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

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

"Fedor Andreyevich Makhnov. He was born on June 6, 1878. He died on August 28, 1912. He is the tallest man in the world. He was 3 arshins 9 points high."

He died in the 35th year of his life. The growth indicated on the grave, which corresponds to 254 centimeters by modern standards, he was at a young age, but, according to numerous evidence, has grown significantly after that. Fedor Makhnov was born in 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 Giant Farm.
The talents of an amazing child showed up early. At age 8, the baby could raise an adult, his father taught him how to play the harmonica. At the age of 12, he took the “bar” of 2 meters. He could sleep for more than 24 hours in a row. The 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. Fedor Makhnov bent the horseshoes, one day he raised the roof of the hut. His brothers Stepan and Nikolai were a little taller than average. He developed power talents in the circus, where he twisted spirals from iron rods, and then straightened them, smashed a brick with his fist, lying raised the wooden platform on which the orchestra played. He was also engaged in wrestling. In the Vitebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore, materials are stored that tell about 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) and set off around the world. The journal "Nature and People" for 1903 posted the following note about him:

"The tallest man in the world"

They are now unanimously recognized by the Russian giant Theodore Makhov. Currently, he arrived with his impresario in Berlin, where he appears in a panopticon. At the Berlin Anthropological Museum, Makhov was carefully measured and weighed, and he was given a document with the following content: "Theodore Makhov, who was born in Russia in the town of Krusyaki, Vitebsk province, has a height of 238 centimeters. [Typo - V.V.] and belongs to "the highest giants that have ever existed on the globe. In many ways, it is of great interest to science." And indeed, all the giants shown so far in Europe were in most cases 12-15 sant. below Machov.
Theodore 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. Theodor Makhov is currently only 22 g. To give at least some idea of \u200b\u200bthe 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 his head in it . Impresario pays Makhov 5000 rubles annually and, in addition, maintains it at his own expense. Only with such a huge amount of money was the impresario able to persuade the giant to appear in panopticons, since Makhov, an intelligent and not needing man, for a long time refused such an honor. ”

When the giant came on tour in St. Petersburg, metropolitan 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 pieces 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. At lunch cost a few plates 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 it, fed him poorly, he was annoyed by the hardships of a nomadic life. To the peasant son, all this was not to his liking, and he returned to his home station, Old Selo. He built a farm with the money he earned. The people called the new place of residence the Giant Farm. Fedor’s house has not survived to our times - it was destroyed during the war. But the villagers to this day call this place the Great. Here he and his wife, teacher Efrosinya Lebedeva, who was 70 centimeters lower than him, gave birth to five children. Everyone was tall, but no one was above 2 meters.

Having caught a cold while clearing the bed of the local Zaronovka River, Fedor Makhnov suffered from foot disease. Died is believed to be from lung disease. But they said that he was poisoned by 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. He called himself. Scientists became interested and transmitted through Radimir a widow's offer to sell a unique skeleton. 5 thousand rubles were offered for him, and in those years it was a substantial sum. A loaf of bread, for example, then cost 14-20 cents. 27 years after the burial, the bones from 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 Evgeny 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 his performance in the circus. He often traveled to Germany with his family.

At one time he was known all over the world, but now he is almost forgotten. This year he would have turned 135 years old. Weighing 182 kilograms, his height was ... 285 centimeters!

Fedor Andreevich Makhnov was born on June 6 (18th in a new style) on June 1878 in the village of Kostyuki, Staroselsky volost, Vitebsk district. He came from an ancient family, whose ancestors moved to Russia from the south, from Syria. Makhnov's parents, as well as his two sisters, were distinguished by quite normal growth; his grandfather was very tall, but, in any case, not a giant.

The boy was born very large, and his mother died during childbirth. Fedya was brought up by his grandfather, who loved him very much. The talents of an amazing child showed up early. At age 8, the baby could raise an adult, his father taught him how to play the harmonica.

At the age of 12, he took the “bar” of 2 meters. He could sleep for more than 24 hours in a row.

Other children laughed at him because of growth. For this, he took off their hats and hung them on the ridge of the roof of the bathhouse or barn. Due to the growth of his son, Fyodor's father had to rebuild the hut, raising the ceilings. With increasing growth, the strength of the boy also grew. He could raise an adult, independently pull a cart with hay, helped in the construction of houses, lifting heavy logs.

