money that the impresario managed to persuade the giant to show himself in panopticons, since Makhov, an intelligent and not needy person, for a long time refused such an honor.

When the giant came on tour to St. Petersburg, the capital's reporters found out how he eats. In the morning he drank about two bottles of milk or tea, while eating a dozen and a half hard-boiled eggs and 6-8 slices of bread. At noon, he was served a kilogram of fried meat, more than a kilogram of potatoes, a kilo of bread and a bottle of beer. For lunch, I got by with a few bowls of meat soup and two bottles of beer. For dinner, Fedya ate 10 to 15 eggs and several slices of bread.

However, the entrepreneur, profiting from him, fed him poorly, he was annoyed by the hardships of nomadic life. The peasant son did not like all this, and he returned to his native station Staroe Selo. He built a farm with the money he earned. The people called the new place of residence Velikanov farm. Fedor's house has not survived to our times - it was destroyed during the war. But the villagers still call this place Giant. Here he and his wife, teacher Efrosinya Lebedeva, who was 70 centimeters shorter than him, gave birth to five children. All were tall, but no one was taller than 2 meters.

Having caught a cold while cleaning the bed of the local river Zaronovka, Fyodor Makhnov suffered from a leg disease. He died, believed to be of lung disease. But it was rumored that he was poisoned by rivals on the wrestling mat. An obituary appeared in the Russian Sport magazine announcing this unfortunate event. One of Makhnov's sons, Radimir, or, as he was also called, Rodion, studied at the Minsk Medical Institute. Once at a lecture I heard a mention of his phenomenal father. Named himself. Scientists became interested and sent through Radimir a proposal to the widow to sell a unique skeleton. For him, 5 thousand rubles were offered, and in those years it was a substantial amount. A loaf of bread, for example, then cost 14-20 kopecks. 27 years after the burial, the bones from under the monument "The Biggest Man in the World" were removed, put in a box and taken away by scientists. The coffin and the monument were returned to their original place.
The grandson of the giant, Yevgeny Nikolaevich, still keeps the memory of his ancestor: postcards, photographs, newspaper clippings ... It is from the words of the grandson that there is a version that Fedor, having moved to the farm, did not leave the performance in the circus. He often traveled to Germany with his family.

Fedor Andreevich Makhnov was the tallest man in the Russian Empire. His foot was 51 centimeters, and his palm was 32 centimeters. The young peasant weighed 182 kilograms and was reputed to be very strong. According to some reports, he was the tallest man on earth in history. His height was exactly 2 meters 85 centimeters.

Fedi's childhood

Born in a peasant family in the Staroselsky volost of the Vitebsk province (now Belarus) on June 6, 1878. His parents, as well as brothers and sisters, were taller than average, but they were not giants. Fedor, in his youth, grew to 2.5 meters. Due to the fact that the newborn was too large, his mother could not bear the difficult birth and died. The little orphan was taken in by his grandparents to be raised. But at the age of 10, the father took the grown boy back to him.
Helping his father with the housework, Fedya got stronger and hardened. Large for his age, he could easily drag a peasant cart loaded with hay up the mountain or lift an adult on a dare. Neighbors often used his abilities in the construction of houses, where he helped to lift logs.
At a young age, the boy was hired by a local landowner to clear the river of boulders. They interfered with the normal functioning of the mill.

a 12-year-old child could fit in his boot

When the young giant was 14 years old, he began to hit his head on the ceiling, he had to rebuild the hut. They were supposed to make an individual bed for Fedor, but the blacksmith delayed the execution of the order, and the boy managed to outgrow it. One day, a giant teenager, who worked part-time at the Polotsk Bazaar in Vitebsk, was seen by Otto Bilinder, the owner of a traveling circus. It is worth considering that this was the end of the 19th century, at that time the performances of miracle people were enormously popular. The German persuaded Fyodor's relatives to let him go to Germany.

he pacified his few offenders by putting their hats under the log cabins of the baths or laying them on the skates of the roofs

Work in the circus

So the young giant came to Europe. At first, Fedor studied German and, in parallel with this, mastered the circus craft. He learned to effectively unbend horseshoes, break bricks with his palm. At the age of 16, Fedor Makhnov signed a contract to work in a circus. The audience was delighted. People came to the performances not only to look at the tricks, but simply to see with their own eyes the giant, whose height was more than 2.5 meters. Fyodor Makhnov, lying down, easily lifted the platform with a small orchestra.

