The tallest man in the Russian Empire is Fedor Makhnov. Fedor Makhnov - the tallest man on the planet at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, (8 photos) Fedor Makhnov is the tallest man

21.04.2020

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.

In 1905, a note was published about him: “To have an idea of the extraordinary growth of this giant, it is enough to say that boots with tops that barely reach his knees reach the waist of an ordinary mortal, and a 12-year-old boy can fit in them completely free with your head. A silver ruble passes through the ring that the giant wears on his index finger.

And in December 1906, the St. Petersburg newspapers wrote: “The other day, the Russian giant Fedor Makhnov, who is 2 meters 68 cm tall, has arrived in St. Petersburg and will be shown in one of the auditoriums, which height has not yet been seen in any part of the globe” ...

By that time, the Russian giant had already managed to turn into a “world famous living exhibit”, and this fabulous exclusivity was not comparable to the short life that this amazing person lived.

In tsarist Russia, the peasant Fyodor Makhnov was called the Russian giant. Despite the quite decent growth of his parents and two brothers, the growth and size of the young Fedor were impressive - already in his youth he was about 2.5 meters. The length of his foot was 51 cm, the length of the palm was 31 cm. At the same time, he weighed 182 kg and was extremely strong.

At that time, Fedor was considered not only the tallest man in the Russian Empire, but also the tallest man who ever lived on Earth. His height, according to unofficial data, was 285 centimeters. And the officially recognized record is 272 cm. It belongs to the American Robert Wadlow. It is the growth of the American giant that is considered to this day undoubted and recognized, listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

Fedor Andreevich Makhnov, a native of the small village of Kostyuki near Vitebsk, was born on June 6, 1878.

The boy was the firstborn in an ordinary peasant family. Fedor's mother soon dies after a difficult birth. The newborn was too big. The child was taken in by the grandparents.

Until the age of 8, Fedor's growth did not cause much surprise and did not differ much from the growth of his peers. However, after that it began to grow "prohibitively" quickly.

Fedya grew up as a very strong boy.

At the age of 10, the father took the grown boy 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.

The local landowner Korzhenevsky, having learned about the abilities of the young strong man, hired him to clean the nearby Zaronovka River from boulders that interfered with the operation of the water mill. Prolonged work in very cold water played a very unfavorable role in Fedor's life. He caught a cold, and the illnesses that followed later made themselves felt for the rest of Makhnov's life.

By the age of 14, a 2-meter young man ceased to fit in the house.

Because of this, my father had to build up walls on several crowns. The local blacksmith was ordered to make an individual bed, but he, overloaded with work, made it all summer. In the end, it turned out that Fedya had outgrown this bed as well.

It was problematic to dress and shoe a tall guy. Everything was made to order. Money for clothes had to be earned in Vitebsk at the Polotsk Bazaar. It was there that the German Otto Bilinder, who owned a traveling circus, noticed an unusual teenager. Being a business man, he quickly realized the prospects of this man in his troupe, and persuaded his father to let Fedor go with the circus. Bilinder undertook to take over all the content of the guy, and in addition he promised that Fedor with his data would be able to make good money and help his family.

It didn’t take long to persuade his father, and the 14-year-old boy went to conquer Europe with his abilities. Otto Bilinder took custody of Fedor. First, for an illiterate guy, he hired teachers who taught him German. Otto took over the teaching of circus art. Fedor's training lasted almost two years. When he was 16 years old, a contract was signed with him for performances. So Fedor Makhnov became a circus artist.

Makhnov became a circus artist. The bet in his performances was made on power numbers. More than two and a half meters tall, the giant bent iron horseshoes with one hand, smashed bricks with a blow of his hand, twisted metal rods into a spiral, and then straightened them again.

Particularly successful were the numbers when he, lying on his back, raised a wooden platform with an orchestra of three musicians.
In those days, Greco-Roman (classical) wrestling tournaments were very popular in circuses. Famous strongmen and world-class wrestlers, including Russian titans Zaikin and Poddubny, took part in them. Fedor Makhnov also participated in similar tournaments. True, he did not become a great athlete due to the fact that the world's best wrestlers always came out against him, and a chronic back disease did not allow him to fully show his talents. However, his appearance in the arena alone caused a storm of delight from the public.