Having learned about the abilities of the young strongman, the local landowner Korzhenevsky hired him to clean up the nearby Zaronovka River from boulders that interfered with the work of the water mill. Long work in very cold water played a very unfavorable role in Fedor's life. He caught a cold, and the diseases that ensued thereafter made themselves felt throughout 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, his father had to build on several crowns of the wall. The local blacksmith was ordered to make an individual bed, but he, overloaded with work, did it all summer. In the end, it turned out that Fedya had outgrown this bed.

To dress and put on a tall guy was problematic. Everything was made by special order. Money for clothes had to be earned in Vitebsk at the Polotsk Bazaar. It was there that an unusual teenager was noticed by the German Otto Bilinder, who owned a traveling circus.

The enterprising German quickly realized what benefits can be derived from the boy’s growth and invited Fedin to let his son go to Germany to perform in the circus.

Performance poster

They did not have to persuade their father for a long time and the 14-year-old man went to conquer Europe with his abilities. Otto Bilinder took custody of Fedor. At first, he hired teachers to teach him German for an illiterate guy. Otto took over the teaching of circus art. Almost two years, the training of Fedor lasted. When he was 16 years old, a contract for performances was signed with him. So Fedor Makhnov became a circus artist.

In Berlin, Otto Bilinder settled the guest at home, taught circus tricks. Fedor smashed the bricks with his palm; unbent and bent horseshoes and thick nails; lying on his back, raised a platform with three musicians along with 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 25 years old reached 2 m 85 cm.

The rate in his speeches was made on power numbers. For more than two and a half meter, the giant with one hand bent iron horseshoes, smashed bricks with his hands, twisted metal rods into a spiral, and then straightened them again. The rooms enjoyed particular success when, lying on his back, he raised a wooden platform with an orchestra of three musicians. In those days, circus tournaments in Greco-Roman (classical) wrestling were very popular. Famous strongmen and world-class wrestlers took part in them, including Russian titans Zaikin and Poddubny.

Fedor Makhnov also participated in similar tournaments. True, he did not become a great athlete due to the fact that the best world fighters always came out against him, and chronic back disease did not allow him to fully show his talents. Nevertheless, its mere appearance in the arena caused a storm of excitement of the public.

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

Having settled in a new place, Makhnov decided to marry. And although by nature he was very kind, and he was not deprived of finances, he found the bride with great difficulty. She became Efrosinya Lebedeva, who worked as a rural teacher. She was tall as a girl, but still inferior to her fiancée 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 capabilities in various cities of the Russian Empire.

Fedor in Europe

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, Fedor wanted strawberries - they delivered him to him. In Holland, in Paris, he repeatedly violated the contract, once they wanted to put him in charge of hooliganism, but the Paris police did not accommodate people of this height.

Fedor with his wife Efrosinya

In 1905, the Makhnov family went on a foreign tour. Traveling in Western Europe, they visited France, Great Britain, Belgium, Holland, Italy. The audience was honored by the Pope himself. According to family tradition, he stripped himself of the golden cross and presented it to the daughter of the giant. A couple of Makhnovs also visited the United States. To do this, however, had to redo the cabin of the ship.

During these trips, there were some oddities. At receptions in the palaces, Fedor lit cigarettes from candles from the upper tiers of the chandeliers, which extinguished them.

In Paris, he had a clash with several townspeople. Arriving police officers wanted to send the giant to jail, but not finding a suitable camera, they confined themselves only to conversation.

During lunch, the German Chancellor was given a huge tea set in front of Makhnov, but Fedor did not appreciate such a “joke”, demanding that he be replaced with a regular mug.

Fedor on a trip abroad

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. Living in his father’s house did not allow growth. At this time, the landowner Krzhizhanovsky was just selling his estate. Makhnov bought it with the land, he rebuilt the house according to its parameters. From Germany, Otto Bilinder sent him furniture. I decided to get married. It turned out to be the hardest question! Girls of ordinary growth 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 the girl, she was tall - 1 m 85 cm. She was two years younger than Fedor, but she survived her husband by 35 years, died in 1947. We played a wedding. In 1903, their daughter Maria was born, in 1904 their son Nikolai. In 1911-12, three more children were born to the Makhnovs. Thus, the Makhnovs had five children in total. None of them grew above two meters. They lived together, in love and harmony. Fedor was a kind man, loved his children, helped peasants. And from Germany there were invitations to return to the circus again ...