He performed in Germany, Great Britain and the USA, where he met with President Theodore Roosevelt.

In Europe, the giant was a real curiosity and a favorite of the public.

It is worth noting that it was difficult for him to move, since all transport, hotels, catering establishments were calculated only for people of standard sizes. After nine years of work in the circus, he returned to his native village. With the money earned, the giant bought the land and his house from the local landowner, which he rebuilt for himself. It is worth noting that Otto Bidinder always continued to help him. The circus owner and artist remained friends.

Family

Upon arrival at home, Makhnov bought the estate and rebuilt everything to fit his height. He also furnished everything with appropriate furniture. By the way, building materials were sent by the same Bilinder from Germany. later, the village in which Fedor's family lived was called "Velikanov Khutor". This is the former village of Gorbachi (now the Grodno region of Belarus).

Fedor was a very kind person, he loved his children, he was always ready to help the villagers

Some time later, Fedor married a local teacher, Efrosinya Lebedeva. Her height was more than 180 cm, but the wife still looked like a baby next to her husband. The family had five children.
When the supply of money came to an end, the giant again went to Europe, where he was met with invariable success. After the speeches, Fyodor Makhnov and his wife were invited to social events. Even there, Fedor managed to amuse the audience: he lit cigarettes directly from the chandeliers. Several times for hooliganism or non-compliance with the contract, the police tried to arrest him. But every time Makhnov was released, because there was simply no cell in which he would fit.

Giant food

Each meal consisted of several kilograms of food, and Makhnov could sleep for as long as 24 hours. The giant's food was 4 times a day. For example, breakfast was a set of 8 round loaves of bread and butter, 20 eggs and 2 liters of tea. Lunch was 1 kg of potatoes, 2.5 kg of meat and 3 liters of beer. Dinner consisted of 2.5 kg of meat, 3 loaves of bread, 2 liters of tea and a bowl of fruit. And before going to bed, he was served 1 more loaf of bread, 15 eggs and 1 liter of tea or milk.

Body parameters

His foot was 51 centimeters, and his palm was 32 centimeters. The young peasant weighed 182 kilograms and was reputed to be very strong. According to some reports, he was the tallest man on earth in history. His height was exactly 2 meters 85 centimeters. And despite the fact that the official world record is 2 meters 72 centimeters (American Robert Wadlow).

Death

Fedor Andreevich died on August 28 (September 10), 1912, at the age of 34. Presumably from a lung disease, although there are other versions. Someone said that the giant was poisoned by rivals or envious people, but no evidence of this is given. He was buried in a churchyard outside the village of Gorbachi. In 1939, his ashes were removed for scientific research. But the coffin and the monument were left in the same form. On the obelisk you can still read: “Fyodor Andreevich Makhnov. Born June 6, 1878. Died August 28, 1912. The tallest man in the world. He was 3 arshins 9 inches tall.

3 arshins 9 inches are 254 centimeters, this figure was taken from the contract of 16-year-old Fedor. But after 16 years, Fedor Makhnov continued to grow and, presumably, could add another 31 cm, reaching 285 cm. The giant's wife, Efrosinya, wanted to correct the wrong indicator on the monument, but she was prevented by the First World War, which began soon, and then the revolution. Unfortunately, no official confirmation of such a gigantic growth has been preserved. There is a version that 285 cm is an indicator that was indicated on posters and was taken taking into account the Cossack hat and high-heeled boots. These elements of clothing were certainly used during Fedor's performances. The only reliable source that allows us to judge the growth of the giant are lifetime photographs. However, comparing Fedor on them with other objects of known height shown in the images, we can conclude that, at least at the time of shooting, the giant's height did not exceed 240 cm. since he was on tour in Europe, the organizers may well have exaggerated his growth. According to other sources, Fedor's height was 239 cm.
On June 26, 2010 in Vitebsk, the Vitebsk City Executive Committee and the newspaper "Vitbichi" organized an Open City Competition for the highest person in memory of Fyodor Makhnov "Vitebsk Giant". Aleksey Andreyanov from Vitebsk became the winner of the competition among men, 208 cm tall. Among women, Natalya Rusanova turned out to be the tallest - 197.5 cm.