Makhnov rebuilt the estate to fit his height, furnished it with suitable furniture and renamed it Velikanovo.
All the necessary building materials and furniture were sent to him from Germany by Otto Bidinder, with whom Fedor maintained close friendly contacts until the end of his life.

Fedor with his wife Efrosinya

Having settled in a new place, Makhnov decided to get married. And although by nature he was very kind, and he was not deprived of finances, he found a bride with great difficulty. She became Efrosinya Lebedeva, who worked as a rural teacher. As a girl, she was tall, but still inferior to her fiancé by almost a meter. In 1903, the first daughter Maria appeared in the family, and the next year the son Nikolai was born.

To replenish the family budget, from time to time Fedor went to various wrestling tournaments, performed in circuses, demonstrating his abilities in various cities of the Russian Empire.

Such trips, together with some anthropological details of "Vitebsk Gulliver", were regularly covered by the then press. It was written, in particular, that Fedor has a weight of 182 kg, 15-centimeter ears and 10-centimeter lips. The length of his palm was 32 cm, his feet - 51 cm. Makhnov's height slightly decreased on weekdays and increased over the weekend.

Fyodor Makhnov is preparing dinner for himself

The giant's meals were four times a day, but the portions were truly impressive.

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.

In 1905, the Makhnov family went on a tour abroad. Traveling in Western Europe, they visited France, Great Britain, Belgium, Holland, Italy.

The Pope himself honored them with an audience. According to family tradition, he took off his golden cross and gave it to the giant's daughter.
The Makhnovs also visited the USA. To do this, however, had to redo the cabin of the steamer.

These trips were not without incidents. At receptions in palaces, Fedor lit cigarettes from candles from the upper tiers of chandeliers, which extinguished them.

In Paris, he had a skirmish with several citizens. The police officers who arrived wanted to send the giant to jail, but not finding a suitable cell, they limited themselves to a conversation.

During lunch at the German Chancellor, a huge tea set was placed in front of Makhnov, but Fyodor did not appreciate such a “joke”, demanding to replace it with an ordinary mug.

Makhnov on a trip abroad

But although the receptions at the highest levels were cordial, traveling the world was difficult. First of all, the unsuitable sizes of transport, housing and restaurants affected. In addition, various scientists began to besiege Makhnov, who offered to conclude a contract for him to transfer his skeleton to them for study after death. Suspecting that they might kill him for this, Fedor interrupted his foreign tour and returned to his home at Velikanov Khutor.

A long nomadic life undermined Makhnov's already not very good health. The chronic disease of the joints, earned in childhood in the cold water of Zaronovka, aggravated. It became more and more difficult to walk. Otto Bilinder tried to help Fedor by sending a heavyweight horse from Germany. Unfortunately, the sent animal did not solve the problem, because with its nearly three-meter height, the giant's legs still dragged along the ground when he mounted it. And although Fedor became very attached to the horse, he preferred to take the troika as the main means of transportation on trips.

Traveling abroad brought a lot of new things to the economic life of Fyodor Makhnov. Almost the first in the district, he began to use agricultural machines, purchased by him in Germany and kindly sent by Bilinder. For a while, he even bred horses.

Fedor Makhnov in Velikanovo with friends

The exact reason for such an early departure of Makhnov's life was never determined. In some documents it is written that he died of tuberculosis, in others - from chronic pneumonia.

The Vitebsk giant was buried at the local cemetery near the village of Kostyuki. Russian Sport magazine published an obituary announcing his death.

The growth of Fyodor Makhnov, even after his death, continued to amaze everyone. The undertaker, thinking that there had been a mistake in the order for the coffin and the fence, did the job for the average person. When it turned out that he was mistaken, he had to urgently redo the coffin, and there was no time left to remake the fence, and he had to leave it.

On the surviving tombstone, one can still read the inscription: “Fedor Andreevich Makhnov, born on June 6, 1878, died. On August 28, 1912, in the 36th year, the Biggest Man in the World Rostom Was 3 arshins 9 vershoks.
The story about Fyodor Makhnov can be supplemented by the fact that his height on the tombstone is indicated incorrectly. He was taken from a contract with Bilinder, signed by the giant at the age of 16. Since that moment, Fedor has grown another 30 cm.