Together they traveled the world. Fyodor attended a reception at the chancellor of Germany, at an audience of the Pope, who liked the little daughter of Fyodor Maria so much that he took off his golden cross on a chain and presented it to a girl at a reception at US President Theodore Roosevelt. So that Makhnov could cross the ocean, the cabin of the ship was redone under it. Euphrosyne liked such a 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 the death the giant’s corpse would be left to him for scientific research, she was afraid that something could happen to Fedor suddenly, and they left home.

In Paris, almost all members of the Anthropological Partnership showed great interest in the extraordinary physical data of the giant. They wanted to examine it more thoroughly, but Makhnov all his life refused to undress in front of doctors, allowing them to measure only the length of their feet, and palms - 51 cm and almost 35, respectively.

His ears were 15 cm long and his lips 10 cm wide, which should have made a definite impression on his wife, a woman of normal size when they kissed. After several days of rest, he always got taller. This was caused by 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 average family could have fed him breakfast for two days. According to the press, we know how our giant ate. In the morning he ate 20 eggs, 8 round loaves of white bread and 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.

As anthropologists rightly noted, this resident of Belarus is “these are one legs.” His boot, barely reaching the giant’s knee, reached the chest of a normal person, and a 12-year-old boy could fit his head in it. If Fedor was born without legs, then he would hardly have reached average height. His head, which was unusually small with such a huge body, gave him an unusually ridiculous look, which he tried to hide, wearing a richly decorated Cossack uniform.

A long nomadic life undermined Makhnov’s already not very good health. Exacerbated chronic joint disease, earned as a child in the cold water Zaronovki. It was getting harder and harder to walk. Otto Bilinder tried to help Fedor by sending a heavyweight horse from Germany. Unfortunately, the sent animal did not solve the problem, since with its nearly three-meter-tall growth, the giant's legs still dragged along the ground when he mounted it. Although Fedor was very attached to the horse, he preferred to take the troika on trips as the main means of transportation.

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

Unfortunately, Fedor Makhnov did not live long. In 1912, chronic diseases finally crippled the giant’s health, and he died at the age of 34, having managed, however, to rejoice before 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 their life Makhnov was not determined. German doctors believed that Makhnov died of bone tuberculosis, which many giants suffered. According to other sources, he caught a cold and got pneumonia. The version of poisoning by rivals on the wrestling mat is also not excluded. According to the grandson, there is a version that Fedor, having moved to the farm, did not leave his performance in the circus. He often traveled to Germany with his family.

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

The growth of Fedor Makhnov, even after his death, continued to amaze everyone. Undertaker, thinking that an error crept in the order for the coffin and the fence, did the job for an ordinary person. When it turned out that he was mistaken, he had to urgently remodel the coffin, and there was no time left to remake the fence, and it had to be left.

On the preserved gravestone, you can still read the inscription: “Fedor Andreevich Makhnov, born June 6, 1878, died. On August 28, 1912, in the year 36, the Biggest Man in Mir Rostom was 3 arshins of 9 points. ”

You can supplement the story about Fedor Makhnov by the fact that his growth on the tombstone is indicated incorrectly. He was taken from a contract with Bilinder, signed by a giant at the age of 16. From that moment, Fedor grew another 30 cm.

The giant’s wife later wanted to correct the mistakes on the tombstone and redo the fence, but the outbreak of World War I and the subsequent revolutionary events prevented her from doing this.

In 1934, Makhnov’s remains were exhumed for scientific purposes and sent to the Minsk Medical Institute for study. During the war, the giant’s skeleton was lost, as well as much more. Only the photograph and description made by Professor D.M. Dove.

There is also a version of how this happened: in 1935, Rodion's son studied at the Minsk Medical Institute, and at one of the lectures on gigantism, the professor gave the example of Fedor Makhnov. What was the amazement of everyone when Rodion stood up and said that it was his father. It was then that they asked him to talk with his family about the sale of the skeleton of his father. Mother agreed to sell for 5 thousand rubles. After the death of her husband, she got married a second time, gave birth to three more children. Money was needed ... During the exhumation, many people were present, including the widow and children. In 1936, Minsk professor D.M. Golub published an article on the skeleton of an acromegalist 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.

However, according to descendants, " no one opened the grave, and even more so did not sell anything! The remains disappeared after the Second World War, exported by assumption to Germany, because even before the revolution, the German Academy of Natural Sciences wanted them.»