• Fedor managed to bring many innovations to the village economy. Almost the first in the district, he actively began to use machines related to agriculture, which he bought in Germany.
• When traveling on a steamer across the Atlantic, I had to remake the cabin of the steamer under Fedor.
• The Makhnov family visited almost all European countries. They were even in the Vatican and communicated with the Pope himself. According to family tradition, he gave his golden cross to the daughter of the tallest man in the world.

Photo of the tallest man in the Russian Empire

1 of 10

Fedor Andreevich Makhnov - the tallest man in the world in history

Fyodor Andreevich Makhnov at one time was known to almost the whole world. The fact is that he was the tallest man. With a weight of 182 kilograms, his height was 285 centimeters, and a 12-year-old child could easily fit in his boot.

Fyodor Makhnov was born on June 6 (old style) 1878 in the village of Kostyuki, Vitebsk district (now Belarus) into a poor family. The Makhnov family was taller than average, but not giants. Fedor's mother died during childbirth, the child turned out to be very large. The grandfather took up the upbringing of the boy.

At first, Fedor Makhnov developed like an ordinary child, but by the age of eight he began to grow rapidly. At the age of 12, his height already reached two meters. His foot was 51 centimeters, and his palm was 32 centimeters. His strength was also proportional to his height - he could easily lift an adult or pull a hay cart uphill. The landowner Korzhenevsky hired a young hero to clear the river of boulders that interfered with the operation of the water mill.

When Fedor turned 14, due to his abnormal growth, he even had to rebuild the hut. The children laughed at him because of his height, in response the giant hung their hats on the ridge of the roof or barn.

One day, the owner of a wandering circus, Otto Bidinder, noticed a young giant in the market in Vitebsk, where Fedor worked part-time to earn money for clothes and shoes that were made to order for him. At that time, unusual people were very popular, so Otto persuaded Fyodor's relatives to let the young man go to Germany.

First, Fedor Makhnov studied German and circus art. At the age of 16, the young man signed a contract to work in the circus. Fedor smashed bricks with the edge of his palm, unbent horseshoes, and lying down he could lift a platform with a small orchestra. But for the most part, people came to performances to see the real giant with their own eyes - by the age of 25, Makhnov had grown to 2 meters 85 centimeters.

The giant's food also corresponded to such dimensions. For breakfast, he ate an omelette of 20 eggs, 8 loaves of bread and two liters of tea, for lunch - two and a half kilograms of meat and the same number of potatoes. And Makhnov could sleep for more than 24 hours.

Makhnov gave nine years to work in the circus and became a wealthy person. At the beginning of the 20th century, he moved to his native land, where he bought the land of the landowner Korzhenevsky, and remade the estate to fit his height and named it Velikanovo. Bidinder sent materials for construction from Germany. Makhnov maintained friendly relations with Otto Bidinder until the end of his life.

Despite his considerable fortune and good disposition, the giant could not find a mate for a long time. As a result, he married a village teacher Efrosinya Lebedeva. The girl was taller than average, but still a meter shorter than her husband. The wife gave birth to Fedor five children.

Sometimes Fyodor Makhnov went to work in Europe - he performed in circuses. And his popularity hasn't waned. Often he was invited to social events, where he managed to amuse the guests by lighting cigarettes from the chandelier. Trips were difficult for Makhnov: transport, hotels and restaurants did not correspond to the growth of the giant.

Fedor Makhnov died in 1912 at the age of 34. The cause of death is not exactly known. Fedor was buried in a cemetery in the village of Kostyuki.