Tombstone on Makhnov's grave

The giant's wife subsequently wanted to correct the mistakes on the tombstone and remake the fence, but the outbreak of the First World War and the revolutionary events that followed it prevented her from doing this.

Once one of the sons of the Belarusian giant, having entered the medical university, told the professors what an unusual person his father was. Then the scientists persuaded the widow Euphrosyne to give permission for the exhumation of the remains. The skeleton of Gulliver from the Belarusian outback was studied by scientists from Belarus and Russia, and they came to the conclusion that the huge growth was the result of a disease of the pituitary gland of the brain, which did not produce hormones correctly, but was not hereditary, so Makhnov’s children most likely received their usual human height from her mother - she was not a little lady at all.

Before the war, the skeleton of the tallest man in the world was kept in the anatomical museum of the medical institute. And when the Nazis occupied the capital of the BSSR, the unique exhibit disappeared along with many other relics.

According to the stories of old-timers, the Minsk Gauleiter Wilhelm Kube was very proud of this "find" and was awarded for it, because Hitler, who, as you know, raved about the idea of an Aryan supernation, was delighted to receive such a gift, and Nazi scientists spent a lot of time and human resources. lives, trying to influence the pituitary gland in order to get a whole army of such giants.
The granddaughter of the giant, Alla Dmitrieva, lives in Minsk and knows her grandfather only from the stories of her mother: “He was a very kind and generous person, he did not refuse help to anyone, they turned to him from all around for money. Grandfather generally loved his homeland very much, because he was treated like a person, and completely refused the offer of his entrepreneur to be buried in Berlin - he did not want them to make an attraction out of him even after his death.

Hi friends. Friday evening, time to relax and chat with friends. I'm at home finishing up a new article for my favorite readers. No, this time not about any, and other things that I love to tell you so much 🙂

Today I want to tell you the life story of my countryman, Fyodor Andreevich Makhnov. At one time he was known all over the world, but now he is almost forgotten. He would have turned 135 this year. With a weight of 182 kilograms, his height was ... 285 centimeters!

Fedor Andreevich Makhnov, a native of the small village of Kostyuki near Vitebsk, was born on June 6, 1878.

The boy was the firstborn in an ordinary peasant family. His parents were tall people, but they were not considered giants. Due to the fact that the newborn was too large, his mother could not bear the difficult birth and died. Little orphan was taken in by his grandparents

At first, Fedor practically did not stand out among his peers, but by the age of eight he began to grow very quickly. Despite the fact that he slept a lot during this period (almost for days on end), Fedya grew up as a very strong boy.

At the age of 10, the father took the grown boy 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.

By the age of 14, a 2-meter young man ceased to fit in the house. Because of this, my father had to build up walls on several crowns. The local blacksmith was ordered to make an individual bed, but he, overloaded with work, made it all summer. In the end, it turned out that Fedya had outgrown this bed as well.

Tales are still told about the growth of a guy in Kostyuki. They say that children hid in his felt boots, and he pacified his few offenders by putting their hats under the log cabins of the baths or laying them on the roof skates.

The bet in his speeches was made on power numbers. More than two and a half meters tall, the giant bent iron horseshoes with one hand, smashed bricks with a blow of his hand, twisted metal rods into a spiral, and then straightened them again. Particularly successful were the numbers when he, lying on his back, raised a wooden platform with an orchestra of three musicians. In those days, Greco-Roman (classical) wrestling tournaments were very popular in circuses. Famous strongmen and world-class wrestlers, including Russian titans Zaikin and Poddubny, took part in them. Fedor Makhnov also participated in similar tournaments. True, he did not become a great athlete due to the fact that the world's best wrestlers always came out against him, and a chronic back disease did not allow him to fully show his talents. However, his appearance in the arena alone caused a storm of delight from the public.