Today the children of Fedor and Efrosinya Makhnov are no longer alive. Everyone lived a difficult but dignified life. During the years of collectivization, they wanted to dispossess and expel the Makhnov family, but the peasants stood up and left them alone. Nikolai and Gavrila were officers, went through repression. Rehabilitated. Rodion became a doctor and during the years of World War II he was shot by the Nazis for communication with partisans. The eldest Maria worked all her life as a livestock specialist, and the youngest Masha as an accountant. All children with height were more likely to go to their mother - 180 - 190 cm. The descendants of Makhnov were scattered throughout the cities and villages of Belarus and Russia. Only a birch remained on the site of the former estate, perhaps planted by Fedor Makhnov himself. And the names of the Giants Farm, the Forest Giants remind locals of the tallest man in the world who once lived in these places.

Fedor Andreevich Makhnov. At one time he was known all over the world, but now he is almost forgotten. This year he would have turned 138 years old. Weighing 182 kilograms, his height was ... 285 centimeters!

Fedor Andreyevich 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 endure a difficult birth and died. Grandfather and grandmother took a small orphan to their upbringing

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 a very strong boy.

At the age of 10, his father took the grown boy to him. Helping his father with the housework, Fedya grew stronger and hardened. Not large in age, he could easily drag a peasant cart loaded with hay onto a mountain or raise an adult to a dispute. Neighbors often used his opportunities in the construction of houses, where he helped raise logs.

Having learned about the abilities of the young strongman, the local landowner Korzhenevsky hired him to clean up the nearby Zaronovka River from boulders that interfered with the work of the water mill. Long work in very cold water played a very unfavorable role in Fedor's life. He caught a cold, and the diseases that ensued thereafter made themselves felt throughout 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, his father had to build on several crowns of the wall. The local blacksmith was ordered to make an individual bed, but he, overloaded with work, did it all summer. In the end, it turned out that Fedya had outgrown this bed.

Tales still tell about the growth of a guy in Kostyuki. They say that children were hiding in his felt boots, and he pacified his few offenders by putting their hats under the logs of the baths or laying them on the skates of the roofs.

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

They did not have to persuade their father for a long time and the 14-year-old man went to conquer Europe with his abilities. Otto Bilinder took custody of Fedor. At first, he hired teachers to teach him German for an illiterate guy. Otto took over the teaching of circus art. Almost two years, the training of Fedor lasted. When he was 16 years old, a contract for performances was signed with him. So Fedor Makhnov became a circus artist.

The rate in his speeches was made on power numbers. For more than two and a half meter, the giant with one hand bent iron horseshoes, smashed bricks with his hands, twisted metal rods into a spiral, and then straightened them again. The rooms enjoyed particular success when, lying on his back, he raised a wooden platform with an orchestra of three musicians. In those days, circus tournaments in Greco-Roman (classical) wrestling were very popular. Famous strongmen and world-class wrestlers took part in them, including Russian titans Zaikin and Poddubny. Fedor Makhnov also participated in similar tournaments. True, he did not become a great athlete due to the fact that the best world fighters always came out against him, and chronic back disease did not allow him to fully show his talents. Nevertheless, its mere appearance in the arena caused a storm of excitement of the public.

Makhnov devoted nine years to working in the circus, after which he became a completely wealthy person. However, the great growth brought a lot of trouble to Fedor. It was hard for him to travel, as all transport, hotels, catering facilities were designed only for people of standard sizes. Because of this, Fedor at the very beginning of the twentieth century returned home, to his native Kostyuki. For the money earned in circus performances, he bought from the landowner Korzhenevsky, who had left for France, his land and house. Makhnov rebuilt the estate under his own height, furnished it with suitable furniture and renamed it Velikanovo. Otto Bidinder sent all the necessary building materials and furniture from Germany to him, and Fedor maintained close friendly contacts with him until the end of his life. Having settled in a new place, Makhnov decided to marry. And although by nature he was very kind, and he was not deprived of finances, he found the bride with great difficulty. She became Efrosinya Lebedeva, who worked as a rural teacher. She was tall as a girl, but still inferior to her fiancée 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 capabilities in various cities of the Russian Empire.

Such trips, along 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 growth slightly decreased on weekdays and increased over the weekend. The giant's food was four meals a day, but the portions were truly impressive. For example, breakfast consisted of a set of 8 round loaves of bread and butter, 20 eggs and 2 liters of tea. For lunch, 1 kg of potatoes, 2.5 kg of meat and 3 liters of beer went. 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 another 1 loaf of bread, 15 eggs and 1 liter of tea or milk.