On the stone tombstone is written: “Fyodor Andreevich Makhnov. Born June 6, 1878. Died August 28, 1912. The tallest man in the world. He was 3 arshins 9 inches tall. In fact, the height is indicated incorrectly: the value of 3 arshins 9 inches (254 centimeters), which is 30 centimeters less than the actual one, was taken from the contract that Fyodor Makhnov concluded at the age of 16.

In pre-revolutionary Russia, the whole planet knew him. He was a real giant. His height was 285 cm. This record has not yet been challenged. They say that despite his colossal size, he was known as a good-natured and soft-hearted person. He was an exemplary family man and raised his five heirs. According to rumors, the birch that he once planted still grows. According to some reports, fans even want to erect a monument to him. We are talking about Fedor Makhnov - the tallest man in the whole world ...

Makhnov was raised by his grandfather

Fedor Andreevich Makhnov, whose height was 285 centimeters, was born in the summer of 1878 in the village of Kostyuki, near Vitebsk. The future giant came from an ancient family. His ancestors moved to the Russian Empire from the Syrian lands. The parents and sisters of the protagonist of our story differed in absolutely normal growth. His grandfather was quite tall, but by no means a giant.

The first child of the family was very large, but three months after birth, he died. Then Fedor himself appeared. His mother died immediately after giving birth.

Papa Fyodor did not grieve for long and married again. They had two more children of their own. Everything would be nice, but Fedor began to grow very quickly. What can I say, even on the stove there was no place for him. It was for this reason that the grandfather of the future giant took him to him.

Gulliver's childhood

At the age of 8-10, Fedor Andreevich Makhnov was already able to lift an adult man. He also always won a bet when he pulled a cart loaded with hay uphill. Accordingly, the villagers periodically began to call him to help with the housework. Either he lifted logs when the inhabitants began to build their huts, then he was engaged in other similar matters.

When he was twelve, Fyodor Makhnov's height was already two meters. By the way, he could sleep for more than a day.

According to the memoirs, the tallest man in the world was good-natured and cheerful. He practiced the harmonica, played with the local children, who hid in Fyodor's felt boots. Well, if he was offended, he could take off the hats from the "offenders" and hide them under the log cabins of sheds and baths, or, say, hang them on the ridge of the roof.

At some time, due to his great growth, the hut was rebuilt by raising the ceilings. And the blacksmith made an individual bed. But very soon, Fedor Andreevich Makhnov outgrew this couch.

Meeting with the director of the Berlin circus

While still a child, Makhnov Fedor (Russian giant) began to earn. So, having learned about his unprecedented opportunities, the local landowner decided to hire him to clear the Zaronovka River flowing nearby from large boulders. They seriously interfered with the proper running of the water mill. Makhnov did his job, but while working in the icy water, he caught a cold, chilling his legs. The doctors diagnosed him with rheumatism. In fact, he later died from it. But that was much later.

Shoeing and dressing the giant, who was still growing, was quite problematic. Of course, everything was made for him by special order and not free of charge. To earn money, Fedor and his grandfather came to Vitebsk and sold their products in the market. On one of his visits to the city, he was noticed by the director of the traveling circus, Otto Bilinder. At that time, his troupe was just touring. Being a German, the owner of the circus invited the giant to go to work in Berlin - to perform in the circus arena. Bilinder swore to his grandfather that he would put shoes on and dress Fyodor. In addition, he promised that the boy with his abilities would be able to earn a lot of money and then be able to support and help the whole family.

So the fourteen-year-old Fyodor Makhnov went to conquer Europe.

First contract

Since Fedor Andreevich had only a three-year education, Bilinder hired teachers. He was taught not only literacy, but also the German language. Bilinder himself began to teach Fedor the basics of circus art. Two years later, that is, when the boy turned sixteen, he signed the first contract in his life and began performing in the arena.

The bet in his speeches was made, of course, on power numbers. Young Makhnov easily bent and unbent horseshoes. And with one hand. He broke bricks with the edge of his palm, twisted metal rods into a spiral, raised a platform with people.