Makhnov devoted nine years to work in the circus, after which he became a completely wealthy person. However, great growth also brought a lot of trouble to Fedor. It was hard for him to move, since all transport, hotels, catering establishments were calculated only for people of standard sizes. Because of this, Fedor returned home to his native Kostyuki at the very beginning of the 20th century. For the money earned in circus performances, he bought from the landowner Korzhenevsky, who left for France, his land and house. Makhnov rebuilt the estate to fit his height, furnished it with suitable furniture and renamed it Velikanovo. All the necessary building materials and furniture were sent to him from Germany by Otto Bidinder, with whom Fedor maintained close friendly contacts until the end of his life.

To replenish the family budget, from time to time Fedor went to various wrestling tournaments, performed in circuses, demonstrating his abilities in various cities of the Russian Empire.

The giant's meals were four times a day, but the portions were truly impressive. 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.

In 1905, the Makhnov family went on a tour abroad. Traveling in Western Europe, they visited France, Great Britain, Belgium, Holland, Italy. The Pope himself honored them with an audience. According to family tradition, he took off his golden cross and gave it to the giant's daughter. The Makhnovs also visited the USA. To do this, however, had to redo the cabin of the steamer.

These trips were not without incidents. At receptions in palaces, Fedor lit cigarettes from candles from the upper tiers of chandeliers, which extinguished them.

In Paris, he had a skirmish with several citizens. The police officers who arrived wanted to send the giant to jail, but not finding a suitable cell, they limited themselves to a conversation.

During lunch at the German Chancellor, a huge tea set was placed in front of Makhnov, but Fyodor did not appreciate such a “joke”, demanding to replace it with an ordinary mug.

Unfortunately, Fyodor Makhnov did not live long. In 1912, chronic illnesses finally crippled the giant's health, and he died at the age of 34, having, however, managed to rejoice before that at the birth of three more of his children: daughter Masha (1911) and twin sons Rodion (Radimir) and Gabriel (Galyun) born just six months before his death. The exact reason for such an early departure of Makhnov's life was never determined. In some documents it is written that he died of tuberculosis, in others - from chronic pneumonia. The Vitebsk giant was buried at the local cemetery near the village of Kostyuki. Russian Sport magazine published an obituary announcing his death.

The story about Fyodor Makhnov can be supplemented by the fact that his height on the tombstone is indicated incorrectly. He was taken from a contract with Bilinder, signed by the giant at the age of 16. Since that moment, Fedor has grown another 30 cm.

In 1934, the remains of Makhnov were exhumed for scientific purposes and sent to the Minsk Medical Institute for study. During the war, the giant's skeleton was lost, like many other things. Only a photograph and a description made by Professor D.M. have survived. Dove.

Instead of a conclusion

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the tallest man in history, whose growth is unquestionably known, is Robert Wadlow, who lived in America at the beginning of the twentieth century. His height reached 272 centimeters.

But this admission is wrong! After all, the growth of Fedor Andreevich Makhnov is 285 centimeters. And it is he who is the tallest man in the world in history. Height was measured and officially recorded by the Warsaw anthropologist Lushan. In addition, the record growth of our compatriot was noted in the journal "Science and Life" for 1970 and the science fiction writer Alexander Belyaev in the novel "The Man Who Lost Face" and its revised version "The Man Who Found His Face".

Fedor Andreevich Makhnov. Photo:

The tallest man the world has ever seen is Fedor Makhnov. His height was 285 centimeters with a weight of about 182 kg.

Fedor Andreevich Makhnov was born on June 6, 1878,. The largest man in the world, he was 3 arshins 9 inches tall. On the monument they mistakenly wrote 3 arshins 9 vershoks. This is less than the actual almost 30 centimeters. This growth was indicated in the first contract of the growing boy 16 years old when he was first invited to work in the circus. Fedor's wife wanted to correct the mistake, but the outbreak of the First World War interfered. The actual height of Makhnov was recorded by the Warsaw anthropologist Lushan in 1903 - 285 cm. This was also confirmed by the French biologist J. Rostand in his book "Life" and the Russian science fiction writer Alexander Belyaev.

Fedya's parents were of ordinary height. The boy was born very large, and his mother died in childbirth. Fedya was brought up by his grandfather, who loved him very much. By the age of 16, Fedor “jumped over” two meters. During the period of the most active growth, he could sleep for more than 24 hours in a row.