In 1905, the Makhnov family went on a foreign tour. Traveling in Western Europe, they visited France, Great Britain, Belgium, Holland, Italy. The audience was honored by the Pope himself. According to family tradition, he stripped himself of the golden cross and presented it to the daughter of the giant. A couple of Makhnovs also visited the United States. To do this, however, had to redo the cabin of the ship.

During these trips, there were some oddities. At receptions in the palaces, Fedor lit cigarettes from candles from the upper tiers of the chandeliers, which extinguished them.

In Paris, he had a clash with several townspeople. Arriving police officers wanted to send the giant to jail, but not finding a suitable camera, they confined themselves only to conversation.

During lunch, the German Chancellor was given a huge tea set in front of Makhnov, but Fedor did not appreciate such a “joke”, demanding that he be replaced with a regular mug. But although the receptions at the highest levels were cordial, traveling the world was difficult. First of all, the inappropriate sizes of transport, housing and restaurants affected. In addition, various scientists began to besiege Makhnov, offering to conclude a contract for him to transfer to them to study his skeleton after death. Suspecting that they might kill him for this, Fedor interrupted his overseas tour and returned to his home at Velikanov Khutor.

A long nomadic life undermined Makhnov’s already not very good health. Exacerbated chronic joint disease, earned as a child in the cold water Zaronovki. It was getting harder and harder to walk. Otto Bilinder tried to help Fedor by sending a heavyweight horse from Germany. Unfortunately, the sent animal did not solve the problem, since with its nearly three-meter-tall growth, the giant's legs still dragged along the ground when he mounted it. Although Fedor was very attached to the horse, he preferred to take the troika on trips as the main means of transportation.

Traveling abroad brought a lot of new things to the economic life of Fedor Makhnov. Perhaps the first in the district, he began to use agricultural machines purchased by him in Germany and kindly sent by Bilinder. For some time he even bred horses. Unfortunately, Fedor Makhnov did not live long. In 1912, chronic diseases finally crippled the giant’s health, and he died at the age of 34, having managed, however, to rejoice before 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 their life Makhnov was not determined. Some documents write that he died from tuberculosis, in others - from chronic pneumonia. The Vitebsk giant was buried in a local cemetery near the village of Kostyuki. Russian Sport magazine was published by an obituary announcing his death.

The growth of Fedor Makhnov, even after his death, continued to amaze everyone. Undertaker, thinking that an error crept in the order for the coffin and the fence, did the job for an ordinary person. When it turned out that he was mistaken, he had to urgently remodel the coffin, and there was no time left to remake the fence, and it had to be left.

On the preserved gravestone, you can still read the inscription: “Fedor Andreevich Makhnov, born June 6, 1878, died. On August 28, 1912, in the year 36, the Biggest Man in Mir Rostom was 3 arshins of 9 points. ”

You can supplement the story about Fedor Makhnov by the fact that his growth on the tombstone is indicated incorrectly. He was taken from a contract with Bilinder, signed by a giant at the age of 16. From that moment, Fedor grew another 30 cm. The giant’s wife subsequently wanted to correct the mistakes on the tombstone and redo the fence, but the outbreak of World War I and the subsequent revolutionary events prevented her from doing this.

In 1934, Makhnov’s remains were exhumed for scientific purposes and sent to the Minsk Medical Institute for study. During the war, the giant’s skeleton was lost, as well as much more. Only the photograph and description made by Professor D.M. Dove.

Instead of a conclusion

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

But this confession is wrong! After all, the growth of Fedor Andreyevich Makhnov is equal to 285 centimeters. And he is the tallest man in the world in history. Growth 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.

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

Fedor with his wife Efrosinya

Having settled in a new place, Makhnov decided to marry. And although by nature he was very kind, and he was not deprived of finances, he found the bride with great difficulty. She became Efrosinya Lebedeva, who worked as a rural teacher. She was tall as a girl, but still inferior to her fiancée 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 capabilities in various cities of the Russian Empire.

Such trips, along 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 growth slightly decreased on weekdays and increased over the weekend.

Fedor Makhnov is preparing his own dinner

The giant's food was four meals a day, but the portions were truly impressive. For example, breakfast consisted of a set of 8 round loaves of bread and butter, 20 eggs and 2 liters of tea. For lunch, 1 kg of potatoes, 2.5 kg of meat and 3 liters of beer went. 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 another 1 loaf of bread, 15 eggs and 1 liter of tea or milk.