In addition, wrestling tournaments were enormously popular in all circuses at that time. Well-known world-class wrestlers also took part in them, among which were such strong men as Poddubny and Zaikin. The tallest man in the world, Fedor Andreevich Makhnov, also took part in such competitions. Alas, he did not become a great fighter. The reason was primarily a chronic illness, which he earned in the Zaronovka River. However, as soon as he appeared in the arena, the audience immediately began to applaud him. By this time, his height had reached 2 meters 85 cm.

In a word, Bilinder's circus became popular. Its owner got rich, as, in fact, Fedor Makhnov, the tallest man in the world. One day he came to his village for a visit. As a sign of recognition and respect, he gave his grandfather an excellent suit with patent leather boots. In those days, for the villagers it was a real wealth.

Makhnov bought the estate of his landowner

For nine years, Makhnov worked as a circus performer. Of course, he became a wealthy person, but his growth brought only trouble. Any move was given to him very hard. Hotels, catering establishments, transport did not count on its dimensions at all. It was because of this that at the beginning of the twentieth century, Fedor decided to return to his homeland, to his native village.

Upon his return, the tallest man in the world, Fedor Andreevich Makhnov, thought about his own spacious house. Fortunately, the landowner Korzhenevsky at that time settled in France, and therefore his mansion with land was empty. As a result, Makhnov bought the estate and rebuilt everything to fit his height. He also furnished everything with appropriate furniture. By the way, building materials were sent by the same Bilinder from Germany.

When everything was ready, Makhnov renamed the estate Velikanovo.

Long-awaited marriage

By this time, Fedor Makhnov decided to marry. Of course, the search for a bride was difficult. Not every girl was ready to become his wife. The priest and the doctor who examined him talked to the giant.

The fact is that the growth of Fedor Makhnov was considered a disease. And when the doctor said that all his organs were in perfect order, and he himself was quite suitable for a full-fledged family life, a bride was also found. Her name was Efrosinya Lebedeva. She worked in a rural school and was two years younger than Fedor. Also, Efrosinya was quite tall, but still inferior to the groom by almost one meter.

As a result, the wedding took place. And in 1903, the first-born daughter Masha appeared in the Makhnov family. Following her, an heir was born - son Nikolai. A few years later they had three more children. By the way, the height of the heirs never reached more than two meters.

The Makhnov family lived in harmony and love, together. Euphrosinia Lebedeva became Fedor Andreevich's companion for life. Makhnov was a very kind man, he loved his children. He was always ready to help the villagers, for which they all respected him.

Also, on occasion, the tallest man in the world went to various wrestling tournaments in order to replenish the family budget. Of course, he periodically performed in the circus arena, demonstrating his abilities in various Russian cities. And from Germany, invitations continued to come back to their native circus ...

Foreign tour

As a result, the Makhnov family went to the German capital. The strong man continued to amaze the audience in the circus, and his wife began working there - she was a cashier. The inhabitants of Germany were ready to fulfill any whim of the giant. So, in the middle of winter, Fedor urgently wanted strawberries. It was delivered to him right away.

Then there was his meeting with the Chancellor of Germany. When everyone began to dine, a rather large and beautiful tea set was placed in front of Fyodor. But he asked to give him an ordinary mug.

After working in a German circus, a French contract followed. As a result, the Makhnov family moved to Paris. Once there was a skirmish with several residents of the capital. The law enforcement officers were going to send Fyodor Andreevich Makhnov to the police station, but they could not find the appropriate cell. The police had to limit themselves to a moralizing conversation.

In general, during this period, the Makhnov family visited almost all European countries. They were even in the Vatican and communicated with the Pope himself. According to family tradition, he gave his golden cross to the daughter of the tallest man in the world. At receptions, the giant Fyodor Makhnov, without hesitation, lit cigarettes from candles that were on the upper tiers of chandeliers. Accordingly, he unwittingly extinguished them.

The family of Fyodor Andreevich Makhnov was also in the United States. True, in order to cross the Atlantic, the ship's cabin had to be redone. While in the United States, Makhnov's wife found herself in a position. The American authorities offered her to give birth to them. But this greatly alarmed Fedor. As a result, he decided to send his wife home, while he himself remained.