The guy was distinguished not only by growth, but also by strength. He worked hard in the field, helped the blacksmith. At the age of eight he could lift an adult with one hand, sometimes harnessed instead of a horse. By nature, he was kind and friendly. He played the harmonica well.

Once a tall guy was seen at the Polotsk market in Vitebsk by the German Otto Bilinder, the owner of the circus. He persuaded his father to let Fedor go to Germany, to work in a circus. Otto took care of the education of his strong man and paid him well.
In Berlin, Otto Belender settled the guest at his home, hired teachers to improve his educational level (before that, he had only graduated from grade 3), taught him circus tricks. Fyodor broke bricks with the edge of his hand; unbent and bent horseshoes and thick nails; lying on his back, he raised the platform with three musicians along with the instruments. But people came to the circus to look first of all at the artist himself - the real Gulliver. And he grew by leaps and bounds. By the age of 25, he reached 2 m 85 cm.

Archival information about the stay of the giant Makhnov in the German capital in 1904 has been preserved. The Germans were ready to fulfill any whims of the Belarusian Gulliver. In the middle of winter, Fyodor wanted strawberries - they delivered them to him. In Holland, in Paris, he repeatedly violated the contract, once they wanted to imprison him for hooliganism, but the cells of the Paris police could not accommodate people of such height.

While in Germany, Fedor always wanted to return home. When he saved up enough money, he left for his native Kostyuki, despite the fact that the owner persuaded him to stay. Height did not allow living in his father's house. At this time, the landowner Krzhizhanovsky was just selling his estate. Makhnov bought it along with the land, rebuilt the house according to his own parameters. And I thought about getting married. It turned out to be the hardest question! Girls of ordinary height did not dare to marry such a thug. And where to find him to match? Finally, the whole world found a bride - teacher Efrosinya Lebedeva. For a girl, she was tall - 1 m 85 cm. She was two years younger than Fedor, but outlived her husband by 35 years, she died in 1947. Played a wedding. In 1903 their daughter Maria was born, in 1904 their son Nikolai was born. They lived together, in love and harmony. Fedor was a kind man, loved his children, helped the peasants. And from Germany there were invitations to return to the circus again.

Together they traveled the world. Fedor attended a reception at the German Chancellor, at an audience with the Pope, at a reception at the US President Theodore Roosevelt. So that Makhnov could cross the ocean, the cabin of the ship was remade for him. Efrosinya liked this life, she even wanted to stay in Germany.

But when the German doctors began to persuade him to sign a contract, according to which, after death, the giant’s corpse would be left to him for scientific research, she was afraid that something might suddenly happen to Fedor, and they left home.
In Paris, almost all members of the Anthropological Association showed great interest in the extraordinary physical data of the giant. They wanted to examine it more thoroughly, but Makhnov refused to undress in front of doctors all his life, allowing them to measure only the length of his feet and palms - 51 cm and almost 35, respectively.

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] and is one of the tallest giants, that have ever existed on the globe. In many respects it is of high scientific interest."

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.

They had five children. Fedor was a strong master. His figure was not proportional. The legs were especially long. According to the recollections of the children, he often, lying on the bed, warmed his legs on the stove. German doctors believed that Makhnov died from bone tuberculosis, which many giants suffered from. In fact, he caught a cold and got pneumonia.

As anthropologists rightly noted, this inhabitant of Belarus is "one foot". If he had been born without legs, he would hardly have reached average height. His head, which was unusually small with such a huge body, gave him an unusually ridiculous appearance, which he tried to hide by wearing a richly decorated Cossack uniform.

His ears were 15 cm long and his lips were 10 cm wide, which must have made a certain impression on his wife, a woman of normal size, when they kissed. After a few days of rest, he always got taller. This was due to the extraordinary ability of his spine to decrease and contract under the influence of large loads.

He ate, like everyone else, four times a day, but his breakfast could feed the average family for two days. According to the materials of the press, it is known how our giant ate. In the morning he ate 20 eggs, 8 round loaves of white bread with butter, drank 2 liters of tea. For lunch - 2.5 kg of meat, 1 kg of potatoes, 3 liters of beer. In the evening - a bowl of fruit, 2.5 kg of meat, 3 loaves of bread and 2 liters of tea. And before going to bed, he could still swallow 15 eggs and a liter of milk.