In 1905, the Makhnov family went on a foreign tour. Traveling in Western Europe, they visited France, Great Britain, Belgium, Holland, Italy. The audience was honored by the Pope himself. According to family tradition, he stripped himself of the golden cross and presented it to the daughter of the giant. A couple of Makhnovs also visited the United States. To do this, however, had to redo the cabin of the ship.

During these trips, there were some oddities. At receptions in the palaces, Fedor lit cigarettes from candles from the upper tiers of the chandeliers, which extinguished them.

In Paris, he had a clash with several townspeople. Arriving police officers wanted to send the giant to jail, but not finding a suitable camera, they confined themselves only to conversation.

During lunch, the German Chancellor was given a huge tea set in front of Makhnov, but Fedor did not appreciate such a “joke”, demanding that he be replaced with a regular mug.

Fedor Andreyevich 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.

Childhood Fedi

Born in a peasant family in the Staroselskaya 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 endure a difficult birth and died. Grandfather and grandmother took the little orphan to their upbringing. But at the age of 10, his father took the grown-up boy back to his place.
  Helping his father with the housework, Fedya grew stronger and hardened. Not large in age, he could easily drag a peasant cart loaded with hay onto a mountain or raise an adult to a dispute. Neighbors often used his opportunities in the construction of houses, where he helped raise 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 turned 14 years old, he began to bang his head on the ceiling, had to rebuild the hut. They had to make an individual bed for Fedor, but the blacksmith delayed the fulfillment of the order, and the boy managed to outgrow it. Once a giant teenager who worked part-time at the Polotsk Bazaar in Vitebsk was seen by Otto Bilinder, the owner of a nomad circus. It is worth considering that this was the end of the 19th century, while the performances of miracle people were enormously popular. The German persuaded the family of Fedor to lower him to Germany.

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

Work in the circus

  Circus Poster

So the young giant came to Europe. At first, Fyodor studied German and at the same time 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 for work in the circus. The audience was delighted. People came to performances not so much to look at tricks, but to just see with their own eyes a giant whose height was more than 2.5 meters. Fedor Makhnov, lying, easily raised the platform with a small orchestra.

  Fedor Andreevich Makhnov in Europe

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

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

It is worth noting that it was difficult for him to travel, since all transport, hotels, catering facilities were designed 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 landowner, which he rebuilt for himself. It is worth noting that Otto Bidinder always continued to help him. The owner of the circus and the artist remained friends.

A 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 Binder from Germany. later, the village in which Fyodor’s family lived was called the “Giant Farm”. This is the former village of Gorbachi (now the Grodno region of Belarus).

Fyodor was a very kind man, he loved his children, he was always ready to help the villagers

After some time, 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. Five children appeared in the family.
  When the supply of money came to an end, the giant again went to Europe, where he was met with constant success. After the speeches, Fyodor Makhnov and his wife were invited to social events. Even there, Fyodor 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 simply wasn’t a cell in which he would fit.

Giant food

Each meal consisted of several kilograms of food, and Makhnov could oversleep for 24 hours. The giant's food was 4 meals a day. For example, breakfast consisted of a set of 8 round loaves of bread and butter, 20 eggs and 2 liters of tea. For lunch, 1 kg of potatoes, 2.5 kg of meat and 3 liters of beer went. 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 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 despite the fact that the official world record is 2 meters 72 centimeters (American Robert Wadlow).

Death

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

3 arshins of 9 inches are 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, Efrosinya, wanted to correct the wrong figure on the monument, but she was prevented by the outbreak of World War I, and then the revolution. Unfortunately, no official evidence of such a giant 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 papakha and high-heeled boots. These elements of clothing were certainly used during Fedor's performances. The only reliable source to judge the growth of the giant are intravital photographs. However, comparing Fedor with other objects of known height shown in the photographs, we can conclude that, at least at the time of shooting, the giant's growth did not exceed 240 cm.Moreover, during the time of Fedor Makhnov, official measurements were not carried out, but since he performed on a tour of Europe, the organizers could well exaggerate 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 tallest man in memory of Fedor Makhnov "The Vitebsk Giant." The winner of the competition among men was Vitebsk resident Alexei Andreyanov with a height of 208 cm. Among women, the highest was Natalya Rusanova - 197.5 cm.

• Fedor managed to bring many innovations to the agriculture. Almost the first in the district, he actively began to use machines related to agriculture, which he purchased in Germany.
• When traveling on a ship through the Atlantic, I had to redo the cabin of the ship 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 presented 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