Meanwhile, the German Aesculapius offered him to sign another expensive contract. According to him, after his death, the corpse of Fyodor Andreevich should be left to the doctors for the purpose of studying. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, because of this contract, Makhnov began to fear for his life. Therefore, he decided to urgently return to Europe.

And interest in his personality steadily continued to grow.

For breakfast, Makhnov could swallow two dozen eggs.

So, even in Paris, French scientists managed to measure the length of the palms and feet of the giant - 35 cm and 51, respectively. They were surprised.

The newspapers said that a twelve-year-old teenager could fit in Fyodor Andreevich Makhnov's boot.

Makhnov's head turned out to be very small with such a large body. Accordingly, all this gave him a rather ridiculous look.

As for food, he had four meals a day. True, an average family could feed on breakfast alone. In the morning he ate twenty eggs and several loaves of butter. He also drank almost two liters of tea. When lunch came, he ate about 2.5 kilograms of meat, a kilo of potatoes and three liters of beer. For dinner - again meat, bread, tea and a large bowl of fruit. Before going to bed, he was able to drink one liter of milk and eat fifteen eggs.

Homecoming

When the tallest man in the world, Fyodor Makhnov, again ended up in Europe, his illness again worsened, which was earned in childhood. It became more difficult for him to walk.

An old friend Bilinder wanted to help him and sent a heavyweight horse. But the problem remained unresolved. The giant's lower limbs dragged along the ground as he mounted his horse. Therefore, the main means of transportation was still a troika.

Meanwhile, the news came that Fyodor had twins. Upon learning of this, he decided to terminate the contract and urgently returned home. Although even before that he was going to visit Australia. In fact, many plans were completely broken.

So, returning to his homeland, Makhnov intended to open a small enterprise. On it, he was going to give work to all his relatives. But he didn't make it.

Also, the head of the Vitebsk province was going to give him the title of nobility. But because of his illness, and then because of his death, this did not happen.

But Fedor managed to bring many innovations to the economy. Almost the first in the district, he actively began to use machines related to agriculture. He bought them from Germany, and sent them to the same Bilinder. In addition, he managed to take up horse breeding.

Compatriots came to Fyodor from all over the district. Of course, they mostly came with requests for help. According to his recollections, he never refused - he gave money, then food, then cattle.

All this ended when the chronic ailment aggravated once again.

Death of Gulliver

In 1912, Fedor Makhnov (height 285 centimeters and a chronic illness made themselves felt) finally fell ill. He began to experience terrible pain in his legs and stopped walking. According to the memoirs, he did not let go of his wife, he always wanted her to be near. Only she trusted to smear terrible wounds on the joints. But these ointments and medicines did not help.

Before his death, Otto Bilinder, the same director of the circus, also arrived. He suggested that he book a place in the Berlin churchyard. He was also ready to make a monument out of marble. But Fedor refused, saying that he would be buried only in the village cemetery. And so it happened.

According to eyewitnesses, a huge number of residents and his fans came to say goodbye to the giant. And the prestigious publication "Russian Sport" decided to publish an obituary that announced his death.

Life after death

After his death, there were rumors that Makhnov had been poisoned. The killers were rivals on the wrestling mat. But no one will know about it.

In the mid-30s, Fyodor's son Rodion studied at a medical institute in the capital of Belarus. It was then that he was asked to sell his father's skeleton. They say his mother agreed to this dubious offer and received five thousand rubles.

According to rumors, the giant's skeleton was then within the walls of the anatomical museum of the medical institute. And when the fascist invaders occupied Minsk, this unique exhibit was lost. According to some testimonies, the Gauleiter of the Belarusian capital V. Kube took him. He was proud of him and allegedly even received an award for it. After all, it is known that Nazi scientists dreamed of creating a new Aryan supernation. And among these "new people" there must have been giants. That is, such as a tall peasant from the Velikanovo farm ... You can see the photo of Fyodor Makhnov in the article.