The largest giant the earth has ever carried died on August 28, 1912.

In 1935, son Rodion studied at the Minsk Medical Institute, and at one of the lectures on giantism, the professor cited the example of Fyodor Makhnov. What was the amazement of everyone when Rodion got up and said that this was his father. It was then that he was asked to talk to the family about the sale of his father's skeleton. The mother agreed to sell for 5 thousand rubles. After the death of her husband, she married a second time, gave birth to three more children. Money was needed...
The exhumation was attended by many people, including the widow and children. In 1936, Minsk professor D.M. Golub published an article about the skeleton of acromegalic in the collection of works of the Psychoneurological Institute of the Belarusian Academy of Sciences. Acromegaly is characterized by hyperplastic changes in the skeletal system, soft parts, and most internal organs. Simply put, all giants suffer from gigantism. During the Great Patriotic War, the skeleton disappeared.

Today, the children of Fedor and Efrosinya Makhnov are no longer alive. All lived a difficult but worthy life. During the years of collectivization, the Makhnov family wanted to be dispossessed and deported, but the peasants interceded and were left in peace. Nikolai and Gavrila were officers, they went through repressions. Rehabilitated. Rodion became a doctor and during the Great Patriotic War he was shot by the Nazis for his connection with the partisans. The elder Maria worked all her life as a livestock specialist, and the younger Masha worked as an accountant. All children were more likely to grow to their mother - 180 - 190 cm. Makhnov's descendants were scattered around the cities and villages of Belarus and Russia. On the site of the former estate, only a birch remained, perhaps planted by Fyodor Makhnov himself. And the names of the Giants' Farm, the Giants' Forest remind the locals of the tallest man in the world who once lived in these places.

Russian giant Fedor Makhnov

The tallest man the world has ever seen is Fedor Makhnov. His height was 285 centimeters with a weight of about 182 kg.

Fedya's parents were of ordinary height. The boy was born very large, and his mother died in childbirth. Fedya was brought up by his grandfather, who loved him very much. By the age of 16, Fedor “jumped over” two meters. During the period of the most active growth, he could sleep for more than 24 hours in a row.

The guy was distinguished not only by growth, but also by strength. He worked hard in the field, helped the blacksmith. At the age of eight he could lift an adult with one hand, sometimes harnessed instead of a horse. By nature, he was kind and friendly. He played the harmonica well.

Once a tall guy was seen at the Polotsk market in Vitebsk by the German Otto Bilinder, the owner of the circus. He persuaded his father to let Fedor go to Germany, to work in a circus. Otto took care of the education of his strong man and paid him well.In Berlin, Otto Belender settled the guest at his home, hired teachers to improve his educational level (before that, he had only graduated from grade 3), taught him circus tricks. Fyodor broke bricks with the edge of his hand; unbent and bent horseshoes and thick nails; lying on his back, he raised the platform with three musicians along with the instruments. But people came to the circus to look first of all at the artist himself - the real Gulliver. And he grew by leaps and bounds. By the age of 25, he reached 2 m 85 cm.

Archival information about the stay of the giant Makhnov in the German capital in 1904 has been preserved. The Germans were ready to fulfill any whims of the Belarusian Gulliver. In the middle of winter, Fyodor wanted strawberries - they delivered them to him. In Holland, in Paris, he repeatedly violated the contract, once they wanted to imprison him for hooliganism, but the cells of the Paris police could not accommodate people of such height.

While in Germany, Fedor always wanted to return home. When he saved up enough money, he left for his native Kostyuki, despite the fact that the owner persuaded him to stay. Height did not allow living in his father's house. At this time, the landowner Krzhizhanovsky was just selling his estate. Makhnov bought it along with the land, rebuilt the house according to his own parameters. And I thought about getting married. It turned out to be the hardest question! Girls of ordinary height did not dare to marry such a thug. And where to find him to match? Finally, the whole world found a bride - teacher Efrosinya Lebedeva. For a girl, she was tall - 1 m 85 cm. She was two years younger than Fedor, but outlived her husband by 35 years, she died in 1947. Played a wedding. In 1903 their daughter Maria was born, in 1904 their son Nikolai was born. They lived together, in love and harmony. Fedor was a kind man, loved his children, helped the peasants. And from Germany there were invitations to return to the circus again ...

