The tallest man on earth lived in the Russian Empire. Tallest people: Fyodor Makhnov Tallest man in the world 285

Fedor Andreevich Makhnov, who lived at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, is called the tallest man in the world. His height was 285 centimeters! The size of the giant was such that a 12-year-old child could easily fit in his boot. Each meal consisted of several kilograms of food, and Makhnov could sleep for as long as 24 hours. In Europe, the giant was a real curiosity and a public favorite.

Fedor Andreevich Makhnov comes from the village of Kostyuki, Vitebsk district (former Russian Empire, now Belarus). In addition to him, two more sons grew up in the Makhnov family. Their height was above average, but Fedor “outdid” everyone. The grandfather took his grandson in to raise him, because Fyodor’s mother died during childbirth, the fetus turned out to be too large.

As they say, the boy grew by leaps and bounds. At the age of 12, his height was already 2 meters. Fedor also had the corresponding strength in his hands. He could lift a grown man with one hand, carried huge logs, harnessed instead of horses and transported carts with hay.

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. Working in cold water resulted in illnesses for Fedor, which manifested themselves more than once in the future.

When the young giant turned 14 years old, he began to hit his head on the ceiling, and the hut had to be rebuilt. They were supposed to make a custom bed for Fyodor, but the blacksmith delayed completing the order, and the boy managed to outgrow it.

One day, a giant teenager working part-time at the Polotsk Bazaar in Vitebsk was seen by Otto Bilinder, the owner of a nomadic circus. It is worth considering that this was the end of the 19th century, at that time the performances of miracle people were extremely popular. The German persuaded Fedor’s relatives to send him to Germany.

This is how the young giant came to Europe. First, Fedor studied German and at the same time mastered the circus craft. He learned to effectively unbend horseshoes and break bricks with his palm.

At the age of 16, Fyodor Makhnov signed a contract to work in the circus. The audience was delighted. People came to the performances not so much to watch 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.

By the age of 25, Fyodor Makhnov’s height was already 285 cm. Naturally, with such dimensions, the giant had proper nutrition. For breakfast, he ate an omelette of 20 eggs, 8 loaves of bread, and drank 2 liters of tea. Lunch consisted of 2.5 kg of meat, the same amount of potatoes, and a bowl of vegetables. The giant could sleep for more than 24 hours.

Fyodor Makhnov worked in the circus for 9 years, and then returned to his native village. With the money he 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 the artist remained friends.

Fyodor Makhnov married a local teacher, Efrosinya Lebedeva. Her height was more than 180 cm, but her 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 constant success. After the performances, 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 the police tried to arrest him for hooliganism or non-compliance with the contract. But each time Makhnov was released, because there was simply no cell in which he could fit.

Fyodor Makhnov died at the age of 34. According to one version, it was the consequences of a cold suffered in childhood. On the tombstone it is written that the giant’s height was 3 arshins 9 vershoks, i.e. 254 cm. However, this information is not correct. The figure was taken from Makhnov's contract with Bidinder, when the giant was only 16 years old. Then he grew another 31 cm. The wife wanted to correct the annoying mistake, but the outbreak of the First World War prevented her.

While Fyodor Makhnov was entertaining audiences in Europe, on the other side of the ocean in the United States, people went to see the married couple perform.

Makhnov devoted nine years to working in the circus, after which he became a quite wealthy man. However, great growth also brought a lot of trouble to Fedor. It was difficult for him to travel, since all transport, hotels, and catering establishments were designed only for people of standard sizes. Because of this, Fedor returned home to his native Kostyuki at the very beginning of the twentieth century. For the money he earned in circus performances, he bought his land and house from the landowner Korzhenevsky, who had left for France. Makhnov rebuilt the estate to suit 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.

Fyodor with his wife Efrosinya

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

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

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

Fyodor Makhnov prepares himself lunch

The giant had four meals a day, but the portions were truly impressive. For example, breakfast consisted of 8 round loaves of bread with butter, 20 eggs and 2 liters of tea. Lunch included 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 given another 1 loaf of bread, 15 eggs and 1 liter of tea or milk.

In 1905, the Makhnov family went on a tour abroad. Traveling throughout Western Europe, they visited France, Great Britain, Belgium, Holland, and Italy. They were granted an audience by the Pope himself. According to family legend, he took off his gold cross and gave it to the giant's daughter. The Makhnov couple also visited the USA. To do this, however, it was necessary to remodel the ship's cabin.

During these trips there were some oddities. At receptions in palaces, Fyodor lit cigarettes from candles from the upper tiers of chandeliers, thereby extinguishing them.

In Paris, he had a clash with several townspeople. The arriving police wanted to put the giant behind bars, but not finding a suitable cell, they limited themselves to just a conversation.

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

Fyodor Andreevich Makhnov was the tallest man in the Russian Empire. His foot was 51 centimeters and his palm 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.

Fedya's childhood

Born into a peasant family in the Staroselsky volost of the Vitebsk province (now Belarus) on June 6, 1878. His parents, as well as his brothers and sisters, were above average height, 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 endure 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 housework, Fedya became stronger and more tempered. Large beyond his age, he could easily pull a peasant cart loaded with hay up a mountain or lift an adult man on a dare. Neighbors often used his abilities to build houses, where he helped 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.

his boot could fit a 12 year old child

When the young giant turned 14 years old, he began to hit his head on the ceiling, and the hut had to be rebuilt. They were supposed to make a custom bed for Fyodor, but the blacksmith delayed completing the order, and the boy managed to outgrow it. One day, a giant teenager working part-time at the Polotsk Bazaar in Vitebsk was seen by Otto Bilinder, the owner of a nomadic circus. It is worth considering that this was the end of the 19th century, at that time the performances of miracle people were extremely popular. The German persuaded Fedor’s relatives to send him to Germany.

He pacified his few offenders by stuffing their hats under the logs of the bathhouses or laying them on the ridges of the roofs

Work in the circus

Circus poster

This is how the young giant came to Europe. First, Fedor studied German and at the same time mastered the circus craft. He learned to effectively unbend horseshoes and break bricks with his palm. At the age of 16, Fyodor Makhnov signed a contract to work in the circus. The audience was delighted. People came to the performances not so much to watch 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.

Fedor Andreevich Makhnov in Europe

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

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

It is worth noting that moving was difficult for him, since all transport, hotels, and catering establishments were designed only for people of standard sizes. After nine years of working in the circus, he returned to his native village. With the money he 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 the artist remained friends.

Family

Upon arriving home, Makhnov bought the estate and rebuilt everything to suit his growth. He also furnished everything with appropriate furniture. By the way, the building materials were sent by the same Bilinder from Germany. Later, the village in which Fyodor’s family lived was called the “Giant Farm”. This is the former village of Gorbachi (now Grodno region of Belarus).

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

Some time later, Fyodor married a local teacher, Efrosinya Lebedeva. Her height was more than 180 cm, but her 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 constant success. After the performances, 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 the police tried to arrest him for hooliganism or non-compliance with the contract. But each time Makhnov was released, because there was simply no cell in which he could fit.

Eating a Giant

Each meal consisted of several kilograms of food, and Makhnov could sleep for as long as 24 hours. The giant had 4 meals a day. For example, breakfast consisted of 8 round loaves of bread with butter, 20 eggs and 2 liters of tea. Lunch included 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 given another 1 loaf of bread, 15 eggs and 1 liter of tea or milk.

Body parameters

His foot was 51 centimeters and his palm 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 this despite the fact that the official world record is 2 meters 72 centimeters (American Robert Wadlow).

Death

Fyodor 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 was given for this. He was buried in a graveyard outside the village of Gorbachi. In 1939, his ashes were removed for scientific research. But the coffin and monument were left in the same form. On the obelisk you can still read: “Fyodor Andreevich Makhnov. Born June 6, 1878. Died on August 28, 1912. The tallest man in the world. He was 3 arshins 9 inches tall.”

3 arshins 9 vershoks equal 254 centimeters, this figure was taken from the contract of 16-year-old Fedor. But after 16 years, Fyodor Makhnov continued to grow and, presumably, could add another 31 cm, reaching 285 cm. The giant’s wife, Euphrosyne, wanted to correct the incorrect indicator on the monument, but she was prevented by the outbreak of the First World War, and then the revolution. Unfortunately, there is no official evidence of such gigantic growth. There is a version that 285 cm is the figure that was indicated on the posters and was taken taking into account the Cossack hat and high-heeled boots. These items of clothing were certainly used during Fedor’s performances. The only reliable source to judge the giant’s growth is lifetime photographs. However, comparing Fedor with other objects of known height presented in the photographs, we can conclude that, at least at the time of photography, the giant’s height did not exceed 240 cm. Moreover, during the time of Fedor Makhnov, official measurements were not carried out, but Since he was on tour in Europe, the organizers may well have exaggerated his height. 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 tallest person in memory of Fyodor Makhnov “Vitebsk Giant”. The winner of the competition among men was Vitebsk resident Alexey Andreyanov with a height of 208 cm. Among women, Natalya Rusanova was the tallest - 197.5 cm.