Together they traveled the world. Fedor attended a reception at the German Chancellor, at an audience with the Pope, at a reception at the US President Theodore Roosevelt. So that Makhnov could cross the ocean, the cabin of the ship was remade for him. Efrosinya liked this life, she even wanted to stay in Germany.

But when the German doctors began to persuade him to sign a contract, according to which, after death, the giant’s corpse would be left to him for scientific research, she was afraid that something might suddenly happen to Fedor, and they left home.
In Paris, almost all members of the Anthropological Association showed great interest in the extraordinary physical data of the giant. They wanted to examine it more thoroughly, but Makhnov refused to undress in front of doctors all his life, allowing them to measure only the length of his feet and palms - 51 cm and almost 35, respectively.

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] and is one of the tallest giants, that have ever existed on the globe. In many respects it is of high scientific interest."

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.

They had five children. Fedor was a strong master.
His figure was not proportional. The legs were especially long. According to the recollections of the children, he often, lying on the bed, warmed his legs on the stove. German doctors believed that Makhnov died from bone tuberculosis, which many giants suffered from. In fact, he caught a cold and got pneumonia.

As anthropologists rightly noted, this inhabitant of Belarus is "one foot". If he had been born without legs, he would hardly have reached average height. His head, which was unusually small with such a huge body, gave him an unusually ridiculous appearance, which he tried to hide by wearing a richly decorated Cossack uniform.

His ears were 15 cm long and his lips were 10 cm wide, which must have made a certain impression on his wife, a woman of normal size, when they kissed. After a few days of rest, he always got taller. This was due to the extraordinary ability of his spine to decrease and contract under the influence of large loads.

He ate, like everyone else, four times a day, but his breakfast could feed the average family for two days. According to the materials of the press, it is known how our giant ate. In the morning he ate 20 eggs, 8 round loaves of white bread with butter, drank 2 liters of tea. For lunch - 2.5 kg of meat, 1 kg of potatoes, 3 liters of beer. In the evening - a bowl of fruit, 2.5 kg of meat, 3 loaves of bread and 2 liters of tea. And before going to bed, he could still swallow 15 eggs and a liter of milk.

The largest giant the earth has ever carried died on August 28, 1912.

In 1935, son Rodion studied at the Minsk Medical Institute, and at one of the lectures on giantism, the professor cited the example of Fyodor Makhnov. What was the amazement of everyone when Rodion got up and said that this was his father. It was then that he was asked to talk to the family about the sale of his father's skeleton. The mother agreed to sell for 5 thousand rubles. After the death of her husband, she married a second time, gave birth to three more children. Money was needed... The exhumation was attended by many people, including the widow and children. In 1936, Minsk professor D.M. Golub published an article about the skeleton of acromegalic in the collection of works of the Psychoneurological Institute of the Belarusian Academy of Sciences. Acromegaly is characterized by hyperplastic changes in the skeletal system, soft parts, and most internal organs. Simply put, all giants suffer from gigantism. During the Great Patriotic War, the skeleton disappeared.

Today, the children of Fedor and Efrosinya Makhnov are no longer alive. All lived a difficult but worthy life. During the years of collectivization, the Makhnov family wanted to be dispossessed and deported, but the peasants interceded and were left in peace. Nikolai and Gavrila were officers, they went through repressions. Rehabilitated. Rodion became a doctor and during the Great Patriotic War he was shot by the Nazis for his connection with the partisans. The elder Maria worked all her life as a livestock specialist, and the younger Masha worked as an accountant. All children were more likely to grow to their mother - 180 - 190 cm. Makhnov's descendants were scattered around the cities and villages of Belarus and Russia. On the site of the former estate, only a birch remained, perhaps planted by Fyodor Makhnov himself. And the names of the Giants' Farm, the Giants' Forest remind the locals of the tallest man in the world who once lived in these places.