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

Photo of the tallest man in the Russian Empire

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

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

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

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

He died at the age of 35. The height indicated on the grave, corresponding to 254 centimeters by modern standards, was in his youth, but, according to numerous testimonies, he grew significantly after that. Fyodor Makhnov was born into a peasant family on a farm near the village of Kostyuki. And today local residents can point out the place where he was born, nicknamed the Giant Farm.
The amazing child’s talents showed up early. At the age of 8, the child could lift an adult; his father taught him to play the harmonica. At the age of 12, he took the “bar” at 2 meters. He could sleep for more than 24 hours straight. 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, and once raised the roof of a hut alone. His brothers Stepan and Nikolai were slightly taller than average. He developed his strength talents in the circus, where he twisted spirals of iron rods and then straightened them, smashed a brick with a blow of his fist, and while lying down raised a wooden platform on which an orchestra played. He was also involved in wrestling. The Vitebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore contains materials telling how Fyodor Makhnov got into the circus, and about his tours across Europe and the USA. He signed a contract with entrepreneur Robert Cook (and according to another version, the local landowner Bronislav Korzhenevsky made an offer to conquer Europe for Fyodor) and set off around the world. The magazine "Nature and People" for 1903 published the following note about him:

"The tallest man in the world"

They are now unanimously recognized as the Russian giant Theodore Makhov. Currently, he has arrived with his impresario in Berlin, where he is shown in the panopticon. In the Berlin Anthropological Museum, Makhov was carefully measured and weighed, and he was given a document with the following content: “Theodore Makhov, born in Russia, in the town of Kustyaki, Vitebsk province, has a height of 238 centimeters [typo - V.V.] and belongs to number of the tallest giants that have ever existed on the globe. In many respects he is of great interest to science." And indeed, all the giants shown so far in Europe were in most cases 12-15 santa. 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 of quite normal height; his grandfather was very tall, but, in any case, not a giant. Feodor Makhov is currently only 22 years old. To give at least some idea of ​​the size of his body, let's say that his boot, barely reaching the giant's knee, reaches the chest of a normal person, and a 12-year-old boy could fit headlong into it . The impresario pays Makhov 5,000 rubles annually and also maintains it at his own expense. Only with such a huge amount of money was it possible for the impresario to persuade the giant to appear in panopticons, since Makhov, an intelligent man and not in need, refused such an honor for a long time.”

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

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

Having caught a cold while cleaning the bed of the local Zaronovka River, Fyodor Makhnov suffered from leg disease. He is believed to have died from lung disease. But they rumored that he was poisoned by his rivals on the wrestling mat. An obituary appeared in the magazine "Russian Sport" 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. I named myself. The scientists became interested and, through Radimir, conveyed an offer to the widow to sell the unique skeleton. 5 thousand rubles were offered for it, and in those years it was a substantial amount. A loaf of bread, for example, then cost 14-20 kopecks. 27 years after burial, the bones were removed from under the monument “The Biggest Man in the World,” put in a box and taken away by scientists. The coffin and monument were returned to their original place.
The grandson of the giant, Evgeniy Nikolaevich, still preserves 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 give up performing in the circus. He often traveled to Germany with his family.

At one time almost the whole world knew Fyodor Andreevich Makhnov. The fact is that he was the tallest man. Weighing 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 above average in height, but not giants. Fyodor's mother died during childbirth; the child turned out to be very large. The grandfather took up raising the boy.

At first, Fyodor Makhnov developed as befits 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 consistent with his height - he could easily lift an adult man or pull a cart of hay up a mountain. The landowner Korzhenevsky hired a young hero to clear the river of boulders that were interfering with the operation of the water mill.

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

One day, the owner of a nomadic circus, Otto Bidinder, noticed a young giant at the market in Vitebsk, where Fyodor 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.

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

The giant's diet corresponded to these 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 amount of potatoes. And Makhnov could sleep for more than 24 hours.

Makhnov spent nine years working in the circus and became a wealthy man. At the beginning of the twentieth century, he moved to his native land, where he bought the land of the landowner Korzhenevsky, and remodeled the estate to suit 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 rural teacher, Efrosinya Lebedeva. The girl was taller than average, but still a meter shorter than her husband. His wife gave birth to Fyodor five children.

Sometimes Fyodor Makhnov went to work in Europe and performed in circuses. And his popularity did not fall. He was often invited to social events, where he managed to amuse the guests by lighting cigarettes from the chandelier. Traveling was difficult for Makhnov: transport, hotels and restaurants did not correspond to the size of the giant.

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

On the stone tombstone it is written: “Fyodor Andreevich Makhnov. Born June 6, 1878. Died on 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 vershoks (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.